Arlene Lagos's Blog, page 17

Butterflies Wake: The Novel

An excerpt from my upcoming novel

Butterflies Wake

Adult Fiction

Release Date: September 2012

Fairytales always start with once upon a time and end with happily ever after. Somewhere in the middle there’s a prince, an evil queen and a distressed maiden, a victim of her own beauty. Gallantly, the prince rides in, saving his true love, proving his manhood and once again restoring balance to the universe. My fairytale, however, was not like that at all. Let’s take for example my ex-husband Ron. In our fairy tale, Ron was no prince. Don’t get me wrong; I truly believe he started off with good intentions. But, then he lost his job, started drinking and I became his personal punching bag. After the third miscarriage I was told I could never have children. At that point, I really didn’t care if I died.

But, on one particular evening back in 1977, something happened that would change my life forever. I had come home from the grocery store to find Ron sitting on the front steps of our house with his usual can of beer suctioned to his left hand as if it were an extension of his fingers. I could tell he had been drinking all day and was itching for a fight, so I didn’t even bother asking for help with the groceries. There was still the idea that I had to walk up the steps and past him to get to the front door. I prayed he didn’t attack me with the groceries still in my hand. I walked at a slow pace, avoiding eye contact and carefully slinked passed him hoping not to hit the back of him with the screen door as I squeezed through.

I made it into the kitchen and managed to at least put away the frozen food, eggs and milk before the first punch was thrown. I could feel him coming up behind me and so I instinctively blocked my body with the bag of groceries since he usually struck me in the stomach where nobody could see the bruising. But this time he caught me off guard with an elbow to my throat and as I fell to the floor he kicked me in the face sending me smashing into the corner of the table, which dislocated my jaw. Everything got distorted and I felt a piercing hum coming from my ears. I couldn’t hear what he was saying and I was pretty sure my right eye had swollen shut so I tried hard to move into the bathroom using the sight of my left eye that only had a little blood dripping in it. I was able to catch my breath for a minute before he began round two.

When it was finally over, I found myself lying on the front lawn covered in blood. I thought for sure I would be dead any minute judging from the amount of blood pouring out of my nose and the severity of the pain coursing through my body. But then something happened; I saw out of the corner of my left eye a little boy standing in the street staring at Ron as he sat on the front steps drinking his beer and watching me die.

The boy’s name was Patrick, he was around ten years old and he lived in our neighborhood. He stood there holding his baseball glove and ball and just stared at Ron for almost two whole minutes. I wanted to scream for him to run away but no sound would come out of my mouth. Then he turned and ran as fast as he could towards his house. I was happy he was safe, I didn’t want Ron to hurt him and I didn’t want that poor boy to have to witness anymore than he already had. I blacked out again for a while and waited for death to take me. But it never came.

Instead, two women from the neighborhood came running towards me and were picking me up off the front lawn. Their names were Priscilla and Sally. They lived a few houses down from us. I never got a chance to get to know them on account of the fact that we didn’t have many visitors and Ron would never in a million years let me have a life outside of him.

I was scared for them but I couldn’t say anything. I could barely even move. I don’t recall much about what transpired at the time but I do remember some words being exchanged between Priscilla and Ron. I didn’t know Priscilla that well, other than that she was a nurse at the local hospital and had a son named Patrick, the boy who saw me on the lawn. He must have run to her for help. Thank God for him. I feared Ron might hurt them too but they didn’t seem scared of him. They picked me up and carried me away. I was a rag doll, lifeless in their arms as they carried me back to Priscilla’s house. That was the last time I ever saw Ron again. I don’t know what happened and I didn’t ask questions. I was just grateful that they found me when they did because they not only saved my life, but they changed the course of it forever.

Butterflies Wake is an experiment that took to life in August of 2010 originally as a TV pilot. We shot a short 25 minute “pitch concept” but had little to no budget to make it how it needed to be made. Now I am turning it into a novel, letting it unravel the way it was intended too, without constraint of budget to interrupt the flow of idea. I look forward to sharing it with you soon. For more information on the short film made about it you can visit the website and catch the trailer while you are there. Stay tuned for more updates!

No Joke Broke

Dear Readers: I’m going to start incorporating an advice column into my blog so if you  want to send me a question, you can email me at arlenelagos@msn.com I will NEVER reveal your name. You can even create a fake email with a fake name to send your question if it makes you more comfortable. Here’s today’s question from a guy I’m going to call Broke-ass Ben. If it’s even from a guy…

Dear Arlene,

This economy is killing me! I lost my job, am totally broke and I feel like my bills just keep coming!! Do you have any advice on how to find work and survive on next to nothing?!- Broke-ass Ben

Dear Ben,

Finding a job can seem like a full-time job in itself if you don’t have the right tools. The first thing to do is pull from your resources. You need to talk to anyone and everyone within earshot, anytime and every time you can about the fact that you are looking for work. Don’t be proud, it doesn’t pay the bills.

The rule of thumb is that most jobs are obtained through friendly recommendations. Talk to your friends, your neighbors, the guy at the bank, the lady at the post office, the local bartender, your barber etc. Be willing to do anything; don’t limit yourself to what you think you can do. If they are willing to hire you, be willing to learn something new.

Don’t just log onto random job search engines and fire-off a million resumes into the virtual ether. It’s a waste of time especially if you don’t know who to follow-up with. Research companies in your area that are doing well, go onto their websites and call them, visit them, apply, and follow-up. Ask your resources if anyone knows anyone who works at the place  where you’re applying.

Go to Job Fairs! Placement agencies are also a great way to find work while you’re looking for the right job and sometimes you are lucky enough to be placed at a company that will hire you permanently. Register with as many of them as you can find and follow-up with them at least twice a week, and be ready to interview at a moment’s notice. Save all your gas and toll receipts that you accumulate while looking for work as they are tax-deductible!

As for being broke and getting swallowed whole by your bills, you need to downsize your lifestyle-at least for now. Do you have stuff at your place that you don’t need or don’t use? Sell it on Craigslist or e-Bay and then use that money to pay off your bills. If money is super tight, pay the bills you need to survive first such as rent, utilities, food and gas to get to work. Call your bill collector’s and tell them about your situation and see if you can get an extension. If your honest with your creditors, some of the better ones will cut you a break.

If you can’t afford cable right now, get a library card! You can get movies, music and books at any library, use their computers to look for work and it’s all absolutely free! Speaking of free, do you need furniture, dishes, appliances or clothes? You can join freecycle.org in your area and make out like a bandit! I furnished an entire house for free between using freecycle.org and  Craigslist.

If you can get out of your current cell phone plan DO IT! You’d be better off getting a pay-as-you-go phone and loading minutes when you can afford it. You can get one at any CVS or Wal-Mart for $30. Bye-bye overpriced calling plan!  Do you have a Roku, Wii or an X-box hanging around? If you do, you can get streaming Netflix for $7.99 a month, which is much cheaper than a monthly cable bill!

If all else fails, you can always put a sign around your neck like my friend Dave did; he found employment right away! Good luck and take no prisoners!

Who’s The Bully?

Everyday I watch the news and see politicians mud-slinging and trash-talking each other. I see people with guns fighting wars and killing people they have never even met. I see reality TV shows where the man picks the prettiest girl, and sometimes goes as far as to degrade the other women; or the woman picks the hottest guy, and finds ways to humiliate his competition. I see people get voted off stage because even though they are  often more talented, they are just not “as popular, or as thin, or as pretty.”

A majority of what I see on television depicts violence, anger and some form of revenge or harassment. Betrayal, jealousy and greed dominate the airways and that doesn’t stop at the local news. The news station will publicize for months something negative before they ever spotlight the great things happening around the world.

How do we expect our youth to ever overcome issues of violence, bullying, body image, or class warfare when we not only condone it, but are active participants? We tell them not to be mean to other kids, then go to a baseball game and yell profanities at the opposing team. Grown men and woman starting fires outside of hockey games. Corporate CEO’s stealing from their own employees.  I wonder how many decades of evolution will be necessary before we realize how awful we’ve become? Perhaps Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games wasn’t a fiction novel after all.

Wikipedia Definition:

Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior manifested by the use of force or coercion to affect others, particularly when the behavior is habitual and involves an imbalance of power. It can include verbal harassment, physical assault or coercion and may be directed repeatedly towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality or ability. The “imbalance of power” may be social power and/or physical power. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a “target”.

 

Jokes From A 5-Year-Old

My daughter comes home from school everyday and tells me a joke she heard at school. I love them because they are witty and clean!  For some reason I felt that today was a perfect joke-telling day. So here we go…answers are at the bottom. Don’t peek!

1. What kind of room has no walls, no doors, no ceilings and no floors?

2. What kind of witch can be found in the desert?

3. What kind of band doesn’t play music?

4. What kind of dog can tell time?

5. Why are fish so smart?

6. What kind of key doesn’t fit inside of a lock?

7. Where did the sheep go to get his haircut?

8. What has eyes but cannot see?

9. What has teeth but cannot eat?

10. What did one wall say to the other wall?

Answers:

1. A mushroom

2. A sandwich

3. A rubber band

4. A watchdog

5. Because they live in schools

6. A monkey

7. A bahhhber

8. A potato

9. A comb

10. Meet me at the corner!

Get Out Of My Head!

Have you ever been mistreated so badly by another person that your anger towards them consumes you? It’s tough to “turn the other cheek” or “be the bigger person”. Sometimes you don’t want to walk away, you want to run full speed ahead with clenched fist and punch them square in the nose. But let’s face it, it wouldn’t make you feel any better. In fact, it might make you feel worse and possibly even get you arrested.

Here’s a little saying I recite to myself when I find myself in this type of situation:

“Holding a grudge against someone else is allowing them to live rent free in your head”.

I heard this a while ago and it stuck with me. The last thing I want to do is give someone power over my thoughts. I have great thoughts and creative ideas and there’s just no room up there for the likes of you pal! That’s what I tell myself. Then I take a deep breath, mentally evict that person from taking up precious space and move on.

An Excerpt From Verum:Truth

Below is an excerpt from Book I of the Beyond Earth Series, “Verum:Truth”

Genre: Science-Fiction Fantasy

I remember falling asleep on the train ride home from Boston that night. I sat between my parents, comfortably curled up with my headphones on, listening to “Purple Rain” by Prince and the Revolution on my Walkman. My mother kissed my forehead and rubbed my back as I nuzzled my head further into my father’s chest. When the train came to our stop, we got up and proceeded down the steps and towards our car. As we walked through the parking lot, I realized that I had left my bag on the train. I started running back towards the conductor yelling for him to wait and as if in slow motion, I looked back at my parents getting into the car, put up my finger to signal for them to wait one minute and when I turned back to step on the train I heard a loud booming sound come from behind me that shook my body to its core.

It felt like a huge ocean wave had ripped up my back and swallowed me underneath its tide. I lost my breath as I flung towards the conductor who caught himself and me simultaneously. There was fire falling from the sky like stars and piles of ash around my feet. I was deafened at first and then I could hear people screaming from every direction. Afraid, I slowly turned around and when I did, I saw an image that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

A swell of fire was raging and bursting and popping, climbing higher and higher into the sky like a ladder to heaven. I stood in the same spot and stared in shock for what seemed like hours until the ambulance came to remove the dead bodies that were once my loving parents. The police report said that the car had a ruptured fuel line that leaked causing it to detonate like a bomb when my father turned the car on. Their obituaries said they died instantly and felt no pain. Sometimes, in my nightmares, I can almost feel the fire rushing up my back and can hear them screaming so loud, that it wakes me up in a cold sweat and leaves me breathless.

Beyond Earth Series

Hidden in the fabric of our own galaxy are five planets, anchored to Earth and thriving with life. Each one unlocks a secret to many destinies that bring seven brave warriors together to fight the ultimate evil set to destroy their existence. In Book One Verum: Truth, Adaminia is your average 25-year-old girl still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up, or so she thinks. Stuck in cube-land and living with her aunt, she wonders if she was ever meant to do more. One day at work, that opportunity presents itself when an odd sound leads her down the hallway and onto another planet. Here she begins the journey on learning the truth about who she is when she travels to Verum and explores the world of Princess Reese, heir to the throne of Verum, setting into motion the path they must travel in order to fulfill their destinies.

To purchase a copy of Book I Verum: Truth

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: An interview with actress, Leslie Vicary

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT:

An interview with actress, Leslie Vicary

You have a short film premiering at the 2012 Charleston International Film Festival called, “My Sister Sam”.  What is the film about and what role do you play in it?

The film is the story of two kids who are orphaned, then sent to a foster home at which they experience potentially abusive circumstances, followed by their decision to become self-sufficient on the street, which leads to all sorts of dangerous scenarios. I play Sherry, the foster mom.

Was it a difficult role to play, why or why not?

As an actress, it was great fun.  Who doesn’t love to get to be the bad guy?  Only two things concerned me. I had to smoke and I am a reformed chain-smoker and I’m not going to give myself any chance to start smoking again.  And the trashy short-shorts.  Unfortunately, by the time I tried the costume on, it was too late to do the million walking lunges and squats that they really required.

Have you ever acted opposite children before?

I act opposite my own 5-year-old child on a daily basis with storytelling, impressions, etc.  I’ve done theatre with kids and taught kid’s acting and art, so I was comfortable with the experience.

Tell me about Olivia and Sheldon, how were they on set?

 Olivia and Sheldon were both great. I like to stay in the essence of the character while we’re shooting and, especially with unseasoned actors, your real-life relationship with other actors can bleed over into your character, so I wanted them both to be uncomfortable and a little suspicious of me, so I glared at them a lot. But I was impressed. They were both great listeners, took direction and could handle not being the center of attention when they weren’t supposed to be.  That’s half the battle with kids. Sheldon is older, though.  I haven’t seen the final cut yet, but from what I experienced, I expect their performances to be genuine and moving.  Olivia-the-8-year-old gave me some line readings in the parking lot after our first table read.  ”You might want to say it like…”  ”Are you giving me a line reading?” She’ll probably be directing my next project.

Knowing R.W. Smith as well as I do, it’s hard for me to imagine him playing the evil foster dad. What was it like seeing him transform into a bad guy?  

I just remember our first read together in the audition and feeling like he was going to do something so weird and crazy any minute, being totally game for it.  Then they told us to read it again, but less creepy.  Ha!  It was really fun working with him.  I can’t wait to see his other scenes. He’s not only an amazing actor, who cares about the craft and the quality, he’s also very giving and generous as a person, which is so much more important.  He does transform completely into a creepy bad guy, but then he would pick up Olivia and give her a hug after the scene.  He has young daughters, too, so that probably helps.  I saw him on St. Pat’s Day with his girls and he was wearing a kilt and had a full head of grey hair and enormous muttonchops.  I didn’t even recognize him.

What was it like working with Travis Hollifield, Barrett Burlage and Edward Tilden of Terrible Parrot Films? 

Oh, they are part of that whole group of wonderful local people doing quality work and telling great stories.  I’m so thrilled to get to work with them.  Attention to detail and organization rate highly with me.  They are highly organized, professional, safe, considerate, etc. AND they are creative, driven, artistically skilled, etc.   You don’t always get organized and artistic in the same package.  You do with Terrible Parrot and each of the guys, Travis, Ed, Barrett. And they seem to really work well together, each respecting the others talents and opinions and giving them space, while filling in for each other’s weaknesses.  They should do marriage seminars or something. It has been great working with them.

How long have you been an actress? 

Do you want me to tell you about the time I did a monologue from “Ice Castles” in a junior high beauty pageant now?  No, no.  Like a boyfriend you just can’t ditch, I’ve acted on and off since I was a kid, attended a high school of the arts in Atlanta, majored, then minored, in Theatre, performed in theatre, commercials, voiceovers, radio etc. etc. Then I quit the day-job after I had my child 5 years ago and it seemed like the perfect time to reinvent myself into what I had hoped to be all along.  Many dollars, hours and mileage logs later, I have a number of independent films, commercials, industrials, training, etc. accomplished.

Prior to “My Sister Sam” you did a one-woman show on stage is that correct? Tell me about that.

Yes, I recently performed a one-woman-show at South of Broadway Theatre under Mark Gorman’s direction called, “The Last Flapper”, based on the life of Zelda Fitzgerald.  I really hope to perform that again in a full run very soon.  I am on fire for that show and sharing her story…she was such an extraordinary woman.

What ways are you trying to improve yourself as an artist?

I’ve discovered the agony/ecstasy of improv this year through the Theatre 99 classes.  I took Brandy’s Level 1 and 2 and am currently in Greg’s 3. It started as just one of the many steps in the ongoing saga of destroying fear and cultivating focus in the face of audition anxiety. Improv is the theatrical equivalent to dodge ball and I come home with big ole raspberries all over me some nights and some nights I get to make people cry and other people laugh at them crying. Right on.

What other local independent filmmakers have you recently worked with?

I’m THRILLED to have had the opportunity to work on wonderful independent films by some of the best filmmakers in our region, Terrible Parrot, D.A.M.E. Media (watch for “Remembering” – also with R.W. Smith and Olivia Gainey), Seamless Pictures (happy to make a small appearance in “The Dust That Floats…”), etc. I just shot “Crossing the River” near Columbia for Emilie McDonald who is a filmmaker from New York, which I hope we’ll see at CIFF next year.

Tell me about the Charleston film scene, has it grown in recent years?

The film scene in the southeast and Charleston is growing and the talent base keeps getting better and bigger.  It’s a fun time to be here!   Now if we can just get a couple of great stories in which women in their 30s or 40s are the main characters, rather than the main character’s mother or wife, so I can really sink my chops into something!  I’m ready when you are!

Check out the trailer for “My Sister Sam” 

MY SISTER SAM

Saturday, April 14       Block 3 ~ 3:00pm

Drama (29 mins.) 

SC, World Premiere Directors/Writers: Travis Hollifield and James Edward Tilden Producers: Barret B. Burlage, Travis Hollifield and James Edward Tilden

Cast: Sheldon Faure, Olivia Gainey, R.W. Smith, Natalie Sullivan, and Jeff Albertson

Synopsis: “My Sister Sam” is the story of eight-year-old Samantha and her teenage brother Brian. When the only world they have ever known is shattered by a horrible tragedy, they are placed into an abusive foster home, forcing Brian to fight to protect his sister. With nothing more than a backpack and a twenty dollar bill Brian and Sam choose a life on the street.

 

Is This A Hill?

I am taking a break from spotlighting upcoming independent films today to bring a dose of inspiration.

I’ve been thinking about an old friend lately, one that imparted some great wisdom on me a mere 6 years ago.  I was pregnant with my daughter at the time and we worked together. I would step outside a few times a day to get some fresh air, and coincidentally she would step outside to smoke, making my gesture pointless.

But, she was funny and interesting so I always stayed and listened to her talk. Her name was Margie and she was in her 60′s at the time. She was a veteran of sales, great at her job. But she knew nothing about technology. So she taught me the tricks of the trade and in return I would teach her how to keep up at work with the latest technology as she was always afraid she was one mistake away from getting fired for being “too old” to keep up.

As a hormonal pregnant woman I would get so mad to think that the company might let her go because of her age. “You need to fight, don’t let them get the best of you” I would say to her. She would just smile and smoke her cigarette. One time I heard that they had taken some of her accounts away and given them to a younger less experienced sales person. I’d get so mad and ask her why she didn’t fight for her job. She would just smile and smoke her cigarette.

A few weeks passed and I found myself in conflict with my boss. I was angry and wanted to lash out, let her know how I felt. Let her know that she wasn’t doing right by us and demand justice. Margie could tell that I was furious and pulled me aside, “let’s get some air,” she said.

We stood outside and she smoked as I tried to calm myself down. “Do you want to know why I don’t let this stuff get to me?” she said finally. “If I got mad every time someone did something stupid or wrong, I would be six feet under by now. So, anytime I get to feeling like I’m going to explode I ask myself one simple question, “Is this a hill I want to die on?” Cause if it’s not a hill I want to die on, then I need to walk away, simple as that.”

It sounded simple. I know I had been given similar advice over the years such as “Be a bigger person” or “Don’t sweat the small stuff” etc. But for some reason, on that particular day, I took that advice with me and I’ve never let it go. I take it with me everywhere and I always ask myself in every situation before I open my mouth and unleash a train wreck, “Is this a hill I want to die on?” Almost always, the answer is no. Thanks Margie for your words of wisdom. You have inspired me for life.

From Dust To Dawn: A Look inside The Fifth Annual CIFF

Reblogged from beyondearthseries:

From Dust to Dawn:  A Look inside The Fifth Annual CIFF

The Fifth Annual Charleston International Film Festival is coming around the corner and they have quite a showcase this year. From “The Dust That Floats Behind The Sky” to “Dawn” these movies will have you laughing, crying, thinking and most definitely applauding. If you are in the area, or if you are just a lover of excellent film here are a few of my personal top picks of the filmmakers and the actors you should keep your eye on:

Read more… 820 more words

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: An Interview with Actor, Daniel Jones

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT:

An Interview with Actor,

 

You have a few short films premiering at the 2012 Charleston International Film Festival this year. Can you tell me about them?

Sure. This year I have THE SECRET NUMBER (starring role) by director Colin Levy, COCKPIT (supporting role) by directors Matt Allen & Jason Clairy, and DAWN (supporting role) by director Joshua David Matthews.

They are all very different, what made you decide to do these films?

The Director’s reel, the DP’s reel, the Editor’s reel, and the Sound team’s reel were all outstanding. Mostly, the scripts were very well written and interesting.

You get approached all the time to work on films with people, what makes you pick one role over another?

The first things I want to see are the director’s reel, the DP’s reel, the editor’s reel, and finally the sound teams reel. I want to know how their past projects look, what kind of camera they are shooting on, what was the final sound quality. If I like what the team has done before, I read the script. If the script is interesting and entertaining, I sign on.

How long have you been an actor and what drew you to do this kind of work?  Did you go to school for it and if so, where?

Actually, I was never drawn to any kind of film work. I was about to retire from the military and knew I would need a job to supplement my retirement pay, so I started looking through the brochure of Trident Technical College’s offered programs. I decided that I would become a radiologic technologist, or a vet tech. When I told my wife my decision, she said,  “I’ve never heard you talk about wanting to do either of those things. Why don’t you do something you ‘want’ to do?” It actually pissed me off a little bit, and I thought to myself, “I’ll show her. I’ll take filmmaking courses. I will NEVER be able to make a living doing that.”

Before I started the courses at Trident, I had never even thought about working in film or television. I’d never held a film or video camera. I had no passion for it whatsoever. Within eight months of starting classes, I was hired as a commercial producer at ABC News 4 in Charleston, South Carolina. Within a year and a half, I was senior commercial producer. Although I did go to school for film production, I’ve never taken any formal acting classes. I began acting out of necessity.

While I was still an intern at ABC News 4, my friend John Barnhardt (senior commercial producer) and I wrote a script together called,  TO END ALL DAYS.  We had the entire film cast, but our “Bar Owner” dropped out at the last minute. John said “Why don’t you just play the bar owner?” So I did. After the premiere, people kept telling me I should be an actor. So, I listened to the audience. If they thought this was my strength in filmmaking, then this would be the path I would follow. I immediately shifted my attention from production to performance. Acting was something that had never crossed my mind until that time. Although acting was never an interest or a passion of mine, I’ve grown to love it.

What do you hope to achieve in your career as an actor?

To amass a body of work I can be proud of, while keeping gas in the tank, lights on in the house, and food in the pantry.

I understand you also have worked behind the camera, which do you prefer and why?

I only worked behind the camera for the film program at school and as a commercial producer for a short period of time. Professionally, acting is all I do or have an interest in doing.  However, if you’d like to see my DP stuff, here it is…Click Here

What other festivals have your films premiered in or will be premiering in?

I had a film called PATROL in 2010 that went to Los Angeles, Sundance, and Seattle; it even toured Italy, and was the opening night film at the Gen Art Film Festival in NYC. It was also in the running for a student Oscar. That was a pretty cool feeling. John Ford directed it and has moved on to do some impressive things since. I’m hoping to work with John again when I get out to L.A.

Currently, I have a starring role in THE SECRET NUMBER. I had the opportunity to work with a great friend of mine, Frank Ponce on this one. When Frank is attached to a film, it’s going to be a good one. It’s co-produced by Roque Nonini and Frank.

 The Secret Number Trailer

Colin Levy is a tremendous talent as not only Director, but in the VFX department too. It was an awesome opportunity for me to work with him. One of the greatest aspects of the film is its look, and DP Michael Lloyd was awarded the Panavision Cinematographers Award in the Savannah Film Festival this year. THE SECRET NUMBER won the award for best student film and the city of Savannah award too. It was also nominated for the Verna J. Fields award in sound design. It is just a really well put together movie. Also, it’s going to be playing in the Newport Beach Film Festival the day after I get to L.A.

Another film called, THE ROAD TO JACOB is also currently making rounds in the festivals. It just won best student film in the Beaufort International Film Festival. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Matt Allen several times on projects, but this was our first time together as writer/director and actor. I think it turned out really well. Pieter Ribbens was the DP and my buddy Mike Howell did a wonderful job on the edit. It’s playing out in the Hill Country Film Festival this month in Fredericksburg, TX.

There are also two supporting roles I have in the Charleston International Film Festival this year. One of the films is called DAWN, Joshua David Matthews was the writer/director. Not only did I get to work with Josh, who I worked with briefly on THE SECRET NUMBER, I got to work with Michael Lloyd again on this movie, as well as Kevin Ray, the editor of TSN. Visually one of the most beautiful shorts I’ve ever seen, and Boogie Dabney gives a solid performance in the lead.  

Dawn Trailer

The second is called COCKPIT, directors Matt Allen & Jason Clairy. It also stars Matt and Travis Hicks. This film is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. I’m actually working with Matt again on a film called TICKET TO RIDE just before I leave for L.A. Matt’s co- directing with Travis on this one, so it’s sure to be a fun set. And the DP’s reel looks very impressive.

Cockpit Trailer

So  you are moving to Los Angeles, are you nervous?

Yeah, mostly I’m nervous about maintaining two households in two cities that are very expensive to live in, and I’m not looking forward to being away from my family, but I’m not nervous about working in L.A. A good performance reads the same no matter what coast you’re working on.

As an actor, do you have any advice you’d like to give to aspiring actors?

My first piece of advice? If you’re good at anything else, do that. Although I say it tongue in cheek, there’s a large amount of truth in it too.

First, know what you want to accomplish, exactly how far you want to take it, and what you are willing to do without to get it.

Second, be brutally honest with yourself about the roles you can actually do. If you’re 30-50, you’re not going to get the lead role of the young hot eighteen to twenty something. Instead of feeling down about it, be happy that there are more roles for someone that looks like you in just about every film.

Third, develop an enormously thick skin. You will not get 95% of the roles you audition for. If you can’t handle rejection, do something else. Seriously.

I follow three rules. Be on time, know your lines and don’t be a dick. Do these three things and it will open doors for you. Try to work with people that are above your skill level, and bust your ass to learn everything you can while you’re working with them. Be prepared to work long and sometimes stress-filled hours. Be prepared to sit around doing nothing for hours. Have a good book, put a game of solitary on your smart phone, and bring bug spray.