Curtain Up...

Stephen Spielberg with some Cainiacs

Oh boy.

 

Since I last posted a blog entry, my company has COMPLETELY exploded... And I mean that in a good way. It has been absolutely insane. Once we finished shooting "St. James Place" with Tom Hanks, directed by Stephen Spielberg, things just got bigger and bigger and BIGGER... Since August, my talent has appeared in 49 television shows and 23 feature films. Plus, there are countless commercials, industrials, web series, print campaigns...the list goes on and on. It is really exciting for me to watch the success just snowball. It's a lot of fun watching and listening to the reactions of people that are cast and working. Some of the parents are just amazing, and their gratitude is humbling.

 

I wouldn't be able to do any of this without my trusty sidekick, Shannon. She is absolutely my foil, my counterpart, my sanity.  She lets me bounce ideas off of her every Saturday morning, and has really helped me shape what my company has become. It's thanks to her husband, Joe, that Shannon and I have been working together so well. Joe, whom I've known since age 11, was the first to approach me and tell me that he wanted to work with me. Joe is calm and warm and approachable... Just like Shannon. The three of us comprise the core of  Cain Talent.

 

I've recently added Alena for all of the resume services and Kevin to work with me AND Shannon when we get inundated with work. Stephanie and Heeral are joining on as our very first interns, with the hopes that we will open Cain Talent - LA in August of 2015.

 

Cainiacs working on St. James Place

If not for the talent roster, Cain Talent wouldn't be doing as well as we are. We have 270 people on our talent roster, and we still  run out of people to submit for projects. Over the past year, our talent has collectively earned over $333,000. It is exciting for me to watch the college funds of the young kids on my roster grow. (Including my own 6 year old twins, who have both earned quite a lot of money over the past two years!) I have plenty of room on my talent roster for people that want to join. If you are interested in learning more about Cain Talent, you can just visit the Cain Talent website. We actually introduced a bunch of different services in addition to joining the full roster: Background services for adults; background services for kids, even a Test Drive to see if you like what Cain Talent has to offer.

 

Something that we currently have in development is COMKWAT: Creative Opportunities Managed for Kids with Amazing Talents. This is a non-profit organization (we are currently applying for 501c3 certification) that helps kids further their endeavors in arts and entertainment. One of the things that COMKWAT does is raise money for the $3000 SAG-AFTRA initiation fee for the kids that become must-join status while on the Cain Talent roster.  (A must-join is someone that worked enough union jobs to not only become eligible to join SAG-AFTRA, but actually MUST join in order to work any union - or, in layman's terms, "big" - jobs.)  $3000 is a LOT of money for people to pay for anything, let alone for their child to join a union.

 

HOWEVER, there are so many benefits to join SAG-AFTRA. I have personally been a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2002. That's 12 years! The great thing about SAG-AFTRA is that once you're in, you're in for life-- As long as you pay your dues. It's sort of like the Mafia in that respect. Members can become vested and earn a pension, qualify for health benefits, etc. Plus, we get better treatment and higher pay rates when working on a production.  Furthermore, SAG-AFTRA members have a better chance of landing principal roles. (To people not in show biz, that's speaking roles.) AND a better chance of getting an agent. The list goes on and on.

 

Isabella L., age 10

Today is Christmas Eve. One of our kids, Isabella, received her "Must-Join" letter. She is the very first person on my talent roster to get one of these letters. Honestly, I didn't even realize that she was in her OK-30, and now she just has until January 15 to work as many SAG-AFTRA jobs as she can before she HAS to join. (OK-30 is the time period of 30 days from the time you work your first union job after receiving your SAG-eligible letter that you are able to work SAG-AFTRA jobs without joining. Once the 30 days is up, you have to join SAG-AFTRA in order to work union jobs.) Think about this: You're a parent that wants to encourage your daughter to follow her dreams. You just finished the most expensive season of the year. Your kid can't work because production comes to a stand-still between December 21 and January 5, so she isn't earning any money toward her initiation fee. Your child only has 10 days total that she can work in order to earn money toward the $3000 initiation fee that she MUST pay in order to continue following her dreams. And, yeah, your kid is just 10 years old.

 

That is the situation that Isabella's parents find themselves in. It's the situation that so many other parents of kids on my talent roster are going to find themselves in very, very soon. If we all pull together, we will be able to raise the $3000 for Isabella very quickly and get her into SAG-AFTRA.

 

If you are able to contribute, even if it is just $1, then please click the link below. Merry Christmas!

 

 

Meeting People Halfway

A Paparazzi pic of some Cain Talent
boys with Jake Gyllenhaal, as seen on
 JustJared.com

I have heard people saying over and over that Cain Talent is a "scam" and that people shouldn't pay to be a part of a talent agency. Well, they're half-right. While Cain Talent is NOT a scam, they absolutely shouldn't pay to be a part of a talent agency.

 

Cain Talent has never been a talent agency.  We never were a talent agency. We never will be a talent agency. Cain Talent is a talent management and consultation company. I have told this to people over and over and over again. For some reason, it doesn't get through to them. They just don't understand the difference. (You can read about the difference in my previous blog entry and even other entries before that.)

 

In speaking with my fabulous assistant Shannon, I came up with the idea of the Cain Talent Test Drive. People are hesitant to fully join my talent roster because they listen to gossip. So, I decided to meet them halfway.

 

With the Test Drive, people are able to sign up to see exactly what Cain Talent can do for them when it comes to the entertainment industry. No one on the Cain Talent staff should be expected to work for free-- EVER. So, I came up with this idea to meet people halfway. People get to see what Cain Talent can do for them without fully registering, and I get to show people that Cain Talent isn't a scam after all.

 

There are a few catches, of course:

 

1) People can only take ONE Test Drive.

 

2) Once you get a paying job, your Test Drive is over.

 

3) The Test Drive is only people living or willing to work in the NY Metro Area: Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Westchester and even some parts of Long Island, Rockland County and New Jersey.

 

Shannon and I think that this is a great idea. Parents will be getting the sage advice from Shannon about setting up trust accounts and applying for the full permit. She will also help parents get the temporary permit when it is needed. You get to see how we work, you get your money back and we get to show people that we aren't a scam.

 

Sometimes I scare myself with the ideas I come up with.

An Update Since this Afternoon

Today has certainly been an exciting day. (They really need a sarcasm font here...)

 

After I wrote my previous blog entry, I got a message from the admin that never replied to me last month, asking. "Why the rude blog post?" And then she gave me her phone number to call.

 

Why the rude blog post? Are you kidding me? How about because you and your two friends are calling me and my company illegal? You're coming after me and my livelihood. You're hurting my company. You're preventing me from doing business. You're hurting my family. That means you're hurting my kids... and NO ONE gets away with hurting my kids.

 

Fortunately, I was out to lunch with Shannon, who is my assistant turned dear friend. I took advantage of this and called the woman on speaker phone so that Shannon could listen as well as participate.

 

Apparently, this woman read my blog. She apologized profusely to me, saying that she was told by the other two women that I ran an illegal operation. Furthermore, she said that she just copied and pasted what Lisa (the "group attorney") sent her to post. Shannon pointed out that she should have done her research on Cain Casting and what she was posting about it. I explained to her how I was advised that I could sue her, Lisa, Rosemary and the rest of the admins for slander to the tune of $500,000, but I hadn't planned on doing that until now. I asked her if she had $500,000 that she would be able to fork over when I won the lawsuit.

 

The woman apologized over and over, and asked me what she could do in order to get me to take my blog post down. I told her three things: 1) Remove Rosemary from the group; 2) Remove Lisa from the group; 3) Post a retraction about calling Cain Casting an "illegal operation" and admit that she didn't do the research on it.

 

The woman agreed to it. She wanted me to write something that she could copy and paste, but I told her that she needed to write it in her own words. I wasn't going to be caught in a situation where I was accused of bullying her. She wanted me to take down my blog post, so I told her what I needed to do in order for that to happen. She said she would do it as soon as she got home from work, around 3pm. I told her that the blog post would stay up until then.

 

At 2:45 or so, she told me that she was home. I was in the car with my kids, driving them home from school. She texted me and told me that she couldn't even get her boys extra work. I had JUST gotten an email from a casting director asking me if I had 15 kids that would want to do extra work on a TV show. I called her and asked her if she would like to get them on the show-- I wouldn't take any money from her; I just wanted to prove to her that I own a legitimate company. (To those of you reading this from the NE Kids Group, were you aware that I offered her two sons to appear on a television show on Friday?) She said that she wouldn't be able to do it, and she thanked me profusely. She told me how disappointed she was in the other two women, and how they brought a lot of drama to the group. I observed that these two women are close, and she was probably on the outside.

 

She told me that she removed them from the group, and that her phone was "blowing up." She also read me the retraction that she wrote:

 

 

For some reason, I really thought that this was going to be the end of the drama. Unfortunately, it just set Rosemary off even more. Rosemary seemingly took the position of the victim and I took the position of the bully.

 

Mind you, I had been trying to reason with these women for over a month. (Please see the screen shots from my last blog entry.) So, Rosemary decided to post this:

 

 

FYI - It's Candy Cain, not Candi. If you're going to write lies about me, at least spell my name right.

 

I didn't bully the other woman-- I gave her a choice. She made her decision and apologized to me-- She also apologized to me profusely on the telephone. I gave her the benefit of the doubt and figured she was a victim of circumstance-- Especially with Rosemary calling her "spineless."

 

This is all that I have the energy to post right now, and I'm sure all you have the energy to read. I will write more tomorrow, and show more proof. I was bullied all throughout my school years. I'm not taking this crap from anyone-- ESPECIALLY someone who hasn't taken the time to learn about me and my business before making sweeping generalizations and accusations. Get your facts straight, or you will be guilty of libel. With the post above, let's add defamation of character to that.

 

I'm not afraid of you.

 

It's a shame that there are people like this in the world. What is even more sad is the sheep that follow them. I'm not a sheep. I've never been a sheep. Frankly, I eat my lamb with mint jelly.

 

 

We'll Have A Real Good Time!

The world is filled with what I like to call "Dream Stealers." These individuals aren't happy with what they have, so they try to take away the dreams of others. They don't know how to dream. Instead, they choose to attempt to cause problems for others. They try to put themselves in a position where others listen to them, then feed them whatever ideas that they have as truth and fact. They scare people into making decisions that they don't understand.

 

Dream Stealers are the gossips of the world. They are the ones that cause panic. These people are the types to stand up in a movie theater and yell "FIRE!" just to see others react. They're know-it-alls, and convince people that don't understand things that what they say is correct and true.

 

Dream Stealers are abundant in the entertainment industry. They especially latch onto and steal the dreams of parents that have high hopes for their children to be on TV or in the movies. They give advice - whether it is wanted or not - to do what THEY think the kids should do. Often times, these parents have no one else offering them advice and guidance, and their kids lose out.

 

My son, Charles. (Photo: K. Abernethy)

Take my company, for instance. I created Cain Casting & Talent Management because my son wanted to be on TV after seeing me in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle. As a former actor, I knew exactly what I needed to do in order to get him cast in something. I didn't have Cain Casting then. But since I had been involved in the entertainment industry since I was 7 years old, I knew exactly what to do. He landed a commercial for Digital Steam Workshop, which you can view here. Then, I submitted him for a stock photography shoot, which he also ended up landing. My friend asked me if I could submit her kids for work, and THEY ended up getting stuff. And so Cain Casting & Talent Management was born.

 

Cain Casting & Talent Management is NOT a talent agency. The definition of a talent agency is as follows: A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, film producers, professional athletes, writers, screenwriters, broadcast journalists, and other people in various entertainment or broadcast businesses.  (Definition taken from Wikipedia.)

 

Do I find work for my talent? Absolutely. However, that is where the work stops for talent agencies. Cain Casting & Talent Management does waaaaay more than get talent work. (And, in reality, I'm not the one getting them the work... Casting Directors ask me if I have anyone on my roster that would fit certain roles, and I send them who I have. THEY decide who they want. THEY are the ones that hire. The checks get sent directly to the talent, not to my company.) 

 

A headshot that looks like me (Photo: K.A.)

I was represented by the Wallis Agency when I was a professional actress in Los Angeles. They gotone audition. All of my acting friends there told me that  I needed to get a manager, but I had no idea how to do so. I got myself more auditions and work than Wallis ever did. I did, however, spend a shitload of money on pictures that didn't even look like me, touch ups, printed resumes and a hair cut at a salon I never would have gone to-- All at my agent's instruction. I seriously spent at least $1000 on photos that are collecting dust in my basement-- A helluva lot of money for someone just starting out as an actor. Considering my father was (still is, I believe) a movie director and was the one that got me in the Wallis Agency in the first place, I thought I was doing the right thing. However, when my agent sent me out on a non-union audition - the ONLY audition she ever got me - and I was a member of SAG-AFTRA, I knew that there was a problem.

me

 

Cain Casting & Talent Management IS a talent management company. The definition of a talent management company is as follows: A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry. The responsibility of the talent manager is to oversee the day-to-day business affairs of an artist; advise and counsel talent concerning professional matters, long-term plans and personal decisions which may affect their career. (Definition taken from Wikipedia.)

 

I manage everything for the talent on my roster. I've hired three people (Joe, Shannon and Sally) to do the same. We manage the careers of people in the NY metro area, New England, Chicago and the Southeast. We help our talent grow their careers. We lay the foundation for them upon which they can build a terrific career in the entertainment industry. We tell them what to do and what not to do. I personally speak from experience, as I have been on BOTH sides of the camera.  (Don't believe me? Check out my IMDB page.)

 

Cain Casting & Talent Management IS a talent consultation company. The definition of a talent consultant is as follows: A talent consultant works as a go-between, brokering deals between performers and production companies. Along with brokering working contracts with movie, record and television studios, the talent consultant also negotiates a pay agreement for the performer. Typically, the talent consultant provides a photo, called a head shot, or a demo tape to studio representatives in an attempt to get a casting call or audition for clients. The talent consultant maintains contact with the client and the studios and attempts to keep the client's name in front of industry movers and shakers. (Definition taken from WiseGEEK.)

 

You see? Cain Casting & Talent Management does both management and consultation services. Our company's fee is $500 flat. That is the consultation service fee. We receive 10% of our talent's earnings after they earn $750. Talent Managers usually take 15% - 20%, but we take less because we try very hard to get our talent signed by agencies. If a talent agency is taking 10% and my company is taking 20%, that means that the talent is only going to get 70% of their earnings. That's a pretty big hit! We like to be fair.

 

So, why am I writing all of this?

 

There is a FaceBook group called NE Kids Actors Group. One of the volunteers of this group is a woman named Rosemary. Until recently, their "group attorney" was a woman named Lisa. Unfortunately, (in my opinion) these two women are Dream Stealers. They wrote a diatribe about how Cain Casting & Talent Management is "an illegal operation," even though neither one of them have ever had any interactions with me whatsoever. The group had 682 members at the time. Check out what was posted by another volunteer admin in the group:

 

 

This was posted for everyone to see. I tried to speak with the women that were running the group. What she wrote about my company is completely untrue. In that post, she encouraged people NOT to work with me. She was making damaging accusations about Cain Casting & Talent Management. She was dragging my name through the mud. This is called libel. (Definition of Libel: a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation; a written defamation.) Since Cain Casting & Talent Management IS NOT a talent agency, it does not need licensure. (Apparently, this woman also thinks I'm stupid enough to not look into a business type before creating a business in the first place...)  The sad thing is that she was preaching to parents that didn't know any better. Parents that that I could actually help with their kids' careers in show business. 

 

Again, I had never dealt with Lisa. Ever. She was not a part of my company. She never hired any of the people on my talent roster. I had never even spoken with her. How did she know about Cain Casting & Talent Management? Simple: Several parents registered their children with my company, and they were getting work. These proud parents posted in the FaceBook group how Cain Casting had gotten their children work.  That's it. When Lisa found out that I charge a registration fee, she went ballistic and posted the above statement in that group. The thing is, I don't discriminate. Anyone can register with my company to get the same services. I don't have to meet with anyone in order to be their talent consultant. I can take on ANY person and help them succeed. I felt Lisa was attacking me in this forum. 

 

I first went to Rosemary, one of the volunteer admins:

 

 

 

Discussing Cain Casting & Talent Management was causing negativity? Parents were thrilled that their children were getting work, and wanted to share it with other parents. How is that negative? It was baffling, really. 

 

Clearly, I wasn't getting anywhere with her, so I attempted to get in touch with the "group attorney," Lisa:

 





 Lisa refused to talk to be about why she wrote what she did about my company. She insisted on speaking with my attorney. It didn't make sense to me. So, I called my attorney and explained what was going on. He, too, told me that he only need to be contacted if they were bringing some sort of lawsuit against me-- And they would be the ones to contact him, not the opposite. I just wanted questions answered.

 

My attorney looked at all of the screenshots that you see above. He asked me if I would like to bring charges against Lisa, Rosemary and the other administrators. He said that, based on the number of people in the group, I could sue them for $500,000.

 

Believe me, it was tempting. Verrrrrry tempting. However, I'm a mom. I have a family. I have a house. I have a conscience. I didn't want to ruin a couple of mothers' lives because they are seemingly jealous of my company and my success. (Dream Stealers.) And, to be honest, when I won the case, how would these moms pay me $500,000? I'm not going to lash out and ruin someone because they lashed out at me first. My mother always taught me that two wrongs don't make a right. I tend to take the advice of people I know and love, not strangers that spout off at the mouth.

 

So, I tried to reach out to another one of the volunteer administrators, and had Rosemary in the same chat:

 

 

 

As you can see, Rosemary felt the need to add the "group attorney," Lisa to the chat. The other admin never even replied to me. And, as you can see, I found out what law firm Lisa works for and I contacted them. From what I understand, attorneys aren't supposed to throw around free legal advice, especially when the ramifications hurt a legitimate company. The paralegal I spoke with apologized to me, and explained to me that Lisa is not a full attorney with their law firm, but what is called "up counsel." She gave me an email address to send everything above to, which I did. I told them that I would not sue her for libel (which would also look very bad for their law firm) if she would take the posts down.

 

Within days, the post in the group was removed. All traces of Cain Casting & Talent Management were removed, which was fine with me. I still don't know why I was attacked in the first place. Another thing my mom always says is "The dark attacks the light."  (Dream Stealers.)

 

So, why am I bringing this all to the surface in my blog?

 

It appears as though Lisa can't stop talking about Cain Casting & Talent Management. Since we have so many people in New England, I decided to create a division of Cain Casting & Talent Management that takes care of those people on my roster in that region. The day that I decided to do this, I posted about it on the Cain Casting Fan Page. Within hours, three of our children were cast in a PSA for the Boston Children's Museum. We made connections with several other agents, casting directors and production companies in Boston. It was a great day for Cain Casting & Talent Management.

 

The next day, Lisa decided to start posting about me and my company in yet another group. I contacted that group administrator and told him I would appreciate if he would remove her libelous posts from his group. He went right to her. (I don't know if the posts were removed or not.)

 

While I was on the phone with a friend that is a Casting Associate last night, my office line cut in at 9pm. Since I had a bunch of kids just wrap from the new Spielberg movie, I hung up with my friend and answered the line.

 

It was Lisa.

 

She told me that the law firm didn't care whether or not she posted anything on FaceBook, because what she posts is private. (If that were the case, what she posted in the first group wouldn't have mattered.) She told me that I own an agency. (She still has had NO dealings with my company.) She told me that the NYS Department of Labor would agree with her. (Um, they've already given me a LETTER stating the nature of my business, thanks.)  The funniest thing she said is that I brag.

 

I brag.

 

I brag.

 

I asked her how I brag. She replied, "You say that you love getting your kids work."

 

To which I replied, "But, I do love getting my kids work. I also love chocolate. And I love to travel. How is that bragging?"

 

10 Cain kids hard at work

Maybe because I get my talent so much work that she thinks I'm bragging about it when I post congratulations to them on the fan page? I do that for the parents, so that THEY can brag about their kids. I mean, I'd brag if my kid was selected to do a one-on-one scene with someone like Jason Sudeikis. (Oh, wait... That really DID happen, and I only posted about it on my personal fan page.) I post the work that the talent on my roster gets so it can be pointed out to their friends and family. Is it wrong to be proud? Is it wrong to want to help?

 

A few minutes into this call - that I really, really, really wish I recorded - my business partner cut in about something that happened on a set that 17 of my kids were working. (I'm sorry, is a fat bragging? Because SEVENTEEN of Cain Casting's kids were booked on the new Spielberg movie.) I told her I had to go and I hung up on her.

 

She won't leave me alone. She won't leave my company alone. She can't stop talking about me, and I don't know why. I don't understand the jealousy and smear campaign. I run a strong, honest company. I have helped over 200 people earn a cumulative of over $100,000 in a year. I work hard. My assistants work hard.

 

I will be contacting the Massachusetts Bar Association about this woman. I'm pretty sure you can't give legal advice, and it goes against some attorney creed. I've got all of the proof I need to show what she did. I've done nothing.

 

And to those parents that listen to the bad advice given about my company: You need to do your own research. You need to speak with some of the parents that have kids on my roster and listen to their  experiences with Cain Casting & Talent Management. If you truly want to get your kids ahead in the entertainment industry, you need a good talent manager and talent consultant on your side. You need someone who knows the business and is an advocate for you and your kids. Whether it's Cain Casting or not doesn't matter-- I'm just telling you the steps that you need to take in order to get ahead. The worst possible thing you can do is listen to people that don't know what they're talking about.

And, whatever you do, never, ever, ever become a Dream Stealer.

 

 

Yes Sir!

My husband has been sedated and on a respirator since July 16. Yesterday, my grandmother, whom I loved very much and was very close to, died suddenly. I have surrounded myself with friends and family, and I know that my family and I will get through this. I am in a bit of shock, and I'm sure not everything - if anything at all - has set in yet.

Like a phoenix, I will rise from the ashes.

I am going to create the biggest, strongest, most reputable talent management and consultation company in New York. My grandmother loved hearing about all of my success and adventures in the entertainment industry. She came to every play I was in, watched every movie and television show, bought every book... she was my biggest fan-- Second only to my mother, who happens to be her eldest daughter.

I'm going to do this for her. Every breath I take, every decision I make, I am going to do it in her memory. I'm going to get my entire family - cousins included - out of debt. I'm going to be Mrs. Rockafeller, which is how we referred to Grandma because she bought everything for everyone, and take care of everyone's needs. My kids, my husband, my mother, my sister will never want for anything.

And it will be because of my success with Cain Casting. 

You watch. Once I'm back on my feet (emotionally speaking), nothing is going to be able to stop me. There is enough bad shit going on in my life that I will never have to deal with it again-- At least, not all at once like this.

Screw you, Satan. Screw you, anyone or anything that tries to eff with me. There are people that would just flop over and give up. That's not me. 

I'm Candy fucking Cain. I won't go out like that.

And We'll Have A Real Good Time,

The title of this entry is ironic. Today would have been the eighth or ninth shooting day for me in "the Nest." It was going to be a good time; a "real good time." I had worked a few days already, and it was pretty damned awesome. The people I was working with were awesome. Tina Fey took time to chat with me. It was a lot of fun, and I was looking forward to having an exciting summer with them.

Then all hell broke loose.

Never wanted to give a ring to someone so badly.

My husband got sick and ended up in the hospital. He is still here, in the CCU at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital. He is on a respirator, heavily sedated. He has ben this way since last Wednesday. Today is day ten. I haven't left the hospital, really. As a matter of fact, I'm sitting by his side right now as I type this.

I pulled myself from "The Nest," as I wanted to be by his side for everything. I want to be here when he wakes up. I feel horrible that I'm not with my children, but my mom is there for them and my sister is in town. Once he wakes up and is off of the vent, I will be better. I will be able to walk away for a little while during the day. But I need to be here now.

I don't think I will ever work in front of the camera again. I am very fortunate that I am able to be here and work from the hospital. I literally got 2 kids cast on "The Blacklist" in the past hour. Talent Management is my calling. I'm good at it, and I can do it form anywhere-- quite literally.

So, my dear reader. please keep my husband and my family in your prayers. The entertainment industry doesn't stop for anyone. After all, "the show must go on." Fortunately, my show can go on by my husband's side-- Where I need to be.

Entertain You...

So, remember a few posts ago when I said I love casting? And how I prefer casting than being on camera? Well, here's some irony for you... I was just cast in the Tina Fey and Amy Poehler feature film "The Nest." I didn't expect to be called for an audition, but a friend of mine is a casting director working on the show and submitted me, then told me that I was submitted for a role. Mind you, I was in Utah when all this went down. I got an email on Saturday, May 17, telling me that I was chosen to audition for the amazing and talented Jason Moore, who also directed Pitch Perfect. The kicker? Everything was to be improvised. I had to come up with my own back story and character, but would have to improv with other people at the audition.

Allow me to let you in on a little secret... I started "Gagged and Bound" - a comedy improv troupe - at the University of Alaska Anchorage. I'm pretty well-versed in improv. I did a lot of improv in college. I taught a lot of improvisation workshops, and I still do to people on my talent roster. I created a character with a back story, weaving real threads of my life in it. 

And I rocked it.

I'm allowed to say I rocked it-- I got the part, didn't I?

I had to dress like a quirky individual from Orlando. See, here's another great thing in my favor: My father and his parents live in Orlando. They've lived in Orlando since like 1983. (At least, my grandparents have.) My grandparents - especially my grandmother - is indeed quite quirky. So, I based my character off of her, not to mention the outfit I put together. I found a fabulous pair of silver lamé leggings on eBay for 99 cents. My mom found a green loose shirt with palm trees on it. My friend Sam in Orlando recommended I wear strappy sandals. I also found a pair of silver earrings with white feathers at Claire's.

I was an absolute eyesore.

(But I freaking love those leggings. I need to wear them at least once a week. And they really were 99 cents on eBay. God, I love eBay.)

It apparently worked-- I landed the part. I have 20 shooting days over the summer. I'll still be casting as well, and plan on getting a lot of people a lot of work. I honestly wasn't expecting this AT ALL. Perhaps this will be my vested credit for 2014. 

It's amazing how God works. I said "I love casting more" and he responded with "Oh yeah? Try working with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, then tell me what you think."

That just shows you that when you think your life is heading one way, your plans are easily changed by a greater power. Never count yourself out. Never count your chickens before they hatch. Never think that you've closed a door. You just don't know what is going to happen in the future.