Packing bags to go nowhere!

Hey guys & gals!

I am a day late on my weds ritual but with good reason. It was Mr. Joel Eckels' birthday yesterday and his birthday/CD release show the night before. We were moving slow but had a whole Birthday day adventure planned with his Brother who is also an extremely talented musician, Shawn Eckels. If you need a guitar shredder he's your man. I had hopes of getting tickets to Steely Dan but by the time we made the choice to go, only 3rd party companies were selling the tickets. It's crazy nose bleeds seats at $46 each, which is fine, times 4 tickets because they will only sell them in pairs, plus "service fee" plus "delivery fee" and we are looking at close the $300 when all said and done. It's ridiculous!  No wonder the music biz has been going down the shitter! It's things like that, that make people, say screw it.  They'd rather download music than buy a CD now, or watch clips on youtube instead of go out to an actual concert.  It makes me a little sad & angry. Anyway, enough of that. We ended out dropping those plans and hung around hollywood to eventually make our way to THE ROOF where our amazing chef friend Eric Greenspan gave us a little bit of a hook up!  So yummy! And 360 view of the city.  Its where I took him last year, for his 40th surprise party but that's where he decided to go again. It worked out.
     


So here's a funny thing that happened to me yesterday.  I found myself in a similar situation as last month, with my "packed bags".  Well, I'll start at the beginning.  I got GREAT NEWS our little short film Bobby & June: IMPULSE got chosen to be a guest film at THE 15 MINUTES OF FAME FILM FESTIVAL, in Orlando Florida.  And I have been looking into flights, car rentals & looking forward to seeing Family in Florida too. Well yesterday I decided, "I'M GOING!  I HAVE MONEY COMING IN, TOMORROW, I AM BOOKING MY FLIGHT!" - And within 2 hours my manager calls me.  "Nicole, I have a booking for you for an in-house commercial, it's a straight booking that I pitched you for, can I confirm you?" Asked Guido.  "Awesome, When is it?" I ask.  "April 25th" he says.  And I just laugh! That's the day our film screens, of course! haha.  So this is the same casting director who brought me in for the Auto Owners Insurance, job. And I didn't even audition for it. It's a job! You can't say no to something like that. Part of me feels like I might be missing something in Florida. The people I have the potential to meet. The joy of seeing our work appreciated and on a big screen. Seeing Family I never get to see. But work begets work! I also need to have faith & gratitude that this is still a win-win. That I am in flow. And that I am attracting good things.  And I will still be able to get to Florida soon to see some of my family.

I recently got a reading with this woman Dr. Carole Carbone.  I have had readings by her in the past. She reads the energy around you and choices you might have coming up and she is really good at coaching you back into your higher self.  But as she says, we all have free will. We have opportunities show up all the time to bring us to one direction or another. We choose the ones we take and the ones we let pass by, whether we realize it or not in the moment. Sometimes it feels easier to complain and keep choosing the same thing over and over because we know what to expect and maybe perhaps enjoy the struggle or misery. But then there are the moments when we get out of our own way, don't over analyze our options, we don't wait to hear everyone else's opinions, we don't wait for something better. We ACT. We JUMP IN BLIND. We CHOOSE. We SAY YES.  Her Advice to me was SAY YES TO EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW.  Because the oddest outing or situation can lead to meeting an important person who will help evaluate your life, or you could find yourself at the right place at the right time for a new opportunity to show up. I SAID YES, to the festival, not yet knowing how I would afford it, or the rest of the head chatter I could put myself through with excuses of why I shouldn't. But instead I said YES and as soon as I did, I booked a Job I didn't even know existed, I didn't even audition for, it literally just fell into my lap.  So now I am saying YES to that.  And we will see where that takes me next!

Happy belated Weds on this beautiful sunny Thursday!

xo - Nicole

#WIMMR Parades & good news!

Hey Guys & Gals,

We are on Day 7 of shooting Why I Murdered My Roommate. We are going into a night shoot tonight. And its cold!!! I'm kind of mad at my character Lush for being a dress and heels type of girl in the middle of winter. But then I think, hold on, its technically spring and its still cold as sh@!.  This east coast weather madness reminds me why I live in Cali.

But a huge perk of shooting in a place like Buffalo is how welcoming it is. You don't get too many film productions here so securing locations and background people on a low budget is alot easier than a place like LA. The production value of this project is looking amazing but if we were in NYC or LA there is No Way we could have managed with the same budget. The location costs alone would be astronomical.

Another cool aspect is the quirkiness of the envirmoment. There's old silos, and quintensential 2 story homes and a holiday i have never heard of before called Dyngus Day. Its a polish celebration of fertility the day after Easter.  Girls run around hitting boys with pussy willows and boys squirt girls with squirt guns...I mean this is the cool stuff you can't just make up. We got the jump on the back of a flat bed truck yesterday to be part of the Dyngus Day Parade in Character.  It was pretty wild. I have never experienced anything like that as an actor before. Especially when i was squirted in the face with a gun filled with beer from the crowd!  You kinda have to just go with it. Haha  Here's a selfie as Lush with the Buffalo crowd!

Check out my instagram photos @ nicole_dionne and our productions Why I Murdered My Roommate facebook page aka #WIMMR
to stay in the loop of all the antics we have been up too.  LUKIA AND MIKE Costello on the social media squad have been amazing!!

Another cool bit of news!  Bobby & June : Impulse got into the 15 Minutes Of Fame Film Festival in Florida. It will officially screen on April 25th or 26th.  Its a fun short i shot with Cary Mosier, directed by Mike Darling and written by rhe witty mind of Annie Wood.  You should definitely check out what these kids are up to. We are official when we get Laurels!  wooohoooo!

Find Cary Mosier at Cafe Gratitude LA and Gracious Madre LA
Find Mike Darling at Evalation Media Productions
Find Annie Wood at Anniewood.com

It was a long night shooting that ended in the rain. We got a big day tomorrow!! Signing off!
Xo
nicole

Shuffled off to Buffalo!

Hey Guys & Girls,

Just flew into Buffalo NY today and over to Tilke Hill's house meeting some of the cast and crew for "WHY I MURDERED MY ROOMMATE".  I'm about to enter LUSH's World, with these cooky characters!

Spent some time in Austin TX this past week which has been great for a little Adventure and somewhat R&R until last night, which turned into a late one. With an early early morning wake up for my flight.  So I'm a little cranky today, trying to put on a happy face, because it's my own fault, well I had help but that is a whole other blog or journal entry.  Needless to say I'm feeling very vulnerable and funky today, which is a terrible day for it.  But everyone here is super awesome already!

I'm learning I'm not good at acting in real life anymore.  I tend to wear my heart, emotions, and opinions on my sleeve.  Which can be great since being naturally expressive in real life helps me in my acting life.  And people who know me hopefully know and trust that I say what I mean and they don't have to wonder or try to figure me out. What you see is what you get, and if you ask I will tell you. I am honest that way. And I try to bring that to my acting. Even if I don't fully relate to a character my job is to just be as honest as possible.  Share a real emotional experience.

With that said, I've always been one to leave my shit at the door if I need to work, but I am not a person to pretend everything is okay if its not.  Maybe because I don't care what people think of me anymore.  Which is liberating.  Maybe because I am owning who I am and how I feel more.  Because that is self love!  Maybe because I want people to take me or leave me as I am.  Because in the past, I have only given one impression of who I am, which happened to be the free spirited bubbly girl and then shocked people when another side of me came out. My other side can be serious, deep or if provoked a bitch!  We all have many sides to ourselves. We all have good days and bad days. We all experience emotional highs and lows, good moods, bad moods, hope, fear, excitement, lack or fulfillment.  The gift is having people around you or specifically one special someone close to you who always reminds you of your greatness and helps you get back to that place if you happen to forget. If you are lucky enough to have that, hang on to it and appreciate it with all your heart.

Now back to LUSH. She is the opposite of everything I just described in myself. She wants to badly to be liked and included and part of the cool crowd. Her Idol is Kim Kardashian. She just wants to be seen.  She wants to be loved (which we all do) but she tries to be what she isn't, to receive that.  It's interesting exploring a character like that.  And she also has the emotional responses of a 5 year old to life happening around her.  And you can't really tell if it's an act because its a tactic to get her way or not.  More on all this later!

I'm so sleepy.....good night everyone.  Happy Hump Day. Hope it's been less bumpy than mine!
xo-
Nicole

Always have a bag packed!

Hey Guys & Gals!

Happy Humpy day!  So I should be in line at LAX right now for a flight I booked last week to go to Austin, TX.  However, I got put on Avail for a commercial last night.  So needless to say, I pushed my flight.  They say if you wanna book work in this town....plan a trip elsewhere!  Maybe because people always want what they can't have! haha

So here's what I have learned this past week.  Have bags packed and ready to go to tease the universe into getting me more work here, and more to the point of efficiency as an ACTOR especially AN ACTRESS, is to have some extra wardrobe in your car with extra Headshots.  Hard copy headshots aren't used as much as they used to be but you never know.  Those random indie films pop up, and they usually want one for good measure.

As far as the extra bag of clothes. Consider the types you usually go out for and if it is something different than your "work" clothes or "workout gear" or simply your "everyday look". Pack something universal & something more quirky or charactery if it suits you.  So, honor the boys & girls scout Motto here.  "Always be prepared!"  Or you may experience what I did last week.  I got a last minute audition when I got to my job, for a Quirky Teacher Type (Wes Anderson Vibe) but that day I was wearing a tee-shirt & jeans and spend my lunch break driving home and back to get my "Wes" outfit! haha

I wanted more auditions and I am getting them.  More self tape ones as well the past few weeks. So much so that I am looking forward to my break away from LA for 2 weeks.  To just be in a new place and explore Austin, TX and the shoot WHY I MURDERED MY ROOMMATE, In Buffalo, NY the gypsy in me needs to roam!

As fickle fate would have it, that commercial I was on avail for might be picking a whole group of people now!  haha  This happened in the time I started this Blog and walked away from it to work and came back to it before lunch.  So here's another good reminder, don't get attached and don't take anything personal. There is so much uncertainty in this business especially in commercial land because there are so many cooks in the kitchen and getting clients, directors, agency all to agree can be challenging.  So don't put your life on hold for something uncertain or because you are afraid to miss something.  Get on that plane, live your life, and have fun away from the biz too.  However if you commit then commit, I knew if I said yes to this audition that it could conflict with my trip.  The worst thing I could have done was say..."Oh, I'm on avail? Thanks but I am already in Austin" Thats a fast way to get on a casting directors bad side.  With that said, he also threw me into another audition today...literally yelled my name and said, Nicole your auditioning I need you in here.  After hearing the scene explanation I had about 5 minutes to apply some makeup and go! haha 

This all reminds of the book THE FOUR AGREEMENTS. By Don Miguel Ruiz. If you haven't read it, it's a must. A game of life changer, if you take it to heart and take it on into your awareness!

I think in this specific situation I danced my way through all of them!  Have a great week all.  More than likely I will be on a plane tomorrow!

xo-
Nicole

Humpin & Bumpin! Whaaaa?

Holy Cow guys & Gals!

First of all My HUMPS are sore!  My friend Robin and I went to cariobarre yesterday and at about 7pm tonight when I slowed down from my day I started to feel it.  Snap crackle pop achey goodness, I know I used some muscles that have been lying dormant for too long.  It's one of the best workouts I have found other than back to back dance class. A lot of the exercises are based from Ballet Bar class. It's more about elongating & toning than cutting and balking.  CHECK IT OUT!  It's cardio and toning in one. And there is a Groupon running right now! $49 for 10 classes SO WORTH IT!  And So is your body! 

GROUPON DEAL-LA

http://www.groupon.com/deals/cardio-barre-hollywood-1

Which brings me to BUMPIN'.....AUDITIONS that is!  This week, I have had off from the casting office.  And the universe timed it perfectly because the auditions are rolling in and I am back at it with the Dallas Travers Blueprint at Home Workshop as well. Getting things organized and scheduling my goals!  This is called a TO DONE LIST! Brilliant takes the pressure off of a TO DO, Thank you Dallas!  As you can see I have started out a bit of an overachiever per usual! haha

March is turning out to be a great month! 8 Auditions so far....which might be a record for me in a month.  I haven't had the fortunate "problem" of multiple auditions a day, every day of the week, like some lucky actors here....YET.  One shoot, which you knew about for Auto-Owners Insurance!  Just got another booking last night from one of those 8 auditions.  Playing TRISH (a rebranding expert) in ANGEL WHO.  I had 2 Video Auditions and a Voice Over Audition this past week.  A read through of Angel Who today followed by an in person audition for a cool indie project. And tomorrow I have a commercial Audition and a meet & greet pre-read for a viral video campaign.  I get to dress up as myself...aka hippy girl!

With all these at home video auditions popping up I am realizing I need to get a pop up home studio in order....but maybe we can discuss that in my next blog, with some behind the scenes outtakes if your lucky. 

I'm wiped but happy!  Early bedtime for me folks, Good night!

xo- Nicole

The Auto Owners Insurance Commercial shoot!

Hey Guys & Gals

This is a quick one, with an hour to go before my personal deadline!  I have been busy working over at Dan Bell Casting the past few weeks, but in the mist of that still got to shoot a role in a commercial of my own.

It was such a great cast & crew!  They were a dream to work with.  It was a lower budget production and it had it's not so unusual hiccups...like a missing honey wagon (aka-extra bathrooms) but we shot on the disney ranch which is beautiful! Played with fire! And stayed up till dawn!

Here's my acting tip this week. If you have an over night shoot DON'T make plans for the following day. You will, or should sleep right past them! Truth be told I was delirious for a few days after that. I just don't have that College Aged stamina any longer! haha

Well I am being cast as Mom these days. Midwestern Mom anyways!  Here's some behind the scene photos!

Me & My Auto Owners Family getting warm, and stalking the coffee maker between set ups!

Actors: Caleb Thomas, Me, Lyle Freidrichs, & Jessica Peppers

That's our awesome director Steve Curran in the middle of the above shot.

How cute is our house?

I got a little love note sent to my manager today from our producer/assistant director, everything man with the plan, Curtis Hall.

Good Morning Guido, I just wanted to follow up and let you know how great it was to have Nicole on set with us. She was a dream. I wish the world was full people like her. It was a cold, long night and she was as fantastic at the end as she was at the beginning! With everything that was going on, I didn’t get as much time as I would have liked with the actors, but they were all super professional. Nicole took our young actress under her wing, it was so sweet and motherly.  I would jump at the chance to use Nicole again. Let her know how much we loved her!

This made my day! And probably my week!

Grateful to be appreciated, grateful for the work, and grateful to be able to do what I love to do with others who find the joy in it.  More of this please?!  And I'm gonna have a proud mommy moment "my son"  Caleb, has been working on a Nickelodeon show that will be out soon, and left set at 6am with us to go back to Arizona to film his current Feature film!  Keep an eye out for another rising star! Woohoo.

Actors: Creativity vs Business

Hey Guys & Gals,

I have never really considered myself a business woman.  But if I really look at what I have been doing with my life since I left college it's being an Entrepreneur.  That's really what any artist has to be in this day and age.  The times of having a studio back you are pretty much non existent to my awareness anyway.  And every smart successful A-list actor now attaches themselves as Producers as well.

I still feel like I am a few letters away from A-list, so I do have to start treating myself like I am a small business.  Yes, the agent and manager are great to have, but with any small business the owner has to do a lot of leg work to grow into a bigger business.  Creating & maintaining connections with casting people for one.  Being a casting person myself, has also helped me grow my network and knowledge with directors & producers.  But it's little things apart from that, that I am starting to discover that make a big difference. Starting with my commitment to myself, asking for my worth, and keeping track of my money.  THOSE ARE BUSINESS SKILLS.  And in the past I have never really paid attention to that before.

You might have an agent, and technically they are getting paid to handle your money.  But what if your money is lost or worse taken?  I wonder how many people, like the old me, just don't think to pay attention.  I have been hunting down money from a job since NOVEMBER.  It's not a lot, but its a lot for me.  And it's money I planned to have for my Xmas trip but it never came.  My agent blamed production and the postal service, production blamed my agent and the postal service, this also cost me my SAG status as I was counting on that to pay for Dues, SAG didn't know who to blame, and I didn't know who to trust.  After reaching out to casting, then production, then payroll - which all took hounding people for 3 months.  I finally got to the bottom of it, that is if Payroll has the correct information.  and it should finally be resolved with any luck.  But I will let you know if I see my final check in a week or not.  It's been a headache, and time consuming and annoying and I always thought this was someone else's job.  BUT truly, what this has shown me is it's mine. It's MY money which I EARNED, I need to be responsible for it.  Because agents have 100 other clients and emails and breakdowns distracting them, you should be able to rely on them since it is their job they are getting 10% for but you can't always depend on that.

So LESSON ONE:  Pay Attention to your money!

Now today I am working on a commercial, low-budget all night shoot in SANTA CLARITA.  40mins out from where I am.  Our call time is at 6pm and they are planning to wrap at 4:30am!  Yikes right?!  So this, I have never done before.  I asked for a Hotel.  They eventually came back and said they didn't have it in there budget and in hindsight it would have been nice to know it would be so far and an all night shoot so we could have planned ahead but alas, this is low budget production.  So I got a no, but I am proud of myself for asking and even thinking about taking care of myself in that way.  The old me wouldn't have even done that.  Afraid of stepping on toes or coming off like a diva.  But the simple fact is it's taking care of myself.  Truthfully, an extra $100-150 probably wouldn't break the bank but that times 4 people, could.  And I understand production enough to know that offering that to all actors could add up to $500-$800 and that money could be put into crafty or equipment instead.  It's a good little pay check I will eventually get so I could make that investment for myself and trust it will come back and I am grateful to have that. So tonight I will play it by ear and I am excited to be on a shoot at Disney Ranch.  But with all that said.  I asked for more, for my comfort. That is a HUGE step for me.

So LESSON TWO:  Know your worth and ask for it!

Commitment to myself can be tricky when I am not only pursuing a creative career but juggling a few PT jobs in the meantime.  That casting office got super busy this week, so I have been working there as much as possible to ride the wave and make money while I can.  However today, I realized I had been so busy with someone else's work I almost forgot to BLOG this week!  I have committed to myself that once a week, every weds, I will post a blog acting related. And it literally slipped my mind. But you see this is EXACTLY WHY I wanted to create this commitment.  To keep my attention on MY OWN purpose as well. Even in the mist of the survival jobs.  All to often I have gotten caught up in other people's dream jobs and supporting their cause to "make money" taking energy and focus away from "making money" on my own pursuits.  Today, I remembered.  Not that I haven't thought of acting at all.  I had a fitting and meeting with the director of this commercial, I knew my shoot was coming, and was looking forward to that. But I didn't think about Marketing, or breakdowns as much as I would on a slow week.  So at least having this weekly commitment is a good reminder to get back to my OWN GOALS and keep some consistency.

So LESSON THREE:  Be as integral with your own personal commitments as well as you are with others.

A great teacher in the BUSINESS of Acting is DALLAS TRAVERS.  She helps you organize goals, think outside of the box with Marketing tools, and helps you stay on course to pursue your dreams.  And she is a savvy entrepreneur herself!  Definitely worth checking her out!  She has awesome classes and also offers tons of free advice & inspiration on her blogs and Facebook page!

Thanks for letting me share my weds commitment on friday!

So LESSON FOUR:  Stay Flexible!

xo-Nicole