Totaled

I was in a car accident on Monday and I just got the call today that my beloved little Toyota Echo is a a complete loss.

Now, I'm so incredibly lucky that I was not hurt, that the other driver was not hurt, that no bystanders were hurt, however, this whole process has been unbearably slow and completely throwing me for a loop.

As an actress in LA, I practically lived in that car, setting up shop sometimes on the 405 for a few hours, trying to get home at a pace a snail would lap. She had great gas mileage too. And the driver's seat sat higher than most, so even though she was a small car and I could parallel park anywhere, I still felt safe and like I could see around the other bigger, meaner cars.

So tomorrow the hubs and I go test driving for something with four doors because heck, maybe we'll have a baby. Isn't that a weird, terrifying thing to think?

Speaking of babies, a young whippersnapper wrote:

Dear Struggling Actress,

My name is Ari. I'm eighteen years old and a senior at a performing arts high school in NYC. While I've done some community theater when I was much younger and I've undergone four years of training, I'm incredibly new to the industry. I saw your post on how to use Actors Access effectively, and it was extremely helpful. I just have one question, though--I want to upload a reel to be put at the top of 'the pile', as you said, but I don't have anything to show them. I've never booked a job, you see. So what should I put up there? A couple monologues? A reel of my skills?

Hey Ari,

It's been a long, long time since I was last in high school, but even way back then, there were at least a few friends in my circle who had video cameras, and at least one of them could edit.

Nowadays, everyone has a video camera in their pocket or purse. How the times have changed!

You say you are at a performing arts high school and have never booked a job. Ahem. You mean you never booked a professional job outside of school, correct? Because you've been in plays, you've been cast in school projects. You've worked. At 18, agents and casting directors love those who did all the dramatic extracuriculars in high school. You committed to projects, to roles. You committed to rehearsals and performances.

So, I'm pretty sure you have a few monologues in your back pocket. A few scenes you've done for class.

You have material.

Should you record it and upload it to Actors Access?

Yes!

HOWEVER!!!!

Make sure that whatever you decide to do (do a monologue - then you save yourself from having to edit it) is WELL LIT meaning we can see you, WELL FRAMED, and that the SOUND IS AWESOME.

Heck, you can even write something for yourself all meta-like by writing a monologue specifically for a webcam - Like how you always think you look weird when you see yourself on camera! Whatever!

Make sure it sounds good, it looks good, and that it's you at your best!

And good luck! Have fun with it!