But frustration isn’t always bad. It pushed me to take some risks, make some changes, and things have really turned around. I set out this year with the goal to book 1-2 Guest Stars on a TV series; I’ve already met my goal and the year isn’t even half over.

Almost two weeks ago, my first guest star on a major television network aired. Exciting? Yes. Nerve-wrecking? Definitely.

For the first 30 minutes of the episode, even after seeing my name in the opening credits, I couldn’t help but entertain the idea that they might have cut me. It’s a valid fear, and I’m sure most actors have this worry– you never know what will go to the final edit.

But sure enough, 30 minutes in, they kept my scene! (They did cut a few lines, but the majority of it was there.)

It was really sort of surreal. I mean, I’ve been working hard at this, giving it 100%, and it was just… cool. Cool to finally be one step closer and see that the work is paying off.

A few days after it aired, I posted a new reel to my site. Which will have even more new footage once Superseeds and “Red Scare” release. More updates on those hopefully soon…

In the meantime, here’s a little reminder to everyone else chasing their dreams to celebrate their wins. Celebrate and enjoy all the steps along the way. The ups make any down worth it.

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Personally, patience has always been a trait I struggle to embrace, and I know many actors (if not most) can relate to this. We spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting for the next audition, booking, and sure, you even get on set and shoot something, and then you find yourself waiting again for it to be released.

I think that’s why the actors who take matters in to their own hands and create projects stand out. I just love that attitude. We all know it is hard to break in, so when people are just like, “hey, I want to be working, so I’m going to make my own work”, I applaud them.

That’s why Nia Vardalos is cool.

I was browsing through The Daily Actor, an actor-friendly news source I visit regularly, when I stumbled upon an interview with Miss Vardalos. I didn’t recognize her name off the bat, but as soon as I started reading, I realized she was the writer/actress from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Apparently, she was so frustrated that she couldn’t get work in Hollywood, that she decided to write a screenplay, and when she couldn’t get her screenplay read, she decided to turn it into a one woman show.

I didn’t wait for the phone to ring, anymore, I created my own work in Hollywood, and I got on stage and did my own show. So what I learned was that the goal was to get the screenplay made, but the experience of it made me creatively satisfied.

After good reviews, Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks ended up seeing her show and suggesting she make a movie out of it.

If I had not had that screenplay written who would have known where Tom and Rita’s minds would have been in six months… The fact that I had the screenplay with me made a difference.  I tell people all the time, take your acting classes, get your headshots ready, have one in the car all the time, you don’t know when you are going to run into Quentin Tarantino.

Um, so cool? I think yes.

And in one final piece of advice:

So sometimes you have to tell yourself that the frustration that you are going through is because sometimes there is something bigger around the corner.  So don’t get down and keep your mind open.

Words of wisdom.

I am totally inspired by her story and hope to follow in the footsteps of Nia and other successful self-starters, like Brit Marling , Tina Fey, and Miranda July.

And to any one with doubts; if movies are truly you’re calling, don’t give up. Be prepared and make things happen for yourself.

Read the full interview at: http://www.dailyactor.com/2012/03/nia-vardalos-actress-interview/

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Know what you want, commit, and don’t give up. I like this guy. He’s blunt, but we all need some tough love some times.

Found this video on Ted.

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Downton Abbey has been getting a lot of buzz lately. And it is well deserved. This show blows my mind. I stayed up until 3:30 AM yesterday (well, technically, this morning) finishing Season 1, which you can find on Netflix.

After a heart-jerking Season 1 finale, I had a sheer moment of panic: Netflix only has the first season.

Luckily, there is nothing a quick Google search cannot fix, and I found out that PBS has all of Season 2 online.
I’m already on Episode 3, and oh yeah, its intense.

Reasons to Obsess:

1. The acting is phenomenal. Each character is so distinct, dynamic, and interesting, and the actors are fully committed. You see their vulnerabilities, insecurities, and they really put their heart in to it. So much so, that when things go wrong, your own heart breaks, and when things go well, you rejoice with them. The episodes tend to take place entirely in or around the house, yet there is not a dull moment, as their relationships are fascinating to watch as they unfold.

2. It is beautiful. I wish I could steal their clothes (okay, I might look slightly out of place in early 1900s attire). But in all sincerity, whoever designed the sets and the costumes did a fantastic job, and the hair and the makeup is impeccable.

3. You get a glimpse in to history. The show gives a very honest and accurate view in to what life was like in the early 1900s. The writing is strong– they definitely did their research. And what I love most, is that they give both sides of the story; what it was like for the higher class and the lower class, as the story follows two groups, the wealthy aristocratic Crawley family and their servants, living in the same household.

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If I could go back in time and talk to my twenty-year-old self, the first thing I would say is: ‘Lose the perm.’ Secondly I would say: ‘Relax. Really. Just Relax. Don’t sweat it.’

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t anxious and fearful that the parade would pass me by. And I was sure there was someone or something outside of myself with all the answers. I had a driving, anxiety-filled ambition. I wanted to be a working actor so badly. I wanted to belong and feel like I was valued and seen. Well, now I am a working actor, and I guarantee you it’s not because I suffered or worried over it.

… Turns out I just had to be ready and willing to take chances, look at what’s right in front of me, and put my heart into everything I do. All that anxiety and fear didn’t help, nor did it fuel anything useful. Finally releasing that worry served to get me out of my own way. So my final piece of advice to twenty-year old me: Be easy on your sweet self….

Thank you, Jane. Twenty-year-old me appreciates the advice. And I am excited to read about the rest of your journey.

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It’s been a few months since I posted my first draft VO demos. I got a ton of great feedback and I made some changes, added some new voices, re-recorded, and remixed it. A few of the voices are still the same, but check it out and tell me what you think!

CHARACTER DEMO (Version 2) [Click to play, or right click to download.]

Next up, commercial demo.

Edit: I am still changing a few things around, but I just posted a slightly updated reel with a few different variations. This seems to be the final edit. At least for a few weeks .

Also, just made a VO site! Still under construction, but check it: www.teresadecher.com/voice

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I’ve never really sent post cards. Except for like 1 week randomly. I always just sort of expected that they got thrown in the trash.

But with Superseeds and Red Scare coming up in the next few months or so, I want to be ready to reach out, both to established connections and people I want to work with.

I started doing some digging, and what did I find? Casting directors (with blogs!) who wrote whole articles on the art of post-carding. Sweet!

And let me say this right up front. Yes, ultimately we toss them. Ultimately we toss your headshots, too. That’s just practical. I can’t store all your headshots in a warehouse forever. You send us your materials. We consider you. Eventually we toss your materials in the trash. Nothing personal… If someone looks interesting and I like their resume I might pull them out and put the post card with my submissions…

– Mark Sikes, “Post Cards“

… success because a relationship went from stage one (she knows me but I don’t know her) to stage two (now I’ve seen her commercial, so I know her work, but I don’t know her name so it’s not terribly helpful yet) to stage three (I’ve gotten her postcard, so now I know her work and her name) to stage four (we’ve met in person and now I know she’s not a “whactor”…

– Bonnie Gillespie, “Cross Pollination“

And not just that, but both Bonnie Gillespie and Mark Sikes have blogs dedicated to helping actors, with tons of secrets and tips:

Bonnie’s blog: The Actors Voice

Mark’s blog: The Casting Corner

I also highly suggest checking out Bonnie’s article “The Delicate Art of Self Promotion”.

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I ran across an article in Filmmaker Magazine entitled “Seven Overlooked Indie Films of 2011″ and instead of just breezing through, I decided to actually look a little more in depth.

I watched trailers for all the films, and then IMDB-ed the filmmakers. Just about half of the writer/directors, are also actors as well. How cool is that? I love seeing other proactive actors! Very motivating.

All right. So some of the trailers on that list looked awful. But not all of them.

I was super excited when I ran across Miranda July (apparently she has been around for a while). I have yet to actually watch one of her films (high on my list), but I was totally hooked after watching the trailer for The Future. You can tell that 1) she is actually a strong, solid actress and 2) she tells stories well using her own unique, quirky vibe. It is always cool to see people cross in to multiple fields, but when they cross over and do it well? Well… that is just kick-ass.

Anyways, watching a bunch of trailers is always a good motivator. This year has been starting off strong with a number of VO auditions, improving my demos, and I’ve even been dabbling in writing.

But we’ve really been itching to start working on our own projects again. So stay tuned. Fun projects are coming down the pipeline.

Guess we better make it quick since it is 2012 and all…

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Happy 2012!

Hey, hey. Check out my sweet feather earing.

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Here is a first draft of my Voice Over demos!

I’m still waiting for feedback from several VO friends and my manager. But, I got excited and wanted to share.

If anyone has any thoughts, criticisms, compliments, or complaints, I would love to hear them.

Enjoy!

COMMERCIAL DEMO:

Click to Download or Play

CHARACTER DEMO:

Click to Download or Play

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