Happy Peep Easter!

The Washington Post recently revealed the winners of Peeps Show VI, a sugary sweet Peeps diorama contest I've blogged about before.

This year's top prize went to "OccuPeep D.C." - check out the gallery for all the winners!

Breaking Down the LAAPFF Schedule

Look what came in the mail yesterday!

That's right, it's the full schedule for this year's Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival! (You're excited too - I can tell...)

I love a good film festival and this one is massive. Hosted at three venues in Hollywood, Koreatown, and Long Beach, this year's festival schedule is packed with fantastic films and programs for filmmakers and film lovers.

Flipping through the schedule was especially fun because I found several projects starring people I'm blessed to call my friends.

Check out the all-Lynn Chen page of the brochure! She has four projects in the festival - Nice Girls Crew, Surrogate Valentine, the Surrogate Valentine sequel Daylight Savings, and Yes, We're Open. Talk about Lynn-sanity!

Crossover abounds - Sheetal Sheth, who I recently met, is in Nice Girls Crew and Yes, We're Open. Fellow Taiwanese-American Michelle Krusiec is also in Nice Girls Crew and Sunset Stories, which recently traveled to SXSW.

I'm finally going to see my friend Kimberly Rose-Wolter's Hawaii-set feature Knots! (I've read the script - it's fantastic!)

And Lily Mariye's first feature Model Minority is also premiering. We met while judging a pitch competition last year. I remember her working the heck out of Facebook and Twitter to get this movie made. Can't wait to see it!

Finally, a blast from the past is coming to LA. Patrick Wang and I both went to MIT and even starred in a production of Into The Woods together. (He was the Baker, I was the Wicked Stepmother. You see it, right?)

His feature writing/directing debut In the Family has been taking the world by storm. It was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, won top honors at the San Diego Asian Film Festival and San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, and is starting a theatrical run this month.

I remember Patrick being fiercely talented and committed - I can't wait to see this masterpiece!

My schedule is packed - now I just need to buy tickets!

Are you going to the LAAPFF this year?

Fiction Friday: City of Fear, Part 2

Click here to read City of Fear, Part 1

She’d cut off all her hair and dyed it blonde, giving some lame excuse about being inspired by Rosemary’s Baby, which she’d watched at midnight to feel something other than her fear. She pulled out all her large earrings and hats, jackets with fashionably high collars, and scarves that went around her head. She was staying at the hotel where the conference was being held, but reasoned that she could still dress as if she were going outside until she got to the ballroom. Thank God for room service.

The taxi took the expected route downtown. Past the courthouse where a mother had thrown hot coffee at her, past the Greek restaurant where the owner had told everyone he’d seen them plotting suspiciously, around the corner from the flower shop he’d bought her roses from after stuffing the boy’s body in a drain pipe. This was a city with eyes and she could feel them on her like heavy mud, even though she was just riding in the back of a taxicab wearing sunglasses at 7pm.

The display materials for the booth had arrived by the time she checked in, so she didn’t have to talk with the conference manager. Grateful, she politely declined the bell hop and rolled her suitcase toward the elevator, waiting for an empty one. She took off her sunglasses to look at the brass floor buttons in the dim light. And then she heard her name.

“Shirley?”

She raised her broken eyes to see Phillip Decker, a boy she’d dated for a month in college. His hair was almost gone but it was definitely him. He was standing at the threshold of the elevator wheeling his suitcase behind him.

She wanted to cry. Caught in less than an hour. What would he do? Phillip stepped in slowly and pressed the button for his floor. And he looked at her, thinking, putting pieces together he didn’t think he’d have to that day.

“The Hydro-Thermo conference?” he asked, already way ahead of her. She nodded. They stood, looking at each other as the floors dinged by. She willed up a wall that would protect her, keep him from stabbing open old wounds, protect her from an update on the state of her story in the city. She stared into his eyes, a helpless lamb, begging for mercy and yet pleading for him to get it over with, just say it, destroy her quickly before she did it herself.

But he didn’t. He shifted his weight, looking at her with curiosity and pity, lips pursed in deep thought. His floor came first. The doors opened and he grabbed the handle of his suitcase, though he didn’t move. When the door went to close again, he swung out his arm to catch it, to have one more moment to form his words. And he did.

“Shirley, don’t let him kill you too.” Her eyes went wide – was he out? He saw her panic and held up his hand to explain.

“No, he’s still locked up. It’s just…you survived. You’re okay. Be okay.” The elevator dinged impatiently and he moved through the doors obediently. He turned – “I’ll see you at the conference.” The doors closed.

Shirley closed her eyes. She was back in the center of the storm and had just received her first glimpse of calmer weather. Could she just be okay? Did she even remember what that was like? The elevator dinged and she put on her sunglasses, getting ready for the doors to open.

Why Does the Audition Room Scare Us So Much?

I acted with Joe Hernández-Kolski on a short film called Mr. President and have continued to run into him around town. He recently posted this fantastic advice for actors on his Facebook and agreed to let me re-post here. This is insight from the inside! Enjoy!

I had the good fortune of being a reader for Risa Bramon Garcia and Toby Guidry the other day. I had met Risa through one of her daylong acting workshops (I highly suggest taking her next master class). I read opposite of about thirty actors, both men and women.

Now, everything that I’m about to say, you probably already know but I’m gonna say it again because sitting on the other side of the camera is SO FREAKING INFORMATIVE.

First of all, when you walk into the room, you are walking into a room full of people who want you to do well. They want you to knock the crap out of the ball and send it screaming into the left field stands. And trust me, I get it. The insecurities, wondering if you’re good enough, the fact that this is your first audition in a while, the thought that, “This could change EVERYTHING.” But put it all away and get excited to play. Risa once said, when you walk in the door, you should demonstrate the idea that, “If I was on set right now, in this role, this is how I would play it.” No disclaimers, just stand behind your choices. That’s the most important thing – MAKE CLEAR CHOICES.

Give yourself way more time than you think you need to prepare. Yes, you’re incredibly busy between your job, your volunteer work, your late-night rehearsal and that unexpected thing that always pops up just because the universe knows that you have an audition. You say to yourself, “Okay, the audition is at 2pm tomorrow. I’ll work on it when I get home tonight and then I’ll do more work tomorrow morning. I’ll be fine.” Honestly, you might be. But I watched several actors the other day (and I’ve watched myself do it many a time) walk in and they were nowhere near prepared. They’re buried in the sides, the technical jargon trips them up, they have a great presence and delivery but they just don’t bring it.

The casting directors are dealing with a lot of different things at the same time. So if they’re not in your session, trust me, it has nothing to do with you. Just focus on your work. Be happy to be there. And use your reader. Make eye contact with them as soon as you get in the room so the connection between the two of you doesn’t surprise you when the audition starts. We’re there for you. With one actor, I could see that he was in his head. With a couple of others, we actually played. One actress came so strong that she threw me off my game and I missed my line. She was very well prepared. And last but not least...

Do not sabotage yourself. Very often, the casting directors are open to what you bring to the role. You are there for a reason. Just because you might’ve read the breakdown and said, “That’s not me,” play it with everything that you’ve got. If you're given this opportunity, know that the casting directors have already gone through a lot of submissions from actors who don't even get the chance to come in. But YOU DO. And I saw some amazing actors who just weren't right for the roles but, trust me, Risa and Toby made note and I know that they'll bring them back in. I was very impressed by the care that both of them took with their actors.

Throughout the day, I just kept coming back to the idea of living in your truth. Sure, you’ve gotta do the homework, find your beats, make your choices, etc, but, most importantly, just let them see YOU. That’s the most valuable tool that you have when you walk in the room.

Joe Hernández-Kolski is an actor, poet, and comedian. Follow him on Twitter at @pochojoe

The Hump Day Update: It's April!

Where did the first quarter of 2012 go? That’s what I’m asking myself as I look forward to a spring filled with deadlines and more deadlines. Time to hunker down and write, write, write!

Here’s my exclamation point-filled Hump Day update!

• Spent most of Monday dealing with the aftermath of spilling a glass of water on my laptop that caused it to shut down immediately. After letting it dry overnight, it still wouldn’t turn on, so I took the whole thing apart, contemplated the meaning of life, put it back together, and crossed my fingers. Success! Old Bessie is back! (Not my laptop’s actual name.)
  
  
• No news on what’s happening with the CAPE / FOX Digital Marketing Initiative. I’m still hoping it will move forward, but if it doesn’t, I’ve decided to just shoot it as my next short film project. The concept and my amazing actors are just too good to waste!
  
  
• I saw 21 Jump Street last weekend. Surprisingly fantastic! Though if I followed Rotten Tomatoes more religiously, I suppose I wouldn’t have been surprised – the last time I checked, it was the highest rated movie on the site! Go see it – you’ll love it. Great buddy cop character work, loose and funny performances from Channing and Jonah, and truly worthy cameos from original 21 Jump Street stars. Not telling who!
  

• I’m putting my name in the hat at The Moth again tonight. The topic is “Duped” – I’m going to attempt to tell the story I prepared last year when the topic was “Lies.” Fingers crossed that I get picked!
  
  
• This red band trailer made me laugh out loud!
  

• This trailer made me want to splurge and get HBO as soon as possible!
  

How is your Wednesday looking so far?

Tasty Asians at Tasty Words

The Moth isn’t the only storytelling game in town. Actress, writer, and comedian Wendy Hammers created Tasty Words in 2002 to provide a space for friends and artists to tell their stories.

I attended my first Tasty Words last year and introduced myself to Wendy afterward. She invited me to submit a piece for an upcoming Asian-themed show she was dreaming up. Hooray for being Asian, I thought! I sent her a story the next week.

Last week, Wendy’s dream was realized – the first all-Asian Tasty Words! Featuring an all-star lineup -- Eric Mark, Annie Kim, Anzu Lawson, Fu-Ding Cheng, D'Lo, Jude Narita, Amy Anderson, and Suzanne Whang.

And yours truly!

The Lounge Theatre in Hollywood was our performance home - a terrific space with a huge lobby filled with trendy art --

I arrived early to test drive my piece and get a feel for the stage. Here was the view!

I wrote a piece called "Over It" about how I'm over identifying solely as an Asian-American because I'm really so much more than that. I was worried it was too controversial, but it went over beautifully with the audience.

Oh, the audience! So supportive and so receptive. Performing for the Tasty Words audience was such a rare opportunity because Asian-American artists are often only performing for audiences seeking Asian-American material. But this was a mainstream audience seeking good storytelling. And I think we delivered.

Everyone's stories were diverse in subject and point of view. From Anzu talking about rubbing Steven Seagal's feet to Fu-Ding talking about dealing with hostile tenants in the Nixon era to Amy talking about spanking her child for the first time.

Suzanne brought the show to a close with a hilarious and heartbreaking story about her grandfather. I laughed and cried in the same breath. It was fantastic.

I was so grateful to be included with such spectacularly talented artists. We greeted the primarily not-Asian audience in the lobby afterward and posed for pictures.

I finally got to tell Amy about seeing her do stand-up when I first moved to LA and how she made me laugh so hard I could barely breathe. She told me that my name had been on her radar too - what what what? It was a mutual admiration society all around.

Thanks again to Wendy for including me in the lineup! Here's to gracing the Tasty Words stage again very soon!

Money Monday: Stupid Money Mistakes that Artists Make

You’re creative – it’s undeniable. You’re a dreamer and a visionary. You’re bringing your unique voice to the world and nothing is stopping you.

Except not having money!

You can be artistic and money-savvy at the same time. Start by making sure you don’t make these mistakes --

Not having health insurance – Unacceptable! Your body, voice, and well-being are your work tools. Without them, you’re screwed. Protect yourself and your future by getting covered now.

If you don’t qualify for SAG-AFTRA or WGA’s health plan, you can buy an individual plan from a health insurance provider. Do research and compare rates at ehealthinsurance.com and then buying directly from the company’s Web site. If you’re young, single, and healthy, I highly recommend Tonik from Anthem Blue Cross – low rates and great coverage.

Living beyond your means – You need materials, classes, and a working car to pursue your dream. You do NOT need that new pair of UGGs. Don’t stress yourself out by budgeting every cent you make, but make sure you’re spending more on career and life “needs” like additional training or new headshots instead of “wants” like eyelash extensions or those hubcaps that spin even when your car’s not moving. (Sorry, but those hubcaps are dumb.)

Not having an emergency fund – The work of being an actor is looking for work. When you are working, put some money in a money market fund or other short-term savings vehicle for the times when you’re not working. An artistic career will naturally have ups and downs – saving money in an emergency fund will help ease the roller coaster effect.

Wasting money without noticing – Parking tickets, ATM fees, overdraft charges, buying lottery tickets, and drinking excessive amounts of Starbucks or Coffee Bean are all ways you waste money that could be invested in your career. Paying attention to your money ensures you’ll have more when you need it.

Not having a retirement plan – Because you’ll want to hang up those character shoes someday and have enough to enjoy the rest of your life. If you don’t qualify for SAG-AFTRA or WGA’s pension plan and you don’t work for a company that offers a 401K plan, you can still invest for your future by getting a Roth IRA at a do-it-yourself financial services company like Vanguard, Fidelity, or TD Ameritrade. Saving early pays off later – trust me.

For more money advice for artists, check out this free ebook I found – 5 Big Mistakes Creative People Make With Money

What do you think is your biggest money mistake?