Overspending at the Kickstarter Mall

You know I don't like spending money. I went a full year without buying anything and felt just fine. But I've just discovered my new danger zone.

Kickstarter.

You know, the crowdsourced microfinancing site where artists and entrepreneurs can raise money for dream projects by receiving donations from many, many backers in exchange for gifts and rewards.

I feel like every time I get on Facebook, someone I know is launching a Kickstarter campaign. And the problem is - I love these people! And then I look at the project they're putting together and I fall in love with that too!

So then I have to give money. I have to. How could I not contribute to someone's artistic dream? It's like when I sample the new cheese at Trader Joe's - it's so delicious, I have to buy it. I have to.

Here are just a few of the projects that inspired me to open my wallet this past week - check them out and you'll want to give too!

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Ordinary Days - Musical by Adam Gwon
A Theater project in Los Angeles, CA by Michael Palma

I've known Helen and Mike for years - one of the "it couples" of the Asian-American arts community in LA. Hilariously funny on stage with Cold Tofu Improv, talented singers, and now they're putting together an original musical. Done and done. No Kickstarter video, but how can I say no to these beautiful faces?

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FLIPCASE: A Collapsible Sunglass Case
A Product Design project in Menlo Park, CA by Alison Wong

Allison is a fellow MIT alum and AXO sister. I didn't know her while I was an undergrad, but when I saw her video, I just had to support her ingenuity. I'm so inspired by MIT women - smart and amazing. Watch this video and you'll want one of these sunglass cases too! (I love how it starts like an infomercial...)

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"You Gotta Stay Cocksure!"
A Narrative Film project in Toronto, Canada by Murray Foster

Remember Moxy Fruvous? I was one of Murray's people. Many, many college and post-college hours were spent listening to their geeky rock tunes. I don't think I missed a single Moxy Fruvous concert while living in Boston. I even interviewed them for an article and told Murray I was going to move to Los Angeles to become an actor.

Fast forward to becoming an actor in Los Angeles and finding Murray on Facebook - we're buds now. He plays with a new band - Great Big Sea - and just wrote and directed a feature film inspired by hijinks with his fellow former Fruvous compatriot Mike Ford. Appears to be a Brit pop version of That Thing You Do! It looks fun - and Murray is just so damned handsome...

My Toshiko Photos

I've been saying for a while that I need new acting headshots. Yesterday, I went out and got some.

The photographer - Diana Toshiko of Toshiko Photo - Uncommon Headshots for Uncommon People. Exactly what I needed.

I've known Diana for years as an actress, most notably from her sketch comedy work with OPM Comedy. She's free and funny, fiercely positive, and an all-around awesome gal. Here she is in one of my favorite OPM sketches -


I started the morning stressed and freaking out - running late on less sleep than I would have liked because of the stupid time change. When I finally walked into her place, I was filled with anxiety. "Don't worry, we're gonna get it," she assured me with a confident smile.

I brought all the spoils of my recent shopping trip as well as half my closet for her to go through. She quickly flipped through everything, finding the perfect clothes for my four looks. The NO pile grew quickly:

As the YES pile took shape:

I also brought almost all my jewelry. A few selections were made:

Makeup artist Grace Chun was fantastic! Skilled, supportive, and laid back - I had no worries I would get dragon lady eyes under her watch. She collaborated beautifully with Diana to create my looks and was always standing by for a touch up:

Or two:

After some initial nervousness, I finally relaxed let my looks take shape. Diana was amazing! She gave me perfect directions to bring out my characters while continually assuring me the camera was capturing my essence. This is me channeling my inner snarkiness:

We ended the day by shooting my carefree/fun look while LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It" streamed out of Grace's iPhone. There was definitely dancing. So awesome.

Huge thanks to Diana and Grace for a wonderful day. Four brand new headshot looks - coming soon!

Forced Retail Immersion

I had to go shopping this week. Yes, it was actually required. I'm shooting new headshots with the amazing Toshiko Photo on Sunday and I needed to gather pieces to create my four looks.

Shopping with a goal is always stressful for me because I worry about not finding what I need and coming home exhausted and empty-handed. To ensure success, I went to my favorite store - Goodwill!

When I was a teenager, shopping at a thrift store instead of the mall was inconceivable and could ruin your social standing in a heartbeat. But now that I'm a savvy, financially responsible artist, it just makes sense. It's less expensive, more eco-friendly, and a fashionably smart move in a city like Los Angeles, where can you always find designer labels among the racks. My wardrobe is still mostly Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and White House Black Market - I'm just not paying full price for any of it!

Yesterday I browsed and browsed until I could browse no more. I ended up with 2 belts, 14 shirts, an Ann Taylor suit jacket, a hat, a handbag, and a pair of jeans for a little over $100. What's not to love about that?

I was on a clothing-focused mission, so I didn't spend too much time in the other parts of the store, which were filled with treasures. Like this:

After an exhausting day of shopping, I headed for home, stopping at Taco Bell first to pick up one of the new Doritos Locos Tacos:

Yes, that's a taco shell made out of Doritos. Read my brother's Doritos Locos Tacos review at Junk Food Guy.

The Hump Day Update: Catch Up Session

Many, many happenings in Teresapalooza-land since Oscar night - here's the rapid-fire rundown:

• Attended a great panel at the WGA called TV Series for Virgins. (No, it wasn't about that.)
  
  Heard fantastic advice about navigating the television world from showrunners Lee Aronsohn (Two and a Half Men), Jenny Bicks (The Big C), Matt Corman & Chris Ord (Covert Affairs), Graham Yost (Justified), and ICM agent Mark Gordon, moderated by Jeffrey Melvoin (Army Wives).
  
  Heard my favorite new showbiz quote - "The most important thing in Hollywood is sincerity. And if you can fake that, you've got it made." Word.
  
  During the reception after, I chatted with writer/director Shawn Ku and writer Michael Armbruster about transitioning from features to television. Though mostly I just gushed about their amazing film Beautiful Boy, which should have nominated for an Oscar, in my opinion...
  
  
• Audited this year's CAPE Pitch Lab pitch session to network and support writer friends who were pitching.
  
  I pitched at this event the two previous years, which helped get me get in the door to pitch at CBS this season, which eventually led to the selling of my first pilot. The exec who bought my pitch in the room was there and it was great to see her and thank her again in person for the incredible opportunity. Ah, the memories...
  
  
  
• Continued the pitching spirit the next day - pitched my proposal for the CAPE Digital Marketing Initiative to a room full of execs at FOX. Stared longingly at the Emmys and Golden Globes in the lobby.
  
  Heard later that night I was one of the three winners - hooray! More details on that to come...
  
  
• Hosted a happy hour before the LA screening of Cast Me If You Can, written and directed by MIT alum Atsushi Ogata. The point was to support a member of my alumni community the way I would hope to be supported when I have a project to promote.
  
  The happy hour was a success, though not a single MIT alum showed up. Ah well.
  
  Here I am with Atsushi and fellow MIT grad turned actor Tohoru Masamune -
  

Finding Connection Lost

A week before Valentine’s Day, my MIT friend and playwright Vladimir Zelevinsky let me know he’d written a Web series called Connection Lost: A Love Story, described as a thriller-romance.

Always excited to support a fellow MIT artist, I mentioned the show’s premiere on my blog and watched each new episode leading up to the Valentine’s Day finale.

It was pretty great! Solid dialogue, good cliffhangers, and an Ocean’s Eleven-worthy twist at the end. And their sponsor – Equal Exchange fair trade chocolate bars – was integrated smoothly into the series. There was even a contest – find the coupon code among the footage and win free chocolate! (I found the code and won two fantastic chocolate bars – you know I couldn’t miss that opportunity...)

What was most impressive was the number of views for the Boston-based series – over 50,000 for the first episode alone! And that’s without any big name stars!

I reached out to Anna Callahan, Executive Producer and Director of Connection Lost, to learn more about the project.

Tell me about yourself.

I was a jazz trumpet player for about 10 years in LA, then came to Boston and became a software developer. I now run a startup company called CrewTide -- we match independent filmmakers with brands that want episodic, narrative video.

What do you think was the most effective part of your marketing plan?

Two things were very effective: Facebook and YouTube SEO. In our title, keywords, and description, we had popular and relevant phrases. I think "Valentine's Day" in particular helped us a lot.

How did you connect with Equal Exchange to sponsor Connection Lost?

I couldn't get any chocolate companies to answer my phone calls or emails, so I picked a local one and drove down to their office and waited in their lobby till someone came out to talk to me. Sales is hard!

Why did you choose to produce a Web series for them instead of a short film or feature?

Series are much better for viewer engagement. We would never have reached 150,000 views in a week if we'd only had one video. I also prefer Web series to shorts or features as both a viewer and director. There's just more time to explore character development, relationships, philosophical ideas...everything.

Dream lunch date?

I don't really think much about famous people. I have a dream lunch date every time I eat lunch with my sweetie. :)

Watch the first episode of Connection Lost below!

Money Monday: Free Stuff from Freecycle

I have witnessed it firsthand - one man's junk is another man's treasure. And putting this adage to use is a great way to save money.

I'm talking about Freecycle, the bulletin board/email list where people give and receive stuff for free. I joined the Los Angeles group last year and have marveled at the neverending flow of things people don't want that you can just have. Just because! I've seen big stuff like televisions, computer desks, and patio furniture to small stuff like magazines, printer cartridges, and shampoo. And moving boxes - lots and lots of moving boxes.

All unwanted things would normally end up in a landfill. But thanks to Freecycle, all that junk is connected with eager treasure hunters like me. I get my Freecycle posts in individual emails, which get automatically filtered into a special folder so they don't clog my inbox. I'll browse every day to see if there's anything I want.

Most recently, I scored this Logitech Cordless TrackMan Wheel - the exact ergonomic mouse I've wanted to buy for almost a year. The price tag on the box says $49.95. And I got it for free!

I've given away many, many things on Freecycle - my old George Foreman grill, back issues of magazines piling up around the house, fabric scraps leftover from sewing projects, etc. - and I'm always amazed that someone wants them. I usually leave the items hidden in my carport for people to pick up, so it's super easy for all involved.

Freecycle is an artist's best friend. Actors can furnish their whole apartment with free stuff and save their money for acting classes and headshots. If you're a production designer for a film or designing a theater set, you can find prop pieces and furniture galore.

So sign up for Freecycle today! I don't get any commission - this is just a really good idea.

What Does Your Headshot/Resume Say About You?

When I showed up for my first play audition (as a favor to the playwright), I was asked for my resume. "You mean with my chemistry internships and stuff?" I replied, confused.

I was one year out of MIT and totally clueless about what an acting resume was, let alone what a headshot should look like. Honest to God, this is what I brought to my next audition:

That is a glamour shot from Taiwan, my friends! Hugging a plastic pole - that spells professionalism, right?

Fast forward many, many years of experience later -

We had an industry guest at my acting class last night and I snuck glances at some of my classmates' acting headshots/resumes. I was very surprised to see bad headshots that didn't look like the actors, resumes formatted weirdly, headshots that weren't 8x10 size, etc. It was easy to separate the amateurs from the professionals. Or at least, the amateur-looking headshot/resumes from the professional-looking ones.

What impression does your headshot/resume make? Because you can be the greatest actor in the world and still make a bad first impression with your headshot/resume before you even open your mouth.

So take the time to get it right. Search "How to Create an Acting Resume" online for advice and follow the steps. Get together with fellow actors and critique each other's headshots. Ask every actor you meet to see their resume and notice how they list their credits.

I'll even show you mine to get started: