New Opportunities

I received an informational e-mail yesterday from Bob Fraser (author of You Must Act! and the Hollywood How-To Newsletter) telling me about the Twyman Creative LA Film Conference at UCLA this Saturday:

The Twyman Creative LA Film Conference will include many seminars, discussions and panel presentations and best of all, ADMISSION IS FREE. It starts at 11AM and is scheduled to go until 8PM and is a conference aimed at networking between actors, writers, directors, producers, cameramen, sound people, editors, etc. Speakers with expertise in various areas are going to educate and uplift people, and hopefully help the Hollywood monster look a little more pleasant. This is a great chance to do some serious "meet and greet" as well as pick up on some excellent information. Here are some of the scheduled events: "The Power and Art of Networking" -- "Making It" -- "Legal Matters" -- "Multi-Tasking in the Industry" -- "Power Networking Hour" -- "The Reality of the Business: Q&A"

So it sounds like an awesome opportunity to learn A LOT, and to network. Mr. Fraser will be speaking in some of the events, and invited me to introduce myself to him. EEEEEEEEK! I'm sure he sent copies of the same e-mail to all the actors on his Hollywood How-To newsletter e-mailing list, so I'm not under any illusion that this is a "special invitation" just for me. But...*sigh*...I'm still freaked out about introducing myself to him. I have no idea what to say! I really need to work on my self-confidence. I'll visualize myself being relaxed and confident at the conference, and being open to meeting new business contacts and friends, including Mr. Fraser. The visualization stuff has helped me feel more confident and relaxed in the past.

The other opportunity that has popped up is a new audition in July. This is a different theater, but the audition is for The Laramie Project again. And this theater offers a stipend to it's actors! WOO-HOO! If I am cast, it will be paid experience, the kind of experience that casting directors and agents value. The kind of experience that will help get my foot in the door of the Hollywood entertainment business. If I am cast. But I've got it in my head now that maybe the Universe arranged this: not being cast in the non-paid production so that I could audition for and be cast in the paid one. And if I focus on that kind of positive thinking, those are the results I will attract into my life. Anyhow, the theater has a really cool website that allows you to make audition appointments online, which give you audition priority over "walk-ins". So I made my audition appointment for the first night of auditions.