Triple Audition Day - nailed one failed one and did ok on one.

This is a diary-like post I wrote around a year ago. WOW how times have changed! who knew there would be the coro thing...

4/28/2019
Today was a fruitful day. I had 3 auditions in a row, and I drove a total of 65 miles just running around LA. Yea I was exhausted, but happy too.

In the morning, I drove to Loyola Marymount University, which is really far for me, but thankfully it was a Sunday and I did not encounter traffic!
Their building is really nice and new! super jealous haha. (but not as nice as USC, their campuses and film department are dripping in gold)
It was a student film between a Chinese mother and daughter. I can speak Mandarin so it was easier for me. It went ok. The director wanted to do a different take, and another one, so I ended up doing 3 takes. I hope it was ok.

Next I drove to UCLA. And their film department was located at the far north corner of campus, unlike USC whose film department was basically at the center of campus. I parked really far and found parking near a school which allowed me to park because today was Sunday! yay!
I walked like a mile, in search of a cafe that is open, but all I see is fancy rich houses around the campus. Who the heck lives here??? I bet not the poor students with all the debt. I wonder how far UCLA students have to live to be able to afford rent.
Anyway, I found the main cafeteria which was the only open coffee selling place in the vicinity. And I ate Panda Express for lunch lol. I found out that I totally blend in to the student crowds. Asians never age. It is true.

So this audition was also a student film and it was about an aspiring Japanese American girl who wanted to pursue her dream as a stand up comedian, but was stuck as a coffee shop barista with a horrible boss who had chest hair. Ewww. I can relate very much. Very much.
I thought I gave it my best, first doing a comedic monologue and then the audition. What really made my day was the two directors said, that was pretty well done, and the other said "basically nailed it". I was so happy!! Even if I don't get the role, I still got something out of it. Thank you for offering me the chance! (Update: I didn't get the role even though I nailed it!)

Walk another mile to my car lol. (After walking the Camino de Santiago, I find walking up to 2 miles to my car is totally nuthin' for me)

Driving to New York Film Academy this time for the 3rd audition. This is the LA actor's life man.
Great, no traffic on a Sunday, but ewww people on the West side drive like their bums are on fire! So rude too! people chill out!! Why rush on a Sunday afternoon? Game of Thrones doesn't start until 9pm!!ha.

This audition seemed easy but turned out to be the real challenge. I did not memorize my sides and it seemed that everyone else did because they did not even print out the sides. So I just read off my phone.
Then the director, who was Chinese and seemed really serious, told me more about the character. This was an innocent girl role, and he wanted me to play the role as if I was a child. Then I did a "normal girl" take, with a little bit of a condescending air which a lot of Chinese girls had. He then said, this condescending air is not forced, this girl was born and shaped to think like that. So obscure and I could not grasp the essence. So I probably failed that one.
Last, he asked me to read for the "boss" role. I did not rehearse because it was a male boss role.  But he wanted me to do it anyway. This time his directions were even more obscure. He was like, you feel like you have these glasses on, an authoritative look.  Non existent boss glasses. OK that is going somewhere I have no idea where. So I just kinda sort did it. And he was like, I did not see anything lol. He then asked me to memorize the whole monologue on the spot! That was really a challenge. I could not do so fully. Under time constraint too. And I didn't know half of what he was talking about either. I did not know these student directors can talk so obscurely. I have encountered that before but this one was particularly hard to understand!
Still, one thing he said was very helpful - I seemed to be nervous and tightened up on camera, (well I was probably just trying to figure out the nonexistent boss glasses thingy!) He reminded me to relax. That was very helpful hint. So thanks!!

So tired after 3 consecutive auditions, so I went to Walgreens and picked up my headshots, then bought ice cream as a little treat for me. And also because they are on sale. Oh the struggling actor life!

Will be updating more often.
I have multiple auditions every week. (update: wow this is well before the corona)
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