McDonalds? OK!

With the showcase over and pilot season in full-swing, I've been particularly anxious about my lack of auditions. It's my first pilot season in LA, but this period of time feels like perhaps the best chance to make career strides this year. While I'm working hard to submit and network, and am as prepared as I can be for opportunities that do come up, I was beginning to feel discouraged.

Along comes a commercial audition, for McDonald's no less. I had already booked some work for the day, but decided it was worth canceling. This audition is one of the first my commercial agent has sent me out on, and with an office that has seen me once before (perhaps I am now on their radar?!). As with many commercial auds, it was all improv-based and the description of what to do was vague (pretend you are sitting on a crane, enjoying lunch, peaceful, etc.)

I invested in a private session with Killian McHugh of Killian's workshop (http://www.killiansworkshop.com/), voted best commercial workshop by BackStageWest. It was an awesome 60-minute one-on-one that reviewed some nuts and bolts of commercial auditioning and presented some new ideas to me as well. The biggest concepts I took away from our work together were to go after the overall feel of the spot and find a way to make it your own.

So I took the vague suggestions given by the McDonald's casting associate and tried to let myself be my quirky wonderful self. I left feeling ho-hum, not really knowing how I did, and tried, as I always do, to let the audition go and move on with my day.

The audition was on Wednesday. By Friday afternoon, I had all but forgotten about it, entertained throughout the day by out-of-town friends. Then the message came from my agent at just before 5 pm. I was on avail! While this doesn't mean that I've booked it yet, it does mean I'm under consideration and that I did my job.

I'm liking this "just be myself" tone of things these days. It's been a process getting back to this point, and I aim to stay and enjoy it for a bit.

No Candles

I'm very proud of this festival short film. An extended version is due to be released later this year!

NO CANDLES -   An official Lost Zombies short film that documents the great acts of horror an heroism that exist at the frayed ends of survival.

Showcase Teaser

In Search of a Pilot..

I can't be happier that the industry is back up and running again now that the holiday season has passed, and now we jump right into the busiest time of year here....PILOT SEASON!!!!!!  It's my first pilot season in LA, and my first as a full-time actor. I'm all giddy with anticipation.

To prepare, I've just shot new headshots with Bradford Rogne and I'm thrilled with how they turned out. I've taken my time picking my favorites and have taken in lots of opinions, and have finally landed on 3 that I will print for auditions and mailings. And here they are....

 

Today I rearranged my closet to organize audition outfits and set up a new desk area. Can't you tell I'm just a little excited.  I'm really looking forward to being on stage later this month too in an industry showcase called Six Actors in Search of a Pilot: Come Get Your 10% of This.  It's going to be a fun evening of scene and monologues designed to give agents, casting directors, writers and other interested folk an opportunity to see us work in a variety of genres.

Ok bloggies, I gotta run, but I hope to be back soon with lots of exciting Pilot updates.

A "Festive" Holiday Poem

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/video/video.php?v=10150142645299045&comments

Auditions and Reels and Extras, Oh My!

While the industry is winding down for the holidays, I'm in full pilot-prep mode, determined to hit the ground running as soon things come back to life after the new year. I've garnished my resume with care, organized my headshots, postcards,and such, and just completed an updated theatrical reel. Thanks for taking a look!

Rebecca Honett 2011 Theatrical Reel from Rebecca Honett on Vimeo.

I was thrilled to be seen by Valko/Miller Casting last week for a co-star role on Two and a Half Men last week. And while I didn't book this time, just getting in to read for this office was great! I'm asking Santa for more of these types of auditions for Christmas!

To round out the finances before everything goes dark here, I've been picking up some work as a background extra. Recently, I've been on the set for Love Bites (with my dog, Ozzie!), Cougar Town, and Parks and Recreation. Extra work is certainly not glamorous, and there are always a handful of strange characters thinking this is their opportunity to break into the biz. But for most of us, it is a decent days work, an opportunity to network with other extras and a chance to catch up on a favorite novel.

In other news, we have a Xmas tree up for our first holiday together, with just a few choice ornaments so far, but it is going a long way toward putting us all in the spirit, despite the lack of snow. Happy Holidays everyone!

Holidays Honett-Style

This holiday season is the first for us together as an official family. And with the recent moving, wedding and traveling, we are taking this opportunity to lay low and create some new traditions of our own. While we haven't completely decided what this will entail for us, we do have a few ideas of what we'd like to do.

This weekend we are going to spend preparing a bunch of recipes we've always wanted to try and also add in a few we can't live without.  The menu so far consists of gluten-free stuffing with fresh cranberry sauce, homemade gnocchi, lamb curry, bacon-wrapped chestnuts, and soy icecream.  Dee-lish!

Between being away at school, traveling and visiting others for holidays, neither one of us have ever had a Xmas tree of our own. We recently inherited a fake tree and we're looking forward to shopping for decorations. I don't think of myself as at all sentimental, but this feels like a significant opportunity for us to discover what the holidays mean for us as a family and begin to create new traditions. Perhaps some homemade hot cider is also in order for the occasion.

Today, Thanksgiving day, is filled with small pleasures. A walk this morning all together to get coffee, a big hearty breakfast, an anticipated Harry Potter matinee at the Vista, and an early Xmas present for the pups. Despite their apparent feelings for Santa (see below), I think we are all looking forward to this season of being together.

 DOGGIE THANKSGIVING

We hope everyone has a safe, happy, and abundant holiday!