I had extra fun this week being an extra! A couple weeks ago, I woke up at 5 A.M. to register with Central Casting, the primary background acting company in Los Angeles. On Tuesday night, I worked on American Horror Story. It was kinda crazy. I was bored at home and saw that they needed blonde actresses asap, so I got the details and rushed to Sony Studios through rush hour traffic. In between takes, I chatted with a fun, young actress who I didn't recognize. (I didn't watch Scream Queens). After the scene, someone told me I was chatting with Billie Lourd, the daughter of Carrie Fisher! The key to acting super casual around famous people is to not know they're famous. Then, Emma Roberts, who I adore, did a scene right it front of me. In the scene I'm in, this dude just told the Hillary supporters to calm down and my face is like "you calm down boring mustache man!!!"
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If you're hoping to step your Instagame up on your trip to LA without going broke, read on! Everyone told me before moving here that it was going to be expensive to enjoy, but I've found a ton of cheap things to do and I avoid paying for parking at all costs. If you're driving here, you gotta check out the Grand Canyon. Jack and I did the South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah point and it took us 1-2 hours. Signs warn against trying to do the whole trail, unless you are an expert and carrying two days worth of water and food. I think it costs us $30 to get in the park, but this giant hole in the Earth was #worthit. Pictures can't do it justice, but Instagram it anyways!
Once you're in LA, the Hollywood sign is a must. How else will your followers know you've arrived? I've gone twice. The first time I saw it from Lake Hollywood Park. From there, we drove through the neighborhood to get a closer look. There was no parking, so we illegally parked and quickly ran up for some pictures. The second time I went, my friend and I came to Beachwood Canyon and did a lengthy hike to get behind the sign. The residents are #haters of tourist and the "no entry" gate was locked. Luckily, someone coming back from the hike opened it for us. Apparently, it's better to start this hike from the Griffith Observatory. Don't let the confusing directions and hater neighbors stop you from getting a bomb-ass pic with the sign. Runyon Canyon Park is another great hike, where celebrities apparently roam. It's long enough to be a real work-out and there are plenty of water fountains, views, and dogs to admire. Venice beach and Santa Monica pier are also free if you can find free parking. Take a stroll through the picturesque Venice Canals and admire the bridges and houses. Then stroll down the boardwalk from Venice beach to Santa Monica pier; it takes about an hour. Snap some photos on the pier with the ferris wheel in the background and watch the street performers and magicians. My favorite beach is El Matador in Malibu. The cliffs, rocks, and caves are so picture-worthy when I went, that there was a music video being made. Park on the highway for free. Are you sensing that I'm a cheap person? Because I am #stingy. Another free thing to do in LA is be an audience member. I saw Conan and got a FREE shirt for shaking my booty before the show. You can be a audience member by signing up in advance on various sites and sometimes they pay you in cash to be there. Go to an improv show at The Groundlings or Upright Citizens Brigade. See a stand-up show at the Laugh Factory. All of those tickets are less than 15 bucks! Afterwards, check out the Urban Lights at LACMA. Pretend you're Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher in No Strings Attached and have a dramatic breakup... or just take some more pictures. Food is what I'm having to spend the most on while I'm here. The grocery stores and restaurants are expensive. A really fun brunch spot is The Roof on Wilshire. Their pancake lasagne is just wowwww. It was kinda pricey, but worth it. Another LA breakfast option is to get an acai bowl. If you don't take a photo of it, did you really even have one? If you're looking for dinner or lunch, Meatzilla has burger buns with a pizza on top. What more are you asking for? The most expensive thing to do on a trip to LA is the amusement parks. Bring tons of snacks and comfortable shoes. Get there when it opens ands stay until they close to get the most bang for your buck. At Disneyland, there are free Fast Passes at the popular rides. I don't think going to Disneyland will make or break your trip, but it will definitely be an entire day of fun. I hope you enjoyed my cheap and fun list of things to do here in LA! Make sure your followers think you're living a life of luxury :) I've been in Los Angeles for a month now! So what the heck am I up to? I'm interning two days a week at a production company learning about television and film development and one day a week at a casting studio. On Mondays, I have class 9-5:30 and learn about development, writing, and "How Hollywood Works." I really like my internship at the production company. I do script coverage and research projects and my coworkers are super nice! At the casting office internship, I'm allowed to audition for any project that comes through so I've been to three. It's good to still be acting at least a little throughout the week. Interning at a casting company has been an eye opening experience, because I see how an amazing audition isn't enough. Almost everyone who comes in auditions well. It unfortunately has so much to do with "type." I had plans of taking an acting class or two once I got here, but they are ridiculously expensive. (at least the ones I really want on my resume) I didn't expect to love Los Angeles so much. The people are nice (no seriously). The weather is perfect (obviously). The traffic only makes me want to gauge out my eyes a little. It takes me over an hour to go ten miles. I've done so many cool things here which I'll write about in my next post. :)
Guess who just graduated from the University of freaking Texas? What a rollercoaster it has been. It's such a cliche, but it seriously went by fast. Four years ago, I decided to go to UTSA for a year as a "CAP" student. In order to transfer to UT at a sophomore, I had to take a bunch of core classes and get a certain GPA. It was honestly a very rough transition from high school. I remember asking my parents if I could drop out to pursue acting. I was studying for HOURS each day. Luckily, I stuck it out and got into UT, my dream school. In my first two weeks at UT, I auditioned and got a role in an awesome student-directed play and decided to apply to the College of Fine Arts to be a Theatre Major. I was in more plays and got permission to take some Theatre History courses. Towards the end of Sophomore year, I got a call that my application had been accepted! Once I was in the Theatre department, I could finally take the acting classes that I had been waiting for. I took Acting 1,2,3, Comedy Acting, Shakespeare Acting, Acting for the Camera, Acting for Directors, Dialects for the Stage, Voice Over, and Audition Techniques. I also started taking acting classes outside of UT. Junior year was a year of more acting and studying. My senior year, I lived with my two best friends, acted in another play, and signed on with an agent. I started going to commercial auditions and even got a callback for a meat commercial (lol). All of a sudden, I had completed eight semesters. It was not a simple or easy journey, but I just kept going. I owe this degree to my parents, professors, advisors, and friends! Congratulations to everyone who graduated this spring, has already graduated, or working towards it! This degree represents four years of my life that I was continuously working towards something and succeeded. It was not a simple or straightforward journey, but it was so worthwhile.
Now that I'm 12 weeks away from moving to Los Angeles for my final semester, it's starting to sink in that it's all really happening! I'm starting to plan, prepare, (panic), get excited and save! This spring break, I'm working almost every day for SXSW! I'm catering tons of cool events. It was unusually cold and rainy today, I got completely drenched biking to work, and my phone shattered... but each day I work is one step closer to LA!
My favorite class this semester is "Voice Over and Narration." Here's my Commercial Demo. Lemme know what you think! :)
katiejanner_commercialdemo_copy.mp3
Last semester, I took a class called "Acting and the Camera" with undergrad actors and graduate film students. My team put together a film called "Entitlement" about a girl who runs out of gas on her way to an important meeting. I've included some clips in my new reel. I particularly enjoyed screaming like a maniac for several takes.
Reel 2.0 from Katie Janner on Vimeo. Hey y’all! I’m back in Austin, fully immersed in my final semester at the University of Texas. I can't wait to be graduating and moving to Los Angeles in less than four months, although leaving the best university in the world is bittersweet. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I was going to do a study abroad program in Barcelona for three weeks to do some acting training. The three weeks in Barcelona came and went and I cannot imagine a better experience for me to leave the US for the first time.
The day after Christmas, I got on a plane with anxiety bubbling inside me (I did not know anyone going on the trip) towards my first international adventure. Many, many hours later I landed in Barcelona and met Kari Margolis, the creator of the Margolis Method that we would be learning. I dropped off my things and met the rest of the group over traditional tapas and the rest is history. Each week, we had about twenty-two hours of studio time with Kari. Since Catalan actors also took the classes, we learned in Spanish, Catalan, and English. Classes were held in this awesome, large studio inside a renovated thread factory that we took the subway to. Other than training each week, we would attend plays, have lectures about Catalan theatre, and do group activities. I saw a Catalan musical at the famous Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, a show with circus performers, and a traditional Lorca play in the Gothic Quarters. Our activities included a walking tour, a biking tour, and a tour of Park Güell— all stunning. On New Year’s Eve, we went to the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc to see fireworks and eat grapes, which is tradition there. We saw the Three Kings parade to celebrate the twelth day of Christmas, also called Epiphany. On our own, we went shopping, walking, hiking, to museums, restaurants, bars, clubs, pretty much anything we had the energy/time for. Some highlights for me include the amazing view from the Búnquers del Carmel, getting fish pedicures (which are banned in the US, but feel AMAZING), Zara, the Museu de la Xocolata (Chocalate), Museu Picasso, eating pintxos and patatas bravas, going to the Castell de Montjuïc, and Sagrada Família. My mini study abroad experience surpassed every expectation and hope that I had. I met some of the most bold, fun, daring actors America and Barcelona have. Kari Magolis’ training is for serious actors only. It was rigorous, but rewarding. I really hope to train with her again and delve deeper into Margolis Method. Spain is just awesome! People in Barcelona are more patient, healthy, close with family, and obsessed with dogs. Not having cell phone service made me feel even more distance from America. It was like a therapeutic technology detox, acting training, cultural experience wrapped up in one. Also, wine is less than two dollars! What was not to love?! I would recommend this program to anyone looking grow as an actor and experience a new culture. Even if you're not looking for an acting program, just go to Barcelona at some point in your life. It was beautiful and fun and there was so much to do. LA, HERE I COME! I've been accepted into the UTLA (University of Texas, Los Angeles) Summer Semester. This 11 week program is through the Moody College of Communication. After I walk the stage in May, I will road trip to the West (where I have never been before!) I'll be living with other students in apartments, doing internships, and taking business entertainment classes.
I would ideally like an internship on a set. I love the excitement and anticipation of a working set. There are so many moving parts and there is so many amazing things being produced these days. I can't watch a movie without being critical of the editing and details. Having worked on several student films and a few larger projects, I know there's a lot of work to be done on set and everyone contributes to the final project. Wish me luck on my journey to Hollywood. I can't believe it's really happening! This past weekend I acted in a a production I could not be more proud of. Melancholy Play by Sarah Ruhl is the tale of Tilly. Tilly is sad and beautiful. Joan (me), Frances, Frank, and Lorenzo all fall hopelessly in love with Tilly. My girlfriend, Frances, gets so sad that she turns into an almond. Together we must bring Frances back to human form.
This play was so weird, so beautiful, so minimal, so creative, and so meaningful to me personally. A cellist accompanied the show. Joan was so complex and fun to be. It was refreshing to act in something so well directed, with talented actors, and a lovely script. 10/10 acting experience. I can't wait to be a part of something this special again. |
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