I’ve been going to audition after audition and, dare I say, killing them all. Booyah! Now the issue becomes time management.
I’ve been auditioning for theater lately, and that makes me pretty nervous. It’s not that I don’t think I can act on stage, it’s just that theater is a whole different culture than film and I’ve never been in the club. It’s a little scary. At my last theater audition the director said, “I can tell you’re a film actress.” I take that as a compliment. 
I have a theater audition tonight and I’ve been searching my head for excuses why I shouldn’t go to it, but it all comes down to me being scared. How stupid. I’m going.
The last film audition I went to went really well (I think), and it turned out that the guys I auditioned for know the camera operator on Half Empty*, Matt Bergman (who I adore). They also hired Darlene Sellers (also of Half Empty*) to be their exotic dancer character, so I’m really hoping that I get the job. It’d be really fun to work with them. The script seems interesting, and I think it might be a really cool film!
I got he mermaid job that I was talking about in the last post. I met with the director, Peter Lewis, and the costume designer, Jennifer Hurlbert, this past weekend, and it seems like it’s going to be a really fun job. Even if it doesn’t turn out just the way he wants it to, I think it’s going to be a super fun adventure. We’ll be hiking 3 miles to some secluded falls, I’ll be getting into basically a body sock with a mono-fin on my feet, and I’ll be tossed into glacier run-off to be a mermaid for a prepubescent boy. (It’s a Peter Pan themed short film.) What could go wrong?
*Half Empty is now officially titled: Fantastic Confabulations! As stated in previous entries, we’re filming pick up scenes for Fantastic Confabulations on the weekends in July. It’s great to be back with the crew, I love everyone on that crew.
The General and I will be going to Idaho tomorrow through Friday, because, sadly, Laura’s beloved grandmother passed away and we’ll be attending the funeral. The silver lining to a very dark cloud is that (ironically for my metaphor) it will be very hot and sunny in Idaho while we’re there.
On the 30th I get to meet my Little Sister! Yay!
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Posted in acting, audition, family, film, jobs, movies, personal.
Tagged with Darlene Sellers, Fantastic Confabulations, Half Empty, Idaho, Jennifer Hurlbert, Laura, Little Sister, Matt Bergman, mermaid, Peter Lewis, Peter Pan, The General.
By Carollani
– July 19, 2010
Seriously, I feel so awesome right now.
I just got a call from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound and they think they’ve found a little sister for me. She sounds really fantastic and I can’t wait to meet her next week!
I have a few good auditions lined up, and I may be cast as a mermaid on a short film this summer! Swimming in a mermaid tail may or may not be challenging, but I plan on working swimming into my workout regimen so I feel like a strong swimmer when it’s go time. Oh! I also have representation with Copeland Williams Talent! I hope they can send a few great jobs my way. I mean, come on, I’m fantastic!
We’re shooting a few more weekends of pick-up shots for Half Empty starting this weekend, so it’ll be nice to get the gang back together. I hope we can bang it all out and get it ready so that Andrew can submit to festivals this year. I really can’t wait to see this movie when it’s done.
Even though it was foggy almost every day, it was still really beautiful.
We just got back from my family reunion in Oregon. We all had a good time. It was nice to see everyone together, and be able to hang out with all the nieces and nephews. It kind of blows me away how big they’re all getting. Laura and I shared a yurt with Amy, Reed & Ruby, and we had a nice time together. Love that kid. Laura was a trooper for coming, and I’m so glad she did. “Family” isn’t my family without her anymore.
My little (not so little anymore… turning 18 soon!) cousin Melanie just got her GED, and I’m so proud of her! She’s going into culinary school this fall, and I know she’s going to do a great job.
Laura and I are going to London and France in September and that’s been a carrot dangling in front of us, but I still hope to eek out as much as I can from this little summer of ours. Butch and I have been running through Seward Park a lot. Our garden is going bananas! We’re going to have squash out the yin yang at any moment, and our peas are producing a lot of delicious pods. The tomatoes are blossoming, so I hope they start producing soon, and we’ve got some bok choy and broccoli coming up too.
YEAH!
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Tagged with Andrew Finnigan, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Butch, Copeland Williams, family reunion, France, garden, Laura, London, Melanie, Oregon, Ruby, Seward Park.
By Carollani
– July 13, 2010
I am THRILLED that it’s finally summer. (Cue me freaking out that summer is going too quickly.) Here are a few points of interest.
- We wrapped principal photography on Half Empty (working title). It was such an unbelievable project to work on. I made so many great friends and I can’t wait to work on NEW projects with them in the future. I’m also so incredibly excited to see it come together! You better believe that you won’t be able to escape knowing exactly when and where you can see it.
- Laura and I bought bikes and now that the weather is finally warming up we’re getting better and better. I finally bought myself a pair of those dorky gel seat biker shorts, because, well… it was time. I have yet to try them out, but I think they’re going to take their first ride today. I’m really loving bike riding and I just want to get better, better, better!
- The garden! I harvested our first bok choy last night and threw it in a stirfry. I have to say… it was pretty awesome. I’m getting better and better with my stirfrys, but I’m still having issues with tofu. Tofu is so delicate and I’m still learning how to fry it up properly so it doesn’t bust to pieces. We’ve also been making salads with our ever present lettuce, which is pretty cool. I can’t wait for the peas, tomatoes, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, green beans, carrots, squash, and potatoes!
- Upcoming events! Laurallani will be headed to Vegas next week for a few days. We’ll be staying in Encore (the other Wynn hotel) and I’m so so so very excited about the pool in the 110 degree weather.Seattle Pride starts on the 25th! I hope it’s super sunny. I may or may not be volunteering to BBQ for everyone. Stay tuned, friends. I already have our tickets for the Storm vs. Fever game on the 25th; it’s Sue Bird bobble-head night! Yes, I will be early to get my chintzy plastic knickknack.
4th of July of course.
My family is having a big reunion in Oregon the week after the 4th. I’m not sure how much time Laura will be able to stay, but I look forward to her meeting my whole family (ish). Heh. I love hanging out with my nieces and nephews, so it should be a fun time.
We’re headed to a friend’s cabin on Priest lake the first weekend in August. I’m super excited about this, because I haven’t seen him in forever, but I haven’t seen where I grew up in even longer. Hanging out on the lake with a boat, good friends, and my gal? Come on, that’s heaven to me.
August 21st: LADY GAGA!!!!!
The first two weeks of September Laurallani is going abroad! We’ll be in London for a few days and then we’re headed to Paris, the city of lights! We’ve rented an apartment in Paris so we can stay there for a whole week, but we’ll probably leave a bit early to go meandering through the countryside. We plan to make our way southeast to Nice, where we’ve reserved a gorgeous B&B. You know The General and accommodations, so you can trust that it will be ridiculously grand. We’re also hoping to make a day trip (or two) to Italy, since we’ll be so close. Good luck getting “Holiday Road” out of my head on this European Vacation.
- In October I’ll be going to Scottsdale, AZ with my brother-in-law (slash dentist) to a dental convention where I’ll be his patient. I’m basically getting a mouthful of beautiful Hollywood teeth for free, because he’s taking me to work on his skills with all these other hot-shot dentists. I’m so excited about this. I’ve been wanting veneers for a long time, but they’re so expensive and I didn’t want my mouth to look piecemeal-ed together. This will assure that I have top of the line choppers, and I won’t feel guilty about letting Paul do all that work for free, because he gets something out of it too. Everybody wins!
And then it’s fall and winter again and we get a new calendar. The time certainly does fly on by quicker and quicker.
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Posted in acting, family, film, gay, jobs, personal.
Tagged with biking, family, garden, Half Empty, Lady Gaga, Las Vegas, Laura, Laurallani, Pride, Priest Lake, Seattle Pride, Seattle Storm, Sue Bird, teeth, The General, vacation.
By Carollani
– June 8, 2010
I have been cast as the lead in an upcoming feature length film. It’s called Devil Between Us, and I’m playing the role of “Rory.” It’s sort of Nick & Norah-esque in that the whole thing takes place in the space of one day/night and it’s centered around a couple of bands. My character is a lesbian, so that will be challenging. 
The thing about this movie is that they’ll be attempting to shoot the whole thing, from start to finish, in the space of one day. That’s actually what made me respond to the casting call, just because I partially don’t believe it can be done, but if it can I’d like to be there to witness it. The audition was half terrifying and half wonderful. We did these improv games that I was totally unprepared for, but then I got to be a marriage counselor for two other actors and I pretty much rocked the shit out of that. Tony Straka, the director, told me that my therapist is what got me the role.
I’m pretty excited to have such a big part. My Fridays and Saturdays for the rest of May will be full of rehearsals, and we’re shooting the film on June 5th. The last week in May will also be when Half Empty (working title) shoots its very last week. I can’t believe we’re wrapping so soon. I’m really going to miss Half Empty.
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Tagged with Devil Between Us, Half Empty, improv, lesbian, Rory, Tony Straka.
By Carollani
– May 11, 2010
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLN2k0b3g70[/youtube]
This video of Will Smith is super inspiring.
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By Carollani
– May 3, 2010
Kyle Davis
I’m talking about a workout. I didn’t actually puke, but I might have if Kyle Davis, my trainer, didn’t insist that I lie in the recovery position. I go to 24 Hour Fitness, and every once and a while they send me a coupon for a free personal training session. I’ve gotten to work out with Kyle a few times and he’s great, because no matter how in shape I think I am, he proves to me how ridiculously weak I am. I love working with him because he gives me a lot of new exercises to integrate into my routine and make things more dynamic. Love him.
So lately I’ve been thinking that I need to step my game up with this acting thing. It’s time that I get an agent (or three). I’ve spent a year getting acclimated to the film acting scene in Seattle, and I may have taken myself as far as I can go without help. I need help. I’ve received helpful advice from various industry professionals, and I think I know what to do next. My goal is to book a recurring role on a tv show within 3 years. I also want to have a substantial role in at least one movie that receives critical acclaim in that same time.
Carollani as Aimee, Scene 63
To do this, I will need an agent. Probably three: one in Seattle, one in Portland, and one in LA. I’m going to have to realize that shuttling between these three cities is what I have to do to accomplish my goals. I’m pretty lucky that I have a partner that supports me in my dream, and friends that encourage and inspire me to go for it as well.
I want Patti Kalles and Lana Veenker to remember my name, and I need an agent that’s going to get me through their doors. I don’t know what it is about casting directors and super outdated websites, but I’d gladly do a redesign in exchange for some casting love. That’s for damn sure.
On Saturday I finally got to get in front of the camera! My character Aimee is a sassy, down to earth, cute but not pretentious or snobby kind of gal. She’s the love interest for the main character in the film, even though I only have four scenes total. I was pretty surprised at how much adrenaline shot through my body when Andrew yelled “ACTION!” for the first time. I was shaky and kept forgetting my super easy to remember lines. I got all that out in the first angle of that scene, though, and was good to go for the rest of it. I think I did alright, and I got a lot of compliments, so that’s a good sign, right? Hell yeah it is!
We begin our very last week of shooting near the end of May and it’ll be so bittersweet when we wrap up. It’s been a total blast getting to know everyone on the cast and crew–we’ve become really tight and it’ll be sad to break up the band. I cannot wait to see this film completed, though. The rough-cuts I’ve seen have been pretty good, so I can only imagine what a polished film will look like.
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Tagged with agent, Aimee, Andrew Finnigan, Half Empty, Kyle Davis, LA, Lana Veenker, Patti Kalles, Portland, Seattle, workout.
By Carollani
– April 29, 2010
Here we go again! We’re filming for Half Empty from today until Monday this month, which means I’ll be blogging here and tweeting here if you’d like to stay abreast of my every move.
This time I’ll actually be ACTING. Finally! YEAH! We’ll be shooting the Lit. Agency scenes on Saturday and Sunday. I’m Aimee, the assistant for Wes’s literary agent (I’m also his love interest, ooh la la).
Also, I might be on Leverage again next Friday. Logically, it’s not worth the 6 hour round trip to Portland for the minimum wage pay as an extra who most likely won’t be recognizable on screen, but I love to be on TV!
Stranded at the drive-in, branded a fool. (photo by Puja Parakh)
www.pujaparakh.com
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Tagged with Aimee, Half Empty, Leverage, lit agency, literary agent, Portland, TNT, Wes.
By Carollani
– April 22, 2010
Meet the beginning of our grand garden. We spent last Saturday getting the garden all ready and we planted some of these little guys.
Some things are thriving (lettuce starters, zucchini, corn) but we’ve discovered a culprit: squirrels. Those quick little nut-suckers have been digging up the seeds and stealing them! How rude.
In light of our new knowledge of the squirrel’s actions, I’m going to get the starters going inside and make sure they’re fully ready for the ruthless digging squirrels. Besides the squirrels we also have to watch out for slugs. Slugs are a huge problem in Seattle gardens, because they’re so prevalent here. Well we set some beer traps for them and that seems to be working. The slugs love the smell of beer, but the salt in the beer kills them.
Our garden is so cute though, with little name tags for each of the vegetable rows. Adorable! I can’t wait until it’s full of life!
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Tagged with garden, slugs, squirrels, The General, vegetables.
By Carollani
– April 14, 2010
We had a rehearsal for my scenes that happen in the Literary Agency on Saturday, and we’ll have another this Saturday as well. I can’t tell you how pumped I am to get going on these scenes. It’s been such a long time coming. The woman playing my boss is going to be great, I think. I can’t wait to see it all finished.
The General and I have been shopping at the Ballard Farmer’s Market each Sunday for our groceries, and the result has been delicious. We get this great fresh pasta from La Vita è Bella. They give you $2 off your next purchase if you bring back the container. We’ve also been buying farm fresh eggs and the most amazing bacon I’ve ever had in my life. Not to mention all of the freshest produce Seattle has to offer.
It’s been awesome, because besides eating the freshest food, we also try a lot of things we wouldn’t otherwise. Lately it’s been leeks. The General made an amazing leek and potato soup, and I made a leek sauce to go on some pasta. Leeks–who knew?! I can’t even express how much better real fresh food is than grocery store food. Go check out your local farmer’s market and try it for yourself! Yum!
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By Carollani
– April 6, 2010
Lauren Jackson
A post I wrote about Lauren Jackson consistently gets the most hits out of any post I’ve ever written. I’m led to believe that people like the following things: naked athletes, gossip about athlete relationships, lesbian athletes, and I need to bring back Titillating Tuesday.
Well the new season is almost upon us. I added the official WNBA Seattle Storm Google Calendar to my calendar so I’ve got the whole season in my sights. I plan on heading to the pre-season game against the Mercury on May 2.
Lauren Jackson signed a multi-year deal to stay with the Storm, and I’ve got mixed feelings. Yes, she is one of the best players in the league… when she actually plays. The woman seems to be on the bench with injuries more than any other player we’ve got… even the crappy ones. So it’s a great thing as long as she can play, but when she sits out all season it breaks my heart that we’re wasting our big contract money on her and not a good player that can actually play. Don’t get me wrong, I love her, she’s fantastic, I just hope she makes it up to us this year. I wish you much health and prosperity Lauren!
Player (pun intended) Diana Taurasi
Now, on to the dirt. (Disclaimer: all of the following is unconfirmed gossip and speculation. Enjoy it as such.) The blog post I referenced before became something of a message board on Lauren Jackson and Diana Taurasi’s relationship, or lack thereof. I’m hoping this post will go on to be the same way. Both are dykes (yay!) and they broke up, so they’re spreading dyke all over the league. Let’s see how, shall we?
I have it on Bob Green’s authority that Diana Taurasi now dates teammate Penny Taylor, who is rumored to be divorcing her husband. Damn Taurasi, you sure have a type, huh?
Hot & steamy Mercury player Penny Taylor
Penny Taylor is Australian, just like Lauren Jackson, and therefore takes sexy-ass photos of herself. That seems to be a trend only among Australian born WNBA athletes. Step your game up, Americans!
Why Diana would date someone on her own team is just baffling. That cannot be good for the team at all. Suppose they fight or break up–awkward. Even if they’re doing great as a couple it must make the rest of the team feel really weird. I suppose it’s a big fat out-there secret, but… not really. Maybe as pro-athletes they’re all just inherently ninjas at hiding their gayness. Boo!
Penny Taylor & Lauren Jackson: AWKWARD!
If anyone knows who Lauren Jackson is currently dating then please leave a comment! I like to be up on all the latest Storm gossip, and it looks like Lauren’s going to be with us for a while. In fact, if you have dirt on any Storm players then please leave a comment! It’s usually the lesbians with their ear to the ground that have the best dirt, but not always. Give it up, readers! You came to this post to hear the dirt, now spill what you’ve got!
If I had my way they’d all be gay. Except the ugly ones. Heh.
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Tagged with American, Australian, Diana Taurasi, dyke, gay, gossip, Lauren Jackson, Penny Taylor, Phoenix Mercury, relationship, Seattle Storm, Sue Bird, WNBA.
By Carollani
– March 28, 2010
