Sunday 22 May 2011

I finally have some videos to show casting people!

I seem to be getting an awful lot of silence on the audition front, and it's probably due to me only having a picture on my Spotlight page, a picture that doesn't look enough like me apparently, So after much delay, i stole some videos off Youtube and attempted to edit them myself on Movie Maker, and here is the result. 
 A shiny new Vimeo page. I have previously tried editing a couple of films together as a showreel, but the sound varied for each one, and might have been a bit annoying to watch, so this is my idea of an alternative, fingers crossed it works!

I have added desperation now as i have officially cancelled my place at York College to do makeup, i couldn't deal with the idea of debt, so now i have to prove it was the right decision! 

Friday 20 May 2011

Two days in the 1940s


On Monday and Tuesday, i was an extra for a film called The Other Child, set in wartime Britain.
The set was amazing, they had taken over a couple of streets in Stockton and made it look like it had been bombed, so there were piles of rubble and broken furniture everywhere, and even a burnt out car.

They were very long days though, on Monday we worked from 10:30 til after midnight, but hey! It's all experience isn't it!?

It had its fun moments, on Monday night we had to film us all running to the air-raid shelter, they had real explosions and a guy with a flame thrower hidden round a corner, so no-one really had to act scared! They even blew out a couple of windows by accident.
The air raid shelter very cool, they had used a tunnel under the railway, boarded it up, and filled it with sandbags and mattresses, making it look like the tunnel to the London Underground. 
They had flame throwers at the entrance of that too, and special things in the ceiling beams to make dust fall from them.

Wednesday 18 May 2011

We should go to Cannes?!

And it was amazing! I got a special pass too, it let me in everywhere. But we were too busy enjoying the free drinks in the Short Film Corner to remember that there was a Pirates of the Carribean premiere on. We were in the building behind all these famous people, we could see all the crazy fans pressed up against the glass, (and saw the tiniest glimpse of Johnny Depp walking through inside.)





We met up with Marc Price first, he tried to help us get accredited as part of his production company, but in the end we got passes in our own right.

The amount of money that is in Cannes at the moment is scary, walking past all the yachts that are the size of three houses, and seeing all the private jets at the airport.
Dawn was out there too, trying to get some of that money, she's pitching the promo trailer we made, and is out there for another couple of weeks. So good luck to her!

On the evening, everyone heads to Le Petit Majestic, which is on a closed off street where all the cafes and bars put out chairs and tables. After chatting to Dawn and her friend, Marc Price texted that we should come along to the Optimum Party at The Grand (one of the biggest hotels in Cannes), and we got in! Free beer and inflatable sofas everywhere, along with actors from Marc's films.
When me, Dawn, Mat and John Noble were leaving Le Petit Majestic, we heard our names being shouted, and turned around to find Bill Fellows and Nick Rountree (writer of The Tournament) waving at us. They were only in Cannes for a couple of days too, so it shows we picked the right weekend to go!
We met back up with them after leaving the party to say goodbye, and met more of Bill and Nick's friends, one who was a huge fan of "The Jump", the 4hour challenge film, and another who was also a writer of the Tournament.
If we had stayed longer, we might have ran into my agent, Sam Claypole, as she had flown out to Nice that day.


On the beach infront of the Pavillions, every country had it's own. Tilda Swinton was doing a talk in the UK one.


Wednesday 11 May 2011

Another photoshoot, vintage/gothic one this time



Why not check out my new blog, it's much nicer over there! 
http://attempt-at-acting.tumblr.com

Another evening spent with Natalie Pluck, this time at Whorlton Castle in North Yorkshire, for a new fashion photography shoot
You can't tell in the picture, but i had to climb up a wall to the second floor, and i'm sat in a fireplace on the first floor. The "castle" has no roof or floors, just floating doorways, corridors and fireplaces. Very cool place.

I did my own makeup again, white foundation and exagerated cheek bones and eyebrows, and a lot of dark eyeshaddow. We also sprayed my hair white, and i don't think the pictures even look like me!
I think the whole thing ended up very vintage gothic, if that makes sense?


one of my finals.... i wish i could go back and re do all my work like this one...


Jen colour, cant decide what to make of these ones

The rain really added to this picture, softened the light in it, i'm very happy! x


another final

Thursday 5 May 2011

Film promo for Cannes!

Over the bank holiday weekend, and a few days this week, i have been acting in a film trailer for film-maker Dawn Furness which she will then take with her to the Cannes Film Festival next week, with the hope that it will get financing.

The film is a heist-thriller, and i'm playing the naive reporter trying to get a story by following very dangerous people, it's going to be good!
On Tuesday night i was in Whitley Bay at the ice rink (where my mum saw Wham!). I stayed over in Newcastle with some of the other actors, thank you again, and Wednesday morning i got to wander into a real newsroom full of working journalists, and then sit down at a desk looking professional. All the while being filmed, but i don't think anyone around us knew what was happening.
We also got a sneaky look at the presses rolling.

After filming that, i was straight down to Durham for an audition, for Inspector George Gently. All very exciting, especially when i realised the audition was on the actual set, they had turned an old school into a 1960s police station, complete with holding cells and a car park full of 50s-60s cars. It made me very happy!

After the audition, I made it to the train station for 15:17:36, and realised that the last train to get me back on time was at 15:18:00! I think it was a bit of fate that i'd already bought my ticket, and could get straight through the barriers and onto the train.

I made it to Natalie Pluck's house in Guisbrough just after five, despite my satnav taking me to a blocked road, and we headed straight to the stables to do a photoshoot with some lovely horses, that kept trying to eat my jacket.

Cowboys and Indians


Jen, originally uploaded by Natalie Pluck.

Last night, after an already very busy two days, i made it onto the train from Durham in time to get to Natalie Pluck's Cowboys and Indians inspired photoshoot.
The shoot was based on an old tale about a western girl befriending a Native American Indian, but with a fashion twist, which basically meant lots of feathers in my hair and on my wrists, and a horse! Natalie is such a good stylist, and i wish i'd kept this dress. Her website can be found here!

I went for a smoky eye using golds and bronzes, and i was covered in bronzer. Natalie painted my hair in photoshop so it would match the horse, and i think it looks really natural!

The horse we were using was lovely, but it was afraid of the shutter sound, so every time Natalie took a picture it flinched and tried to get away. We got there in the end though, i'm really happy with the results.


Jen 2, originally uploaded by Natalie Pluck.