Vlog experiment

Last night I recorded an audition for a vlogging project, and I was inspired to actually vlog. Here is the result:



We'll see if it happens again. Signs point to yes - it was sorta fun.

Resources for taking the plunge

I have a fellow actor friend from college who is very talented and is starting the journey of pursuing acting in LA. We had lunch this week and I compiled the following links of resources that I find valuable. I thought this might be a good list for anyone else embarking on an acting career in Los Angeles.

As ever, take these with a grain of salt. I think they are great, but what speaks to me might not be right for you. This list is not comprehensive by any means. If you have a great site that we should all know about it, please add it in the comments!

From my email to my friend:

"There is an unending wealth of information on the internet, which is a mixed bag. These are my go-to sites and a good starting point. Feel free to direct any specific questions back to me and I'll do my best to answer them.

Bonnie Gillespie's book Self Management for Actors, is the book I recommend everyone read first. Her column, The Actor's Voice, comes out every Monday and her archives are a treasure trove. Have fun.

actor's access is a casting/self-submission site where it is free to create a profile. You can peruse the breakdowns and pay $2 when you want to submit, or pay $68 for a year of unlimited submissions.

I believe you can also set up a free profile on Now Casting but have to subscribe to submit. This is one of the newer casting sites, but I have booked work on it and have seen some big shows (24, Criminal Minds) that exclusively post here when they open it up for self-submitting actors.

LA Casting is the other main self-submission site. It seems to be more for commercials, and is more of an investment to create an account. They have an informative newsletter that you can read on their site and also offer free information workshops with casting directors.

Brains of Minerva is an actor's career and lifestyle resource. They frequently post interviews that are so good that I feel an explosive burst of inspiration and feel the need to share the article with everyone I know.

http://playbillsvspayingbills.com/ is a great blog that I've been reading recently. I know one of the contributors, Ben Whitehair, from twitter, and actually met him in person last night.

I have some lists of industry people on twitter, if you're interested in jumping on that bandwagon - www.twitter.com/laurendwebb I have gotten a couple of auditions from casting directors posting jobs on twitter, and learn something fabulous from a post by another actor every single day.

I have heard rave reviews about The Actor's Network from more people than I can count. I'm a little fuzzy on what it is exactly that they do, but it seems to be a great resource, and a large number of the people I know who have been affiliated with them are working consistently.

There is a lot of controversy over casting director workshops, where you pay for the opportunity to read for a casting director, but I have had good experiences at The Actor's Key in Burbank. You get to choose and prep your own sides, you do your scene with a reader, and many of the CDs will give you a written evaluation. (I've also gotten called in for a show after meeting someone here, so there's that. However, the only guarantee is the opportunity, and you should always research whether or not that particular CD is known for calling people in from workshops.)

Hollywood Happy Hour is a really useful yahoo group. Members ask for advice on various things and also sometimes post casting notices.

A similar useful yahoo group is Big Cheap Theatre. People do more show promotion on that one, but also sometimes post theatre auditions.

Alex's Info is a daily email for actors with all sorts of info - who's casting what, movie premieres, industry events, gas prices, side jobs... I look forward to reading it every morning.

The LA Stage Alliance is the group that puts on the Ovation awards, among other things. They are a good resource for half-price tix and info, and I like to check there to see what theatres are doing work that is consistently nominated. Same with the LA Weekly Theatre Awards - here is the list of nominees from this year: http://blogs.laweekly.com/stylecouncil/stage-news/stage-raw-31st-annual-la-weekl/

Dallas Travers is a great resource who focuses more on the business of the biz and career planning.

Backstage.com has great message board - http://bbs.backstage.com/groupee. The message boards are also a great resource when you want specifics on a name you think might have something shady going on. :)

Showfax message board as well - great resources there since some of those posters don't post on the Backstage board. (Thanks AmbitiousB!)

I hope this helps. I'm so glad you're considering the adventure - I say do it for as long as it makes you happy!"

So there you have it. I've already included a few things I forgot to put in my email. I'll edit as I have "I can't believe I forgot that site!" moments.

Know your type - the common theme

This morning I met with Kris of k2foto to talk about shooting headshots. I'm very excited to shoot with her, mainly because she spent so much time emphasizing the importance of knowing your type, and how she likes to know how you see yourself and how you plan to market yourself when she goes into the headshot session, so that she can help coach you through it to get the photos you want.

I've done typing exercises in class before and know how invaluable it is to hear how other people see you. The harder and somewhat more important task is knowing who you are and how you present when you walk in to the room. Everybody wants to be the stunningly beautiful girl, but everybody can't be. Knowing that isn't who you are can be difficult, but is so important.

I left my meeting with Kris thinking a lot about my type (and about how I really need to go shopping) and remembered that I had homework for the commercial class I'm starting tonight with Jill Alexander. She asked us to bring a description of ourselves as a character, as it would appear in casting director speak. Here's my crack at me:

Sweet but sassy best friend next door who can charm your mama, make your daddy laugh, and kick your brother’s ass. 22-28. The kind of person even shy kids hug on the first play date. Experiences soaring joy from clear blue skies and pugs. Smart with a barely suppressed inner librarian. Feminist who loves to cook. Southern girl with Midwest appeal. Liberal arts type with a few hippie tendencies. Kind but fiercely loyal. Saves worms and slugs from certain concrete deaths. Music lover born in the wrong era. Avid swing dancer. Plays clarinet.

After sitting down and doing that exercise, I feel much better about me and knowing who I am. I do know my type, I just need to remember how to articulate it. I'll let you know if the feedback I get agrees with my own assessment. I highly recommend that all actors write the breakdown that encompasses you.

Back on stage!

I'm performing the role of Lavinia in Titus Andronicus at Theatre of NOTE tonight and tomorrow night, and I'm excited!

I also have a revitalized passion for live performance, and a refreshed respect for live actors. Because when you've been in the film/tv world of "That wasn't my best, can we do that again?," you get sorta used to it and it gets sorta comfy. And then you go back to stage and you want to say "That wasn't my best, can we..."

Granted, I'm an understudy, so I've been watching instead of doing for the most part. The awesome cast came in on one of their nights off and rehearsed with us, so I feel great about tonight, but it is certainly a different animal. I love that live performance different animal. I never want so much time to elapse between the times I'm onstage, unless it is by choice.

There's my "live actors rock" soapbox. Come on down to Hollywood if you want to see the show!

Post "Blue" Blues

I had a fabulous time in Prescott, AZ last week shooting "A Blue Uncertain Buzz." Met some fantastic people and worked with some truly talented actors. It was a great experience.

Now I'm back in Los Angeles with that "What's next?" feeling. I'm grateful that I have other work coming up. I'll be performing the role of Lavinia in Theatre of NOTE's production of Titus Andronicus on March 4 and 5 at 8pm. Tickets are available at the site or for half price at StubDog.

Other than that, we'll see what comes! This morning I read this article by Tiffany Black, with a wonderful reminder that seems especially relevant during those "What's next?" moments: "Part of having faith that your dreams are going to come true is preparing for when those big opportunities before they present themselves."

So that's what's next for right now. Meeting with my agent tomorrow, meeting about a Fringe show I'll be working on, attending a seminar this weekend. Staying up and being prepared. Be well!

Learning to Love LA

I'm very grateful to realize that the longer I stay in this city, the more I like it. My sister is coming to visit this weekend, and I'm very excited to see her and to show her around this city that I'm starting to think of as home.

I found this blog post on Caroline on Crack called "100 Things To Try in LA Before You Die." Please check out the list at her blog, as it has links to many of the places/drinks/eats.

Here is the list. The (very few) things I've already done have a strikethrough.

1) Cocktail punch at the Radio Room in the Edison

2) Chili dog from Pink’s - I'm veg, but I've had the baja dog and onion rings...might have to add a stop here to the agenda with my sister.

3) Rattlesnake and rabbit with jalapeno at Wurstkuche

4) Korean short ribs taco from Kogi BBQ taco truck (I finally got there and had the quesadilla with tofu - awesome. Also saw a line of 50+ people run across the street to get to the truck. Funniest. Thing. Ever.)

5) Great Los Angeles Walk

6) Ajo Garlic Ramen at Ramenya

7) Sour Kraut Cocktail from Copa d’Oro

8) Red velvet cupcake from Sprinkles

9) Singing Elvis at Palms Thai

10) Churro from churro cart at Disneyland

11) Junk food dessert platter at Simon LA

12) Dessert tasting menu at Providence

13) Classic martini at Musso & Frank Grill

14) Roasted bone marrow at Church & State

15) Pedal boat at Echo Park Lake

16) Bowling and $4 cocktails at Shatto 39 Lanes

17) Kobe-style beef at Park’s BBQ

18) Mulholland Drive from 405 to 101

19) Medicina Latina at Malo

20) Father’s Office burger

21) Maple bacon doughnut at Nickel Diner

22) Mashti Malone’s lavender ice cream

23) Red Line Metro barhop

24) Live music at Spaceland

25) Magic Mojito at Bar Centro at the Bazaar by Jose Andres

26) Wine tour through San Antonio Winery

27) Sample everything at Scoops ice cream

28) Bike from Santa Monica to Hermosa Beach and back

29) Mochi from Mikawaya Little Tokyo

30) Broiled San Francisco stuffed French toast at Starling Diner

31) Mojito sampler jelly shots at Bar Nineteen12

32) High Tea at Royal/T

33) Pimp your own burger at the Counter in Santa Monica

34) Carne asada burrito from Tacos Tumbras A Tomas at Grand Central Market

35) Diddy Riese Chocolate Chip Cookies

36) Ride the mechanical bull at Saddle Ranch and have a premium SR AMF

37) Greyhound Proper at Hungry Cat

38) Blue cheese fries at Pete’s Cafe and Bar

39) L.A. Conservancy’s Historic Core walking tour

40) 21+ screenings at the ArcLight

41) Secret beef feast at Totoraku

42) Moonlight Rollerway

43) Bartender’s Choice at Comme Ca

44) Tomato, mozzarella, sausage, salami, bacon & guanciale pizza at Pizzeria Mozza

45) Ride the Pacific Ferris Wheel at Santa Monica Pier

46) Late-night Danger dogs

47) Bet on a horse at Santa Anita racetrack

48) Loco Moco (foie gras loco moco, quail egg, spam, hamburger) at Animal

49) Blood & Sand cocktail at Tiki Ti

50) Tea and a stroll through Huntington Gardens

51) Drive Sunset Boulevard from Echo Park to PCH in a convertible

52) Double chocolate croissant pudding with Jack Daniels sauce at Milk

53) Hike from Fern Dell Drive to Mt. Hollywood, stopping at Griffith Observatory

54) Meatball sandwich from Bay Cities Deli

55) Scorpion cocktail at Hop Louie

56) Magic Castle

57) Scoe’s No. 2 at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles

58) L.A. Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats

59) Philippe’s French Dip with hot mustard

60) Dim sum at Empress Pavilion in Chinatown

61) Remember the Maine at the Varnish

62) Omakase dinner at Urasawa

63) LA Phil concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall

64) Pool party at Standard Rooftop Bar

65) Quarter chicken with side of garlic sauce at Zankou Chicken

66) Goddess spa treatment at Olympic Spa

67) Vodbox at Nic’s Martini Lounge

68) Turkey dinner at Clifton’s Cafeteria, don’t forget the green jello

69) Los Angeles Marathon

70) Marty & Elayne at Dresden Room

71) Coleslaw and sourdough toast at Original Pantry

72) Real Black Dahlia Tour by Esotouric

73) Ninotchka at Bar Lubitsch

74) Stay in a bungalow at Chateau Marmont

75) Auntie Em’s Market dinner

76) Sunday wine tastings at Silverlake Wine

77) Grilled cheese night at Campanile Â

78) Power lunch at the Polo Lounge

79) Cadillac Margarita at El Cholo

80) Courtside at a Lakers game

81) Angel City Derby Girls Tournament

82) Box seats at Hollywood Bowl summer concert

83) Dodger Dog at Dodger Stadium (I had a beer - close enough?)

84) Ride the Good Year blimp (I'm striking this one out because I couldn't possibly - I'm terrified of dirigibles.)

85) Sip mojitos poolside at the Hotel Roosevelt’s Tropicana Bar

86) Ringside at Lucha VaVoom

87) Summer movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

88) History Walk from Mission San Gabriel to Olvera Street

89) Taro ice cream at Fosselman’s

90) Galco’s Soda Pop Shop

91) Apricot & Honey 75 at the Penthouse during sunsetÂ

92) Angel City Drive-In

93) Downtown Art Walk

94) Bonfire at Dockweiler Beach

95) Bingo at Hamburger Mary’s

96) Karaoke at Brass Monkey

97) Yee-Mee-Lu “blue drink” at Good Luck Bar (I'll have to go back to drink blue.)

98) Sunset dinner and horseback riding with Sunset Ranch

99) American Food & Wine Festival

100) Hike to the top of Sandstone Peak and sign the register

I've got a lot to do! I'm stoked to check out the LA Street Food Festival and Mutti Gras Pet Parade this weekend, and maybe to add more strikethroughs to this list. Then on Sunday I'm flying to Arizona for a week long shoot...anybody know anybody in Prescott?

Actor life lesson - utilizing your team

I started life with a fierce independent streak. I'm not sure where it came from, and I'm sure my mother would have had a much easier time had I not wanted to do everything myself or on my terms. I wanted to come out feet first, nature be damned. (Sorry Mom. Bless your heart.)

That streak hasn't really lessened in the 20-odd years I've been roaming the planet. Often my independence serves me well - it came in quite handy when the tour truck I was driving by myself broke down in the middle of nowhere, Nevada. (Is that redundant?)

Sometimes my independence gets in my way, like when I forget that I have a team.

All actors have teams. When you start out, that team might just consist of you and your family, if you are lucky enough to have their support. Slowly your team grows to count the people who like you and believe in you and want to see you succeed. Then your team starts acquiring players who can do more than just cheer you on - managers! agents! publicists! stylists! accountants! lawyers!

I'm lucky enough to have a few people playing with me on my team. However, I'm so used to doing everything myself, I forget to utilize them. Or I forget that we're on the same team and am afraid to ask them for anything because I don't want to bother them or I'm afraid of what they'll say. Or I just don't think about it, and that can be a costly mistake.

Use your team. Practice your passes. Have your manager look over anything you sign before you sign it. Don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. You're all sharing the same bench and playing towards the same play-off! The same championship! Going for the same Super Bowl!

The metaphor is dead, but I'd like to take it a little further. You're going to fare better with a line of teammates behind you, because sometimes you're going to be playing against The Man. People With Power. Corporations Who Don't Care About Your Image Rights. That's what happened to me, and now I'm looking to draft a new teammate - Mr. Union.

I'm done. (And I promise to avoid sports metaphors in the future - that was exhausting.) I appreciate the work and the exposure. But I won't be making the same mistake again. I hope you can learn from mine and avoid it altogether.

The Unveiling

That is quite a presumptive title.

I've been absent of late from the blogosphere. Partially because I've been busy with my survival job, which is not so great, and partially because I've been busy with my real life and acting, which is great, but also because I've been struggling with how transparent I wanted to be and whether I wanted to come out as myself.

I'm coming out. I'm me, and I'm linking myself to myself. I had this idea that I wanted to be honest about things so surely I shouldn't attribute that to Lauren Dobbins Webb (gasp! I'm out!) the actor in LA. But I was wrong.

I've learned so much since my first post here two years ago. One of those things is that honesty is best, and I'm going to get cast for being me, not for being someone lame with no personality who hides their real feelings behind a blogosphere pseudonym.

I also thought about going back through my old posts and taking away some of the fainter-of-heart ones, but in the spirit of the new honest and open Lauren Dobbins Webb the actor in LA who talks about it, I didn't. So don't judge. The learning curve is steep. Lesson #347.

So, now that that's off my chest, here is what I've been up to:

* Shot a commercial for Vehix, currently airing on Comcast:

* I'm understudying Lavinia and Chiron in Titus Andronicus at Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood, opening this weekend.

* I just got cast in a short that will be shooting in Prescott, AZ. More on that when I know more.

* This is from way back in the fall, but was super awesome: I got flown to Argentina to shoot the footage for Big Fish Games' Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove. Here's the sizzle reel:

Other than that, I'm auditioning, looking forward to what is next, and enjoying the palpable excitement of pilot season. Haven't been sent out for it yet, but excited about it nonetheless. The LA air is electric with excited and anxious actors.

I apologize for not being open and completely honest before, but that's over now. I'm an open book. Please don't call me. Unless you work in casting.

Brains of Minerva

I found a ridiculous amount of awesome information today, mostly from my new favorite actor website, Brains of Minerva. I wanted to make sure to share it.

This has been a rainy LA week of auditions for me. Hope everyone is doing well!

January 12 of 12

First 12 of 12 of 2010. I'm doing it, even though I'm at work and struggling not to bore you all with the inane minutiae of my day. Thanks as ever to Chad Darnell for the idea.


1 of 12 - Green tea. I'm a week in to switching from coffee. It's up and down.



2 of 12 - Blood orange snack.



3 of 12 - I'm afraid this isn't going very well cause I'm busy at work and forgot to whip out the camera on my exciting lunch break trip to the ATM, post office, and Trader Joe's. View of the ocean from the office. Also me, on the way back from a trip to the printer.


4 of 12 - View looking south. The clouds look neat.


5 of 12 - I can never make it through a whole day in these things.


6 of 12 - I know it's a bit redundant, but I thought the sunset was pretty.

12of12 FAIL. I'm sorry. I'll try better for February.