Author: Reem Hassani

This year has been the year of “get-up and do it” for me, so as a natural play on puns, I decided to do stand-up comedy for the very first time. I’ve always been funny – or at least that’s what they tell me—and have been meaning to do it ever since I can remember. I competed on my high school forensics team in events called Humorous Interpretation and Creative Storytelling: the former was a scripted 10 minute scene performed with characters I’d had time to practice, the latter was improv and based on prompts I’d pulled out of a…

Thanksgiving to most Americans is all about the T’s: Turkey, Tradition and… Turkey. This past Thanksgiving however, I opted for my own “T” to observe the holiday: Thailand. Instead of going home to Colorado to over-indulge on delicious food, watch football, and shop during the epileptic horror show we call “Black Friday,” I decided to take a trip to the Far East and do something new for a change. The sites I saw and things I had the opportunity to experience were life changing to say the least. I explored the many temples & palaces on the Chao Phraya river…

“Richard Simmons once said, “You can’t buy it, you can’t rent it. You have to earn it. My formula has always been love yourself, move your body, watch your portions.” The question I now pose to you: was he talking about his health, success, or career? For me, it’s all of the above. Like most women (and especially one in entertainment) I’ve always struggled with my weight. Growing up I was heavier than my peers, victim to a cycle of poor diet and exercise expected from an adolescent focused on academia & creative expression over sports & socializing. I lacked…

Can you imagine watching a live-action feature film in Virtual Reality? Well, not many people can – and that’s because it’s never been done before. Though virtual reality seems to be the talk of the town these days, Hollywood has yet to show us its ability to either create the technology needed for a full-length film, or develop quality narratives to take VR from where it is now to the next level. Yes, VR is very much still in its infant stage, but it’s never too early as producers, studio execs and marketers alike to look ahead and position ourselves…

Every day we are asked to define ourselves. From our resumes to our bios, to our “about me” on Facebook, we are constantly expected to hone down our experience and outlook on life into a limited character count. There are so many platforms in this day and age that the dense digital cloud that’s come to suffocate us (which in LA can be mistaken for smog) can be overwhelming. As filmmakers, entrepreneurs and especially as women in this self-promoting generation, it’s our responsibility to empower our projects by building a presence online. But in a world where we are only…

On my blog, HAUTE MAFIOSO, I often share LA escapades and industry event outings, which range from music festivals to brand parties to movie premieres and more… While I love giving the inside scoop on all these happenings — I want to make sure that readers are getting more out of my posts than just blurbs about past experiences. I want YOU to become a part of the Industry In-crowd; but to be IN-dustry, you’ve got to put yourself out there! So get up, get dressed, and prepare yourself for a night out. But, “it’s a weekday,” you say? No…

I’ve been fortunate enough to attend a fair amount of conferences over the past few years: everything from Business Today in New York City (started by Steve Forbes and hosted by Princeton University); to the World Business Dialogue in Cologne, Germany (where I joined a group of international students to win a startup pitching competition); to the Produced By Conference this past weekend at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood. Though each of these gatherings have been very different in subject matter, they all offered attendees the same thing; incredible opportunities. No matter which industry you find yourself in, or stage you’re at in your career, conferences can be one of the best experiences to have on…