In my acting class this week I did a scene that rocked me. Titled, “Rape…
About Madeline Merritt
Actress, Freelance Writer - Madeline grew up on stage and has loved telling stories her whole life. From the Bay Area, California, Madeline received her degree in Theatre and Political Science from Northwestern University and moved to Los Angeles in 2008. She recently spent a year in Paris, France but missed the city of Angels and the entertainment industry here. She cares deeply about social issues, including women’s rights, indigenous rights, poverty and the environment. She feels the role of storyteller through entertainment is very important in opening dialogue and creating change in the world. You can see her in The Guest House (available on Netflix, Itunes, Amazon and Time Warner on Demand) and the soon to be released American Idiots, coming to a Redbox near you in June 2013. She is thrilled to continue her journey of collaborating with women in film and television through Ms. In the Biz.
In my twenties, I wanted nothing more than a thriving career in the film industry.…
About Michelle Kantor
Michelle Kantor co-founded Cinefemme, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization for women directors, while studying at San Francisco State University. She is the youngest daughter of political refugees who fled Communist Czechoslovakia in the 1960's, and is currently producing two films about her family's historic escape from behind the Iron Curtain: RED STAR, a feature documentary following her father's return on the 50th anniversary of his escape, and THE REBEL, a narrative feature film screenplay written by Michelle, based on their lives. She also directs performance art videos for painter Tara Savelo, former Haus of Gaga member and writes the blog www.ultra-luxurious.com. Michelle's body of work includes short films, experimental narratives, documentaries, and live work for circus performers at San Francisco's Teatro Zinzanni. Her music video "Highway To Yodel-Ay-Hee-Huuu," starring America's Got Talent's Manuela Horn, won Best Music Video at LA Femme Film Festival in 2014. Her production credits include work for HBO, FYI, The History Channel, Sony, Universal, and NASA. An advocate for epilepsy, her groundbreaking film "Bettina in the Fog" won the Thunen Award by the Illuminating Engineers Society. Michelle's other distinctions include the Goldfarb Award for Best Student Film and funding from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation for Cinefemme. She holds an MFA in Cinema from San Francisco State University and BFA in Film Production from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Michelle is a certified paralegal, mother, writer and artist. An active member of the female filmmaking community, Michelle belongs to WIF, AWD and Film Fatales.
There is a pervasive belief that the emotional life of an artist must be an…
About Jamie Elvey
Jamie Elvey is a Marriage and Family Therapist Registered Intern holding a Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in both Marriage and Family Therapy and Licensed Professional Clinical Counseling from National University. As therapist, she specializes in working with individuals and couples working in the entertainment industry to foster professional and personal well-being. In addition to her psychology degree, she has a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of California, Irvine. Alongside her practice, she has taught courses in the Psychology of Acting and Meisner Technique at the college level. She has served as an instructor for the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership, working to empower women by facilitating them to find their internal voices. Additionally, She was commissioned by the The Cooper Union in New York City to teach undergraduate engineering students presentation skills and effective communication. Jamie’s passion is working with creative individuals within the film and TV industry to live balanced, authentic, and fulfilling lives.
I remember all of the negative things I heard about L.A. from family and friends…
About Sarah J Eagen
A TV actor and writer, Sarah is currently a semifinalist for the prestigious Humanitas NEW VOICES program. She was recently staffed on the sci fi audio drama The Veil from Voxx Studios. Sarah co-wrote/produced/acted in the short Soledad, which screened on the Disney lot at the end of 2018. She was a top 10 finalist for the Stage 32 TV Writing Contest in 2019, a finalist for the NYTVF Script Comp in 2018, and the Women in Film/Blacklist Episodic lab in the fall of 2017. Sarah recently appeared on an episode of The Big Bang Theory, TV's longest-running multi-cam comedy, which was a dream come true because she double majored in Neuroscience and Theatre. She also played the helpful paralegal Carol in CBS's action comedy Rush Hour, and had the pleasure of sharing the screen with funny lady Kristen Schaal in the feature film Austin Found.
Sometimes I sit there and wish I had had an “in” to the industry. How…
About Ashleigh Nichols
Ashleigh Nichols resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Eddie, and their Chihuahua mix, Nova. Together they work on their own projects as a wife-husband directing/producing/writing team. Through Owlet Pictures, they created the web series Coffee Shop Squatters, and the award winning short film Summer of the Zombies. Ashleigh is also working on a dramatic feature and creating a new web series, set to shoot later this year. While not working on her own projects, Ashleigh is currently an in house Production Manager at Ampersand Media. Before going in house she Production Managed several shows/Pilots for Comedy Central, HBO Go and Vh1, some of these include: The Jeselnik Offensive, The Burn, The Ben Show, Brody Stevens: Enjoy It! and Parental Discretion S2. Ashleigh is also honored to have Co-Produced the indie film The Historian, currently touring on the festival circuit.
We all know the drill. You work hard, pound pavement, go to auditions, go to…
About Laura Hunter Drago
Laura Hunter Drago is a producer, writer, and actress living in Los Angeles, California. Laura is a proud SAG-AFTRA member, is the assistant editor-in-chief of Ms. in the Biz, and is the co-founder of New Girl Pictures. She also likes baking, obsessing over Olympic ice dancers, and having long conversations with her dog Buffy. She dislikes being bored. Most recently, Laura just completed her first feature film as a producer, To The New Girl, which will screen at festivals in 2020.
An article was shared a little while ago called “9 things you should immediately stop…
About Hayley Derryberry
Hayley grew up in Tennessee and began acting on stage at six years old. She moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2008 where she began a professional career in Film and Television. There, Hayley learned about acting on camera working with talented local teachers and filmmakers. She worked on local web series and independent films. She eventually earned her SAG card with a speaking role on the Starz series “Crash”. Hayley and her husband Paul moved to Los Angeles in 2011. With their production company Rogue Taurus, they produced their first full-length feature film “Rabid Love”. The film has been sold and will be released on March 4th 2014. Hayley’s acting career is currently flourishing. She went to Sundance 2014 with the critically acclaimed film “Frank”, and has been booking small roles on television. Hayley still stays close to her Indy roots though, playing diverse characters in everything from Comedy to Horror. In fact, in the February 14th issue of “Living Dead Magazine” Hayley was named one of the top 5 new Scream Queens and Rising Talent of 2014. With wholesome midwestern looks, fierce talent, and a funny name, Hayley Derryberry is making her mark in Hollywood.
It’s not: Why don’t I have more auditions? Why didn’t they buy my screenplay? Why…
About Wendy Braun
Wendy Braun has enjoyed a successful acting career for over 15 years. You may recognize her from appearances in over 60 television + film credits (including roles on The Mentalist, Bones, Navy NCIS and Criminal Minds), from over 100 television commercials or you may have heard her voice in thousands of voice-overs. Wendy is a Television Academy member (she votes on the Emmy’s!) and loves balancing career, marriage and family (she’s the mom of two young boys). Wendy is also the founder of www.ActorInspiration.com, a site dedicated to uplifting + empowering actors. Her popular guided meditation + visualization audios have helped thousands of actors around the world stay inspired, feel more confident + book more jobs. She gives away a free audio to help actors own the room in every audition. Download it at http://actorinspiration.com/auditionsuccess/
