Author: Jennifer Bobiwash

As someone working in the entertainment industry, where the next paycheck is coming from is sometimes a concern. At times we’ll work for free, or for credit and meals. We’ve all thought about it at one time. We do it for the love of the craft, to help us gain experience and to work on our craft. Sometimes we get caught up in it and forget that we should be getting paid. But this doesn’t only happen as actors. It can happen when we’re trying to start a business. We’re trying to learn more about this new industry we’d like…

Self-promotion might as well be a dirty word. Unfortunately, I am realizing that regardless of the job I have, I have to sell myself or my product in some way. But how do you do it without annoying the heck out of your community? After working up the courage to promote my latest project here are things I’ve found to be true. A picture is worth a thousand words. Don’t mindlessly post a link to your Press Release. Because of social media, we have become very visual. Most content is consumed on a mobile device, so grab your viewers attention…

We all joke about being an actor and the “hurry up and wait” syndrome. Before the project starts, there is a flurry of activity, you’re auditioning, you’re going to call backs, meeting people. Then crickets. Weeks later you get that call “Yeah, we’d love to offer you the role”. You are stoked. You start learning your lines, doing the work about your character so you’re prepped for that first day on set, and you’re hanging out by crafty. Then they call you for your scene. It’s super emotional, you have to cry, yell, emote all this emotion. The director calls…

It’s the New Year, and a time for renewal and resolutions. My resolutions are usually shot by January 31st. This year I decided to try a new approach, a vision board. I have been reading about vision boards, and avoiding the subject because the act of finding images and statements for a vision board felt like I would have to make a decision on “what I wanted to do with my life”.  That is a lot of pressure. The past year has been my experiment in social media. Trying to do and be everything. The shotgun approach and all work has left…

Every year as the holidays roll around, and things slow down in the industry, I start dreaming of getting out of town for a break. I hit up Pinterest for places to visit, things to do, and ultimately how to pack. At this point I am down the rabbit hole of “time suck” and have accomplished nothing and bought things that “I will absolutely need” for this upcoming vacation. So to help you out, I’ve gone over several (yes, I was on Pinterest for a while) sites and blogs and lists of handy travel tips. I hope they help you…

When you hear a person’s name you unconsciously form a picture of what you imagine that person to look like. When I was born, my parent’s had a tough time naming me. My mom wanted to name me Constance, so my nickname would be Connie and it would sound like my father’s name. My dad wanted to name me Charlene, so my nickname would be Charlie. I don’t really know how I ended up with the name Jennifer. Since I don’t have children, I haven’t had to have this conversation, but I do enjoy naming characters in my stories. When…

I got involved in Youtube and webseries during the time when people looked at you funny when you told them what you did. “You make…web…series? What’s that?” At the time, the field was still small and Lonelygirl15 and The Guild were my typical responses and even then, people were still perplexed. To me Youtube was an unconquered land and you could fly wild and loose. I took this platform as an opportunity to showcase my talent, how I wanted to be seen. My only fear was the fans. Some were scary and mean. But I pressed on. Encouraged by a…

I have spent the past week attempting to perfect my LinkedIn profile. Reading article after article about what to include or how to craft a headline that will get you noticed, as well as trying to remember my varied work history.  The one thing I didn’t put much thought into was my profile pic, but it is the first thing that people notice when they find you online. As an actor, you sometimes have hundreds of photos at your disposal, which one do you post? When setting up your profiles for various social media platforms, it’s always important to post…

Periscope is a live-streaming video app and allows you to stream anything live from anywhere. I learned about Periscope right before going to a conference, where I would be spending the weekend with other actors, writers and directors. I thought it was a great opportunity to post some content about something I love and share it with others. Unfortunately, I didn’t really know the capabilities of the platform. Here are some things I realized I should have considered prior to broadcasting: 1) Have a creative title Once you are ready to broadcast Periscope asks “What are you seeing now?” It’s…

When I look back to why I wanted to become an actor, I remember the moment watching Degrassi and thinking, “I could totally be so-and-so’s friend, this show was made for me.” It’s only as I look back now at those re-runs that I realize what a diverse cast they were oh so many years ago. That’s why I wanted to be an actor, to see “me” on TV. As a person of color, you see those amazing opportunities arise that totally fit your true ethnic background and you can’t wait to get that audition. Then the moment comes. Your…

When making my New Year’s resolution, I told myself that this year I was going to be an actor. Ok, wait, I already am an actor, but I mean work a little harder than I have been. But here it is March and I am still trying to do that, but I have gotten sucked into producing. It has been non-stop, one production after another and I have realized what a better job I can do as an actor to help out the project. Working on small projects, the budget is usually $0 or close to it and you have…

With a new year comes resolutions and this need to start fresh. I wanted to start the year off with a clear objective of who I am and what I do.  As an actor, writer, producer and content creator, there are many ways to present yourself and many things to consider when you are writing. Show off your talents and show that you are the answer to their problems. 1. Who are you talking to? With everything you do, you need to understand who your audience is. 2. Who are you? What do you do? Let your readers know something…