Slashdance!

photo by mikehedge.com

While we were at Sundance this year we decided that instead of just watching movies that we'd make a movie! Matt wrote a script, Jenny shot it and I directed. Stay tuned for SLASHDANCE...

LIFE IN A DAY at Sundance

On July 24, 2010, more than 80,000 clips were submitted to this documentary project from 192 countries that added up to 4,500 hours of video! Clips were narrowed down from there to make a 90 minute documentary called LIFE IN A DAY, that premiered at Sundance! Remember my blog post last July? Matt and I had submitted footage and and it made the final cut! It was a lot of fun to see the movie in a packed 1200 seat theater at the Eccles! And the next day we learned that National Geographic is picking the movie and it will be released in theaters on July 24, 2011 --exactly 1 year after the day we all shot it.

POTA is giving away $1000 in Grants

POTA is giving away $1000 in new grants! To be eligible you must have a current COMPLETED short film or feature. Four filmmakers will each be awarded $250 to be used toward marketing, festival or distribution expenses. (For example: festival fees, hotel/plane to festivals/film market, postcards, etc..) It is free to apply. Applications are on a first come, first served basis. More info is listed below. Good luck! ****************************************************************************** GRANT CONTEST Patron of the Arts is giving away FOUR $250 grants to be used for marketing, festival or distribution expenses to qualified, completed film or art projects, through an online, democratic voting process. HOW TO APPLY FOR A GRANT From December 14, 2010 to January 3, 2011 download an application and follow the instructions. Limit one (1) Application per Participant during the Grant Program Period. Applications are on a first-come, first-served basis. To be eligible for consideration of a grant, the Application must be submitted via email before the end of the Application Period and comply with the Official Rules (including eligibility requirements) located here http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=469943184778 If you ("Participant") are one of the first 40 people to submit an Application, and your project is qualified, you will be notified by e-mail, at the e-mail address provided on your Application if your Application has been accepted. Approved Participant's Project information shall be posted on the Patron of the Arts Facebook Page on 1/10/11. During the Voting Period individuals who have facebook accounts shall be eligible to vote for the Participants they think should receive Grants (“Voters”) by clicking the "like" button on the Applicant's entry. Each facebook "like" shall equate to 1 vote. Once the Voting Period has ended, the Participants with the highest number of Votes will each be deemed an Eligible $250 Grant Recipient. Information and Applications can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/POTAgrantcontest

Lizzie Borden's Grave

Morbid Curiosty and Stalked at Bleedfest

We had a blast at the AWESOME Bleedfest Film Festival, which was founded by the super-talented Elisabeth Fies & Brenda Fies. They invited MORBID CURIOSITY to screen and we were just thrilled to win the audience award! We also previewed a sneak peak of a work-in-progress of STALKED (the short we made in NYC) and the audience LOVED it! It could not have gone better. They laughed at all the right places. Great festival. They are trying to raise money to keep it going. If you can help, please donate here.

Space Needle

Greetings from Seattle!

I can see the Space Needle from my hotel. I'm on a whirlwind trip for work and will be back home in blink of an eye. (Gone less than 3 days total!) Everyone here is so friendly and nice. I was surprised to see they had posted my photo & bio at the store here. Tonight I'm going to eat in restaurant way atop... Fun!

Seymour Sally Rufus

Matt wrote a great 1-page short story back in 1991 or 1992 (long before I met him) for a class at Stanford. Well.. today it became a film! Brian Dietzen (NCIS) is playing the lead role of Seymour, Ignacio Serricchio (General Hosptial/ Ghost Whisperer) is Rufus and I'm Sally! Jim Hanks cancelled his trip so that he could be around to play the doctor (thank you!!!) and Katrina was the receptionist. We shot it right here in our home. Matt was the DP, Traci Glodery co-produced , Imre was gaffer and grip, and Ryan did sound/PA, Violetta did make-up...and we had a blast! I had our lunch catered by Pitfire Grill, one of my favorite local restaurants. and it rained the whole day! But we did it! What a fun day!! Can't wait to start editing...

Someone is getting STALKED in NYC

Matt and I were in New York City for a gig this week (for the third time in 2 months!), and I REALLY wanted to shoot something. I put out a call for scripts, but nobody responded. So Matt came to the rescue and wrote me a REALLY GREAT 5 minute short! We spent 3 nights with our DP friend Jenny Ramirez running all over the city grabbing shots with our Canon 5DMarkII, and came up with a great little project with fantastic production value, considering it only cost about $100! We shot at the hotel we were staying at in Times Square, and found locations in a Bodega, Times Square, an outside Cafe, the subway and an elevator.

My favorite fun fact about this project is that for the score, we ended up using a piece that Matt had composed and performed in 1994!! We transfered it to the computer and it worked perfectly --16 years later!! good fun. I love this short film so much!!

Vimeo Festival + Awards

We had a BLAST at the first Annual Vimeo Festival + Awards. Now these people know how to throw an event! They flew Matt and I out there and put us up at the super-swank Roger Smith Hotel right in the heart of New York City. The introduction was given by Dr. Reggie Watts (who was AMAZING). He brought the house down! The next 2 days were filled with screenings and talks and workshops in a gorgeous location. There was a beer garden on the main floor, and a great lounge that featured rows of TV screens showcasing the Vimeo works.

Matt and I gave our workshops on the second day. Everyone seemed really pleased and it's especially gratifying when people came up to thank us for the rest of the festival, at various events. The Awards presentation may be one of the best I've seen (and I've seen a lot of award shows). They built a set that wrapped around the giant movie screen that lit up and was lighting designed for every segment individually! After the awards we were treated to a light show where the entire IAC building was image mapped to music! This was followed by a party with some of the best food from all around town.

We were honored to participate, had a blast and can't wait for the second Annual Vimeo + Awards!

New Sewer Pipe.

Well, it could be worse. Apparently when we had our sewer inspection before we bought the house and moved in (18 months ago), the inspection company only checked the "branch" line. The main line had a major problem. The good news is that that company paid for it! I felt really happy that some people in this world stand behind their work, and take responsibility for a mistake. Thank you! This would have been expensive!

Come see me at Vimeo!

We love Bloomspot!

Bloomspot (that awesome company that offers great discounts on everything from dining to get-aways- to spas --to gifts) is having a fundraiser for POTA! Please donate 5 seconds of your time to sign up for Bloomspot's awesome free newsletter. For EACH person that signs up before 8/25 at midnight Bloomspot will DONATE $5 on your behalf! So far we've raised $525!!!! Woo Hooo!!! THANK YOU everyone!!! --EVEN if you already subscribe, please sign up below, because every time you buy one of their awesome offers, they will make ANOTHER donation to POTA! Bloomspot ROCKS!!! http://www.bloomspot.com/circles/patron-of-the-arts-la/

Lots of NYC

Well, here we are in New York City as a project I acted a lead role in called "Celibate Desires" just screened at the 48-hour film festival and won "Best of the Fest"! What an amazing year it's been for my acting! Roles in 2 SAG features and 3 short films! I'm also planning on shooting 2 more shorts before the end of the year. Life is good.

This week we're in the Big Apple (I'm working at the Canon Expo,which only happens once every 5 years!), and during the nights I really wanted to make the most of being in the city. So... we've seen 2 Broadway shows (Billy Elliot & Next to Normal), walked across the brooklyn bridge (pictured above), explored Chelsea Market and the High Line (a park that's elevated above the city and runs on the old railway) and had dinner at Fransisco Lobster (that has lobster claws from 30 pound lobsters hanging from the ceilings!)

We also took a trip to Vimeo (you know that really cool community site for filmmakers) and had a blast in their awesome building. It's an architectural stand out, and was modeled to look like a sail boat! Their offices feature ping pong tables (yes, we indulged), a light bright (with a giant "V" in pegs), free concessions (all the junk food you could ever imagine!), and the coolest view of the skyline overlooking the cityscape and the water, complete with telescopes. What an amazing place that must be to work. It looks like Matt and I will be coming back to NYC in 6 weeks to be a part of the Vimeo Film School. Of course this is right up my ally, since I love to inspire filmmakers, and share tips.

SCREAM QUEEN at Hollyshorts

The rough cut of SCREAM QUEEN (written by and directed by the talented Lis Fies) was invited to premiere at the prestigious Hollyshorts Film Festival! (I play the lead role of Buffy). Opening night party was at the DGA on Sunset Blvd, and the short screened at the Leammle to a GREAT crowd who loved it! Our screening was on my birthday (how fun!!) and couldn't have gone better... This short's already been invited to screen at 4 more festivals! FUN!!

July 24: Life in a Day

Today people from all around the world are taking out their video cameras and submitting footage to the LIFE IN A DAY documentary, produced by Ridley Scott, which will premiere at Sundance. If they include your footage you get co-directing credit! How fun. Matt and I shot footage of us waking up, making smoothies and trimming our gigantic Willow tree. For more info go here: http://www.youtube.com/user/lifeinaday

POTA wins a $20K grant from Chase!

Thanks so much to everyone who voted. Thanks to you, our dream of having funds to get our nonprofit company to the next level is happening! We worked round' the clock gathering votes from friends and family, filmmaking organizations and festivals, from live events and even on movie sets! We're gonna do a lot of good with this. Goal #1 is to hire some help so we can grow faster and to spread the word about the programs we offer!

Official Launch Party

POTA became an official 501(c)3 nonprofit company earlier this year, but we never had a proper celebration. Well today that changed! We gathered at Hollywood Billiards and toasted the new company. Also was a great opportunity to collect last minute votes for the grant contest. Cheers POTA! This one's for you...

Rainn Day and Beyond...

Wow! It's been a crazy busy year it's been! Just got back from spending Memorial Day weekend in Atlanta with Matt. He's on the set of his latest feature called QUARANTINE 2: TERMINAL, which was back-to-back with shooting his prior feature THINGS FALL APART. Normally he's home for longer stretchs in between, but this time we only had a weekend in LA together before he left for Michigan! My whirlwind 3 day weekend in Atlanta was a blast. We visited Piedmont Park, went to the Farmer's Market, hit the Atlanta Jazz Festival, had Lobsters at Legal Seafood, had catfish at Boneheads, and spent some quality time. Then I flew home just in time to shoot my 2 days on the feature FEW OPTIONS ALL BAD.

It was a blast being on set with Rainn Wilson (from The Office) and Kenny Johnson (The Sheild). I only had a few lines, but I had my own trailer. I had to miss the opening night party for Dances With Films since our shoot went until about 11pm --but I'm not complaining! I'll take work as a paid SAG actress on an AWESOME film any day! The next week at DWF was a blast. I did my social networking thing and helped filmmakers make the most of their experience. I also ended up taking a TON of photos. Right after DWF ended I shot the lead role in Lis Fies' SCREAM QUEEN at the Hollywood Cemetery and also did a voice-over for CANARY SUICIDES.

The next week I had a gig at Samy's and then I flew back to Atlanta to spend 2 weeks on the set of Matt's movie with him. On the way I stopped off in Austin and spent 3 days with Josh and his family. I finally met my niece and nephew, and I am not being biased at all when I say these are THE CUTEST kids I have ever met. Truly...

All the while we'd entered the Chase contest for the second time to try and win a $20K grant for POTA. With Jennifer Hazel by my side. The two of us were unstoppable! I took my computer to the set, and got all the the actors and crew (even the extras) to vote! On the weekends Matt and I made the most of our travels. We went to the Atlanta aquarium, which has the largest tank in the word, had more lobster at Legal Seafood, spent the fourth of July at Stone Mountain, and saw fireworks from our patio of our fancy downtown hotel. We also visited the Botanical Gardens. The good thing about going home this time was knowing that a week and a half later Matt would be home too...

On a Roll!

Just found out I got the part in the AWESOME feature I was hoping for!! Woot Woot! It's a tiny part, but an AMAZING project. I'll be playing the wife of Rainn Wilson from "The Office"! I'm so excited!!

Is this CRAZY or what?

Today I shot the "Behind the Scenes" interview for LIZZIE. And how CRAZY is this? I just found out from my Aunt that my grandparents owned (and lived in) the Maplecroft House in Fall River in 1947/48. That's the SAME house that Lizzie Borden lived in after the murders! Crazy coincidence or what??

LIZZIE wrap party

Welcome to the world!

Today a new baby Baer arrived. Welcome to this crazy world sweet nephew!

Happy Birthday Cake

Matt loves to have Cinnamon Altoids at crafty, so yesterday on the set of his latest feature film they gave him a Cinnamon Altoids themed birthday cake. It's the best cake I've ever seen!

It's a wrap!

Finished principal photography on the Lizzie Borden horror
feature a few days ago. It was a blast. Here's a pic of me as
the hatchet murderess. The cast and crew were a blast
to work with. Can't wait to see how it turns out! They hope
to have a first cut next month!

Greetings from the set of LIZZIE

Say Hello to Lizzie!

I'm *wicked* excited that I was cast in an indie horror feature as Lizzie Borden! My first day of shooting is Wednesday. Don't want to give too much away...
Stay tuned!

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

☆♥░▓▓▓▓░░░░▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓░░░░▓▓▓▓░♫ ☆░░░♫░░▓▓░░▓░░░▓░▓▓▓░░░▓░░░░▓░♥ ░░♥░░░..▓▓░░▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░░▓░☆ ☆░♫░░.▓▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░░▓░☆ ░░░..▓▓░░░░░▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░░▓░♥ ☆░♥▓▓░░░░░░▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░░▓░♫ ☆♫░▓▓▓▓▓▓░░▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓▓░░▓▓▓▓▓░♥

Got any plans for the New Year?
Here are my main goals for 2010 (in no particular order):
1) Finish the remaining items inside our house
2) Shoot ODD BRODSKY this year (July)
3) Officially announce POTA and get it to a point where I can hire others to run it.
4) Exersize daily/eat more consciously/relax more and have fun!

POTA needs you!

A few months ago the charity I founded "Patron of the Arts" (POTA for short) became an official 501(c)3 nonprofit. Chase Bank is giving $25,000 to the 100 non-profit companies that get the most facebook votes! It's that simple... Please help get our nonprofit off the ground! It only takes 30 SECONDS (3 clicks) to help us win a grant! That's it! We need to reach 3000 votes by Friday 12/11. Please vote now. And spread the word to other filmmakers and artists. Just click this link, become a "fan" of Chase and then click the top "vote" button with the hand!
http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/1151982

Feel free to join the facebook POTA group at:
http://www.facebook.com/patronofthearts#/group.php?gid=25406489668&ref=ts
----------------------------------------------

ABOUT POTA
With cut-backs in funding for art and film projects, and a lack of realistic viable resources, it is nearly impossible for artists and filmmakers to fund their works. At POTA, we believe that art and film are not luxuries, but necessities. They are vital parts of a healthy community.

"Patron of the Arts" (POTA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit company which will provide 2 new programs: “Sponsor an Artist” and Sponsor a Filmmaker”. These are person-to-person micro-donation programs for independent filmmakers and artists. Unlike traditional grants, where multiple applicants are competing for the same, small number of grants, POTA’s business model can help a potentially unlimited number of Artists, provided the Artists qualify for the program, by meeting our non-profit program criteria and mission. Through our in-depth approval and accounting process Patrons (donors) can be certain that their donations are being used the way they are intended, and being awarded to the person and project intended. Donations are tax deductible. Fore more information please visit www.PatronOfTheArts.org

NoH8 -official photo

 Marriage Equity Campaign

Matthew Irving at IFP Film Week

Sometimes I am just so lucky! I booked a last-minute gig AT IFP Film Week and got to spend the week in New York City! This meant that I also got to hear Matt's filmmaker talk, and it was AMAZING! I had no idea he was such a great public speaker! He can actually make technical things interesting. Someone in the audience said "I would listen to that guy talk about shoveling snow." It's true! NYC was such fun, and the fall weather was perfect. As a birthday gift from my inlaws I was treated to see my all-time favorite musical "HAIR" on Broadway. Life is GOOD!