2021 A Year in Review: Performance Addition

January

In 2021 my film and commercial career started to pick up again after a lean year in 2020 due to the pandemic. I had three opportunities this month: A spokesperson educating people on the signs of human trafficking...

A mime in a comedic training video...

And a mom demonstrating healthy couple/parenting behaviors with her wife and son. (not sure why I chose this facial expression for this photo...it is not meant to reflect the character I played. Ha!)

February

I did a training video for IHC (that's me behind the clapperboard).

Ivy was taken on with my agency, TMG, and started auditioning for film projects.

March

Ivy was in her school's production of The Adventures of Edward Tulane.

April

Ivy and I got a new set of Headshots taken at the marvelous Pepperfox Photo. The mother/daughter shots were some of my favorites.

May

Ivy performed the lead in her school play. 'Winnie Foster' in Tuck Everlasting. 

The kids were troopers as they performed each show this school year in masks. It was definitely a challenge but, at least they could do live performances!

June

I opened Always...Patsy Cline. Playing Louise on MWF nights...

And Patsy for the 12:30pm matinee on Saturdays. It was a dream to be a part of this show. You can read more about my experience starting with this blog post. It is a five part series.

July

I started filming TikTok videos for my friend's production company based out of NYC.

August

Always...Patsy Cline closes and I commissioned Ivy to create these portraits for closing night gifts.

I filmed another TikTok commercial for a sleep patch.

September

I got to perform Always...Patsy Cline in Grover UT at the Hale Summer Theatre.

Ivy booked her first film project. It was for BYU TV.

Roger performed in Waiting for Godot with the Sting & Honey Theatre Company at the Regent Street Theatre downtown SLC. 

He also released his short film, Adrift, that was shot entirely inside the game Star Citizen. He wrote the script and collaborated with some talented friends on this project. The second part and hopefully third part will be coming out this year. I did some voice work on this project. It was so cool to be a part of.

I filmed TikToks for a cosmetic line...

A refinance company...

And a breathing apparatus. 

And I booked a commercial with a Halloween theme. I am a Parisian woman.

October

I got cast in One For the Pot at Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy, UT.

I filmed two TikToks. One for a sleep patch...

The other for a home refinance program. I am doing different footage for the same companies over and over again. With TikTok fresh new ads are important to stay relevant.

I had to turn down a Hallmark film during the summer because of scheduling conflicts and so I was pleased as punch to be cast in a movie produced by Candlelight Media Group and SunWorld Pictures, Loves Portrait. It was a challenging shoot, but I feel like it is some of my best work on film and I can't wait for it to be released. 

I also got to be a part of a model shoot for a banking company.

November

More TikTok ads for home refinance...

A home emergency guide...

And Penny got in on the gig with a pet product. She got to play a boy dog named 'Oreo'. She had to show quite the range for a young pup! ;-)

Ivy blew us away with her performance in Annie! It was so special to have her do this show. I played Annie my senior year in high school! 

December

I did a TikTok ad for a sleep patch...

Home refinance...

And a skin care company. It is fun to do these ads, and one major perk is that I get free products. My favorite are the cosmetic and skin care ones. I love trying new serums, lotions and make-up.

To end the year, I worked on two projects for doTERRA. I got the second gig from the first one! They liked my work so much they wanted me to comeback a few days later and be the spokesperson for a separate project. 

I am gaining more confidence on camera. My skills are improving with each audition and job. I am making connections and often get requested for jobs or get cast for a project by people who I have worked with before. It is always wise to be professional and prepared for each shoot. And to be kind to everyone on set. You will have a much more positive experience and the bottom line is that the world needs more kindness. From a practical standpoint, it is a small industry here in the Salt Lake area and the same person that was the cinematographer or a fellow actor on one project, could be the director or casting director of another project. 

I am hoping to continue an upward trajectory in 2022. I am looking to branch out into voice-over work and upgrade my equipment at home for audio recordings and filming self tapes. As I get older in this industry I am continuously adjusting to how I look on camera or up on stage when I see a production photo and I am learning to love the mature version of myself. I still feel so young inside, but when I look at a picture or see footage of myself it is hard sometimes to grasp the fact that there are more wrinkles, sagging, and imperfections that weren't there in my youth. I am sure my 50's will be a decade of letting go of past expectations and gaining self acceptance in the present. And, I am ready. I am resolved to age with dignity and grace. Let's keep going!