the CRAVE is a POWERFUL thing: the amazing spider-man 2

i'm so excited and thankful for the projects that have been coming my way this year in the commercial world. my other job is in the publishing/media world in the role of freelance marketing and events, so i'm used to working with brands, but this was a welcomed opportunity to work on the talent side of the business.

this is my 3rd television commercial ever (2nd national) so when i showed up on set, i was super elated to be there - UBER ELATED - actually. it's funny because i've noticed that while i take in every little thing on set and soak it up like a sponge, the pros who are working around me and who do this everyday for a living get a little kick out of my exuberance. for them it's just another day at the office. for me, it's the biggest, most amazing thing that's happened to me...EVER! it's mind-boggling to audition, audition, audition and then to actually book something and then...GO TO WORK...ON SET...WITH A CREW...AND OTHER CAST MEMBERS. i love it. every minute of it. i PRAY & CRAVE for more.

the talented actress i'm working with in this commercial is kate costello. she was awesome to work with. you can check out some of her other work here:
www.katecostello.net

what is it that you crave?
let me know in the comments section.
happy labor day wknd!

A simple THANK YOU...

thank you to all who have supported the journey this year. other actors, writers, directors, producers, teachers, casting, crew, peers, colleagues, sorority sisters, linesisters, friends and family. you have either attended a reading and/or screening, inquired about one of my projects, downloaded a podcast, posted on your social media account about a project i'm involved in, forwarded on an email i've sent or simply just let me know that you are rooting for me and excited for what's to come. it is very much appreciated. following a path with no set destination, standard hierarchical structure or guaranteed success according to society isn't easy. it's scary, anxiety-inducing, nerve-wracking, frustrating and downright lonely. it can be painstakingly lonely.

thank you so very much. 

while you support me on my journey, please make sure to support yourself as well and to give voice and action to your own dreams. and let myself and others know what you are doing and/or what you want to be doing. at the end of the day, we are all in this together. it doesn't have to be so lonely. it shouldn't be.

see you in 2014!

bettina 

xoxo

dutch kills

last friday night, i had the pleasure of attending a screening for a film i worked on. "dutch kills" is about a guy who's released from prison only to be pulled back into one last gig. the special things about working on this film are (1) it is a completed project and will be submitted to film festivals, meaning people will see it and hopefully connect with it in some way. and (2) the process by which this film was made is nothing short of inspiring. written and produced by a group of friends, it started out as an idea. pen was put to paper, friends were reached out to for support, these friends and friends of friends were cast, money was raised through a crowd-funding campaign, the project was shot, and the post-production process was endured. and now there's a living, breathing movie. there are so many stages to completing a film that allow for slim to none short cuts. i'm always amazed by those who commit to the process, taking it day-by-day and overcoming the inevitable challenges that present themselves. beyond inspiring.

congrats to tama filianga, r.l. mann, joseph mazzella, and liam leguillou for your talent, hard work and dedication. thank you to rotimi paul for bringing me to the project and lodric collins for your unwavering support.

here's the official trailer for the project:

that new new!

hey everyone, happy new year! i hope it's off to a great start. i'm sure many of you, like me, did much reflecting on your life in 2012 and much visualizing for 2013. two things struck a chord with me...

(1) the idea of "support." we all need support...whether it comes in the form of emotional, financial or peer-to-peer support. it's necessary and so beautiful when received and even more beautiful when given. i'd like to thank all of you for following my creative pursuits. it really means a great deal to me, and i think of you all as "trailblazers" because even though i've been at this for a few years, in some ways it feels like the very beginning. you won't enter your local theaters or turn on your TVs and see me on the twi-zube (shout out to martin lawrence) just yet, so you're really supporting a seed. a seed of what's possible. and for that i thank you.

(2) the other thing that struck a chord with me is prioritizing your goals & aligning them with your choices, actions and behavior. this is major. easy in thought, not so easy in practice. i'm an expert at getting off track of what i need to be focusing on. it's the rebel in me. and since this is a safe space to share truth...for me, it may look like...
-feeling scattered and confused, but yet refusing to meditate or do yoga which i know will ground me and put me in a better frame of mind
-wanting to get my body in check, then inhaling half of a pepperoni pizza (shout out to little caesars!) or mcdonald's french fries ("hot, fresh fries please!")
-knowing the screenwriter inside myself, but not putting pen to paper or fingertip to keyboard when inspired

if you feel compelled to share what it looks like for you, you can in the comments section.


in the meantime, i'd like to share with you a blog post by a dear friend of mine who inspired this post. she so eloquently and unapologetically speaks to giving support and prioritizing. 

http://overainteasy.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/happy-new-year-lets-get-this-party-started-right/

here's to better versions of ourselves this year.

outside your dreams, u lie awake...

the "dreams" video is out.
such a catchy song. i love the video, esp the animation & the sword fighting scene!
check out my cameo in it too.

shout out to: music artist daniel giel, writer/director sandy chase, producer/ad (lady who hired me!) huriyyah muhammad, talented actors koji nishiyama and lisa itabashi, make-up artist michael serapiglia, animator peter parlegreco, fellow actor jorge alvarez, gaffer tom chaves, key grip mike keane, 1st ac akina vandevelde, and production assistant amanda kizigha!

life is full of sweet little treats

merci beaucoup chandra caldwell & margaux hallenstein!
beautiful song & video
if you look hard enough...or play in slow motion...but don't blink...

it's voting day!

tis the season for...screenings!

this fall has been really special in that a few projects i've worked on saw the light of day at a screening. such a rewarding feeling to see the culmination of your work on a screen and shown in front of an audience. the feedback is spontaneous, honest, and immediate. and...it can give an artist that extra little push that is sometimes needed to keep going.

good number

writer/director: paul mckoy

synopsis: a group of friends explore how many sexual partners is too many. 

role: val, wife

premiered at: the katra film series, manhattan, nyc, 9/29/12 

next steps: you can see this short film in its entirety on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLsQWaeo7tI&feature=plcp

the family dinner

writer/director: peter davenport

synopsis: secrets and surprises unfold at a family’s formal sit-down dinner.

role: production assistant

premiered at: mango screening room, manhattan, nyc, 10/1/12

next steps: the short film received its first award for “best narrative short” from the columbia center for the arts: mount hood independent film festival. next up, the film will be showing at the big apple film festival in nyc from nov 14-18.

dreams

writer/director: sandy chase

synopsis: daniel giel's music video featuring a student who falls asleep in the middle of his exam only to awaken to a strange dream world.

role: bubblegum girl

premiered at: the filmshop, williamsburg, bk, 10/25/12

next steps: the music video will soon be released on youtube. stay tuned. 

koji (castmate) and i at the premiere for "dreams"

the work

my actor reel is finally done! thank you so much to my editor andy torraco! i wrote about andy in the post before this one. i can't thank him enough for helping me get to this point. having a headshot & resume is standard for an actor, but having a reel is the icing on top. especially when you're in the early stages of your career and much of the work you do is for students and independent filmmakers without a distribution channel. actors rely heavily on receiving the footage from filmmakers, so that we can put together a visual resume. this reel is a 3min look into the work i've done since leaving my full time corporate life in 2005 to pursue acting as a career. 

in addition to andy...special thanks go to ela thier & the independent film school, gerard brown iii, rotimi paul, lodric collins, dave reck, cindy narayan, chandra caldwell, kate o'donoghue, the william esper studio, kc's class, karen chamberlain, deb jackel, trisha clark, joanne greco, tony clomax, tanya lewis, sheereen miller russell, brandis russell, candice cook, kasara davidson, aisha langford, kia lowe, brandi colander, phylicia fant, kate simpson, kate goerlich, kenya (robinson), nichole taron, kia barbee, bevy smith, isaiah michael joyner, kym blanchard, jenai emmel, faramarz and om factory, kenneth fabritius, gabriela gudino jaime, ananta cuffee, danelle manthey, stephen wolf, kimon jackson, pamela mckinney, shelley hines, and my mama and family for your faith, support, craft, talent, feedback, encouragement, gentle prodding, shoulder, side eye, you name it!

each one of you has helped me along this journey. 

thank you.