2016 a lovely finish; 2017 a promising start


 iLove Android screening at the Chinese Theatres for HollyShorts

January:

1/13: Filmed a satirical Trump sketch with filmmaker friends Hari Williams and Lu Louis and a cast of characters

1/11: Put myself on a tape for a short

1/10: First new She's So Right mini webisode of the new year offers parenting tips!


1/7: Filmed a web series pilot and auditioned for an Ariana Grande music video!




December:

12/18: Volunteered at SAG-AFTRA Foundation for a kids workshop

12/17: Volunteered at Casting Networks/LA Casting's last seminar for the year!

12/15: iLove Android screens at the HollyShorts monthly screening series at the Chinese Theatres along with some other wonderful films!!


Interviewed with Lynna Yee by inDspotlight host H.R. Cole (Photo by Patrick Duncan) 

12/13: One of my favorite silly bits from my She's So Right episodes goes online:


12/12: Self-taped for a video game comedic web series

12/9: iLove Android is a Semi-Finalist for the Hollywood Screenings Film Festival!

 
12/7: Auditioned for lead in indie feature shooting in NY

12/6: Jes and Lora WINS BEST SHORT at the Hollywood & Vine Film Festival!!


12/2: iLove Android screens to a full house at the Pass Area International Film Festival in Banning, CA!


November:

11/29: My third webisode of She's So Right is online! '80s thoughts on equal pay:

 
11/28: Interviewed to be a financial web series host

11/20: iLove Android is an official selection of Pass Area International Film Festival!

11/12: Jes and Lora screens at the ITSA Film Festival in Sonora, CA!


11/11:  iLove Android screens at the First Rule of Film Club Presents: Indie Showcase in England! So happy to know that the Brits enjoy nerdy humor just like us yanks

And another mini webisode of She's So Right goes live:


11/6: A dramatic political short I was cast in, #Ballot, goes live!


11/5: iLove Android is an official selection of the First Rule of Film Club Presents: Indie Showcase in England!


11/1: My first webisode of She's So Right launches! Enjoy some snarky '80s femmtastic bits!


October:

10/23: iLove Android screens at We Make Movies' monthly screening series at Three Clubs in Hollywood!
- I also read a staged reading for a great comedic pilot by the talented Laura Mannino!


10/20: Filmed a political drama, #Ballot, with an old friend and mad talented actor, Leon Banks.


Meanwhile, on the east coast, Jes and Lora screens at the Orlando Film Festival as part of their Overcoming Afflictions program!

10/14: iLove Android is an official selection of LA's HollyShorts monthly screenings!!!


And She's So Right! launches on YouTube!

(Photo by Valentina Vee)

10/13: Volunteered at Live Talks LA and got to see the inimitable Bryan Cranston!!!

10/12: Taped my callback audition for a Screen Junkies News host!

10/10: Filmed a very funny take on Columbus Day with some of my favorite people

(From left to right) With Modern Day Explorer filmmaker Lu Louis and
castmates  Kevin Young and Hari Williams (Photo by Lu Louis)

10/8: Recorded a self-tape for a comedic web series

10/4: Won BEST ACTRESS for my dramatic work in Jes and Lora at Scotland's The Monthly Film Festival!!!!!

10/1: Met and signed with a new talent agency across the board: Engage Artists Agency!
And Jes and Lora screened at discover.film in London!


September:

9/30: Performed in Glendale International Film Fest's screenplay finalist readings
- Sent in a self-taped audition for a pilot

(Photo by Patrick Duncan)

9/21: iLove Android screens at We Make Movies' workshop "What's Next" to get some PR tips

9/14: iLove Android goes live!
I also designed its fun thumbnail image :D


9/9-13: Trained myself on Adobe Premiere and spent a couple days doing a final round of edits on my project iLove Android. Do whatcha gotta do!

9/11: Jes and Lora is an official selection of the Orlando Film Festival!!


9/9: Jes and Lora is an official selection of The Monthly Film Festival in Glasgow, Scotland AND Discover Film Festival in LONDON! Thanks for the love, England!


9/8: Auditioned for the lead in a touching short

Self-producing like a BOSS

 (Photo by Matt Bridges)

August:

Spent all month on a new web sketch that I co-wrote, co-produced and starred in! Producing means losing sleep, stressing, asking more favors than you like, lots and lots and lots of planning, and miracles left and right.

(Photo by Larry Smith)

8/29: Filmed my first *VIRTUAL REALITY* shoot at YouTube Space LA in their killer Oval Office White House set!

(Photo by GS Ford)

8/19: Had a few sketch writing meetings creating great new content poking at current social issues.

8/11: Attended another great SAG-AFTRA Foundation casting workshop, this time with the lovely Russell Boast. I performed my favorite monologue--a piece from Black Mirror.

8/4: Auditioned for another live horror theatre show. That seems to be the theme lately...

July:

7/31: Brainstormed sketch ideas with talented producer/director/writer/actor Lu Louis

7/30: Auditioned for a live horror theatre show!

7/27: Interviewed for an actor role in one of LA's creepy escape rooms

7/25: Hashed out a script for a new sketch with long-time actress friend, Lynna Yee!

7/22: Brainstormed an idea for a new sketch with Lynna.

7/20: Callback for a live horror theatre show in connection with James Franco's production company!

7/16: Back at the SAG-AFTRA Conservatory for their talk with Mark Teschner of General Hospital and a great theatrical casting panel.

7/16: Attended the SAG-AFTRA Conservatory's summer intensive panel with various commercial casting directors speaking about current industry trends.

7/15: Shot a hilarious role in an 80s throwback web series about women, and auditioned for a creepy child in a live horror theatre show! Talk about range...


7/14: Rappelled down a 25-story building in downtown LA as completion of my fundraising campaign for Shatterproof--a great non-profit working to end the stigma around addiction and help people from becoming future addicts.

(Photo by Patrick Duncan)

7/6: Auditioned for the "cool, down-to-earth girl" in a great short and then I threw on my British accent auditioning for a web series regular in an edu-comedic series.

June:

6/18: Took off for ten days to enjoy my dream Thailand vacation! Work hard, play hard. ;)

6/13: Attended an amazing panel presented by Netflix with two panels of their shows casting directors and talent at Paramount Pictures!

6/10-11: Performed--and scared the pants out of people--as an armored chupacabra guarding a labyrinth at The Great Horror Campout!!

(Yes, this is me)

6/9: Dress rehearsal for the Great Horror Campout! Almost show time!

6/8: Rehearsal for the Great Horror Campout!

6/7: Volunteered at SAG-AFTRA Foundation for their screening of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Q&A with hilarious, talented, sweet creator Rachel Bloom and lovely showrunner Aline Brosh McKenna.

6/5: Auditioned for the lead in a play

6/1: Fitting for my costume in the Great Horror Campout!

Auditions, auditions, auditions...

May:

5/27: Auditioned for a core performer role in a political comedy revue, where I brought out my Sarah Palin.

5/16: Auditioned for a recurring role in a comedy pilot!

5/13: Auditioned for a doe-eyed midwestern assistant new to the Hollywood scene

5/11: Playing a casualty victim for a triage training event, bring on the latex and blood!


5/9: Auditioned for a scare monster in the Great Horror Campout! Followed by an audition (literally in the next room, can you say quick change?) for an interactive theatre show!

5/3: Took advantage of SAG-AFTRA Conservatory's event hosting three major casting directors: Kerry Barden (everything... he cast everything amazing: Love & Mercy, The Help, Spotlight, Se7en, August: Osage County, Good Will Hunting), Dorian Frankel (Parks & Rec), and April Webster (Star Trek, Fringe, The Nanny).

5/2: Performed a new monologue from my favorite episode of Black Mirror in a SAG-AFTRA Foundation workshop with amazing casting director--who's also hella real and nice--Barbara McCarthy (Celeste & Jesse Forever, The Road Within, For A Good Time Call) and walked away feeling like I hit it out of the park.

April:

4/30: Went in for the callback as the satirical young mom and did a chemistry read with a potential husband and son. It's always interesting to see who casting would think you'd marry.

4/28: Got a last minute audition for an ABC mini-series and drove up to San Francisco at the crack of dawn to read for it!


4/26: Woohoo--notified of a callback for Billy DaMota and Dea Vise's project!

4/21: Shot new headshots for my punk rocker look with Catching Light Photography and LOVE THEM!!!
- Shot another sketch with Lu Louis as a prostitute (I guess I had to play one eventually, may as well do it with friends)

4/19: Auditioned for actor-friendly casting directors Billy DaMota and Dea Vise for the lead in a satirical film as a cookie cutter mom type.

4/15: Auditioned as a femme fatale in a noir style music video for a major artist.
- Jes And Lora won a Silver Award from the Los Angeles Film Review!!!


4/12: Auditioned for the lead in a pilot as a young woman resorting to witchcraft to find a decent boyfriend.
- Also auditioned for a new play at the Victory Theatre in Burbank smart software company rep who lets go and gets drunk on a business trip overseas and hilarity ensues.
- And finished the day volunteering at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Casting Access Project workshop for kids with the generous and honest Nickelodeon casting director Krisha Bullock. I got to be the reader with these crazy talented kids!

4/9: Auditioned for a one-woman show about the drag and confusion of online dating for the Hollywood Fringe Festival
- Filmed for Green Piñata and got to be turned into a zombie for my first time and it was a blast!!


4/6: Booked the horror film, Green Piñata by John Moreno!

4/4: Auditioned for a horror film as a sweet young woman who becomes a zombie.

March:

3/22: Auditioned for a quirky hair dresser in for a new web series. 

3/21: Auditioned for Alice in The Los Angeles Children's Theater's production of Alice In Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass!
- Sent in a tape for a fun San Francisco film as a woman trying to hide her homosexuality from her conservative parents. 

3/20: Auditioned for a touring production of one acts at various LA public libraries with The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights.

3/19: Recorded a voice-over session as the "hottie next door" for an LGBT-friendly pilot!
- Volunteered at Casting Networks' monthly seminar with commercial casting director, Karen Ryan of Canvas Casting who was super lovely.

3/18: Played the bohemian love interest in the film Writing the Wave at LA's semi-famous The Iliad Bookshop.

(Photo by Retta Putignano)

3/14: Sent in a self-tape for the lead in a feature shooting in San Francisco as a woman passionately running a charity but struggles to come to terms with the toxic relationships in her life.

3/9: Booked the romantic interest in the film Writing the Wave!
- Jes And Lora is accepted into New York Film Week!


3/6: Jes And Lora wins a Kudos for Drama from iHolly International Film Fest!!


3/2: Auditioned for a supporting role in a film produced by Outfest and LA's LGBT Center!

February:

2/25: Auditioned for David Fincher's new Netflix series!
- Shot a parody Brittney Spears music video with the talented Adrian J. Anchondo:


2/21: Read in a live performance of a feature screenplay in association with One Axe Plays. 


2/19: Jes And Lora screens at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival!!

(hard to tell, but this screen is HUGE!!!)


2/18: Attended orientation to be a SAG-AFTRA Foundation volunteer! Ready to give back to my union at the events I already love!

2/17: New 30-second trailer released for Jes And Lora!: https://youtu.be/mgKWNUJdEU8

2/16: Shot another sketch with the brilliant Hari Williams and Lu Louis!
- Auditioned for a comedy web series as a deadpan office worker.

Jes & Lora goes round the world



 February:

Jes And Lora is an official selection of Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival showing Friday Feb. 19th at 11am on the BIG screen at the Regal Cinemas L.A. Live in downtown LA!

2/13: Auditioned for a previous director of a Town Street Theatre production on an exciting multi-media piece addressing racism from the 1800s to present day. After my read, the artistic director invited me to audition for another piece she's directing, and would see me at the callbacks for this one!

 2/3: Callback for a tour member of an environmental awareness elementary school assembly program for the LA region!

January 2016:


1/31: Shoot day 2 on the educational web series as a project manager at a tech firm

1/30: Volunteered at the monthly LA Casting/Casting Networks seminar at SAG-AFTRA with special guest, commercial CD Emma Nelson who booked me on my first SAG job where I became a full-fledged member!
- Followed by day 1 of 2 shooting an educational web series as an entitled young mom

Pictured with lovely actress Brie Eley  (Photo by Kat Vondy)

1/29: Auditioned for a tour member of an environmental elementary school assembly program
- Submitted my votes for the SAG Awards! Thanks SAG Awards for the screeners of The Big Short, Spotlight, Straight Outta Compton, Trumbo, The Danish Girl, Brooklyn, Room, The Revenant, Steve Jobs and others. January is my favorite time for movies!

1/26: Workshop at the SAG Foundation for the kind, veteran CD and producer Craig Campobasso.

1/11: Auditioned for a new high-concept play at The Boston Court in Pasadena.

December 2015:

12/29: My first radio drama I was cast in, Rusted Magic--like a supernatural NPR story--is released!
https://soundcloud.com/andrewwardlaw/rusted-magic-101


12/28: Production meeting sharing various concepts and ideas for a friend's new production company benefiting local animal rights organizations

12/23: Shot a few great sketches and Vines with Hari Williams and his team:

Left to right: Lamar Stewart, et moi, Parnia Nyx, Lu Louis, Hari Williams

12/21: Auditioned for the role of a teaching artist in an acting program for at-risk youth in LA

12/14: Shot a leading role in a very cool short film as a young woman just trying to cancel her cable.

12/13: Performed my team's new production at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena. I played Michelle, a young woman, disillusioned by real life relationships and detached from anyone around her until a customer comes to her work to disturb her reality.

12/11: Met with my writer, director and co-star for One Axe Plays' challenge where after introductions, we improv'd ideas and worked them out for just a couple hours until we developed a relevant and poignant one act.

12/6: Auditioned for a powerful dramatic short film based on a true story, as the wife of an American soldier, separated for too long

November:

11/20: Auditioned for the lead in a feature as a young woman suffering from paranoid schizophrenia

11/19: Auditioned for a lead in a comedy pilot as a girl currently in a psych ward attending group therapy

11/17: Read at a table read for a pilot as a comedy club hostess

11/15: Filmed the lead, a young woman who's being emotionally taken advantage of, in a dramedy short with an awesome all-female team

 

11/14: Producers table read as the lead in an exciting short

11/12: Auditioned for the lead in an improv-heavy web sketch -- and booked it!

11/11: Read the shy and traumatized Kailey in a dramatic staged reading at We Make Movies

11/8: Jes And Lora is a Golden Key Award winner for drama in the Open Door Showcase!


11/4: Read the coked up and vengeful ex, Natasha in a dramatic staged reading at We Make Movies

October:

10/28: Offered the lead in an AFI film!
Went to the callback for a Tostitos national!
Performed as Melikah, an emotionally abused wife, afraid to leave, in  In Spite of It All by Jay Levy at We Make Movies.

10/27: Got a callback for Tostitos for the  next day. Time to completely change my schedule!

10/25: Shot a cameo in a parody commercial with the talented Jacob Gillman and Matt Diebler!



10/23: Callback for the lead in an AFI film!
- Auditioned for a national Tostitos spot!

10/20: Audition for lead in AFI film as a doctorate student, gripped with the death of her beloved grandfather, has become seriously distraught by noise and light while under a deadline to finish her dissertation.

10/18: Screening of No Return and other Apple Film Challenge shorts at We Make Movies' monthly screening series.

10/17: Shooting as the lead in a LGBT-themed short, No Return, about broken relationships in a 48-hr like Apple iPhone Film Challenge with We Make Movies!

10/16: Jes And Lora is an official selection of Vancouver's Golden Panda North American International Shorts Film Festival! It's available to watch online now until 11/19.

10/15: Cast as a lead role in another One Axe Plays, female-driven, production!!
- AND cast as the lead in a dramatic LGBT short film! Lots of lady love today ;)

10/7: Jes And Lora screens again in England as part of IndieFlicks!


10/6: Attended a SAG Conservatory panel with illustrious film CD Pam Dixon (Zorro, The Craft, GoldenEye, Angels in the Outfield, City Slickers, Tremors) and TV CD Cami Patton (3rd Rock From the Sun, Pushing Daisies, Parenthood, Hannibal, My Big Fat Greek Wedding)

10/3: Jes And Lora wins BEST SHORT FILM at Louisville Int'l Film Festival!!

10/2: Jes And Lora screens at Louisville International Film Festival (board members include Lily Tomlin and Doris Roberts!)

September:

9/23: Auditioned for a musical Toyota holiday spot!

9/21: Got the good news, I'm now managed by AFTM!

9/15: Met with potential new manager, Marla Davis of AFTM.
- Jes And Lora is an official selection of IndieFlicks in the UK!

9/7: Taped one good and one painfully bad example of self-tape auditions for Actors Access seminar presentations to actors.

9/6: Put myself on tape for a fun project as the quirky lead in search of love in a sea of weirdos.


Jes And Lora featured in Benicia Magazine!

9/5: Jes And Lora screens in the Bay Area at the Benicia Film Festival!

9/2: Jes And Lora screened at NewFilmmakers NY! It was such a treat to fly out for this experience and run around Manhattan in my down time.


August:

8/29: Volunteered at Casting Network's LA Casting seminar with lovely guest and commercial CD Arlene Schuster-Goss of ASG Casting.

8/20: Auditioned for a nurse in an improv-based project with an Emmy award-winning director.

8/18: Met up with stellar comedic actor and Stupid Fights co-star, Mike Murphy, to hash out ideas on a new web series.

8/15: Hired as a model for a figure drawing group:

Sketch by the mad-talented Nikolai Drjuchin

8/14: Jes And Lora debuts internationally at the Isle of Wight Film Festival in England!

8/13: Sent a voice-over audition for various school-age boy roles in a new animated series.

8/8: Jes And Lora is an official selection of the Benicia Film Festival in northern California!

8/5: Auditioned for the lead in a short as a woman who has endured depression since a traumatic event as a teenager and struggles with her failing marriage and unfaithful husband.

July:

7/22: Performed as an Eastern European woman who had been kidnapped and caged in a staged reading workshop at We Make Movies.

7/20: Auditioned for a supporting role in a feature as a bookish and meek assistant bullied by her overbearing misogynist boss.


7/16-18: Lived a dream when I was hired to PA and do crafty for Jim Henson Co.'s Turkey Hollow at their studio and offsite and got to watch the greats: Kevin Klash (Elmo, Bad Polly, Spa'Am, Dinosaur's "Not the Mama" Baby Sinclair & Grandma, Labyrinth muppets), director Kirk Thatcher (Muppet Treasure Island screenwriter, Muppets Tonight, Dinosaurs), Ludacris and more!!!

7/15: Performed in We Make Movies' improv night as the daughter of a the town patriarch.


7/13: Jes And Lora is an official selection of England's Isle of Wight Film Festival! Cheers!!

7/11: Met one of my sheroes, Lucy Lawless, along with Bruce Campbell at SD Comic-Con!

7/2: Recorded walla and looping for indie feature The Outfield and Shane Dawson's I Hate MySelfie Pt II. (fun fact, I did the voice for the girl getting banged by a teacher in the opening :))

June:

6/30: Submitted a self-tape to actor enthusiast CD Carmen Aiello.

6/27: Volunteered at Casting Networks' LA Casting monthly seminar with special guest commercial casting director Chadrian McKnight of House Casting.
- Jes And Lora played closing night of WMMFest at the Hollywood Fringe Fest to another full house!

6/26: Went on a go-see for a VW print ad.

6/23: Auditioned for the lead in a feature as a witty, rebellious, a gorgeous young lesbian.

6/22: Attended my first Ms. In the Biz mixer meeting some fabulous and talented and fabulously talented industry women, and saw the highly anticipated coming-of-age indie I Believe in Unicorns by Leah Meyerhoff which was so haunting and touching.

6/21:  Cameo'd in a parody video starring actor/singer Adrian Anchondo, taking Maroon 5's "Sugar" and turning it into a vote for Hillary video featuring the talented Pandora Boxx in Hillary drag!


6/20: Filmed as Ginny Weasley in a Harry Potter twerktastic video by the awesome Adrian Anchondo on Rihanna's "B* Better Have My Money" spoofed into "Snitch That's My Hermoine" (I appear halfway in on both videos)

- Submitted a voice-over audition for Hulu's series East Los High

- AND (busy day!) I auditioned for a short in the AFI Women's Directing Workshop

6/13: Reconnected with CDs Billy DaMota and Michelle Metzner at Argentum's free seminar series, plus a few friends.

At Jes And Lora's Hollywood premiere with 
director/writer Patrick Duncan (left) and co-star Brendan Weinhold (right)

6/11: Jes And Lora screens for the Hollywood Fringe Festival with We Make Movies' official Fringe shorts program WMMFest.

6/10: Auditioned for the lead in a web series as an overworked lawyer who used to be quirky and fun, but smitten by her new masseur.

6/5: Photo shoot for a short film, Streets of Antioch, as a graffiti crew member.

 On set of Streets of Antioch by Zack Ramsey

6/2: Attended my first Women & Hollywood mixer event. Such a fabulous organization! It was wonderful to be surrounded by so many kind, driven, supportive and creative people at one time.