January 6th
I work really hard at this acting stuff. Really hard. Theirs not a day that goes by that I'm not at an audition, memorizing lines, in acting class, at a workshop, or writing postcards to agents. I was working so hard that I started to get burned out. But lucky for me, I was flying back to Massachusetts for the Holidays and after being here for 2 1/2 weeks, I'm ready to hit the ground running again. Tomorrow at 5:30pm, I'll be on plane heading back to LA.
I love the fact that I didn't grow up in California. Between the beaches and palms tree's and the dreams and determination of so many people, it is a beautiful city inside and out. Even after living in California for two years, I still fall in love with this city all over again- every single day. But theirs something about getting away from the magic of Hollywood and being able to go back to the town I grew up in, that I wouldn't trade for the world. It's nice to escape every once and awhile, even if its only for 4 weeks out of the year. That being said, tomorrow I'll say good bye to my family once again. I'll hug my parents and hold back the tears, because I know if they saw me crying, they would only be crying that much harder.
I have a lot of big goals for 2013 and I have 365 days to accomplish every single one of them. 2013 will be a year of changes for me. For starters, within the next few weeks I'll be meeting with three Casting Directors. Scott David, the Casting Director of "Criminal Minds", Disney Casting Director Howard Meltzer who currently casts "Shake It Up" and "Lab Rats" but is mostly known for casting 100 episodes of "Hannah Montana", and my favorite Jami Rudofsky who cast the whole "Gilmore Girls" series and now casts ABC Family's "Bunheads"
In March, my lease ends and my roommate (of 2 years) and I will both be moving out of our apartment and living separately with other people. I don't want to get into much detail, but it's for the best.
I also plan on taking Sitcom Classes at "Actors Comedy Studio" out in Hollywood. Everyone that knows me will agree when I say that I LOVE to make people laugh. Their is no greater feeling in the world than laughing till your stomach hurts. I'm the kind of girl who would rather be called "Funny" instead of "Hot" because for me, nothing is more attractive than a person who can make you laugh.
While all of this is going on, I am patiently waiting by the phone hoping to get that call from Survivor saying "We want you to come out to the island!". Don't be fooled though, my audition for Survivor is a lot different than the other TV shows I audition for. I'm a huge fan of the show, and wether it was on TV or not, I would still want to be on it no matter what the circumstances. I'm doing it for the expierence not the 15 minutes of fame. But on that note, I'm not going to change who I am in order for them to pick me. I don't want to hide the fact that I'm an actor, because its what I love to do. If they don't like it, its there loss- not mine.
One of my biggest goals of the year though is to get a reoccurring role on a TV show. Preferably a sitcom, but I wont be picky. ;) Being an actor, unless you have a starring role in a movie or you're a series regular on a TV show, you never really have a steady job. You might book guest star roles on TV shows every now and then, but those only require a day or two of shooting. Once you wrap, you start the process all over again, going to and from auditions trying to land another guest star role so you can pay the bills. Theirs nothing more I would love then to have to wake up every morning at 5am to head to set.
December 28th marked two years since I've lived in LA. Not only did I grow up so much in these last few years but I also discovered the kind of person I am and the kind of person I want to be. I decided with the new year happening, i'm going to erase all negativity from my life because I didn't deserve some of this crap.
My Life In Hollywood
Follow my journey as I go from YouTuber to Hollywood Actress!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Friday, September 21, 2012
My First Tv Show!
So it happened. The
moment I’ve been waiting for my whole life.
The moment that I didn’t even know I was waiting for my whole life. I got the call. Actually it was a voicemail, because I’m to
damn lazy to get up at 10:30am to answer my phone. Those words that I always imagined I would
hear one day, but was open to the possibility that I never would. A lady’s voiced echoed through the speaker of
my phone as I heard her say
“Congratulations you booked the episode!” I kind of just laid there in shock, mostly
because I was still half asleep but also because I knew this was just the
beginning of many amazing things to come.
I mean, what would you do if
everything you’ve been working for was finally starting to come together? How would you feel if one of your biggest
dreams in life just came true?
As I was trying to get rid of my raspy morning voice so I
could call her back, I made my way out to the kitchen to tell my roommate that
I just booked the lead in my first TV episode.
I then picked up my phone, returned the women’s call, and got all the
details. Right after we exchanged our goodbyes, I picked up my phone
and made another call, a call that I’ve been waiting to make my whole
life. I called my mom and I told her
that I just booked my first TV episode.
After my mom, I called my dad, then my aunt, then my brother, and
finally all my friends back home in Massachusetts. It’s crazy to think that I haven’t even been
at this acting stuff for that long, but yet I somehow managed to land this awesome
opportunity. It makes me wonder, if I’m already able to
book roles like this after only a couple weeks, what kind of roles will I book in a
couple months, a couple years?
So lets fast-forward to a few days later. Thursday morning I woke up at 5:30am and by 6:15
I was stepping out the door heading to set.
As I was driving to set, the sun shined over the highway and created the
most beautiful mix of colors in the sky.
I turned off my music, let out a big smile, and then of course I took an
instagram picture! Now I’ve been on a TV set before and even a movie set, but a
set seems so much more different when you’re the one the story revolves around.
As soon as I arrived a bunch of people came over to me, shook my hand, and
introduced themselves. Everyone knew my
name and who I was, as if we’d known each other for years.
I was quickly escorted to hair and makeup and then to
wardrobe. Through out the day, I
constantly heard my name going through the crew’s radios and everyone always
had a tab on me. I worked with a stunt
coordinator, met the 5-year-old actress who was playing a younger me (who
looked like me too! Weird!), and was the
first in line to get the catered food they supplied, when being an extra I always got everyones scraps.
Now I can’t give you specific details of what went on since the episode
hasn’t aired yet and I don’t know how much I can say, but man, what an amazing
day.
10 hours later, I was shooting my very last scene and as
soon as the directed yelled, “CUT!” he then announced that I was wrapped. The whole crew and cast stopped
what they were doing and all of them just started clapping for me. The director gave me a big hug, then the
other actor, and then finally the Stunt coordinator. It was in that moment that I realized that
this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. That maybe YouTube (WinterSpringPro) wasn’t meant
to be forever, but instead, just a way to get me out to California. Maybe one day I would consider it to be a
small part of my life, when for years I always considered it to be the biggest. Who knows?
About a month ago, I made my very first blog post on this
website. At the very end of the post, I wrote...
“I can’t wait until the day that I can call my parents to tell
them that I booked my first role on a TV show. And you can bet your ass,
that I will be on the first flight back home to Boston to watch it on TV, right
there with them.”
Tonight I went onto Orbitz
to track a few round-trip flights back home to Boston. Remember guys; Don’t Let Your Dreams Be
Dreams.
Sunrise on the way to set.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Why I Want To Be On Survivor
Survivor is one of my favorite TV shows and hands
down one of my favorite reality shows. Actually, its one of the ONLY
reality shows I watch. The first time I ever saw Survivor, I was about 8
years old and in the 3rd grade. My mom has always been an active viewer
of the show, having seen every episode. When Survivor first aired, I
remember watching the first season with her and falling in love with it.
In September 2011 I randomly decided to Audition
for the show, to see if I could get a callback. I made a video in my
room, where I acted overly cocky and boasted my YouTube success way too much. I
sent in the tape though, and sure enough I got a callback. I got three
actually. Even though I didn't end up getting on the show, I have made it
my new goal to audition every year until I do.
A lot of people ask me, "Why would you want to
be on Survivor, that’s like torture!” I mean, I guess it kind of is.
For starters, you can't shower at all. So if you last a good amount
of time out there, that’s about 40 days of not bathing... You can't brush your
teeth or your hair, and the only thing you really eat is a small portion of
rice and fish once a day. So why would I want to be on a show that would
destroy my body and my mind? Well, my answer to that question is, why
not?
I'm the type of person who has a lot of dreams.
They're so many things I want to do with my life and even though I'm only
21, I sometimes feel like I'm running out of time. I would consider
myself a people person. I love people, I really do. I love
to talk with them, share ideas, and just know their stories. To be on an
island with 13 complete strangers of all different ages and walks of life, is
such a thrill for me. Also knowing that by the end of this crazy journey,
that you will soon consider these people family is such a cool thought.
To me, that’s something a million dollars can't buy.
I also love nature. I love the feeling
of knowing that I have to live off the land and try to survive with only the
materials and resources I have around me. It would be such a cool
learning experience and for me, a story I could tell my kids for years and
years to come. To know that I built that shelter that protects me from
the rain and I caught the fish, that made me strong enough to compete in
challenges, is something that I would love to experience. Not to mention
that I love the beach. I love the feeling of salt water in my hair and
sand between my toes. To be able to live on a beach for 40 days would be
a dream come true. I would love to climb the coconut trees to provide
fluids for my team.
Now don't get my wrong, I know the whole experience
won't be all fun and games. Hell, I bet they'll be more times than one
where I'll break down and just start crying my eyes out. But that’s what
its all about, right? It’s about testing your limits and pushing yourself
further than you've ever had. Its the
feeling of joy after you just won food from a reward challenge for your tribe after
you’ve been starving for the past two weeks, it's that feeling that all your
friends and family will soon be rooting for you back home, its the feeling that
nothing is impossible as long as you set your mind too it. It's about
being grateful for the little things in life, and appreciating the everyday
things everyone else tends to overlook. I
wouldn't do it for the money, I wouldn't do it for the fame, I would do it
because I truly am a fan of the show and the experience that comes along with
it. You can't put a price on that sort of thing.
One of my favorite players to ever be on Survivor
was this 21 year old kid named Erik R. from Fans VS Favorites. He was
from this small town in Michigan and was an ice cream scooper, he also was a huge
fan of the game. When the host Jeff Probsts came out for the first time,
Erik was jumping up and down with excitement. After watching the show for
years, he was now the one on it. Talk about an amazing feeling.
Erik was the only Survivor player I have seen with so much
enthusiasm/excitement, and that’s why everyone liked him, he was an actual
fan. (Note that 80% of the players on Survivor are recruits who never
actually applied but were asked to be on it because they would be on TV.
Hell, half of them have never even seen an episode!)
If I’m ever one of the lucky 14 people to be picked to be on the show,
you would bet your asses that I would put my all into it and never give up.
No matter how hungry I am, no matter how much I smell, no matter how
tired I am, quitting would never be an option. I would make sure to let
each moment sink in, because I know that once the game is over, I would give
anything to go back and play again. I know for a fact that if I were to
get on the show, those moments would be some of the best moments of my life.
So Survivor Casting, CBS Producers, or Hell, even Jeff Probsts, if by the
small chance you are reading this blog post right now, just know that one day,
I will get on your show, no matter how long it takes, no matter how many times
you pass on me. One day I will be on that island and say to Jeff,
"Hey remember me?" Remember guys; don’t let your dreams be
dreams.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
When I Knew I Wanted To Be An Actor
One of the most common questions I get asked on a
daily basis is "When did you want to become an actor?” Well
children, in today’s blog I'm going to answer that question for you, with
details and backstories included!
Before YouTube, before VHS tapes turned
into DVDS, before digital cameras could take video, their was a 7 year old
girl, standing in front of her bathroom mirror, with a Shampoo Bottle in hand,
thanking her fans for her Oscar. That little girl was I!
In elementary school, I was always known as the
class clown. I was constantly making people laugh with the things I would
say or do. In fact, in 3rd grade I won the "Most likely to
make you laugh" award! An accomplishment that I am still very proud of, even to
this day. The thing with my humor though is I never try to be funny, it
sort of just comes natural. Also, despite the blonde hair, I never played
the "dumb blonde" card in order to get a laugh. Usually my humor came
from witty things I would say or do. Till this day, pulling the cute/dumb card pisses me off; it comes off as a cheap laugh. Its likes that one friend
you have who always talks in a baby voice. Please, grow up and stop now.
My elementary class clown days was when I sort of
knew that I liked to perform. I liked to entertain people, whether it was
in a classroom, through a story, or even on stage. I liked the attention but not in a self centered way, because I am anything but. I liked
knowing that for a few seconds, five minutes, or even a half hour, I took
people into my world and made them forget about any worries they had prior.
It’s a nice feeling when people would later say to me, "Thanks, I
needed that". It’s like watching your favorite TV show; despite all
the worries you had prior to its airtime, once you start watching the show you
are taken out of your world and put into theirs. The acting and dialogue
are so believable; it makes you feel like its real. You are so drawn into
their problems, struggles, and even happiness that you forget about your
worries for the time being.
Ever since I can remember I was always writing
scripts, stealing my dads video camera, or submitting to contests to appear on
Nickelodeon. Acting was the one thing that always stayed constant in my
life, when everything else was changing. In the third grade, my teacher read
us this book called "Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone".
Every day for story time, she would read the book for 15 minutes to the
class. I fell in love with this book, and looked forward to story time just to find out what would happen next in Harry's World. A
few months after finishing the book, I found out that they we're making a
movie! I thought to myself "This is it, this is my big break, I need
to audition for this!"
When I got home from school that day, I made my mom
free up the phone line so I could connect to our dial up Internet. I
found the production companies address and wrote them a letter asking if I
could play Hermione in the upcoming Harry Potter movie. About a month later, I received a letter back from them. I remember bringing the letter into my brother’s room and saying to
him, "Tyler, this could be the letter that changes my life, I could
be a movie star!” I debated whether or not to open it, knowing that it
would either contain really good news or really bad news. Long story
short, although I did not get the role (obviously!), a nice casting director wrote back to
me, expressing how happy my letter made him. He took the time out of his
crazy Hollywood life, to write back to that little girl in Massachusetts who
had big dreams of being an actor. I still have that letter, to this very
day.
Lets fast forward to my High School years. I
used to audition for my High School's plays all the time. I was lucky if I
even got casted; never mind getting a speaking role. My debut role was in
my senior year of high school. The role involved me being a nerd and
peeing my pants on stage. There was this tradition at
my school, where we would wear our costumes during the school day to promote opening night. My costume involved an ugly sweater that was tucked into
mom jeans, my hair in pigtails, and my grandmas super thick glasses. My
favorite part of that day was when no one knew that I was wearing a costume.
Thank you everyone. I'm glad you think that this ugly, mismatched
look is a normal thing for me. By 3rd period I was ready to ditch the
costume, but I didn't have any normal clothes on me! Typical Brittany
situation!
To wrap things up, I was always interested in Acting, but it
didn’t become a career possibility until I moved out to LA. Being 15 minutes from Hollywood, and having
access to some of the top acting schools in the world was enough to make me
want to go after my dreams and stop making excuses. I promised myself that I would never live a
normal life, and so far I have kept that promise. I want to continue to keep it though, no
matter how much work it takes, no matter how much money I have to spend, and no
matter how many times I have to hear the word “no” before I ever hear a
single “yes”. Cause somewhere, somehow, someone is going to
come along in my life and give me that one “Yes” I need to jump-start my
career. Until next time; Don’t let you
dreams be dreams.
Today’s song of the day is a tune my friend Christian sent
me over Facebook! Enjoy!
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