Relentless

It’s almost October which means in one month, i’m no longer an LA newbie-i’ll have lived here for an entire YEAR!! Crazy.

I can’t say this year has been easy, because it hasn’t…it’s been flippen HARD. But it’s been totally worth it. Booking jobs and working days on set remind me why i’m here and my love for acting. I recently filmed the music video ‘Nintendo’ for singer/songwriter Todd Carey and it was a BLAST. Praise God for that! So thankful!! That’s what I love to do! Not only was it a ton of fun but it was a huge breath of fresh air. One of the hardest parts of being an actor is………waiting………………….forever……………………..for your next job.

It’s ridiculous. But man do you develop stamina! And when you finally book your next job it’s amazing how refreshing it is. 

When I moved out here almost a year ago I began a relentless pursuit to find acting roles, a manager, an agent, opportunities ETC. It’s a year later and i’m in an even more intense pursuit. For starters, i’m without an agent OR manager, as I terminated my agent contract and let go of my manager. I don’t regret it; it needed to be done for undisclosed reasons, but here I am back at square one! Searching for representation is stressful and you definitely have to be ok with rejection. Which, I am. Try and reject me TRY!!! I dare you. I will smile, knowing that i’m at least working towards my dream. No rejections=lazy. Unless of course you’re only getting acceptance responses. In that case……awesome. good job. yay you. Haha just kidding, that’s actually great! 

If you’re an actor; don’t give up. Go ALL IN. It takes everything you have, everything/everyONE you know, be RESOURCEFUL, do your research. And trust God, with everything, always. 

Stay searching for the video release of ‘Nintendo’ by Todd Carey!! Music video will be out SOON! And you can buy his song on iTunes now. So, go get it. Now. 

Love, Jilian

Who said it’d be easy?

Hi everyone!!

Thanks for checking out my blog-whoever you are! You’re awesome. And if you don’t know Jesus yet then ask me about Him cause i’d love to tell you! He is my source of hope and life and He can be yours too…He wants to be! Believe it or not. He wants YOU. I promise. And i’d like to see you in Heaven someday!! So, ask me. 🙂 Or ask anyone!

The Boarding House is in the editing process right now with many talented people working behind the scenes to reach the final product.  A music video I was able to partake in just came out….today. Woot! I was blessed to be able to work with a very talented director/writer/producer, Rob Hamilton, and the talented singer/songwriter Brett Vogel of The Brett Vogel Band! Here is the link to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXmTYF5Jkp0

Much has happened in the last few months! I’m 22, for starters. I started dating my AWESOME boyfriend, Kaleb Seaton. He is absolutely wonderful, loves the Lord, and continues to encourage and bless me and our relationship by his leadership. I signed a commercial contract with Sovereign Talent Group. Rode the subway for the first time in my life. Had my GPS stolen, car towed three times, and collected a few more street sweeping tickets.

Hollywood. H o l l y w o o d . H  o  l  l  y  w  o  o  d  . Mmm. I’ve lived here for…wait, se..SEVEN months?! I wasn’t expecting the month count to be that high to be honest………uh, that’s almost a YEAR! Crazy. Living here is hard, i’ll be honest. I miss home, I miss Iowa, my family, friends, church, church community. My DOG. I was so blessed and absolutely spoiled to go to Iowa State and be involved in a community like The Salt Company. I wont say those things made my relationship with Jesus easy, that’s definitely not the case. But I will say it’s much easier to be a Christian when mostly everything in your environment points you towards Christ. I came here and BOOM. No more Salt Company, no more Cornerstone, no more being constantly surrounded by all my best friends and family who loved Jesus.

But you know what? Thank GOODNESS that God is the same and his love never changes. Whether i’m in Iowa or Hollywood I know that God is right there as much as hH’s always been and as much as He always will be. He is faithful. And he’s taught me so much through this time. I’ve had to rely on God a lot more out here than I ever have in my Christian walk. And as a result i’ve come to KNOW God more, which is literally the best thing ever.

I don’t know what the next month will hold (living the exciting day-to-day lifestyle of an actress) and I certainly don’t know what the next year will hold. But I DO know that God holds my future and everything in it. So I will continue to live for Him until I go home and see Him!

SHOUT OUT, to my Mom and Dad: You guys are the best. Seriously. I love you very much and am INCREDIBLY thankful for everything you’ve done. It would be significantly harder to live here (sanely) without your support, help, guidance, and love. Thank you for all of it in the last seven months. I’ll see you in a month woohooo! Love you!

2013?!!

I spent 10 days home in Iowa over the Holidays and it was BLISS. I was surrounded by all the people that I love-my family and friends. They give me that warmfuzzy feeling inside that I already miss terribly. But! I’m glad to be back in LA and ready to work harder than ever in my acting career!

What a wonderful year this will be, 2013!

I can already tell…I can feel it in my bones, in my toes, in my teeth.  This is going to be a wondrous year full of adventures, achievements, failures, racing hearts, sweaty palms, California sunsets, beach hair, mini earthquakes, and coffee. Lots of coffee. All while pursuing God and His will for my life and time here in California. Let it begin!

I moved to Hollywood two months ago with a very specific goal to accomplish before I left for the Christmas Holiday. With the Lord’s help, I accomplished that goal and left LA having gained an incredible manager from Strong Management. I am beyond blessed to be able to work with this manager; she is very successful at what she does and a trusted industry professional. I am the peeyourpants kind of excited to kick 2013 off with a BANG with her help!

I have become quite accustom to the grand portion of LA called North Hollywood. This process of initiation included: 2 parking tickets for violating street sweeping hours………, driving I had only previously witnessed in my nightmares, super fun gas prices($4), and smog checks. Initiation: check.

I’ve just begun pre-production work with the production team of ‘The Boarding House’! I was able to get in on the casting process for the rest of the characters for the film by reading my lines with them for their audition. It was an exciting and eye-opening experience-being able to view the other side of auditioning and how the casting directors react to different auditions. Our shoot dates are scheduled for the middle of February and I cannot WAIT!

Pilot season is the most exciting time of the year for ANY actor. Pilot season runs from February to April and it’s a time when the entertainment industry and it’s inhabitants are thrown into a tailspin of pilots. These new pilots are sought and fought for by producers, directors, and actors. Casting directors probably started mentally preparing themselves three months ago. From what I hear, it gets intense. And boy I cannot wait!! My first pilot season….EVER! Bring it on.

With this new year, i’ve decided that I want to serve God more than i’ve been doing. What does this look like? I’m still trying to figure it out, but the intention is definitely there, haha. I’ll start volunteering soon at The Dream Center in downtown LA once my application finally goes through. The Dream Center fills the needs of over 50,000 individuals and families each month. It houses anyone from drug addicts to entire families that don’t have anywhere else to go. I don’t want to make this year about me, but rather how I can help and serve others with the goal of serving Christ and making Him known. As Christians, we’re already made in the image of God. Therefore, I don’t have the right to live this life on my own terms, not serve others, and not save people’s lives by sharing the Good News. If you’re reading this, then it means you’re pretty blessed with the means of technology to access the internet. Whether it’s your iphone, computer, or laptop. I’d encourage you to make this year about helping those who are less fortunate than you because there are too many people in this world that need help. You’ve been blessed so that you can be a blessing to others. Pour into the lives of others who really need help, love, and encouragement. Love your neighbor as yourself-Matthew 22:39. Here’s to 2013!!!

Oh, and Sadie says Hello! 🙂

Almost a month in Hollywood!

Hello friends, family, anyone & everyone!!

Filming for ‘Hillcrest’ has finally wrapped! We filmed our last scene at the Bodega Wine Bar in Pasadena on Monday. It was a lot of fun and I will most definitely miss working with the cast and crew. Editing for Hillcrest is officially underway. Here are a couple pictures of the cast and our last night filming!

Last week I had an audition for the lead role in an indie short film ‘The Boarding House’. I was absolutely thrilled to of even landed an audition for this part. The role was for ‘Lillie’ who is a young woman who possesses a southern accent. Two hours after I auditioned I was on set for Hillcrest when the Director of ‘The Boarding House’ called me and offered me the role. I had to think about it for a whil……..YEA RIGHT! I could barely contain my excitement!!                                                 http://www.indiegogo.com/boardinghousefilm  is the website where you’ll find pre-production postings of the film. The film is fully funded but they are taking donations to help make the movie as awesome as possible. I’m so blessed to be a part of this film-it is an amazing opportunity for me.The production team is a group of people with an enormous amount of talent and experience; I can’t believe I have the chance to work with them all. Blessed.

The last week and a half has been fun. I was on set last week filming “Look Up” (another student film) and met a musician who just happened to be having his show at the House of Blues the following Friday. He let me and my other actor friend from set that day go for free! It was a cool experience. The House of Blues is…just…COOL. I don’t know how else to describe it.

I’m taking acting classes from Mike Pointer who is an amazing coach and a great  person in general. I just completed Level One of his course and will continue on to Level Two next week. I now have a manager, which is SUPER. A manager will help me manage my acting career, submitting for auditions and print work, and help me find a legit agent. Tomorrow i’ll attend a showcase with a wide variety of casting directors and producers with a chance to perform in front of them. Prayers appreciated. Saturday i’m working a promo job at the MLS Cup which is the championship soccer tournament of Houston Dynamo vs Los Angeles Galaxy. And yes, I did have to google all of that. On Monday i’ll attend a screening of the new movie ‘Flight’ with Denzel Washington. A screening means I get to see the movie for free…but the best part is I actually get to see Denzel Washington. The lead actor always comes down front after the show for an interview and Q & A with the audience. I’m able to go to this via a certain casting network i’m a part of it. I’m EXTREMELY excited!

Oh! I’m also going to this wonderful church called Reality LA which is very similar to my last church in Ames; Cornerstone. I love it. I actually found my current roommates through this church’s website. God is so good. I’m so thankful for this wonderful church He’s lead me to be a part of!

God is good, isn’t He? He has been teaching me so much throughout this new journey and season of my life. I’m constantly burdened for the lost souls here in LA. I’ve been kinda slapped in the face with how much materialism is a part of most peoples’ lives here. It’s hard to see. So many people put their identity in things that will perish. Clothes..a hot body…drinking…drugs…money. It’s a harsh reality but a great reminder at the same time. A reminder that my identity is in Christ alone and to not hope in the things of this world, because this is not my home. I choose to live for Jesus, not fortune or fame or approval. Instead, i’m living for the day when I go home and meet my Creator. THAT is something to live for!!

“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important” -C.S. Lewis. Happy Birthday C.S. Lewis!! What a brilliant mind. “There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind…”

Did that just happen?

Hi friends, family, anyone & everyone!!

First off, I must tell you of the audition I just experienced earlier this evening. It was for a spec commercial for Doritos and the entire audition was improv. No lines, no script, no words. Nada. The casting director and producer explained the story line to me and what was happening within the scene, then proceeded to tell me to get creative and imrov the scene. O….k? Here we go! I just took my first class of Commercial acting so I should nail this. Right? I knew the scene was comedy so I went for it. I start talking and acting and ranting off stuff I thought was relevant to the subject matter. Both the casting director and producer bust up laughing. Then they say “You know, that was great. But this is actually a no-dialogue scene so…there’s no talking”. I am.SO.EMBARRASSED. Wow! Great job Jilian. Great job listening to directions!! Hmph. So I go back and do it again. Then I leave. And I laugh literally the whole way home because i’m so embarrassed and that’s how I deal with embarrassment (laughing/cringing). I think to myself…oh well, every audition is a learning experience, you can’t win em’ all! So, imagine my surprise three hours later when I get a call from the director saying they really liked my audition and I got the part. 🙂

I am sooohoho excited for all that’s happened/happening/will happen! My first week in Hollywood has been GREAT. Better than I ever could have hoped for and I feel so blessed. I started off Monday morning filming a spec. commercial for 7UP Ten. A spec commercial isn’t a nationwide commercial you’d see on TV. It is most definitely a commercial but it’s shot by a director/producer who needs it for their own reel then proceeds to present the commercial wherever and to whomever they desire. It was a lot of fun shooting behind the camera and on a green screen. Plus, I got a copy of the footage for my own reel. Score! I had an audition for a student film later that day. I actually had an audition every day this week, some days…two! I landed the lead role in my first student film. Whaaaat? The leeeeaaad? In my fiiirst…yep! I’m thrilled! The movie is a horror/suspense thriller called ‘Hillcrest’ and my character’s name is ‘Jasmine’. We start filming Wednesday. I also landed another role in a different short film.

I’m amazed at the opportunities that the Lord has provided me with this last week. He continues to provide…because this next week i’m booked solid for auditions and filming dates. He is so good! So so good! And I am so excited! Tomorrow I have an audition for a music video then am filming the Doritos spec. commercial. Tuesday i’m doing background work for the Discovery Channel all day…should be fun. Wednesday…pray for me. I have three auditions and am filming the opening scene of ‘Hillcrest’ in the evening. It’s going to be an exciting/hectic/thrilling day. Thursday I have an audition and am attending a workshop that night downtown L.A.. With whom you may ask? The speaker will be…..the actress in my FAVORITE film of all time. That film would be Pride & Prejudice. And that actress would be Keira Knightley. YEA. Imagine my excitement. It’s beyond excitement. I’ll conclude the week with filming ‘Hillcrest” all day Friday, Saturday, & Sunday.

I cannot believe how many opportunities I had right off the bat. The Lord has really been providing and leading me through all of this. I thought I might have one or two auditions a week. IF that. But i’ve been blown away by this first week and all it’s brought me.

My housing situation is truly a blessing. I didn’t see any pictures of this place before I moved in and had no idea what to expect. The apartment is wonderful, big, clean, & beautiful. My roommates are wonderful, wonderful girls; Sunny & Ashlyn. They love Jesus and are extremely kind and gracious. I love living here and I love living with them. God has been so good to me. I can’t even absorb all that’s happened to me thus far. But all I know that it’s been amazing and i’m looking forward to every day of my future. I give ALL the praise to Him. None of it belongs to me. That would be ridiculous if I credited myself for anything that has happened or will happen. Praise be to God! ALL of it!!

Let the journey begin…

Hello friends, family, anyone & everyone!

As most of you already know, I just moved to North Hollywood, California to pursue a career of acting. Through this blog I will share my story of moving from small town Tipton, Iowa to the City of Angels on a thrilling pursuit of my dreams of being an actress. And throughout my pursuit of acting-my pursuit of Jesus first and foremost. Always.

I’ve been working with an agency in Des Moines, Iowa for about a year now. The Peak Agency is a model+talent agency and it provided me with a great introduction into the acting business. But, there’s only so many opportunities in Iowa and especially considering Iowa’s recent film tax credit fiasco, I decided I really needed to relocate.

I’ve wanted to pursue acting as a career since I was 15. When I was 18, I tried persuading my parents to let me move to L.A.. They said no. Thank the Lord for their parenting…I definitely wasn’t ready.

So here I am; 21 years old and one of the newest residents of North Hollywood, California. God has finally let me do it. I’ve asked Him to go before me wherever I go and guide every decision that I make, so that it may be honoring to Him. I’ve given myself to Him and His will and there’s literally nothing more exciting to live for. By giving myself to His will i’ve asked that He helps me to be an example of Christ to anyone I encounter and to make Himself known through me. Ultimately, I want to make HIM famous. This is quite a responsibility and i’m nowhere near perfect; I fall short every day but that’s the beauty of God’s grace, it’s even big enough for me. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” -Philippians 4:13.

Right now, i’m sitting inside a Starbucks on Sherman Way Boulevard in North Hollywood. I dropped my Dad off at LAX about two hours ago. This is the first time i’ve actually been by myself since I arrived to this massive city. My Dad and I started our journey towards CA last Wednesday; driving all the way from Iowa. I am so thankful for him, for bringing me out here and helping me move. He is the best Dad. Like, a Super Dad.  My parents have played such a huge part in this journey and have been so encouraging the entire time. God gave me this passion, but my Mom and Dad allowed me the freedom to dream. The freedom to pursue my dreams with their support no matter what. Thanks Mom & Dad. Love you!

Here I go! My first day in my new life. This is the beginning of a whole new chapter. I’m beyond excited. But no matter WHAT happens in the next week, month, or year…Praise be to God. It is in Him that I truly live.

Stay tuned and see what happens NEXT! 🙂