Impossible Dreams

I have always been a bit of a big dreamer, setting goals for myself that I know would take a lot of hard work, time, and of course a bit of patience.

When I was younger those dreams were about professional dancing and figure skating. After years of pursuing dancing and figure skating, to the point where instructors were talking Olympics, I realized that they were trying to guide my dream and I stopped figure skating. I became involved in ice hockey, both playing and instructing, while still maintaining my interest and skills in dance. Today, I have not played any hockey for about 3 years, not from lack of wanting, but as a result of priorities when the amount of free time is limited. As for dancing, I am currently looking for a good dance school to maintain my skills and to follow my real dream. Now, I have my eyes set for the Hollywood Hills, be it the original Hollywood, or the new, up and coming Hollywood East. But for now my quest has brought me to the Big Apple to face my first few windmills, honing my craft.
“To dream the impossible dream,” that is our quest. We are all our own version of Don Quixote, the man of La Mancha, reaching for that unreachable star. But is it unreachable? If you believe in your dream and in yourself, and work hard, you can reach that star. Of course you will have to overcome your own various monsters and windmills, that may turn out to be dragons, but if you are willing to fight the fight and push yourself, you will succeed. But how do you start your journey? Where do you turn for that first step? This I cannot tell you for you must find your own way, but I can give you a few tips from my own personal experience to achieve my dream. However, you must keep in mind that I can only speak regarding motion picture/television production industry, but I believe the general rule will apply to any path you might decide to travel.
When I started out, I had absolutely no connections into the film world, and no friends who were interested or working towards joining this world. I felt lost until I came across a listing on Craig’s List for an internship with the Rhode Island International Film Festival. It was there that I met my first contact, Jess. Jess was the festival’s intern supervisor and she gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. Through her I was able to make connections with several filmmakers who introduced me to methods for locating work in the New England area. Of course most of these are through the internet and others through their contacts, but the ability to reach out and take advantage of these job opportunities would never have been a realistic path had it not been for the events Jess had given me to work.
Since then, I have continued to rely on the connections I made through the years working film festivals in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, as well as frequently researching online resources and entertainment newspapers. By now you know that the entertainment world is truly a place of who’s who and who you know. But once I found a path that enabled me to get my footing, I began to find ways to search opportunities of any type that would help lead me to my ultimate dream. At that time I knew my best hope would be to acquire as much hands on experience in as many different areas as possible, making myself as versatile as possible. I felt that my ability to provide a variety of skills, plus my passion and drive would be the things that would allow me to stand out in the crowd. For the next few years, I took advantage of every listing I could find, I did not allow rejection to discourage me, and I have faced each challenge head on. However, there is still one challenge that I am still trying to overcome or at the very least, accept as one that will always exist, and that challenge is to learn patience.
Even though I am currently holding a position, the idea of the unknown future taunts me. Like Heidi Klum says, “One minute your in, the next your out.” I don’t fear being out. It’s the waiting between jobs that makes me nervous. I know that there is always some position out there to find, but through the process of interviews and auditions I have come to realize that you could be interviewed on a Monday and not hear from anything for several months. Currently I am waiting. I recently went to a casting call in upstate New York, and I’m still waiting for a response. I know that since the shooting schedule for this project does not begin until mid-August, and that any scene or part I might be offered will not come for at least another month and perhaps I could be waiting until November, until such time as the part is filmed.
So if you have already begun your quest, or if you are just beginning, take these words of advice… Don’t be afraid to seek or obtain knowledge and experience in areas that you may not believe are relevant to achieving your dream. The more you know, the more you have to offer. If you have sample work, put it out there to be seen. You never know who could be looking. Never be afraid to try, for trying will help you find your likes and dislikes. Finally, always put your best foot forward and remember to be patient. There are only so many times someone can say “no” before you start getting call backs. So good luck to you and keep in mind that there are many paths and you may need to try them all before you find the right path for you. May your travels be safe on your quest towards your ultimate dream.