Listen

I've been meaning to write this post about the short film, Listen, since February, 2014. There were several reasons I didn't write about my experience of attending the 2014 LDS Film Festival—and watching myself as a movie extra on the big screen(!), from not being able to find the video online, to just not having the time to give this post the proper attention and care I thought it deserved.

Yesterday morning, I read a line in a magazine that made me laugh and decide to stop procrastinating this post, "Just spit it out!" The author was referring to a completely different situation that has nothing to do with my post, but the thought came to me that now is the time to finally share the short little movie I was in. (Previously, I wrote about the filming process in Remember that one time I was in a movie?!, but not the finished product.) Oh, this is such a happy moment for me! :)

A few weeks before the LDS Film Festival began, I received an email from the movie's director, Alisa Anglesey, about when our little movie would be premiering. (Of course it's not mine, but I was in it and I love it, so I will happily call it mine forever!)

Even though I thought the tickets were a little pricey (I'm frugal!), and I wasn't thrilled with the long drive to Provo and back, Greg and I decided it was totally worth the cost and drive time. Not only did we want our children to have a fun and memorable time together as a family, we absolutely wanted them to see their mother on the silver screen! I mean, how often do children have that opportunity?! Well, in the Peterson household, it's not often! In fact, it's a once-in-a-lifetime treat! :) So I happily bought the tickets online and never looked back!

Fast forward a few days to when I took my daughter shopping to use her Christmas gift card at Charming Charlie's. I did not plan on buying myself anything that day. Yet as we were searching for something for my daughter to purchase, I saw this red lacy dress on a rack. I thought, "Oh, that is sooo cute! I've been wanting something made out of lace! Even though it's too short and low cut in the back, I could totally layer a shirt underneath it and wear it over jeans with high heels. I could make it work!" I just had to try it on!

My daughter gushed that it looked really good on me and that I should totally buy it. I looked at the price tag and thought differently. Even though the dress was a great price, I was having a hard time justifying the purchase. But in the back of my mind, I realized I didn't have anything exciting to wear to the premiere of Listen. So I threw everything to the wind and said, "Okay, I'm buying it! I want something cute to wear to the premiere!" I found a set of three slim belts that were on the super-cheap clearance rack (Yeah YEAH!) and decided the black one would make the dress look even better, so I bought those too. :)

Hi! I totally got sucked into all the excitement of the drama! (And I was merely an extra in the movie.) I'm such a cliché! Ha ha. But seriously? I don't care. I mean, it was such a cool event to be a part of, I wanted to fully immerse myself into the whole experience—and I did, so I'm happy about that! :)

I was such an enthusiastic lady on the morning of February 8th, 2014! If I remember right, it was such a long Saturday. It felt like waiting for my birthday! Finally, around noon, I started getting ready. Here's my finished outfit:

To some, it might seem excessive that I posed so many times. But again, I really wanted to enjoy this moment because it was a special day that probably wouldn't come along again! :)

We left our house literally right after Greg snapped my photos because we wanted to have enough time to pick up my mom on our way to Provo. Our drive down was filled with excitement for the adults, and boredom for the children. Poor things. ;) Still, we had a great time chatting with each other. You can never go wrong with family time! :)

Greg found Scera Center for the Arts without incident, which was such a nice change! Usually, we have trouble with at least one of our cell phone's GPS service, and it takes longer to get where we're going. Finding it so easily was a blessing!

We arrived fairly early so we could be sure to get good seats. I'm really glad we arrived early since the guy at the ticket window was apparently intent on telling me his life story after he found out my first name. Okay, it wasn't his entire life story, but he just kept talking to me! I know he saw my wedding ring, so I can't imagine why he was so interested.

The theater where Listen was being shown wasn't open for seating yet, so we wandered around the display booths. One guy, Michael Mercer, had a booth showing a comic book series, From the Dust, that he created to tell the stories of The Book of Mormon! (The real book, not the silly Broadway musical.) It was interesting talking with him. I was impressed with his artistic abilities and excitement for his product.

I really wanted to help Mr. Mercer with his dreams and buy his comic book. (Which is why I'm sharing his information here!) Unfortunately, I had already spent enough money buying movie tickets to the short film competition, and paying for gas to Provo and back, so it was a no-go. I could tell he was disappointed, but each of us have our blasted budgets to maintain! ;) That said, I checked out his website and found that he's allowing a PDF download of his first book for free—providing you share it on Facebook.

We wandered back over to wait outside the theater and took some photos. I won't be posting photos of my family here simply because I feel the need to keep their faces private from the big bad world wide web! ;) Well, I'll show you one photo I took: our tickets!

After waiting for the prior movie's audience to leave the theater, it was finally our turn to enter. My family and I chose our seats and were pretty excited with the great view. Yes, it pays to be early birds! We took more family photos and waited for the shows to begin.

I've tried to remember the order the short movies were shown, but it's been too long. Here's a list of all the short films in the competition—of those, here are the films we saw:

& Juan

I Miss Being a Tree

Inner Child

Listen

Mirror Portrait

Out of Body

Reins

Tesha

Yarrow's Boy

I admit, it was hard waiting to see "my" movie. I enjoyed the other films, but seeing what I'd been a part of was what I was most excited about. Obviously my favorite movie was Listen, but I also really liked & Juan, Tesha, and Reins—in that order. :)

Sadly, I can't show the video of Listen here because of the restrictions the video's owner set. So sad face!! :( Thankfully, you can still view it on vimeo!

Here's the link to Listen!

You can see me at the following points in the movie—but I recommend watching it all the way through first. :)

0:37 at the counter talking to another office girl, on the right

0:49 walking down the front hallway and a young man looks up at me

1:17 walking far back in the hallway alone, from right to left

2:31 talking in the group of office girls, on the right

4:09 walking from the back hallway in a trio of office girls, on the right

*I find it interesting to note that I'm always on the right side! I guess I'm always right! Just kidding!

I enjoyed listening to the directors after the short films competition ended. They made such great little flicks! (I almost spelled it flix! Netflix on the brain!) Here are a couple of really bad photos to prove I was there. ;)

After the directors finished talking, we all got to vote for our two favorite movies. You know what my number one pick was! Later, I was thrilled to find out that Listen won an Audience Choice Award! That's one smart audience! It's too bad Listen's director didn't get paid anything for winning.

I really wanted to take my family over to meet the director of Listen, but we somehow got separated in the crowds going out of the theater. I managed to snag my daughter and youngest son and introduced them to Ms. Anglesey before she left. I hope she didn't think I was trying to show-off my children to her like, "Hey, do you want to use my kids in your next movie?!" because that was not what I was doing at all. I sincerely wanted to thank her for allowing me to be a part of something so truly wonderful. It was the experience of a lifetime! I also wanted to show her my greatest joys. I only wish I could have introduced her to my husband, oldest son and mom too! At first, she didn't remember me because she didn't recognize me, but then I clarified who I was. She was very gracious and indulged me for a few moments. (I'm sure she gets bombarded by people all the time!)

After the excitement moved outside the theater, Greg and I decided it was okay for me to take a photo on the red carpet, in front of the LDS Film Festival backdrop. When we first entered the building and saw their setup, I felt out of place taking a photo there. Yet after I watched myself on the big screen, and saw my name in the credits(!), I felt like it was completely okay for me to take a photo in front of their backdrop.

On our way to the red carpet, I bumped into one of Listen's cast members, Paul Pickett. I had spoken with Paul for a little while when we made the movie, so I wasn't sure if he'd remember me, but he did. He was so genuinely kind and willing to share his knowledge of the film industry. He gave me his email address to ask him questions later if I wanted. I truly appreciated his openness so much!

A couple of months later, I decided to really delve in and ask Paul questions about getting my foot in the door of the film industry. He shared such great and detailed information that I was truly and completely clueless about—just call me Cher! (Bad joke, I know.) I sooo did not understand to what extent it takes to really get your name into the film industry. (I keep using film industry, but I'm unsure if I'm using it correctly! Ha ha.) While I would love to follow Paul's brilliant advice and get myself out there more, I'm just not willing to spend the time away from my family that's needed to "make it".

And it's not like I haven't tried this past year. I've applied for many projects that were emailed to me by various casting agents within LDS Casting. I've received two emails sent specifically to me, with my name in them—which is rare, at least it's rare for me.

I admit, it's been disappointing after getting so excited to be a part of some interesting projects within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' film department—especially when they asked for me by my name(!), only to be emailed something like, "Sorry, you weren't chosen."

I've spent a lot of time prettifying myself and taking endless photos for headshots and profile shots! My computer is filled with edited photos I've submitted to various projects. I'm like Barry B. Benson in Bee Movie when he continues to crash into the closed window, thinking he will somehow get out, saying, "This time! This Time! This Time!" Yeah, I've taken a break from applying to The Church's casting calls for a while...

But I digress! Here are our photos (Paul gave me his permission to share these and write about him. Thanks, Paul!):

Greg was sneaky and snapped this one (above) when we were looking at Paul's camera. I totally love the fact that Greg made us look like stars! Or, at least wannabes! Okay, I'm the wannabe, Paul is a legit actor.

I included this photo because it's in better focus—darn cell phone camera! ;)

I took photos with my little family (all together) and my mom (separately) on the red carpet, but I'm upset I forgot to take a photo with just Greg and I! What was I thinking?! Actually, I know what I was thinking. I was worried about all the other people waiting to pose on the red carpet, so I hurried and neglected my leading man, my greatest gift: Greg! Thus, I had to crop this photo we took with the Picketts. I would love to see Greg on the silver screen one day!

After we concluded our fun family photos, we headed out to the car. On our way through the building, I was surprised to see Craig Clyde talking with someone in the front hallway. I wanted to see if we could chat with him, as my dad is casual friends with him (my dad owns a small advertising agency, but he's semi-retired), and my younger sister had a small role in one of his movies Little Heroes. I asked my mom, "Do you know Craig too? We should say hi to him!" My mom said, "No, let's not. He probably wouldn't remember me." So we moved along.

May I quickly say, I think no one could ever forget my mom. Anyone would be so pleased to talk with her, as she has a semi-famous performing history all of her own! She even met Bob Hope when her band was performing on a USO tour in Vietnam! But I'll blog about her fabulous self another day. :)

I loved that it was lightly raining when we walked outside to our car. There is just something about rain that makes things memorable! We decided to eat at Olive Garden for our celebratory dinner! Even though I had major worries about Olive Garden's gluten-free menu, I was so jubilant, I decided this one time of possible cross-contact wouldn't hurt!

The waitress was excited and overly impressed when she found out our reason (seeing "my" movie at the film festival) for eating at the Olive Garden. When she made a mistake on our order, she brought us a cake for free! Um, yeah, that's never happened to us before. It's sad to say, but I really do think people are treated better when they are perceived as being important because of a career in TV or movies. At least, that's what I gleaned from our post-film-festival-Olive-Garden dinner! Hey, I'm not complaining, I just think everyone should be treated as well as those who are seemingly important!

We had such a delightful time eating together, I'm so pleased we made it part of our fun day! When we headed outside it was still raining, so my sweet Greg told us to wait at the entrance while he brought our minivan to us.

Our children were markedly happier on the drive home which made Greg and I happy too! I was so relieved our day wasn't a bust—our kids had fun and liked the movies! I'm guessing the fact we ate at a restaurant helped increase their happy factor! Here's a photo I snapped of our rainy night on the way home, as (ironically) I wanted to remember its warmth.

My little family continued talking and having fun until after we arrived home late that night. I'm so grateful everything went well for us, and especially that we traveled safely. After my darling children were on their way to dreamland, I had a grand time reflecting on our day. I think it's safe to say I fell asleep that night feeling ultra content, much like Ralphie did on Christmas night—except I was holding Greg in my arms instead of Old Blue! ;)

Yes, February 8th, 2014, will live forever in our awesome life book, Peterson Family's Greatest Memories!

P.S. We don't have an actual book, it's just a great thought. ;)

Update: 02/06/2017: I found Listen on YouTube! Thus, I had to share it right here on Enthusiastic Fantastic...because that's exactly how I feel about "my" short movie! It's pretty great!

Remember that one time I was in a movie?!

On Saturday, November 23rd, 2013, I was privileged to be an extra in an independent LDS short film! Sadly, I can't name names of the movie or the people associated with it because of the volunteer contract I signed. Boo. :( Rest assured, as soon as the movie comes out I'll be updating this blog post. :) It's all very interesting to me how this movie opportunity came about. Care to read on? Here we go! :)

*Side note: this post is extremely long. It was such a wonderful opportunity and I've never experienced anything like it before, so I'm writing about all of it! Also, I'm totally going out on a limb sharing my personal photos, so please don't do anything with them, i.e., look but don't touch. Thank you. :)

Way back in October, 2010, my good friend asked me to be in a photo shoot for a training video for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. When I finished the photo shoot, the director said I should apply on the LDS casting website. I was pretty shocked by his statement. I thought, "What? Why would they want to use me for anything else?" His words absolutely made my week because they showed that he liked what I did for them! Yay! I happily thought about signing up until we ended up moving to Texas two months later. Yeah, there was no point for me to sign up then!

Fast forward two-and-a-half years. By the time we were mostly settled in our new/old house, I began feeling the Holy Ghost whisper to me that I needed to sign up on The Church's casting website. I wondered if it was really Him, because I thought maybe I was just being silly, or vain, or self-centered, or presumptuous, or whatever. Yet those thoughts, "You need to sign up for The Church's casting website." kept coming to me. I prayed about what I was thinking, and determined that yes, it was the Holy Ghost whispering to me, and yes, I needed to sign up.

Thus began my internet search. It didn't take very long to find the Church's casting website, but I still took a while longer pondering my actions. I wondered why I should sign up. I wondered how my signing up would benefit my family and me? I wondered if this was something I was really supposed to do?

I prayed, received my answers (again), and signed up! After reading through their requirements I wondered how I was going to get head shots? I finally decided to just take my own because I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Either it would work out, or I would totally flop. I thought it would be better if I just kept my decision to myself, until there was reason to celebrate. :) I was nervous and totally laughed while taking my own head shots, as I thought they must seem so amateurish. Yet I was brave and submitted everything they requested. I felt really good when I finished, which was a confirmation to me that I had made the right decision. :)

I began receiving emails about casting needs shortly after I signed up. Everything sounded interesting, but I didn't fit into the description of most of their projects. There was one project that I could have applied for, but it conflicted with our ward's Mutual night so there was no point in applying. Also, most of their projects are for the broader/global audience—i.e., they wanted more diverse/ethnic looks. It seemed that my look was the farthest thing from their requirements! After receiving so many "I don't fit their criteria" emails, I wondered why I had even signed up? I decided to just let it be and go about my life until something became available that applied to me.

Enter Thursday, November 21st, 2:41 p.m.. I received an email about a short independent LDS film that was looking for extras, and would be filming in Ogden on Saturday. It wasn't officially sponsored by the Church, but they had taken an interest in it. As I read the description of what the movie people were looking for, I thought, "Hey! I actually really fit their requirements this time!" I was pretty excited, so I prayed about it. I felt good, and that I should apply, so I called Greg to see what he thought. I pointed out that it was only filming that upcoming Saturday, so we didn't need to worry about interrupting our family's schedule. He said I should definitely apply for it. So I did!

I measured myself, found a head shot and full-body photo that I thought would suffice (even though they weren't professional), and submitted the rest of my information. By 4:13 p.m. I received their confirmation email. I was pleased with how timely I responded. :)

I truly didn't think I would hear anything other than a, "Thank you for your submission." email. Thus, I was completely stunned to receive an email at 2:20 a.m. Friday morning, the 22nd (but I didn't read it until about 8:20 a.m.), stating that the casting office would like to book me (me!) for their project. It made me so happy to know that they made their decision a mere 10 hours and seven minutes after I applied. I know I'm so silly, but it meant a lot. :)

I couldn't wait as I ran downstairs to tell Greg my happy news. I screamed excitedly, "I made it!!! They chose me to be in their movie!!! Of course, I'm only an extra, but still...I'm going to be in a movie!" Cutest husband that he is, Greg said, "I'm not surprised at all. I knew they would choose you." Oh yes, he got major brownie points for his sweet words. :)

I could hardly focus on getting the kids ready for school, but I somehow did it all. ;) I came home from dropping off the kids at school, got ready for the day and then went shopping for the things the casting office listed in their email. I also had to find someone to help me get my hair curled for Saturday morning—the casting call was bright and early at 7:00 a.m.! I called a young lady in my ward who cuts my hair and left her a message. I also called my mom and sister-in-law, in case my hairstylist couldn't help me. I was so relieved and grateful my hairstylist could help because my mom and sister-in-law were both busy.

Here's what I look like in sponge curlers and a cap:

I'm so excited!

After my hair was finished, I packed my bag with everything they requested. I brought extras of everything because not only was I an extra, but I didn't want to be unprepared and look like a slacker!

I took four pairs of shoes because I wasn't sure which ones they would like. They ended up choosing the black and grey pair on the right. I also took many slips and nylons because I had no idea what my costume would look like or what I would need. I ended up not reading "Blackmore" on set, but I've started it now! It's really good so far! :) (I didn't take the blue shower cap. I simply forgot to take it out of the picture!)

I got ready for bed super early so I could get my beauty sleep. Beauty sleep is a real thing, you know. Sleep is very important! Just as I was ready to get under the covers, I realized I hadn't tweezed my eyebrows and other hair on my face. Drat! Thankfully, I had enough time to do both and felt so much better when I finished. After all, nobody wants to be hairy on their first movie day! I was in bed by 10:05 p.m. and probably asleep within five minutes. Sleeping in sponge curlers isn't the most comfortable feeling, but I think it was easier than it could have been because I had the fashionable pink satin cap on my head. At least that's what I tell myself. ;)

I suddenly awoke at 4:07 on Saturday morning. I couldn't figure out why I was up before my alarm was supposed to go off at 5:00 a.m. Yet after laying in bed for nearly 30 minutes, I decided to get up and get ready. I used my new, blue, terry-cloth-lined shower cap in the shower. It did a great job of keeping my curlers dry. I was very happy that I applied my foundation correctly with a wedge sponge. You might laugh at that statement, but I was nervous to do it because I never wear foundation. I didn't want to look like a pasty clown! I was a tad worried my curlers wouldn't have dried, so I blow-dried them for a few minutes.

Here's me with only foundation/cover-up on:

Rise and shine!

Packed up and ready to go!

I gave Greg a kiss, ate a quick breakfast, got the rest of my stuff ready and hopped in the car. I was happy it was so dark outside because then no one could laugh at my sponge curlers. The drive was uneventful and I arrived safe and early! I think I was the third car there, which felt good to me. :)

When I began meeting people inside The Old Post Office in Ogden (click here to see beautiful pictures of T.O.P.O.), I was totally curious as to how the day would go. I tried my best to be helpful, remember people's names and follow instructions.

It was interesting to me that there were both established actors and total newbies like me. I don't know what the other cast and crew thought of me, but I'm sure it was pretty clear that I hadn't done a movie before—even though I had no shame in sharing that information. I hoped they wouldn't hold my inexperience against me. :)

We were directed into a suite of vacant office space as a staging area and chose a spot to put our belongings. Then it was time for me to go to the wardrobe department. I excitedly waited in line, wondering what they could possibly choose for me from such a small rack of clothes! What I didn't realize until I was given my costume, is that the measurements I had provided online were enough for them to choose a dress for me! I know, another blonde moment. When I was handed the dress, there was a cute tag pinned to the sleeve with my name, age, height and measurements. I took a picture of the tag up close, but I'll keep that one just for me. ;) The 1940s navy-blue dress was lovely, albeit static-y. It kept twisting around me throughout the entire day of filming, but as long as I was conscious of what it was doing, I was able to fix it before the next shoot. I was pleased when the head wardrobe lady (I don't know what her title is!) chose my pair of shoes that are easier to walk in! :)

I took this photo of "my" dress at the end of the day—in a different closet from where it started the day.

They had us paint our nails a bright color. I chose red. It was fun to have an excuse to paint my nails. :) I usually never paint my nails because it always chips after two days! I also took this photo because I liked the darling cuffs on the dress I wore. :)
P.S. My daughter said my hand looks like an old lady's hand. Gee, thanks a lot. ;)

There was a fair amount of downtime between getting our costumes ready and finishing our hair and make-up. The nice hair and make-up ladies had fun 1940s songs playing in the background, so it felt pretty authentic. As I waited for my turn, I imagined my lovely Grandma Ardis and Grandma Dawna in the prime of their lives. I wondered if what I was experiencing was anything like what they experienced in their lives. It was quite a fun moment for me that I'll never forget. I also greatly enjoyed talking with the other extras and cast members. It was fun hearing a smidgen of their life stories and getting to know them better.

*By the by, I know I have pictures of people on my blog that I'm not identifying. I feel okay doing it because they, like me, have chosen to be in a movie. We were all filmed and many photos were taken throughout the day. I'm guessing that photos of me will end up in other places online, and I'm okay with that—because, again, I agreed to be a part of a film that will be released to the public. :)

Now, I'd like to introduce you to 1940s Adrie!

See how the dress twists?

I straightened the dress in this one.

I think they did a great job of making me movie ready! I also appreciate the nice lady who took this picture for me with my phone. :)

We began the day by practicing our walks until the rest of the extras and cast were finished with make-up. We then gathered together as a group to listen to the writer/producer share her happy thoughts. Then we had an opening prayer to officially start our day. I truly love being around fellow Mormons! It's quite a treat after living in Texas where our numbers are smaller than they are in Utah. :)

It was very interesting to hear the writer/producer tell her story of how this lovely little short film came to be. Although she didn't share every detail, it was evident that this movie is very near and dear to her heart. And even though the extras were all there as volunteers, her sincere gratitude and happiness was enough payment for me. I truly felt so grateful to be there! :)

I was fascinated to learn about the movie (I didn't know anything about it until that very moment) and what it meant to her. It's all about listening to the Holy Ghost (i.e., The Spirit). My experience of actually even being chosen to be an extra in her movie was absolutely not lost on me! I totally get how wonderful it is that because I listened to the Holy Ghost (whispering to me to sign up for the LDS casting website), I was able to be part of a movie that is specifically focused on listening to The Spirit. Wow. Right?! :)

My heart swells when I really think of my actions. For if I had not listened, I would have totally missed out on a grand and wonderful experience that I'll always remember. :) Even if you only see the back of me walking down the hallway on the silver screen for a split second, it doesn't matter. It's simply wonderful that I was able to be a part of something spiritually uplifting...something that will live on forever! Or as long as YouTube is around! Ha ha.

So...back to filming. The other extra ladies and I walked and walked all day long. Okay, it was more like: walk down the hallway; walk over to the window; walk into the other hallway; walk around the corner; or stand and chat with each other. Then we would sit for a while, wait for our "action" cue, and start all over again. It was really fun hearing the clickity-clacking of our high heels. I felt so refined and 1940s proper! It was fun learning how movie scenes are set up, watching how the filming equipment is used/handled, and how the extras know when to start their parts. I probably asked too many questions (because it was all new to me, and very interesting), but hopefully I got the hang of it before I drove them all crazy. ;)

Below are a few pictures of my extra friends. I am frustrated with myself that I didn't take more pictures! Oh well, we live and learn. :)

This photo was sent to me by the lovely lady in the middle. Thank you!

This photo was sent to me by the lovely lady on the right. Thank you, too!

The writer/producer graciously had a room of delightful food set up for us to munch on. Lunch from Jimmy Johns was so good. I don't think I've ever loved a mayonnaise-slathered sandwich as much as I did then! That's code for: I don't usually eat mayo. It was definitely super yum!

There were several times throughout the day when I just wanted to start dancing down The Old Post Office's hallways! I did a little pas de bourrée here and a few tap-dancing moves there, but I restrained myself from fully taking off down the hall. I didn't want to be fired from a volunteer position! Ha ha. No really, I kept half-expecting all of those hatted 1940s men to majestically walk over to us demure women, hold out their hands and whisk us away into a Gene Kelly dance number! Oh, wouldn't that have been so marvelous?! Yes, my imagination is quite adept. :)

Here are some shots of the set:

I know you can't see this hallway very well. I just thought it was cool how the light is diffused by the panel.

I love this elevator! It reminds me of the scene in "Mixed Nuts" when Mrs. Mutchnik (Madelyn Kahn) is stuck in the elevator. See the video below for the funniness:

They brought in this light, poster and many other props for authenticity. I thought it was fabulous!

Right after the above shot, I decided to take a picture of myself in that bright, happy hallway! Contrary to how it appears, it was a bit chilly in the building. Thus, the sunlight shining through the windows was a warm benefit. :)

I thought this one was too serious...

...So I took another one! ;)

This was my favorite part of the building—I just love the wood and marble. It's so classic and architecturally interesting!

This was my last photo of the filming. I was a little tired at this point, but still having fun! :)

I ended up being chosen to stick around a little longer than some of the other extras because they had already had the experience of being in a movie before, and I think they were ready to go home. I was happy to stay or go—it didn't matter to me, but it was fun staying and seeing more of the movie-making process.

Around 5:30 p.m., the casting lady told us we were done for the day so we could go home. I changed back into my comfy-cozies, handed back my costume/earrings and began cleaning up my camp chairs. Then I said goodbye to as many of the cast and crew as were still there. They were all so nice to me—that was the overall feeling I had from everyone. Seriously, all day long, every member of the cast and crew I interacted with were just completely kind, positive and friendly. (Please don't misinterpret my words, it's not like I expected people to be rude or mean, it's just that I've never done a movie before, and I didn't know what to expect.) I had such a wonderful day because of their kindnesses! :)

As I walked outside to my car, I noted that just like when I arrived that morning, there was no sun. It was like a weird time warp! It was a surprisingly long day, even though it didn't feel that long. I finally realized how tired I really was while driving home. When I pulled my car into our driveway, I was shocked to see that had been gone for 11 hours and 45 minutes—and that didn't even include my morning preparation time!

The instant I walked in our back door, Greg came bounding up the stairs and excitedly said, "How was it?! I can't wait! Tell me all about it!!!" He cutely attacked me with hugs and kisses, then we went straight into our living room and talked on the couch for the next hour. He was hanging on my every word and cuddling me the whole time. As much as I felt special on set (I truly did!), Greg made me feel like I was the most important person on the entire planet! Oh, how my man melts my heart! :)

Here's what I looked like shortly after I walked in the door.

Can you say tired?! :)

My daughter loved my curls. :) I couldn't wait to wash all of the hairspray out of them! I think I took a shower for at least 20 minutes...it felt so wonderful! :)

After this extra experience, I must state that I have so much more respect for the entire movie industry. (I was going to write out all of their titles, but that would have taken forever!) To see how much time was spent and the efforts that were made to make just a short film...well, it boggles my mind! I fully enjoyed my day, but I was very tired at the end. I can't imagine spending 12+ hours every day for months on end to make a full-length movie. All I can say is, "WOW. It's no wonder they get paid the big bucks!" I'm truly grateful for my movie-making experience, I loved all of it!

Lastly, I'm super happy my children and husband were able to see me go through this process of applying for, being chosen, and volunteering in a movie. I wanted them to see that as much as I love being a wife and a stay-at-home mom, I have additional and valuable talents that people actually want me to share with them! ;) Thankfully, my darling little family has always appreciated me, but there was a very different level of appreciation after my movie-making experience! And might I add that Greg was quite enamored with his actress-wife! Ha ha. It was completely awesome! :)

All of that said, my favorite job—hands down—is taking care of my family. There is nothing on this earth that compares to the joy of being with the family that Greg and I have lovingly created together! :)

Gems of Jewels

Yesterday I randomly browsed the internet, wondering about the outcome of something I had researched over a year ago. As I was searching, I came across a forum website dedicated to being snarky (as they put it) about other people's blogs, or videos, or tweets. Basically, they were tearing down other people's online content. I was saddened as I read their harsh, judgmental and cranky-pants words. It made me want to run and hide from my new blog! :(

I worried, "What if one day someone starts a mean forum thread about something I wrote and snarks me to bits and pieces?! I don't think I can handle the meanness!" I think it's just grown-up online bullying. Not cool.

Yet as I thought about the awful forum posts/comments, I came to the following conclusion: While there is a lot of meanness online, we must rise above it - otherwise everything online will be junk! We must combat the awful comments with posts about lovely, happy or inspiring things! Thus, I will create posts that include the good things I've found online!

Here are a few gems of jewels that I've found so far. Enjoy!

• My friend Johanna's blog post, Ephipany, is an excellent reminder for all of us. We must be kind, loving, patient, merciful and forgiving to everyone.
• A talented young woman I know and admire, Elizabeth Hovley, is an unbelievably great artist. I feel her beautiful art needs to be shared over and over! I would love it if she were able to seriously "make it" in the art world - for she truly has a gift that is rarely seen by someone so young. Please see her blog, Create Ripples, for an artistic awakening that I promise you won't regret! :)
• I have been following the miraculous story of Elder Britten Schenk ever since I read about it when we were living in Texas. I recently watched the video of his story - in his own words - and feel that more people should be introduced to this living miracle of a young man! *I hope more of us can appreciate life the way he does. What an amazing example he is to everyone on earth! Seriously, either read his blog (linked above), or watch the video below...or both!

• I stumbled across a blog that includes many of the videos created for Mormon Messages. I found it fascinating that so many of the Mormon Messages videos that I absolutely LOVE were created by the owners of the blog, Matter Unorganized! I'm predicting that this dynamic movie-making duo will be going somewhere great in the future! There are so many great videos, I can't choose just one. Thus, here are just three of my favorites:

• Lastly, I found this video from Vimeo (thanks to the above listed blog!) which contains the smart words from Steve Jobs. It's good advice for all of us!

Steve Jobs | Motion Graphic from John Reynolds on Vimeo.