Professing about my Professionals!

In this BLOG, I'd like to say Thank You!

This past week, I was surrounded by amazing professionals. I took new headshots, I went to the Scary or Die website launch party, got make-up help from one of my fave make-up artists, and had one of the sickest costumes for Halloween!

Headshots!

Who did I shoot with??

ClickWest Photography - John Allen Phillips

www.clickwestphoto.com

$295 for 5 looks! And you get all your photos on a CD right after the shoot (it just takes an hour or so). The top photo is one of the many many great shots I got with John AND it hasn't even been retouched yet! He is the coolest and a total professional...he knows his camera and lighting very well. Now, I'm an actor, not a model so I still get camera shy...and I feel like I'm boring the photographer with the same old pose but, you're in good hands with John. He gives you your freedom to be as natural as possible but, for those who need some technical assistance like "turn a little that way, chin up/down, rest your eyes, etc...he'll take over when he has to. He's also an actor himself so he understands actors..that's gotta give him more street cred. I can go on and on about how great he is but, if you need new headshots, shoot with him. Great photos, great times, great price. What more can you ask for? Seriously. Thank you John!

Scary or Die website launch!

Yay! The same filmmakers I had worked with, just launched the Scary or Die website. Same concept as Funny or Die but, for the horror community. Mike, Igor, David, and Ski-ter - Congratulations and thank you.

I met them about 5 months ago for a short film (where I also met my friend Rahi). I got really lucky with this one. Remember some time ago when I was submitting myself on LA Casting and Actor's Access over ten times a day? Well, this was one of the projects I got on my own. This goes to show you that you don't need an agent or manager to get work...like I always say..."YOU NEVER KNOW!" Now, I got to see them all minus Igor (overseas for a movie) at the party and they caught me up on some new developments. Out of respect for them and their hard work, I will keep mum about details (sorry everyone) but, all I gotta say is I am maaaaaaaaad EXCITED! As soon as I find out more, and can talk about it, I will BLOG first thing! I am one lucky actress...oh yeah, I'm a Sagittarius. :)

Thank you again gentlemen. I can't wait to hear more great news.

www.scaryordie.com

Make-up!

Robin Manier is the best. I met Robin earlier this year when I was getting ready to do a funny video for the web and I wanted to spruce up my look. Why is she so great? For those of you who know me, you know my issues with my skin...my acne and acne scars. I've worked with some make-up artists who have said they can cover up my scars and when it's all said and done, I looked better before they touched my face. Or sometimes I look like I got punched in the eye because Asian eyes can be a little tricky for some folks. All in all, I am quite vain and skeptical in this area so it takes alot to win me over.

Robin knows my coloring, knows my eye shape, knows my cheekbones, and knows my skin! Maybe because she's half Korean?! Robin hooked me up with my make-up before the website party. My skin looked and felt awesome. Normally, I would apply thick foundation and concealer all over my face to get the coverage I want but, Robin was extremely meticulous and only applied concealer where necessary. I felt like I had no make-up on. Blew me away. Then, my eyes....I'm so used to wearing black eyeliner and this look can be too dramatic. And frankly, I'm bored with it. Robin gave me the most perfect smoky eyes....sans black liner... actually, it turned out more sultry than smoky. It was perfect. And I looked and felt like a million bucks. Robin's one of my best kept secrets as an actress but, if you want her info, I'll give it up. :) And you'll be seeing more of her in my VLOGS! Yeeeeeeeah! Thank you Robin, my Korean sistaaaa!

Happy Halloween!
I was 1 of 7 courtesans for Halloween. The second photo on top is of me and one of my besties Cammy all dressed up and ready to "court". I'll probably put up more photos on Facebook when I get them. Our costumes were the talk of the century! We had 7 courtesans and 7 men to match us! We looked straight out of a book or movie. And all this was possible because of Cholla, Rachel, and the talented designer Naomi Selina!
Naomi literally put all our costumes together with her bare hands! No detail went unnoticed. You look at the costume as a whole and there is something grand and dramatic about it with simplicity but, when you look closely enough, even the simplicity of it is intricately done. Naomi put so much heart and soul into it that it was very hard to take it off in the end. My favorite had to have been the colors of costumes. Everything she got was in pure white..so she dyed everything herself, from corset to gloves, to socks, to give it an antique look. The pictures may not do it true justice...to see it up close and personal is a blessing. The colors, details, design, fabric, EVERYTHING was so beautiful and magical...it almost looked like a wedding dress. Yep, I couldn't help it..I kept thinking about my future wedding gown. I would have eloped that night, that's how good Naomi is. :) Thank you Naomi!
I'm hoping I can do a VLOG episode on her in the near future.
Here's her website.
www.bones-and-roses.com/index.html


That recaps last week!
Yowzersss, I had a pretty awesome week. This pumps me up for this week.


Check out my Facebook page for daily updates! And my Youtube channel for my VLOGS!
Till next Monday!


www.facebook.com/alexandrachoi


www.youtube.com/user/alexandra1203




with LOVE,


Alex

All Aboard the alEX EXpress!!!

Good morning Monday. Good morning everyone.

I'm shooting the VH-1 Promo with Mario Lopez today!

DemGirlzGotBallz is getting ready for a comeback!

My BLOGS and VLOGS are on schedule and doing very well!

I'm starting a workshop this week with Sherie Hernandez, Assoc. CD for "How I Met Your Mother", "Hot in Cleveland", and "Ex-Mas Carol"!

I'm auditioning regularly!

I'm meeting so many wonderful people!

Good news galore! One more good news...

My manager dropped me.

Yep. He dropped me like I was hot. I woke up one morning last week to find an email in my inbox with the subject "representation". I knew. Or maybe I was hoping.

I've been with my manager since early this year. You may remember my mentioning it in my first blog post. I was just so grateful to him for taking me on as a client. Woweeee....my FIRST manager. This was an exciting time for me. I started to feel more and more like a professional knowing that I had professionals on my side. But, are they really on your side?? After all, business is business.

A couple of months ago is when I began to feel like this wasn't the best match. As much as I liked my manager as a person and friend (I still do), I knew we would eventually have to go our separate ways. Why?? This is the bottom line...I'm not sure if he believed in me like I believe in me.

Yes, granted I'm a difficult one to push for right now. I'm a non-union actress, with limited credits, and no reel. Yes, I am very much aware of the odds that are against me at this stage of my career, but, it's not impossible. I believe in possibilities, I believe in timing, I believe in luck, I believe in hard work, I believe in persistence, I believe in believing, I believe in patience, I believe in intuition, I believe in action, I believe in manifesting. I believe in magic.

I remember when I first started thinking about blogging and vlogging. I told my manager to see what he thought...to my surprise, he wasn't too stoked on the idea. He didn't advise me NOT do it but, he didn't encourage me either. I think that was the first lightbulb moment for me. But, I swept it under my rug because at least I had a manager. Another time, I was tipped on a certain breakdown from a friend who thought I would be awesome for it. She told me to see if my manager can get me an audition. I asked him but, his reply was "I can't babe. You're non-union and you don't have a reel." Okay, fine. I didn't want to put him in a difficult predicament on my account so I let it go...because, at least I had a manager. Then he got me a commercial audition that I felt very uncomfortable about...because they were looking for someone who can read Korean fluently. Now, I can read Korean but, I sound like a 2 year old. So, I told him that I'd rather not but, he advised I should. So, I did. I didn't want to seem ungrateful..nor did I want to decline the first audition he got me. Acting and auditioning was becoming stressful...a sign that something's not right but, again, at least I had a manager.

My manager is a good manager...probably a great manager...just not for me. My heart knew this before he dropped me. And lucky for me, God/Universe took care of the dirty work. I am now free to meet the manager that's meant for me....a manager who sees something special in me, a manager with just as much fire in him/her as I do, a manager who is patient but, has goals for me, a manager who will fight for me, a manager who is practical but also believes in magic, a manager who trusts me and my intuition, a manager who trusts his/her intuition, a manager who will take risks, make me take risks, a manager who will become a friend, part of my heart. I'm putting it out there! I know you're out there!!! :)

Just before I got dropped, my manager wanted me to take new headshots...actually, he was on my ass about it. Right after I got dropped, I scheduled to get new photos taken. Manager or no manager, this train's gonna keep on moving! Jump on or get off but, I ain't stopping!

So, for those of you out there that are in the same boat or train as me...you don't have a manager or theatrical agent...it's alllllll good. Trust and believe. Trust and believe in yourself first. The right people will come into your life without your trying. Think it, feel it, believe it. And just keep doing what you love to do. Just keep moving. Just do your part. You'll get there...I promise. :)

You want to know a little secret?? After the VH-1 audition, I put it into my calendar as if I had booked it already. I blocked that day out in advance. A couple of hours later I found out I was on "AVAIL" and the next day I BOOKED it.

I'm a BIG believer in living your life as if it's all here and now. For example, I want to be a STAR....I am a STAR. I talk like a STAR, I act like a STAR, I dress like a STAR, I eat like a STAR, I sleep like a STAR, I work like a STAR, you get the point. Yes, I still have to fight off those "who the hell do you think you are?" voices but, who am I not to?? So, how do YOU want to talk, act, dress, eat, sleep, work today???

You are the conductor of your choo choo train. People will get on...people will get off. But, who's the one that stays till the end?? The conductor. You have to get to your destination.

Thank you to my EX-manager. Thank you for taking me on, thank you for letting me go. Thinking about our wonderful yet, short-lived relationship on this beautiful rainy day...I wish you all the best!!!!

LOVE,

Alex

Hold me ACCOUNTABLE

I recently watched "Secretariat" with friends Rahi, Laurence, and Case.
Can I just say....I L-O-V-E-D it.
Penny Chenery-Tweedy's story hit a nerve with me. Plus, I'm a sucker for stories about always following your heart, at all cost, discovering your destiny, overcoming hardships, never giving up, and finding true happiness and love in the end. For example, "Kung Fu Panda"...balled my eyes out.

So, this brings me to what I really want to tell you.......





DemGirlzGotBallz is baaaaaack!!!!

Who is DemGirlzGotBallz??? We are the hottest, baddest, and fiercest group of women who love comedy. Our forte is sketch and parody.

We've been on "hibernate" mode for some months now because I'm a notorious procrastinator. A little backstory...
Spring/Summer of 2009, I became reacquainted with the comedian in me. Lucky for me, one of my closest friends, Brian is a stand-up comic so I began tagging along to see stand-ups, improvs, and sketches. Comedy...I fell in love with it no doubt. At shows I was thoroughly enjoying, I felt like I would lose control over myself and jump on stage with them...like my body twitched and I would have to try so hard to sit still...because I wanted to do what they were doing.

Poor Brian had to hear a trillion times "I want to do that", "I think I can do that", "I'm funny, right?", "Damn! I really want to do stand-up!", yada yada yada. Then, one of the best thing that could have been said, was said. So Brian tells me that apparently, in the "comedy world", there is this stigma that good-looking women are NOT funny. ??? I thrive on challenges like this. My "Bring It" attitude gathered up a group of talented, badass beauties and put on one successful show! Holla. DGGB was here.

DGGB was making a name for itself. Amazing opportunities seemed to be in our future and amazing people were popping up and willing to help. Everything was so easy...things just clicked or fell into place. And the more amazing and easier it got, the more I wanted to give up on it. I guess I got scared. I'm still scared. I believe in the group whole-heartedly. I believe it has its place here...now...today. It's special...it really is. And because it is so special, I know we'll do special things too. But, in order for this to happen, I have to get my mind right. It ain't easy, that's for sure. Now that I have my blog and vlogs, aside from basic acting commitments, I can easily say "Eh, too much on my plate" and avoid it altogether. But, it's not too much. If I can just manage my time and make some lifestyle adjustments, it's completely do-able.

So, I'm working on that...time management. Plus, I now have a business partner, Jeannine! Jeannine's one of my best friends...like my sister. I tend to be the organizer or list-maker out of most of my friends but, Jeannine is that for me so, she's perfect! She will definitely hold me accountable and make sure I stay on track. Yay! Welcome Jeannine and Thank You!

Penny Tweedy, you're my hero. You've inspired me and lit a fire under my ass. I am hungry once again. I'm ready for changes, adventures, obstacles, and opportunities. Looking back, I feel very guided and protected by Providence throughout my life...I have nothing to worry about. But, I'm not gonna lie...I'm terrified. This is a good sign.

More good sign...magical things are happening. Talented friends are offering help and randomly people are asking about us. It feels as though God/Universe is shifting things into gear for us to begin our thang. We have some cool things in the works already. :)

Now that I've gone public with my vision for DGGB, I hope you all hold me accountable as well. Since I'm a woman of my words, I know I'll do whatever it takes to live up to it. But, I'm excited. I can't wait to make you all proud!

Let's rock it out DemGirlzGotBallz!

Thank you from my bottomless heart.

Alex

I Pinky Swear

Good morning and Happy Monday. The weather is gloomy and it makes me soooooo happy. I'm a New Yorker, a Brooklynite at heart so this kind of weather just makes me feel refreshed and energized. Makes me want to kick some ass too! In a good way.

Anywho...I'd like to kick off this week with a promise. And I am pinky swearing so, you know I mean business.

I'm going to BLOG every Mondays. Yup. Just to clarify...BLOG, is this thing you're reading...my VLOG is the video version you see on Youtube.
But, I will be BLOGGING every Mondays. The VLOGs...once a month but with some short videos to hold you over. :)

Why am I making this promise?

I've been doing some thinking. Especially about BRANDING. This year, I have been focusing on the business of this business. Whether you like it or not, this (Hollywood) is a BUSINESS....bottom line. You are a product..your product. Now what?

My product...ME wasn't really me. Let me explain.
Early this year, I decided to cut off my hair and perm it. Now, I had long, straight hair for a very long time. I remember saying to myself..."Gee, I wish I can chop off my hair. Oh, but, I can't since I'm an actress. Long hair is better. It's easier for me to book roles with longer hair...since I'm giving them a blank canvas to work with."

Who says?!?! Let me just tell you that cutting my hair and perming it in 2010 was the best decision or business move I made! Instead of chasing after roles that I didn't want (because that's all that's out there for us Asians), I believe I am now telling Hollywood what I want and how I want to be casted! Here you go Hollywood, there's a new Asian in town. Muhahahaha.

So let me ask you a question...

How many Asian girls do you know with short, curly hair?
Not many I'm thinking. Now, if you didn't know me, and you met me, this curly-haired Asian girl, wouldn't you say or ask yourself..."Hmmm..I wonder if her hair's natural?" Even if it was 2 second passing thought. I can safely say this because everybody I meet...I get the same thing..."OMG. Is your hair natural?" Man, woman, children...they all want to know. Not kidding.
Now, include casting directors, directors, producers, writers, into that mix. It's true! They ask about my hair all the time! Soon, they're saying things like "it's so cute!", "you're like the sassy Asian", "it's very sexy!", "you're the edgy Asian", "it's very unique!", yada yada yada....
Do you see where I'm going with this? They've already created all these characters for me. Now, I may or may not get the part but, I was MEMORABLE.

A couple of weeks ago, I met Nicole who recognized me from my vlogs. She came up to me and asked if I did videos. I thought, "No way...can't be." But it was true! She watched my VLOGS and said she was a fan! My VLOGS don't even have 200 views so to be recognized on the streets was the coolest random event ever. The one thing she said to me was "YOU ARE MEMORABLE".

Being memorable is crucial when it comes to branding. You know what else is crucial??? CONSISTENCY. Ugh...my worst enemy. But, I'm going to make it my best friend. I have to be consistent. So, my blogging and vlogging..I have to be consistent. Which takes me back to the top...my promise. I have to be more reliable for my consumers...you know what I'm saying??
If I'm going to call myself a blogger and vlogger, I'm going to do it right.

So, here's the plan...
Blogging...every Mondays. It'll be a nice way to start the week for me. And who knows, maybe it'll help you start the week too. I'm a good motivator. :)

Vlogging...once a month. Let's see....how about the last Monday of every month! Yeah! Okay. Done. Editing is extremely time consuming and you have to be meticulous. It's a lot of work but, once a month! I'm going to do it! But, for those in need of some "Alex Fix", I'll have short short videos (1min. in length) to hold you over during the down times. :)

So, there it is!!!
I've got a busy week ahead of me. I'm ready though. Always ready.

So, think about your brand this week....YOU. I'm not saying go out there and shave your head or do something drastic. But, think about what's working for you and not working for you. And remember, it's really YOU that people want. How can you show yourself? You are the only one who can do that the best.


Your Curly, Sassy, Edgy Asian,

Alex