Interview by Shay Martin

Monica Saviolakis is an actress, singer and lifestyle model in the Boston area. She has appeared in a national commercial for Dunkin Donuts, as well as several regional commercials including those for Pure Hockey, Town Fair Tire, Bertucci’s, and many more. Monica has also worked on many corporate and training videos for several large companies like Google, BOSE, Staples, Liberty Mutual, and Merrill Lynch. She has acted on the set of over one hundred films, web and television shows, commercials, industrials, and print campaigns. I was privileged to attend a workshop by Monica Saviolakis about breaking into the business of acting for commercials. She was amazing and fortunately for me (and you) she agreed to be interviewed for this blog. Read on about her journey in the acting industry, and her advice for aspiring young actors. 

A brief summary of your story. I found it inspiring. 

I went to school for theatre, and tried to focus on Musical Theater because I love to sing.  After graduating in 1998, I traveled throughout New England, working in Arts Administration and Box Offices at prestigious theaters like the Williamstown Theater Festival, the Arden Theater in Philadelphia, and McCarter Theater in New Jersey.  I also lived in NY for a short time, working at City Center during the day in Development, and as a singing hostess at Ellen's Stardust Diner at night. After realizing New York City wasn’t going to work out the way that I had hoped, I moved home. I got married, and took some time to raise my family. After being home for a while with my girls, and going back to work outside the home - I got laid off... And I quickly went back to doing what I loved. And, thank goodness I did – I have been happily acting, singing, and modeling as my job since January 2010!

What's your best advice for child actors? 

The best advice I can give is Don’t Get Discouraged! There is so much that goes into a casting decision, and most of the time, it has nothing to do with your talent! So, think of every audition as practice for the next one.  Keep at it, hone your craft, educate yourself as much as you can on the process and on the craft. When the role is right, it will hit! I have to tell myself this on a daily basis!

Any advice for the parents? 

This one is tough! As a child, I did lots of theater with my schools. My parents drove me day in, day out, pick up , drop off, over and over… They were not happy that I went to school for theater. But they were proud of me for following my dreams. And now, even in my late 30s, my parents support me every day. They watch my girls, they ask me what auditions I had, they show their friends the commercials I am in. Their support means the world to me, and I think especially the younger generation needs their parents' support more than anything. 

How do you keep your head up after rejection?

Again, this is a tough one. Even today I find myself in a bit of a slump because I just learned I lost a major role! I had a great audition, even better callback… it was out of my hands. I did my best, I dressed the part, researched, practiced my Boston accent… everything! Turns out – I was just too young for the role! Out of my hands… Go in there, do your best, and like I said before – think of each audition as practice… My motto after every audition is “onto the next!”

On a side note, I came across this article from Backstage.com, Helping Young Actors Deal With Rejection, and thought it would be a nice touch to add to this question!

Anything else to add?

I commend any young child who knows at a young age that this is what they want to do when they “grow up”. Have a good head on your shoulders, have a great support system in your family and friends, and keep the “onto to next!” motto close. Practice makes perfect, and this business is no exception.

Thanks Monica for your time and wisdom! You can learn more about Monica by visiting her website, and following her on Twitter and Facebook. You can also find her on IMDb. 

Interviewed by Audrey Larson.

Twin actresses, Chelsea Summer and Brooke Star Noriega, filmed guest starring roles on the recent episode "Under Pressure" (Season 5, episode 12) of the Emmy award-winning comedy "Modern Family". We had the honor of interviewing Chelsea and Brooke about their experience filming Modern Family, getting to meet other cast members, and how their acting career began. Read on for the full scoop! 

Tell us about yourselves: 

Chelsea:  Brooke and I are 14 and live in the Antelope Valley. It’s about an hour northeast of Los Angeles, California and is considered the high desert. We both attend Desert Sands Charter School, which is an independent study program that allows us the flexibility of filming during the school year. Our similar hobbies include music, (we both play piano and guitar), archery and bike riding.
Brooke: And our independent hobbies are dancing and baseball for me,
Chelsea: And gymnastics for me.
Brooke:  Oh and we both just picked up learning to ride the penny (skate) board which is fun, and we both ride rip-stick (skate) boards!

When did you start acting? What got you started? 

Chelsea:  Both of us got our start in musical theater when we were 7 years old. Our older sister Brittni was auditioning for a local community theater production of “Disney Musical Spectacular”, so we auditioned too and got in as “Newsies”. We both caught the acting bug and that began six straight years of performing in theatrical shows, both musical and dramatic.  I like acting because it allows you to pretend you're someone else for a little while,
Brooke: And I like it because its fun and I get to make people laugh!

How does being twins help advantage or disadvantage you in the acting industry? Do you ever have to compete against each other for a particular part? 

Chelsea:  Our Mom has always told us we were blessed to have two market opportunities in the industry.
Brooke:  Yeah, one as twins,
Chelsea: And the other as individuals.  Sometimes we audition for the same role, but we try and support one another with ideas, like, different ways to deliver the same lines.
Brooke:  But we are “teammates”, so we root for each other no matter who books the role. I can’t think of any disadvantages, unless the Casting Director were to like both of us but could only choose one, and didn’t because maybe he/she thought it would be too hard for either of us to lose out getting the role, but honestly, we would probably never know if that ever happened.

Tell us about getting to work on the show “Modern Family”. What was the auditioning process like?

Chelsea:  Omg! Filming on Modern Family was sooooo much fun!! We met some really nice sets of twins that day [of the audition]! Some we are still friends with. Our Mom coached us on line delivery and having different vocal emphasis choices when delivering the lines, and then when we met with the Casting Director,
Brooke: Who was really nice to us,
Chelsea:  And he helped us make the best choices. When we left, we wished all the other twins the best on their audition.
Brooke: We felt like whoever got the roles, we would “know” them and be happy for them. Of course….secretly, we hoped we would book the job! Haha!
Chelsea: After the first audition, the Casting Director narrowed down the selection of twin sets to four, out of approximately 12-15 “first call” twin sets, to now go on to the “Producers Session”.
Brooke:  That means to meet with the Producer, Writer and Director of the show. As a matter of fact, this was our first time going to a “Producers Session”, so we didn’t know what to expect,
Chelsea: And thankfully, we were ultimately chosen for the roles of Piper (myself) & Zoe (Brooke)
Brooke:  It was a very happy day getting the call that we booked the job from our Agent!

What was it like working with the cast of Modern Family? How long did it take to film the episode? What would you say is the biggest difference from filming a movie and filming a TV show? 

Brooke: We only worked with the two boys on the show,
Chelsea: Rico Rodriguez & Nolan Gould, and they were both very nice.
BRooke:  We did get to meet and take pictures with Eric Stonestreet!
Chelsea:  He was so funny! He asked us all kinds of questions, and for some reason, we kept answering them EXACTLY the same at the EXACT same time! It was so funny!
Brooke:  Right? We NEVER do that! He asked our Mom if we always do that, and she laughed and said, “NEVER”! Haha!! It was great to meet him!
Chelsea: We filmed for two days, one day on location at a school, and one day at the 20th Century Fox studio lot.  As for the differences between filming television and feature films, from the experiences on both that we’ve had, I’d say, features take longer to film, more takes, and television shows move along pretty quickly because they have shorter time frames to work with to get the scenes done.

What was the coolest or your favorite part about it?  

Chelsea: Definitely enjoyed the added attention, like having our hair & make up done and the feeling of importance to the show.
Brooke: Our trailer was awesome and the crew took our “orders” for lunch and served us IN our trailer! 
Chelsea:  Seeing Sophia Vergara & Eric Stonestreet in person was pretty cool too!

Any funny/best moments on set? 

Brooke: Speaking about Sophia & funny moments, well….Chelsea and I heard something going on outside our trailer, and they were taking Sophia to set on a cool large golf cart vehicle,
Chelsea: Yeah, we were trying to check her out in stealth through the mini blinds in our trailer!"
Brooke: So Mom says, “What are you girls looking at?”, and we said, “Sofia Vergara is right outside our trailer”! Mind you this was our first day on set, and Mom says, “here, let me pull up the blinds so you can see her better!”, and both Chelsea and I go, “NO!” and try pulling the blinds back down. We were so embarrassed. Well, Sofia heard all the noise and looked up and saw us, and started chuckling. 
Chelsea: I’m sure she thought we were crazy!
Brooke: And they rushed her off to set, so we never got the chance to meet her and take a picture with her.
Chelsea:  But we did get to meet the other co-star on our episode (Modern Family, episode: “Under Pressure”), Jesse Eisenberg! He was very nice and took a picture with us and Rico.
Brooke:  Chelsea was beaming in that photo, she loves Jesse as an Actor!

Anything else to add about your experience filming “Modern Family”?

Chelsea: Just that it was a very memorable day, and a boost to our acting career. We couldn’t believe that here we were, filming as Guest Stars together, on an Emmy winning show! How awesome is that?
Brooke: Oh, and another cool fact was that one of our good friends was booked as background on the set, and he and his Mom, who is our Mom’s good friend, got to enjoy the day & experience with us! That added to our fun!

Tell us about some other acting experience you've had:

Chelsea: Well, mainly it has been theater, television, film, commercial work, and live vocal performances with our sister, Brittni. Oh and we have made some fun music video’s with Brittni, who loves to film and direct them herself.
Brooke: Also, last year, we filmed as leads in a mini (1 minute) short film called “A Better Place” by Javi Productions, for La Sierra University, and directed by Javi Joseph that won the Caddie Short Film Festival. That was really exciting! We had a big poster billboard on the 91 Freeway in Los Angeles for a week because our film won!
Chelsea: Yes, that was cool. And our sister Brittni was the voiceover narrator and make-up artist on the film, so it was fun working on set with her too.

Any upcoming projects/roles you can talk about? 

Chelsea:  Brooke and I just created our own You Tube channel called “Cover Girls” and we plan to do some fun comedy skits and also share some of our music we write. Hopefully people will want to subscribe and follow us on You Tube very soon!.
Brooke: Plus we are going to be going into a local recording studio this summer to start laying down some of our own tracks and vocals, so that will be really cool! 

What advice would you give to young actors who want to pursue their passion?

Chelsea: I would tell them to enjoy the journey, learn to submit it (meaning the audition) and forget it, you know; do your best, and then don’t think about it again unless you get the call from your Agent and he/she tells you that you booked it! And most of all, remember to be a kid and have fun!
Brooke: Adding to what Chelsea just said, I would say, practice your craft everyday, whether it be singing, dancing, acting, or any skills you want to pursue, and become excellent at it. That is what will set you apart when auditioning for the roles you want. Oh, and don’t give up!
Chelsea:  Thanks for wanting to interview us Audrey, this was fun!
Brooke:  It sure was! Thanks Audrey!

Thank you Chelsea and Brooke for your time! You can follow the twins on their Facebook fan page and individual Instagram pages, “Chelsea Noriega” and “Brooke Noriega”. You can also watch Chelsea and Brooke's episode of Modern Family ("Under Pressure") for a limited time on ABC Family's website (here). 

How did you get interested in filmmaking:

I have been making films and messing around with cameras since I was little but I started getting 'serious' 3 years ago when I started my Youtube channel 'Perspective Pictures' (previously known as Nerf4hire). When I started on Youtube my videos were terrible but I made as many as I could with as many different people as I could and tried to improve while watching other channels like 'CorridorDigital' and their behind the scenes. 

 Do you have previous filmmaking experience? 

Well yes, I originally wanted to be an actor (and still do alongside directing) and have done some professional work here in the UK in film and television. I have found it really useful to watch professional film sets and as an actor you spend most of your time just sitting around waiting, now most actors hate this but I love it; it gives me the chance to really watch everything around me as it happens. 

Tell us about your web-series, “The Fallen”:

My web-series 'The Fallen' is about a young man trying to find his younger brother in a world with no water remaining after an 'alien' invasion removes all of it. The series tries to look at what we really are as people by putting characters in a situation with no boundaries. I shot the film on an ultra low budget and produced a series of behind the scenes episodes along side the series to show you how we produced the film on such a low budget. 

Why did you decide to do a web-series? Where did the inspiration for “The Fallen” come from?

The inspiration for 'The Fallen' came from a British tv show called 'The black mirror' I would highly recommend watching it. I was also inspired and motivated by other Youtubers who were producing web-series at the time.

“The Fallen” takes place in a dystopian world. Was this setting hard to put together?

Yes, the dystopain element was difficult to sell in the series, but we used genuine abandoned locations which I found extremely effective as the majority of our locations were genuinely dilapidated, and best of all free!

What was the hardest scene to film?

 The hardest scene to shoot was a battlefield scene. We hired a digger and dug a load of trenches in my parents back garden, then brought in a pyrotechnican who set off a load of explosives to try and sell the battlefield environment. It was pretty sketchy to be honest and we only had two takes to do it in but we did it in one! 

Where did the funds for the series come from? 

 I funded the project myself from revenue accumulated from the youtube partnership program as well as some help from my grandparents. 

What are some lessons you’ve learned from your experience creating “The Fallen”? What do you wish you knew before starting it?

The importance of sound, whether that be music, dialogue or effects-- good sound with bad picture is watchable but great picture and poor sound is awful. This is one of the biggest weakness's of the film however you generally learn more from your mistakes. Sound is more than just half of your film. Its a way of subliminally selling a higher level of production value. 

Do you have any role models or mentors in your life you can tell us about? 

I had a fantastic drama teacher at school who supported me when I was missing so much school and actually was the one who prevented me from being kicked out because she understood how important film is to me and that I wasn't just skipping school for the hell of it. I am inspired by a number of directors like Christopher Nolan who always avoid choosing the obvious when working on a film, and Freddie Wong (the youtuber) who has always said that anyone can make films you just have to borrow your parents/aunties/uncles/friends camera and have a go.

What’s the next step for you as a Director?

I just completed a short film called 'Flip', and am planning to take it around the film festival circuit. In the slightly more long term I am hoping to get a degree in film in the US then return to London for a year and study at the National Film and Television School to gain a masters in film production. 

What advice would you give to young and aspiring filmmakers?

Turn off your computer, laptop, iPad, phone-- whatever you are reading this on right now and go and find a camera (even on an iphone will do) and make a film, it can be a short like 20 seconds or it can be 10 minutes. You can make it funny, scary, weird or whatever you want as long as you have an aim. Then edit it on yours or a friends computer (there is plenty of free editing software out there) and show it to people; all your friends, family, whatever. Show it to as many people as you can and ask them what they really think and how you can do better next time. Then do the whole thing again. 

Thanks for the interview, Rupert. We wish you good look on all your future filmmaking ventures! To find out more about Perspective Pictures, or "The Fallen" visit their Facebook page. 

--Interview conducted by Audrey Larson

Please tell us about yourself:

I’m fifteen years-old, and live in sunny California where I can follow my dream of having a film career. Having been homeschooled since I was twelve, I’ve been able to accelerate through my classes. So, while I should be going into my sophomore year, I’m actually starting my junior year of high school this fall! 

When did you start acting? What got you started? What do you enjoy about acting?

I started acting when I was around eight years-old. I started modeling at age seven and was fortunate to do seven seasons of Ralph Lauren until I was around ten years old. I loved being on set and working, but I wanted to do more. That’s when I started to transition into TV and movies. I enjoy everything about acting—it really tests who you are as a person, and uses all your skills. I love being able to take on different characters, and bring whatever I have to a role. It’s a great experience.

Tell us about your acting experience:

I’ve had an amazing acting experience so far. I did my first Disney Channel episode when I was twelve years old, and have been lucky to be welcomed so warmly into the Disney family. Disney Channel is such an amazing learning ground. They make it safe to be yourself. It’s also taught me to be comfortable in my own skin, and have a sense of humor about growing up—even when it gets tricky. I’ve also loved playing Mary in MARY LOSS OF SOUL, a character who’s grounded in reality—even though so much happens to her and around her that’s supernatural in nature.

You’ve worked on a couple Disney Channel shows. What was that experience like? 

I’ve had the pleasure of working on three Disney Channel shows which includes “Dog With a Blog”, “Kickin’ It”, and “A.N.T. Farm”. With every Disney show I’ve done, it’s brought me a new and different experience. I love that I always get to play fun, different characters—from a mean cheerleader to a dorky girl with a lisp!

Tell us about your experience filming MARY LOSS OF SOUL. How did you like staying in MA? Did you get to do some sightseeing? How long did the filming take? 

I loved so many different things about Massachusetts. We did a lot of filming on a lake and in the woods. The scenery is very different from California—it was picturesque and green! Sadly though with my crazy shoot schedule, I didn’t get to see much other than our set and my hotel room! I did have the pleasure of walking through Boston for a day and enjoyed being a tourist. We filmed for about 3 weeks. That being said, it doesn’t count all the amazing people who are still working today in post-production.

What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened while you were on set? 

I can’t say that there was just a single funniest moment! There are too many to choose from! I’d have to say that the funniest memories I have are all from our late night shoots when all the actors and crew got delirious! There was always that point in the night, when everyone has already worked so hard, and we’re all so tired and punchy, that everything seems hilarious! I think that those times were when we really bonded us as a cast and crew. 

What was the hardest scene you’ve ever filmed? 

My character is really multidimensional. It wasn’t just the emotional scenes that were challenging, but there were a lot of physical things I had to do. It gets exhausting running through the woods in the dark, taking a quick break and doing it again and again! Before filming,  I went running every day to build my stamina. Even with the extra training, I was still completely dead by the end of filming.

What is your dream acting job that you’d like to do one day? 

Honestly, I’m living my dreams right now. I’ve always had a love for Indie films—they are the essence of great storytelling mixed with the passion of filmmaking. If I could do films like MARY LOSS OF SOUL my entire life, I would. 

What advice would you give to young actors who want to pursue their passion? 

My advice would be to not be afraid. Be absolutely fearless and you will go far. Also you have to be passionate. There will be so many challenges that if you’re not seriously passionate about this job, it won’t be worth it.

Thank you so much for sharing with us, Kaylee! Find out more about the supernatural thriller MARY LOSS OF SOUL by connecting on Facebook and Twitter. You can also visit the film's website. The production company hopes for a theatrical release of MARY LOSS OF SOUL in 2014.

--Interview conducted by Audrey Larson

Please tell us about yourself:

Hello, my name is Alex Dhima and I am 11 years old. I live in Milton, MA. I just graduated from my elementary school, Collicot, which I spent 5 years at taking French alongside English. I also do a lot of other things when I’m not in school: I love to play soccer, football, basketball, bike and swim. Plus I enjoy drawing, Lego building, playing the piano at an advanced level, eating a lot of Provolone cheese and a bunch of food, studying a lot of math, and most of all acting.

When did you start acting? What got you started?

I started acting 4 years ago when I was 7 years old. Initially it started as a part to complement my piano recitals and my parents thought that the acting part would help me connect better with the audience and also express myself better.

Tell us about your acting experience:

While continuing with my piano recitals I decided to take acting more seriously and attended “Acting for the Camera”, a class taken a number of Saturdays at Boston Casting, to get more familiar in front of the camera. I got cast in 4 student films and one of them, WISHBONE, was nominated for “Best Drama” and I was nominated for “Best Actor” in the Campus Movie Fest in Los Angeles. I am also working on 2 web series; RED CIRCLES and FAMILY PROBLEMS. 

I found out that acting in a theater setting is different from acting in a movie when I was working on “Real Realism” (you can read an article about it here). This was a contemporary theater play and I was one of the 5 characters, staying on the stage the whole time for an hour and ten minutes. 

I enjoyed so much musical theatre with Boston Children’s Theatre over 3 consecutive summers performing in Footloose, Legally Blonde and currently Pippin. 

In addition to the above, I also got cast for a Care.com commercial and an educational video.

What’s it like working on a webseries as opposed to a film?

Working on a web series opposed to a film is actually not that different, but for filming a web series you need to film much more often than films. Usually, I film episodes every weekend or every other weekend and sometimes we don’t do scenes from the same episode when we film. Each episode takes an estimated 8 or 9 days (8 –9 weeks) to film. In some ways, I would have a deeper understanding of my character in a web series because since you film often and for a longer time, it gives you a chance to learn more about the character than films (as far as my experience with student films).

What’s your method for “getting in character”?

The way I usually get into character is by thinking about what is going to happen in the scene. Mostly, I think of what my part is and how I become part of the scene and then I usually adapt myself to it.

What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened while you were on set?

One of the funniest things that have ever happened to me while filming is me trying to “complete an obstacle course”. When we were filming once, I had to go out the door and the camera was right in front of me, so I bent down and went under the camera. Then when I came back in, I had to twirl around the camera, which was right in front of me again. After, the director yelled cut and said in jest to stop thinking it was an obstacle course. I started cracking up.

What was the hardest scene you’ve ever filmed?

The hardest scene I’ve ever filmed was the first episode of Season One of FAMILY PROBLEMS which was the last scene we filmed. That day, it was one of the coldest days and I had to wear a short sleeve shirt. The worst part is that it also started to snow.

If you could choose, what three actors would you really want to work with someday? 

Some day, I would really want to work with Mark Wahlberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Johnny Depp (Heath Ledger if he was alive).

What is your dream acting job that you’d like to do one day?

My dream acting job is to be in a well known Hollywood Movie that would require my BEST acting skills and all my efforts will pay off.

What advice would you give to young actors who want to pursue their passion?

My advice to young actors is to keep going and not give up. If you audition for a movie and you don’t get the part, it doesn’t mean that you are a bad actor, it’s just there was someone better than you. So keep on acting and practicing and you’ll soon find yourself improving and being number 1!

Thanks for taking the time to be interviewed, Alex! Stay updated with Alex's acting ventures be following him on twitter. You can also view past and present episodes of FAMILY PROBLEMS on the show's website. 

--Interview conducted by Audrey Larson

Please tell us about yourself:

My name is Gigi Cappetta. I'm 8 years old and I'm from Hershey, Pennsylvania (where they make the chocolate, I LOVE chocolate).

I have lived in California and Maryland, too.  I attend cyber school since October of this year when I filmed two movies and missed too much school to continue on in public school. I thought being home every day would be so much fun, but it's actually a lot of work. It turns out that I'm learning better at home, without all the distractions and noise in school.

My favorite hobbies are dancing and horseback riding and drawing. I love to travel too; the beach is a favorite place to go especially to see my relatives in South America.

When did you start acting?  What got you started?  
What do you enjoy about acting?

I professionally started acting at age 5, but my parents will tell you that I have been acting since birth! When I was little, around 3 and 4, in daycare, I used to stand on anything I could find and perform songs like "Copacabana" or "Bad Romance" or "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" for all the kids and staff. They would clap and cheer and I really loved that.  

Everyone kept telling my mom that I needed to be in show business. Mom laughed it off for a few years. 

My dad urged my mom to let me attend an open call and when I got on that stage (actually it was a catwalk) and I did my thing, I was the happiest I ever was.  They signed me to the agency that day. The rest is history! 

My first job was a modeling gig for the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia. I am the little girl (daughter) on their website. It's still up and will be for 4 more years. Shortly after this jobs just began to skyrocket for me. I have been busy ever since.

Can you tell us about some projects you're working on right now?

I'm filming a web series called LEGENDS - THE DARK KNIGHT.  It is an amazing series written and produced by the Poke the Bear team out of Ebensburg, PA. Poke the Bear team had cast me in their big suspense, thriller feature film MOREAU which is slated for release in Spring 2014 (after it does a festival circuit.)  In MOREAU, I play Young Charlie and that is my biggest role to date. 

We filmed MOREAU over a two week period in the gorgeous Allegheny Mountains in PA last fall. I was cast out of 700 applicants for the role of Young Charlie, but luckily they cast me in Legends with no audition! That was a first!

I filmed 8 movies in 2012, so am just waiting for stuff to start coming out! I did play young Mariska Hargitay in a film this year (DIAMONDS TO DUST), that was cool! And I worked with Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid) and Fatima Ptacek (who is the voice of Dora) on a feature film coming out this summer called A LITTLE GAME.  And I have a short film I played a lead role in called CHARITY CASE doing the festival circuit right now.

Aside from that, I'm not working on much other than preparing for our upcoming move to Los Angeles. 

Can you tell us about the auditioning process?  Do you get nervous?  Do you have any tips on auditioning?

YES! I got very nervous in the beginning. That's totally normal. The more you audition the easier it will get, I promise. I recommend to all kids who want to act to start with modeling. It's less pressure to start and you can ease into the process of being on stage, in front of people and all the things that go with the spotlight being on you. Also when you are in front of the camera, for an audition or filming, whatever - just pretend like it's you and the camera and no one else in the room.  It's really important to be able to clock out noise and other distractions.  

Once I had an audition where they had me reading a really serious script while someone next door was banging on pots and pans. It turns out the director was looking for a child who was very focused and could perform under such conditions…I didn't book that one!

What are some fun things you got to do on set?

Once I shot a scene where we played with a cotton candy machine and I ate and ate and ate pink cotton candy until I got sick. I also got to swim in a pool, roll down a hill in the leaves under moonlight, and shoot an Xbox video game scene with a bunch of cheering Italian soccer fans which was awesome. I also love going to make-up and getting made up with special effects. It's so cool. Acting is like playing dress up with slightly older kids. I love it!

What's the hardest scene you ever filmed?

There were a couple of scenes in MOREAU where I was in sort of scary situations with the lead character, Moreau, who was a very bad guy. We talked about it before the scene, everyone did, the actors, my parents, the director. We had code words that I could say if I was not comfortable and everyone made it a nice as they could. I'm not going to lie, it was still a bit uncomfortable, but as the filming went on I got better and better at it.  

It's almost a year since those scenes, now it doesn't even bother me to play scenes with bad guys. You can't just play the cute kid all the time. If you want to get better at acting, you have to take bigger roles and sometimes those roles will be challenging. If you make those scenes an opportunity talk with your parents about what's happening, you can actually come away with a great learning lesson and even some street smart skills in addition to acting skills. 

What advice would you give young actors who want to pursue their passion?

Tell your parents you really want to try acting. Take a class on acting, even some voice lessons if you want to do theatre and singing roles. Be serious about it and know that it's competitive because there's a lot of kids out there who want to act. So you have to really work at it. There's a lot to gain. Focus, have fun, be yourself - that's most important because casting directors are looking for the real you - don't dress up too much and never wear make-up or big bows for auditions, always look your own age and remember… there's enough work for everyone who has the passion to act!  And never look back after an audition. Forget you ever went in. This way, if they call you it's a bonus, and if they don't, well, you long since forgot about them. Be happy.

Thank you, Gigi! It was a pleasure interviewing you. You can find Gigi on Facebook and Twitter. 

--Interview conducted by Audrey Larson

Please tell us about yourself:  

My name is Charles Everett Tacker but everybody calls me Charlie. I am 9 years old and I’m in the 4th grade at John W. Decas Elementary School in Wareham, MA. My favorite things (besides acting) are riding my bike, hanging out with my friends, making short films on my Mom’s computer, and playing Mine Craft.

When did you start acting? What do you enjoy about acting?

When I was 4 I had my first audition, but I didn’t get the part. I was an extra in The Town when I was 5 and right after that I did my first student film. It was for Sean Goller who was going to Harvard. I really like acting because I get to be somebody else all the time and the sets always have a lot of cool people to meet. Then I get to go to premieres, which is a lot of fun too.

Tell us about your acting experience: 

I have done about 20 or more student and independent films. Last summer I was an extra in THE WAY WAY BACK. That was a lot of fun because they filmed at Water Wiz. My mom drives me all over the place, to New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine. We travel a lot. 

Can you tell us about some projects you’re working on right now? 

Right now I’m working on A PREDATOR AND ITS PREY, which is a really cool story about a little boy who has special powers and an evil snake. I just finished my scenes on PROVOKED, a feature film that is going to be really scary. I have 2 things I’m doing in Connecticut. One is a short film called FIREFLY JAR, which is a really cool film and the other is a web series that I can’t really talk about yet. Soon I will be working on HOPELESS, a 3D zombie movie and HENRY AND GRETA, a feature film that is kind of like Hansel and Gretel. 
                                                                                                                                           Charlie with his Runner Up For Best Actor award
                                                                                                                                           at the 2012 Boston 48-Hour Film Project 

Can you tell us about the auditioning process? 

Auditions are kind of fun I guess. Sometimes you get sides (the audition script) before but sometimes you don’t. If I do get sides, I practice them with my Mom or sisters but if I don’t I just go in and do what they tell me. You can’t get all the jobs-- but you really can’t get it if you don’t audition. And Skype auditions are pretty cool. You don’t have to drive anywhere but I have to keep my niece Hannah quiet and sometimes that’s hard. 

Do you have any tips? 

I would say to not be nervous about the audition. Just do your best and have fun. They (the casting directors) love that. 

What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened while you were on set? 

The funniest thing that ever happened on set was when I kept tricking Arthur Wahlberg with the fart app on my iPhone. And when I was filming I FELL SILENT all of the crew guys were tossing me around like a basketball until my Mom caught us and made them stop. That was fun. 

What’s your method for “getting in character”? 

The best thing I do to get in character is to read the script and then figure out how I’m supposed to be. I pretend I’m not me but I’m the person in the story. That’s how I get into character. 
                                                                                                                                                Charlie on the set of THE LADY IN WHITE 
                                                                                                                                                 with Arthur Wahlberg

What was the hardest scene you’ve ever filmed? 

Kissing a girl!!! It was just last weekend and it was little peck of a kiss but it was hard! 

What advice would you give to young actors who want to pursue their passion? 

I would say to always make sure to have fun. My Mom asks me all the time if I’m having fun. It’s a lot of hard work but it’s worth it. 

Thanks for the interview! Become a fan of Charlie on his Facebook page. 

--Interview conducted by Audrey Larson

Ben Shelton, filmmaker at Shelton Films, shares his filmmaking journey and some advice for aspiring filmmakers. 

Please tell us about yourself:
My name is Ben Shelton and I grew up in Santa Barbara, CA.  I went to Santa Barbara High School, and my main focus as a kid was playing basketball.  But I also loved listening to music, writing and drawing.  It was always a balance of arts and sports.  I was never too much into science or politics.

How did you first get interested in filmmaking?
I lived right next to a Church growing up, and when I was 11 years old or so, they purchased video editing equipment to make movies for their youth program.  I learned a lot about how to edit movies that way.  And the more I did it, the more I loved it.

Is filmmaking your only job?
Along with being a father and a husband, yes.  Do those count?

What is your favorite part about making films?
It's hard to pick one.  The writing is so much fun, because it's limitless.  The production is great because of all the people working together.  The finished product is a mixed bag, because sometimes it turns out better than you expected and the feedback is amazing... and then other times the final product is a bit of a let down.

Can you tell us briefly about some of your projects-- past or present?
Right now I'm writing and directing a series called THE FLIPSIDE, which I'm very excited about.  It's produced by Rainn Wilson's company SoulPancake, and you can watch it on YouTube.com/SoulPancake.  Every episode is it's own self-contained story, so you don't have to watch it in order.  And each episode tackles one of life's big questions.

How do you get ideas for your films? Any tips?
Ideas are the easy part.  Everyone has an idea. The difficulty is turning an idea into a story that makes sense, and then financing it.

What’s one thing you wish you could have know when starting out as a filmmaker?
That's a tough question.  I would have loved to know more about cinematography and lighting.  My interest in filmmaking has always been from the storytelling side of things.  I was a theater major in college, and so I look at films from a writing side and an acting side, before I look at the camera work.  It took me a while before I started to really think about what the camera can do and how it can make you feel.

What advice would you give to young and aspiring filmmakers?
Learn from everyone around you. READ BOOKS.  Be nice to people.  Make projects that you love, and don't try to do something, just because you THINK it's what people want to see.

Anything you want to add?
Follow your heart.

You can find out more about Ben Shelton and Shelton Films at www.sheltonfilms.com. 

--Interview conducted by Audrey Larson