Nothing Shines Like Dirt - My guest spot on a podcast

So a couple weeks back I recorded a podcast for Nothing Shines Like Dirt. The two gals that interviewed me were Elise Sievert and Lesley Shannon, both do everything in the biz it seems: Actresses, producers, directors, you name it! They're as adorable in person as they are in their photos and made me feel comfortable right away. I was a tad nervous before we started speaking even though this is the 2nd podcast I've done so far. Luckily, each one seems to get easier to do. What I will say about speaking with Elise and Lesley is they were easy to chat with and so sweet that I felt like I'd known them for ages. And what I loved about how they did the podcast is they set me up in front of the microphone and we started talking about normal things and before I knew it we were actually in the middle of the interview/podcast. Eventually, I thought, hey, I think we've started! It's an awesome way to do a podcast, if I do say so myself. They interviewed me about my upcoming movie, 5 Weddings, that opens worldwide October 26, plus a whole other bunch of things about my writing path and writing advice. So without further ado, here is a selfie we took after the podcast and the podcast itself. Hope you enjoy!

Itunes:https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-shines-like-dirt/id1114955249?mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nothingshineslikedirt

Website: https://www.nothingshineslikedirt.com/podcast-guests-1/denisecruz-castino

Sample scripts - always a good time to write more

I heard from a female actress/producer this weekend who needs a writer to help her and some friends who look like they'll be getting funding for a sitcom they're writing. From what I can tell they're more like comicedians and need a sitcom writer who gets the ins and outs of writing an entire sitcom, along with a series. They wanted to see samples that represented their idea to find the right writer.

As I was gathering samples to show I could write what would fit their show, I realized, I actually had a lot of samples with female comedy leads. Who knew! It's funny when you write piece after piece that eventually you actually have a lot of things that fit in the same category. I think because I wrote so many guy pieces at times, I didn't realize how many female pieces I really had.

So I sent them along to her and her partners and now I wait. But it just goes to show, keep writing. Because you never know when those things you're writing can actually turn into a gig!

Whenever I see a contest that asks for a certain sample piece, if I don't have it, I try to write it, especially if it's for a short film. It doesn't take much time to write something that if it doesn't win you the contest, could at least be a sample piece later on. So, compile those samples! You never know when you'll use them next.

And maybe, just maybe, you'll get hired from them. Fingers crossed!

Is it going to come all together?

So I'm getting a short produced that I wrote. I'm producing it with one of the actresses who has produced shorts before. So I'm learning from her. I'm really excited to be learning the producing side, because as a writer, I get tired of waiting for other people to produce my stuff. So hopefully for future projects I can just go ahead and get it produced myself after this experience.

But in the mean time, our shoot date is fast approaching. We have the director attached. She's a talented director that has a Broadway play touring the country. She was referred to me from a talented and successful actor friend of mine. She really knows her stuff and I'm really excited to have her involved. We have all the actors, but we're still trying to get some of the crew. The clock is ticking and I'm really hoping it's like plays I was in when I was a child. Sure, the dress rehearsal might not have been so great. But wait till the actual night of, we'll knock it out of the park. Oh, I sure hope that's what's going to happen with this! Fingers crossed. I'll keep you updated.

Don't judge

So I usually write about screenwriting, but today I felt the need to write about what it's like to be judged as a woman in today's world. The reason I felt like doing this is because of the fallout from Renee Zellweger's new face. Before her new critics, she was in the trades and news for not looking good. People tweeted and commented on how horrible she was looking. Really? People? Why is it that from the safety of every one's homes they feel so nasty and mean about ripping apart a person. She's a person, remember? So then recently she does who knows what to her face. Facelift? Botox? Facials? I don't know and I don't care. So now she's ripped apart for no longer looking like she used to. Luckily it seems like she's not caring and letting it roll off her back. And I hope she really feels that way. Because I can only imagine what it's like to be judged by every Tom, Dick and Mary in the social media world. It's hard enough as a woman in today's day and age to get older, but when you're an actress in Hollywood the standards are even that much tougher. So what's an actress to do? I guess learn to develop a thick skin. Easier said than done I'm sure. Because most actors are insecure as it is. If you're an actor reading this and you don't think you are, I bet, you are. And if you can't get a thick skin, stop reading social media and tabloids. It's sort of like a tree in a forest, if you don't read it, it didn't happen. And for the rest of us writers and other non-actors, stop caring what actresses do or don't do. If you have that much time to criticize what an actor does or doesn't do, you've got too much time on your hands. Which is why, I'm going back to my new outline. Ciao!