Starlight Studios

I got my D.B.A (doing business as) Starlight Studios about a year ago with the intention to evolve into a production company/performing arts school. My dream is well on it's way as I currently teach voice lessons and am producing my first film this spring.
Pre-production has been a long process and is a lot harder work than I could have imagined. I am making this short 15 min. film with the intention to send it into film festivals and gather investment for an upcoming feature length film I want to make. A couple days days ago I scouted out locations with the films director Jeshua Dehorta. The sets are still being built, but this will give you an idea of what it looks like.







We will be telling the story of Elaine of Astolat. Here is a music video to give you an idea of what the story is about.

CHICAGO TRIP

I have wanted to blog about my trip for over a month! I haven't been able to upload my photos so I'm just going to use Tatum's pictures. I'm sick of waiting!
Okay, a little history. Tatum and I grew up in the same ward (church) and have a lot of fun memories from Young Women's (a church program). We hadn't seen each other in about 6 years, and found each other online.

Tatum, can you believe I found a pic of us together so young? Gotta love those birthday parties! I'm the one with the birthday cake and Tatum is on the back row on the left hand side with black hair.


This next one is of us at girls camp (another church program) writing in our journals. Tatum and I both LOVE writing. That camp was so fun! I had some embarrassing pictures from that year that I can't find, dangit!



Okay, so here are the Chicago pix. The first night I arrived, Tatum took me to the cutest little chocolate shop called Ethel's. It was so fun just to sit on the couches and catch up on life while we drank the yummiest hot chocolate I've ever tasted!



The next day Tatum took me to get sushi for lunch.


It was snowing and very cold that day.


After lunch we looked in some shops and then saw "The Other Boleyn Girl". It was very scandalous and tragic, we LOVED it! We couldn't stop talking about it the whole weekend and I ended up buying the book for the plane ride home!


Next, we rode into town and took taxi's all over the place.


If you think Utah is cold, try Chicago!


Here's the city!


We went to Tatum's office and this is the view she has! AMAZING!


Okay, guilty confession, I STUFFED MY FACE THE WHOLE TRIP! This picture is funny because it shows how glutenously happy I am to be eating my icecream cookie right after I had an icecream bar. I think I came back at least 5 lbs heavier!


Don't believe me? This is us getting Chicago pizza right after the icecream.


And can I forget to tell you how wonderful the calamari was?!


Here's a picture of us after dinner. I look like a whale next to teeny tiny Tatum!


After dinner we met up with Tatum's husband Sam and went to see Wicked!


Can you tell I'm excited?! :)


Next day was Sunday and Tatum teaches in the Nursery at church.


We went for a walk around the Lake after that.



Sam walked over an ice bridge and almost fell in the Lake!


Tatum and Sam. What a cute couple!


That night I helped Tatum make dinner and I made Sam take a picture of us so that Ryan would believe it. (Ryan is definitely the cook in our family, not me!)


That night we just watched movie after movie, after movie! My favorite one was "Skeleton Key"!


The next day we went to the spa and got pedicures!



We had to walk home in the little foam shoes so we wouldn't smudge our toes. Talk about cold! By the way Tatum, I still have blue on one of my big toes and both pinky toes! I haven't taken it off yet!


Then we went on a mad hunt for Indian Curry before I had to go back to the airport. Every place was closed but luckily we finally found a place that let us get take out.


I was sad to leave.


We had so much fun together. I learned that it's really important to just take some time with your girlfriends and rejuvenate. Love and miss you! xoxoxoxo

Stage Fright

Every single year people ask me if I'm going to try out for American Idol, and every year I tell them "no way". I have put singing on the back burner for so long that I feel extremely self concious. I realize I probably left singing for acting because I get to hide behind a character. I'm sick of hiding. I admire people who have the courage to do things other people would never dare to do. People who dare to be criticized on National Television are my heroes!

I have the same vocal coach as David Archuleta and Carmen Rasmusen of American Idol and every time I go in for a lesson I am given good feedback from someone who knows what he's talking about, but for some reason when I get infront of an audience I freeze up and my voice just doesn't do what it does when I'm practicing. It's VERY frusterating and something I DESPERATELY want to overcome. It's hard for me to believe I have a good voice even if people tell me I do. I love to sing, but it breaks my heart when I'm criticized. When somebody rejects your voice it's like they are rejecting the deepest part of who you are.

Carmen was terribly criticized and has to endure people mocking her privately and publicly all the time. I don't know how she does it. People can be so cruel and forget that we all have dreams, we all have insecurities, we all make mistakes, and none of us are perfect. It's not about having the best voice that I respect, it's about having the courage to pursue your dreams, to do what you love even if you will be criticized for it. I think part of my problem is that I've been in WAY too many competitions through out my life so I always feel like I'm being judged rather than people just enjoying the music. If any of my children like to sing I'll help them develop their talent, but I won't push them to be in competitions unless they ask for it themselves. It's going to take a lot for me to get over this!

I've just been cast in a new movie!!!

"Diantha's Crossing" is an independent film that will play on KBYU and BYU TV. I will be playing one of the lead roles as a 15-20 year old version of the main character, Diantha. I'm most excited that this will be a period piece set in the 1800's, something I have ALWAYS wanted to do!
I don't know if I am allowed to disclose the whole storyline so I better not until I ask permission, but it's basically a drama about one woman's life as a mormon during the times of the Hauns Mill Massacre and many other historic events. I am absolutely thrilled about this project!

Music Video

Again, here is something that I originally posted on our family blog but decided to move to my personal blog instead.

Kaplan College Commercial

Sorry I'm reposting things to this page instead of our family page. I decided to keep my couples blog related to us as a couple rather than to things I do on my own. Anyways, this is a cheesy commercial I did last summer. :)

"Bonneville"

I had a speaking part in this movie but unfortunately when I went to see it they had cut it, and many other parts out. :( I'm hoping that if I get the DVD my part will be in the deleted scenes because I'm talking directly to Jessica Lange. I would like to have it for my acting reel. Here is the trailer.