5 Things You Can Do For Your Acting Career

Posted on October 15, 2015October 15, 2015 by cindychu

Yesterday was a great day, I had a meeting with my new manager that left me feeling inspired and empowered, and then my friend had a one-woman show at the Comedy Central Stage in Hollywood. I went to it only knowing it was a dark comedy about wanting to die and I left, moved to tears, heart aching, stones in my throat. Another inspiring moment. From the sound of that, you might think, “Wow, actors have it easy in LA!” But let’s clear up some misconceptions. The reason I had a meeting was because my former manager switched career tracks and is doing something else now, and that left me in a weird space where maybe I was still with the same company but with no attachment to one particular manager, which meant I’d feel like I was just that kid who hung around a party wanting to be invited in but not knowing if I was welcome. So I asked for things to be clarified with my new contact and he set up a meeting to get to know me and see about working together. We meshed well and know more about one another now and I’m really excited to move forward with the company now, knowing he knows where I’m at and I know where they are in this whole process.

Michaela Myers’ stage setup for her one-woman show I Am Vertical, performed at the Comedy Central Stage in Hollywood

Actress Michaela Myers

Regarding my friend’s show, her name is Michaela Myers, she’s incredibly smart, funny, gorgeous, and wow, is she talented! I actually just made her acquaintance recently, in the last few months. I had gotten into the improv comedy scene this year and ended up joining a bunch of different Facebook groups for comedy in LA. On one of them, I saw a request for submissions for a new comedic web series, starring women, & written and directed by women, which is what we need more of in this industry! There wasn’t that much information but I submitted and they got back to me and told me they wanted me to read for a particular character, and asked for a self-tape first. After that, they asked me to come in for a callback in person, and I did, and they ended up wanting to book me for the part. Now, most of you already know a lot of these web series are deferred payment. So you have to decide for yourself whether or not it will be a good project to be a part of, or not. I asked for other projects they’d worked on and they sent me some clips, which got me really excited because they were well-produced and funny, so I signed on. Through that whole process, I met so many incredible people, movers and shakers, and good people to know. I added to my tribe. I learned a lot. I got to be a lead on a show, and have that experience, AND make all sorts of new connections. (Read about our webseries.)

A behind the scenes shot from Under the Table web series. Ashaki Ayoka adjusting a light as DP Nathan Krauss scopes out his shot

My co-star on Under the Table, Maggie Monk, took this shot of me massaging Pam with my feet while we were hurrying up and waiting for our next scene

But let’s get back to Michaela. She’s been in the comedy scene. She decided to do a one-woman show and through her network she was able to work with an incredible director to help her put her show together. She made the crowd laugh until our ribs hurt, and then she took us into her deep hole of despair and cry with her, and brought us back to the light of love and laughter. But you know what? She wasn’t even SAG when I started working with her on our web series. Through doing the show (and the producer doing the paperwork PROPERLY) she’s now SAG-Eligible. And she has no representation, but I think after last night, people will be knocking on her door. She has talent. She can write. She can act. She can do comedy, and drama, and dramedy. Even though she didn’t have representation, she was still making her own content and producing for herself, and going out for projects like our webseries, because it’s all part of the experience and process, and all of that can help you become a better artist, a better actor.

Cindy Chu, Michaela Myers, Maggie Monk with their cash on set of Under the Table

So with all of that being said, let’s get back to it. Many aspiring actors take off and move to Los Angeles or New York to make it big and go for their dreams. Many of us don’t have a good network in place or we may not even know what to do when we get there. Here are some important tips that I’ve learned through trial and error and I’m here to share them with you. Here are 5 things you can implement right now.

1) DON’T JUST WAIT FOR OPPORTUNITIES, MAKE YOUR OWN, & BUILD YOUR TRIBE
You’re going to hear this over and over again. Produce your own content. Write. Film. Put it on Vine or YouTube! You can use your actor friends to collaborate with! Consumer cameras and technology have grown so much that you can self-produce professional looking videos pretty easily. Don’t worry if it’s not great to begin with, the more you do it, the better you’ll get.

2) MAKE SURE YOUR REELS/HEADSHOTS/PROFILES ARE UP TO DATE
Take some time to make sure your various casting site profiles are up to date and if you have new footage you can use for your reels, get those reels cut and updated! Did you perhaps fill out your profile with a bunch of skills you don’t actually have? Go through and make sure you didn’t say you can polka if you can’t actually do it! Don’t put stuff on there just to fill your profile up. Keep it clean and concise and true. I’ve heard so many stories of actors being hired for a “special skill” they listed and they show up to set and aren’t able to perform. They not only make themselves look unprofessional but in turn it looks bad for the casting directors, too. You definitely don’t want to burn bridges that way.
Check out my IMDB page to view my recently updated reels.

3) ARE YOU ON THE RIGHT SITES?
For Los Angeles, if you’re doing commercial and theatrical work, you should have profiles on LACasting, Actors Access, and Casting Frontier. Lesser used ones would be NowCasting and Backstage. If you’re self-submitting, I recommend you pay for a year of Showfax rather than paying submission by submission, it’ll save you money to pay for the subscription and be able to self-submit as much as you want.

4) RESEARCH PROJECTS YOU’RE GOING IN FOR
Are you self-submitting? Are you getting audition appointments from your reps? Know who you’re going in for. What genre is the show? What else have they cast before? For those newer to the game, are these people legitimate or is it going to be a crap shoot? If you watch projects the producing/directing team has made before, and they’re indie, do they look like good projects to be a part of? Your time is like money, and you want to make sure you invest it wisely.

5) PREPARATION PREPARATION PREPARATION
Are you preparing as well as you should for your audition? Do you know the story you’re going to tell in the room? Do you know what your character perspective is? Practice with your actor friends and not your dog or boyfriend or girlfriend (unless they’re an actor, hehe) so that when you go in, you’re ready. If you’re bad at improv, get into an improv class (UCB, Nerdist, iOWest, Groundlings, Second City) and start a practice group outside of class. Do some indie shows. If you’re not in an ongoing acting class, get into one. It’s a bad idea to come here counting on making it overnight, because it takes a lot of hard work and talent and acting is just like any other art. You wouldn’t expect an architect to build a solid house on his/her first try, or a photographer to be able to shoot like Mario Testino right away, you’ve got to hone your skills before you can become a master of your craft.

These are just some basic things you can start with, and I’ll be posting more about other facets of the acting industry as a fellow up-and-coming actor. My hope is that I can save some of you time and money and a headache by giving you some real advice that maybe I learned the hard way, so it’ll be easier for you.

We didn’t pick an easy industry, but we’re doing it for whatever reason, so let’s do it well!

What other topics would you like to hear about? If you have any questions or comments, please comment below!

~Cindy

After our last shoot day on Under The Table, all the wonderful cast and crew there that day! I feel so lucky to know them all! Top Row L to R: Jessie Hixenbaugh, Andra Whipple, Reed Burkett, Denise Valentine, Gabriela Varley. Seated on Sofa L to R: Lauren Davis, Cindy Chu, Maggie Monk, Nathan Krauss. Seated on floor L to R: Grace Earley, Michaela Myers, Hanna Bowens, and Pam (also featured in portrait above sofa)

Summertime Sadness

Posted on July 1, 2014July 2, 2014 by cindychu

Just kidding, there’s no time to be sad! This year, 2014, has been off to a decent start with a booking as a rock climber for a health brochure that I mentioned a few blog posts ago, and then my first commercial booking in LA where I got to hold this adorable Asian baby! I got a lot of compliments on how naturally maternal I looked, and I’ve got to thank all the influences I had growing up and babysitting/nannying for so many amazing children. You never know what jobs you’ve had, or skills you’ve picked up will be useful in your auditions. My last job incorporated rock climbing which I do as a hobby sport, I never would have guessed I’d get a job out of it!

Cindy Chu holding a cute Asian baby at a commercial shoot

While I heard a warning that summertime is really slow for auditions, it seems the last few weeks have been quite full of auditions for a lot of commercials and indie projects. I’m part of the slew of actors who really dresses for the part, because why wouldn’t you? I want to deliver myself as the full package, ready to work, and fit the image they may have of the character. This means I sometimes buy clothing just for auditions, and keep other pieces around that maybe aren’t my IRL style but may be useful for certain audition looks. This one was for a hip girl, stylish, thrift shop, etc. I wore my glasses just to make myself stand out a little more because they’re a very flattering pair, and my last booking, I had worn them in the callback even though they had me remove them for the tape, they still remembered me for them. If anyone is interested in where I got them, they were from SEE Eyewear. They probably still have a similar style for sale, although I think mine were from 2012. Outfit Details:

Top: Forever 21 (used to be a L/S but I ripped it while trying to do a handstand so I chopped the sleeves off.
Dress: Love 21 (offshoot of Forever 21)
Belt: Urban Outfitters
Boots: Jeffrey Campbell for Free People (I love these boots! Very versatile look.)
Thigh high socks: Free People

Cindy Chu in a grunge/lady/nerdy look for an audition

Here we have a steampunk inspired outfit for an audition.

Cindy Chu in a Steampunk Outfit for Audition

It’s hard to tell from this angle, but I had a pretty nifty undo where most of my hair was in a high ponytail and I curled half of it and teased it, then braided the other half, with a baby french braid from the nape up and around the ponytail base with curls framing the face. I used a 3/4″ curling iron, like this one here. My favorite hairspray right now is by Bumble & Bumble, the blue can.

Cindy Chu’s current favorite hairspray

Outfit Details:

Dress: Love 21
Tights: Target (? old pair I had, don’t remember)
Boots: Same as above

Cindy Chu thinking steampunk thoughts

Steampunk makeup look

Makeup Look:

Lashes: Dolly Wink in Sweet Girly
Foundation: Makeup Forever HD in #118 (applied with a Beauty Blender! So nice! Have to wet the sponge first and squeeze water out)
Shadows/Blush: Smashbox makeup palette
Lips: Lined edges with Urban Decay Confession (discontinued but this is similar), filled with Maybelline Super Stay 10 Stain Gloss in Fresh Fuchsia 110
Eyeliner: L’Oreal Infallible Blackbuster Liquid Eyeliner
Jewelry: Love 21
Flower Clips: H&M

Along with hair, makeup, and wardrobe choices, I’ve also got to stay on top of my physical game. I follow this fit chick Nicole Mejia on Instagram. The reason I follow her is because she has an atypical body type compared to most models you see in catalogs and on runways. She’s petite, and has a natural pear shape with thick thighs. Following fitness girls who have body types that seem more real for me to achieve helps me stay inspired and positive. I also follow some supermodels because they post fun photos, but I know no matter how much I workout, I will never be a lanky 5’10” model type. She has been doing a “Fit & Thick” North American tour, teaching workout classes in different cities across the US, and this photo below was from her early session at the David Barton gym in LA. (It was a super nice gym, btw…) It didn’t seem that hard of a workout during, but man oh man, today and yesterday I got really stiff and sore, and it hurt to walk and to move, period. It was the DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness, which meant I ripped a bunch of fibers and they are rebuilding. We did a lot of plyo type moves, jump squats, sumo squats, deadlifts, etc. I did get pretty sweaty!

Cindy Chu and Nicole Mejia at a Fit & Thick tour event

A year ago today, I started my membership at the Bar Method-Marina Del Rey. I signed up with the first month special and then continued on the monthly. While it’s more expensive than a gym membership to Gold’s or Equinox would be, I liked the class aspect, almost like having a personal trainer, and having that made it easier for me to make myself go workout. I didn’t have to think about or plan out what I would need to work on, I just go in and listen to the great instructors. Here I am, a year into Bar Method, feeling pretty fit but hungry for more improvement!

Cindy Chu celebrating a year of Bar Method under her belt!

Here’s a 4 year progression comparison photo.

Cindy Chu health diet bar method before and after

Cindy Chu’s health transformation over the past 4 years.

And the photo below here, shows a row of pics from before I started Bar Method (top) to now, one year later, comparing front, side and back. Not a huge weight differential here, but you can see I toned up and slimmed a bit around the torso and thighs especially. I didn’t even really realize how much everything had lifted and toned compared to before, so I’m really glad that I took progress photos to document it not only for myself, but to help put more info out there for others who are looking for ways to shape up and get healthier.

Cindy Chu Bar Method Results Before and After

Cindy Chu’s transformation from starting Bar Method a year ago to today.

After I had my audition today, I stopped for a quick lunch at one of my new favorites, Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica. They use a lot of locally sourced ingredients and make their own fresh almond milk, so they have the best almond milk lattes I’ve found so far in LA. I paired it with a long-line caught tuna salad. Portion control is something I’ve worked on for health reasons in the last couple years, and this salad was pretty big. If I eat until I feel full, then I’ve usually overeaten and then feel bloated. Now I try to stop after I’m satisfied, and then just eat again when I feel hungry. This salad here was in a pretty big bowl, so I ate half and took the rest home.

Cindy Chu enjoyed this healthy meal from Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica, CA. Line caught tuna salad and a fresh almond milk latte.

Oh, today I finally saw my old co-star Kate Boyer while at my audition, she was at the same place for a different audition. She was just as gorgeous and nice as always. She’s got a film coming out soon, Hollidaysburg, which I actually auditioned for one of the parts in. Look her up! She’s so lovely, inside and out. She told me her mom reads my blog, so shoutout to Kate’s mom! You did a wonderful job raising an amazing gal. Here’s Kate’s Instagram feed.

The Lovely Kate Boyer, Actress and Stunt Woman Extraordinaire

Well, my summertime goal is to find a theatrical agent or a manager so that I can actually start auditioning for all the jobs that I don’t have access to for TV/Features. I’ve had postcards made for mailings, and some cute mini business cards from Moo (click the link to get 10% off, if you need some biz cards or postcards!). What do you think? Hopefully I’ll have a good update for you soon regarding representation!

Cindy Chu’s Moo Postcard

Thanks for reading, and hope you all have a wonderful 4th!!!

xo,

Cindy

Spring Growth

Posted on April 3, 2014April 27, 2014 by cindychu

Spring is officially in full bloom, well, at least here in sunny Southern California! Even the tulips are blooming in the colder states like Michigan. My career is also starting to bloom, or so I hope! In the time since my last post, my episode of Those Who Kill finally aired on A&E, although the series was pulled after the first two episodes. It will now return on Lifetime instead. My featured role as a Model in Limo on abc’s Mixology also aired recently. Here are some screen caps of my appearances:

Cindy Chu on ‘Those Who Kill’

Cindy Chu on ‘Mixology’

I also booked my first commercial job in LA, appearing as a rock climber in a print ad. Here I am with my fellow models.

Cindy Chu, rock climbing, stronghold, la

Rock Climbing print ad at Stronghold Gym in downtown LA

This week I started a 4-week audition technique intensive class at the ever popular Margie Haber Studio. I’m studying under Courtney Burr and our first session went great! Can’t wait to go back tonight and learn more.

I’ve been attending workshops and manager meetings, and I hope to sign with either a manager or theatrical agent in the next few months. Hollywood is a tough egg to crack. Self-esteem and confidence are always good things to work on in this industry, especially, and I am feeling more of both after working on a photo shoot recently…

My photographer friend Mioara Dragan (who works between Detroit and LA) was in town for LA Fashion Week last month, and we found this contest for Free People, where they would select a photographer, stylist, and model to come to NY for a photo shoot, and we wanted to do something for it. We decided in some of her spare time we would style some shots and I would play the model. I was stunned with the results! She captured me in the way I imagine myself at my best, not knowing I could ever appear that way in real life. Here are the images, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Maybe I’ll stop scoffing now when people ask me if I model. 😉 Oh, and if you’re in need of some head shots, or a wedding photographer, or whatever your needs are, she is incredibly talented and I highly recommend her.

Alright, those are my big updates for now! My Macbook is about to die so until next time.

xoxo

Entering the Year of the Horse

Posted on January 29, 2014April 27, 2014 by cindychu

A happy belated 2014 to all of you, my dear readers! I hope you have all been having an exciting year so far, although I know much of the US is suffering through one of the most terrible winters in decades, and definitely in my lifetime. I am thankful every day that I moved to LA before this winter, as I really hate being cold.

ACTING STUFF

Anyway, I’m still on the hunt for a theatrical agent or manager in Los Angeles, which is proving difficult. I’d prefer not sending out thousands of postcards, and am reaching out to people I know who may be able to put me in touch with their connections. I know I can do the work, but it’s a matter of finding people who believe in me.

Recently I did a great agent showcase with Actor’s Advantage, run and organized by Shane Russeck. It was an interesting experience. All the actors checked in and got their time slots, and then the five agents were in the room, and when it was your turn, you went in, performed, and walked out and you were done. I haven’t heard anything but I know that sometimes these lead to work for some actors. Here’s the website if you want to check out an event. If you go, tell them I sent you!
Actor’s Advantage Showcase

In other acting news, there’s a great new trailer out for Those Who Kill, in which I played Nancy Yuan for the premiere episode. You can click through to the really scary trailer here. My friends Kate Boyer and Jordan Trovillion, both actresses I’ve written about before, can be seen in the creepy trailer. Kate is the one running away from the serial killer and tied up in a chair, and Jordan is dead in a dumpster in a quick flash. The show will premiere on A&E on March 3!

My shoulder was featured (body doubling) for a split second on the premiere episode of Rake, starring Greg Kinnear. When I went in for doubling, they had me working some lines with the actors and Sam Raimi, who directed that episode, very kindly upgraded me to cast for my work. I wish I could have auditioned for the actual role, but my turn will come. Anyway, I am incredibly thankful to Mr. Raimi for his kindness. That is the second time I’ve worked in a “background” role and been upgraded, which is very lucky indeed! When I worked on Red Dawn, I agreed to go in as background with a very high likelihood of being upgraded, and it went through so I became that police station screamer. (BTW, you can view Red Dawn on Netflix!) 🙂

I’m still very much enjoying my classes at the Ruskin School of Acting in Santa Monica, and we are moving from emotional prep to scenes with emotional prep, which we will be performing as our one year graduation showcase.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

I was recently googling myself as I am wont to do now and then, (purely for career reasons!!!) and saw a photo of mine that was posted on the Bar Method blog by none other than Burr Leonard, the creator of The Bar Method! That was pretty neat and also made me feel more inspired to go to my Bar classes to get even more results.

Burr Leonard demonstrating moves at the bar

Cindy Chu Actress/Blogger

Since the holidays have come and gone, I had also gotten really into rock climbing to the detriment of my Bar routine, but it was still exercise!

Cleaning up leads and anchor, then rappelling in Red Rock Canyon outside Las Vegas, NV

But then, I used the holidays as an excuse to eat a lot more than I normally do, and after the new year, I wanted to rededicate myself to my health and fitness, and so not only did I restart my habit of going to Bar a few times a week at minimum, along with walking and cycling, and other activities like paddle ball or hiking, but I also signed up for a 30 Day Challenge through DailyHiit! They have a lot of great routines you can do at home with just a few simple exercise tools, and the workouts are High Intensity Interval Training (hence the HIIT) so are more efficient than spending an hour at the gym doing random exercises, meaning the workout videos they’ve been sending have been just 12 minutes! Here’s a photo of my halfway point progress:

Day 15 progress photo of 30 Day Challenge from Daily Hiit

As you can see, the differences are very subtle. What I notice the most is a more defined linea alba which is that center line down the stomach, a tendinous stretch on the abdomen splitting the two sides of muscles. I hope there will be even more change come Day 30!

I know I posted about my hair care awhile back, too, and the Shiseido Tsubaki shampoo/conditioner is still working wonders and my hair is so much softer than before, which is helped also by the Aquasana carbon shower head filter I installed. Since I often do need to style my hair for auditions, I’ve got some great recommendations on styling tools, too. I received an amazing blow dryer for Christmas and it dries my hair so quickly, and keeps it very smooth, and I can adjust it to no-heat, as well. It’s the Elchim Ionic and is a pro level tool.

Elchim Ionic

I also am extremely satisfied with the Hot Tools curling iron I bought last year. The 1″ size is perfect for creating beachy and classic waves, although, the 1″1/2 might be nice for softer waves. I got the 1″. I usually spray some of the Bumble and Bumble Does It All styling spray in for heat protection.

BB does it all styling spray

Hot Tools Ceramic Marcel Curling Iron

Styled using the Hot Tools 1″ Ceramic Marcel Curling Iron

I had a lot of fun last night self-taping myself for some roles, and did a quick change in between, and I’ll leave you with this funny image of me. Signing off until next time! And please make sure to watch Those Who Kill when it comes out March 3!!!!

Double duty

xox,

Cindy

Time for new headshots!

Posted on October 1, 2013April 27, 2014 by cindychu

My commercial agent Stephany at Avalon Artists Group wanted me to get some new headshots, and I figured it was about time what with all the hard work I’d been putting in at my local Bar Method studio. 😀 I’m super happy with the photos, and they were from this amazing multi-talented dude named Jeff E! He’s not only a talented and very easy to work with photographer, but also an actor himself! If you’re looking for some new photos, too, I’d recommend giving him a call.

(This one’s one of my favorites, I feel like a model!)

Happy Holidays, now what?

Posted on December 25, 2012April 27, 2014 by cindychu

A holiday greeting from Jinxie and I to you and yours this beautiful holiday season! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Pittsburgh was wonderful! I got back home last week from filming on Those Who Kill, and it was great hanging out with my fellow cast mates James D’Arcy (Master and Commander with Russell Crowe), James Morrison (TV show 24, Jarhead, Catch Me If You Can), Chloe Sevigny (Big Love), Omid Abtahi, Ryan O’Nan, and Kate Boyer, along with getting to chat with my director Joe Carnahan (The Grey) about growing up in Michigan and his next project Undying Love, and rehashing scenes from Willard (starring the great Crispin Glover) and What Is It? with Glen Morgan. I ran into a couple production people I’d met in Michigan, too. My costumer Tony also worked on Red Dawn, and one of our craft services peeps was on LOL (starring Miley Cyrus and Demi Moore). Small world getting smaller.

While having the weekend off, the actors got together and watched some work from a couple of us, including Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best, nominated multiple times for Best Original Song in the Oscars (listen to the soundtrack), and Showing Up, an interview style documentary about auditions that can be a very meaningful watch for more than just actors, really, but anyone who has dreams he/she wants to pursue and is afraid to try. It was all very inspiring for me to be amongst these working actors and film professionals who are doing what they love, and making a living at it. A few conversations with them about the perks of moving to LA got my internal clock ticking again. It’s something I’ve been talking about for as long as I remember but I keep holding off, citing money as a reason. Another reason is to get myself a little bit more into the niche market here in the Midwest and East Coast as THE young Asian actress to hire, but it’s still a matter of do I want to hit the big time, because if I do, I will need to make the move at some point. When we Skyped last night, my sister said if I didn’t do by June 2013 she’d be very disappointed in me. So, maybe LA this next year? So many things to think about as we enter the post-Mayan calendar. Looks like I’ve got to make some huge New Year’s resolutions…

For now, I will have to wait and see if Those Who Kill’s pilot gets approval once it’s edited, and then we’d all get to watch it on A&E. If not, it was a grand experience working with the team. Still waiting to hear back on an audition time for a big project I really want to land but all in good time.

Happy Holidays to you all! Remember to enjoy life and follow your dreams!

xoxo,

Cindy

PS: Our family doesn’t really celebrate Christmas, but my second brother Mike and I are home enjoying family time with the parents. Mike has been shooting on a Canon 5D for awhile, which is a full-sensor camera, while I’ve been shooting on a Nikon D7000 which is awesome, but a cropped sensor, and everyone in the film/commercial world I know uses Canons… I was checking out Canons yesterday and IF I COULD, I’d love to upgrade to the Canon 5d Mark II one day, with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Lens one day…Maybe next Christmas, a gift for myself if I can kick ass at the whole acting career this year! It’s okay to get yourself Christmas presents, right? 😛 (All my siblings and I invested in a new 40 inch flat screen for our parents this year. A huge upgrade from their little 20 inch old-school big box TV…which my mama wants to keep for some reason…)

Cindy Chu Enjoying a mug of coffee at Zenith Antiques in Shadyside, Pittsburgh

The First Presbytarian Church near my hotel, the Omni William Penn in Pittsburgh

The first coconut I ever cracked

Our honey wagon for Those Who Kill

One of the dining rooms at Zenith Antiques, Shadyside, Pittsburgh

Those Who Kill basecamp Pittsburgh

My little dressing room on Those Who Kill!

Little theater in Pittsburgh, the Harris, where I watched Holy Motors

Divergent Movie Casting

Posted on December 8, 2012April 27, 2014 by cindychu

For those of you out there who are huge YA fiction fans (young adult, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the acronym), you may have already read Divergent, Veronica Roth‘s first book in a post-apocalyptic world series that takes place right in our own Chicago.

For those of you who haven’t read it, I highly recommend it as a fun read. I am currently on book two, Insurgent, and book three is in the works, with a projected release date sometime in 2013. You can follow Veronica Roth’s tweets here.

The reason for this update is because it’s going to start filming in 2013, and Neil Burger (Limitless, The Illusionist) will be directing, and Evan Daugherty (Snow White and the Huntsman) is writing the screenplay adaptation. One of the Dauntless faction members in the book is Tori, who is specifically an Asian in her 20s…So of course, I’m envisioning an audition for the part! Just waiting on casting for more roles to open. Currently, only Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) has been cast as Tris.

If Veronica Roth happens to come across this posting, please please put in a word for me to audition for Tori! 🙂

Here’s my reel, I can do tough!

And I’m totally willing to get super buff and in Dauntless shape for the part! In fact, here’s a fitness tip for you all. You can easily squeeze in some pull-ups into your day by installing a pull-up bar over your bathroom door and making yourself do one each time you go to the bathroom! This one is nice because it allows you to still be able to close the door without it being in the way.

Great over the door pull-up bar, click the image to go to the product page! 🙂

Signed,

Future Tori! 😉

Red Dawn: At Long Last!!!

Posted on November 19, 2012April 27, 2014 by cindychu

Viva Red Dawn!!! It’s been a long journey, but Red Dawn is finally being released as a holiday blockbuster this Thanksgiving! I’m so excited to see it finally premiering, and I’ll definitely be taking my family to see it on Thanksgiving Day! I already had confirmation from friends that my name was in the credits and that they saw my scenes! WHooooooowheeee!!!!!

For now, enjoy this wonderful trailer:

Look how tall I am! In my Red Dawn costume with some of the other ladies.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and goes to see Red Dawn! Let me know what you think! And sorry it’s been so long since I’ve updated. I’ve got a few more things to post about soon so look for more in the coming weeks.

Shine your inner light,

Cindy

Saturn Return

Posted on February 9, 2011April 27, 2014 by cindychu

Happy Chinese New Year, Happy Lunar New Year, and Happy February to you all! You know my birthday’s coming up. I won’t say how old I’ll be, because I’m just so young at heart. ^_^

FILM UPDATES

So I just got back from Sundance recently, and I had the greatest time. I met some incredible people and got to see the films I needed to see. The sad part was that after all the marvelous luck we had getting in to Salvation Boulevard, I never got to see my scene, because it was a victim of the cutting room. Fortunately, I ran into George Ratliff after the Q&A, and he was so extremely kind about it, and said that it would be on the DVD extras. Yay, something to look forward to! He’s a great director, and the film itself was very hilarious. After having seen his last Sundance baby, Joshua, I had no idea what to expect.

I also saw Cedar Rapids, directed by Miguel Arteta, and starring Ed Helms, and boy oh boy was it a riot. I really liked the relationships they showed in the film, they were very real, and the cast chemistry was great. It was nice seeing Ed Helms in a new role, too, as a small-town Iowan who has never been to the big city.

The most controversial film at Sundance (no, not Red State) was The Woman. I had the extremely fortunate experience of getting to see it twice. I had to support my friend, Lauren Petre, of course. She played Miss Hindle, a smaller role in the film, but she was great! And she looked great on film. The Woman was definitely great horror. I had nightmares after the first viewing and spent the entire night tossing and turning, thinking evil little boy actors would sneak into the house where I was staying and knife me! Lucky McKee knows how to elicit some raw emotional responses, and on the night of their first screening, a girl fainted, and he being the great and wonderful man that he is, tried to get the theater to halt the screening, but they didn’t. Then, an irate viewer got up and started spewing ~~all sorts of horrible things~~ ignorant thoughts about the film. He obviously didn’t see the bigger picture, the ENTIRE POINT OF THE FILM…Some people. Anyway, if you get the chance to see it, I highly recommend it. Lucky said, “It’s designed to be viewed multiple times.” So I’d say get it on dvd, and watch it a couple times, within the week. It’s one of those films that keeps you thinking and processing, and I hope you’re able to see beyond the gore and evil to see what Lucky is trying to show the audience. Sometimes evil hides in plain sight. Pollyanna McIntosh was stellar, actually the entire cast was. Angela Bettis, Sean Bridgers, and oh the children, (I’ve got to say that again) oh the CHILDREN! It should also be noted that the soundtrack is amazing, and I need it! Sound design was also superb, and really added to the feel of the film.

Q&A at The Woman screening at Sundance

Cindy Chu in front of The Egyptian for Sundance 11, in her Snow Leopard Spirithood

Lauren Petre and Cindy Chu at Salvation Boulevard screening, Sundance 11

The Woman, what I told Lucky...

PRESS

While I was at Sundance, Robert del Valle of Real Detroit Weekly contacted me about their biweekly ~~local stars’~~ Michigan Motion Picture column. My friend (she’s so pretty!!!) Treasure Groh, also staff at RDW, had asked awhile ago if I’d like to be interviewed for it. Of course, I said yes. I’ve also got tons of people that I think they should interview in the future, too! The link to the article is here.

OTHER STUFF

When I returned from Sundance, I was on this inspirational kick! I had a drive to make some ~~videos~~ pure awesome Youtubeness!

So for your viewing pleasure:

A sneak peek of my Sundance adventures. This wonderful woman who hosted us took us to this delicious sushi place called Yamato’s a few times. Her “roundeyes” son works there as a sushi chef, and I gotta tell ya, he’s good! So the fish in the aquarium clip was from there. Those fish weren’t for eating, LOL.

And then we got hit by Snowpocalypse 2011 in the Midwest (although it really wasn’t that bad in Ann Arbor) so I had to make a cutesie little video for that, and used a song from Scott Pilgrim by Anamanaguchi “Another Winter” for the backing track

Aaaaaand I was in the mood to play my ukulele after being away from it for a week, and uploaded TWO songs in one night! Then a third the next night! Talk about feeling inspired. So the first one I’d been working on learning the strum pattern for awhile, and I was sick when I made these so I didn’t sing them as well as I would have liked. The second one was the song that was in the trailers for Blue Valentine, the one Ryan Gosling’s character plays for Michelle Williams’ character while she tap dances. The third one is a cover of a song by Soko (from Paris!) called “I Will Never Love You More” and it’s very funny.

Last Friday night, Fitz and the Tantrums played at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, and it was a sold out show (it was free, but filled up immediately upon doors opening). Luckily, I had met the female vocalist, the very beautiful and talented Noelle Scaggs, back in LA a few years ago, so my friends and I were able to sneak in the back with her. I shot a decent live video of their final encore song, their hit single, “Moneygrabber”. (<—Did I get that punctuation right???)

And one last one, because I miss warm weather and am feeling nostalgic for warm sunny days. I switched the audio on my skydiving video, and now it looks and sounds cool.

Alright, my lovely readers, that was my huge February update. Remember to smile, spring is just around the corner. Appreciate the little things in life. Don’t forget to laugh, especially at yourself. And always tell your family you love them. They might not always be there.

Peace, blessings, joy,

~cindy

Gorgeous icicles outside my balcony

SUNDANCE 2011

Posted on January 20, 2011April 27, 2014 by cindychu

Sundance 2011

So it’s almost upon us! I’m talking about the Sundance Film Festival, of course! And I’m going. 😀 You may recall in an earlier post, that I played the part of Alisa in the film Salvation Boulevard. Well, George Ratliff is premiering it at Sundance, so I felt it would be the perfect opportunity to attend for the first time. My only qualms are that I decided so late in the game, and the ticketing procedures were unfamiliar to me, so I will have to see if I can get tickets once I’m there.

Here are some images from the film (they all link back to what site they’re from if you click on them):

Pierce Brosnan as Dan Day in Salvation Boulevard

Salvation Boulevard--Dan Day

Greg Kinnear as Carl VanderVeer in Salvation Boulevard

I’ll have a partner in crime for my SLC/PC trip: my actor friend Lauren Petre! She’s also represented by my talent agency, Charlie’s Talent Agency, or CTA. She also has a film in which she acted premiering at Sundance. It’s a horror film directed by well-known director Lucky McKee, called The Woman. We’ll be attending the Wednesday night showing together! Here are a couple creepy images from the film:

Still from Lucky McKee's The Woman--from ShockTillYouDrop.com

Behind the scenes shot of Lucky McKee's The Woman--from soundonsight.org

In preparation for the festivities, I picked up a couple more sweaters and some good solid snow boots, so I’ll be ready to wait outside in the cold!

The North Face Nuptse Fur IV Boots

It had been awhile since my last haircut, too. I had my stylist, Josh Thiele of Orbit Hair Salon in Ann Arbor, Michigan, give my mop a good cleaning up today.

Cindy Chu with her fresh coif

Looks like 2011 is off to an exciting start for me. I can only hope that this year will be even more successful for me in my pursuit of acting. As with all actors, learning new skills or just having other skills can be important sometimes. Take Christina Hendricks, who has been learning how to play the accordion. Well, while the writers of Mad Men were brainstorming ideas, they decided they wanted an episode in which she played a song at a dinner party. They found out she played accordion, and so they wrote the scene for her.

This brings me to my point. I have been earnestly practicing on my ukulele, and recorded another song the other night. Right now, I’m working on learning yet another, and as soon as I feel I’m performing it at my best (difficult strum pattern!) I will post it, as well. This one was “Sentimental Heart” by She & Him, and I definitely should have practiced it longer than 15 minutes before uploading any performance, but c’est la vie! (Pretty sure I can perform it a bit better than in the video now… 🙂 *shrugs*)

And in other skill areas, I finally got out my Nikon D70 to shoot my friends’ event. The Ann Arbor hip hop duo made up of J Thrill, and D Train, aka Thrill$Train, had a show at Sava’s last weekend, and I was there with my camera to capture the magic. They were pretty happy with the photos! They’ve got a show in Detroit next month at The Old Miami. Check out their website for more details or to download their album free! These were a couple of my favorite images from the night:

D Train says J Thrill looks like "The Most Interesting Man in the World's Son" here

Thrill$Train in all their hot hot glory

D Train thrilling the crowd

Thrill$Train playing to a packed house at Sava's in Ann Arbor

As with other posts, I like to promote friends, and I went to a show recently at the Crofoot and discovered this AMAZING new band from Monroe, Michigan. They are called Jack & The Bear and they play instruments like the banjo, violin, trumpet, accordion, etc. Absolutely brilliant. One of their friends uploaded some live video footage from the show which you can check out on their Facebook fanpage. From what I heard, they are in the midst of recording their first album. I wish them the best of luck, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see them blow up big time in the next couple of years.

Alright, I guess I’ll hopefully have a few more updates for you when I get to Salt Lake City/Park City, UTAH! It’ll be my first visit to the state. Huzzah!

~cindy