Cindy Chu actress

Summertime Sadness

Posted on 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 baby

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

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

Here we have a steampunk inspired outfit for an audition.

Cindy Chu 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.

B&B Hairspray

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

Cindy Chu thinking steampunk thoughts

Cindy Chu makeup

Steampunk makeup look

Makeup Look:

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 Nicole Mejia

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 Bar Method Bikini Body

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 diet huckleberry cafe

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.

Kate Boyer

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

Cindy Chu’s Moo Postcard

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

xo,

Cindy

Spring Growth

Posted on 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, Those Who Kill

Cindy Chu on ‘Those Who Kill’

Cindy Chu, abc, Mixology

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

~c

Entering the Year of the Horse

Posted on 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, bar method

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!

Cindy Chu, climbing

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:

day15, cindy chu

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 hair dryer

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

Cindy Chu

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!!!!

Cindy Chu

Double duty

xox,

Cindy

Time for new headshots!

Posted on 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.

 

cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot

cindy chu headshot

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

cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot cindy chu headshot Cindy Chu Headshot

Establishing Myself in LA

Posted on by cindychu

It’s been awhile now, but I’m here in LA, Lalaland, Hollywood, what have you, and am very excited to see what this move will bring me in terms of my acting career.  As long as I can remember, I wanted to be a performer and I dreamed of being in the movies, and working in Hollywood.  I’m not doing too bad out here so far, as I’ve signed with Stephany Burns at Avalon Artists Group through a friend’s introduction.  The friend I speak of is none other than Kate Boyer, the lovely redhead who played my best friend in the pilot of Those Who Kill on A&E (Fox21).  She has some killer scenes, so look out for the premiere!

Kate Boyer, eroglamour

Kate Boyer, via http://www.eroglamour.com

I also just heard that another actor I worked with on Those Who Kill, the very talented Omid Abtahi, has been officially cast as Homes in Mockingjay, the next installment in The Hunger Games trilogy.  Congratulations, Omid!

Omid Abtahi, homes, mockingjay, hunger games

Omid Abtahi as Homes

So far, I’ve been on a number of auditions and had a couple holds but nothing solid yet.  I did pick up a featured gig on ABC’s new show Mixology, so you might see me pop up for a quick second in one of the episodes.  I started a Meisner Technique program at the Ruskin School of Acting, which I absolutely love!  I can already feel that I’m growing as an actor under John Ruskin’s guidance.

sanford meisner, meisner, john ruskin

Sanford Meisner (left) with John Ruskin in 1986

I’m looking forward to producing some new projects with some of my classmates, so stay tuned for updates…

In other aspects of life, I’ve got some beauty product recommendations for skin, hair, and health.

SKIN–For a few years, I was having issues with acne on my forehead.  I’d heard a lot of great things about the Clarisonic from several friends but didn’t think too much about it.  Once I got out here, I figured I should invest in one and check out all the hype.  I could write it off, and everyone I knew who used one swore by it.  Well, lo and behold, look at the improvement from before I started to a couple months after.  I had a minor breakout this week but, you can still see a pretty marked difference.  I had some hyperpigmentation from old blemishes and they got rid of them!

Final grade for the Clarisonic:  A  (** These Clarisonic links I included jump to the specific set I ordered off Amazon, but if you want more info on the brush you can pop over to their direct site http://www.clarisonic.com, but it is cheaper to buy it on Amazon!)

clarisonic before and after

My personal results from using the Clarisonic Aria!

 

HAIR–I have pretty long hair now.  All of that hair is pretty old towards the bottom.  Prone to dryness and breakage, as well as split ends, I tried to be extra gentle with it.  I’d been trying a bunch of shampoos and conditioners, ones with argan oil, moroccan blends, you name it.  Nothing was working that well.  Then, since I’d been slowly switching to more natural products for the home anyway, I thought I’d try the “no ‘poo” method.  I mixed up a bottle of the baking soda “shampoo”, and a bottle of the apple cider vinegar “conditioner” with some tangerine and lavender oil to help cancel the pungent smell.  I also got on a schedule of washing my hair only once every 3 or 4 days, and actually brushing it well to help distribute the oils.  It worked alright, my hair was shinier, but every time I worked out and got hot, it was a little stinky from the ACV.  I eventually went through my solutions, and was looking up shampoos for Asian hair and heard a lot about the Shiseido Tsubaki hair treatment line.  A bunch of Asian women gave it rave reviews for their long hair.  I found a set on Amazon and ordered and have since used it just once and I can literally feel a huge difference.  Normally, the ends of my hair feel pretty crispy and straw-like, and with the specially formulated blend of Camellia oil in their line, the Shiseido Tsubaki has already improved the softness of my hair.  It’s still too early to tell since I’ve only tried it once, but I’d say from the results of using it only once and feeling the difference, that I’m going to love this line.

Tentative grade for Shiseido Tsubaki:  A

Shiseido Tsubaki

Shiseido Tsubaki camellia oil hair care

***I’ll try and update with a photo tomorrow after my haircut!****   Here’s the new coif!  It’s styled here, but I got my much needed trim and the ends are nice again.  Thanks to Arch at 9022!

Cindy Chu haircut

My awesome trim/styling by Arch at 9022 Salon in Los Angeles

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/cindychu/9940780013/&#8221; title=”Found a new hair stylist, Arch at 9022.  Super stoked to find a worthy replacement from my Joshie!  First LA haircut!  He even styled it for me for my audition. ☺️ by cindychu, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7388/9940780013_ae08a0e46a.jpg&#8221; width=”500″ height=”500″ alt=”Found a new hair stylist, Arch at 9022.  Super stoked to find a worthy replacement from my Joshie!  First LA haircut!  He even styled it for me for my audition. ☺️”></a>

HEALTH–Some of you know I lost a lot of weight last year by following a diet that included mostly just legumes, proteins, and vegetables, and that really helped bring my body back under control.  I was still a bit in denial about the need for working out, as I was so tired from waiting tables all the time, I figured that counted for working out.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t truly cardio and it only worked a few muscles.  Once I came out to LA, I couldn’t escape working out.  Everyone here is so fit!  I am in Venice now, and live fairly close to the beach.  I had no excuse to not go for bike rides or runs with the beach right there.  So I started running and biking and walking more.  I also stopped drinking so much, no more after work beers with the crew, and that definitely helped with losing some bloat and cutting down on carbs.  Then a friend of mine suggested I try a bar class for toning up, and I found one close by, The Bar Method.  I started with their intro month special, $100 for the first 30 days.  I took some before photos, and just 2 weeks in I was starting to see some results in my posture and the lift of my derriere, as well as a flattening of my tummy.  It’s an amazing lifting and toning workout, isometric in nature, and is pretty much a blend of ballet, yoga, and pilates.  I’ve never had well-defined abs before in my life, and I’m getting pretty close to that now!  The Bar Method has changed my body completely.  I can’t wait to see more progress in the next few months.

The difference two years can make… 😀

before and after, bar method, success, bar method results

Little tweaks, or isometrics, can lead to big changes. 😉

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My Bar Butt

cindy chu, bikini, bar method, before and after

I got a bit too excited about my progress and couldn’t decide between these Topshop bikinis, so I got all three! Eh! 🙂

Alright, so I was working out a ton and thought I was eating right, but I wasn’t seeing a big change on the scale.  I had gained a little winter (ahem, beer!!!) weight in Michigan and wanted to lose it, and I knew I was building muscle and toning up, but I was still about the same weight on the scale.  I decided to start using MyFitnessPal to keep track of my calories in and was shocked to realize why I wasn’t losing very much weight was because I was overcompensating when eating, canceling out my progress working out.  I quickly realized I had to downsize my portions and caloric intake to see faster results.  Since joining and in combination with everything else, I’ve lost about 4 pounds, and am down a jean size to 26.  I was kind of at that size last year with all the initial weight loss but that was through diet alone and I didn’t have the toned look I wanted.  This time around, I wanted to do it all right.  I remember a couple months ago there was a pair of jeans I really wanted from Free People but I tried on the right size and as they were  little low-slung, and I still had a bit more middle, they didn’t look very good.  I went back and tried them on a few weeks later and they fit really well and so I got them, and now they’re even a tiny bit loose.  I really can’t say enough about The Bar Method and MyFitnessPal.

Final grades for The Bar Method and MyFitnessPal: A+ all the way!

If you want an easy way to log your weight on MyFitnessPal and have wifi at home, you can get a FitBit Aria scale, (in black OR white!) and link it up with your MyFitnessPal and it will sync it automatically to your account.  The only weird thing about mine is it syncs my weight as .1lb more than it reads on the scale, which is a little weird but other than that, it’s great, and I love the automatic syncing option.

Final grade for the FitBit Aria:  A-

fitbit, aria, scale

My FitBit Aria scale, synced and ready to go!

And in case you want to check out what it’s like at sunset in Venice, which is when I like to go out for a jog, here’s a little clip of tonight’s sunset.  😀  (Couldn’t figure out the Instagram embedding…you’ll have to click through!)

Saturn Return

Posted on 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

Q&A at The Woman screening at Sundance

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

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

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

The Woman

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

Gorgeous icicles outside my balcony



SUNDANCE 2011

Posted on by cindychu
Sundance 2011

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

Pierce Brosnan as Dan Day in Salvation Boulevard

 

Salvation Boulevard--Dan Day

Salvation Boulevard--Dan Day

Greg Kinnear as Carl VanderVeer in Salvation Boulevard

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

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

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

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

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 haircut

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

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

Thrill$Train in all their hot hot glory

D Train thrilling the crowd

D Train thrilling the crowd

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

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

 

Red Dawn, New Year

Posted on by cindychu

Happy New Year, everyone!

Wonderful news today!  My scene co-star, Dwight Sora, from Red Dawn sent me a message today with a link to an article about the release of Red Dawn in 2011.  It seemed late last year that this film could be in limbo forever, but apparently MGM has gained a $500 million dollar credit line to go towards making the next James Bond film and also continue with The Hobbit project.  This also means that they now have the money to market and release Red Dawn!  This was my first acting role in a major feature film, and its release in 2011 means that I will have at least 2 major theatrical releases this year, Red Dawn AND Salvation Boulevard.  Let’s up the ante for 2011, eh?  I’d like it to grow harmonically this year.  😀   Click the photo to link to the article!  (I had a very small role in the film and was not part of the central cast, just FYI.)

Red Dawn remake cast photo

Red Dawn remake cast photo

I also had my first audition of the new year today.  My fingers are crossed for some more good news this month!

I always like to share any useful acting tidbits, and here’s a useful one if you’re a paid-up-to-date SAG member in SE Michigan.  You can go view any SAG-nominated films that are currently screening at the Phoenix or Emagine Theaters for FREE if you show your current SAG card.  It’s the gold one.

Here’s the list from my SAG email:

Thanks to the generosity of two of our local theatres, Phoenix Theatres and Emagine Entertainment, Screen Actors Guild members in Michigan can attend showings of SAGAward nominated films free of charge. A great member perk, this is a valuable opportunity for you, the member, to view the nominees before you cast your vote!

Here are the rules:

  • You must present your SAG card (paid-thru April 30, 2011) and photo ID.
  • The free ticket is for SAG members only, not accompanying friends or family.
  • This offer is valid between December 27–January 25, 2011 for Phoenix Theatres and January 3–25, 2011 for Emagine Theatres.
  • This offer is valid Monday thru Thursdays only; not valid on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

This offer is valid for the following films with nominations:

“127 Hours”

“Black Swan”

“Conviction”

“The Fighter”

“Get Low”

”Green Zone”

“Inception”

“The Kids are All Right”

“The King’s Speech”

“Rabbit Hole”

“Robin Hood”

“The Social Network”

“The Town”

“True Grit”

“Winter’s Bone”

Here are the participating locations:

Phoenix Theatre: The Mall of Monroe in Monroe

Phoenix Theatre: Laurel Park Place in Livonia

Emagine Theatre: Novi

Emagine Theatre: Canton

Emagine Theatre: Woodhaven

Cinema Hollywood: Birch Run

We thank both Emagine Entertainment and Phoenix Theatres for their continued support of Screen Actors Guild members.

Have fun, vote and return your ballot to arrive by January 28!

Don’t forget to watch the 17th Annual SAG Awards live on TBS and TNT at 8 p.m., Sunday, January 30, 2011.

And one last little tidbit for any fellow outrageous hat lovers!  I became the recent proud parent to a beautiful SpiritHood!

SpiritHoods

Image from the SpiritHoods.com site

Click on the image to get to their site and order your own, and join the tribe!  They have different animals, and some of them are Product Blue, which means they donate a portion to a conservancy group that helps that particular animal species.  I ordered the Snow Leopard, which is among the Product Blue offerings.  =^_^=

 

Meow--Cindy Chu

Meow--Cindy Chu

Paws--Cindy Chu

Paws--Cindy Chu

That’s it for now.  Hope to have more good news very soon!

Happy 2011!

~c

Other Ventures

Posted on by cindychu

While this site is mostly used for posting about my acting career, I figured I can also tie in some notes about my film friends’ achievements/updates.

If you’ve seen my film Qing Lou Nu, then you’d know the name Bryan D. Hopkins.  Earlier this year he drove down to Louisiana to shoot a ton of coverage on the Gulf oil spill for a documentary he’s putting together.  Here’s a peep at the trailer he just released for Dirty Energy:

Dirty Energy featurette from Bryan D. Hopkins on Vimeo.

Dirty Energy featurette

A new buddy of mine that I met on the set of a GM commercial I was recently working on shared a short film he did with me, that I also feel needs to be passed on to more potential fans.  It’s hilarious, and it’s about Death.  Good work, Clark Birchmeier!

no harvest:the intern from clark birchmeier on Vimeo.

This short film is called “no harvest: the intern”. It is a dark-comedy about the Grim Reaper. It was produced by Rebel Cow Productions LLC, and was directed by Clark Birchmeier.

Another personal venture I haven’t mentioned yet is that I recently joined the band Origami Cat Plan, and we just played our first gig. Having had only 2 practices with the band, I didn’t perform my best, but I think it was still pretty impressive for the amount of time we had to prepare.

 

Cindy Chu as Princess Koneko of Origami Cat Plan

Cindy Chu as Princess Koneko of Origami Cat Plan

Origami Cat Plan at the Blind Pig 12/15/2010

Origami Cat Plan at the Blind Pig 12/15/2010

 

Origami Cat Plan Groovin at their first show with Cindy Chu

Origami Cat Plan Groovin at their first show with Cindy Chu

 

In my thirst for learning, and owning musical instruments, I even obtained a baby jimbay or djembe yesterday, at the encouragement of my best friend Ris Tena, who is a master of the hip hop and fashion worlds.  I’ll be able to add it to my tambourine/vocals skills for Origami Cat Plan!

Cindy Chu with her new jimbay or djembe (various spellings)

Cindy Chu with her new jimbay or djembe (various spellings)

And in other news, had a few more auditions recently, but I don’t really like saying what any of them are because like I mentioned in my previous post, the majority of the time you don’t hear anything back afterwards.  So I usually do the auditions, and then forget about them and if I DO hear anything, then of course I jump for joy like I won the lottery.  I will say, though, that I am extremely excited about Fox picking up a live-action adaptation of Joe Hill’s Locke & Key!   My current fantasies are to play a part in a live-action version of a graphic novel, and to do some more animated voiceovers!

 

Cover of Joe Hill's Locke & Key

Cover of Joe Hill's Locke & Key

A page from Joe Hill's Locke & Key

A page from Joe Hill's Locke & Key

If you’re curious about what I’ve been watching recently, wonder no more.  I just caught up on Dexter, amazing amazing show, and I have to give it to Julia Stiles for shocking me with her great portrayal of Lumen in Season 5.  I’ve also been re-watching Firefly, and am about halfway through.  I had seen bits and pieces of it before when I was younger, but never got to view the entire series.  Guess I was too busy with Buffy, The X-Files, and Charmed?  Joss Whedon is a genius, and I have a soft spot for Mal.

 

Captain "Mal" Malcolm Reynolds of Firefly

Captain "Mal" Malcolm Reynolds of Firefly

Julia Stiles as Lumen in Dexter S.5, with Dexter

Julia Stiles as Lumen in Dexter S.5, with Dexter

For films, I can’t wait to see Black Swan and TRON LEGACY this weekend!  The Michigan Theater starts screening Black Swan today.

 

Natalie Portman as the Black Swan

Natalie Portman as the Black Swan

Production Still from Tron Legacy with Olivia Wilde, Joseph Kosinski and Jeff Bridges

Production Still from Tron Legacy with Olivia Wilde, Joseph Kosinski and Jeff Bridges

And if you enjoy graphic novels, one of my all-time favorite and most beloved books is now available as a graphic novel: The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho.

 

A page from the new graphic novel version of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

A page from the new graphic novel version of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Hopefully I’ll have some good news to share with you all when I post again!  And thanks to my awesome agent, Curt Howe of Charlie’s Talent Agency, aka CTA, who believes in me and keeps getting me auditions!  One of these days…(fingers crossed)

If I don’t update before Christmas, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with loved ones, and remember to appreciate all the goodness in your life.

~cindy