I have had an amazing week in Los Angeles at IMTA, but in a few hours I’ll be on a plane back to Ohio…
Although I drug my laptop along with me, I didn’t have the time to justify the expense of internet access at my hotel… It was also important to stay in the hotel to meet people, so only today have I been able to sneak across the street to free wi-fi at the Los Angeles Public Library.
In short, I was awarded for four of the seven events I competed in this week and I received 12 callbacks (five shy of being in the “Most Sough After” female talent category). I won “I’m ready for my close-up” which was a really fun event in which you get five to ten minutes to choose one of seven lines and then deliver it to both a live audience and into a camera that projected on large screens in the main ballroom. I selected, “There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you… You’re not very pretty and you’re not very bright…” But I delivered it as if I was speaking to a child. Mean, I know, but it was hilarious. Someone later told me that it was delivered by a mother in a recent princess movie; I had no idea. I was Second Runner-up in the Sitcom competition and “Top 10” in Singing and Cold Read.
I was able to meet with two friends who live out here, and I attended seminars which gave very valuable insight. I made some amazing connections and now is when the work really starts, by following up with those contacts and deciding with whom it is the best to move forward in my career.
In other wonderful news, I received an email that I did become a certified speaker at last weekend’s training in Dayton for the Making it Count program, for both the “College Search” and “Career and College” presentations! I already have three high school assemblies on my schedule for January in Ohio and Michigan.
It has been an extremely exhausting ten days! They say national pageants are basically an endurance race; my experience even at the state level has given me the ability to get through all this much better than others.
Speaking of pageants, I am anxious to get home to my DVR to see Miss America Reality Check and catch up on the tragedy that is Crowned.
Thank you again for all your support! As they say in LA, that’s a wrap…
Although I drug my laptop along with me, I didn’t have the time to justify the expense of internet access at my hotel… It was also important to stay in the hotel to meet people, so only today have I been able to sneak across the street to free wi-fi at the Los Angeles Public Library.
In short, I was awarded for four of the seven events I competed in this week and I received 12 callbacks (five shy of being in the “Most Sough After” female talent category). I won “I’m ready for my close-up” which was a really fun event in which you get five to ten minutes to choose one of seven lines and then deliver it to both a live audience and into a camera that projected on large screens in the main ballroom. I selected, “There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you… You’re not very pretty and you’re not very bright…” But I delivered it as if I was speaking to a child. Mean, I know, but it was hilarious. Someone later told me that it was delivered by a mother in a recent princess movie; I had no idea. I was Second Runner-up in the Sitcom competition and “Top 10” in Singing and Cold Read.
I was able to meet with two friends who live out here, and I attended seminars which gave very valuable insight. I made some amazing connections and now is when the work really starts, by following up with those contacts and deciding with whom it is the best to move forward in my career.
In other wonderful news, I received an email that I did become a certified speaker at last weekend’s training in Dayton for the Making it Count program, for both the “College Search” and “Career and College” presentations! I already have three high school assemblies on my schedule for January in Ohio and Michigan.
It has been an extremely exhausting ten days! They say national pageants are basically an endurance race; my experience even at the state level has given me the ability to get through all this much better than others.
Speaking of pageants, I am anxious to get home to my DVR to see Miss America Reality Check and catch up on the tragedy that is Crowned.
Thank you again for all your support! As they say in LA, that’s a wrap…
Abby - so great to here you had a great and, I'm sure, rewarding week. If you are ever back in Dayton, give me a ring or send me a note. It would be great to catch up with you! Congrats on all your recent achievements!
ReplyDeletePam Ranly
pam.ranly@gmail.com
Congratulations Abby! It sounds like your trip was a big success.
ReplyDeleteWow - sounds like things went great! Did you sign with an agent or is that something you find out later?
ReplyDeleteThe quote is from "A Cinderella Story" with Hilary Duff - it's a great line. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone!
ReplyDeletePam, hopefully next time I'm down your way I'll have time to get together. It’s great to hear from you, I hope all is going well!
To answer the anonymous question, signing happens once you get back home and follow up with the contacts you made. As I mentioned before, you have to go through a local talent/modeling school to get to IMTA; an advantage of this is that now I'll sit down with the school's director and she'll help me review my options, understand potential contracts and make the phone calls.
~Abby