New TV Show Online: Tiffany Last Name Hustle
There’s a new TV show online!! And it’s mine: Tiffany Last Name Hustle!!!
It takes so much to make a new TV show online. It starts with an idea and from there, it’s just a puzzle with a thousand pieces. The story is the heart of the project. If you have nothing to say, you have no show. As a writer, I’m great at talking about things that I know. I dedicated the early days of my career talking about being an actor. This time I wanted to share my experiences developing as a person. I learned at a very young age what it meant to be a hustler. Before I was legally able to work in the United States, I learned to braid and style hair. It was a way to make money without having to use my social security number. I’ve had a job since I was 14 years old and by my senior year of high school, I had mastered school and juggling two part time jobs. The same is true through college and by the time I moved to Los Angeles where the rent is as high as the temperatures, hustling had a whole new meaning. I had to figure out how to be available for auditions in the daytime, make money, and pay my rent. It required creativity and a 9 to 5 was ineffective. I went back to my hustles. 

With my stories lined up for days, it was time to develop a cast. Talent is scarce in Atlanta. This works in my favor as a performer. This is troublesome as a producer. We got that done. I was lucky to have a cohort serve as my cinematographer and editor, Lamont Pierre. I was blessed to have an established writer/producer serve as my director, Lamont Ferrell. I have an incredible vocalist sorority sister create a jingle, Kirby Maurier. I found a gifted composer online, Mark Kueffner. My incomparable graphics designer created some images for social media, Lisa Beasley. Then we got some amazing sponsors to help promote the project: Circa 84, Peur Fashion boutique, PRime PR, and Pure Remi Hair by My Style My Way.
My Lord, my family, my linesisters, my man, my close friends: I’m grateful for everybody who continuously supports me, has bought a ticket to a play, who clicked a link, shared a video, voted for a contest, LIKED a project, hired me, produced a project with me, and everything in between. It means so much. I have been in this industry for a long time. While I’m still a baby in years, I can finally stand on my own two feet and WALK!

I love the gifts God has blessed me with. To all of the hands who blessed this project and took a chance on me, I’m so thankful for you. I do not take your time for granted. I fought til the bloody finish to deliver the first episode and the effort it takes to just get people to watch.

Tiffany Last Name Hustle is a true testament to not taking NO for an answer and building a hallway when all the doors are closed. Cheers to taking the stairs! We slay on Thanksgiving  after dinner on www.PlentyPennies.com. S/O to Fearless Rock Projects!

Join me in spreading the word about this amazing new TV show online, TIFFANY LAST NAME HUSTLE!
I thank you! 

Have you heard??????!?!?!?!?!?! I wrote and starred in a new webseries, Tiffany Last Name Hustle!! More on that later! Check out the opening.

Being the blessed gal that I am, I got to attend a couple of brilliant film festivals over the last couple of weeks here in Atlanta. Last week was the Atlanta Pitch Summit and over the weekend was the Bronze Lens Film Festival. As an actor and writer, I seized these opportunities to meet key industry folks. I made some excellent contact and before I delve into my film reviews, I have a few tips for how to make a film festival work in your favor.

1.       Be prepared. Have business cards ON DECK. And make it a good business card. If you’re an actor, make sure your face it on it. People forget names, but they don’t forget faces. Hit up my girl Lisa at lisasbeasley@yahoo.com. She’s EVERYTHING on the graphics tip. She’s also an actor, so she has great prices! If you have a reel, headshots, or DVDs bring those too!

2.       Talk to everyone. You just never know who you are standing next to. Don’t discount anyone.

3.       Follow up with everyone you meet within two days. I only say two days because festivals are usually a week long. I like to give people time to settle, but not forget me.

Throughout the Bronze Lens Film Festival there were so many heavy hitters. That’s what I love about Atlanta: People are either snails or jaguars. There is no in between. They’re either in the way or they’re paving the way. Because the snails don’t know the value of these festivals, they’re filled with pavers. I met executives from Bobbcat Films, Aspire TV, Bounce TV, and so much more. Atlanta STEPPED out this weekend. Despite the fact that I HAVE to sell myself as an actor, I also love to watch films. The BLFF screened new holiday classics, Black Nativity, and The Best Man Holiday. I’m not cleared to review Black Nativity just yet, but go see it! As far as The Best Man Holiday, it’s an incredible sequel. I’m still invested in these characters and it’s not at all what you will expect.  I probably love this film so much because it’s filled with pure, true actors. These people are not brands.  They are not selling perfumes, clothes, and reality trash. They are trained, tried, and true actors. It was an ensemble cast that was not distracted with tons of celebrity cameos. It was a story about a group of friends we already know and love. I’m so invested, I caught myself praying for them. See this film with someone you care about.

The soundtracks for both are beautiful and will make a lovely backdrop this holiday season.

We’ve been blessed with quite a few brilliant films this year that showcased black talent. I’m grateful for that. 

Finding jobs for acting in Atlanta is not as easily done like it is in Los Angeles and New York. In LA and NYC, you can throw a rock and hit an actor. In Atlanta, you can throw a rock and hit a beautician or real estate agent. Since moving here to pursue acting six months ago, I still struggle to find actors that want to network and filmmakers creating their own work. And while I’m grateful to be signed to a reputable talent agency, I know that I still have to find my own acting auditions and acting jobs in Atlanta, just like I did in Los Angeles.

The general consensus is, folks in Atlanta just aren’t cranking out as much work as those in LA. This could be a variation of lack of resources and access to talent. Despite these trials, there are some people acting in Atlanta. You just have to get creative!

This weekend I was blessed to be invited to the Atlanta Pitch Summit. Lucky for me I’m a writer and an actor in Atlanta, so I have the advantage of knowing how to think like a hustler. To me it made perfect sense to bring my actor business cards to a writer’s event.

Duh!!! A slew of writers will be there pitching their shows to television executives??? They’re going to need a cast when the show gets picked up. I exchanged cards with everyone I saw. They all left with a shiny picture of my face and website. And they all received a cute email from me and links to my work. They don’t call us actors for nothing! We have to be creative when it comes to networking and finding work. Opportunities won’t just come falling in our laps.

All in all, the event was fantastic. I learned a lot from the workshops, met some amazing people, and I ended up pitching one of my show ideas to a couple of TV executives. Some passed but one said, yes! All we really need is one YES!