 Here is the fourth post in collaboration with my agency, Exxcel Model & Talent, Inc., about my previous trip to LA and the progression of my career. You can find it here on over on Exxcel's blog, Exxcel EDGE. Be sure to follow Exxcel on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. https://exxcelblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/29/studying-to-be-an-actress/ Dennis always tells his students in the Lavalle Actor’s Workshop to ask themselves two questions every day: What have I done to improve my craft? and What have I done to improve my career? Answering these questions each day, whether it be the smallest little factor, is sure to effect you and your career positively. Spending time in LA allowed me to answer both of those questions. In class each day, we would do a vocal warm-up, which included some Shakespeare, along with many other tongue twisters. We worked on our scenes, and fine-tuned our craft with other exercises. With the first question answered, what did I do to impact my career? Well, it varied from day to day. I spent one day updating my portfolio and my resumes, the next scoping out the biggest, most well-known studios in LA, and another networking and making friends within the industry or studying my scene on my own time. My dad and I drove all around Burbank, Studio City, and Universal City looking to see what we could find — and boy, did we hit the jackpot! We were able to check out Warner Brothers Studios, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Nickelodeon’s Studios all on virtually the same road. Seeing the ginormous promotional posters for each show made me realize that the shows I had been watching on television for years happened right behind those walls, and they were real. The thought absolutely blew my mind. As we drove by each studio, my yearn to be on the other side of those walls grew stronger and stronger. When we weren’t adventuring around LA, I was at home, studying my scene and making sure I had the words down pat. Each day, three or four times, I would handwrite all of my character’s lines into a notebook which I always carried around with me. After that, I would put my script down and have my dad read the lines opposite to mine. Doing this everyday definitely had a substantial impact on the final result of our scene. But while there is so much for actors to do for their career in Los Angeles, other areas may keep you a bit limited. Where I live, there are no theater shows to participate in, no auditions to attend, or even any photographers who could help you update your portfolio. But I’ve never been one to let my location limit me. In an area like mine, you can always take it upon yourself to exercise your voice and your body each day, familiarize yourself with some Shakespeare, or even prepare some monologues for those times where you get to venture somewhere that isn’t in the middle of nowhere. Not matter where you are, there are no excuses for not practicing what you love. Each day, you would always do something to benefit your craft and your career, because no matter now small the improvement might be, if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. Be sure to stay tuned for more posts from The Making of an Actress. x -Samantha Baldwin Snapchat
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 Here is the third post in collaboration with my agency, Exxcel Model & Talent, Inc., about my previous trip to LA and the progression of my career. You can find it here on over on Exxcel's blog, Exxcel EDGE. Be sure to follow Exxcel on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. https://exxcelblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/24/sightseeing-in-la-from-the-eyes-of-a-tourist/ LA is arguably one of the most popular tourist capitals of the world. There is so much going on all the time— people giving tours, people searching for celebrities houses, etc. Our round of sight-seeing, however, didn’t take the touristy route. Letting the wind take us, my dad and I had a list of places in our minds that we wanted to visit and we simply just wandered around, looking for them all with ease. Los Angeles is the complete opposite of the life that I’m used to living back home. Going from pine trees and silence to palm trees and adventure around every corner is such a drastic, life changing transition. It really makes me appreciate the differences between the two areas. We ventured down the famous Sunset Boulevard, which eventually lead us into Beverly Hills. Beverly Hills might just be one of my favorite areas in Los Angeles, because while it is still heavily populated, it’s much more calm than the rest of the city. We made our way to Rodeo Drive and explored the designer shops that I could only ever dream of being wealthy enough to shop at. With me being a shop-o-holic, the temptation around every corner was excruciating. Eventually, we found the well-recognized Beverly Hills sign, along with the renowned Beverly Hills Hotel. Seeing these places in real life, rather than just in pictures online blew me away. We eventually made our way to the Griffith Observatory to get a look at the Hollywood sign. While the observatory itself was remarkable, along with the view of the city it provided, it was a bit too far from the sign for my taste, so we made an effort to get closer. My dad and I drove around and eventually found a trail that takes you right beneath the iconic sign. We were so close that if we wanted to touch it, we could feasibly. It was difficult to fight the urge to! Staying in Hollywood, we drove down Hollywood Boulevard. Since it was packed by the time we got there and there was no place to park, we scoped out the key spots from the car window. We drove past the TLC Chinese Theater, as well as the Dolby Theater where they hold the Academy Awards every year. Just the thought of all of the brilliant actors who had once been right where I was looking was cooler than life. We also caught a glimpse of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as well as the Capitol Records building. They all seemed so intriguing from a far, so we planned on parking and getting a closer view later in the week. Venturing out of Hollywood, we made our way to Santa Monica where one of my favorite shows were filmed — Californication. Seeing the homes and locations from the show up close and personal made me happier than I had expected. It was almost like I was walking around in my favorite show. It was definitely an experience that I’ll never forget. Our journey to Santa Monica made my dad particularly happy because we just to happened to pass the Hotel California, the subject of one of his favorite Eagles songs. On the way back to our rental home, we stopped in Universal City to check out the well-known City Walk. Ending our day right with some Jamba Juice underneath the famous Universal Globe, looking back on all of the ground that we had covered, my urge to go back home at the end of the week slowly grew smaller and smaller. Just grazing the surface of the biggest city in the United States was enough to convince me that Los Angeles needed to one day be the place that I call home. Be sure to stay tuned for more posts from The Making of an Actress. x -Samantha Baldwin Snapchat
 Victoria Justice (left) and myself (right). Here is the second post in collaboration with my agency, Exxcel Model & Talent, Inc., about my previous trip to LA and the progression of my career. You can find it here on over on Exxcel's blog, Exxcel EDGE. Be sure to follow Exxcel on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. https://exxcelblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/23/551/ There’s nothing more fascinating than meeting someone you’ve seen on television, online or in the movies. Seeing a person go from screen to reality right in front of your eyes is just plain old cool to me. Working with Dennis LaValle has allowed me to experience this all in one week! Since Dennis is one of the most successful acting coaches in the business, he has a boatload of stars under his belt, and they are like a second family to him. He has coached celebrities who we all know and love like Vanessa Hudgens, Victoria Justice, Chris Evans, Kellan Lutz, and so many more. The list goes on for miles! During Dennis’ week-long acting camp, which he seasonally puts on for selected Exxcel talent, we trained our voices, practiced scene study, learned improvisation, and fine-tuned our performance skills. But the most exciting part of each class was when Dennis brought in one of his current or graduated students. Through Dennis, I’ve met stars whom I’ve followed for years and years, and always admired. He introduced our class to two cast members of one of my current favorite shows, Aquarius (starring David Duchovny) — Grey Damon and Michael Galante. Michael had a reoccurring role in season one of the show, and Grey is Duchovny’s co-star. Dennis also introduced us to Max Ehrich, who is known for his roles in High School Musical and Days of Our Lives. In addition, I also met Thomas and Brielle Barbusca (American Horror Story and Modern Family), as well as the notorious Victoria Justice, who is known for her various Nickelodeon roles in Victorious, Zoey 101, iCarly, and many more. I’ll never forget the day when Dennis announced that our guest speaker had arrived, and Victoria was the one who walked through the door. The reaction from the class when she entered the room was certainly unforgettable. Fortunately for me, I flew into LA a few days before our camp had begun. This gave me the opportunity to sit in on one of Dennis’ adult classes which he holds weekly for his students. Here, I had the opportunity of meeting Zach Callison, star of Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe and LJ Benet, who is recognized for his roles in Disney’s Dog with a Blog and Dark Skies. LJ had invited me to one his concerts at one of the local restaurants, and I can honestly say that it may have been one of the coolest experiences that I’ve ever had. Working with Dennis has allowed me to not only meet people I have looked up to from afar, but to make friends within the industry — which is often a difficult task for many. Without Dennis and Exxcel Model & Talent, I wouldn’t have been able to make the valuable connections that I have and, for that, I will be forever grateful. Be sure to stay tuned for more posts from The Making of an Actress. x -Samantha Baldwin Snapchat 
 In collaboration with my agency, Exxcel Model & Talent, Inc., I'll be releasing a series of blog posts about my previous trip to LA and the progression of my career. You can find it here on over on Exxcel's blog, Exxcel EDGE. Be sure to follow Exxcel on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. https://exxcelblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/22/the-making-of-an-actress-small-town-to-hollywood/ My journey to LA alone was a life-changing experience for me. I am from a minuscule town in Upstate New York, constantly surrounded by trees and wild life, consisting of only about 3,000 people. I said goodbye to everyone at my school of 300, and they wished me luck — as the thought of someone from our tiny town adventuring to a city like Los Angeles simply blew them away. Stuff like this doesn’t happen to people from my area. The plane ride was an excursion — 2 hours on one plane, and then 6 1/2 on the next. Watching the cities we flew over increase in size as we flew across the country simply astounded me. I sat on the plane, updating my resumes and flipping through my Exxcel portfolio, looking over how much my career had progressed within the last 12 months. Just over a year ago, I sat at home, dreaming of walking runways and gracing the silver screen, and now — thanks to Exxcel — I was on my way to LA, the capital of the entertainment industry! Looking out the window of the 737, I was watching my greatest dreams come true with each passing town. The view of Los Angeles from the plane was simply breathtaking. In all my years, I don’t think I had ever seen so many lights. I watched the millions of cars speed down the famous highway 101 and twinkles dance from every house, building, and skyscraper. The amount of people in one area was incredible! Going from having to drive 30 minutes just to get to a grocery store to seeing this incredible population was an experience like no other. Our plane landed and my dad and I set foot on the ground in LA. We were instantly surrounded by warmth, people, and palm trees. We picked up our car, found our rental house, and settled in, as if we were in our home away from home. It was then that I realized LA is where I belong. Be sure to stay tuned for more posts from The Making of an Actress. x -Samantha Baldwin Snapchat
Recently, I discovered the beauty that is a ridiculously over-sized cardigan. With spring approaching, it's still a bit too soon to ditch your winter coat completely here in upstate New York, but a super long, super comfy cardigan makes the perfect piece to transition into the warmer season. Always effortless, always casual, and always on trend. My latest favorite has been a basic soft knit Long Cardigan from H&M. It's amazingly comfortable and super affordable, so my wallet is just as satisfied as I am. I literally feel like I'm walking around with a blanket all day, and it's wonderful. On the days that I'm feeling casual, I'll pair it with a pair of boyfriend jeans , a baggy tee, and a pair of white sneakers but it can easily be dressed up with a turtle neck, a some dark skinnies, and a pair of heeled booties. Keep scrolling to see my picks to pair with a long cardigan this season. Long Cardigans
Baggy Tees
Boyfriend Jeans
White Sneakers
Turtle Necks
Heeled Booties
 I was recently presented with a pair of pumps by Brazilian based company, Ana et Carol. All of their shoes are made completely in Brazil by the same people who manufacture shoes for brands like Ralph Lauren and Nine West and are always made entirely out of 100% Brazilian leather. They are sexy, yet comfy and I can honestly say that these are some of the nicest pumps I've ever owned. Not to mention, they're super affordable.
I spent the day walking around Beverly Hills in these babies and had no problem with them once so ever. Not to mention, they were comfier than I had ever expected. I highly suggest checking out Ana et Carol to anyone who is in need of a new pair of shoes, whether it be heels, sandals, flats, or boots. I'll definitely be going back to this brand very soon! To get 20% off your first order, use the code "Sam20". It's on me. Check out Ana et Carol and follow them on Instagram: http://anaetcarol.com http://instagram.com/anaetcarol  With many upcoming life changes in the works, I decided that a new website was in order. samanthabaldwin.com is now live and currently under construction, so be on the look out for updates.
With that being said, various career / life updates will be posted here. I'll be relocating from New York to Los Angeles in the upcoming months, so hopefully exciting things are coming. Follow me on social media to keep a close eye what's going on: Instagram: http://instagram.com/sam_r_baldwin Facebook: http://facebook.com/sam.r.baldwin Twitter: http://twitter.com/sam_r_baldwin That's all for now! |
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