Thia Schuessler

Member's Mark just had it's ONLINE PREMIERE via NoBudge.com

Here we are again. And by "we" I mean just me, because not even my momma asked for this year-end summary.

Per usual, 2022 had its ups and downs:

DOWN: The commercial agent who signed me in April 2021 left the company at the end of the year to start his own. He never got me one single commercial audition in those ~9 months.

UP: Their new commercial agent decided to renew my contract in April 2022 after a zoom meeting. She got me a handful of commercial auditions within her first few months for legit clients like Estee Lauder, Forward, NBC Universal, and Kate Spade.

DOWN: In July, the agency decided to dissolve their commercial department altogether. Womp womp.*

UP: Also in July, the short film I made with my cousin Marisa in July 2021 finally premiered at home at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, and our supportive family got to come see it on the big screen with a packed audience. Being of the horror genre, it had a surge of screenings at genre festivals around Halloween both at home where it was shot and in LA where Marisa and I live. We even won BEST FILM and BEST EXPERIMENTAL at two horror fests.

Other than that, I did lots of self-taping and had a few callbacks - both on zoom and in person (which I'm mentioning for the sake of historical reference). I was cast in a feature that was then cut down to a short film, and my character was cut with it. I did get to shoot an Amazon demo for their new palm payment technology + a music video with a lifelong musician friend.

I joined an actor training group in May that I wish I had known about during the pandemic. It's all online and covers all facets of acting: the craft, the business, and the mentality.

For the second half of the year, a lot of my energy went towards my brand new camper van rental business venture. Inspired by the newfound prospect of a "free" filming location, I spent September outlining a feature film starring my new Sprinter van. Hopefully, I'll get around to shooting something in it next year.

Come out tonight for the world premiere of @meese.jpg’s “Member’s Mark”

In preparation for this year’s, I just re-read my 2020 Roundup. On New Year’s Eve 2020, after <10 months of living the pandemic, I sounded truly despondent -- dispirited, discouraged, disenchanted, disillusioned, etc. Now let’s add another 12 months of it, and see how I’m feeling: Not surprisingly, in 2021, I haven’t grown more optimistic. I haven’t suddenly been hit with inspiration to write or make more short films for my neglected Shy Ruby Productions. I’ve officially lost my “one short per year” streak. Both features that I shot in 2020 are still in post-production, so there’s a huge gap in my IMDb credits for 2020 and 2021. I went through waves of submitting myself to other people’s projects on Actor’s Access and Backstage, but wasn’t super motivated. I got 0 auditions through the commercial agent who signed me in the spring (who left the company in the fall for reasons unknown). Things have been bleak! 

Regardless, let’s take a look at what I can say happened on paper in 2021.

1. I shot the leading role for a short horror film in my hometown that my cousin, Marisa DeMarini wrote and directed (and is still editing).

2. I shot a comedic role for a pilot that is supposedly going to be available on Amazon Prime. Written and directed by Vince Freeman (a fellow Trojan/USC School of Cinematic Arts alum), featuring an ensemble of 3 lovely, sassy, hardworking women.

3. I shot about 10 roles for a hotel commercial over three days. High school friends from home have sent me messages about seeing me in the ads playing on streaming services as well as on the silver screen before the trailers begin! That’s one new thing I’d never experienced before this year.

4. I shot multiple UGC (user generated content) ads for six clients’ social media campaigns before realizing I was spending way too much time writing, shooting, and editing them for what I was getting paid. An interesting and educational experience, though!

In 2021, I learned that… I wink… a lot.

I've booked enough things at this point to not get too excited until we're actually shooting it. Today's that day!

I auditioned for not one but two pilots written and produced by Vince Freeman this year -- once in the spring for a role I didn't get, but he followed up with an email telling me he liked what I did with the character. In the fall, he sent me his new script. I was cast in the role of a snorting, delusional shoplifter. A proud day.