Xavier&Me

The very first release from the 'State of Design' series showcases super talented and super savvy textiles designer Ellie Bradley and her self made label 'Xavier&Me'.

As a home decor freak myself I have to admit that I was actually really really excited to interview Ellie, my house will definitely rock her style.

Interview with TV Presenter Chantal Leptos and designer Ellie Bradley from Xavier&Me

State of Design 2011

The Mecho crew and I were pleased to be informed that we had been invited to cover the State of Design Festival.. and that's exactly what we did!

The day was cruisey and super exciting as we were surrounded by so many amazing products, design concepts and designers! It was a real blast working in such a creative and stimulating environment and of course I made full use of our time and interviewed as many cool and creative designers as possible.

We actually ended up with a huge amount of footage and generally speaking you can afford to discard a lot but in this case we felt that the footage we had captured was so great we would use as much of it as possible!

Instead of the State of Design video being all in one Mecho.com.au will be releasing several videos each showcasing different aspects of the day and interviews with different designers. So, best that you keep your eyes peeled over the coming weeks!

Here's a teaser video for your viewing pleasure...

How's About A Yarn?

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, allow me to introduce you to...Chantal's Voice Reel!



Actress, Presenter, Voice Artist, Writer and Producer ... and I'm not just saying that ... I actually am and I even have the credits to back it up ... ha!

You can read about my recent adventures regarding headshots and showreels in previous posts as well as view the actual goods!

Hooroo.

Rendezvous with Nick Hamon Casting

I recently sent out some 'targeted' e-mails to casting directors I am keen on meeting with, one of which was Nick Hamon Casting. Not even 24 hours after having sent the e-mail I received a call from their casting office inviting me in for a general audition for the following day. I presume they liked my new headshot and showreels. Yay for me!

I was actually out walking my pooch when I received the call and didn't have a pen or paper to write down details, so I memorised the date, time and location and literally ran all the way home to start preparing.

My first train of thought was to use the single handed monologue I recently used for my general at Mullinars, but then I remembered about a certain scene that I had worked on whilst in LA during 2009 and set out on a massive Internet search to find it. In this case the casting director was happy to read, so why not?

The scene I am referring to is from the film Chasing Amy, it's a scene between Alyssa and Holden that takes place in a park where Alyssa is talking with Holden about her being a Lesbian.

I eventually found the scene and embarked on memorising lines, surprisingly I remembered most of lines from back in 2009 and it wasn't long before I had them all down pat. I also had all my scene study work from the first time I had worked this scene as well as the notes my teacher at Ivana Chubbuck had given me on my initial performance so I was able to spend most of my 24 hours rehearsing before turning up at the casting office.

Unfortunately, I have no tales of being forgotten about this time round, I turned up and waited in the waiting room for a while before realising that my heart was beating mighty fast. I then realised I was nervous, very nervous. I was not prepared for something as silly as nerves to get in the way of my audition so despite the other actors in the room I stood up and stretched, jiggled and wiggled and sent those nerves packin'!

I met with Megan and we ran through my lines once off camera before filming the scene, I choose to sit on a chair and used a take-away coffee cup as my prop (reusable of course, gotta be friendly with the environment).

My feedback, well as usual it wasn't much, a warm and friendly "that was really nice Chantal" was what I got and to be frank I am totally wrapped with that. How do I feel about my performance, well, it was smooth, natural, reactive and .. really nice.

Did someone say..Showreels?

Now when I am asked whether I have a showreel by casting directors and industry professionals I am proudly able to answer with a big YES. Although I have had showreels in the past I am very proud of my newest creations, they are very professional, showcase my talents in an honest light and importantly showcase aspects of my personality - which is a big plus!

Lucky for me I had lots of presenting footage to choose from when putting my presenting reel together, I didn't just choose any old footage either, I took time in selecting the right clips in order for each clip to show something slightly different about me and my presenting skills. To be honest, lots of forward planning and strategy was applied.. and that's how I ended up with this...

You can take a look at my acting reel too. Although, I have not included as much footage as I would have liked due to some projects being in post-production for longer than anticipated. There's some very dramatic and heart wrenching footage to be added from Life After Life, as well as some funny American cheer-leading action from a film I did in the states!

Like always, I will have more on offer very soon, stay tuned for my new voice reel!



Take 2 - Headshots!

Hooray! The time has finally come where I can announce to everyone that I am super organised actress/presenter, whom is well prepared and most importantly - ready to roll!

The headshot situation ended up being some-what of a dilemma for the mere fact that I am both an actress and presenter and feel that I require different headshots for each. Problem is, having different headshots can be very confusing not only to yourself but everyone else working in your industry.

I ended up doing three headshot photo shoots in order to try and achieve the perfect shot that balanced between acting and presenting whilst at the same time capturing some sort of truth about me and my personality. That's how I ended up with this..It's happy, bright and enthusastic..like me! I think this image also shows me as a type of  blank canvas and demonstrates that my look is easily versatile and dynamic. While this photograph would not be the most suitable in my normal non-acting day-to-day life, I think it's very suitable for it's purpose, sends a nice message and most importantly is easily marketable.



Chantal Leptos Actress and TV Presenter

For the first time ever I have also chosen to use a secondary headshot. Here it is..

Chantal Leptos Actress and TV Presenter



 I think this photograph is great for film and theatre and again showcases me differently but still truthfully. I can be a very serious and dramatic actress at the best of times and this photograph captures that well. I think this photograph also captures my honestly and maturity.

People often comment on how there is something 'unknowingly different' about my look and I think this headshot captures that well too. There aren't many people who look like me.
Both headshots I have chosen are different to one another and portray a totally different look, but strangely enough both headshots are what I look like on any given day so when I turn up to an audition it's safe to say that I will look like the person in my picture!

I hope that you like my headshot selection and let's hope these new images drum up some attention..even a little attention will do...