LIL RHEE DOT COM

Duane Reade Pharmacist image

2011-01-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lengthy delay in blogging. I find that I like tweeting either 140 characters or less, rather than blogging. I don't have much time to keep up with my social media accounts as much as I'd like to.
There's a new image of me on the Duane Reade website as the Pharmacist.
http://www.duanereade.com/RegisterForPharmacyRX.aspx?num=1

WIX - EVEN A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT

2010-02-27T19:32:00.000-08:00

After many months (that turned into years) of procrastination telling myself that I needed a professional-looking flash website, I think I finally found the answer. I had been been checking out the templates on Wix for the past few months, going back to their website every few weeks and reviewing all their features. I sent them an email inquiry about supporting widgets and they replied promptly and actually added this feature to their service offering. Well, that's what sold me.

Recently, I spent a few hours creating my own website and I have to admit that I liked it. I'm not a techie at all and I needed something that was extremely user-friendly and idiot-proof. After trying out their free version, I was ready to upgrade since I already owned my domain name that I had bought from GoDaddy years ago. I selected the first package, My Domain - Current Plan, I figured that I would start here, take baby steps and then upgrade eventually to the next level package if/when I'm ready. Who knows where I'll be in a year and what my needs will be for my website. When I was ready to checkout, I went to the RetailMeNot website and found a Coupon Code for Wix so I saved $13.01 USD and ended up paying only $35 for 12 months! Shweet! Life is good. If I can build my own website, believe me, anybody can do it, even a caveman.

FILMING

2010-02-13T16:43:00.000-08:00

I'm studying my script in preparation for filming tomorrow. It's a feature length indie. So far, I like all the actors involved so I'm excited, it's a lot of fun with a great cast and wonderful energy on the set.

WHAT'S A FEW MORE INCHES OF SNOW?

2010-02-10T18:36:00.000-08:00

Enough already! This is the second blizzard and I've been cooped up at home too long! I'm watching flicks, Zack and Miri make a porno and now Superbad (for the second time). Just chillin'. I might be filming on Friday so hopefully it will happen.

THE SECOND COMING

2010-02-09T18:41:00.001-08:00

As I write this, more white stuff is falling from the sky. If 34.2 inches wasn't enough last time (Dulles Airport reading) then I guess it's time to add another 10 to 20 inches of more fresh driven snow. Bring it on.

Superbowl Sunday

2010-02-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

This is the firs time I'm watching the Superbowl and tweeting at the same time. I'll be the first to admit that I watch the Superbowl for the new commercials. I usually support the underdog and in this case, I think it's the New Orleans Saints. So I'm glad they won. I watched most of the commercials and I wasn't impressed. I learned later that Betty White earned $3 million for her 30-second spot. Nice.

SNOWPOCALYPSE, TSNOWNAMI, SNOWMAGEDDON, SNOWOVERIT

2010-02-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

Whatever you want to it, it's the biggest snow storm to hit the Washington, DC area since 1922. I'm stuck at home with over two feet of snow covering everything. I've got the fireplace going and watching movies so it's not so bad.

HOW TO BLOCK ANNOYING TEXT MESSAGES

2010-01-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, you've probably received annoying SPAM text messages. Until now, I've put up with it because I just didn't have the time to try to figure it out. Tonight I did a quick search on Google and my answer came up! I followed the instructions for my phone service and hopefully this will work and I won't receive those pesky text messages. How to block text messages

INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE (IMDb)

2010-01-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

I finally had some time during these past few months to update credits on my IMDb page. This is like the Holy Bible for acting. I recently added two more credits and I'm still waiting for them to show up on my page. Membership is free for website. If you want to join IMDbPro and be able to post your resume and picture, there's a monthly fee or a discounted yearly fee. If you're an actor, to update your credits, you'll need to register/login, then on the page that you want to update (film/tv episode page), click on the yellow update button at the very bottom and following the instructions.

CRAIGSLIST

2010-01-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

I've had my share of ah-hem "learning experiences" on craigslist like any one else. There is real acting work on craigslist, you just have to be extremely shrewd and cautious to avoid the scams. You can check under tv/film/video and gigs/talent as well as other categories to find acting and modeling jobs. The best way to handle craigslist is to create either a disposable or a separate email address for replying to ALL craigslist postings that you can easily delete if you start getting SPAM. I do have some success stories to share with you. I got booked on a regional TV commercial as the main speaking part. I was also booked on a very well paid commercial video and print job for a large corporation through craigslist. It's a love-hate relationship, I know. I feel your pain.

THIRD PARTY WEBSITES

2010-01-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

As an Actress and Model, when you're getting started in your career the easiest way to begin getting work is to create a profile on a website that already exists for talent. But...which one should you choose and how do you avoid a scam? I've had some personal experiences in this area so I hope this helps. Once you have a few years of experience, you'll want to seek out exclusive representation with a reputable agency. Until then, here are some options for you.

I recommend Taylor Royall in Baltimore. I've been to their office many times and have worked on some great acting and modeling jobs that they got for me. There's Baby Boomer's Talent Management in Philadelphia. The staff is great, tell them I sent you!

What about New York and Los Angeles? When you want to work in either the New York City or Los Angeles areas, then I would suggest the nationwide websites. I've personally used Casting Networks the most. In New York City, I got booked on a national TV commercial for a very well known telecommunications company through Impossible Casting.

If you want to try commercial modeling, there's Aaron Marcus's How to Model book and workshops. I bought his book when I first started modeling. Since then, it's been updated. My success story is near the bottom, just keep scrolling down. I've had the most success with One Model Place (OMP). I've heard stories of some models who earn their entire livelihood as a full-time freelance model from bookings through OMP. I recommend signing up at the Silver level so you can receive casting notifications.

Please do your research prior to joining other websites. Some websites to avoid are Freelancemodels, Supermodels and WeSelectModels . Unfortunately, these websites are "dead", which means they've been abandoned and no one moderates them. I did some sleuthing on the internet regarding Freelancemodels and Supermodels. A search on Google came up with "Alex To" as the owner in Los Angeles, CA but there's no information about him so he might be fake. Also, I think SuperModels was sold to ugalleries.net because the URL changed names when I was logged in and then it did a redirect to Linkbucks. I think it's safe to say that Linkbucks owns Supermodels now. There's also a large banner ad for Linkbucks on the home page of Supermodels. As of this writing, I'm unable to delete my accounts on all three websites. Another dead websites is FaceFinder , my profile is on there and I'm unable to delete it. There are other websites that I've used and I'll continue to update this section with more information.

THE EAST COAST SHUFFLE

2009-12-18T20:57:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to all my East Coast actor friends who hustle up and down I-95 all week long for auditions and acting jobs. I try to save wear and tear on my car as well as reduce stress while traveling so I'll park my car and then take one of the many express bus services between Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City. My favorite is Bolt Bus, operated by Greyhound. They have two electrical outlets behind almost every seat on the bus and free Wi-Fi. The buses are fairly new and for the most part generally clean, just a few years old and I only have good things to say about my experiences riding their buses and interacting with customer service.

Here are the other buses, I've used some of them and which bus I choose depends on my call time and the seat availability of the bus. These all end in "dot com" - dc2ny, megabus, gotobus, tripperbus, vamoosebus, tonycoach, apexbus, fungwahbus, mvpbus, greyhound, peterpanbus, washingtondeluxe and lacubanabus.

A good survival kit to pack for traveling on the bus would include the following items: either earplugs or a noise cancelling headset, a travel pack of tissues to be used as toilet paper if needed, snacks, bottled water, a jacket that can be used as either a pillow when it is rolled up or a blanket, a sleeping mask to cover your eyes, a small, folding umbrella and wet wipes.

MAKE UP ARTISTS (MUAs)

2009-12-18T20:18:00.000-08:00

I've had the privilege of having these talented professionals style my hair and make me look beautiful for film, television and still photography shoots.

In the Los Angeles area, I highly recommend Patricia Le. She's a former model herself and knows how to do make up specifically for Asian women.

In the New York City area, Stella Kae is my gal, she's a very cool chick and she's known for making people look like themselves with just a hint of polish.

TESTIMONIALS

2009-12-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

"...It was great working with you last weekend. Thank you so much for your great work."
- Mark Rosera, Director, The Perspectives Group, Alexandria, VA

"...You do excellent work. And you have a really great look on film."
- Greg Daye, Executive Producer, Urban-Anime, Richmond, VA

"You're a star!"
- Chris Verene, Photographer, The Self-Esteem Salon, New York, NY

"The Director was very pleased with your work."
- Haruka Hiroishi, Producer, ZaZou Productions, New York, NY

"Lil, it was great acting with you, you are a beautiful, smart woman with a great talent...You are the star. An excellent actress. If I were a Director or a Producer, I would cast you. Your acting was so good!
p.s. Many people keep asking me about you from the trailer!
- Tom Lyle, Actor, SAG, Baltimore, MD

"Everyone thought you were great and loved your skirt shake! Our call volume has doubled since airing the commercial!"
- Bob Howell, Center for Vein Restoration

THE TELLY AWARDS

2009-12-05T20:58:00.000-08:00

I won six (6) Telly Awards in 2008 as both Talent and Associate Producer with McDonagh-Davis & Associates, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Silver The Top of the Morning show special on the House of Ruth event as Associate Producer

Bronze Top of the Morning show special, We Shoot Horses, Entertainment Education as Associate Producer and Talent/Host

Bronze Top of the Morning talk show with guest Vernice Armour, the first African American Helicopter Bomber Pilot, TV5 Education as Associate Producer and Talent/Host

Bronze Top of the Morning show special, Sister Cities at the Walters Art Gallery, Egypt, TV3 Cultural, as Associate Producer

Bronze Top of the Morning show special on glass blowing, TV5 Education as Associate Producer

Bronze Top of the Morning show special The Walters Art Gallery exhibit of Deja Vu, TV5 Education as Associate Producer and Talent/Host

GWYNETH PALTROW

2009-08-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Gwyneth Paltrow at a charity fundraiser event in Manhattan, New York City this summer. She was elegant, gracious and VERY tall with super high heels on, so she towered over me. It was a fun event, great food and then a little dancing afterwards, shaking my booty. I'll add more details when I have more time, my blog is always a WIP (Work-In-Progress).

facebook wall photo of Gwyneth Paltrow and me

VIRGIN BLOG POST

2009-07-31T14:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone kept telling me that I should start a blog, so here I am! This blog is about acting. modeling and anything else that I find interesting. I look forward to your comments. Please keep in mind that once you create an account on Blogger, there is no way to delete it, there is no undo!