Holly Anne Black

01/20/2023

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROJECTS. This is the kind of content I create under pressure.... absurdity. XD

Sarah's father disappeared two years ago, and there's a new development in the case. Something no one expected.
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SPOILERS:

Other groups: Let’s write a compelling psychodrama.
My group: Yeah but what if she was kidnapped by sentient gourds.

This was my second foray into the wild world of 48 Hour filmmaking. Teamed up with the legendary Josh and Nathan I was ready to create a masterpiece. While brainstorming, Josh asked us to list our available props. I mentioned that I casually had 200+ gourds on hand, and it was all downhill from there. After a short discussion and 15 minutes later, I had written my weirdest script yet.

My little brother was quickly enlisted to assist as the official gourd trainer. He thoroughly enjoyed chucking a gourd at the back of my head. And yes. That is the real sound my head made when it got hit. Ka’Thunk!

My adorably dorky parents were thrilled to be actors. Their true calling. And when “Respect the Gourds” won best comedy my parents spent weeks saying “Well you know... I'm an award-winning comedic actor”.

Insider Scoop: Me and my mother never made eye contact while on screen together in this scene because when we did, we couldn’t stop laughing.
Costume designing credit should have gone to Johnnie Black for creating the John Wick look on this legendary gourd.

Behind the Scenes: Apparently voice actor Nathan Griffey hid under a blanket in a photography studio chirping and chanting to create the unique gourd voices. If he had entered a video of him doing that into the contest it likely would have beat “Respect the Gourds” for best comedy

Sarah's father disappeared two years ago, and there's a new development in the case. Something no one expected....SPOILERS:Other groups: Let’s write a compel...

05/25/2022

Improvising on the set of “Rhythms of Love” directed by Braeden Nelson.

This short film was done in the silent movie style. We only had three lines in the whole 15 minute film. However, we did have to argue. So while Braeden gave us some pointers and our main beats, for most of the fight we were left to our own devices.

It was such a pleasure to play off of David Farmer. And I think we both did a great job creating some unique moments.

I love the stress and creativity of improv. You don’t have time to second guess your choices you just have to go for it. I want that same streak of boldness to be in all my work.

05/25/2022

Playing Elinor in Sense & Sensibility has been such a welcome challenge.

I originally got into film because I love acting, but during college I spent most of my time behind the camera. It was wonderful to be in a live production again after a 4 year hiatus.

My favorite part of acting is the character research and discovering what you can learn from the role. Elinor has taught me a lot: how to find joy and laughter in seemingly depressing circumstances, how to press on and stay strong for those we care about, and how to live in the balance between silent hope and overeager utterances.

Check out Springfield Contemporary Theater’s website for tickets to the show, running through May 22nd.

I hope to see you there! Come see us and maybe you’ll learn something about yourself too.

03/25/2022

More Stolen Snapshots from my Parody musical "Evangel Disney Princess".

03/25/2022

Stolen Snapshots from my Parody musical "Evangel Disney Princess".

03/25/2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfkjui6RvLA

A young Evangel student must decide between finding her true love at a floor date or making sure she doesn't fail her class in this quirky Disney princess film musical parody.
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I always thought I was quirky enough to be a Disney princess, but I just wasn’t about that romantic arc.

My favorite genre is the let’s-cram-as-much-as-physically-possibly-into-this-convulted-storyline-genre.

So, for this project I attempted to condense an entire Disney princess movie into five minutes. Leaning into my “Tangled” roots, I started with a cleaning scene. Ironically, I had just cleaned my room. That seemingly haphazardly strewn mess was actually meticulously placed I can assure you.

Since I was living in a dorm at the time, the only logical animal side kick was a fish. The plastic boi floated at the top of the bowl, looking dead. Which I found added to the hilarity since the character probably couldn’t keep a fish alive since she’s a bit of a train wreck herself. But I love her.

I was thrilled to showcase the Benedict Cumberbatch cutout that often traveled around my dorm room floor. It assisted me in tapping into the “Ring by Spring” mentality that was running rampant on my campus, since Benedict is one of my favorite actors. (He’s listed in my parallelogram of perfection, but more on that later).

Shout out to all the amazing people that made this happen. Jacob, Josiah, Madeline, Sarah, Jayce, Emily. And especially Braeden and Brady who were definitely harmed in the making of this. (They were shot multiple times with nerf guns for a two second clip). Thank you, and I’m sorry.

Sadly, because there was a five-minute time limit, my favorite scene was cut. I did a pitchy rendition of “Touch the Sky” from Pixar’s Brave as I scootered across campus, ending with me completely unending my scooter and sending my fishbowl flying. It was beautiful. But since it is not pictured here, please use your imagination.

After spending an hour adjusting the LED light to bounce off the wall just right, I was finally satisfied. That shot, with its soft even lighting and sharp ray of light, is the shot I am most proud of. But I think I am most proud that I finally got to achieve my dream (in some sense) of becoming a Disney Princess... if albeit an off brand one. XD XD

A young Evangel student must decide between finding her true love at a floor date or making sure she doesn't fail her class in this quirky Disney princess fi...

03/25/2022

"The Mole" was one of my favorite characters I have played so far. Check out the Bears 4: One More Waterfall full film on YouTube

03/25/2022

Stolen Snapshots from my scenes in Bears 4: One More Waterfall where I played Molly Olivia Leanne Erwinkle.

03/25/2022

https://youtu.be/9sSR9aqVow8

This is a compliation of two moments from the final scene where we see Molly Olivia Leanne Erwinkle's response to being controlled by the evil leader of the masks.
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It was so fun to be a part of the final scene and get to meet all the cast members who had made the previous films. This film was one of my favorite film experiences. Everyone was having so much fun and it was so organic. We were given a basic idea of the point of the scene and then we were free to improvise which I LOVE. As a director I generally like to come to set extremely prepared, but I wonder what could happen if I allowed the actors to be as much a part of the process as the director.

Shout out to my amazing friend Jacob who asked me to be a part of the project. THANK YOU!

This is a compliation of two moments from the final scene where we see Molly Olivia Leanne Erwinkle's response to being controlled by the evil leader of the ...

03/24/2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It_8X240E1U

Molly Olivia Leanne Erwinkle, under the control of the mask, tries to fight off Josiah Gossamer with her secretary/intern.
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I was beyond stoked to have a fight scene. Zach Hansen, playing Josiah Gossamer, choreographed everything and was a wonderful teacher, walking me through the steps and allowing for collaboration. I hope there are more fight scenes in my future!

Molly Olivia Leanne Erwinkle, under the control of the mask, tries to fight off Josiah Gossamer with her secretary/intern. ...I was beyond stoked to have a f...

03/24/2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQHvSJwIj7Q

Molly Olivia Leanne Erwinkle and her intern explain how they fought off the tanks that came at them but were unable to apprehend James.
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I had so much fun improvising this scene with my long time friend Gracie Ayers. She is a gem. Even when we were playing villains she still had my back. This scene originally appeared in the feature film Bears 4: One More Waterfall. You can watch the full film, and its three predecessors on YouTube.

Molly Olivia Leanne Erwinkle and her intern explain how they fought off the tanks that came at them but were unable to apprehend James. ...I had so much fun ...

03/24/2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umUwXoTKAQQ

Molly Olivia Leanne Erwinkle has shown her true colors and tries to capture James as he flees through a park. This clip is from the feature film Bears 4: One More Waterfall.
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This was a fun experience because I got to use some low level parkour that I had been practicing at a local park in downtown Springfield. I love being athletic in scenes and I want to push myself to do even more 'stunts' in the future. I often get cast as a quiet romantic interest so it was nice to break out of that type cast. In the future I want to book more roles that show my intense, competitive, and aggressive side, because I assure you it is there. Hey, run the race to win, right?

Molly Olivia Leanne Erwinkle has shown her true colors and tries to capture James as he flees through a park. This clip is from the feature film Bears 4: On...

03/24/2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_6AgYLbKYY

A young man seeks the help of the overconfident Molly Olivia Leanne Erwinkle in this comedic scene from the film Bears 4: One More Waterfall.

“Some roles you take because the money feeds your stomach, and other roles you take because the story feeds your soul.” - Me

Bears 4 is not what most would consider as “high brow” entertainment. But it was one of my favorite productions to work on. The amazing Jacob had showed me the previous installments of “Bears on Waterfalls” and I had absolutely adored them. So when he asked if me and my bestie Gracie would participate in the final film, I was over the moon. I had so much fun shaking snakes, doing parkour, and learning the epic black widow move from super cool stunt man so and so.

Bears on Waterfalls was unique in the fact that there wasn’t a written script. Jacob had a basic idea in his head for the scenes and we would discuss what would happen and then feel it out. This improvisational style was a blast and allowed for a bunch of hilarious moments. I would love to use this style in some other projects going forward.

However, what really made it amazing was all the awesome people I got to work with.

A young man seeks the help of the overconfident Molly Olivia Leanne Erwinkle in this comedic scene from the film Bears 4: One More Waterfall....Bears on Wate...

03/23/2022

BOOKED TAPE
Super excited to share one of the self tapes that I sent in for a short film project that I booked! My first self-tape submission! 😊😊😊

Sound off since this is a project in production.

Let’s do this!!!

03/23/2022

BOOKED IT!
This is the second self tape that I sent in that helped me book the role in a local short film. I’m super excited to have an opportunity to act.

I hadn’t heard back from the casting director right away and thought “well you must’ve been too bold with your choices”. And started to second-guess myself. So I was very surprised and pleased to learn that I had booked the role. It’s such a blessing to get to do what I love!

Also I don’t think I would’ve been ready to film the self tape if I hadn’t been practicing self tapes for fun and to build my skills.

Work on your craft even when you don’t have the audition, so that when you do have the audition you will be ready!

Sound off because this project is in production.

08/16/2021

Stolen Snapshots from visual poetry montage "Breathe", created by and starring me, Holly Anne Black.

08/11/2021

Stolen Snapshops from "Absolution" (also know as "relief"). A short film made by a fellow Evangel film student, that I had the pleasure of acting in.

08/09/2021

PART TWO OF TWO
This is the final installment of "Absolution". Scroll down to see part one.

Watch the full video on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLycnp7rjYU

This short film "relief" (previously known as Absolution) was written and directed by Blake a Byers

08/09/2021

PART ONE OF TWO
I’m not quite sure why one of my type casts is the “quiet girl who finally stands up for herself in an abusive relationship”. Is it the braid?

However, I actually quite enjoyed this role. It was a blast to get to act off of my friend Jayce McQueen, who gave a perfectly unsettling performance. A friend in the department had asked me to be an actor for their senior project and I was happy to oblige. Trying to create a balance between paralyzing dread and quiet boldness was a welcome challenge. Not to mention there was a lot to play with, subtext, resentment, a bathroom freak out scene. What more could an actor want?

Watch the full video on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLycnp7rjYU

This short film "relief" (previously known as Absolution) was written and directed by Blake a Byers.

08/06/2021

Stolen snapshots from my dorm room pillow fort walk through tour "Under the Sea Interactive Tour".

Watch the full video on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/I6Ebqkvhz9w

08/04/2021

It was our first no-class snow day and our lovely RA Rebecka challenged our floor to a pillow fort build off. The prize: not love, esteem or fame, but something far more important.

Krispy Kreme donuts.

Me and Nina were in it to win it.

While the other girls poofed their pillows and spread their comforters, me and Nina immediately thought: “Let's make a mermaid themed 7-minute interactive Disney-style tour”. Because that was clearly the most logical choice of action.

We stretched blankets for the canopy of our ship and Nina tapped into her costume powers to transform me into a mermaid and herself into a pirate. Our darling friend Madeline volunteered to help and starred as the welcoming hula dancer and our spunky suitemate Danielle ran camera.

We put keys under blankets, messages in bottles, and a giant inflatable turtle on the bed. Scarves doubled as seaweed and my table was utilized as a tunnel to travel through the darkest parts of the ocean. My hoard of plastic plants came in handy to decorate the sandy beach (AKA my desk by the window) and the ambience was completed by ocean sounds and an oscillating tower fan.

We gave roughly five tours to two girls each. The girls on our floor showed a mix of surprise and confusion at our crazy creation. Apparently, our fort didn’t strike their fancy because we were beaten by a cute blanket lounge. I didn’t mind though because I was proud of our performance and construction. Our RA seemed to be equally as impressed because even though we didn’t win she bought us donuts anyway. What a legend.

Shout out to the amazing girls that made this day a blast. Nina, Madeline, Danielle, Rebecka, you guys are some of the best fish in the sea!

08/02/2021

Stolen Snapshots from "Better When I'm Dancing" Music Video I made for class. I had way too much fun making this video with my pal D'anna! XD

07/30/2021

Our music video was going to be a heart wrenching tale of tragic love. It’s not. If you can tell XD.

When the guy who had been heading up our trio dropped off the radar, me and D’anna were left scrambling. Two days before the assignment was due D’anna had the brilliant idea to do a bubbly video to “Better When I’m Dancing”. With a lot of laughter and last-minute panic we hit up the parkour gym and climbing gym, looking for any places with some color and activity going on. Thankfully, some guys at the gym agreed to do flips for us and my lovely friends Gracie and Madison gave an impromptu dance performance.

I, with my janky sunglasses and puppy dog frowns, began to flail and fail with gusto. In retrospect the message of our music video seemed to be “Just stick to dancing kid. Don’t parkour, climb, or do homework. JUST DANCE!” But I DID feel better when I was dancing, although watching myself flop repeatedly on the mats still cracks me up and hanging upside down on a bar balanced on my hips was surprisingly comfortable.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, if I was to write a song it would be “I feel better when I’m... hanging out with super cool people doing fun projects with last minute panic and therefore not obsessing over the outcome but just enjoying the experience.” But that’s not quite as catchy. XD

Thank you so much ladies (Gracie, Madison, and D'anna) for making this project so fun and memorable. You guys are the real MVPs!

07/17/2021

Stolen snapshots from "How NOT to make a montage".

One of the best moments of making this was that I got to expose that the whole “having-an-idea-turns-on-a-lightbulb-over-your-head" thing does NOT work in reverse. And as always, there is the character’s slow descent into madness. A common theme of mine. In this case it involves lots of scribbling while I look back and forth between two phones, a laptop, AND a tablet.

07/17/2021

This was my first assignment for my freshman film class. I was determined to ace it.

We had been told—in no uncertain terms—NOT to tell a story, but ALL my ideas were stories. Then it hit me. I should make a montage about me trying to brainstorm what to make a montage about. It was extremely meta and I was extremely excited.

It was almost criminal how much fun I was having goofing off in my room, spending way too much time decorating the ‘set’ with sticky notes. I borrowed my roommate's yoga mat and succulent, and even whipped out my hula hoop (The one I always found an excuse to bring to social functions).

After realizing the camera didn’t have an LCD screen to turn around, I propped up a mirror behind it so I could see myself in the screen. It made me feel right at home. Just me standing in front of a mirror being ridiculous.

I hope you enjoy this video even half as much as I do. XD

Watch the full video at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrbNdZfR_VM

When tasked with brainstorming one girl will come up with a million ways of how NOT to come up with ideas in this comedic short film.This channel is a place ...

07/17/2021