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Earthquake, Schmearthquake – Get Prepared!

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By Marci Liroff

We had a 4.4 earthquake here today in Los Angeles. It was yet another kick in the pants reality check to get better prepared. Those that know me know that I’m pretty vigilant about this stuff, but I realized I’ve slacked a little and could use a refresher course in my emergency preparedness. I know many of you don’t live in earthquake country but you can use this info for ANY emergency.

I know you don’t want to hear/read this. I know it’s overwhelming.

Even if you get HALF of this stuff and become aware you’ll be smarter and won’t have to rely on the system when we have a disaster.

Remember that when the power goes out the gas stations will stop pumping gas and the ATMs will stop spitting out cash. Do you always have at least a half a tank of gas in your car? Do you have extra cash stashed away? Society will become “cash and carry” as soon as a disaster hits.

My gas turned off today from this little earthquake.

Do you know how to turn on your gas? I didn’t. My lovely neighbors Mike and Pam helped me.

At the very least, read through my friend Peter Hankoff’s guidelines. Trust me that he’s been there and he knows.

Get educated!

******

Due to popular demand, I’m reposting my earthquake prep manifesto. If you were in this morning’s LA earthquake, bear in mind when you still have electricity, it probably is an indication that things weren’t too bad. A 4.4 isn’t all that much; though granted being at any epicenter feels like the end of the world, but bridges are standing, water is flowing and electricity is on. OK, here’s the skinny:

Having trained as a civilian emergency responder with the LA Fire Department and spent many years in Disaster Services with the American Red Cross, here’s a list of what I’ve learned that is important for sustaining a sense of sanity and safety after an earthquake…or any big emergency, actually. But it boils down to a few essential things:

1 – You need to have more water than you think. No, it’s not because you’re thirsty, but because you need to keep clean so you won’t get infections, and you might even need to cook up a pound of rice, which will keep you alive a long time. At least 15 gallons per person per household…really. I’ve got 60 gallons, and I’m barely home (Yeah, you’re coming to my house right?) If all hell breaks loose, water is the #1 commodity. Don’t think you can drink the swimming pool without any consequences: you will get diarrhea. Then you’ll need even more water.

2 – You need to have more batteries than you think, and one flashlight per person (all the same batteries make life simpler), plus one flashlight in the car.

3 – Work gloves – they don’t have to be fancy, but they need to be leather, NOT cloth, because if you end up working a fire, cloth burns faster. Your hands are the most valuable tools you own…protect them. A gash or burn across the palms will quickly render you useless. If you think there’s a fire in the other room, crouch down feel the middle of the door with THE BACK OF YOUR HAND before entering.

4 – A crowbar in your bedroom to get you out of your bedroom. A crowbar in your kitchen to get you into your bedroom…or anyone else’s! (btw: the kitchen is THE most dangerous room in the house – sharp objects, broken glass, dislodged appliances and be careful before opening any cupboard or you may be showered by china and whatever else got jostled.)

5 – You need to learn exactly HOW TO:
– shut off your water
– shut off your gas
– shut off your electricity
– work a fire extinguisher (aim it at the BASE of the fire, NOT the flames and use sweeping motion to kill a fire)
– put together an out-of-state contact number for the family to communicate – long distance lines are up sooner than local lines, and cell lines will probably be down all together.
– administer emergency first aid & CPR. (You’ll always hear of people dying from heart attacks right after the earthquake. Do you really want to watch someone die just because you didn’t know what the hell to do?)

OK, here are the basics:

HOME:

minimum of 15 gallons of water per person (don’t forget pets – a gallon a day)
first aid kit – and learn first aid and CPR!!!
work gloves
heavy shoes – extra pair in your car for walking home when the roads are blocked
2 crowbars
canned food for one week
can opener (non electric)
$100 in singles
$20 in quarters
one flashlight per person – 2-D cell (or higher number of D cells)
20 D-cell batteries…or more – not less
1 box of strike anywhere matches
1 camp stove
3 canisters of camp stove fuel
1 pipe wrench for shutting off your gas line (and restoring it)  – I have the new kind (I just discovered) that works with a flathead screwdriver
1 week supply of pet food
1 deck of cards for keeping children out of your hair
1 phone that plugs into your wall and requires NO batteries
1 portable radio and/or TV plus 3 set of batteries for it
10 candles (make sure there is NO gas leak BEFORE ever using them)
extra medications
minimum of 1 roll of duct tape
1 whistle per person (so people can hear you if you’re trapped)
1 roll of plastic sheeting for instant repair to broken windows
photos of family – to help emergency services locate them

CAR: (put this in a knapsack)

1 gallon of water
snacks – granola bars or trail mix are simplest
heavy walking shoes/boots
work gloves
$50 in singles
1 first aid kit
one 2-D (or higher) flashlight
4 extra 2-D batteries
map of your area
pad and pen – to leave a note of your whereabouts and route taken
extra socks
portable radio
1 whistle
2 disposable foil sleeping bags (AKA “space blanket”)
photos of family

OFFICE:

1 flashlight and extra set of batteries
1 gallon of water
1 pair of heavy shoes for walking home
1 pair of work gloves
snacks
1 first aid kit
extra medications
$10 in change (pay phones are the first phones to go back on-line after an emergency – use one to call out of state contact)
1 crowbar
1 whistle

SCHOOL:
1 flashlight and extra set of batteries
1 bottle of water
1 pair of work gloves
1 snack
photos of family – to keep calm
$5 in change
1 disposable foil sleeping bag (“space blanket”)

I know this can all sound daunting, maybe even crazy, but all this stuff is going to cost a lot more if you don’t have it. Peace of mind and a sense of preparedness can save your life and the lives of others around you.

If you want to know what to do DURING an earthquake – please check out this URL.

FEMA: What to Do During an Earthquake

Here’s a great PDF to download “What To Do Before, During, and After An Earthquake”

Please remember that standing in a doorway can get you hurt by the door! (That doorway idea is the old school approach designed if you live in a brick building because doorways are considered safer than the walls crumbling around it.) But any interior hallway without a lot of stuff on the walls is pretty safe. Sit low with your back to the wall and ride it out. It will end. Also, do you have something big and heavy over your bed? It can hurt you if it’s not secured to the wall. Also think twice before running out of a building. A lot of stuff shaking lose could kill you. If you’re in your office, get under your desk (unless it’s glass) and hold on and ride it out.

Another crucial thing to do ahead of time is to be sure you’re financially prepared for an earthquake or disaster.

Check out this article with pertinent information from Bankrate.

Feel free to forward this.
#earthquake

I’d love to hear your comments about how you’ve prepared your house/office/car so we an all benefit!

If you found this helpful, please share!

The Power Of Inspiration

photo(1)L-R Anne Hubbel, Tiffany Shlain, Rose McGowan, Mamrie Hart, Kamal Sinclair

By Marci Liroff

In my last column, I wrote about how my film, “The Sublime and Beautiful,” made its world premiere at this year’s 20th annual Slamdance Film Festival. Slamdance started as a ragtag festival running simultaneous with the Sundance Film Festival, and features emerging talent in films made for under $1 million. While I was there, I tried (to no avail!) to get into screenings at Sundance, but tickets are at a premium and mostly sold out—or you stand in a long line outside in the cold, only to be turned away. But then I discovered the panels! The panels at both film festivals were eye-opening. Beyond being there for my film, I found my true reason for being there: inspiration!

Inspiration can sometimes be an elusive thing, but when it strikes, it’s so powerful that you just know you’re on the right path.

The Women in Film panel at Sundance was especially inspiring. Anne Hubbell from Tangerine Entertainment moderated, with guest speakers Tiffany Shlain (founder of the Webby Awards), YouTube sensation Mamrie Hart, actor Rose McGowan (at Sundance with the short film she directed, “Dawn”), and Kamal Sinclair, senior manager of the Sundance Institute’s New Frontier Story Lab.

One of the themes repeatedly discussed was “community supporting community,” and the notion that you should not wait to be asked to the party by looking for permission to create. There are so many different ways to “crack the nut” to launch your projects, whether it be in film, television, Web series, or theater. Whatever your art is, surround yourself with advocates, put together your team of like-minded, incredibly talented, and creative people, look for your mentors, and keep your eyes open for your inspiration.

A Slamdance panel discussing short-form content had Chad Hurley (the co-founder of a little thing called YouTube!) and brothers Joe and Anthony Russo, who were at Slamdance in 1997 with “Pieces,” before Steven Soderbergh hired them to direct George Clooney’s “Welcome To Collinwood.” They then directed the pilot of “Arrested Development,” became executive producers–directors on NBC’s “Community,” and most recently co-directed “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

In this panel, they talked a lot about how short-form content (i.e., Vine videos, short films) can be a “point of access” to decision makers. Joe Russo says his daughter doesn’t watch comedy TV the way we used to. Now she watches Vine videos for an hour and laughs hysterically to get her “hit” of comedy. He mentioned Vine star Rudy Mancuso as a good example of how you can be discovered, “because somebody like me sits in an office, laughs, and says, ‘Find this guy.’ ” They liked him so much, they contacted him about doing a project, all from watching his six-second videos! I wondered if all this short-form content was fostering short attention spans in the viewers. I think our brains, especially in the younger folks, are actually being rewired to only be able to view and retain short-form content.

The Russo brothers suggested that if you’re a filmmaker, you should have scripts ready so that when you get the opportunity, you actually have content to show. Decide what kind of career you want and use the question, “What do you want to be doing in five years?” to reframe your thinking and choose your path.

So I ask you: What do you want to be doing in five years, and how are you going to get there?

Make sure to check out my new online course “How To Audition For Film and Television: Audition Bootcamp”. You can view it on your laptop or your mobile device and your subscription gives you lifetime viewing privileges for this course. I’ll be adding lectures throughout the year.

Glad you’re here.

Marci

Career Advantages to Film Festivals

IMG_2740Sublime and Beautiful stars Laura Kirk, Anastasia Baranova and me in the middle!

By Marci Liroff

I just got back from the Slamdance Film Festival, where my film, “The Sublime and Beautiful,” made its world premiere. Aside from coming down with a wicked case of bronchitis, it was an amazing week in Park City, Utah. I got to see many new films and meet the filmmakers; as a casting director and producer, I always have my eyes peeled for great filmmakers on the rise and actors I’ve never seen before. It’s such a great marketplace to discover new talent.

I had the pleasure of seeing a little gem of a movie called “Three Night Stand,” starring Sam Huntington, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and Meaghan Rath, and shot in Montreal. I’d known of Sam from his work on the film “Detroit Rock City” and, of course, playing Jimmy Olsen in “Superman Returns.” Emmanuelle you’ll remember from “Entourage.” New to me was Meaghan Rath, who is beautiful, smart, funny, and quirky—such a great combination in an actor.

Being a filmmaker with a film at a festival is one thing, but I was curious what it’s like for an actor. I had a chance to talk to Meaghan after Slamdance, me from my sickbed (!) and Meaghan on the set of her Syfy series “Being Human.” I asked her, “From the actor’s point of view, what can one do to ‘work it’ to your advantage? Did you take any extra steps, like hire a publicist?” She replied, “I think Slamdance is a whole other ball game when it comes to festivals. For the film, we did hire a publicist. We wanted to take full advantage of all the potential press. The best thing you can do for your film at that point is exposure. You want people to see the poster, see the actors, and hear the title.”

She continued, “As an actor, I’d been working with my own publicist for almost four years when I started doing my show, ‘Being Human.’ For the festival, my personal publicist is able to work with the film’s publicist to secure press opportunities where I can promote the film, as well as myself, and the other projects I have going on.”

I asked if she thought Slamdance differed from other festivals in terms of what an actor should be doing to network and interact with filmmakers. Meaghan responded, “In regard to networking, I have to be honest—I’m not a big networker. But I think the energy and general feeling of Slamdance is one of support. So I made an effort to go to the parties and meet the other filmmakers, see their movies, and participate in the festival as much as I could.” And indeed she did, because I saw her everywhere I went!

For me, the parties are not necessarily my scene. However, there are so many other ways you can take advantage of a film festival. I spent my time seeing as many of the films that were competing in our category as I could, along with going to several of the panels. Stay tuned for part two, in which I explore some of the panels at the Slamdance and Sundance film festivals, along with my thoughts on indie filmmaking!

Make sure to check out my new online course “How To Audition For Film and Television: Audition Bootcamp”. You can view it on your laptop or your mobile device and your subscription gives you lifetime viewing privileges for this course. I’ll be adding lectures throughout the year.

Please share your comments/stories on being at a film festival.

We’d love to hear your experiences

Glad you’re here – Marci

 

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