2.4 Interview - Sarah Hamilton

0:00 Welcome to My Vertical Obsession. I'm your host, Megan, and today I am joined by Sarah Himilton. She has been in a vertical series such as My Husband Is a Big Shot, Never Underestimate Girl, Math Who Are By Destiny Tempting, the Mafia, Twins, and Wrong. She's also an author with books The Enchantress, a royal status novel, and The Lies We Tell. So thank you Sarah for joining us today. Thank you. So first off, I just want to ask, would love to hear at a little bit about you and what got you into acting? Right? I always just loved storytelling. I wrote a lot of stories growing up, and it kind of led into getting into writing. And then I think a little after Igh School Musical happened, I was going into middle school and I joined drama club, and since that I just was like, I love doing this. I love being able to kind of bring these stories to life and really feel to the emotions of the characters. So I kind of just kept with it, and ever since I've been writing, I've still been doing a lot of acting, and I loved just storytelling overall just be of fun.

1:03 So was there something that drew you to verticals or was it just I. Think when I had already been auditioning and self somity for a lot of different projects. And I've been in LA for close to eleven years now, which is wild. I moved out for college and then after just been acting and working NonStop up it's been really really fun, is I think once verticals started showing up, at first, like nobody really knew what they were, but then I kind of just saw more and more of them showing up through the testing websites and eventually deciding, you know what, let's try this out, Let's see what's going on. And I just remember the first day on one, I was just day player for like literally a day or two, and it moved so fast. It was very fast paced. It was just a lot of fun to be able to meet people and be on set and kind of just see how this world was going to be like.

1:48 And just since then, like I kept auditioning in I've been kind of just invited into different ones from casting who had known me for previous ones, and it's just it's been a lot of fun. It sounds good, I know. I've heard from like other interviews and actors that kind of like almost like a soap type filming. Is that like with the fast paced It's like. Yeah, usually most projects I've been a part of, especially like if it's kind of like a union movie or TV show or something like that, we might get through a couple of scenes per day, versus like the verticals where you show up and you're doing like nine plus scenes per day. Like the entire call she was just filled, and you usually only get like a takeer too, and sometimes are rehearsing in the wide shot like at firds, like you're still trying to figure out what's going to happen.

2:36 We're like, all right, let's just let's go for it. We don't have time. But it's really fun to work that fast because you really lock in on figuring out like Okay, I got it on my lines. We gotta go through these giant scenes and sometimes they're short, which helps, but really just like repetitive, very quick nature of it. Has been really cool to see that, and I think it's definitely helps me learn a lot about just acting and techniques and things that I definitely used to. Was there one series that you really enjoyed the experience of working on the. Set so many? Oh my, I Tamed in mind. First. I think there was one. I'm trying to think of the name of it. It's been a while, but there was one. There was definitely one in particular, I'm trying to think of the name of it. Changed. That's why I can't remember. The titles do change very often, so a lot of times what it turns into is not what it was when we filmed, so it's hard to keep track. But it was to eleven to Destroy, and I think at that point I'd already been the villain a few times over, so I really figured out, like, Okay, I know what I'm doing now. I think like the confidence kicked in at that point, and it was just really fun to just like not overthink what am I doing, How am I going to make this look good? How do I pull off being a villain, and just kind of like have fun with it and just enjoy it.

3:42 So that one was actually that was pretty fun. There's another one for Supermarket Girl. I think it was like my first day of that one. We filmed out in Malibu and I got to be on a horse for my opening scene, and I thought it was so fun that I just had to like be on a horse with that, So, yeah, a lot of girl stuff like that. Definitely. Yeah, some of the ones that I've watched, it's interesting some of the scenes they have, and I'm like, that looks like so much fun to do and to see. Definitely, in any of the series that you have worked on, were there any fun ad libs or improv moments that made it into the series. I know you mentioned that it's it's fast paced and you have to get so might not be easy to make them in. Yeah, there's definitely some lines here and there that kind of just like adjust throughout. There's a fair amount of that.

4:27 But I think there's one moment in particularly as my first villain role. It was for a runaway not the way princess. I don't think you have a different time. I'm blaked on the name of it, but I was I cannot think of the title for the weapon. Man, I'm so sorry, it's been a crazy day. It's okay, but yeah, anyway, I played Lady Sybil. It was a whole experience. I've never been the villain prior to that, and I just I was told be really big with it, like over the top normal levels of acting of big for this and I just naturally like giving fun reactions. So I was really exploring, like all right, let's let's react to every little thing that that's going on, and whether I thought the footage it was on me or not, I was just giving so many reactions. And I think one of the scenes those reactions like the focus wasn't necessarily on me if through most of it, And yeah, in editing, I guess they just chose a lot of my reactions to sprinkle into the scene. I was like, I must have done something right because it was funny seeing like they did not have to put me on that particular edit for that moment, and I just had so many like fun little moments like that, so that that was really funny.

5:32 Yeah, that does sound fun. Going back to the titles, you mentioned that they changed, and I know I've heard that said before. It's like, are they just as crazy when they're like first before, like when they're put out. There, sometimes they're crazier. They changed every so often. I'm not quite sure what the process of that is on that side of it, but yeah, sometimes like what we're filming with is different even from like the original like booking then I'll change to filming and then sometimes once it come out then it's under a different title, so it's definitely harder to keep track of that, but I try my best. I have a notebook just for verticals where I write every title of all the ones I've done. Each few pages is for all the lines, so when I'm actually going through and filming, I keep track of, like, Okay, what day are we filming this scene? Here's all the lines.

6:18 So I do just kind of help rego through it several times over and like keeping track like costumes and music inspiration and whatever random of other stuff I want to put in there. But that's been fun because every time one comes out, I'm able to go back in and say, oh, title change, and then rewrite in what the new title is and what platform and all of that. Yeah, because that's always something that I've always kind of like wanted to hear more about. Is because it's been I've heard, it's been mentioned, but I'm always like, how over the top or some of these titles to what they are now. It's try to emit. It's been over the top throughout. I've definitely had some crazy ones in there, but it's fun. I think it's just a fun part of it too. I think it's also one of those said it's very they think it's very eye catching because you're like, well, this is just the most ridiculous tale. Okay, I'll watch. Yeah, I know I've been known to do that too. Is where I'm like, Okay, this sounds interesting just by.

7:10 The title alone. Yeah, there's fun. So now, going into the vertical series, I was interested to know if there was like a type of genre for the different verticals that you liked more than the others, and if there was one that you haven't done that you would love to do. I'd love to do. I know everyone says this musical one. I think a musical one would be so much fun. I'd love to do like a fantasy too, just fun medieval or like Mermaid or something like that. That's just that'd be so cool. I have a lot of fun, honestly with all of them I did. I like to kind of just experience what they're all like. I've done a lot of like CEO like that, kind of like rich people versions I've done. I did a werewolf one, which was actually really fun. There was one scene we all had to like howl up at the moon and there's I think there was a full moon that night, and I kid, you know, we're all but this house, like this mansion kind of in the middle of nowhere almost and I'm pretty sure like coyotes or wolves or something howled back it does and it was crazy. That was really cool. That was that was memorable. Yeah, well, I think the young adult ones are just kind of kind of fun too. I like those. I'd love to do another ice skating one. I'd have to do one as the best friend, which was super fun, but I actually grew up figure skating, so I'd love to actually be able to like state in one too. Yeah. I like them all. They're fun. Yeah, going to the music one, I would love.

8:30 I wish they had more of them because I feel like that is one that they don't do as much of. It's like there's a few here and there, but you should definitely start kind of like bringing more of that because I feel like it be it'd be fun to see. I have ideas too. I've been writing a lot of like just different ideas of things that could be a vertical, of things that could maybe be a vertical or a book or movie or TV show or whatever, and just try and crank out so many different ideas. But yeah, yeah, that would be really cool. Hopefully there will be hopefully, so I think it'd be fun. So going into music, I know said that you create original music and you directed, You've also written some books, so what is like, what is it like working in all these different type of media and is there one that you enjoy doing more than the other?

9:18 Think it keeps going back and forth between them at this point, Like right now, I'm definitely on a really good writing kick, and it's been a while because I've been kind of NonStop on the acting lately, so it's fun to kind of just go back into my writer brain. But the best way I put it is like having too many tabs open. That is where my brain's at all the time. And sometimes it's very overwhelming and like I don't even know where to begin because there's too many different things kind of streaming at me in my head all the time. And then other times it's like, all right, cool, like let's let's actually sit down and work on something and get it out there. So I really love them all. I think they all kind of interconnect, and I learned things from acting that I use in writing and vice versa, and like because it's just a really fun side thing I've been working on for a long time now. But I'm hoping to get more of that out there because that's the few songs that I have put out have had really like good responses from the people that I know who've heard them, and I'm like, well, maybe maybe there's something to this. So it's more just about like seeing where the creative flow comes in and out and just listening to that and putting things out into the world. When I think all right, this this feels pretty ready, I think I think it's time and just keep on creating. That's what I like to do.

10:25 I Okay, I know, going to back to your books. I know I was looking them up and actually the lies we tell looks really interesting and I really want to read it. So it's like it's on my this to read. So it's on Amazon right now, so you know what you think it's I wrote that, I want to say, first year of call it. And it was just so fun to be able to kind of create a more kind of just like darker frannything I've written before. It was definitely a little more young adult murder mystery kind of just cool vibes all around, and I think it make a great movie someday. I'm not just saying that as a road just I saw it kind of like a movie. And it was also fun writing each chapter back and forth between like the two main characters. So that was definitely a fun story to write.

11:09 I mean, from just from reading the synopsis of it, it looks like it could be a fun murder mystery series or movie, and I'm like, because I've gotten into very big murder or mysteries lately. It's just it was so fun to write. And I think everything I've written and just created in general has taken so many different turns. Just I went from like a fantasy book to like a murder mystery book to like a Mermaid web series the modern and now even like with music, every song sounds pretty different from the last so far, and like every book plan and even like my list of ideas I mentioned about earlier for potential verticals or anything, like, they're all completely different from each other. So I don't really have like a set theme or anything. I kind of just like to see what ideas pop in and turn them into something, and sometimes that works out.

11:57 You know, it's always nice to have options and different genres. And I know that's one thing that I've done too in the past, where it's like all these different ideas that I have but nowhere to put them, and I'm just like, so it's it's very hard figuring out the process of how things should go. So that brings me to do you have like a set process when writing? Like do you kind of like map out where everything will go so to beginning or end or does it just kind of flow as you write it? Usually the more I focus on something, the more I kind of just expand. So it's really just like choosing to look at kind of even just like the the glimps of knowing I need to make something and kind of just saying, all right, let's just dwell on that for a while and see what pops in. Like sometimes I'm inspired by like, all right, I kind of just like the vibe of maybe a certain location or color steam or just something really simple or like a line that I think is cool, or just some kind of like core idea for it, and then I kind of just go into that and try to figure out how is that going to make sense?

12:59 And how where's the story coming in for where are the problems? Where's the good parts? Like what does that look like? And I try to kind of envision it like a movie and had just in my braink go, okay, if this was a movie or a TV show, like what would this look like? Even if it's for a book, it could be anything, and then just kind of write it out. I try to give a loose plan for what's going on, just so like I don't really get stuck anywhere. But even when I do get stuck, I'll just go back and be like, all right, let's work at something else for a while and then come back to it, and then at that point be like, all right, cool, let's get back into it and see what happens. Yeah. Sometimes I have the beginning really strong and the ending really strong, in the middle is just a huge question mark. I find that happens often. But we did there eventually. Yeah, that's sometimes I think an easy thing to come up with, like a beginning and end, but how to get there is sometimes the most difficult. Yeah. So my next question is what's one piece of advice you would give someone starting out in your field, whether it is acting, writing, or singing or music.

13:58 Yeah, yeah, device is just to keep on creating, keep doing what you want to do at whatever level that may mean. I think a lot of times it's very easy to get caught up and like this is like this doesn't it's not good yet because you know what you want it to be and it may not be that yet because you still know you're still learning. So as long as you're doing the best at whatever level you're at, and you keep working on and focusing on it, like, it does work eventually. And I think kind of just constantly creating, putting stuff out there being like, hey, this is what I'm doing, Like you kind of grow an audience a little bit that way, and then you're able to look back on the previous stuff and see how you've grown throughout. But definitely, just like drive write down ideas as much as possible in a notebook, so no matter what, you can look back on ideas that as they kind of come through, and just keep on creating.

14:46 Just believe in it and have fun with it too. Like I think some of the best times that I've had creating haven't been because I had to, but more because I just wanted to. When I was like bored or something, I'm like, oh this, this sounds like a fun thing to do today, no pressure to It is always what creates the best stuff, at least in my experience. And then one of the last questions I had is what is one lesson in your job? I'll say, you know, acting, writing music has taught you that you think everyone should learn at some point in their life. I think just so few. I think the main thing is kind of just thinking about, like what makes you happy. I think I heard it once somewhere where it's like whatever you do as a kid when you're bored is what you end up enjoying the most throughout your life.

15:32 And that's been very true because as a kid, if I got bored, I would just like I'd be drying. I'd be kind of like making music. I'd be writing stories and like gatting them out, and just these we're the things I enjoy doing. So the more I kind of get into that, the more I just feel happy. So I think, like happiness is really important, and being able to chase things that make you happy is very good. Also finding the balance of it too, Like sometimes there's a bunch of ideas, sometimes there's a bunch of things going on. Work why sometimes it's really slow and there's nothing so like writing the waves of life has also been. Very important that that is, that's a good lesson to have out there. So yeah, so that's actually the last question I had. Is there anything else that you may want to talk about or yeah putting you on this spot now, do you have some fun personal projects?

16:22 In the words I admittedly it has gotten a little slow with verticals, and I do hope they come back. We've all kind of been missing those lately. But at the same time, like I have kind of gotten back into kind of my own creative works for a while and hopefully finishing up my La Mermaid's web series. So season two is very very close, hopefully soon. I've been saying that for a long time, but hopefully hopefully soon. I don't if any on releasing, just probably more music and books and all sorts of fun creative stuff soon. So yeah, somesterns what I'm working on at But this has been fun. Thank you well, thank you for joining. I I'm really happy that you could come and join for this. Thank you so much. So now I was just gonna do the outro and I was saying, so, this has been my vertical obsession.

17:08 I've been talking to Sarah Hamilton. I'm your host, Meghan and until next