First of all, why don't you introduce yourself to those of our readers who
don't already know who you are?
My name is Cyndi Crotts and
I've been in the acting & modeling business for over 6 years. I've worked
in many indie films and have been in magazines.
What got you into acting in the first place, and did you receive
any formal education on the subject?
I've always wanted to
be an actor ever since I was a little kid. Yes I've taken classes off and
on since being in the entertainment business.
Can you still
remember your first time on a movie set, in front of a movie camera? What
was the feeling like, and in what ways have you changed/grown as an
actress since then? And what can you tell us about your early days as an
actress? It's
been a while but yes I think we all remember our first time on a film set.
It was really pretty cool and you just felt like wow, I've finally made it
through my first step and I can't wait to keep going and do more. Of
course from your very first film until now, you can grow so much from one
film set to another. Biggest thing is you really become more comfortable
in front of a camera and from there you watch what you've done and you
improve on your skills each time you're on a film set. You will always
learn something new each time. My early days as an actress was always a
great time because you see your faults and you go for whatever until you
really become your own and you find out what really sets you apart from
others. Then as you grow, you begin to mold your self into the actor you
want to become. Among your early credits are a handful of
appearances on the Japanese TV-show Sekai Gyoten News. You just
have to talk about working on that show for a bit!
That's
been a while ago but from what I do remember, it was fun and the Japanese
people that we worked with were different from what Americans do. From my
experience and again from what I can remember, everything was really quick
and to the point. They got in and got out so not a lot of messing around
on sets or a lot of retakes so to speak. They did have fun but when it was
time to shoot they wanted to get in done in one or two takes, so not a lot
of "let's shoot this same scene 4-5 more times."
In
recent years, your career has gravitated more and more towards the horror
genre. How come, and is horror a genre at all dear to you?
Yes it has gotten
more into that genre and yes I admit, I really do enjoy the horror side.
To me I find it much more interesting and people in general love the
horror biz. There are so many horror icons that people know more than
they know those in other sides of the biz. It's like the funhouse at the
fair, everyone talks about it and people pass by it, but once they go
inside the spooky funhouse, they realize how much fun it was and they keep
going back and repeat the same experience over and over. It's kind of like
horror films, people are afraid and they get scared but they keep watching
them just for the scare factor.
Women
in horror are almost invariably labelled Scream Queens. A label you can at
all live with? I
enjoy being known as a scream queen. There are so many women that I admire
that have been labeled as scream queens through the years and to me it's
an honor to be put into that same category as those women.
I'd like you to say a fews words about
several movies I have picked from your filmography, and about the
characters you play in them: Jason Liquori's Death
Plots and Stopped Dead?
Death Plots was the
first film that I had worked on with Jason. I play Agent Magnum in this,
so the fun part to me was I got to have a gun and shoot the bad guy but
instead of getting killed... lol.
For his other film Stopped Dead, I got to play the smartass waitress which of course I
enjoyed. Anytime I can play a part like that, I say yes. It's always fun
to be that person in a film.
Delivery?
That was a film I was
in a few years back when I was getting started back in the entertainment
business. It was actually the second film I had been cast in that Jose
Cassella was the director on [Jose
Zambrano Cassella interview - click here]. I had a really great time with everyone and
really enjoyed working with Jose again. It was great to be on set and I
learned so much from the other actors as well by watching them. The
character that I play in this film is film producer. It’s been so long
ago but I remember a few bits an pieces of the film. It’s really cool to
find out that a film you’ve been in made it to the shelves of rental
stores and to retail stores. It’s also available through Netflix as well
so for those that haven’t seen it yet, you need to check it out!
The
wonderfully titled Captain Cosmos and the Gray Ghosts?
Captain
Nick Cosmos & his daughter survey, explore and deliver freight to
alien worlds. His ship is haunted and it forces him and his daughter to
relive past adventures.
My character in this
film is Myra and during this episode, I was just a girl who admired one
of the captain's closest shipmates so to speak.
Brainjacked?
My character’s name
is Jane and she is the mother to Tristan and her husband is Dwight, which
is Tristan’s step-father. Basically Jane is treated badly by her husband
and he also treats her son badly as well. He likes to beat up on them both
so in turn Jane does anything she can to please her husband. She does tend
to stay drugged up a lot of times around her husband just to tolerate the
madness so to speak. He likes to throw parties and uses his wife as the
play toy for his buddies when they come over. For those that haven't seen
it yet, you can rent it online at amazon.com
for a 7 day rental. Just go to this link
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226745/,
and on the IMDb-page for Brainjacked you click on the box that says
"Watch Now".
The
Stories of the Paranormal-series?
These are just great
fun I must say. There has been so many of these stories filmed I don't
know where to begin... lol... These are all written, directed and produced
by Kelly Weaver of Terminal 52 Films. I've been in 3-4 of these episodes
so far. They are great. It's more of like ghost & paranormal story
tales. Each one is played out very differently from the other. So it's not a
series that you have to keep up with but more of a great series that has
different stories each time.
Bikini
Monsters?
Bikini Monsters |
This feature film is
about a guy known as the Beach Bum who saw a mermaid when he was younger
and when he grew up, he wanted to genetically manufacture himself a
mermaid. Things keep going wrong and no matter what, he keeps doing test
after test on more girls hoping for the perfect mermaid like creature.
This was such a great movie to work on and it was actually my first time
being air brushed for a film. It was filmed entirely in Florida as well as
cast and crew being from Florida also. This film is considered a creature
feature with a cheesy/campy B movie feel to it, like from back in the day.
It had its moments at times especially when we had to stand on our feet
for like 2-3 hours getting airbrushed. It’s definitely tiresome just
standing there but in the end it’s all worth it when the finished
product is all done. I had a great time with everyone on set and Terence
Muncy was such an awesome director to work with [Terence
Muncy interview - click here]. I am so looking forward
to working on more films with him. The director is talking about having a
premier showing in FL sometime in 2012, so we're keeping our fingers
crossed. Also a few of the characters from Bikini Monsters including
myself made it on the front cover of the debut issue of Horror
Underground Magazine. Its
first issue debuted at Paranormal Fest in Columbus, Indiana at the Crump
Theatre May 2012. So we were very excited about that. If you get a copy,
be sure to read my interview inside the issue as well. The Bailey Case? This
film is about 15 contestants that hear about a paranormal
TV show called "Mysterious Hauntings" that was having a contest
at the infamous Bailey House. The rules were simple. Stay at the house for
a week and win a grand prize. What happened at that house is still a
mystery as the 15 people have gone missing without a trace. The only
evidence left were a couple of cameras used by one of the contestants. I
play the ghost of Christina Bailey in this film. I must say we had a great
time on set making this film. We actually filmed this in a house that
actually had real ghost in it which made it even more creepy to be there.
No one encountered the ghost in the house during filming but just knowing
that it does have ghosts, that's what made it even more real to everyone.
Eye
Can Hear You?
PLOT:
A mother gives birth to twin babies but something went terribly wrong with
one and she abandons the baby in the woods. After 10 years she takes her
revenge. This was a fun film as well. Of course it's got lots of blood in
it so how can you go wrong here. I play Lucy Bell in the film and am one
of the campers amongst many. I'm sure you can only imagine what happens to
everyone... lol... What a great cast I got to work with! This was a film by
Douglas Vater of Vater Entertainment Films.
B.F.F.?
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The synopsis of the
film is about 2 girls, Raven
Rellik & Anna Setib, and they are going through what they consider to
be the most important year of their high school lives... SENIOR YEAR! Not
only do they have the everyday problems of most seventeen year old girls,
they are also under the constant pressures of maintaining a certain status
and reputation among their peers! To make matters worse, both girls have
recently been told that getting BRACES is a "requirement" for
them to achieve their goals! Realizing braces are a sure way to destroy
their popularity among fellow students, the girls go and visit an
Orthodontist to see about concealing their new and unwanted dental
jewelry. Constantly shooting for perfection, Raven & Anna will do
anything to make sure that they are liked by everyone... however they are
about to make more of an 'impression' on the folks of Canales, FL and
Greene High School than even they ever imagined! I play the Librarian in
this film but there is a twist to it as well but I can't tell you that or
it will give it away. Let's just say, you'll for sure know the twist when
you see the film. This was a film by Chris Greene of Detour
Entertainment.
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Any
other films of yours you'd like to talk about? Any future projects?
I am actually working on my very first feature film that I wrote called
Hells Little Angels. Here is the plot to the story for you... The film is about 3 girls, Sky,
Zoe & Raven, who came from childhoods of pain, abuse & sorrow. As
devious fate would have it, the three girls eventually wind up at a bar
searching for safety and security. They cross paths with each other
there and with a bar owner named Butch, who decides to take the girls in
and teach them everything about the business. Several years later, once
the girls become of age and Butch feels they are ready, he teaches them
something else...
It's
a grindhouse-style horror film with a mischievous bar owner, a
mysterious drug dealer and three bad-ass chicks that have a lust for
something more.
I
am very excited for this project and am so looking forward to when we
get to film it. We still have a few odds and ends to fill before we can
film it yet but we are getting close. We are hoping by the end of 2012
or sometime early 2013 we can start the filming process. You can keep up
to date with the film by checking out our Facebook fanpage at
http://www.facebook.com/HellsLittleAngels.
I also have an official website as well for Hells Little Angels at
http://www.hellslittleangelsthemovie.com,
which is still in working stages so it's not done as of yet. So
everyone can keep up to date right now by being a fan of the Facebook
site.
Going
through your filmgraphy, one can't help but stumbling upon director Kelly
Weaver ever so often. What can you tell us about him, what is your
collaboration like, and how did you initially hook up? I've
known Kelly for a long time now and have worked with him on many of his
projects. He is a writer, director and producer and his company is called
Terminal 52 Films. I just recently was on another one of his films in May.
He's a really great person to know and work with.
Besides
making movies, you also work as a model, right? What can you tell us about
that aspect of your career, and how does modelling differ from acting in
front of a camera?
Yes
this is true. I enjoy doing modeling and mostly that's been pinup
modeling. It's really not a whole lot different except for the fact there
are no lines from a script to remember when modeling for print. It's fun
and exciting and has many rewards as well. Keeps things open and lets
people know that you have more than just an acting side you also have a
modeling side as well. So leaves things open for others that are directors
and producers to see you play other roles and be very versatile. Plus it's
fun to play dress up which as a young girl I used to pretend to be in front
of the camera getting my picture taken and here I am, actually really
doing it.
Ginger-Stein: Rise of the Undead |
As far as I know, you are also part
of the Ginger-Stein: Rise of the Undead-comic-series. Now what can
you tell us about that experience?
I was contacted by
Dennis Willman [Dennis Willman
interview - click here] to be involved in this comic book series. The comic book is
created by Dennis Willman of Iron Dead Studios. Dennis also is the man
behind the artistic drawings for each and every character in this comic.
To give you the short and skinny: "Ginger-Stein is the story
of an ordinary woman called upon to become extraordinary as the world
falls victim to a zombie apocalypse.”
My character in this series is Officer Kate Sully who is a Detroit police
officer. She's tortured by the fact that she was betrayed and lost her
entire family, she's angry and deeply saddened. Sully is a predator, a cunning
and intelligent creature that stands apart from her undead brethren. So
far the comic has made a few appearances at conventions, starting
around the last part of 2010 and on into 2012. There is an awesome list of
actors attached to this comic book series as well. It will definitely be a
comic that will for sure catch the interest of B-Horror movie fans. To
find out more on this awesome comic and where to keep a look out for it,
here is the link where you can go to keep up to date on it,
http://www.gingerstein.com
and also for the Facebook fanpage as well at
http://www.facebook.com/gingerstein313.
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You also run a
website dedicated to the indie movie scene called Cyndiland. You
just have to talk about that one for a bit!
Oh yes. See at first I basically started CYNDILAND as a place for me to talk
more in depth about the projects that I am in and to let people see more
and read more about them all. Since these other sites only allow you to
post up so much I figured what a better way to do it and be able to post
up more about it. As it went on I thought, why not help others out as well
by posting up and talking about their indie projects also. Maybe this
would be a great way to help other independent people who are trying to
get the word out about their projects or TV shows or radio shows etc. So I
starting letting people know that if you want help in spreading the word
about your indie projects, then let me know and I'll post up about them
for you. So now I have a Friday Rants and Raves Day where
I post up about who's making a buzz in the entertainment world, then there
is my Weekend FREE-For-All where I post up about various
ads from people & companies in the entertainment business that would
like to get a little extra exposure. I've had so many people send me info
and ask if I would post up for them and ask if they could link my site
back to theirs. It's been so exciting that people have caught on to it and
are coming from all over to ask to be posted up on CYNDILAND. I'm happy
that it's becoming a real fun craze with a lot for people. I just wanted a
place where us indie people and companies could have a place that was only
about the indies. So I wanted to help out and do that. We even now have
CYNDILAND bumper stickers and people ask for those all the time. I have to
put up a Paypal button on there as well so people can buy one of them. For
thosewho have never been, come check it out at
http://cyndicrotts.blogspot.com...
CYNDILAND.....GET ADDICTED!!!!! All Things Independent!
Actresses
(or indeed actors) who inspire you? I have a few actors and
actress that I pay attention to in the Hollywood light and in the indie
light as well. There aren't just particular ones, there are just things
about certain ones that grab my attention at times. I really am inspired
by all those in the entertainment business that stay with it and stick it
out and do everything they can to make it work for them. The strong
survive in this bizz Your favourite
movies?
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Feeling lucky? Want to search any of my partnershops yourself for more, better results? (commissions earned) |
The links below will take you just there!!!
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I don't know if I have any real favorites... I mean
there are so many out there to choose from that have a lot of great
qualities about them. Here are just a few that are favorites... Your
website, Facebook, whatever else?
I
have many sites that my fans can go to and find out about me and my new
projects.
Official
Cyndi Crotts website: http://www.cyndicrotts.com
CYNDILAND:
http://cyndicrotts.blogspot.com
My
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1962680
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/Cyndi_Crotts
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Cyndi-Crotts/561415203
Hells
Little Angels movie fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/HellsLittleAngels
Anything else you are
dying to mention that I have merely forgotten to ask? I
have a few projects in the works but nothing set in stone yet that I can
announce. Thanks
for the interview! Thank
you as well for the opportunity!!!
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