Latin Heat Cinema Spotlight on Common Sense Mamita
New episodes every Thursdays on Latin Heat Cinema
Lydia Nicole is the producer of Common Sense Mamita a Vlog. Her Vlog, now in it’s third season on Latin Heat and has been a mainstay and helpline to all of us lacking common sense, something that is a rare commodity in Hollywood.
LatinHeatCinema is proud to be the home for Common Sense Mamita which for three seasons has been streamed. Here is a bit of background on this insightfully funny Vlog
Tell Us About Yourself
I started working in show biz at 13 years old at the top radio station in New York as a go-fer. It was way before they were using interns. I showed up three times to talk to the top disc jockey and the next time I went to the station, instead of calling the police on me, the music director put me to work. I worked there everyday after school from 4 -8 pm, Monday thru Friday and made a whopping $10.00 a week. I stayed there for 5 years and received the best show biz education.
When I turned 18, I moved to LA to pursue acting. I didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing, but I started booking work within the first six months on episodics and movies of the week. After a few years of working as an actor, I began producing my own showcases. I met Robert Townsend through a friend while he was still doing stand up and I joined his team when he started shooting what would become Hollywood Shuffle. Shortly after that I started doing stand up comedy and helped found two female stand up shows. Once was called Funny Ladies of Color, which featured multicultural, multiracial female stand-ups. A few later I co-founded and produced The Hot & Spicy Mamitas, the first all Latina stand-up comedy show with Sully Diaz, Marilyn Martinez, Dyana Ortelli and Ludo Vika. We went on to record our first comedy C.D. and we did the show for almost five years. It was a blast. I learned tons from producing it. When the group disbanded I went and wrote, starred and produced my first one woman show Calling Up Papi that I toured at universities across the country.
How did you come to produce this vlog?
I am a single mom and about 10 years ago, I was offered a job working with Robert Townsend again to learn about producing film and television. This gave me the opportunity take a break from acting and stand-up and stay close to home while raising my daughter. A couple of years ago, I decided I wanted to get back into the acting game and was told I needed current footage. I decided I wanted to create some videos based on a journal I was keeping of stupid things I saw actors, writers, directors, producers and friends in the business doing. Produce it myself and share it on YouTube.
What is the best thing you have gotten from doing this vlog?
There have been so many great things that I have gotten: I got my confidence as a performer back as well as I got to use my comedy writing and producing skills. Most importantly I have gotten thank yous from a few actors and writers who were helped by some of the advice they received from the vlogs.
The funniest thing that has happened because of this vlog?
The funniest this that happened was during a taping, I had a friend of mine help me work on one of the vlog segment and I realize I was talking about her.
Give a shout out to the ones that make your vlog happen.
I want to give a big shout out to my “team common” which includes my daughter Lexie Grace who is an NYU graduate, and my director/cinematographer and lighting person. Chloe Vega, my make-up person. Vincent Smith, my associate producer, script supervisor and editor who wore many hats in the beginning to make the vlogs happen. I also want to give a shout out to our three new team members: Bethany Cuevas, our new editor and camera person, Melodi Gelson, our new Social Media Director and Dominique Stango our new associate producer. And last but not least a BIG SHOUT OUT to Bel Hernandez and Latin Heat for the tremendous support and encouragement which has kept us churning out weekly Common Sense Mamita vlogs for the last three years. I look forward to the next three years.
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