Meet Anne Arreguin of 3D1S Productions in North Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Arreguin.

Anne, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I honestly have to admit that performing has always been apart of my life. I was blessed with two amazing parents who supported my love and passion for the arts. Considering that I grew up in a medical family, dad is a PA and my mom was an RN, they always made sure that art was in my life and that I followed my dreams. They may have not have known the ins and outs of the business but they wanted me to be happy and saw a spark in me that I didn’t see at the time. Also, my clear unease with blood and needles definitely sealed the deal that I wasn’t going into the family business.

I started as a dancer at the ripe old age of five. I was originally put into ballet to help with my feet turning in, to assist with my shyness and to strengthen my body. As luck would have it, not only did it help my health, mentally and physically, but I fell in love with it. There is something about dancing that is otherworldly and it truly sweeps you away. While dancing was my main art form at the time, I did dabble in acting for musical theatre and for on-camera work. If I am being honest in movies and acting in films where my heart’s desire, I just didn’t have the confidence at the time. Along with confidence, I knew I had limited time as a dancer, so I pursued that first. I ended up booking shows for Disney, Universal Studios and FELD Entertainment aka Disney Live. I was so fortunate to have a job with FELD for four years. It took me to 20 different countries and allowed me to not only see the world but to also be able to perform in places that I never dreamed of performing like Japan and Brazil.

Like any physical job, sometimes your body just gives out on you and that is where my transition began. While dancing in Japan, I tore my ACL and my meniscus. I remember being devastated, what was I going to do? As I was recovering from reconstructive surgery on my knee I started thinking about what I wanted to do next with my career and my life. It was then that I realized I should give acting and filmmaking a try. I mean… I had nothing to lose. When you blow out your knee, it is a wake-up call that you only have a limited amount of time to do what you love to do. So why wait? This question has lead me to where I am today. I took the leap and started to focus on acting again.

I started to do plays, scene study classes and took on-camera classes. It was finally happening. I was taking the steps to achieve the dreams that I had in my heart since I was a child. I started to book independent features, web-series, short films and sketches. When I, at last, became eligible for the union (SAG/AFTRA) it was so surreal. You work so hard for a goal then it finally happens. And while I was having success as an actor and creating a web series with my pal Joey Acuna, about our years in customer service (which is on its way so Stay Tuned!!) it was getting back into theatre that changed my life forever. (in a good way lol).

I met Brian Larios, Danielle Swanson, and Walter Kartman, doing theatre in North Hollywood. At first, I thought these were cool, talented people. But fate had other plans for us. After bonding during our trip to Long Beach, where we performed at Midsummer Scream, we realized that we had a connection as creatives. Our creative voices fell in line. Not only did we start to support each other as actors and creators but we became friends. Friends that I am so fortunate to act, produce, write and create with. It was last fall that we created 3D1S Productions and the rest…I guess you can say is history…or herstory ;).

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
You always hope that life will be a smooth road but then again what do we learn from a smooth road? My knee blowing out was definitely a struggle that I had to overcome. It forced me out of my comfort zone for sure. Learning how to act on film while not losing confidence in myself was a struggle. I am a perfectionist and I normally like to be the best at everything I do. So when I wasn’t the best right away it threw me. But, I am not one to give up so studying, practicing and studying has allowed me to become the best actor I can be and I am so proud of how far I have come.

The most recent obstacle that I have had has been the loss of my mother, She was my biggest cheerleader and even though she wasn’t able to see all of my shows or films just knowing that she was excited for each one and proud of me made a huge difference. My mother was a bold woman who fell ill later in her life. The phone calls that we had together were a moment that we both looked forward to and became  accustomed to. Even though I would be exhausted from a play or a film shoot her excitement was so infectious, that I was thrilled to go over every detail. It saddens me to know that I no longer will have these calls with her. Luckily I still have my dad who supports and cheers me on. It is just a little hard when you have moments where you want to call your mom and tell her the good news and ask for advice but she is not physically here. Hopefully, she is watching over me and is proud of what I have achieved.

From all these obstacles and challenges I have learned that you should never stop creating and that in times when there are challenges…those are the times that you need to create the most. Not just for others but for yourself.

Please tell us about 3D1S Productions – what should we know?
3D1S Productions is the company that I, Brian Larios, Danielle Swanson, and Walter Kartman have started. We were originally four actors who wanted to make more content for ourselves, learn about filmmaking and not wait for anyone to create a project for us. It basically was created as a platform for actors to collaborate and learn along the way. To our delight, it has turned into something more. What makes us different is that each founder steps into the role of producer, director, actor, editor and DP depending on what the project entails and what sparks our creativity.

As a group, we have truly learned so much and we are a wonderful collaborative team. We balance each other out so well, I mean we are each from a different Hogwarts house so clearly there is a reason we find balance within each other. (Go Ravenclaws!!) At the moment, we specialize in creating short films, demo reel scenes, and sketches. But of course, we end up producing content that we love and connect with. Recently, we have created sketches for the wonderful non-profit Sand Sisters LA and have produced a music video for upcoming artist Erich Jackson. Our company has also been honored to have one of our shorts be accepted into a few film festivals.

We are currently writing and developing our web series for next year which is super exciting, I wish I can tell you more about the project cause it is really quite cool! But, you will just have to wait and see. Also in the works, we have our website, prepping for another shoot in Feb and are putting the finishing touches on two other short films, one directed by yours truly. 3D1S Productions is all about collaborations. I truly believe that is another factor that sets us apart, along with the dynamic between the founders. We love meeting new artists and creators! We are known to work hard but also to have fun at the same time. We are big believers in finding a balance between professionalism and not taking things too seriously. It is an exciting time for us since this is only the beginning of what we have in store :).

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think that persistence is a major characteristic to have. It is a word I truly believe in. When times get tough you have to push through, when times are good you can’t take it for granted and still have to work and be passionate and disciplined. I also think that faith is a great quality to have. Regardless of who and what you believe, you have to have faith. Something to believe in. This is a tough industry at times and that little bit of faith can go along way. I also think that a sense of humor is another key to success. Yes, we all want to be hardworking and passionate and persistent but you also have to laugh. Life throws you curveballs and if you can’t shake some things off and have a good chuckle then the road to success is going to be much harder then it needs to be. With the amount the things that have happened in my life, if I didn’t have a sense of humor that I do then I don’t know if I would have gotten as far as I did.

So to answer your question persistence, faith and humor!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: 3d1sproductions
• Facebook: Anne Arreguin

Image Credit:
Matthew Alexander, Carlos R Hernandez, David Rountree

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