MillerThrough her work in film, television, stage and print (modeling), Amanda Miller is a small-town girl chasing big city dreams, but her desire is something even grander than fame. Miller’s priority is not to be an A-list star, whose name is known across the world, but she wants to serve as a beacon of hope for those feeling defeated by life. With each project, Miller aspires to build an avenue that travels directly to someone’s soul and motivates them to take action towards improving themselves.

No matter the medium in which it’s told, Miller believes that each story has the potential to resonate within the audience. “I don’t want to be famous, but I want to be part of fulfilling projects that can provide hope and inspiration to others. My goal is to inspire others to do better for themselves, because they saw someone else do it on film or on stage,” said Miller.

An active part of the entertainment industry for eight years, Miller has appeared in full length features, short films, several television commercials and theatrical productions. Her credit list of commercials include for Kroger, Speedway, and P&G. She has also been in a number of instructional and training videos, her favorite of which was for a product for dump trucks caked Dump-Loc, at which she got to operate the dump truck and wear a hard hat.

Though on screen commercials move by quickly, the recording process can be very tedious. The lighting, sound, blocking, line delivery and various other factors all have to be perfect in order for the shoot to be completed. “It’s a lot of work, but if you love it, it’s not so bad. Commercials are not glorious, without the magic of editing,” said Miller.

The experience is similar for short films, Miller recently spent 12 and 14 hours days, beginning at 5 a.m., over a weekend on set for a project that will be 15 minutes in length. The filming still didn’t get completed. For Miller, all the time and effort is made worth it when the finished product is released to the public. “I love all the collaboration in having ideas brought to life, but it is exhausting,” she said.

The credit list of short films that Miller has starred in are ‘Day of the Jagged Dead,’ ‘Jacob’s Paradox,’ and ‘The Last Walk.’ She’s also appeared in the full length features, ‘Act of Contrition’ and ‘A Dead Husband in a Western Town’ (yet to be released). Miller was also an extra in the films ‘Ides of March’ and ‘Miles Ahead’ which were shot locally.

Through the whole filming process a tight bond is formed between the cast and crew, which is an aspect that Miller enjoys the most. The same is true for theatrical productions, everyone is together so much that a family type atmosphere is formed. “It’s like being in a foxhole with the crew. You are together a lot, relying on each other, and then they are gone,” said Miller. “Leaving a set for the final time is like when a relationship breaks-up. It hurts.”

In addition, Miller also takes pleasure in working behind the camera as a producer, whenever the opportunity presents itself. She most recently served as a producer for the Dayton Music Video, which is now up online. It’s a spoof of the video by Macklemore titled ‘Downtown,’ and was filmed all throughout Dayton.

As a producer, especially for films, Miller likes having more control and being involved in the decision making. She wants to ensure that the product is the best that it can possibly be, especially since her name is associated with it. “If I’m doing something I want it to be done well, we don’t make enough to be doing it for the money, so we are doing it for ourselves,” she said.

With her work in modeling and on stage, Miller protects her integrity by refusing to show too much skin. She chooses projects that she is comfortable with her friends and family seeing, and that also won’t compromise other areas of her life.

The greatest award Miller could ever receive for acting isn’t an Oscar, but the knowledge that a character she played positively influenced someone. “My dream is to be part of a project that resonates within someone and motivates them to better their lives,” she said.

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