By Michael Reed

Valley Voices Staff Reporter

It seemed like a great idea.

When 17-year-old Taylor Engel heard of Eleanor Roosevelt's suggestion to "do one thing every day that scares you," she decided to spend her summer vacation doing just that. She started simply, relearning to ride a bike and talking to strangers.

Then she ventured further outside her comfort zone and auditioned for an independent film.

To her surprise, she caught the eye of Birmingham, Ala.-based director Kenton Bartlett. Now Taylor finds herself spending half her senior year starring in a movie that will not only take her across the country but give her a chance to blow up cars, climb snow-packed mountains and discover what it is really like to be on location with a movie crew.

Q: What kind of personal fears do you face while doing this movie?

A: Acting requires confidence. I am used to being in the background. While working on this movie, I have had to be very up front about my emotions. So my biggest obstacle with personal fear has been simply accepting my true self and flaws head on.

Q: What is a typical day like for you?

A: I wish it involved school, but finding time to fit school in has been such a challenge. We do something different every day. Some days I wake up at 3 a.m. to go rafting on a lake in my PJs. Other days I catch up on sleep and rehearse for four hours. My life is not my own right now. I am scheduled up and down.

Q: Is movie life more fun than real life?

A: Movie life is definitely more interesting than real life. It is not what you would assume, that much is for certain. I do not know if I would call it fun, it has its moments ... but it takes a lot of motivation. I prefer real life; it is unpredictable.

Q: How is this experience changing you?

A: Wow. I can honestly say that this is the hardest thing I have ever done. I have had to persevere and compromise more than ever before. I am stronger and more self-sufficient. I love who I am becoming, which is fantastic but also difficult because who I am becoming may not be someone my loved ones accept automatically. I've had to make a home for myself away from home. Life is great, regardless. This experience is most definitely one-of-a-kind.

Michael Reed is a student at Center for Creative Arts.

DID YOU KNOW

Education: Writing major at the Center for Creative Arts.

College plans: Smith College to double major in creative writing and international relations.

What's next: Wants to learn roller derby and ice skating.

Fast fact: Taylor writes poetry and is inspired by the works of Rainer Maria Rilke and Pablo Neruda.

THE MOVIE

Working title: "Missing Pieces."

Release date: Will be ready for independent film festivals in 2012 with hopes of a national release.

Co-stars: Mark Boone Jr. ("Batman Begins") and Melora Walters ("Magnolia").

Filming locations: Alabama, Kansas, South Dakota, Colorado and Utah.

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