Catching Up With Emily & Ally Carlson - Lucky 5 Productions

We caught up with talented and amazing sisters, Emily and Ally, of Lucky 5 Productions. Check out what they've been up to!

#filmcraftfamily 

How have you been curing boredom during this time?

Emily: Most of my time has been divided between making videos, attending Zoom meetings for school, swimming, and going through my closet to look for clothes and shoes to donate! Other than that, I have been playing with my puppies and using various social media platforms!
Ally: Emily and I both attend California Lutheran University, in Thousand Oaks. During this quarantine, we have been attending classes through Zoom and working on our class projects from home. While not working on homework, I enjoy hopping in the pool with my family. Occasionally, our puppy likes to join us by relaxing in his pool floatie.

What is your favorite activity to do together?

Emily: I absolutely love to watch Marvel movies with my sister, Ally! We love to think about how the films were shot and how the effects were made! It is always so much fun to relax after a busy day and watch movies that expand our creativity!
Ally: My favorite activity to do with my sister, Emily, is watch movies! Sometimes we watch the same movies over and over! We make our popcorn with M&Ms! During the movies we always admire the composition and special effects.

What is the biggest lesson you've learned from each other?

Emily: Ally has taught me the importance of staying on schedule during production. Time is extremely valuable while on set and I am so thankful that she taught me that! We have made many films and class projects together, so we know what needs to happen in order to have our production days run smoothly!
Ally: I have learned from my sister, Emily, that being 15 minutes early, is to be on time. When we were in high school, we would get ready in the morning and she would make sure we left the house with plenty of time. This lesson has helped me to become more punctual!

Favorite thing about being sisters?

Emily: My favorite thing about being sisters is our bond. We are best friends! Because Ally is only a year and a half older, we have always done everything together! Our late acting coach, the great Dustin Felder, told us that people will always try and separate us. He told us how important it is to keep our bond strong and never let anyone convince us otherwise. Most importantly, he showed us that relationships are special and that we are lucky to have each other as sisters.
Ally: My favorite thing about being sisters is that I have a built-in best friend 24/7. We do everything together! Often, we complete each other’s sentences, and will also start singing the same songs, just out of the blue. It is great working on projects with Emily because we are both able to know what each other is thinking, even if we don’t verbalize it.

Tell us more about Lucky 5 Productions and how it started?

Emily and Ally: Ever since our mom was a young girl, the number 5 was always special to her. There are so many different times when the number 5 brought good luck to our family, so we chose the name “Lucky 5 Productions” to pay homage to those special moments in our lives. One example of this took place a few years ago when our mom got the chance to win a Fiat 500C through a popular radio station. We were all so excited to see if she could make it through all of the different levels to make it to the top ten. Only the top ten people would be able to choose a key to put into the ignition of the car. When it came time for her to choose a key, she chose the lucky fifth key from the right, and sure enough, the engine turned over and she won the car! Whenever we see the number 5, it reminds us of our loved ones who have passed away and it is a sign to us that they are always with us.

What events/online activities do you have coming up?

Emily: Right now, we are preparing for finals in all of our college classes! Since COVID-19 has halted in-person meetings in schools, we are attending online classes, so there are a lot of online activities taking place. Currently, I am creating my Media Book, which is my final project for my multimedia class. This has been so much fun for me because I have been able to interview professionals, such as Yvette Nicole Brown, Emily Swallow, Christoper Sean, and Steve Carlson. I am going to present my work this next week, so I am looking forward to sharing all of the special interviews with my peers!
Ally: I am wrapping up the final assignments due for this semester, as well as planning for films Emily and I want to create this summer. Starting in the fall, I will be president of the Multimedia Action Coalition Club, on campus at Cal Lutheran, and Emily will be the Vice President. Both of us will be planning fun activities and giveaways.

We got so many compliments on the photo of your Filmcraft director chair! What is your favorite thing about it?

Emily: I absolutely love that the Filmcraft Director Chair is sturdy. It is obvious that the chairs are made with the best materials, so I know that I can trust the Filmcraft Director Chair to be solid and not squeak while we are filming. The chairs are durable and easy to move, which makes life on set so much easier. It is also really fun to see my name on my chair! :)
Ally: There are so many things that I love about my Filmcraft Director Chair! My chair is light enough that I am able to fold it up and take it with me to set. I love that the Filmcraft chairs are comfortable to sit in for those long days. And an extra bonus is having it personalized, with my name and company! They are strong, sturdy, and stylish!

If you could design your next chair, what would you put on it? What tips do you have for others looking to design their own chair?

Emily: I absolutely love my chair! If I could design my next chair, I would love the canvas to say “DIRECTOR”. I would also love to have the 30 inch bar height so that I could have two different style chairs. It would be really awesome if the chair could have a cupholder so that I can drink my tea with ease! I would tell those who are looking into designing their own director chair to go for it! These chairs are amazing and dependable. I would also tell them to search on the Filmcraft LA website and explore all of the different ways in which they can personalize their own chairs.
Ally: If I were to design another chair, I would include cup holders for my sweet tea, and add bags on the side for my binder, laptop, and pens! It would be awesome to maybe even have a pocket for snacks! I would tell those who are wanting to design their own director chair, to personalize it based on their own needs. Make it your own!

How did you get your Screen Actors Guild Cards?

Emily: When I was six years old, I went on my first audition, which happened to be for the TV show, Nip/Tuck. For those who know, Nip/Tuck is definitely an adult show! I ended up booking the role on the episode titled “Reefer”, so I got to sit on Dylan Walsh’s lap. He played a drunk mall Santa and I played one of the little 6 year olds who were coming to meet their childhood hero. I was fortunate enough to have a speaking role where I asked for a house made of chocolate, chocolate chips. Then, Santa drunkenly asked my character if she wanted diabetes for Christmas! From this role, I got my Screen Actors Guild card, which was both my first audition and first role in front of the camera. I was also astonished that my scene became AOL’s top pick of the week!
Ally: I received my Screen Actors Guild card when I was 13 years old after landing three union roles.When my SAG card came in the mail, my parents kept it a secret and asked Scooter Braun if he would be gracious enough to present the card to me at a Cody Simpson’s birthday party/concert, at the El Rey Theater, in Hollywood, California. I have always admired Scooter Braun’s work ethic, so it was such an honor that he gave me my Screen Actors Guild card! I will never forget that night!

What are you most excited to do when isolation is over??

Emily: When the quarantine restrictions are lifted, I can’t wait to go to Hawaii! Ally and I were going to travel to Ireland for two weeks after our finals were completed, but the trip was cancelled due to the pandemic. My 20th birthday will be in August, so I can’t wait to celebrate while basking in the beautiful Hawaiian sun!
Ally: When the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, I am excited to go to Hawaii! Emily and I have been taking a travel seminar class where we were supposed to visit Ireland for two weeks. Our plane was due to leave on May 18th. Sadly the trip was canceled. Instead of going to Ireland when the quarantine is lifted, my family and I plan on going to Hawaii, to celebrate Emily’s 20th birthday!

Who inspires you?

Emily and Ally: Growing up, our parents have always shown us the importance of giving back to others. Because of this, Ally and I have found a passion for volunteering, so we always try to do our part in making the world a better place. When we were in middle school, we saw a tweet from Justin Bieber stating that a dollar from every concert ticket sale was going to a non-profit organization that builds elementary schools in third-world countries, called Pencils of Promise. With this in mind, we checked out the Pencils of Promise website and became inspired to build an elementary school in Guatemala. Education has always been a very important part of our lives. We knew how fortunate we were to be receiving a quality education, so we wanted to help provide the same opportunities to others who did not previously have the chance to learn in a safe building. Through baked sales, lemonade stands and corporate collaborations, we finally raised enough money to have an elementary school built in Aldea Santa María Saraguate, Guatemala. The school opened in 2017 and we received pictures of the children who would now be attending the school. We were so overcome with emotion when we received pictures of the young children who were smiling ear to ear. To congratulate us, Adam Braun, the founder of Pencils of Promise, sent us a video where he thanked us for our fundraising efforts. To make a long story short, we have always been inspired by people who strive to make the world a better place.

What nicknames do you have for each other?

Emily: My sister’s full name is Allison and in 2nd grade, her teacher, Mr. McKenzie, asked her if she would like to be called “Ally”. She loved the sound of it, so the nickname stuck with her! I’ve called her “Ally” ever since!
Ally: When Emily was in 4th grade, I brought her lunch to her class and I said, “I brought lunch for Emmiles!” Ever since then, she has had the nickname, “Emmiles”! I also call her “Em”, for short!

What is your favorite activity to do together?

Emily: I love to collaborate with Ally! When we were little, we did children’s theater at The Grove in downtown Upland. Since we have always been so close, we would memorize not only our lines, but each others’ as well! At the same time, Ally and I were auditioning for TV shows and feature films, so we never knew if we would have an audition on the same night as a live theater show. Thankfully, we practiced so much together that we knew that we could always count on the other to be each others’ understudy.
Ally: I love singing with Emily as she plays the piano! Emily has this crazy talent where she can play any song on the piano! She will tell me that she doesn’t know the song I picked, but then in two minutes, she can play and sing it! I enjoy it when we are creating harmonies and drawing energy from each other. Singing together is a blast!

What message would you like to send out to everyone in the world right now?

Emily: If I could send out a message to everyone in the world right now, I would say to be grateful, kind, compassionate, and generous. Life is full of surprises, both good and bad, which is easy to see right now. But if you live life being kind and understanding, those hurdles become less daunting. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I have faced many hardships in my life, but it makes life easier to know that I will be better because of them.
Ally: If I could let the world know something, I would tell them to appreciate every day and make sure that they tell all of the special people in their lives how much they are loved.

Tell us what is happening in your community right now! How are you staying connected?

Emily and Ally: We are from Alta Loma, California, which is a city in the foothills of Rancho Cucamonga, California. Our community has been practicing social distancing through various online platforms. For example, local churches have converted their services to worship online. We have also been going through our closets to donate clothes and shoes to those in need. As we drive around the city, our neighbors have built signs praising our first responders and essential workers. Due to the restrictions in nursing care facilities, we are unable to visit our grandpa, but we drive to his nursing home and wave to him through the window. We also FaceTime him numerous times a day to make sure that he doesn’t get lonely.

What are your dreams for the future?

Emily: It has always been my dream to be a part of a TV show as an actor. I absolutely love watching TV shows because I can feel the family dynamic amongst the cast and crew. I aspire to be a part of that someday because acting is special to me. It serves as a way to express the stories of people who are going through different challenges in life. Being able to play a character on a TV show is my dream because I can pay respect to the character’s experiences and lifestyles. Another dream I share with my sister is to make films through our production company, Lucky 5 Productions, that people of all ages can watch. This is important to us because we want to share stories that can be enjoyed by families all around the world.
Ally: In the future, I dream of creating family friendly content across platforms like film, TV, and children’s books, through our company, Lucky 5 Productions. In addition, I have a passion for editing, and hope to someday join the Editors Guild. I will continue to give back to others and mentor children who aspire to be filmmakers like Emily and me.