'Lisa Nova' Didn't Need an Agent to Get Her Big Break

Sept. 11, 2007 -- In the land of Internet video, all the world's a stage -- and for some, it's just the golden e-ticket needed to get into showbiz.

Lisa Donovan -- performing under the Internet pseudonym "Lisa Nova" -- realized her breakthrough opportunity would not come with an agent or at an audition. Instead, it happened on her own time, in her Los Angeles apartment, with the help of a video camera and YouTube.

Until 16 months ago, the 26-year-old Scarsdale, N.Y., native had never landed a role. After she finished the University of Colorado at Boulder, Donovan headed for Hollywood with big screen dreams.

"I moved out to L.A. about four years ago to pursue acting, and it was very hard to get into," said Donovan. "Hard to find an agent, hard to get auditions, and everybody is out there trying to get a job."

The struggling actress took up production work instead, learning the basics of shooting and editing. "[It] was how I made my living," said Donovan.

Around that time she started her own production company with boyfriend Danny Zappin, specializing in corporate advertising and viral video production.

In her spare time Donovan paired up with Zappin and her older brother, Ben -- who already lived in Los Angeles -- to create short homemade comedy sketches and parodies. They filmed them in a matter of hours in the comfort of her apartment.

"As kids we would always make little videos," said Ben. "Our father was an actor who made a few documentaries, and so we always loved movies growing up."

For Lisa, the Hollywood lure started at a young age.

"[My father] had these bit parts in 'Taxi Driver' and 'Serpico,'" she said. "To us it was very romantic."

Originally made for their own entertainment, the troupe posted their amateur videos on the Internet under the pseudonym "Lisa Nova." They quickly went viral. Millions of viewers have seen their parodies, and now they have the 28th most viewed channel on YouTube with more than 66,000 subscribers.