5/28/2012
Jumping Ahead
I recently had an experience happen with two actors onstage that I thought worthy to write about. The actors in question are supposedly trained actors. It's show night, the play is at the end, another actor jumps ahead, I tell the sound tech to play the gunshots, the two actors are then suppose to fall dead, they don't. I asked one of them why did you fall off into the wing, and the other why didn't you fall at all? What was the hesitation? One replied "that wasn't suppose to happen right now and we didn't know what to do." I was in awe. These two actors again are trained or training, but they didn't know what to do. Many know what they should have done, which was stay in the moment. If that moment was happening they should have went with it. Actors are creators, you must have the need and want to create, express, and breathe life into the words of a playwright. If you have trouble believing that the circumstances being created on stage is your reality, then you the actor have a problem and need to fix it.
I understand many actors are training for film where you get to stop and do it again. When it comes to live performances that isn't the case, and staying in the reality of what is going on on stage is extremely important. Live theatre really fine tunes the actors skills, that is why many theatre actors make great film actors. If you are able to be natural and believable on stage then you can bring those same qualities to film.
5/4/2012
The Audition
For those who are not familiar with what an audition is think of it like an interview for actors. Now this isn't the typical job interview. The concerns are not just training and experience, but how well do you, the actor, follow direction, how versatile are you, can you properly portray the character, and most importantly do you, the actor, fit the vision of the director, producer, playwright? Those are the questions going through the casting teams minds, and you the actor must provide the answer. For an audition you will either have to prepare a monologue or read from sides, an audition can also consist of improvisation of different situations. I think it is best to learn a monologue from an established play/screenplay that the casting team may be familiar with. If it is a play you are auditioning for the monologue should be from a play. If it is a screenplay do whatever is specified. Some think that it is fine to make up a monologue. Honestly when I have seen this done it comes off as a rant and goes nowhere. Thinking of the questions above, does that help you in an audition? No. Your job is to answer the questions of the casting team. If you do not answer the questions of the casting team do you get cast in the project? No.
For michigan a great resource for auditions is http://www.encoremichigan.com/article.html?article=122. Be sure to read the notices carefully and follow whatever instructions are given. Another resource for auditins is http://www.backstage.com/, now majority of all auditions for this publication are out of state. When auditioning out of your comfort zone you must be ready for many circumstances. Not only should you read the notices carefully, but think about your own training, skills, and financial circumstances.
3/15/2012
Not just for actors
When I was in college I remember business majors taking acting classes in order to fill a needed credit. Many of them took the class because they felt that it would be an easy class and wouldn't have to do much work. In the end however they all walked away learning that acting is a hard profession and a lot of work goes into making it happen. I have wondered if the class they took had an impact on their life or profession. I recently caught an episode of the Chew, a cooking show. Normally I would have turned the television off or turned to the news, but the hosts of that show have always intriqued me. Two of the host stated they use to be extremely shy, the other hosts were shocked. They asked them what did they do to overcome being shy? I already new the answer to that question, they took acting classes. I wonder if they ever thought they would end up as television host on a cooking show, funny how things work out. Acting classes have been taken by professionals of all fields to help with social skills, improve speaking for board room meetings, or for public motivational speaking. That is why I love acting it has no boundaries on who it affects or helps.
1/17/2012
There are many who prey on the hopes and dreams of others. Unfortunately the acting and modeling profession is full of them. Here is a list of do's and don'ts to remember.
Don'ts
Do not pay an agency to represent you. An agent/manager gets paid when they book you for jobs. They recieve a percentage of your pay.
Do not pay to audition/rehearse in order to be a part of a show or movie. The producer/playwright/director is responsible for providing space and getting their project funded. Now if you are investing in a show and have worked out arrangements for producer credit than that is a different story.
Do not lie about your experience. You never know who knows who, always tell the truth on your resume.
Do not have a multiple page resume. Resume should be one page and easy to read.
Do not use store portrait photos, high school graduation photos, for headshots. Examples of headshots and resumes can be found online.
Do's
Do keep all information updated on the resume. If an agent or casting director has a hard time getting in contact with you they will move on to the next talent.
Do pay for acting classes, headshots, professional printing of resume's, and anything that are considered tools to help you with your career.
Do have a headshot that is 8x11 in size with a one page resume stapled neatly to the back of the photo. Trim the sides of the resume to fit.
Do keep regular healthy eating habits.
Do read as much as possible. Having a wide repetoire in this business is important.
Do look up any terms of the business that may be confusing or that you simply do not know or understand.
12/20/2011
Acting is art
"The art of living a part." What does that mean? How can living a part be art? How does one live a part or role? Some may understand those questions and the statement immediately. Others may think, huh? Playwrights do not write/type mere words. They try to create actual life on paper to be brought alive by actors. Actors just saying the words does nothing. Thinking of our own selves we are made up of many complex emotions, so wouldn't characters also be made up of complex emotions. How does one bring to life complex emotions they don't own? This is where living the part comes in. Not only do you speak like the character but your mannerisms are of the character and not your own. How does one learn to do this? Through years of study and hours of practice. Many decide to become method actors to learn this technique. Method is an entirely different subject and I will leave to discuss later. Most importantly study and observe life as it is.
11/29/2011
Just Breathe
Funny title, cliched title, but important acting tip. Why is breathing or breath control important? Besides keeping you alive and allowing you not to pass out at random moments during the day. All jokes aside relaxed proper breathing can help with speech/diction, and allow for pace control when speaking. Constant flowing breath can also help with memory. One of the reasons people tend to forget in mid-sentence is due to the halting of breath. However when a person is fully relaxed and breathing properly thoughts and words tend to flow naturally. It can also help with emphasis for strong language and allow for the proper emotional releases. Before you dive into that monologue, poem, or song simply breathe then let it flow.
10/30/2011
It's a Job
I have always treated acting like a career, a job. Studying, finding out about auditions by word of mouth or from popular publications, as one would look for a job. I believe many treat acting as something that will just happen. Nothing just happens. I read in Style Magazine (not sure what month) an interview done with Cindy Crawford. The interviewer asks, "Why do you think you have done so well and continue to do well?" Cindy replies, "I have always treated this like a job. I eat well, and take care of myself. I keep my ear to ground when it comes to looking for opportunities." Mrs. Crawford is a model but the same rules apply. You always have to be on top of your game no matter what.
What I also loved about the article was that Cindy recommended acting classes for models due to how the business has changed. It's hard to get actors who are starting out to train and study thinking again it's just going to happen, and someone who isn't an actor using them to enhance her career is wonderful.
Just like any other job you are expected to go through training why would acting be any different? Training you instrument, your body, your voice, should be one of your top priorities.
