I have Launched a brand new BLOG!!!

www.TheDeanWest.com

Hey everyone!   If you have been following me here you can tell I haven't updated new blogs in a while!   I just launched www.TheDeanWest.com and I would love for all of you guys to go over to the website and subscribe!

I will be writing brand new stuff and maybe even updated some of the blogs on here!

I truly appreciate all the support!!

Thanks

DeanWest

BUILDING A BASIC RESUME

The Resume - one of the top things on an actors business tool list: headshot, resume, reel.  Therefore, let me start with saying this: when we decide to be an actor, we are doing more than just art.  If you are working or want to work more, then you better be doing more than just art!  You are starting a business and selling something!  You are the employee, the salesman, the marketing team, and last but not least, THE PRODUCT.  That's right, you are selling YOU.
The resume is the review list.  It tells the professional interested in hiring you what you have done, who you have trained with, who you have worked with, and who has hired you.   It should give us a feel for your strengths.

Now, of course, there are a few tricks to the trade: (1)how to market yourself best, and (2)how to play to your strengths. :)  Mind you, I can't give all of those away here; not because I don't want to, but because the specifics of them depend on you.  However, I am including a basic structure.  There are some built-in tools that I can't explain and give away; but you will benefit automatically by using the structure.  Overall, it is an industry standard resume.  It tells casting you know what you are doing, or you are getting some help and training.  The right structure can go far, even without a lot on it.  I say this because I know some actors are wondering that exact question.  How do I get something on my resume???  That question has so many variables: where you live, what you do, what your friends do, are you ready to be auditioning in the first place?  First and foremost, get started with finding an acting coach - Super important!  Start training.  Find friends and/or other actors that like shooting movies.  Start playing!  Start shooting your own things!

Resumes are like acting, personal.  To have the strongest resume possible, it has to be tailored to you, your personality, and strengths.

LINK to Basic Resume Structure.  It will be at the bottom of the page.

I Quit!

I quit!   I am over acting, and I never want to do this again.

Every actor that is anything in the world of actors has had this thought.  This can be a tough world, and I cannot tell you how often getting out of the industry all together crosses ones mind.  Those who make it aren't always the best of the actors at the time.  They may not be booking because they are the best for the part.  Some actors make it because they never quit. They were no longer a new face. They were the option that is deserving or that casting knows they can count on.  If this industry truly doesn't make you happy anymore, then quit; and do what makes you happy.  If you feel frustrated, sometimes a break is in order; but if you have a passion for what you do and it makes you happy, then don't give up.  Tough, hard, and disappointment can be things you learn from.  Sometimes you need to clear the mind and the focus.  Sometimes you need to just be.  Just sit there.  Often when frustration sits in, I choose to take a day to myself. Do something "brainless", shut up that brain, and stop letting your thoughts run your life.  You are the observer of those thoughts; and that gives you the right to ignore them.  Understand that attachment to things or your career can hurt you. Work hard, focus, and plan on achieving; but don't form so much attachment to an outcome that it breaks you if you do not achieve it.  Happiness should not rely on anything but you.  Breathe.

%50 Perfect!

My acting coach use to always say, "You are %50 perfect every time if you can just simply talk and listen."  Well, guess what?  Majority of people are not listening to you when you speak with them.  Majority of people are else where in their mind, or thinking about what they would like to say when you are finished yammering on.  Here is a read about Mindful Listening..

MINDFUL LISTENING

A great time to practice mindfulness is when listening to others.  By remaining completely present to what they are saying and avoiding the tendency to be distracted by our anticipated responses or judgements we can notice subtle cues we would normally miss.  Paying full attention to the person you’re talking with allows the best quality of communication to happen and also avoids what’s known as ‘communication anxiety’. The practice requires ‘on the go’ introspection to ascertain whether you have become distracted or preoccupied with thoughts and judgements.Similar to formal mindfulness training, simply bring your attention back to mindfully listening as soon as you discover you’ve been distracted, without any further internal dialogue about your distraction.As Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh suggests, “The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like FLOWERS.

“When your attention moves into the Now, there is an alertness.It is as if you were waking up from a dream, the dream of thought, the dream of PAST and future.
Such clarity, such simplicity. No ROOM for problem-making. Just this moment as it is.”
~ Eckhart Tolle

Energy is in everything

The more we understand how our world works, the more we are aware of.  The more we are aware of the more we are what is called Enlightened.  Understanding how our Body, mind, and spirit work allows us to create real life inside these imaginary circumstances more freely.  It allows us to let go of all of the labels, and rules we have grown up with that we no longer need.  Becoming more and more enlightened allows us to do away with the BOX..  We no longer need the safety of those 4 walls.  When we understand we are infinite and ever expanding we are free to Create without judgment or guilt.  We no longer worry about others judgements of us either.  

Nothing is Solid -Here is what Quantum Physics tells us.

Intentions go a long way.

Actors- It is our intent that can make a scene great. It is our intent that can cause us to radiate energy to the other actor.. The content is only there to guide you, not confine you.

LET IT FLOW

As actors we tend to think of only the outcome.  In our careers, in our scenes, ect.  Stop.  Our journey is 4 times longer, and 4 times more important than what we get out of it.  The time you spend learning, growing, training, and exploring who you are and what you think is a powerful and enlightening experience that can hold more to gain than actually being successful.   Adjust your thoughts of success, change your perception.   All
ow everything in life to be success.  Appreciate the growth you make each day and allow the flow of positive things to come our way.  When we start giving ourselves a hard time we stop, or slow down that flow of energy.  Open up and allow your talents and creativity to flow all the time.  Let go of the old habits that tie you down.  Struggling is ok, suffering is ok, and not knowing what to do, is ok.  Those are the things that force us to grow.  As a coach and a student of life, I try to stay humbled and always in the mind of a student.  It is ok to not know everything.  It is ok to listen to and allow yourself to learn.  Be open, be free of judgment, and question everything.

The Speech

A few powerful words.  Enjoy.

Do not name it, or make it perfect! Because you will ruin it!

The easiest thing to do is label something, give it a name, so that we can describe it and make it into a solid "something" that everyone now must call it.  That isn't something we have to do.   By naming it, we have only made it into something different then it was.  We took away the possibility of it being something way better!  Now it will never get the chance to be anything else more than what it is right now.  You never stop changing, but you can stop learning. If you know all you want to know and think it is all there is to know, then you are only aware of a small % of the knowledge left to learn.

Now ponder that for life, your decisions, your religion, your goals in life, your everything.

As for acting, think about it in respect to the scene.  If it is an angry scene and you name it an angry scene, then you have taken out so many levels of what all the scene can be.

Behavior.

Life is created not by words or dialogue.  It isn't real because you say the right words.  It's your intent your behavior.  Don't just be a good liar.  Create truth.

Don't get comfortable.

Many people are afraid of change, and I am hear to tell you that being too comfortable can be the death of growth.  When we get comfortable we stop striving to learn.  When we are uncomfortable then we are learning something or putting ourselves in a state that is new to us.  Please don't miss understand me, I think it is wonderful to relax and smell the flowers.  However as an actor, the factor I like to bring into my work is risk.  The unknown, the chance of something happening that I had no idea of.  Trusting the moment and trusting my present being to live or react accordingly.  There is no right or wrong so there is no reason for me to try and steer my scene any specific direction.  Take a risk!  Let something happen that could be completely wrong!  It could be the best thing ever.

Another Student on LIVING IN THE MOMENT workshop..

• 

  2:31pm

  Heather Clark Ogea

  Here is my blurb for the workshop: It's so easy to go full-speed everyday, from morning until you crash into bed late at night. Even days off are spent in front of the television, with constant commercials screaming at you, begging you to give their amazing product a chance. It's no wonder that when most people do finally crawl into bed, sleep eludes them as constant thoughts and questions from the day continue to persist. Most nights I wish there was a switch on my head where I could just turn my brain off for a few hours to reboot. I recently found that this "Living in the Moment" class was my switch. Dean showed us the key to unwind is to truly live in the moment, which is easier than you might think. In just a few hours, Dean proves that the key is to breathe, and that the power is truly in just being present in the room. The beauty of this workshop is it applies to all people, not only actors. So, give it a try, broaden your horizon and live in the moment.

A Students words on the workshop.. "LIVING IN THE MOMENT"

Reece Frith

The "Living In The Moment" workshop was unlike any other acting course I've had, with Dean or anyone else. He steers directly away from typical character techniques of the mind and instead dives down to the soul. "Living in the Moment" is something that is not only really helpful to an actor developing his craft, but anyone balancing life in general. It's brought habits and problems to my attention that I never knew I had before, and has given me ways to fix them. Oh, and this guy managed to make me a meditator.

If you're looking for something truly authentic, take this class.

                                                                                                                                           

I also do this type of work in private sessions.  It is not always your craft that is in your way, but you.  We never want to take responsibility for what is wrong might be us.   Contact the studio and we can set up a private skype session or in person session.  Westent.info@gmail.com -DW

Tricky Mind…

Edit

Dean West

2 minutes ago near New Orleans, LA · 

• Our minds can be tricky. We usually fight the paradigm in our heads that tells us, we can't, or it's not for you, or that's silly to think you can have or do that. Shift your paradigm. Suffering is many times self inflicted because we think we deserve it or we have been told that we can't. Your past can not dictate you. Know that you can attain what you want. Enough that your body starts making physical motions and actions to attain it. It's not easy. It takes work. Stop being the victim and get to work.

Find time for you.

Dean West

January 21 near New Orleans, LA

I have been pretty busy lately with work and life's daily stress. Along with some other stress. It usually takes a lot it to get to me! They don't call me Zen Deano for no reason AJ Rome. However, Stress ended up knocking me on my ass. Knowing what it did to me. I ask all of you to take 20 min. Even 10 min if you can. Just to sit there and breath. Most of our ailments are caused from stress and strain. I know we all have busy lives, and kids, and family, and work, and work. .. and work. But slow down just a tad, put down your phone and IPAD and just be you. You will be surprised what it can do. Sit there and forget about what is happening here on this earth and focus only on the things that make you happy.. Non of it will last forever.

Dean West

Yesterday near New Orleans, LA

ACTORS- If you are still saying the lines the way you think you should, or running your line 3 times in your head until you get to say it then come join us tomorrow morning in NOLA. The one day workshop is focused on "Being present, Living in the moment"…. Or laymens terms.. Get the hell out of your head and STOP acting! 

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  Jeremy Kennan Hey you're awesome!

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  Dean West (brushes his shoulders off) Well, I mean….

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  Jeremy Kennan Lol I wasn't sure if you knew haha!

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  Dean West Now I do.

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though 1/24

Living in the moment is the feeling of not having to think. Your brain isn't calling the shots anymore. You are free. Free to live, make choices without the fear of being right or wrong. You truly live freely in the moment.

thought-1/25

It is not our life that we are happy or dissatisfied with. It is our future. However our future will never be something we are happy about or proud of unless we stop living in it. Your future will never be affected if you can't live now. Moment to moment is when life happens. Be your own happy and that cause will affect the rest. One step at a time my friends.. 

We are like SPACE…

This article is a little different then what you are used to.  This article has to do with Science, and what you may or may not know in your daily life.  Just read it and be open to the information.  Staying open is one of the hardest things to do as human beings.  We live in a tuff world, and we always want to say no or keep a big guard up because "if it's too good to be true, then it is right?"   Let's talk about that for a second.

Don't get scared by any big words, but Quantum Physics tells us that we are all made up of energy.  I am sorry, technically "All material things are made up of atoms (which are made up of subatomic particles - protons, neutrons, electrons, etc), which are 99.99999 percent energy and .00001 percent matter. Think about it―every physical thing in our life is not solid matter, but rather, fields of energy or frequency patterns of information. Matter is more “no-thing” (energy) than “some-thing” (particles). Our physical bodies and the body of the physical Universe are as proportionately empty as is all of space. The essential nature of our material bodies and that of the solid-appearing Universe is that they are both non-material. They are made up of non-stuff."

So, that being said, and I know this may blow some of your minds but these are facts.  Scientific facts.

What does that have to do with me?   Wait, I have one more FACT-
The “Observer Effect” in quantum mechanics states that at the subatomic level, energy responds to our mindful attention and becomes matter. Quantum experiments demonstrate that electrons (part of the subatomic particles that make up the atom) exist simultaneously in an infinite array of possibilities in an invisible field of energy. So, a particle (matter) cannot manifest (become solid) in ordinary space-time reality until we observe it. Knowing this, mind and matter can no longer be considered separate; they are intrinsically related, because subjective mind produces measurable changes on the objective, physical world. - See more at: http://www.thehealersjournal.com/2013/05/05/quantum-physics-explain-how-everything-is-made-of-energy/#sthash.BJVV3u3r.dpuf  


(In short, our thoughts affect outcomes in our physical world.)

Ok, so now we know that we are mostly energy fields living in a field of energy.  Nothing is solid and can all be affected.   Secondly, we know that everything can be affected by us, the Observer.  Basically this is saying that the age old question, "If a tree falls in the forest but no one is there to see it, does it make a sound?"  Well, the tree doesn't technically exist unless someone is there to observe it.  You affect the tree by just thinking.  Our energy field affects what happens to our Physical world all the time.   And we just think we are at the mercy of God, or the elements or mother nature.  In truth, we are all one big organism; and if most people think something, then guess what?  Based on science, if the largest amount of conscious observers thinks something, then it will be affected in that way.   

However,  you can affect your own life.  If you wake up, hurt your toe, and get in a pissy mood, then the rest of the day you are just expecting the bad things to happen to you.   Guess what?  They will - spill your coffee, late for your audition, dog craps on the floor, yes even dog crap.  You knew I couldn't get through an article without letting out a poop metaphor.   

To me, the hardest job of the actor is to continue.  Not the craft, not the work, not the day job or auditions.   To me it is being able to hear "no", "you are not good enough", "you are too old or too young", or "too ugly or too good looking", and still being able to see success in your future.  Getting up every day and taking a step to making your reality come true.  Not waiting to see what god is going to throw at you next.   It's your life, your existence, and your energy.  It's scary to make yourself understand or believe this because we have been told for so long things like,  "it is what it is", or "those are the cards we are dealt."   If you take the blame for making your life better, then it also means you have to realize that it is also your fault for all of the bad things that have happened in your life as well.  Guess what?  It's ok.  Now you can make changes for the better; but you can't live in auto pilot.  You have to be present..  OHHH that word familiar?  That is what your acting coach says every time you work.  We just have to stay present.  Open.

Know that this doesn't make life any easier.  Not at first.  It is actually much harder to stay conscious through out your day and not let all the little hang ups bring you down or take your focus.  It is way easier to say, "oh yeah, screw this", or "lets just get a drink".   Try to live in love,  love will keep you open and bring great opportunities your way because Love is infectious, and people and positive energy are drawn to it.   Hate however is so easy to fall in to, and it will continually attract more hate your way.   

The challenge is made.   Go 5 days and then 10 days of being conscious, and let me know if you notice a difference.   It's not magic, and it doesn't happen over night.  Nothing does.  Trust in you.

Nothing is Wrong

There is never the right clothes for a character.
There is never the right way to say it for a character.
There isn't one way to do barely anything.

Life can be done millions of different ways.   I can use the words I love you and mean hundreds of different things because of my intention.  The content is simple.  You get the words you have to say straight from a page.  You only have to have real intentions.  When you can give yourself the freedom of knowing that nothing you do as the character is wrong because it is you then you will be free.