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.

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.

Intelectual or internal.

Making an emotion or feeling real in your head could mean only your ego knows it..  An intellectual knowledge does not mean you feel it or believe it internaly.  You have to make things personal to you so that they affect you in your stomach or heart.   Love, to the ego is possessiveness and addictive clinging that can turn into hate.  Love to your heart is compassion and caring that can not be taken away.  If your emotions and thoughts are personal then they mean something to you.  Not the "Character" because there is no character..  There is only you..

It's not always what you left out, sometimes it's what was already there.

Character work.  It's not always what you left out... sometimes it's what was already there that is causing a separation.  Judgment can be our own worst enemy, but observation is our best.  Human beings are creatures of habit.

Understanding the primal need as a human being can take you to the truth.  Start there.  When your objective stems from a primal need it will be come stronger.

Every human being has a soul, an aura, an essence of who they are.  Don't leave out the soul or you have only created a character not a human being.   Find out what that human being breathes for, what makes him or her tic.  What feeling do you get when you step into the shoes? You have to make those shoes your own. Your choices have to be strong, but let me follow that by saying they have to stem from the truth!!  Don't make your character based on things you made up out of the blue.  Everything has a reason.  Find it.

What inside you is it that is stopping you?  That could be a number of things.  If you are working on a character that may be gay and you have some issue about being gay, then you can't find the truth. If you are taking on the part of a prostitute but you can't get past thinking prostitutes have to be sluty, then you will not create a human being.  If you create a human being based on one word like "slutty", "mean", "dumb" or anything that sheds a negative light on that character, then you are going to create a one-sided character.  Others can call you these names, but not many people call themselves those names.

Take your EGO out of the equation.

Does the scene make sense to you?

Do you know what is going on in the scene?  The lines are important because if there is one thing we know about this character, you're reading for it is what they say.   Those lines have to be the truth to you.  However, we also get to find out where this is taking place, who is in the scene with me, what am I doing in this scene, what do I want?  Do I care about any of these other people?  Dig out all the information you can find from the script.  Know as much as you can.  Now you know the circumstances.  Make them real.

Remember that all this information is not something you have to remember or think about when you start the scene.  A simple but specific need has to be there ... something good enough to sustain your drive through the scene.

"Bravery to the point of foolishness is where the magic is.  Whatever happens in the moment is part of the scene, use it." - Will Smith

Acting will never be a dance

If you do not take the time to understand what you are saying and why you are saying it, then why do you think the lines should sound truthful?

I was reminded today how easy it is to learn the lines without ever knowing what you are saying.  It becomes what some people mistake acting as: a dance.  Acting can never be a dance.  Not if you want to truly live.  It must be seamless like life that is being lived for the first time every time.  It can't be choreographed or seem familiar.  Every time I see it, I should wonder what is going to happen next?

How should I say my line?

It should never have to be about how you should say it, or deliver it.  If you ask me as your coach, how should I say this line?  You will never hear me say something that I want you to repeat.  Then I would be teaching you how to take line reads.  I want to focus on the truth of the line.  We will talk about what it means to you.  When the lines mean something to you, then you don't have to figure out how to say it.  It will come out however you mean it.  It may come out a different way every time.  Is that wrong?  No, it's life.  We have free will and every human being has a different set of values.  You must allow yourself to live in them.  For example: My line, " I love you" may come out a thousand different ways.  It only matters to us if it comes out real..  It is up to you to make it real any way you can.

A visit by Glenn Morshower and talk on BEING PRESENT and Self worth.

In class tonight we had a wonderful guest speaker Mr. Glenn Morshower.  A man with more credits than he needs as an actor, and even more credit as a human being.  Glenn and I had never met but when we shook hands the first time I felt a familiarity.  I felt a comfort, an ease.   As I watched him met everyone he was present at all times.  His observation to the room and his awareness of everyone in the room was wonderful to watch.  We always say, "Man, I am so bad with remembering names," but in reality we aren't really listening.  We are either wondering what's for dinner, or how we are going to introduce ourselves.  His focus was so strong that he could probably name every student in my class before I can.

A Being state, we hear that all the time.  Being present doesn't come easy for many actors.  Now let me follow that by saying being present doesn't come easy for many human beings.  The reality of what we live in our every day modern society has caused many people to shut down so that their instrument isn't as capable of being present.  I don't mean in acting, I mean in just you, a regular everyday human being.  We don't take the time and use our observation to notice the colors, the sounds, the smells, the textures, the taste of the life we live.
Coffee drinkers, when is the last time you sat back and actually smelled your coffee?  I mean really enjoyed that sent that first drew you in.   Practice.  Start using your sences.  Get off your phone and listen to the world, talk to the person checking out your groceries, or go to dinner just to taste the dessert menu.  When you can find yourself being completely present in your everyday life, then it will be much easier to be present while working as an actor.
If you ever get the chance to listen to Glenn Morshower speak, take it.  Even if it is just an introduction, because he will meet you with the same respect he would greet the president.  Glenn and I share many philosophies, but one that I thought was wonderful was his reference to Auditions.  Which may seem like a jump in subject to you, but I completely link his "respect" to his advice for auditioning.  I will leave it to him to tell you his mind frame, and trust me it's worth it.   However, here is my version.  We do not have to seek approval to do something that we already know we are capable of.  As human beings we are all given the same amount of self worth and if you do not consider yourself an equal neither will anyone else.  Change that mind frame and no one can ever look down to see you.  Your objective as an actor may be "I want to book this job", but your action should never be to beg or plead for that job.  We, and producers want to work with people that are on our level, or above us.  No one wants to work with those who we have to pull along with us.  That slows us down.  Again, we are all given the same self worth when we are born.  You are all worth every bit as much as those producers, casting directors, and directors.  Respect them, but do not think they are any better than you are.  You can't play the game if you aren't on the same field.

If you would like to see and hear more about Mr. Glenn Morshower you can check out his website.
www.glennmorshower.com  You can also send me an email or leave a message here on my blog and he will be doing a seminar in New Orleans soon.

It's not about the Audience anymore.

When our venues were only the stage for actors we developed certain training techniques so that the audience could hear us, and see us and understand all of our complex emotions we human beings have.  As a modern day film and Tv actor many of the rules to make us perform are gone.  If we act as though we were on stage we look like fools on the camera. The camera will catch every little nuance in your life.  It is no longer important to worry about the audience.  They are not there, they do not have to hear you or see you.  As a matter of fact if your shooting something that in the script takes place with you and one other person then guess what, it is only important if that other human in the scene hears you.  The Gaffers, and the hair and make up don't care if they can hear you.  Guess what? Your not on set to entertain the people on set.  You are there to truly live in the circumstances they have given you.  If you ever questions yourself, "am I over acting or under acting", then start with the truth.  Do you believe that aliens are coming to get you to suck out your brain?  No?  Then, neither do we.  You have to find a way to make everything real to you.  If you don't know how, then get to an acting class.  Respect your career.  If you think your giving acting a shot by taking some photos and getting an agent to send you on auditions then your wrong.  Doctors don't just give it a shot and try to heal someone.  They go to school, they train, they perfect their craft.  They have respect for what they do.  Have respect for this craft and industry and be willing to learn.  Humble yourself and be like a sponge.  If you don't respect your career then don't expect others to take you serious or respect what you are doing.  In the end this is a job, a career.

More on Character.

A human being takes a lifetime to create.  How do you expect to understand everything about them and their choices in a week?  Furthermore, during that week, you worked on the script, etc. for 3 days out of the 7, and 2 1/2 of those days were spent learning the lines. Those lines may not mean anything to you;  but you were able to memorize all of them perfectly.  Then you get to the audition or get up in class to show a "worked on" project, and all you know is the lines...

Does most of that sound perfect?  Does knowing the right lines mean that you did enough work?  If so, then let me ask you what you would do if the director said, "Now lets throw away the lines and just improv the scene freely" or  "Tell me a little bit about your character".  Would you know what the human being living in these circumstances would actually do?  If you do know what that human being would do, then you are half way there.  Would you be able to live in the moment not thinking of lines, the camera, or the actor/actress across from you that may royally suck as an actor?  We have to create "real life" in imaginary circumstances.

Actors tend to take this the wrong way when you first hear it - "It's not all about the lines".  No, I do not mean you don't need to know your lines.  I am just saying those lines mean something; and a human being usually says something for a purpose.  Real human beings live the way they do because of the way they grew up, and the way their previous choices have made their lives.  Figure out who the human being is whom you are playing, and "HOW" they became who they are.  Then, put yourself (character) in those circumstances.

When you finish with a great scene, you will not know what happened; nor will you probably think you did it right?  The words that come out of your mouth will be - "I feel like I did nothing".  That is when you know you are starting to truly live in the moment.  CONTINUE STUDYING BECAUSE THAT'S JUST THE TIP OF THE PENIS.  I mean iceberg.

NO ONE CAN SELL YOU A DREAM.

In a career where there is no such thing as a guarantee, you must be strong-willed, focused, and willing to possibly FIRE your friends and/or family.  My acting coach told me this when I first started his classes.  He also told me, "You cannot sleep your way to the top; but you may be able to fuck your way to a good middle."  What I am saying is: you need support, not someone pulling you down, slowing you down, or telling you that you will never make it.

The entertainment industry has many roads that may lead to getting a foot in the door; but in the long run, you have to get started now.  If you have an uncle that has the last name of Cameron, as in James Cameron, then maybe you can take advantage of that.  If you are like the rest of us and do not have any relatives at the top of the ladder, then you better get ready to work and I mean work hard.   This industry is a job - %100 work.  You are basically starting your own business; so you have to know "who" you are and how to market yourself.

First thing to know about acting!!!  GET A JOB!  I don't mean an acting job - I mean get a job that can pay your bills and keep food on the table.  You don't need to party like a rock star - you need to drive a hooptie, if need be, so that you can afford your training and gas to get back and forth to auditions.  This industry is not glamorous unless you are Brad Pitt.  Otherwise you are not making a lot of money; and you need to know how to save it.  You don't need to like your job; but if you want your career to be acting, then you have to pay to play right now.  I call acting my habit, like a drug habit, because I had to keep a regular job to pay for acting class and keep myself afloat between acting jobs.  Eight years is considered an overnight success; so if you are in a rush, then strive to be a burger flipper at McDonald's and it won't take as long to reach your dreams.  No one is going to give you anything; and if you are waiting around to get discovered, then just quit now.  I am not here to discourage you, but to give you the honest truth about this industry. 

Extra work - it isn't a bad gig.  If you are a green (new) actor, then do some extra work and learn what happens on set.  Learn the roles of everyone and what their job entails.  Pay attention to the lead actors, and see how they handle themselves.  Hopefully you are watching a professional who isn't an asshole.  After you have done it a while or when you start auditioning for real acting roles (speaking parts), then you may need to get out of extra work!  You don't want to meet a director on set as an extra, then go in for an audition for them the following week.  It's ok every now and then if you need to catch up on some bills; but overall, in a perfect world, get out of extra work.  There is no job that is not good enough.  You need money; and you need to know how and where to spend your money.  You also need to know how to do your homework before you spend any of your money on photos, acting coaches, etc.  NO ONE CAN SELL YOU A DREAM.  NO ONE CAN MAKE YOU A STAR.  NO ONE GETS DISCOVERED.  If it were that easy, then you wouldn't want to be an actor.

Remember acting is a journey, not a destination.  Enjoy your trip!

A quick note on Character work..

Remember. There are always at least 3 different ways to learn about your character before you make any decisions. The way you see the character, the way others see the character and the way the writer sees the character. Who the character "says" they are isn't always who they are.  Look deeper.  Most people lie, or don't know who they are at all anyway, it's your job to figure out the truth.

Maybe this isn't the industry for you.

Dedication, commitment, drive, focus, and unimaginable time.  These are just a few things it takes to become a working actor.  I know many people dream of becoming an actor and think that it is what they should do for a living.  I am not here to bust your bubble or ruin your dreams.  I think if that is your passion than you should follow it.  However, I am here to give the hard honest truth.  If this article makes you want to work harder and put all your time to your career then I have done my job.  If it frustrates you and makes you not want to do this career anymore, then I have done my job.

When I first started acting I was in class 5 to 6 days a week, every day I was reading scripts, and working on my articulation and working on my imagination and focus.  This is a career that is a 24/7 job.  You need to learn to enjoy your time alone and the time you will be spending working on character work, reading scripts, studying the things that your character's lives are about, etc.  There is tons of work to be done before you even look at a scene.  The last thing you should worry about is learning your lines!  Have you ever noticed when you do auditions or scenes that it sounds like you have the same rhythm every time you do your scene?  That is because you learned the scene for the lines and you never worked on the character and objective that the character is after in that scene.  Almost every time you do a scene it should come out a little different.  The actor or actress your working with can change the tone in his or her voice which could change the way you perceive something.   You should truly be talking and listening, not worrying about what your next line is.

Long story short.  Dedication, if you don't have it then get out of this industry.  If you don't have enough respect for your career to put your time in every day or to be in class, "present" every time class is in session then this is probably not the career for you..   If you are waiting to be discovered, get out of this industry, if you think doing extra work everyday is going to get you where you want to be in the acting world then follow another dream.

What does Living in the moment even mean?? What does that even mean?

Acting is what we call "creating real life in imaginary circumstances." When we say that, we mean that you must now understand what your life would be like if you grew up in the same circumstances of your character (life, love, beliefs, etc, etc, etc, list could go on forever if you focus on the details ... and you should). After understanding that, you should try to live at this point in time. The CURRENT. Living in the moment. Living in the circumstances that have been given to you by the script for each scene. Each scene being nothing more than a person living their life at that point and time. You should not have to act. You do not have to worry about anyone getting you on the sound system. Your job is not to make sure the light is hitting you right. You are not suppose to be acting at all. Because with a close up of a camera we can see if you are trying to act, or if you are just living and searching for that objective ... that thing you need or want. Stop worrying about learning your lines so much until you have understood what it is you want. If you sound like a broken record every time you re-do the scene with the same rhythm, the same pauses and stops; then you are not living in the moment, you are just re-enacting the scene you have directed in your head. Guess what? You are not the director; and that is not your job! Don't make emotional choices, and plot out your future. The future should always be able to be forgotten like you never read the script. The lines should come from you talking and listening to the other actor while you are in search of this need you have... So, stop acting. Acting will only get you to the stage. That is not where all actors want to go.

So, what does living in the moment even mean? Living in the moment is being able to forget all of the work and dedication you should have put into learning this character so that you do not have to think about being anyone else. You should live just like you are living now. While you read this, there was no acting. You were just reading at a computer or reading on the toilet. Whatever it is you do with your time is not my bag. The point is that you were not thinking of anything that is coming next in life because we should not know it.