Burning the Midnight Oil

As I begin this post, it’s 4:50. In the AM. I don’t actually remember the last time I’ve seen 4:50 from staying up all night. Oh, yeah I do. The last time I was awake this late it was a result of subjecting myself to a horror movie featuring terrifying ghosts. I couldn’t go to sleep until the sun came up. Yes, I realize that I have an over active imagination and that my emotions are easily manipulated by movies.

Today, however, I am still awake because I’ve been pounding out a screenplay. I’m trying to take the advice to create my own content seriously. I am posting this here because, allegedly, if I shout it out to the world I am more likely to follow through (that’s what the internet told me). The story is in its very preliminary stages. I have a rough outline and some dialogue. That’s not much, but it’s certainly better than nothing. Hopefully, in a year or so from now, the film will be on its way to being produced. Or, I will have learned so much from the process that I wrote another, better screenplay and it’s being produced. The way I see it, those are only two option. Success or success.

Here’s Peter O’Toole singing “The Impossible Dream,” from Man of La Mancha, to inspire us all.

In other news, I have been cast in another student film that shoots the first weekend of October.

P.S. If there are typos please be a doll and ignore them. I’m so tired that my eyes are doing funny things.

 

A Couple of Redesigns

Hey All,

A little while back I decided that I absolutely hated the way that my website looked. So, I redesigned it. I also cleaned up the code. It was, to put it mildly, a hot mess.

Click here to see my new website. Tell me what you all think.

I am much happier with the way it looks. Unfortunately I’m having some issues with the CSS of my photo album. The last two pictures take the viewer back to the beginning of the slide show. I don’t know how to fix it, but I’m researching solutions.

And, as hopefully you noticed, I’ve updated the look of this blog. I wanted something more minimalist and (can you sense a theme?) cleaner.

There are also going to be some content changes that accompany this new look. I’m getting more and more into filmmaking, so I will also be sharing resources along those lines. In short, I’m expanding beyond an entirely acting based focus. So LOOK OUT WORLD.

 

Voiceover Acting: Part 1

This will be an ongoing series on how to read and perform voiceover scripts as I learn more about this facet of the industry. But, to get you all started, here are some general tips.

1. Stay Consistent. According to the teacher that I studied under at Acting Studio Chicago, Dave Leffel, this is the number one “rule” of voiceover performance. If you start off with a high energy voice you need to be sure that you’re maintaining that voice for the duration of the spot. This can be challenging, especially if it’s 30 seconds of overly written copy. 
2. Research. You need to know what’s out there. Have a habit of skipping over commercials? Stop that. It’s research built into your leisure time. Actively listen to what’s going on, what kind of sound certain advertisers are interested in. Does McDonald’s have a certain sound? What about Plato’s Closet? Start trying to determine where your voice fits in. Be honest.
3. Stay you. I know it’s hard, especially after you’ve done lots of research and know the products that you’d like to pitch and the voices that are used for said products, but don’t do impersonations of the voices you hear on the radio. Use your own unique voice.

Bad bad blogger

Soooo….. Hey guys, it’s been awhile. Rest assured that I have not been idle. In fact, I got really busy and had a thousand things on my to do list. Somehow this blog didn’t make it on there even though I totally could have worked it in. Procrastination, thy name is Angela.

The show I was in closed at the beginning of this month, and then I went straight into a brutal three day shoot for a short film. We didn’t have a night where I got out of there before 2 AM.

After that, I got to see Chicago Shake’s Seussical, which was delightful, before heading out to North Carolina for a bit.

I should be back in the city tomorrow night for an audition. (Hopefully, the time line is stressing me out a bit.)

Anyhoo, exciting days. A real post with (I hope) useful information to come this Thursday. I’m thinking it will be some tidbits I’ve picked up during my voiceover class.

Whirlwind

It has been quite the busy past couple of weeks.

I started a new class; The Hamlet Project Chicago opened; I auditioned for and was cast in another short film; and I had a dear friend come in from Tennessee. She had never been to Chicago before so I was playing tour guide again. I have another Tennessee friend coming in tomorrow for the second week of the show. Absolutely amazing. I am beyond thrilled that they were willing to make the trip north to see this crazy, weird, and fun show I’ve been working on. Seriously, you should come check it out. I will love you all forever if you do.

This post is a check in to tell you all that I haven’t forgotten about this blog, and I have some things that I’ve learned in voiceover class that I want to share and I’ll be updating my “What To Do When Friends Come to Visit” list.

When Parents, Spouses, Friends, etc. Don’t Support Your Dream

I am going to preface this post with a disclaimer. I am fortunate to have a family and friends that are beyond supportive of my creative career path. However, many of my peers are not so fortunate. What follows is a wonderful video to inspire you. This video applies not only to careers in acting, but any sort of non-traditional life pursuit. I hope you enjoy and I hope it brings you some comfort.

If you follow me on twitter you’ll have seen this one, but I think it’s worth sharing again.

Should Actors Do Student Films?

As I’ve mentioned on this blog before, I have significantly more theatre credits than film credits. I’m comfortable in the theatre (as comfortable as I get anyway, still get nervous, etc.), but, when I started this blog I’d had one film experience. Since January, I’ve taken a highly recommended class, and participated in several film projects, the majority of them student produced. For one of those projects, check out the video below the list. These are some of the reasons I think student films are valuable for an actor.

1. We’re learning together.
I find that student projects allow a bit a leeway. For example, (you’ll see this in the video below) I had never done a Point of View (POV) shot. I didn’t know where to look. If you look directly into the lens your eyes look a little crossed. The sweet spot is just above the lens. On the camera that was used (Canon, can’t remember the model), I looked at the logo on the front of the body. The acting itself reminded me of when I was little and would playact to some inanimate object in my room. (You all did that right?) It’s challenging in a different way than having a partner off which to play. The point is, at this juncture in my filmmaking journey, I’m still learning, still finding what works and so are they.

2. Questions are fine.
This is probably my favorite part of working on a student film. I’m interested in not only acting, but the process of making film from pre to post production. I ask questions when I’m on set. I want to know what lens they’re using, why they chose it, what the ISO does for a shot, etc. I want to know what the sound guy’s favorite equipment is and how the director found the location. I would never, ever, do this on a professional set where time is money, etc. For professional shoots I’m there to do my work and get out. On student projects, however, I’ve always felt comfortable asking questions and I generally get enthusiastic replies. The crew is devoting their time to this project too. They like what they do, and when people like what they do they tend to like to talk about it. This being said, ask your questions in one of the myriad down times, not when people are trying to get stuff done.

3. Quick and Dirty
Granted, I’ve only done short films to this point, but I love how fast, at least for me, the process is. I learn my lines, maybe have a rehearsal, and then shoot. In general, filming takes a day or two. Granted, these days are often very long.

4. Micro-budget to the extreme.
This pertains more to my specific interests, but I am really into the micro-budget filmmaking process. Technology has opened up movie making to the masses. Anyone with an iPhone can make a film. Skeptical? Check out Uneasy Lies the Mind, a feature film shot entirely on the iPhone. With student films I get to observe who is necessary to a shoot, what can be cut, and creative solutions to make things work with very little man power.

5. These are the future superstars.
Is this too optimistic? Maybe. But, you are working with future professionals in an industry where relationships mean everything. In fact, I was recently contacted to audition for a project that I saw a breakdown for, but to which I didn’t submit. I didn’t think I was right for the role. However, one of the producers had seen my work in a classmate’s project and liked what I did and wanted me to come in and read for it. Did I get the part? Probably not. But, I know I did well in the audition and met some more people.

My experiences have, thus far, been positive. This is not to say that I won’t inadvertently get involved in a horribly inefficient and miserable project. But, I think that risk is worth the benefit of continuing to work on my craft with people who are also trying to perfect theirs.

What are your thoughts on doing student films?

Dealing with the Doldrums: Downtime and the Actor

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Taken on a morning run along Lake Michigan.


Yes, yes, I’m late again. My dog had surgery back in my hometown so I had to take her down south, return for rehearsal, and then drive back to get her. I know, excuses, excuses.

The Doldrums “is a colloquial expression derived from historical maritime usage, in which it refers to those parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean affected by the Intertropical Convergence Zone, a low-pressure area around the equator where the prevailing winds are calm…. The doldrums are… noted for calm periods when the winds disappear altogether, trapping sail-powered boats for periods of days or weeks.” Wikipedia. 

I am in the midst of my own Doldrums. I’m not sure how it is for other people, but my acting cycle tends to come in starts and stops. I will have a hellishly busy (read wonderful) week where I feel like I can barely breathe for all the auditioning, filming, and rehearsing, my sink gets full of dirty dishes, and my tiny apartment looks like a hurricane blew through. (Nautical theme today, happy summer y’all). Then, the next week, nothing. Not a single audition. I try not to let despair set in. I know that eventually there will be another audition, this town is so full of theatres how could it not happen? It’s a numbers game, and I haven’t been here long enough for them all to hate me (<– Bad state of mind. Avoid this!) So I try to use the time to learn about other areas of this business and to catch up on some good TV and film.

For example, I recently finished The Screenwriter’s Bible. I’m interested in the process, and have a few ideas kicking around in my head. So I started a screenplay. We’ve talked about content creation and my doldrums are the time when I try to create more. To be perfectly honest, it doesn’t always work. I tend to be massively inefficient when I’m not busy, but I know this about myself and am, sort of, working on it. 

I also use the time to catch up on TV and film that I’ve not seen. I love entertainment. Obviously, right? Observe what I’m doing with my life. I think it’s valuable to be exposed to lots of different styles and genres. I learn something from every actor’s performance that I watch. I even base (steal) some characters that I audition for on tics that I’ve seen other actors do. Right now I’m on a TV kick. I recently burned through the first season of Rectify. The show breathes. It’s slow and methodical and the performances are absolutely amazing. It’s tempting to say that nothing much happens, but it’s rare for a show where the characters get to spend an entire episode, heck, a season, feeling. I cannot recommend it enough. Then, I tore through the first two seasons of Arrow. So. Good. I love that show and am obsessed with #Olicity. It’s going to happen. But, I digress. Arrow is a completely different show than Rectify. It barely has room to breathe with the 45 minute action movie that every episode presents. But, I still find the characters to be compelling and the acting super solid. Different styles, different lessons.

Basically, I’m always trying to learn something about this craft that I love. Next up on my reading list is The Filmmaker’s Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age. It’s probably going to take me awhile.

How do you all deal with the doldrums?     

Acting Studio Chicago Review: On Camera II

I have in no way be compensated or solicited for this review. This is solely my opinion. 

I cannot believe that it’s been 8 weeks since I started my On Camera II class with Chris Agos at Acting Studio Chicago. The time has absolutely flown. Pretty frightening if I think too hard about it. I’ve got a lot I want to accomplish on my arbitrary timeline.

Now, for the review. I am going to preface this by saying that, if you can, you should absolutely take this class. You can stop reading now, or continue for a more detailed examination.

I am not a person who responds well to a bullying teaching method. This class is absolutely NOT that. I write this because some people do need someone to push and prod and make them feel bad about themselves to make progress. If that’s you, that’s fine, but this isn’t the class for you. This isn’t to say that Chris won’t get you were you need to be. In fact, you’ll sometimes do take upon take until the objective is achieved. But it’s never from a place of destructive criticism, it’s just the opposite.

Which leads me into: take upon take upon take. You are on camera every. single. class. Then, the whole class watches your first take and your last take and you and Chris discuss the changes that were made, whether they were good, etc. Before coming to Chicago I had one on camera role. Since March, I’ve completed three and one I’m currently in wraps up, weather permitting, next week. I’ve also been auditioning for on camera things pretty regularly. This was a bit overwhelming at first given my utter lack of experience (theatrekid4eva). However, I was at an audition yesterday and I felt at ease. I went in, felt the floor, and did my thing. I came out happy with how I did and, as you know, that’s the most that you can ask of yourself in this business. It was invaluable, confidence and technique wise, for me to literally be on camera every week working with, most often, unfamiliar copy. (We were given copy in advance only twice. The rest of the time was devoted to semi-cold reading.) Also, a word about that copy: we used real scripts from things that were, mostly, shot in the area. Being able to work off of the kind of copy that we are most likely to encounter here was (can you sense a theme?) indispensable. (JK. I used my thesaurus for invaluable).

Finally, the last part of class was always devoted to the business of the Chicago acting market. As I’ve written before, Chicago is different from the coasts. We talked about everything from agents to headshots/resumes to the confusing world of the unions specific to Chicago. This might have been worth the cost of the class alone.

Take it. That’s the verdict. Their contact information follows.

Website: Acting Studio Chicago
Phone: 312.527.4566

LATE!

Yesterday (Monday (I know I’m late)), was the first rehearsal for The Hamlet Project, a show I’m doing. I’ve even got my own page under The Company. Mayhap I’m unreasonably excited about that. Anyway,
[Oh wow. Two Steps From Hell’s Heart of Courage just came up on my Pandora station, this post just got super epic feeling. Back to it, sorry….] I absolutely hate to be late for commitments. I get a little ball of stress deep inside my soul if there’s even an inkling that I might hold something up. [This STATION IS AWESOME!!! Gaelic Storm just came up. Seriously, do yourself a favor and add the Epic Soundtrack station to your Pandora. And now Pirates!!!!! GAH!!!! My life feels so EPIC right now!!!!] What was I even talking about?

Right. So my bus broke down. I would have been early had the universe aligned for me. Nope. It breaks down a twenty minute walk from the theatre. I text the CTA bus hotline to see when the next one arrives. 29 minutes. This is, of course, after four buses had gone by while my fellow passengers and I were communing on our non-moving metal-chariot. Off I go, setting out into the great Chicago unknown. I get there 10 minutes late. Hate that.

But, rehearsal was awesome. I’m beyond excited to be working with the amazingly talented cast and director.

What’s the point of this post? You ask. No idea. You’re going to be late to stuff so no worries???? Meh.