So today was day 1 of the sydney tafta intensive. Forgive me for punctuation and not using capital letters and whatnot; it's one thirty and I've had a fourteen hour day today with another one to come tomorrow.
It was a pretty good first day of the intensive. I did the last one in May or June and I was soooooo freaked out; my hands were shaking so much still at dinner time of the first day that I had trouble trying to spear my food with my fork.
The intensive is like thirteen four hour classes in five days; and you generally have to know and prepare a script for each one. We get to do one voice with Melissa (who I am so fortunate to get to work with once a week in the full time course for six hours on Wednesday!), and then sessions with mostly casting directors and a few directors and a producer where we read and do a scene for them and they get to see us and we get feedback from them and learn their likes and dislikes. So valuable but I'm trying to just look at it as a chance to learn and meet people and have fun; I don't want to kill myself with stress and nerves and fear like the last one. Honestly I felt like I did a good job for most people at the last one and got positive responses from casting directors too; but I think I know now even if you see a casting director and they like you it doesn't matter; until they get a part in that fits your age and ethnicity and height and everything else you can't even audition for them. You'd think being your average blonde parts would come up more often; but so far they haven't. Although I don't know how much of that is briefs not being sent to my agent or my agent not submitting me for them.
I think there's 24 in class; wow that Tafta room feels a bit small! One of the saddest parts of a big class to me is that it's hard to get to know everyone in it and make friendships. I love theatre bonds! :-D
The last two sessions were good too. The timing is 9-1, break for lunch, 2-6, break for dinner, 7-11. We had Melissa Agnew for voice in the morning, and then Susie Maizels for the afternoon and Faith Martin at night. Melissa was fun because our full time class loves her anyway; and at the end of the session she had us stay to tell us how proud she was of us which was a big deal; Melissa doesn't dole out compliments without REALLY meaning them, so that was really exciting! She gave us pieces to learn for our Christmas concert next week as well. (Augh I'm so sad though; Tony Bonner sent me an email and Friday the 10th is our last class with him. Boo I love him! I'm praying we get him back at least some time next year...)
Anyway I didn't get emailed the right script for me until about 20 minutes before Susie got to class and then I wasn't able to print it until after she was already there; but she let me go towards the end and I was able to learn it which makes me happy cause it was a really fun script. :) Susie is my product placement buddy too. :) Faith Martin did the night session and I love her too. She's kind of hard core, but her values and belief systems are really similar to mine and she inspired me the last time I got to do a workshop with her. She's also someone with really good tips and things to thing about and work on too. (Know where you are in the plot & context, status and who are you speaking too, body language, you only get one chance, know the space you are in and how much you need to fill with your voice, etc.) Faith inspired me to really want to do my own business; which I am actually trying to do buying people's Christmas presents for them. Yes, apparently I am completely crazy, and I'm trying to finish my website and email contacts to get clients in the midst of this crazy intensive. It's really hard during some of the four hour sessions to sit and watch other people when I'm thinking of all the other work I could be and should be doing! It's Christmas, it's December, if I don't start this now there's no point I never will.
Tomorrow is Danny Long who I absolutely adore; I'm hoping to baby-sit for her kids some time and the first time I met her she gave me the scene that is one of my top if not my very favorite scene of all time. Then it's Tim; I think Tim Littleton but the sleepiness is kicking in....I haven't met him before and we get to choose our own scene which I'm really excited about. I picked a scene from Legally Blonde; woo hoo I can't wait! :) I think it's one that was deleted from the movie too.... Then night is cold reads with Marty Murphy who does comedy. I'm really excited for that too; especially with my comedy class being over now.
That was such a good class and so much fun and I am really impressed with the level of people in the class. Some of the shows they pitched were amazing ideas; so interesting and fun and grabbing; they were shows networks should seriously want to produce. I got to do Emma's script which involved me being a bad actress and my bad acting teacher getting me to do breathing into this like "rebirth" thing; it was super fun I actually want to talk to Emma about using that scene some other time. The guys were soooo funny with there acting and physical comedy doing the scenes; I wanted to watch more and get to do a show with them! I'm contemplating trying to get some people together to put on my own show somewhere...haha funny funny as if I have the time for that....probably won't stop me from trying though! :-p I was supposed to do the New Theatre Kids show the 11th & 12th but I have the Intensive and then I'm dancing & cheering in this music video & I had to miss rehearsal for the kids show for the music video and practicing stunting with the groups (which is a whole other rant to go off on that I am dying to vent and get out there!)
Stand up went okay; I have a feeling it would have gone better if I had gotten to practice it (umn, you think??) and as I had zero sleep the night before and was running on energy drinks it was a little interesting. I'm used to being shaky and jittery and bouncing my leg with nerves at times, but there was a moment where I looked at my knee and I couldn't STOP bouncing/shaking, and I was like "Hmm...that's probably not good..." (It was only 2 energy drinks throughout the whole night, I promise!) Daniel Cordeaux is our teacher and yet another person I now love and hope I get to work with and learn from again. :) I had some interesting stories involving being an aspiring actress and student films that say there is "partial nudity" and what that exactly means...they will have to be shared at some later time. :)
So much more to write but I have to be back in class in seven hours so yeah, I think I'm going to sleep now and I'm sorry for any ramblings and things that don't make sense! I really want to blog about every day but we'll see what happens...
Sleep tight and sweet dreams wherever you are and whatever time it is! :)
Kalon's company Christmas party is this weekend up the central coast too. I feel really bad we are going to miss part of it because of the intensive. It starts at the hotel with lunch and there's fairy floss (or cotton candy, depending on which country you happen to be in while reading this!), a petting zoo, they had games and rides and like a live little show for the kids and I'm always jealous because every kid gets a beautifully wrapped really good toy; I miss that excitement of wondering what's inside the pretty package! :) I think we've worked it out for us both to miss as little as possible.
It was a pretty good first day of the intensive. I did the last one in May or June and I was soooooo freaked out; my hands were shaking so much still at dinner time of the first day that I had trouble trying to spear my food with my fork.
The intensive is like thirteen four hour classes in five days; and you generally have to know and prepare a script for each one. We get to do one voice with Melissa (who I am so fortunate to get to work with once a week in the full time course for six hours on Wednesday!), and then sessions with mostly casting directors and a few directors and a producer where we read and do a scene for them and they get to see us and we get feedback from them and learn their likes and dislikes. So valuable but I'm trying to just look at it as a chance to learn and meet people and have fun; I don't want to kill myself with stress and nerves and fear like the last one. Honestly I felt like I did a good job for most people at the last one and got positive responses from casting directors too; but I think I know now even if you see a casting director and they like you it doesn't matter; until they get a part in that fits your age and ethnicity and height and everything else you can't even audition for them. You'd think being your average blonde parts would come up more often; but so far they haven't. Although I don't know how much of that is briefs not being sent to my agent or my agent not submitting me for them.
I think there's 24 in class; wow that Tafta room feels a bit small! One of the saddest parts of a big class to me is that it's hard to get to know everyone in it and make friendships. I love theatre bonds! :-D
The last two sessions were good too. The timing is 9-1, break for lunch, 2-6, break for dinner, 7-11. We had Melissa Agnew for voice in the morning, and then Susie Maizels for the afternoon and Faith Martin at night. Melissa was fun because our full time class loves her anyway; and at the end of the session she had us stay to tell us how proud she was of us which was a big deal; Melissa doesn't dole out compliments without REALLY meaning them, so that was really exciting! She gave us pieces to learn for our Christmas concert next week as well. (Augh I'm so sad though; Tony Bonner sent me an email and Friday the 10th is our last class with him. Boo I love him! I'm praying we get him back at least some time next year...)
Anyway I didn't get emailed the right script for me until about 20 minutes before Susie got to class and then I wasn't able to print it until after she was already there; but she let me go towards the end and I was able to learn it which makes me happy cause it was a really fun script. :) Susie is my product placement buddy too. :) Faith Martin did the night session and I love her too. She's kind of hard core, but her values and belief systems are really similar to mine and she inspired me the last time I got to do a workshop with her. She's also someone with really good tips and things to thing about and work on too. (Know where you are in the plot & context, status and who are you speaking too, body language, you only get one chance, know the space you are in and how much you need to fill with your voice, etc.) Faith inspired me to really want to do my own business; which I am actually trying to do buying people's Christmas presents for them. Yes, apparently I am completely crazy, and I'm trying to finish my website and email contacts to get clients in the midst of this crazy intensive. It's really hard during some of the four hour sessions to sit and watch other people when I'm thinking of all the other work I could be and should be doing! It's Christmas, it's December, if I don't start this now there's no point I never will.
Tomorrow is Danny Long who I absolutely adore; I'm hoping to baby-sit for her kids some time and the first time I met her she gave me the scene that is one of my top if not my very favorite scene of all time. Then it's Tim; I think Tim Littleton but the sleepiness is kicking in....I haven't met him before and we get to choose our own scene which I'm really excited about. I picked a scene from Legally Blonde; woo hoo I can't wait! :) I think it's one that was deleted from the movie too.... Then night is cold reads with Marty Murphy who does comedy. I'm really excited for that too; especially with my comedy class being over now.
That was such a good class and so much fun and I am really impressed with the level of people in the class. Some of the shows they pitched were amazing ideas; so interesting and fun and grabbing; they were shows networks should seriously want to produce. I got to do Emma's script which involved me being a bad actress and my bad acting teacher getting me to do breathing into this like "rebirth" thing; it was super fun I actually want to talk to Emma about using that scene some other time. The guys were soooo funny with there acting and physical comedy doing the scenes; I wanted to watch more and get to do a show with them! I'm contemplating trying to get some people together to put on my own show somewhere...haha funny funny as if I have the time for that....probably won't stop me from trying though! :-p I was supposed to do the New Theatre Kids show the 11th & 12th but I have the Intensive and then I'm dancing & cheering in this music video & I had to miss rehearsal for the kids show for the music video and practicing stunting with the groups (which is a whole other rant to go off on that I am dying to vent and get out there!)
Stand up went okay; I have a feeling it would have gone better if I had gotten to practice it (umn, you think??) and as I had zero sleep the night before and was running on energy drinks it was a little interesting. I'm used to being shaky and jittery and bouncing my leg with nerves at times, but there was a moment where I looked at my knee and I couldn't STOP bouncing/shaking, and I was like "Hmm...that's probably not good..." (It was only 2 energy drinks throughout the whole night, I promise!) Daniel Cordeaux is our teacher and yet another person I now love and hope I get to work with and learn from again. :) I had some interesting stories involving being an aspiring actress and student films that say there is "partial nudity" and what that exactly means...they will have to be shared at some later time. :)
So much more to write but I have to be back in class in seven hours so yeah, I think I'm going to sleep now and I'm sorry for any ramblings and things that don't make sense! I really want to blog about every day but we'll see what happens...
Sleep tight and sweet dreams wherever you are and whatever time it is! :)
Kalon's company Christmas party is this weekend up the central coast too. I feel really bad we are going to miss part of it because of the intensive. It starts at the hotel with lunch and there's fairy floss (or cotton candy, depending on which country you happen to be in while reading this!), a petting zoo, they had games and rides and like a live little show for the kids and I'm always jealous because every kid gets a beautifully wrapped really good toy; I miss that excitement of wondering what's inside the pretty package! :) I think we've worked it out for us both to miss as little as possible.
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