Augh so much going on; I know it has been ages since I wrote; (not that I really think there is anyone who regularly reads this; except for perhaps the FABULOUS Maggie and I love you to death!) ;)
I got a job assisting a producer on a new live game show and it's great; we just had auditions for hosts and it was SUCH a good process being on the other side of the table! I love the people I work with and it's really great; there is a small part of me that is sad (especially during auditions!) wishing that I could host instead of being on the other side of the camera, but I trust that God has the right path for me and this is a part of it. And hey; I did NOT miss the nerves during auditions! Although I did still have them a little...praying I actually had organized everything correctly and then when some of my friends were auditioning!
Speaking of that "finding the right path" stuff, I found a Bible verse that is PERFECT for actors; I was pretty excited when I read it: "But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and thorough work, so that you may be perfectly and fully developed, lacking nothing." It's James 1:4 and so great to keep me motivated when I get frustrated and want real true professional acting work, and I get scared about getting too old. :( I am getting ready and using this time to be fully prepared, so that when my opportunity comes I will be ready to impress and make an impact and take one step to the next and who knows where it will lead; but I will be ready! :)
I also had my first real commercial - woo hoo! It's for McDonald's, it may not go to air which is a little sad but hey it was still a real professional set and a proper paid job and I'm thrilled to death about it! I was down to the final two for a main girl in the commercial and I didn't get it but they worked me into this one which is still really cool and I'm going to take that as a definite positive!
So life has been crazy with that and the new job AND I have been learning how to do ADR in post production, which is basically dubbing myself and trying to say what I said in each take EXACTLY the same as I watch it play and it's recorded. It sounds a lot easier than it was.... I actually did like it though and I want to do more voice work. There is this freedom when it's just you and a microphone in the little room with the foam on the door and no one else, I want to explore that with my voice.
ANYWAY, on Sunday I start a four day workshop with Howard Fine who is coming to Australia, and it is truly an honor (honour? hmmm which spelling do I want to use this time...) to have been accepted into the class. I am reading his book now in preparation, (which I should have done ages ago and I feel terrible I didn't, but between 20 hours of work turning into 35 and ADR until 3 in the morning and fighting off sickness among other things it's just the way it is).
I just read this in Howard Fine's book:
"Usually those who end up as artists later on had a ball doing that, playing dress-up, acting out scenarios. They generally are the ones who in the neighborhood led the plays and put on skits and were drawn not just to movies and television but also to live theater."
That's definitely true for me, but I just had these great memories of organizing and putting on plays with my friends as a kid. I'm kind of still not sure how I did it, although I am definitely sure that help from my parents played a part! I also wanted to do Community Theatre sooooo badly, but my parents found out rehearsals were from like 6-10 and five nights a week at times and gave me a very big N - O. I have a very clear picture in my head of the letter I wrote in marker complaining to the theater company how unfair it was that they had rehearsals then so kids like me couldn't even audition for their shows....
In third grade [just have to insert one of the guys I auditioned is on a new commercial that I'm already sick of and it's on now AGAIN but it's cool to think I picked out his headshot and contacted his agent and brought him in and was on the other side of his audition table!]
So ok, in third grade my best friend and I and another boy in class we were friends with somehow managed to get our whole class together to put on a nativity play for the younger grades at our school. I remember them being over at my house and getting out the Bible, and trying to figure out how to write the story and script. That's where I'm very sure my parents would have assisted more than a little! My grandma had made all these costumes for their church's nativity scene with the Sunday school kids and I remembered her showing them to me, and we got her church to let us use them. I love the childhood ambition and belief and possibility before we let all of the "no"s and reasons things won't work weigh us down. I don't want to lose that now in business or life or ever. It's that whole thing of trying to figure out what the rules are but also wanting to not care, and where the line is with not royally pissing someone off or making a bad impression, versus doing something and going out on a limb and amazing things happen.
I actually want to put on another play again now. I have been afraid to with the whole "fear of failure" and hello time commitment and all of that, and wanting it to be good, but I look back and remember that and go "why not?" I love theatre I love business I love acting, I have studied them all and studied them well, why shouldn't I do it now and be successful? I will be working nights soon for my job; that's the only problem. I was going to try and get a show up with two of my amazing friends in Sydney who are beautiful girls and super talented and so nice and incredibly hard working; just all around fabulous.
Umn sorry I hope you aren't sick of me, I'm seriously not always this crazy gushy love machine. I do have plenty of complaints and criticisms - I'm American after all ;), (just kidding! for the most part...) I just choose not to put them on the internet, as much as I really really REALLY want to sometimes! We'll see what happens as time goes on...
So we met and did a reading of this great play I read and everything but it just seemed like it would be too much to get it up off the ground and do it well without dying of exhaustion before I start working nights. I don't know, part of me still wants to do it now. My scene partner for Howard Fine is a theater guy; I have been missing it SO much and then I found these amazing plays and this course reminds me of theater...we'll see what happens; I have a few thoughts "brewing" in my mind. ;)
All this typing and I still haven't done the second story! I was a big reader of EVERYTHING in the "American Girl" franchise, and I chose two plays that we put up when I was in fourth grade I think? I was in one of them but I wanted to be fair so I gave myself a supporting role; take what you will from that! I can't remember what the second play was, but the one I was in was one of the stories from the "Molly" series during World War II. I remember we were supposed to have grass skirts as Halloween costumes and we wore our cheerleading skirts, and coming to school that day with a MASSIVE duffel bag that was like the size of a suitcase. Oh yes, that was DEFINITELY a sign of things to come with the bag lady I would grow up to be! I am like a portable mini props house and wardrobe/make-up department wherever I go though. ;) Our teachers and my school was fabulous; I know they took time out of my class and one or two of the classes below mine for us to perform it for them as well. I can't believe how fuzzy so many of those memories are though! You think you'll never forget things; it's so sad what we do.
So that's where life is at the moment. Lots of good things happening in Sydney, I just miss America. A lot. A lot a lot. I only got to go home for two weeks before starting this job in June, and I am amazingly thankful for that, but it was hard. The fourth of July was hard and my family and cousins are going to be in Door County; I don't think I've ever been homesick this hard core for this long. I want to go home. I want to be here but I want to be home. I miss it so much. Opening up and being real I'm trying not to cry as I write this.
But who wants to read depressing posts anyway? It's time to get back to reading and shower and get everything ready for tomorrow. Especially considering it's 11:55 PM now. :-p
I'm looking forward to this class though, I just can't wait for the opportunity to apply professionally and regularly (or as regular as you can as an actor) what I learn while being patient in my endurance. ;) Hmmm...is it time to start drafting my Emmy acceptance speech yet? ;)
I got a job assisting a producer on a new live game show and it's great; we just had auditions for hosts and it was SUCH a good process being on the other side of the table! I love the people I work with and it's really great; there is a small part of me that is sad (especially during auditions!) wishing that I could host instead of being on the other side of the camera, but I trust that God has the right path for me and this is a part of it. And hey; I did NOT miss the nerves during auditions! Although I did still have them a little...praying I actually had organized everything correctly and then when some of my friends were auditioning!
Speaking of that "finding the right path" stuff, I found a Bible verse that is PERFECT for actors; I was pretty excited when I read it: "But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and thorough work, so that you may be perfectly and fully developed, lacking nothing." It's James 1:4 and so great to keep me motivated when I get frustrated and want real true professional acting work, and I get scared about getting too old. :( I am getting ready and using this time to be fully prepared, so that when my opportunity comes I will be ready to impress and make an impact and take one step to the next and who knows where it will lead; but I will be ready! :)
I also had my first real commercial - woo hoo! It's for McDonald's, it may not go to air which is a little sad but hey it was still a real professional set and a proper paid job and I'm thrilled to death about it! I was down to the final two for a main girl in the commercial and I didn't get it but they worked me into this one which is still really cool and I'm going to take that as a definite positive!
So life has been crazy with that and the new job AND I have been learning how to do ADR in post production, which is basically dubbing myself and trying to say what I said in each take EXACTLY the same as I watch it play and it's recorded. It sounds a lot easier than it was.... I actually did like it though and I want to do more voice work. There is this freedom when it's just you and a microphone in the little room with the foam on the door and no one else, I want to explore that with my voice.
ANYWAY, on Sunday I start a four day workshop with Howard Fine who is coming to Australia, and it is truly an honor (honour? hmmm which spelling do I want to use this time...) to have been accepted into the class. I am reading his book now in preparation, (which I should have done ages ago and I feel terrible I didn't, but between 20 hours of work turning into 35 and ADR until 3 in the morning and fighting off sickness among other things it's just the way it is).
I just read this in Howard Fine's book:
"Usually those who end up as artists later on had a ball doing that, playing dress-up, acting out scenarios. They generally are the ones who in the neighborhood led the plays and put on skits and were drawn not just to movies and television but also to live theater."
That's definitely true for me, but I just had these great memories of organizing and putting on plays with my friends as a kid. I'm kind of still not sure how I did it, although I am definitely sure that help from my parents played a part! I also wanted to do Community Theatre sooooo badly, but my parents found out rehearsals were from like 6-10 and five nights a week at times and gave me a very big N - O. I have a very clear picture in my head of the letter I wrote in marker complaining to the theater company how unfair it was that they had rehearsals then so kids like me couldn't even audition for their shows....
In third grade [just have to insert one of the guys I auditioned is on a new commercial that I'm already sick of and it's on now AGAIN but it's cool to think I picked out his headshot and contacted his agent and brought him in and was on the other side of his audition table!]
So ok, in third grade my best friend and I and another boy in class we were friends with somehow managed to get our whole class together to put on a nativity play for the younger grades at our school. I remember them being over at my house and getting out the Bible, and trying to figure out how to write the story and script. That's where I'm very sure my parents would have assisted more than a little! My grandma had made all these costumes for their church's nativity scene with the Sunday school kids and I remembered her showing them to me, and we got her church to let us use them. I love the childhood ambition and belief and possibility before we let all of the "no"s and reasons things won't work weigh us down. I don't want to lose that now in business or life or ever. It's that whole thing of trying to figure out what the rules are but also wanting to not care, and where the line is with not royally pissing someone off or making a bad impression, versus doing something and going out on a limb and amazing things happen.
I actually want to put on another play again now. I have been afraid to with the whole "fear of failure" and hello time commitment and all of that, and wanting it to be good, but I look back and remember that and go "why not?" I love theatre I love business I love acting, I have studied them all and studied them well, why shouldn't I do it now and be successful? I will be working nights soon for my job; that's the only problem. I was going to try and get a show up with two of my amazing friends in Sydney who are beautiful girls and super talented and so nice and incredibly hard working; just all around fabulous.
Umn sorry I hope you aren't sick of me, I'm seriously not always this crazy gushy love machine. I do have plenty of complaints and criticisms - I'm American after all ;), (just kidding! for the most part...) I just choose not to put them on the internet, as much as I really really REALLY want to sometimes! We'll see what happens as time goes on...
So we met and did a reading of this great play I read and everything but it just seemed like it would be too much to get it up off the ground and do it well without dying of exhaustion before I start working nights. I don't know, part of me still wants to do it now. My scene partner for Howard Fine is a theater guy; I have been missing it SO much and then I found these amazing plays and this course reminds me of theater...we'll see what happens; I have a few thoughts "brewing" in my mind. ;)
All this typing and I still haven't done the second story! I was a big reader of EVERYTHING in the "American Girl" franchise, and I chose two plays that we put up when I was in fourth grade I think? I was in one of them but I wanted to be fair so I gave myself a supporting role; take what you will from that! I can't remember what the second play was, but the one I was in was one of the stories from the "Molly" series during World War II. I remember we were supposed to have grass skirts as Halloween costumes and we wore our cheerleading skirts, and coming to school that day with a MASSIVE duffel bag that was like the size of a suitcase. Oh yes, that was DEFINITELY a sign of things to come with the bag lady I would grow up to be! I am like a portable mini props house and wardrobe/make-up department wherever I go though. ;) Our teachers and my school was fabulous; I know they took time out of my class and one or two of the classes below mine for us to perform it for them as well. I can't believe how fuzzy so many of those memories are though! You think you'll never forget things; it's so sad what we do.
So that's where life is at the moment. Lots of good things happening in Sydney, I just miss America. A lot. A lot a lot. I only got to go home for two weeks before starting this job in June, and I am amazingly thankful for that, but it was hard. The fourth of July was hard and my family and cousins are going to be in Door County; I don't think I've ever been homesick this hard core for this long. I want to go home. I want to be here but I want to be home. I miss it so much. Opening up and being real I'm trying not to cry as I write this.
But who wants to read depressing posts anyway? It's time to get back to reading and shower and get everything ready for tomorrow. Especially considering it's 11:55 PM now. :-p
I'm looking forward to this class though, I just can't wait for the opportunity to apply professionally and regularly (or as regular as you can as an actor) what I learn while being patient in my endurance. ;) Hmmm...is it time to start drafting my Emmy acceptance speech yet? ;)
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