There's a movie or maybe a song or a novel where a character says that the most flattering light is the light that comes from birthday cake candles. How everyone looks beautiful when framed by cake light.
I would use a similar analogy to say that one of the most flattering situations to observe human interactions is the lobby of a high school theater after the performance. Last night was opening night for a group of students that I worked with through my day job. After the show, I walked out into a lobby teeming w/love, excitement, positive energy, relief, and so much joy, it was as if the entire room were filled with people holding cakes, and casting that beautiful, flattering glow in every direction.
I am so proud.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Screeech!
Being an actor means there are ebbs and flows, right? A few weeks ago, I had so many projects on my plate! But, at this point, things are suddenly super slow. No auditions on the calendar. One teaching job and my teaching program admin day job. Some maybes down the line, but that's all that's concrete.
Slow is tough. Slow means the inner critic is harder to ignore. Slow means less income, more self-doubt, and generally is just plain sucky. I really hate slow and how it makes me feel, but I'm working on learning to love slow.
Because, slow also means: you can travel! you can see your friends (both onstage and off)! you can take the time to go to classes or yoga or exercise! You can work on making your professional stuff (resume, website, etc.) better! You can rattle cages and let people know you're available for their project!
And soon, soon, it won't be slow any more.
Several years ago, my partner and I watched a Judi Dench interview on '60 Minutes' and she told Ed Bradley that every time a job ended she felt like she'd never work again. Judi Dench. Dame Judi Dench. Oscar winner Judi Dench. She has a hard time w/slow too. So I'm in good company.
Slow is tough. Slow means the inner critic is harder to ignore. Slow means less income, more self-doubt, and generally is just plain sucky. I really hate slow and how it makes me feel, but I'm working on learning to love slow.
Because, slow also means: you can travel! you can see your friends (both onstage and off)! you can take the time to go to classes or yoga or exercise! You can work on making your professional stuff (resume, website, etc.) better! You can rattle cages and let people know you're available for their project!
And soon, soon, it won't be slow any more.
Several years ago, my partner and I watched a Judi Dench interview on '60 Minutes' and she told Ed Bradley that every time a job ended she felt like she'd never work again. Judi Dench. Dame Judi Dench. Oscar winner Judi Dench. She has a hard time w/slow too. So I'm in good company.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Resource of the Week: VoiceBank
An actor friend emailed last week to ask some questions about voiceover equipment. She wants to pursue voiceover work and wants to start by creating a studio for home recording. Not only is that a huge financial investment, I think it's a lousy place to start.
First of all, the actor in question has never done voiceover work before, or even taken a class. So she doesn't know if she has an aptitude for it, or if it's work she'll enjoy. Second, and more important, you don't get voiceover work by having a studio (although it can definitely increase your opportunities), you get voiceover work by having quality demos. You wouldn't get hired to work on a film just because you owned a camera, would you? You get hired because of your reel and your audition. Voiceover demos are the reel for voiceover work.
And, there's a cool website - Voicebank - where agencies post their clients demos, and anyone can listen to them - it's a great way to get to understand the format, what the trends are, etc. So start listening!
First of all, the actor in question has never done voiceover work before, or even taken a class. So she doesn't know if she has an aptitude for it, or if it's work she'll enjoy. Second, and more important, you don't get voiceover work by having a studio (although it can definitely increase your opportunities), you get voiceover work by having quality demos. You wouldn't get hired to work on a film just because you owned a camera, would you? You get hired because of your reel and your audition. Voiceover demos are the reel for voiceover work.
And, there's a cool website - Voicebank - where agencies post their clients demos, and anyone can listen to them - it's a great way to get to understand the format, what the trends are, etc. So start listening!
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