Ben and Tim
To celebrate his graduation from elementary school, my 10-year-old son, Ben, decided to make some quizzes for his parents (revenge, no doubt, for all the 5th grade tests he had to take)… He let us decide what our subjects would be. His father asked for a baseball quiz – a slam dunk.
I panicked, since I haven’t really taken a quiz in about 30 years, other than those Facebook quizzes (which I don’t think you can get wrong…) So, figuring I’d stick to my strong suit, I asked him to make me a Tim Burton quiz.
August 31, 2010 3 Comments
Summer Log on Nothin’: Part 1
"Heat Wave", ANTM Cycle 11
August 26, 2010 6 Comments
6 Ways To Not Go Crazy
Did anyone see “Office Space”? That touching story about the guy with the dead-end job and the bitchy girlfriend and the terrible life? And how all of his stress, frustration and murderous thoughts melted away when he was hypnotized into thinking that none of that stuff really mattered? Now, this was kind of a cop out because the hypnotist was. . . well, frankly; a fat-ass. Such a fat-ass in fact, that the mere act of hypnotizing our dear protagonist sent said hypnotist into a gripping heart-attack, thusly killing him. Now since the hypnotism was already in place, and the hypnotist died before he could lift it, our friend (let’s call him Peter) was “doomed” to wander the Earth in a state of total apathy and bliss. Aware of the chaotic world and responsibilities around him, yet knowing that in the big scheme of things, the really, really big picture, none of that stuff really mattered.
Seems like a great way to go through life right? Unfortunately, even if we were to fall into such serendipitous circumstances, our lives are not movies (mine is actually, but everyone else listen), even if you were somehow to come under some undying influence convincing you that everything will be alright in your life, your head would explode when you came to the stunning conclusion that it won’t! Because our lovely civilization just can’t let it work out like that.
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August 20, 2010 3 Comments
101
I miss my group dearly. We were all extremely nervous before each of our finals, but there, I think, was even more of it during our actors lab final. I can remember each of us pacing back and forth doing our best to be in our own world/zone. That feeling was incredible. The energy in the hallway was unbelievably tense and we all encouraged each other to do well. In my one of my previous blogs I wrote about stepping off the ledge and dealing with that unstoppable sense of fear. What about dealing with that before each audition? How many times do we as actors have to deal with that feeling of what if I fail/don’t make it/don’t get picked/don’t get the lead/etc?
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August 10, 2010 1 Comment
HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
Hello Kiddie-winkies!
Quick! Where’s that from? Answer: “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” – just about the best movie ever made, that’s what it is! I still have nightmares of that child catcher with the greasy hair.
Today’s blog: FREE MOVIES!
Kids, do you know about Bryant Park – that amazing public space up at 42nd Street and the Avenue of the Americas? You can quickly get up there after school by hopping on the “F” train and jigging your way uptown. Entry to the lawn area is only permitted at the 6th Avenue side of the park (near the screen); and the lawn opens at 5pm. The films begin at sunset (typically between 8pm and 9pm).
It’s HOT out there, isn’t it?! Why suffer so much? It’s much cooler to hang out in a park and have a picnic while you watch an old movie. And, think of it this way: you’re actually working on your career by analyzing the genre of these classic old films. Homework that’s painless!
The HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival has the following free line-up for August 2010:
Monday, Aug 2: Rosemary’s Baby
Monday, Aug 9: The Goodbye Girl
Monday, Aug 16: 12 Angry Men
Monday, Aug 23: Bonnie and Clyde
Who picked this movie line-up? Me? I LOVE them all. I’ll be there on my blanket under the stars watching the stars that I love so much! Join me, you future stars of tomorrow!
July 29, 2010 2 Comments
Inspired Vacation
So who doesn’t love New York City right? It’s the epicenter of the universe and if you can make it here you can make it anywhere and it’s so “this” and it’s all “that” and all these great things happen here and I think it’s pretty safe to say it’s established itself as one of the “coolest” places on Earth.
But I’m going to level with all you readers- and everyone out there who’s been here more than 2 years back me up.The crummy scummy parts of the city, the low-lifes, the stumbling drunk floozies in the tight, short club-dresses that they bought before their metabolism went down the drain, the Jersey shore meat heads, with their greased hair that looks like something out of a Japanese cartoon, and everyone else out there trying to rip you off for a quick buck or the much less fortunate who, just in general, quite literally smell up the place. All these wonderful archetypes, combined with the on-again off-again convenience of the public transit system, make me yearn so dearly for a change of pace; to break free from the grasps of the city and all of its big-top-esque anarchy.
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July 21, 2010 4 Comments
You Don’t Have to Like It… to Like It
I recently saw an amazing new piece of theater at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn (www.stannswarehouse.org). It was a show that had travelled in from Europe for the Toy Theater Festival.
First of all, “toy” theater festival? Really? I had no idea! How clever, ingenious, and frankly bizarre we thespians can be sometimes, yes?
I went to see “Kamp” by Hotel Modern in early June.
Did I like it? I don’t know if “like” is a word one can apply to an evening length piece of puppet theater that depicts the horrors of a concentration camp with a miniature scale model of the camp including 3” tall puppets and a small camera that projected the images onto a large screen in the sky.
It was torture to watch. It was shocking. It was exhausting.
But I can’t stop thinking about it. The dialogue between reality and toys was riveting. Sometimes I felt like God from a distance, watching the play of dolls. At other times, the puppets seemed so alive. And their ordeal was my ordeal. My mind was shoved through a series of images and events that were life-like, shocking, and surreal… all at the same time.
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July 15, 2010 1 Comment
Law & Order: RIP
Bye-bye to the Mothership
As one who has made many a mortgage payment thanks to fairly frequent ”he went thattaway” roles on Law & Order, I am very, very sad to see it go. Purely by chance I wound up on the final episode (which had not been written as a finale). Much to my shock, when it aired, people I haven’t seen or heard from in 30 years Facebooked me to say they had seen me.
Then a friend of mine said, “Well, of COURSE they saw you — everybody tuned in because it was the last one.” Even for those who aren’t fans, L&O is an institution; older than most of my first year students. Known as “the Mothership,” the original L&O employed many, many New York actors. A friend of mine with a lovely and busy career, including films, commercials and Broadway in very famous and well-reviewed plays, just wasn’t satisfied because he was, in his words, “the only New York actor who hasn’t been on Law & Order!” A few years ago he called me joyfully to tell me the drought was over, and he had indeed booked an “L&O” - his was also a small “he went thattaway” kind of role, but it made him very happy.
New York’s fortunes as a production city have risen and fallen over the years, and will continue to do so. But, no disrespect intended to “CI” and “SVU,” there will never be another gig quite as cool, as heart-warming and as all-inclusive, as “the Mothership.”
Law & Order, you will be missed.
Bum-BUM.
July 8, 2010 1 Comment
Stepping Off the Ledge
How scared was everyone before our final Actor’s Lab, Voice, and Meisner scenes? I, for a fact, know that I was terrified. My heart was beating so loud that I felt as though I can hear it over the music blaring through my headphones. Maybe terrified is too strong of a word, but I definitely had some anxiety issues. In a strange and almost counter-intuitive way, this was exactly what I needed to propel me into my work.
I think, as actors, we sometimes want to be in too much control. We want to have a hold over our emotional moments, make sure that we are executing the wants and desires of the character, and give our best results each time we take the stage or finish a take on camera. However, we have to learn how to let go a bit. I think this may be true for most actors, but I know that my best work has been when I really don’t know what’s going on. I have absolutely done all the homework before hand, but while I’m up there the right side of my brain is doing most of the work.
I watched an interesting interview with Daniel Day-Lewis today and he mentioned that he is anxious before, during, and even after working on a film. In my head I’m thinking, how can this man, who has won 2 Academy Awards, be nervous or anxious on film? How can, arguably, one of the most talented actors of our generation be nervous from the moment he picks up the script until when the director yells cut on the final shot?
Maybe anxiety is just what we need as actors. We need to consistently train and do our homework, but when it comes time to walk up to the ledge we each need to embrace that moment. That moment can be before the lights come up on stage, or before the director yells action; however, no matter what it is for you flying is its own reward and arguably more important than worrying about performing well.
July 1, 2010 No Comments
I went to Sundance and I won! And learned a few lessons – Part II
Once again, this is me at Sundance, promoting a film I had done called 3 Backyards. And where I learned a few hard and fast rules I’m passing on to you, by way of blog…
So here’s the skinny on Lesson Number Five (which is really Lesson Number One…)
To recap:
Number Five: Work with everyone you can, on any project, no matter how small.
The small, intimate independent film that I did on a SAG ultra low budget contract turned into something pretty cool. It got into the Sundance Competition and won the Best Director prize. It gave me an excuse to travel to the film festival and meet some amazing people. (Including some of my cast mates such as Eddie Falco and Kathryn Erbe; we were in separate story lines and I never got to meet them during shooting.)
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June 24, 2010 No Comments
I Went to Sundance And I Won! And Learned a Few Lessons… Part I
I initially sat down to write this blog post so I could share my behind the scenes, first timer’s experience at The Sundance Film Festival. Ultimately, I decided to share some of the lessons I learned while I was there as well…
I made the trek to Park City because I was there promoting a film I had done called 3 Backyards. In it I play a Boo Radley type character in a Long Island neighborhood, who steals a little girl’s innocence.
At every screening the theatres were filled with people who simply love and support independent film. Sure, there were studio and producer types there as well as bloggers and reporters, but most importantly it was filled with people who love and make movies.
It left me inspired to go out and make my own films. On the plane ride back I wrote up outlines for two new screenplays. (Yes, I am a writer and an actor who is constantly pitching ideas to production companies and studios. I mostly write TV, but after Sundance it left a fire in my belly to go out and tell my own stories in a feature film structure.)
When I arrived safely back at my New Jersey apartment, I went online and found out that we had won the Best Director prize at Sundance! It was awesome to see that a small independent film that was completely non-commercial could still be rewarded for its efforts.
Here are a few hard and fast rules I learned about Sundance which I hope will help you in any future endeavors that you may have.
Number one: Go earlier rather than later. Most of the powerful and cool people show up earlier in the festival. The distributors and studio folk are there and that’s when the best swag is out. Everyone loves stuff that is shiny and new and that’s how the festival begins. Like one giant Christmas morning of movies. But once the presents are opened it’s time go home. For the studio execs and distributors that’s how it works. They swoop in, see the movies at the first or second screening, hit the ski slopes then head on back to Los Angeles.
I went towards the end of the festival. My agent and I had talked about the best time to go and we had decided to go towards the end. That was actually a mistake. Yes there were cool things to do and people to meet, but there were more cool things to do and more people to meet at the beginning of the festival.
Number two: Get credentials so you have access to everything. It sucks not being let in – so no matter how much it costs, get credentials – generally through a production company. There are tons of events going on all week, but you have to have credentials to get in. I had no idea about the whole credentials necessity. Fortunately for me, being in one of the competition movies allowed me to play that card at the doors to events and they begrudgingly let me in. Next year, I’m definitely getting credentials so I don’t get hassled every time I want in to a party or event.
Number Three: Go to every screening of your movie, if it’s possible. Why? So you can be seen with your movie and be introduced to every powerful person the producers know. The most important people I got introduced to were through the filmmakers I was there to support. Fortunately for me, my director and the producers really like me for some reason and were happy to help me with introductions. (Which, for the record, I never asked for.) The producers on 3 Backyards are very cool and generous people.
Number Four: Go see as many new and exciting movies made by the other filmmakers that you can pack into your festival schedule. If you don’t understand why this last statement is important, you should find another business.
This leads me to my last big lesson, and what I feel the point of this blog post should really be about. It’s a lesson I think all of us as artists need to take to heart.
Number Five: Work with everyone you can, on any project, no matter how small.
Number Five is THE most important lesson, so I’ll give it a blog of its own.
To be continued…
June 15, 2010 No Comments
Have you ever noticed…?
Recently I’ve noticed how many films have a very significant bathroom or toilet scene — and no, I’m not talking about shower scenes! I’m talking about important scenes in movies that are poignant, emotionally charged and revealing, and in my opinion, some of the best scenes within these movies.
There is often a bonding experience bringing two characters closer together and a struggle with emotions. So why are they set in bathrooms and toilets? Could it be that they are public places where you would prefer to be private and these scenes often deal with private thoughts and feelings being publicized?
In “Garden State,” Andrew Largeman (played by Zach Braff) opens up to his new friend Sam (played by Natalie Portman,) uncovering his feelings about his mother and her death which he had previously kept bottled up. The scene takes place in the bathtub which is very significant to the plot, I don’t want to give too much away just in case you want to watch it! P.S Read the script of the Movie; the scene is twice as long and twice as emotional!
June 8, 2010 No Comments
The End of Chapter 1
Since I was young, I have been good at many things. A chameleon in friendship circles. A well-rounded student. And by definition, a triple threat performer. I have never really been great at any one thing. And I never really cared to be.
When I moved from my small hometown to the “New York” of Canada-Toronto I maintained that nonchalant attitude towards the activities I engaged myself in. In school, my A’s became C’s and stayed that way until my graduating year. Even my dancing was subject to a form of laziness. People would comment, “Oh! Your style is so cool and smooth. You have this effortless flow, as if you aren’t even trying at all!” For years, I took that as a compliment. Only now do I realize that I haven’t been trying really, at anything, at all, for as long as I can remember.
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June 2, 2010 No Comments
“Excuse me, Ladies and Gentlemen….”
One thing that I have yet to get used to are New York City subway “peddlers”. These individuals do not exist on Toronto transit. Maybe our train system is under tighter security, or maybe our “unfortunate” play unknowingly into the cultural stereotype of the polite Canadian. For whatever reason, people who use the subway and its riders as a means for income is uniquely “New York” in this girls eyes.
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May 24, 2010 1 Comment
Farewell From Your Fan
The objects of my fandom -- Mike, Joey, Travis, (me), Treykia, Brittany, Jane, Andrea, Kayle, Steph and Carly
The end of the semester for a teacher — and I know I’m not alone in this — is bittersweet. The kids graduating have become “our” kids. At NYCDA, Film and Television year students have Scene Study for Film & Television twice a week all year. So we teachers spend many, many hours focused intently on our students’ performances. It’s inevitable that we often become their fans. Think about it; what movie and television actors do you stare at? Whose performances do you watch over and over? Which actors’ every word and action absorb you for untold hours ? Your fav’s, that’s who. The only thing that keeps me (hopefully) objective is the passion to improve my kids’ work so they all fulfill their highest potentials.
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May 18, 2010 1 Comment
