I’m Not Totally Delusional
I’m learning to be happy with my work without needing someone to assure me that I was good. Hopefully, I’m not totally delusional ; ) -KF
Newsweek Roundtable
Newsweek Roundtable from February 8, 2010
Jeff Bridges: But I’ll tell you an interesting thing. I wonder if you guys have experienced it on a big-budgeted movie. On IRON MAN, you’d think they have all that money, they would have the script. We have this big movie, and we’d show up…
Morgan Freeman: And they’d give you new pages.
Bridges: That would be nice. There were no pages! The crew is sitting there tapping their feet. Me, Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr., and all the guys from Marvel Comics are in the trailer figuring out what we’re going to do. It drove me crazy, until I made a little adjustment in my head. No, man. You’re just making a $200 million student film, just f–king relax. And then it was fine. But otherwise, I was saying, I need my lines! I don’t know who I am. How are you going to do it? I find that I learn over and over again, you don’t need what you think you need.
(Via Saku E)
Air Conditioners & Acting
Uncle Keith says that air conditioners don’t actually cool the air — they just suck out the heat. That’s what we’re trying to do to your acting. Actors tend to add a lot of extra unnecessary crap to their acting. Y’all do things that don’t have any business in the scene – like you move around a lot, scrunch up your faces, wave your hands around and have zillions of bad actor thoughts. We gotta suck that shit outta your acting. Just like an air conditioner sucks the heat outta the air. – Alison T
Want to Risk
“I want to risk hitting my head on the ceiling of my talent. I want to really test it out and say: O.K., you’re not that good. You just reached the level here. I don’t ever want to fail, but I want to risk failure every time out of the gate.” -Quentin Tarantino
(via Ed K-O)
The Universe Shifted
“ . . . very excited about testing. The universe shifted after I walked into your office. It’s been a long time coming.” -Brian S
Highlights of the Intensive Rehearsal Reports!
“In this scene I’m mediocre and therefore I’m also frustrated. It’s way more fun to suck.” –Erin B, First Week of Intensive Hosting Reports, September 2012
“Three’s are the shit.” –Jessica C, First Week of Intensive Hosting Reports, September 2012
“Seeing the ‘Joy’ of Not Being Pre-Planned and Living in the Moment”
“. . . I am a very technical actor. I know when to do what, but I usually don’t know why specifically I’m doing what,and it’s rarely backed up with organic emotion. It’s technically perfect, manufactured shit. So, this ‘throwing away the toilet paper’ each time to leave room for new discoveries, I love and hate! I want to keep what works because it makes me feel safe and confident, even though I know it will never have the same spark as it did during it’s inception. I also love throwing it away though and having no clue because it’s extremely freeing! It’s exciting to let go while playing with what comes up organically. Through this process I am becoming more confident in myself and seeing the ‘joy’ of not being pre-planned and living in the moment, literally living in the moment! But, it also feels irresponsible as an actor to go into an audition situation not having something specific I know works, planned out (or I THINK works, planned out).
“While writing this I JUST realized that working your way I would have just that! I would have something I know works! No, it would not be pre-planned to my technical comfort level, but it would be known and understood. So I would have no reason not to trust my ability because I should KNOW I KNOW what needs to be done (after lots of practice and getting proficient at working that way!). Setting things in stone is useless and hinders our talent. No matter what we end up doing, it will be in accordance to the map the text has laid out because we will be able see that map immediately! And it WILL be ‘correct’ and truthful BECAUSE we don’t have anything pre-planned to mess with our ‘reactions.’ If that makes any sense at all… haha. Just having a little Lesly epiphany. 
” –From one of Megan J‘s First Week of Intensive Hosting Reports, September 2012
Negotiating Guest Stars
“I don’t know how true this is with all shows, but I was told by a director who shoots lots of different shows like CRIMINAL MINDS, CSI, HAWAI 5-0 and shows that need weekly guest stars, that it often happens where a casting director will owe a favor to an agent and will ‘negotiate’ a deal that they will get X number of their clients guest spots over the season of the show. That is one reason why the same person might repeatedly come in and why a particular agency might receive a greater amount of audition spots for their clients. He even stated that the same person came in for 8 different spots in 7 different episodes.” -Anne L
Do Not Fear Mistakes
This is great shit.
“Hey Les,
Just came across a quote from jazz musician Miles Davis, whom I love especially for his messy, creative style of playing. It was in ‘The Artist’s Way’ so you’ve seen it but thought I would send it along again. It’s on the topic of perfectionism.
‘…Instead of creating freely and allowing errors to reveal themselves later as insights, we often get mired in getting the details right. We correct our originality into a uniformity that lacks passion and spontaneity. ‘Do not fear mistakes,’ Miles Davis told us. ‘There are none.’ ‘
Good for all of us tight left brainers out there.”
…from Eric N
(THE ARTIST’S WAY, Copyright 1992 by Julia Cameron)
Highlights from the Intensive Hosting Reports
“. . . We had no idea what our first run through would uncover and we were excited to throw away our need to plan and be technical and just free ourselves while daring to suck. Through this we found a COMPLETELY and brilliant way to take the scene. It was completely by “accident” and came organically via really connecting with one another, listening and reacting completely organically. It was exhilarating. The way we took the scene was more positive eventually and ended up having a great twist. Completely different then my last rehearsal and great to see how both worked wonderfully even though they went in such different directions.” – From one of Megan J‘s First Week of Intensive Hosting Reports, September 2012
