Unscripted - A Blog for Actors - Backstage

Reflections on 2011

As we enter the twilight of 2011, it's time to look in the rearview and take stock of another year gone by. 2011 was anything but mundane for me. I moved to LA; went through a depression harsher than any I've tussled with in a decade; hit some milestones in my acting career; watched my brother get married and found out he's going to be a father. I've been beat down, taken for granted, ignored, discouraged, and isolated. But I've also made great new friends, been productive, inspired, encouraged, and loved.

2011 was a difficult year, but it was difficult because I made it that way. I made decisions that made my life more complicated, more difficult, and less stable. But those decisions were mine. I cannot complain or pass the buck. I am fortunate that my 2011 was not defined by things outside my control like the tornados that devastated Alabama, the tsunami that crushed Japan, the terrorist attacks in Norway and Nigeria, or the drug war raging in Mexico.

New York City for the Holidays & Sleep No More for New Year's

I spent last week in Virginia and have been in NYC since Christmas Eve. It's nice to be back "home" in the city for a short while. Especially for the holidays. 

I've been so lucky to reconnect with lots of people I love in the past couple of weeks... it feels like the right way to end what was sort of a tough year.

I'm hoping for a fruitful 2012... and am extremely excited about the way I'm planning to start out the new year. 

Inside the Actor's Studio Apartment

I am lucky to have been with my family over the past few days and I have been... 

... sleeping

... eating

... skiing(!)

... and reflecting

 ... because that just seems like something to do at the end of the year.

Bleeding into 2012

I'm doing it again. I'm forcing myself, even if I bleed to death.

On January 4th, 2012 at 7:30pm in the Main Room at The Comedy Store, I will be 'Standing-Up'...again.

I'm freaked out of my mind and I think it's going to be a blast!

This will be lucky number 7th time going up...fingers crossed.

Please come support! I promise, if I don't make you laugh...I'll be the one crying!

(photos courtesy of the World Famous Comedy Store Mainroom)

Yours Truly -- Ann Hu

 

Branded

Recently I had coffee with a filmmaker I admire.  We were discussing some opportunities he'd just been offered, based on a successful documentary he'd made. After hearing about one ridiculous gimmick in particular, I responded, "But that goes so against your brand!"  He paused for a moment, studying me, then said, "That's the first time anyone's said "brand" in conversation with me where I haven't wanted to throw up."  I smiled, relieved, but immediately hoped I hadn't annoyed him.

But I understood exactly what he meant.  I too have had a difficult time committing to the whole process of branding. Aren't actors supposed to fight against being typed?  This was what I believed branding amounted too, and so I stuck my fingers in my ears and screamed, "La, la, la!" whenever anyone mentioned the "B" word.  Besides, I knew how to submit to castings, so I figured I knew my brand.

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone is taking this time to enjoy themselves with friends and/or family.  Here's to a 2012 that brings you all the success you desire.  Happy holidays and a merry Christmas from our family!

Photo is mine.  Who else would claim that?

--Colin Fisher

When Shall We Three Meet Again?

Not long after my first New York show closed, I heard from the director of Lucky Duck asking me if I wanted to be the Third Weird Sister in his production of Macbeth.  Amazing how connections really play a huge role in getting work.  I knew that it did, and everyone tells you that’s how to get ahead, but to experience it is something else. 

I feel so great that I have this opportunity.  It tells me a lot of things, first the obvious:

• I get to be in another production!
• I can add a Shakespeare show to my resume
• I have new material to add to my repertoire
• I’m doing what I love

But this new endeavor also tells me a little more:

• I want to be worked with again
• Someone respects my talent and my work ethic
• A positive attitude goes a really long way

Anti-Method Madness

If you're ever looking to destroy your free time, I recommend Reddit, the "front page of the internet."  They have categories, or subreddits, for pretty much anything, including acting.  That's where I found a link to the video below.  In it, Scottish acting coach Mark Westbrook lays out ten reasons he hates Method acting.  It's about seven minutes.  Have a look.  He's articulate and has a cool accent.

Given my MFA program's former connection to the Actors Studio, many of my teachers were members.  I think I can speak on this with some authority.  I myself am not a huge fan of the Method, mostly because I'm more interested in comedy and none of my teachers ever knew what to do with that. Moreover, drawing on my own experience won't get me too far. It's better for me to use my imagination, rather than sense memory to recall emotions.  That being said, I think I understand it pretty well, and I'd love to address some of his points.

I don't know how much direct contact Mr. Westbrook has had with traditional Method actors, but he sounds like he's heard the same stories we all have of things DeNiro, Pacino and Day-Lewis have done to prepare for roles.  While a strict definition of Method acting is difficult to pin down, I think it's safe to say that it deals primarily with techniques to work on your inner self so that you can create an honest emotional state, rather than externally indicating said state.  Method acting is not changing your weight.  It's not refusing to get out of a wheelchair because your character is paralyzed.  It's not psychotically deluding yourself into believing your name is actually Hamlet.  

Just When You Think You've Won The Lottery

I've almost lost track of the number of projects that I've been cast in that have been either postponed or shuttered completely. I'm sitting on my couch writing this instead of being in the California wilderness shooting a trailer for a Vietnam war feature. Due to a last minute location issue, the shoot was cancelled for today. The producers tell me it's only being postponed, not canned.

I've learned not to hold my breath.

Yesterday, I found out that the plug has been pulled on a national commercial I shot in the spring. The commercial will never air. It was a sports commercial featuring a prominent NFL player who was expected to have a record year. He has been less than mediocre so the company cancelled the spot.

A month ago, I found out that a feature I was cast as the lead in is no longer going to be made. The story was based on a graphic novel and despite the author's initial enthusiasm for and cooperation with the project, he is now refusing to grant the production company the rights to the story as previously agreed. I was super excited about that project. It was as visceral and unique as Fight Club and Saw (the original).

I'm Writing a Song!

In my efforts to build working relationships in the industry, I've met some fantastic young composers. But what I'm particularly interested in is collaborations. I want to be involved from the beginning, give opinions, and help make changes. In a fun turn of events, this desire has led me into one such collaborative relationship with an up-and-comer: 

We are writing a song together. Possibly a musical theater song cycle.

I'm a writer (blogger, creative writer, playwright), but I have never really tried to write a song. When I was in junior high and high school I certainly thought about it. I attempted to write lyrics. I thought up melodies. But I never knew what I was doing…and believe me, none of it was any good. 

Working with this composer has been an incredible learning experience for me so far. I get a peek into his brain. Right now we are developing a character and story. We haven't yet pinpointed exactly which parts of the story will make it into the song. 

A Hollywood Holiday Moment...

Christmas is one week away?! It's too warm here!

The holidays could pass me by like a Honda Civic on the freeway and I wouldn't even notice.

I had hoped to be in London right now. Guess everything happens for a reason. Trust.

A college girlfriend of mine recently reminded me of this quote we were given post-graduation, (in so many words),

    "Leave New York before you get too hard; Leave Los Angeles before you get too soft."

Whenever things get slow, on either coast, I want to move faster.

I walked out of an audition yesterday, with no jacket, onto the studio lot and had what I consider a Hollywood Holiday moment.

On my way back to my car, I heard another actress, walking behind me, rehearsing the lines over and over again to herself.

Boy, haven't we all been there before.

My Second Television Audition!

Funny how things turn around so quickly. Last Sunday I was feeling low because my show had ended. That Monday afternoon I received an email - I had gotten an audition for a huge television show. Whoa whoa whoa. My silly little unrepresented self got a television audition? Alright then!

While I can't really divulge in the details about the show, I can say that its a comedic show on Fox. So I spent 2 days gathering monologues and creating funny characters I felt good about.

I contacted the funniest people I knew to get advice on material. I emailed and called people I knew who had been on tv before to get advice on what the audition would be like. I couldn't reach any of them! Damn. Guess I would just rely on my instincts for this one. 

How'd it Go?

I just came home from performing as part of a Shakespeare workshop. It was a series of scenes and monologues, and most of us spent most of the night backstage on one side of the space or the other.

After my friend, Everett, came offstage from one of his monologues, I asked him how it went. He'd done something from As You Like It and started talking about how he really felt like he had to milk the piece to get any kind of response from the crowd that night.

Our friend, Claire, piped up.

"I always thought that was a funny question to ask an actor after coming offstage." She said. "I mean, I never feel like I know what to say. I didn't see it! I wasn't in the audience!"

I said something about how I guessed I meant more in terms of asking how the actor felt after. But she had a good point. During and after a performance, how do we evaluate our own work?

Challenge: Motivation

When you don’t work a “normal” job, or one that gives you a set schedule, it’s easy to lose focus and become distracted by lots of little things.  I think one of the biggest challenges for actors is to manage the amount of juggling they have to do: their auditions, rehearsals, a day job, and networking, all while staying motivated and keeping a focus on their main goal.

I see many actors become sidelined by work, difficult situations, and the inundation of new opportunities this city can throw at them.  I’ve definitely learned that being an actor is not just about auditioning and hoping it goes well.  Even booking a job doesn’t mean that much, because several weeks or a month after that call, you’ll be scrambling to find the next thing.  But even having that realization in the back of my head doesn’t prevent me from sometimes getting distracted by other things and setting aside the original plans I had when I first moved to New York.

Actor Update Cards

This upcoming weekend is Closing Weekend for my current show (I can't believe it's almost over) and I am going over in my mind what I need to do to inform my contacts that I will be back in LA full-time (well, until I travel for Xmas/NYE).

Being in San Diego (predominately) for the past few months has required me to put all other auditions on hold. Most of the shoot dates, as well as the actual auditions, conflicted with my play. While yes, that forced me to remain solely focused on the task at hand, it crippled me in that I was not being seen for 3 months. People can forget you very easily in this town if you don't make yourself known.

That being said, I decided I should send out an "Update Card". Essentially, this is a shortened version of a One-Sheet, "a single document that summarizes a product for publicity and sales." (Dallas Travers talks about the One-Sheet frequently).

Some of Best Things Anyone has Ever Said to Me (Part II)

Continuing on from Part I... some of the best things I've ever heard and continue to think about on a regular basis.

"Don't Be An Asshole"

I know.  Simple and self-explanatory.  One of my good friends makes this dedication at the beginning of every yoga practice.  Don't be an asshole.  I love it because it's all about the little things.  Don't be an asshole, pick up your trash.  Don't be an asshole, hold the door for someone else.  Don't be an asshole, give up your seat on the train.  Don't be an asshole, when someone smiles at you, smile back.  Decency is contagious.

"You're a slowburn"

After graduating college one of my former teachers caught me in the middle of a audition-related meltdown.  After talking me down from my self-indulgent tower, he told me I needed to show myself some respect and have a little patience.  My process and path are unique to me, and I needed to understand that I am never the first horse out of the gate.  I've got this long fuse, see, that burns slowly and consistantly and always leads to dynamite.  So I shouldn't worry that I'm not blowing up quite yet.  That's just how I work.  Whatever the timing is, it's right.

I Found Santa

Tonight, on my commute back to Connecticut after an audition (which I think went pretty well, by the way), I accidentally stumbled across SantaCon in Grand Central Station. It was a mad house!

Thought I'd give you a taste of it with this little video of a band/drum circle. Enjoy!

 

 -- Angela Sauer

How Can I Help You?

Nobody wants to be the person that's always thinking, "how can you help me?" It just isn't a good mentality for a variety of reasons. But, I really believe that the person who's always thinking, "how can I help you?" is doing a service both to themselves and the people around them. 

So, in the spirit of the holiday season... let's talk about helping each other. 

Random Calls, An Audition or Two

I wish I'd had a flurry of activity this last week or two to fill you in on, but I didn't.  I did have an audition, with another one coming up soon.  I did work two long, good, bill-paying days as an extra on The Good Wife.  I got a call from someone I thought might be done with me.  That's about it.

The audition was for a new web series.  It was one of those where I was in and out before I knew what happened.  We ran through a short scene twice, and I think I did well taking the adjustment for the second run, and I guess that's about all I can hope for.  Looking back with that 20/20 vision we have in our minds, the show is probably going to be pretty out there, tonally speaking, so I think I could have gone a lot further with that.

A Blog About a Blog (or why Justin Halpern is my hero)

I don't care where you are in your acting career, at some point you will read something nasty about yourself online.

And I don't mean that time your ex wrote you were a wanker on Facebook.

A stranger will take the time to go all the way to some site (fan board, Twitter, your own Facebook page) and write out all about how much you suck. Often complete with fragments and misspellings. And likely no punctuation.

Not that I am the Grammar Police... (*Note my own grammatical errors, lack of punctuation and multiple fragmented sentences)

Although my acting career began while still in high school, I am only now in the last few years becoming familiar with the idea of Trolls.

In my simple mind I would have said "No one has time for THAT!".

Silly me. Millions of people have time for it.

But this isn't a blog about the terror that is Trolls. Not really.