I spent a very inspiring weekend at the Playhouse West Film Festival. Three days of films, mostly shorts and every film involved Playhouse West students. I have worked at this festival for the past 6 years and I am particularly proud of this year's film selections. We had so many well made films with tight writing and good acting.
I am a little disappointed in myself for not having a film in the festival this year. I helped out on a few projects as a PA and such, but nothing more.
So, I want to take this opportunity to make a promise to myself and to all of you that I WILL HAVE A FILM IN THE FESTIVAL NEXT YEAR!!!
Congratulations to all the filmmakers who got off their tush this year and produced such wonderful work. Throughout the festival, the advice most of the filmmakers give is to just go out there and do it. That's exactly what I plan on doing as soon as I take a nap since working the festival is not just very inspiring but also extremely exhausting.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
So, you want to be Rich and Famous?
If you chose to become an actor because you want to be rich and famous, I should tell you there are easier ways with a much better return to achieve both of those goals. Your average work-a-day actor may never be able to quit the day job.
I spend many weekends working one of my survival jobs, sampling stuff at Costco. It's not a bad job: short day, good money, and sometimes I get to take samples home. This weekend a couple aisles down from my moisturizer demo, a guy had a fancy demo of those super cool blenders that can blend anything. I call it fancy because they gave him a microphone and he was standing on a small stage with lots of equipment, all I had a small table with a black tablecloth.
The most interesting thing about the blender demo is that the guy running it is a well-known character actor. He has a large recurring role on a series that has already gotten picked up for the fall. This actor has a career that spans two decades and has included other large recurring roles, guest stars, movies, and a long running commercial campaign. By all accounts a very successful career and one most of us actors are striving for.
And here I am working basically the same survival job as him. Now, I am not pretending to know him or why he was there. Maybe he has large gambling debts or he was doing it as a favor to a friend, but I suspect he was doing it because if you aren't working an acting job, doing promotions is a respectable way to get some extra income.
This is why you have to truly have a passion for acting, because if it's money you want there are more tried and true ways to get it like going to med school or becoming a stripper.
And if it's fame you're after, well I had an acting teacher once tell me that if I wanted to be a famous I chose my parents poorly. Navigating Hollywood certainly would be easier with a name like Coppola or Arquette.
But, if you really want to be famous may I suggest reality television.
I spend many weekends working one of my survival jobs, sampling stuff at Costco. It's not a bad job: short day, good money, and sometimes I get to take samples home. This weekend a couple aisles down from my moisturizer demo, a guy had a fancy demo of those super cool blenders that can blend anything. I call it fancy because they gave him a microphone and he was standing on a small stage with lots of equipment, all I had a small table with a black tablecloth.
The most interesting thing about the blender demo is that the guy running it is a well-known character actor. He has a large recurring role on a series that has already gotten picked up for the fall. This actor has a career that spans two decades and has included other large recurring roles, guest stars, movies, and a long running commercial campaign. By all accounts a very successful career and one most of us actors are striving for.
And here I am working basically the same survival job as him. Now, I am not pretending to know him or why he was there. Maybe he has large gambling debts or he was doing it as a favor to a friend, but I suspect he was doing it because if you aren't working an acting job, doing promotions is a respectable way to get some extra income.
This is why you have to truly have a passion for acting, because if it's money you want there are more tried and true ways to get it like going to med school or becoming a stripper.
And if it's fame you're after, well I had an acting teacher once tell me that if I wanted to be a famous I chose my parents poorly. Navigating Hollywood certainly would be easier with a name like Coppola or Arquette.
But, if you really want to be famous may I suggest reality television.
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