Dream on hold, still.

Here is how my chase after the dream gets complicated:

1. I'm on my last year of university. I study business administration and as it's the last month of teaching, they overload us with work and what's worse: group work... I'm writing my final year's disseration for which I have just about a month left to complete, and have not even started yet.

2. I've just cancelled out my first screen acting course, because of a dentist emergency, knowing my allergy to anastetics half of my face will be swollen for the next 2 or 3 days... Since I missed today, I will not go on with the course, as its the 5 day intensive one, and I don't want to loose all this money to just take part of the course.

3. My second half lives in Spain. And me flying there twice a month, with once a month visit back home, it leaves me a little time to: go to uni, work as extras, hence earn money for the courses, headshots etc... or most importantly: get experience in student films or go to auditions at all...

That being said, I'm doomed.

But there is something that I can do about this. I can read books about acting, practice scenes at home, learn from youtube, find out about the trade in general. And then when all this mess that I call my life gets sorted out (hopefully in about a month) I will start full on, thousand courses, auditions, extra jobs and I might even start a conspiracy of getting an agent ;)

For now, I will do my home study and research into the trade, and will be posting any interesting links, findings or thoughts that come along the way :)

Here are the three books I've read so far:

I really enjoyed this book. It helps you act more naturally, and provides various exercises for you to try :) It also comes with a DVD. I got it on the workshop with the author, which took place in the February Actor Expo.

This little book is really ONLY an introduction, or rather the biography of this actor. It doesn't really reveal the method, I wish it was more practical. Anyway it's good for a start, to know what his background for developing the method was and it's a short read.

A step by step guide into acting both as a craft and trade :) Good for those just entering the world of acting, and have not much idea on where to start. I would recommend it!

Sorry for the slightly more negative note this time... But such is life, there are ups and there are downs.

A little break, time to learn and search for a perfect monologue

Hi guys,

I'm away from London for a while, which sucks a little because I can't be progressing with my new exciting career... However, I'm planning an intensive one week screen acting course at ISSA the beginning of March, that should be fun and helpful :) Then the 11-13th of March there will be another actor exposition, called Perform 2011. Hopefully my friend from back home will come with me:) So that will be even more fun. That said, I'm trying to find monologues, I will upload some and hopefully you can help me choose it!

I think I will start applying for student film productions and making online auditions by the end of this month. Right now gotta work on that crappy accent of mine, which can't really be classified... Kind of a Spanish/Polish/Russian with general American undertones hahaha...

Also there is a marketing tool on Spotlight called called actors intro, where for two minutes you're meant to just chat to the camera about yourself. I think it's actually pretty nice, even though on the CCP forum people are rather unhappy about it.


Ok I guess that's all for now:) Hope you guys ae landing great parts as we speak!

My first weekend as an actress and a Spotlight pin!

First of all HAPPY VALENTINE to all :) I hope you are all spending it with loved ones! Sadly my special someone ♥ is across the sea at the moment, but I am going to Spain in 2 days!

SATURDAY: the Actor Expo

I took some REALLY interesting classes, and met many amazing actors. I am overloaded with information on all kinds of acting topics... Now only need to organize myself, and choose the right classes, headshot companies, agencies, networking services, books... In one word, aaaaaa!

I especially enjoyed the screen acting worskshop with Mel Churcher. I got a DVD and a book :) Also bought one about Stanislavski method, and a book of monologues, which I actually regret, but anyhow...

The workshop was amazing. There were 5 volunteers, and here is a note to my future self: VOLUNTEER. I must volunteer next time. Get the courage to go up there. How else will anyone notice of my existance?

(Other then the Spotlight page, which I now have by the way, soooo happy about it). One girl who came also loved the class with the casting directors from LA, it was very very worthwhile. They were telling us how to get visa, what courses we could take that could help us get a visa, which is better: LA or New York, what are the casting directors in America looking for as opposed to British ones and so on:) I haven't got time to write about it at the moment, but I will make a post about this worksho definitely sometime in the near future!

SUNDAY: the extras day

I've registered with Guys&Dolls not long ago, and yesterday I went to have my photo done by them. So I looked at the map where Edgware is... Only to find out that there are two places in London called this way! One is 'tube' and the other is 'road'. LOVELY. I ask how to get this bus the instructions tell me to take from the Edgware something, just to be told by the lovely police man nearby, that I am AN HOUR away. So I run. I jump on the tube like some action heroine. Only that... In the opposite direction! SO... I jump off, run through crowds of people (but remember still to drop the penny to the underrated tube performer, you know... KARMA) and I run and jump till I get there only two minutes late:) Of course with no makeup and messy rain covered hair... Anyway, it was fun. I will be waking up at 4 for the jobs and will be eating every two hours... Extras sounds fun! Though some people have a certain opinion about the extras * Don't do extras if you ant to be taken seriously as an actress* Well I wanna see the REAL set, the REAL actors, REAL action, REAL director, REAL makeup people, THEN I will go do as many of those little student productions as necessary :) But I gotta see the REAL thing if I wanna be a REAL thing some day. Not that of course the little student productions are not great. I'm sure I'll be enjoying them crazy! Nothing like bunch of creative kids... And less stress on top of that. I can't wait to be having all this fun. Oh thank you Lord for blessing me with these fantastic new paths :)

P.S. Is it ever too late to act? There was a lady in her fifties, attending the US casting directors workshop and she asked this question.

Who knows what the answer was? :)

Best wishes to you all!

Youtube treasures...

These days one can learn virtually anything without leaving a house. Yoga, singing, marshal arts, belly dance, languages, juggling... you name it! Perhaps horseback riding or mountain climbing would probably be exceptions to the rule unless you had an amazing imagination.

Here is what I mean:

A CRASH course in acting from FSound Studios :)

Still I find it extremely useful when getting a hold of the craft of acting and the industry of film.

I've decided to share some of my treasured findings with you!

1. Jennifer Rae at 'Acting' channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/acting

This lady teaches you all the basics about auditions, living as an actor, acting techniques... After watching her videos I feel like I've actually attended a workshop :)

2. Scott DuPont at 'Expert Village'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO8CTLvoJh0&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=SPA8B5C52860FADF5E

This tutor created a playlist for Expert Village. He goes over the basics of the trade of acting. Some useful tips for beginners, including the marketing skills.

3. Larry Moss

http://www.youtube.com/user/LarryMossStudio

Another kind lady to share her advice, especially regarding techniques:)

I think it's good to start off by watching these videos. Of course they are no substitute for the real courses, which I'm about to take really soon, and very excited about it! I just  don't want to be completely uninformed. I've also read my Actors Yearbook advice, which gives insight to the British film industry. The way to become an actor in UK and USA seems to be so different from what I have read. I've opted for the American way in any case. I just throw myself out there trying to get as many workshops and jobs as I humanly can, without getting an actual bachelor degree in drama. We'll see how it'll go :)

The Black Swan

Last night I went to the cinema with my lovely friend. We saw Black Swan. We came out of the movie shocked. Beautiful. Tragic. Artistic. Loved the metaphor of the Lake of the Swans The makers of Black Swan depicted the struggle for perfection so effectively. Natalie did an amazing job.
 

I think it's always best to learn from the best :-)
There isn't a shadow of a doubt that Natalie Portman is one of the most talented actresses out there, and for her new role in The Black Swan she even got an Oscar nomination.

I feel she really deserves to win! I will be keeping my fingers crossed for her. This role seems so unbelievably complex. You could see the inner struggles of that poor girl in Nats face. She acts with such ease, and on top of that she is a fantastic dancer! I admire her enormously. If you want to see how good acting looks like, you absolutely MUST see this movie, but beware it's got very strong scenes.

Important lesson to be learnt from Black Swans' Natalie and Mila: 

If you put your whole heart into something, no matter how impossible it seems, you can do this! Ballet is such a rigorous sport, so precise, it takes professional ballerinas years of practice, thousands of hours of training since the age of 4. And Mila and Natalie, did this in merely 6 months. Of course they are probably not as amazing as those real dancers, but they could fool anyone! And how did they get there?  

Hard work. Determination. Passion... 

 

                            "So I started training 7 days a week 5 hours a day for I think a total of 6 months."  

Mila Kunis

Ok so that's that, now a little bit about my first steps...

I can't really start my career until March, as I'm going to be away from London for the last two weeks of February. Still, I am working on my Received Pronunciation accent, developing new skills (I'll write about this in another post) and I'm also researching various acting techniques. I'm trying to get in shape. Gym, Dukan diet, yoga, dance and so on... I'm registering to as many online communities as I can, organizing my CV, headshots, business cards. I will only look for an agent in June, after I finish all my planned courses and will have had a bit of screen experience. (I did theatre when I was a teenager). Most of the courses are in City Lit, but I'm still deciding whether to pursue a year long intensive drama training (30 hours per week). By the time I'd finish I will be already 24... This is not the best age to start an acting career, but hey, nothing is impossible. Evangeline Lilly was 25 when they cast her for Lost :) Hey we must be optimists!

I think that's that for today:) Good luck to you all!

Actors' Yearbook ♥

I just received Actors' Yearbook in the mail. I had a look through and must say I find it extremely helpful. I was thinking about getting the Book of Contacts instead, but I heard it has a lot of suspicious directories, while the A.Y. has only the most important listings, plus some advice for beginning actors on how to tackle the move into the industry. I will probably get the other one eventually too. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the book, it provides contacts for the people and organizations in the industry that might be of use to actors, such as acting schools, agencies, casting directors, photographers, showreel producers and more. It is really worth the £11.28 if not more :) You should definitely get a copy!

Actor Expo at Camden to take place next Sunday!

One week left to a very exciting day :)

The Actors Expo!

It's an event, where you can watch actors perform or showcase your talent, take seminars with casting directors and network with other actors and people in a trade. You absolutely MUST be there if you are serious about making it in London. Just trust me on that ;) (Although I'm not quite sure why you would, since it's the first time I hear about this... development).

I've signed up for four classes:

12:45  Acting in America with US casting Directors:
15:15 A Screen Acting Workshop:
11:45 | Room 2 | Headshot Advisory service FREE:
13:50 | Room 2 | How to make it in Hollywood:

That should provide some insight into the trade and maybe let me on something about the craft too. It will surely be very inspirational.

Check whether they still have any tickets left HERE.

Good Luck and hopefully see you there!