Why I teach Acting for the Camera

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People often ask me about teaching acting for camera. They often mistakenly ask me what technique or approach I use.

If anyone ever comes to you and says they have a technique they have developed for working in front of the camera run far, far away from them and don’t listen.

They are selling you snake oil.

There is no magic, no secret pill that will make you better in front of the camera other than being a good actor.

Yes, it’s true you have to adjust things for working in recorded media be it in film, television, commercials, or new media. You need knowledge about sets, the language, the people, how things are shot and the workflow. But there is no replacement for good acting.

There are only two things I am concerned with when working with students, Truth and No Truth; and I call the camera The Great Barometer of Truth.

When the camera is recording there is no place to hide, you are either in the moment being spontaneous and truthful or you are schmacting. Believe me there is nothing worse than watching yourself schmact. When it’s on a big screen in a movie theatre, it’s humiliating.

99% of working in front of the camera is being comfortable and confident there. Feeling like you are free to do your job and god forbid, be an artist.

Most students of acting spend years on stage and back stage, in acting classes and in scene studies where the focus is about being on stage. You spend years working on your voice and speech to be clear, heard, and resonant. Think of how many plays or musicals a student actor has been in or been involved with and compare it to how many live sets the same student actor has been on. See the discrepancy?

I remember my first time working on set as an actor. It was disorienting. I felt stupid. I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing and much of what was going on around me was foreign and strange (even though I was more prepared than most). I never want a single student to feel as dumb and useless as I felt that day. I think back to early jobs and say, “Oh, my gosh! If only I could have felt like I was free enough on set to act.”

That’s my job, that’s my technique, and that’s my point of view as an educator. To remove that fear, and make sure you have the knowledge and the skills to feel confident and competent so that way, when you hear the word, “Action,” you can actually be free to act, be creative, and be brilliant.

What’s wild is that as actor’s we have a limitless amount of accessibility towards watching recorded media from network television, to cable, to the Internet, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, YouTube, and Vimeo; programs are all around us. As actors we can watch all of the work on-camera that we want, but we get little experience doing it, whereas with theatre, most of us, once we get the bug, have spent more time in front of an audience on stage than being in the audience. Weird huh?

What’s even weirder is when one thinks about how much money one earns in front of the camera versus being on stage. The salary discrepancy is disgustingly large between the two. How strange is it then, that so many programs put their entire emphasis on theatre and make the camera the after thought?

Not that I am saying that we should stop training for the stage. On the contrary it is essential to the development of an actor. The roles, stepping out on stage night after night, the language, the sheer skill involved is amazing, but to ignore the camera as a performer seems like a terrible idea. It seems like an injustice and since we are solidly in the digital age, where web series can be shot on an iphone for very little money – I know it is time to rethink the tools we are sending our students out into the world with.

9 Weeks out - 7 till my taper.

I'm nine weeks away from the ING NYC Marathon.
Well, actually it's more like 8, but I'm coming into the end of my 9th week.
This is also going to be my first over 40 mile week.
For a lot of runners that's not a lot of mileage, but for me it is a milestone. I'm also making a huge jump in my mileage. (I'm passing 40 by A LOT.) I have another long run scheduled for Sunday AM (which is also the 9/11 anniversary). I'm anticipating route changes since 6-7 miles of my run happen in Liberty State Park and I expect most of it to be closed off due to the events that will be taking place.
Hopefully I will be able to get out and about early before things get crazy. But I am determined to get in at least 16 miles on Sunday.
For the next 5-6 weeks before I start my taper it's only going to get tougher and pile on from here.

Looking to do my last big long run October 16-18th. Then I will be on the road for work. What's lovely is that I will be traveling to the Pacific Northwest! I will have the amazing opportunity to run out there during the beginning of my taper. New scenery and unknown routes - how exciting! I will be spending a couple of days in Portland, so I hope to find a running group or two to head out with while I'm there.

With the marathon looming I've had to really focus. Jiu Jitsu sadly has taken a back seat to running. But that's the way it has to be. There's no way I could consistently train both and recover enough to do well at running.
Post marathon I'm looking forward to putting running on the back burner for a few months. Of being able to take all of the energy, focus and drive that's been my running and put it into Jiu Jitsu.

I've also been consumed on the writing front.
Adapting my teen/supernatural pilot into a YA novel series. (Which has been A LOT of work.)
I'm also hard at work on a web series that I'm in pre-production on. Slowly putting those bits together piece by piece and I'm hoping to have an episode or two up and running this Fall.
I write so much original material that I am finally working on spec scripts. I'm grinding away on a CASTLE spec and on a COUGAR TOWN spec.

If only I didn't have to have a "day job" and could only write, run and train jiu jitsu with the odd acting job thrown in for fun!

Believe or not but RUNNER'S WORLD has been really helpful in the training plan department. I've been adopting workouts that, I feel, have been making a big difference.

This week I did a 3 X 2, 20 seconds faster than MRP with a 1/4 mile recovery between repeats.
Next week will be 2 X 4, 20 seconds faster than MRP. Then 3 X 3 capping out at a 5 x 2.

My remaining races are: Mind/Body/Spirit Games (Sept. 17th), 5th Avenue Mile (Sept. 24th), 18 Miler Marathon Tune Up (Sept. 25th), Staten Island 1/2 Marathon (October 9th).

I'm also doing something new. Starting this week I'm doing Alternating Long Runs. Where one week I will do a long, slow, steady run longer than two hours and the next week I will do a Fast Finish long run. With the later, I begin the run 1-2 minutes per mile slower than race pace. Half way to three quarters through I hit my MRP. Then I finish the last segment FASTER than race pace. I'm hoping that 2-3 of these before the marathon will ensure a solid sub four hour finish time.
I got this idea from mcmillanrunning.com. It' s a great site and I recommend it to everyone.

Until next time true believers!

My Favorite New Shows.

I've decided to dedicate this post to something I love dearly, TELEVISION.

I love it.

Deep down in my heart I think it is one of the greatest storytelling mediums ever.

When it's great - it's incredible. When it's bad . . . It's Jon & Kate + 8.

TV is where my hopes, dreams and wishes lie . . . I want to make really great TV and be a part of some amazing storytelling.

Putting all of that sappy crap aside, here are my picks of the current crop of new shows.

#1 FLASHFORWARD
In case you live under a rock and haven't caught it, you should. Terrific cliff hangers, solid performances, interesting writing and a concept I HOPE won't jump the shark or get worn out like LOST has.

#2 MODERN FAMILY
Thank you someone for getting Ed O'Neil back on TV. Ty Burrel, so funny. And yes, that was Shelly Long on a recent episode. It's funny, truthful, endearing and I will never listen to the Lion King the same way again.

#3 GLEE
Say what you will but I am addicted. The pilot was brilliant. The following few episodes were shaky but I feel like the show has found it's storytelling feet and it's style to create a complete world. I just hope it can keep it up. I had my doubts but they have been able to create some great moments with some smart writing (I'm assuming that's Ryan Murphy's doing?) even when the rest of the episode was, blech.

#4 VAMPIRE DIARIES
Attack me if you must, but Kevin Williamson is pretty awesome. He writes angst ridden teenagers acting like adults better than anybody. It shoots in Georgia instead of on a lot in LA and despite some bad acting, the writing is sharp and one or two performances aren't bad. I have high hope for it. I want it to stay on the air. I know its soap opera like and I wanted it to fail and then I watched an episode . . . I didn't hate it. So, I watched another. And like another Williamson show, Dawson's Creek, it's highly addictive and I'll watch it in my closet, alone, if people will judge me for my TV tastes.

SHOWS WALLOWING IN THE SOPHOMORE SLUMP
Here is a show returning for a second season that, quite frankly, isn't great . . .

1# FRINGE
Throw things at me if you must, but Fringe sucks. I dislike like it for a number of reasons. 1.) They bailed on NYC and moved to Vancouver, BC. 2.) They have completely dropped, ignored major story developments in hopes that the audience won't notice. 3.) Anna Torv, is bad. The cast that surrounds her, Joshua Jackson, John Noble and Jasika Nicole is terrific and interesting. 4.) Stop giving Lance Reddick jobs. He is bad and has never been good and is one note. 5.) Did I mention the writing?
I had such high hopes for this show and it just never lived up to any of them. It could have been cool, it could have been great. Instead it took the middle road and went bland. Maybe it will surprise me -I doubt it.

Here are two shows that I really like that are back for a second year . . .
#1 CASTLE
I know it's innocuous as hell, but I really do like this show. The writing isn't bad, the supporting cast is great and while sometimes it crosses a line into cute and corny, I still like it. Molly Quinn and Nathan Fillion make the show for me. It brings a smile to my face. I quite frankly don't know why I like it -but I do. The only bad thing I have to say about the show is that is should shoot in NYC full time. It's set in NYC - it should be shot in NYC.

#2 MAD MEN
Duh!. 'Nuff said.

HERE IS A SHOW THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BACK!!!!!
#1 SOUTHLAND
Why, oh why NBC did you pull the plug? NBC, stop making horrible mistakes. At one point you were the top of the networks and now, well, you are at the bottom. SPIKE TV makes better programming decisions than you do.
I was looking forward to Southland's return. Here was a show, that while sometimes off the mark, I felt that if given a full season order could do something unique on Network. I hear rumblings that TNT may be picking it up. I hope so.

MOST ANTICIPATED NEW PROGRAMING.
#1 MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE
I know, mock me for my sentimentality, but the trailers/commercials make me want to watch it. Maybe it appeals to the side of me that's a dude and isn't getting any younger. Scott Bakula, Andre Braugher and Ray Romano? That alone will get me to watch it. I hope it doesn't dissapoint.

#2 V
I'm not even going to justify this choice - to anyone who grew up with the original, I shouldn't have to.

For those of you who are curious as to what I consider good and bad TV here is a partial list of some of my all time favorites.
MASH
ROSANNE (the first 5 seasons, up to 3 was some perfect, amazing TV)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (the most recent)
RESCUE ME
SLINGS & ARROWS (go Canada!)
LIFE ON MARS (The British NOT American.)
SCRUBS (I don't care what you say, I will watch it anytime, anywhere!)
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
THE WEST WING (up to season 5)
X FILES

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I've got off of the top of my head.

Until Next Time True Believer's . . .

My first chili of the season!

Since I've been feeling the first nips of fall in the air, Mandy and I consulted and decided that it was time for my first Chili of the season!
Now readers, for those of you who don't know - I am a man who cares greatly for his chili. I have several chili recipes: ranging from the quick one I made last night to an all day affair making the sauce from scratch to a White Bean Chicken & Cashew Chili.
Needless to say, it was awesome!
We sat down, ate our chili and watched the original Halloween. A movie, I feel, that is the Gone With the Wind of Horror Films.
I really do feel that Slasher films, Independent Film (It was shot in 4 weeks with a budget of $300,000) and Horror Films in general owe a great deal of debt to this movie.
The way Carpenter sets up the scares. The fact that The Shape (Michael Meyers) is at once otherworldly and yet at the end of one kill in particular comes off as very human (which makes him even more frightening).
What also astounds me about this film is the lack of blood. He chokes most of his victims. How brilliant is that! There's the terrific opening shot which is one giant tracking shot inspired by Touch of Evil.

It doesn't get much better than that.

In fact it left me felling more than a little inspired. So, I'm dusting off my horror film once again and setting down to bang away on the keyboard today.
But after watching Halloween my own ideas seem so craptastic. Halloween was so simple: a Babysitter & the Bogeyman.

Confession; I do enjoy writing TV pilots more than film scripts. I think its the difference in the storytelling. TV is still dialogue driven and film, no matter how cool it is, has now evolved into being such a director driven, visual media. How many times have I been on a film set and they toss the dialogue away completely or let the actors and director make it up. But in TV that just wouldn't happen. Also TV allows for longer storytelling. You don't have to do it all at once.

I love how the Brits do it, six episode seasons.

Unfortunately their model doesn't make any money. But it does make me wonder. If we made 13-14 one hour episodes would the quality of the story telling increase in TV?
Does the pressure of 22 episodes under threat of seven seasons ruin the storytelling? Everyone pitches for seven season but really only comes up with five seasons worth of ideas.
So let's just be honest. Maybe our model doesn't work?
Maybe we would maintain viewership with MORE ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING? That's right. What if you had four 13 episode shows to put into that time slot? (Okay we will go with three shows at 13 weeks a season that leaves 13 weeks of do what you will time for the network.)
You could cultivate a genre for a time slot at your network.
Also it would be so much cheaper for the production companies. Think about it. Have the writers work like crazy putting out scripts. Then release them except for one or two for re-writes while they are shooting. Then shoot all 13 episodes back to back. Just tear right through them.
Yes, the TV actors would me making less money because they would be doing less episodes - but it means they would then have time to GASP - work on another show/movie/play.
I don't know - it's just a thought.

As to the ankle front . . . it's still all jacked up. I just hope it's not broken. Today I'm going to do a trial run of 3.1 miles (5k). So we shall see.
I'm back to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 3 times a week. But I fear it may be too little too late. I have a belt test coming up the week of Oct. 10th and Robson Moura is going to be here to give it. I fear I won't be ready. Between work stuff, Mom being sick stuff, injuries and traveling I haven't been able to put in the time I've needed to really learn what I need to learn.

Belts aren't that important to me . . . but I would like some color on mine.
I'll pry just end up being one of those ringers whose skill set far exceeds what their belt is. I guess I will need to start hitting tournaments in few months.

The syllabus for this test is huge and some things I've just never seen or been shown. I suppose I could pay for a private - but I don't really have the money and I sort of object to the idea that I have to take a private to be shown the curriculum for the belt test. What do I pay tuition for?

I've been doing two a days on the elliptical to keep my running fitness up. Yesterday I went to class for 2 hours then came home and in the evening did 69 minutes on the elliptical.
The day before that 40 min. body weight workout, then 42 min. on the elliptical - then in the evening I did another 42 min. on the evil machine that I hate. IF ONLY MY ANKLE WASN'T INJURED SO I COULD RUN!!!

If I do run in the half marathon (I'll decide by Tuesday) I'm trying to drop a few pounds to gain speed. The rule of thumb is drop five pounds - gain two minutes on your half marathon time.
As a result, no weights for me for the time being. Strictly body weight work. I don't think I'll lose that much strength. I just want to maintain it - and I guess more muscle endurance wouldn't be a bad thing.

Here's my current body weight workout . . .

Pull Ups 5-10
plank 10 breaths in/out
side plank left 10 breaths in/out
side plank right 10 breaths in/out
X2
Step Back Body Weight Lunges 20 each leg

Push Ups 20
Crunches (Knees raised, bent at 90 degrees)40
Wide Grip Push Ups 20
Crunches 40
"W" push ups 20
Crunches 40
Fingers Turned in Push Ups 20
Crunches 40
Knuckle Push Ups 20
Crunches 40

Pull Ups 5-10
Dips off a bench/chair 20
Walked my feet up the wall so I'm doing a handstand facing the wall and then I walk the length of the wall on my hands and back again. (This one really determines how "fit" you are!)
Dips 20
Pulls Ups 5-10
Dips 20

PLYOS
Mountain Climbers, Split-Squat Jumps, and Clapping "Plyo" Push Ups in 30 sec. on/ 30 off going through all three exercises as a circuit 4 times through.

Body Weight Squats - 50

3-5 exercises, 20 reps each, Grappling Drills. (I do 'em - they are impossible to explain without a visual.)

Finish off with . . .
25 Push Ups
Leg lifts. (Keep the small of back on the floor. Lift Shoulders off the ground as in Pilates. Only lower the leg to where your lower back wants to come the ground. If it raises - you've gone too far. Work within your limits.) 20
Crunches with legs straight up in the air. Move your fingers along your legs. Keep the fingers in contact with them and try to touch your toes - 20
Open legs into a "V" and reach across the body to the opposite foot. 20 / side.
Bring hands together and pulse right up through the middle, keeping your lower back on the floor. 20.

Burpees - 1 minutes. Go.

Stretch like crazy, re-hydrate.

Estimated workout time, 40-45 minutes.
Also this workout is not for the faint of heart or for someone's first time in the gym in six months.


And yes, here is my quick & easy, super cheap chili recipe that I made last night!

In a pan brown a cup of chopped onions, 1 TBS minced garlic and with 1 pound 90% lean ground beef. (You can also add a cup of diced green & red peppers - but Mandy hates them!) (You can also sub the ground beef with ground Turkey or skip entirely if you vegetarian.)
Season with Chili powder, Paprika, Crushed Red Pepper and Black Pepper to taste.

In Sauce Pan or Stock Pot
1 Jar Chunky Salsa (Yup,that's how I cheat!)
1 Can Baked Beans (Yup that's a secret to making chili sweet!)
1 -2 cans Dark Red Kidney Beans (One can usually does it.)
1 can Pinto beans (Optional)
1 container tomato paste or stewed tomatoes.
Chili powder to taste.

Once the Ground Beef mixture is browned - add it to the beans.

Bring it all to a simmer.

Serve! And if you haven't guessed - Chili for me is about the beans!

It's easy - takes 15 minutes to make and you know what's going in it instead of just opening a can.

Until Next Time True Believers.