Acting

Drawing the Boundary Between Actor and Character: Prioritizing the Actor’s Mental Health in the Portrayal of Human Suffering & Emotional Distress Stanislavski talks about the many inspirations an actor draws from to create a character from himself. From the power of observation and different art forms to the actors’ own experiences of life to imagination itself. The only stipulation Stanislavski states is that the actor must not lose their own identity in the process of becoming the character....

Following up on my previous blogs, “Finding Your Creative Tribe” and “Building Safe Spaces”, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the very individual process a professional creative must go through in order to be present for their “tribe” or be strong enough to lead a team. Especially since doing the work for yourself, BY yourself is essential. It is the foundation of everything else we create. Consider for a moment when you visit a doctor. It is certainly their job to help analyze what ail...

As a performer, there’s a question to ask yourself. Are you in love with acting or do you love the idea of acting? Acting is a hard game to play but few speak directly about the realities involved with this line of work. The dominance of social media in the 21st century has begun to muddle performance and this is a key stance to launch these tips and observations from. Professional acting skill sets have become diluted in recent years. Regular attendance at London drama school showcase...

We prep. We plan. We come up with moments before, inner dialogue, the character's back history and emotional ties. We’re off book, the pitch deck is set, and then…wait, what!? Plot twist. Something interesting happens the moment we step into the audition room, or the camera hits record. Any of our prep or scene work oftentimes goes out the window and fear sets in. Instead of letting anxiety get the best of the opportunity at hand, or what could happen in the future — which is the cause of anxi...

It's hard being an actor or any type of freelance artist. Few freelance artists, whether they be actors, videographers, crew members, scriptwriters, photographers, etc… are able to make a living in their field. Especially, at the beginning of their career. Instead of taking on a 9:00-5:00 job that takes you away from pursuing your chosen art form, why not find some great side hustle jobs to bring in additional income? You might even be able to find jobs that are in your field. Here are 10...

As a working actor, I am often asked: How do you balance your acting career with the rest of your life? It usually comes from those who aren't actors/artists or those who are actors but are struggling to find that balance. This got me thinking about balance and I asked myself whether "balance" is just an abstract idea or something practical to have in your life. More importantly, is it even possible to have balance with all the things we have going on, all the tasks we have to perform every...

Do you remember when you were a kid and you heard adults talk about "the way it used to be" or even "how things are done now?" That’s because the world is constantly shifting and evolving and it’s the same for how we do business. Our personal and professional lives - everything about "how it used to be" has changed in recent years. Do we fear it? Do we welcome it? These are the questions we’re forced to ask ourselves - the leftovers of a world forever having to change "business as usual." A...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee, and let's dive in. First up, we're getting inspired with this video from British Vogue, interviewing tons of household name actors on how they view the industry and their careers. I think one of the most important questions asked was when the person felt they had "made it." For many of them, they never feel like they have,...

Many people have asked me what acting has to do with stunts. Well, everything. We are not just stunt people. We are not simply daredevils hungry for the next big thrill or buzz junkies craving our adrenalin fix. We are actors who perform stunts in character. It does not matter whether it's doubling or a role with no lines. It's still a performance, and it still needs a believable and three-dimensional character. That said, what is stunt acting? What is involved in the process? What is a stunt ac...

Okay, you are a licensed Stunt Performer. What now? Firstly, I used to say to myself, "Now that you have the license to act as a human crash dummy, don't be a dummy!" What it means is to look after yourself. Because the most challenging work, the most difficult part, is just beginning. After your initial grading, you will become a stunt action personnel (again, this may vary from country to country). What it means is that you are pretty much a trainee. You can be onset and work; however, you...