I was on TV this past Tuesday...

Here is the link.  Check it out.  I show up around 45 seconds.  Hope all is well.

An Actors Phobia: Getting "Medusa'd" by the CD

I was told in college that when I audition I should never make eye contact with the people assessing me.  Since this was my first time taking any kind of theatrical class and I was an impressionable 19 year old, I believed it.  I also carried this nasty habit with me through graduation and I finally rid myself of it about a year ago.

Who was the first person to make this "rule"?  This falsehood is accepted by so many people in show business, usually the people on my side of the lens.  People are so averse to looking a CD in the eye that I think they are afraid of being turned into stone, or as I call it.... "getting Medusa'd".

It's bullshit.  Complete and utter lies.  Acting (and admittedly I'm painting with a broad brush here) is about making a connection.  You either make a connection with your scene partner, or you make a connection with the people viewing your work.  You want them to feel with you and, in the lamest way possible.......buy that Hyundai*.

It's impossible to make a connection with someone if you are staring at something.  It doesn't matter if it's the most specific and tiniest crack on the wall, no one buys it.  No one will believe your dead mannequin eyes.  No one.  Make is easier on yourself and make a connection with a sentient being, and guess what....there's one standing right next to the camera.  

My acting coach told the class something yesterday that I thought was so wise.  "The whole thing [acting] is phony, they just keep calling it the truth."  When you talk to someone in real life, do you stare off into space?  Nope, of course not.  You look them in the eye and speak like a human being.

Do yourself a favor and be an actual human being when you audition. 



*Sorry Jeff Bridges, nothing personal.

"You love me, you really love me!"

This feels good. Really good, actually. "Persakis Towers" was chosen in the "Top 10 of 2010" for Vimeo.com  I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

Vimeo as I've mentioned before, is a video hosting and sharing website of the utmost quality.  Gut Punch's fearless director, Crandall Miller says that it "looks how directors want things to look."  I'd have to agree with the experts on that one.  They have a great business model as the quality of the productions tend to be higher than what you'd see on say....youtube.  This is due to the fact that it costs money to be on vimeo (above a certain data usage).  It separates the wheat from the chaff.

It feel great to be one of the wheatiest bits of wheat.

Actors need to have a "bullcrap meter" and a video demonstration

You need to know when you are faking it and when the emotion is real.  One of the biggest things I continue to struggle with is the realization that I am already good enough.  I don't have to create an emotion.  I don't have to make an extra this or an extra that.  If the emotion is there, great, just walk into it - so to speak.  But it's been a challenge for me not to conjure up some kind of an emotion when  I believe the scene calls for it.   When you've been trained so long in a certain thought, it becomes hard to break such old habits.

Boo hoo, woe is me and all that bunk.

And frankly, casting directors know when you are faking it; they see acting all day and there is no fooling them.  So don't fake it!  That way, at least they can call you an honest performer. 

One of the things that helps me rid this nasty habit is a recently installed "bullcrap meter".  Whenever the needle moves, I stop and start over again from a few lines before.  It's been hard to install said meter, because I naturally want to make progress and blast through the piece - but my coach has made it obvious when his needle moves.  There I am, in the middle of a piece,  in front of the intimate acting class.  I'm just chillin', siting in a metal folding chair and then......

"Nope!  Start again." says Steve


Ok, I'll start again, I think.... 

"Ap! Ap! Ap! Ap! Ap!" instructs Steve


Oh boy, I guess I'll take that again.

"No Phillip, again." Steve rebukes


Ok man, just breathe you can do this, just speak! 

"Hot Damn!  One more time just like that." Steve encourages (!)


Focus....and here it goes...

"Ha!  You son-of-a-bitch you!" 


So here is my bullcrap meter hard at work as I wrestle a Iago monologue from "Othello".  Obviously, ones bullcrap meter is always subject to calibration. [UPDATE: I now realize that I left out a line '....mere prattle without practice is all his soldiership.  but he sir, had the election] followed by: and i, whose eyes had seen the proof....  Oh well, I'm not embarassed, it's not like it's on the internet for the whole world to see.

Actors should never judge their character; embracing my inner Iago.

That what my sensei told me, and it is very helpful.  He also said to eliminate all "fluffernutters", meaning all the unneccssary embellishments when you act, e.g. don't comment on the line with your face after saying the line.  Got it?  OK.

A few days ago I took one of those silly quizzes on facebook.  This one was "Which Shakespearian Character are you?"  I would have bet a gajillion dollars mine would have been Falstaff.  Jocular, lighthearted, quick witted, slow footed and all around party animal.  But noooooooooooooooooooooooo, I had to be "Iago."  Iago!  What?

Then after a while I realized that I was judging the character.  Yes, it's true; Iago is a bloodthirsty, calculating sociopath.  But at least he isn't this junk!  I swear to God, they must only sell that stuff to sorority girls or tertiary level alcoholics.

So I chose to prepare a Iago monologue from "Othello" tonight for class.  I also decided to find personality traits that I, a decidedly non-sociopath would have in common with Iago.  And wouldn't you know, I found something. 

Sociopaths (and I admit I am painting with broad brush strokes here) will do whatever they can to get what the want, even if it casues harm to others.  I admitted to myself that I hate it when I move out of the way of physically smaller people on the street.  Why do I accommodate those turdwads?  Why do I always sway and bob and weave through foot traffic?  I am a 6-3, 255 pound man with a working knowledge of boxing.   So if you don't want to get out of the way, hey man, suit yourself. 

I tested this out last night when Mrs. PhillyRay and I went to MoMA to see an exhibit and some of the mainstay pieces, Jackson Pollacks, AD Reinhardt etc.  We met on 57th and 5th and walked down 5th Avenue, it was around 6pm.  It was crowded, predictably so.  My conscience told me to budge.  Budge not, say I.  "Stay the course, PhillyRay" I thought.  U-oh here comes someone,  steady, steady...wait for it.  THWAP!  BOOM!  OOF!  (Shout out to Edward Ruscha)  I even saw people about 15 yards away and thought "Oh man, this is going to feel great!"  That's right, I even started to look forward to these shoulder knocks.  (Side note:  my friend Mark is the king of not moving out of the way. It's such a treat to walk down the street with him, in all honesty.  It's hysterical.)

I had embraced my inner-sociopath, my inner Iago, if you will.  It felt great. 

Even just a little step like that can make you connect with a character you would normally struggle with.  You're not willing to do that?  Well, then...despise me if I do not.

An actor should utilize all 88 keys of the piano

Not literally, unless you are a quadruple threat actor like Jason Segel.  Gets me every time.  Honestly, I do indeed tear every time he mutters "how I love youuuuu" at the end.  That and the end of Adam Sandler's "Wedding Singer", when he serenades Drew Barrymore on the airplane.  Those are the two times I cried during movies - the only times.  When funny guys get all vulnerable and pour their guts out over serio-comic love songs. 

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!?!?!?

Schindlers List?  Nope.  When Haley Joel Osment's parents leave him in the woods in A.I.?  Not once.  When Bambi's mother died?  Surely, you jest.  "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "The Wedding Singer"?  Yup, every time.  Like a schoolgirl with a skinned knee.  Oh my sweet savior, I literally just got misty eyed thinking about Adam Sandler singing "I wanna grow old with you." 

Anyway, by utilizing all the keys of the piano I mean using all of your tools in a monologue, using all of your training all the time, being the best possible actor you can be at any given time.  One way you can do this is by varying up your speech patterns by tweaking a combination of four things.  I've mentioned rate, inflection, pitch and dynamic before on this blog.  I've even given a video demonstration.  Varying RIPD is so important.  Sure, you can have a hamburger on a cold potato bun and it would be, OK I suppose.  Maybe even passable.  But if you toast that bun, add some fresh lettuce, tomato and raw red onion and some Heinz, its ethereal. 

Additionally there are 16 ways to say a line.  You can even combine those ways to utilize your skill sets. 

Next blog I will talk about exploring "Relationship: getting the focus off of you".  That's one of the sixteen ways.  We'll talk about how I use that to free up my RIPD.  I spoke about entering "the matrix" a few posts ago, I used "relationship" to get to that point - read it if you haven't yet.

Acting Class, a breakthrough of sorts. Another Dr Phil video too.

So last night in acting class I had a bit of a breakthrough.  I put up my "Breaking Bad" monologue again, loyal readers will know which one I am talking about here.  It went pretty well, better than last time even.  But Steve told me that he could tell that I was still acting.  He could see the technique being applied and he could tell that I was processing information and putting it to work etc.  Normally this is a good thing, it shows that I am applying my craft, that I am doing my homework so to speak.  For someone at my level, it's not really that good of a thing.  I need to get past that threshold and enter the realm where no one...not even me, knows where I am going next.

Got it?

Think about it for a second, when you talk to your friends you don't know where the conversation will lead or what your reaction will be, your friend's reactions will be etc.  You just talk.  It's so natural, its the most natural.  Ubernatural.  Au Naturale.  It's almost like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix when he finally sees how he can manipulate the system, and he sees nothing but code.  The  breakthrough is equally dramatic.

In many ways I am very close to acting in the matrix, to put it crudely.  We did a simple exercise where I performed my monologue but played with a pen and studied the pen and put all of my focus on the pen.  The trick here, is getting the focus off of yourself.  By doing so, I was completely surprised by where I went vocally and physically.....and I gotta tell ya, I wasn't even thinking about doing those things.  Like the first kiss in a romantic comedy starring Freddie Prinze Jr, it just happened. 

But how can I achieve this?  How?  All actors want to get to this level.  The only way is through technique.  Steve tells us that there are only 16 ways to say a line.  You just have to work on those ways.  It's practice.  Do you think that Michael Jordan practiced dribbling and free throws?  You bet your ass he did.  Do you think that Nadal practices his serve?  Damn straight he does.  Do you think that the guy from Bravo's "Flipping Out" practices being sassy and botoxed out of his grill?  Yes, he does.  Without question.

This is a a good thing.  In many ways, I.AM.RIGHT.THERE.  And I also have a lot of work to do, but each time that you practice working on technique, the session time gets shorter and shorter because it's deeper into your bones.

End piece.

Monologue from Acting Class

Here it is with the mischief/charm, confidentiality and R.I.P.D. and game play role play.  It's come a long way I think.  I'm still struggling with moving too quickly on to the next point before I take enough time with a current point/thought/idea/notion.  That'll come around though.  Here it is.  Leave contract negotiations in the comments


Monologue from "Breaking Bad" on AMC from Phillip Chorba on Vimeo.

So that's that. 

Acting class recap and production tonight

Happy 90210 everyone.  I am blogging from the Peach Pit today.  For the past 2 weeks or so I have been growing sideburns in an ode to Dylan.

Something tells me that Luke Perry pulled them off a tad better when he was my age.  But can YOU PULL IT OFF BETTER THAN LUKE PERRY?  Post your pictures in the comments.  The winner get a paisley necktie!  I'm tots serious. 

Anyway.....acting class went well last night.  Really well, in fact.  I feel as if Steve and I have figured out what I have to do.  I have to attack each scene with a sense of mischief, confidentiality and it wouldn't hurt to add in some game-play role-play and vary up my rate, inflection, pitch and dynamic.  I know that I mentioned the mischief revelation a few posts ago, but it came as a huge relief to hear Steve say so as well.  Steve said that if I employ these tactics, I will attain a certain amount of "societal acceptability" with my work.  If I am too big, too broad, too.......cartoonish, I won't get cast.  (Unless the scene specifically calls for that.)  I've only had one part that required me to be cartoonish, and that was for an actual cartoon on Spike.com - ha.

What do I mean by rate, inflection, pitch and dynamic?  Rate is the speed at which you deliver your lines.  Inflection is what word you choose to highlight.  Pitch means is your voice low like a bass or high like a heavy guitar solo "whaaaaaa!!!!"  Dynamic means the volume, like on a stereo.  Hint: stereos are what people used to listen to their music on before iPods.  Here is a demonstration:

So that's that.

Gut Punch is filming tonight for a new client.  We are still figuring out all the nuts and bolts etc, this will be great.  Filming from 7-12, so it'll be another long night.  Last night I didn't get home till around 1130 and I was out the door at 845am.  Class is back in session now, so I have to get used to peeling and pulling myself out of bed at 8am.  If I put water on the stove to boil for coffee and hop in the shower, it forces me to get going, and I am generally fine.  Besides, it's not like we have kids now, so I could theoretically sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays.

Speaking of Sundays, I am SO GLAD that football has returned.  Nay, ELATED, BEJOYED.  Bejoyed?  I think I just made up a new word.  I'm down with that.  Like loved, beloved.  Joy, bejoyed.

Coming soon: a re-creation of last nights monologue.  

Kafkaesque

"You are going through a transformation and I want everyone to take note."  This is what my acting coach told the class about me yesterday.  It's true.  Externally, I've lost 50 pounds and I am sporting a shorter hair cut and a goatee.  My acting style has also changed - not for 100% of time time, of course.  But I do have another way to perform if need be.  I used to boast a certain largess up there in the footlights. It worked for me, I was castable and cast pretty often as that.  My coach believes, and I believe too, that while that centurion way of performing does have value at times, at other times I will be called upon to act in an underplayed way, for lack of a better term.  I've been working on that, and I feel comfortable in that "place". 

I know.  Saying "place" in that way made me cringe too, but it is correct.  

I plan on losing more weight.  I'm not sure how much more.  30? Who knows.  What I do know is that yesterday I had an audition for The Onion's TV show on IFC.  This audition was a landmark because it was the first one I had since graduating college where the role wasn't a big guy specific casting need.  All of my auditions have been for "big" men, "burly" men or just plain old "heavy" men.  Some times the break down is a bit coded, and it reads that the CD's want "nervous" men, "sweaty" men or "exerted" men.  Sometimes it's not very coded at all and they call for a "fat" man.  This was my first audition when no size was specified. 

I consider this to be a good thing.  Now I am seen as a "____" man.  I know that I will always be considered a "character" actor, and that's totally cool; my wife thinks I am handsome and that's all the assurance I need.  Besides there are only two routes to getting a camera lens on you for 2 minutes in a movie - 2 minutes is an eternity on film.  You can either be a high billing leading man, like Clooney or Butler, or Pitt.  Or you can be a character actor aka an actor's actor who directors love and DP's love too, such as Stephen Tobolowsky or Brendan Gleeson or Luis Guzman. 

What a thin margin of error!

Last night went OK.  There wasn't enough time to do the Shakespeare monologue, but I did perform the "Knocked Up" scene and the other scene from "One Life to Live".  Overall Steve was not totally pleased.  However, he and I were both pleased that I was able to see myself on camera and pick out tiny problems here and there.  And how tiny these problems are!  It is such a crazy small margin of error.

It does bring to light possible reasons why I haven't really gotten any legit work.  I've had a lot of call backs but nothing booked - which is eternally frustrating.

Such tiny mistakes are: on an opening line I did a bit too much with my right eyebrow.  I said the line, "Hello, Abby." In between the two words I raised my eyebrow a little bit - and that was too much too soon - especially when you consider that this shot was a close up (it was just my face).  There is a video demonstration at the end of this entry.

Weight loss related side note: I was very pleased with how I looked on camera, relatively speaking.  When we had camera class two months ago, it was a huge difference with how I looked.  That was about 15 pounds ago, after all.  On Tuesday I weighed in at 257, which is a massive accomplishment.  I was only 5 pounds lighter when I graduated HS, and I do have most of my strength back since then too!

OK that was more than a side note, ha.

Another tiny mistake was when I said the line "How's about we go inside and talk about it?"  I said it with a blend of sinister and sexual undertones. Not appropriate for the scene and the text in no way substantiates such choices.  I was a police officer asking a young woman questions at her door step about her involvement in an attempted murder.

The "Knocked Up" scene went a little bit better, perhaps because I was more loose, being the second time I went up there.  Steve gave me a nice tip: "Chorbatski, before you go up on camera....take a deep breath and relax, when you don't do that you are tense and when you are tense you aren't as effective as you could be."  OK I can do that.  My tiny mistake in this scene was I gave a question way too much weight/importance.  I did feel that the question needed weight/importance.  The question was asking if the two guys' wife and girlfriend would accept them again into their lives.  Seems big to me.  The line was "Do you think they'll take us back?"  Steve just wanted me to simply ask the question, like, in the same way that you would ask someone to pass the ketchup.  "Hey man, can ya pass the ketchup over here?"  Imagine how you would ask that question.  Got it?  Good.  Now ask it the same way but with these words: "Do you think they'll take us back?"

Ha.  Big difference eh?  Or rather....a tiny difference that makes all the difference in the world of the cast and the tragically uncast.

My acting Ph is now an even 7

Yesterday in acting class I had a bit of a breakthrough. My teacher, Steve, has been trying to make me realize that acting doesn't necessarily equate to a change in my being. For those of you who have never taken an acting class it basically translates into: "Just be yourself....and don't get caught 'acting'". Now, I LOVE to chew scenery, I LOVE to ham it up, I LOVE to "give" a performance and I LOVE to show of my largess up there.

But sometimes that is just not needed, and some other times, its just plain detrimental to the performance. I overcame my affectations by speaking to my wife in that manner. In a high falutin' way I would talk to hear about my day and ask her about hers, prancing around like a Shakespearean clown. (Totally true). And you know what? It was really really really weird. No one talks like that. I used that disconnect from reality as a baseline to know what I DON'T want to achieve.

If I can have that energy, that veracity simmering just below the surface but be loosey goosey (for lack of a more descriptive term) I can find some serious success. Nothing would make me feel better than if I found success as an actor.

Seriously.

So anyway, Steve told me that I have now "found my neutral". I can get to that place rather quickly and, if nothing else, people will never "catch me acting." Which is half of the struggle. He told me, and I have to agree (no, really, resistance is futile with this guy) that my natural self is expressive enough....it's engaging enough and I don't have to ham it up, I don't have to "comment on my lines" after I say them.

I feel really great about last night.