Actors need to let it rip, proverbially speaking of course. Also, boxing class recap.

I love empty subway cars.  There, I said it.  For those of you who live in NYC, you know how rare those cars are.  Usually when I walk into what I think is an empty subway car, there is a stinky bum or vomit or something less than stellar in existence.  "Fooled again!" I think as I quickly walk between cars. 

But not last night, this was an honest to goodness empty subway car and you know what I did?  I let it rip.  I worked on 2 monologues and really explored rate, inflection, pitch and dynamic.  I went totally ape shit.  It was exhilarating.  It felt oh so good, and I even got to the point where I discovered things about the monologue that I hadn't noticed  before.  It was a great experience.  Not only did I find things that I could do that I had never thought of, but I also left that train feeling energized.  I should admit that if someone came into the car I would have kept going.....not in the interest of progress, but because I was so wrapped up in it, there's no way I would have noticed. 

Actors, if you find yourself on an empty subway car......let it rip.  I implore you.

After missing 2 out my last 3 boxing sessions due to acting and real estate work, I made my triumphant return to class last night from 630-730.  Although I had not been to class for a while, I have been running about 10 miles a week and I do 500 jump ropes before and after a workout.  I feel much much quicker out there.  I'm able to execute a jab, jab and left hook combo and then quickly get out of harms way.  That wasn't always the case.  I used to execute the combo and then catch a counter hook to my cheek.  Contrary to popular belief, getting hit in the face isn't fun.  Thank you, jump rope!  You're the best. 

Acting, writing and producing; SUCCESS!!!!

Joe Bastianich, a very successful restauranteur and entrepeneur said in his NY Times profile "Art without commerce is a hobby." 

Ouch!  It stings!  But that's because it is oh-so true. 

I am proud to admit that Gut Punch is now, technically speaking, a boutique ad agency with real clients.  I love our current client.  I love their idea; I think it's genius.  I gotta tell you, it feels really effing great.  Here is what we made.  And now a word about Gut Punch's sponsor: Pongr.

The major problem I have with applications like Four Square is that there isn't any real world recognition, that, and the fact that if people know you are somewhere else, they could in theory, rob your home.  On to the real world recognition part, you "check in" at a bar enough times and you become the mayor of that bar.  That's cool.......I suppose.

But wouldn't you like to take pictures of you enjoying your favorite brand, such as Brooks Brothers?  You take a picture of you wearing brooks brothers, or a picture of the golden fleece logo etc, you get the idea here and you send it out to the Pongr universe.  Eventually, your rank in the company grows and  you can get free stuff.

Who wouldn't want a crisp, sharp Brooks Brothers tie?  I would love one.

So check it out people, it's fun! 

I am a bit smitten with my legit agent.

As many of my loyal reader(s) know, two weeks ago today, I booked a day player role on Comedy Central for the upcoming "Onion Sports Network".  I did this through my legit agency.  I love them over there.  They are so kind and accessible, additionally I feel as if, and have always felt, that they "get me." 

They don't just see a large white guy, they see who I really am in real life and submit me for work accordingly.  Any agent can see a 6-3 245 pound large framed dude and think "Great!  I can submit him for cop roles!"  Not this agency, here is what they submitted me for yesterday - I think it seems like a great role that I can blow the top off of. 

[CHARLIE] (late 20s-early 30s) Paul's best buddy. Jocular, funny, overbearing, seething. Ostensibly smart and lovable, but with an undercurrent of malignancy and anger. Enjoys a bit of danger, and feeds his best friend's paranoia. (LEAD/ STRONG SUPPORTING)

BUT WHAT IS THE MOVIE ABOUT, PHILLYRAY?!?!?  Oh, right....

NANCY, PLEASE

Feature Film
SAG ULTRA LOW BUDGET AGREEMENT
Shoot/Start Date: 10/25
Location: NY
SUBMIT ELECTRONICALLY
NOTE: IF POSSIBLE, PLEASE SUBMIT ACTOR'S ONLINE DEMO CLIPS ALONG WITH EACH ACTOR SUBMISSION.
SYNOPSIS: PAUL is a young, gifted, aimless PhD candidate at Yale University. He's just moved in with his competent, pragmatic girlfriend, Jen, and is struggling to complete his dissertation. There's just one snag: as Paul is unpacking his belongings, he discovers that something has been left behind - a battered old book that contains the notes he needs to complete his writing. He will have to retrieve it from his former roommate - the obstinate, casually sinister NANCY. What should be a simple errand becomes intolerably difficult, and egged on by his best friend CHARLIE, Paul soon becomes increasingly consumed with the retrieval of his book. Caught up in a web of perceived injustice, Paul's relationship and career begin to unravel, and he finds himself rushing headlong into a thresher of emotional torment and physical punishment.

NYC: confusing signage of the week

There are many confusing signs in NYC. Most are parking related, but occasionally one runs into a sign of a different sort. What does "White Moves" mean? Is it the electric slide? The tootsie roll? Or is it the "shopping cart"?  Loyal reader(s), do chime in. 


 

In PhillyRay news: no auditions scheduled for this week so far.  Just real estate and a lot of it.  I walked around for 2 hours today in the rain showing apartments.  I will not have time to go to the gym tonight, and no, a case of atheletes foot does not count as exercise. But if it did..............

An actor should establish "Relationship" to get the focus off them

Before I get into how to establish relationship, a quick tale.  Wednesday, during a 10 minute break from acting class I went to get a bag of chips. I saw a Dorito bag with cool graphics all over it. It was an advertisement for the latest version of "Halo" an awesome video game that people go nuts over. I snagged that bag because I didn't realize that it was promotional advertising, I thought that Doritos now came in a new flavor, a "Halo" inspired flavor. Perhaps they are remarketing my beloved and ne'er to be seen again spicy sweet chili?  Nope. It was nacho cheesier. Damnit!  Watch out consumers, those bags are tricky. 



There are a few ways to establish relationship and by doing so, get the focus of of yourself.  I will talk about two ways: one is more suited for rehearsal and one is more suited for performance. 

For the rehearsal tip, taken an object and stare at it, play with it, manipulate that object in your hand.  When you're doing that, run your lines and you'll see how much better you will sound.  Your rate, inflection, pitch and dynamic will become greatly varied.  Don't just pick up the "Papermate" brand blue ball point pen and go about your lines.  Study that bitch.  Notice how the prong from the cap eventually pulls away from the pen when it is sheated?  Notice how there are two hearts on top of each other in between the words paper and mate?  Notice how the end of the cap is thinner than at the beginning of the cap, where the pen first enters?  This is how specific I needed to get to get the focus off of myself.  You may not need to get this specific, but you'll only know by trying.

Watch an old Marlon Brando flick and notice how he constantly plays with objects.  He was a very tactile actor.  He was doing that to get the focus off of himself and put the focus back into the scene, and it works wonders. 

For the performance tip, I suggest focusing all of your gaze onto your scene partner.  This will put the focus on the other actor and will therefore give you less to worry about.  When you have less to worry about, your work will succeed.  Often times, a film director will tell the actors to take the scene again "just as a throw-away, this one doesn't count."  And wouldn't ya know, that is usually the best take.  Why?  Because the actors are relaxed and therefore have all the focus off of them. 

You can lead a _____ to water, but you can't make him drink.

You thought that the "______" was horse, right?  Wrong, it's "the client who employs the casting director".  A few days ago I mentioned that I had a commercial audition for Guinness beer, and I even gave my loyal reader(s) a dramatic reenactment. 

Today I received a call from the on-camera faction of my commercial agency notifying me of a call-back for said Guinness commercial.  It was a call-back for a national spot PLUS internet.  This could be a 6 figure job.  HOLY POTATOES! I thought.  I breathed a sigh of relief because at that time my career was on the right track.  Day player role on Comedy Central last week, call back for national spot tomorrow. 

5 minutes later my phone rang again.  My call-back had been cancelled.  The air left the room and I took a seat.  The rest of the conversation I can't really recall, but I am sure I was cordial and understanding.  After all, my agency didn't fubar on the call-back, the client, Guinness, did.  Clients often don't know what they want or what they are looking for and change their minds all the time.  When I auditioned, the hero was to be a celebrity, now it's a basketball player.

What was the specific reason for my call-back cancellation? I am too tall.  The Guinness drinking heroes of the spot will be professional basketball players, and they want the bland beer drinkers to be shorter.  I am six foot three.

Everyone is short compared to Patrick fucking Ewing.  I am now drinking whiskey. 

Sad?  Yes.  Broken?  No.  Half in the bag?  Hell yeah.

But I can now rejoice in the fact that two casting directors in NYC would hire me based on my acting skills.  Now it's just a question of intangibles falling into place.

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.