tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37041105344406028822024-03-12T15:50:51.782-07:00REEL-FOCUSEDTracking the Journey from Film School to Movieland and BeyondPaul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-15020011924985919102019-10-06T23:41:00.001-07:002019-10-06T23:45:22.328-07:00What Richard Brody Gets Wrong About "Joker" in the New Yorker<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="4aq9k" data-offset-key="2p71f-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="2p71f-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="goog_1661273445"></span><span id="goog_1661273446"></span>With all due respect, I don’t think I have disagreed with an article in the recent past more than I do with Richard Brody's review of <i>Joker</i> in the October 3 issue of The <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/joker-is-a-viewing-experience-of-rare-numbing-emptiness?fbclid=IwAR3hhgj1UirFAG9FzCAXB4HANx8L3_gLFiVU7l2KVVDhj_n7UUm6h8fCQsQ">New Yorker</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the second article I’ve read making accusations against Todd Phillips (who I was no big fan of until this movie) that I believe are largely misplaced. The first is the accusation that he’s whitewashing the infamous Bernard Goetz subway shooting, racializing it and essentially defending Goetz. Really? Is that what Phillips was </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">intending</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to do? How do we know that? I find the accusation dubious at best.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, the author doubles down and accuses Phillips again of racializing the attack by a group of non-white youth. Never mind that the very next attack occurs exclusively by white men and this is the one where he goes full Goetz. I’ll chalk this up to sloppy reviewing. I believe I’m being generous.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, I simply have to look at the films of another “downer” director, David Fincher - </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Seven, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Insomnia, Zodiac</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, etc. - as Exhibit A of equally dark and cynical storytelling. Like those films, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Joker</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> has a place, and frankly, I loved it. Furthermore, I have no idea how you tell the story of Joker without going to a very dark place. ‘Nuff said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last but not least, I am confused by what Brody is saying about conservative versus liberal politics. I don’t see the film as either promoting gun violence or limiting gun control to the mentally ill. Although I do agree with the author’s interpretation of a possible indictment of radical liberals, though I’m actually OK with that. Because I see it as a cautionary tale about the excesses of any radicalism, right or left, and about the dangers of allowing our radicalism to create vacuums for crazy people to come in and seize the agenda. I think that’s a really important thing to put out there. Perhaps the most important thing we could hear at this point in history. I fear that the knee-jerk reaction against the film, especially from the left weirdly, will cause us to miss this important lesson.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Overall, I see the film as a necessarily dark and cynical descent of a disturbed individual through the circles of hell and into the abyss. That’s exactly what this film should be. Of course that makes it uncomfortable viewing. Of course that makes it feel sinister and ominous. Of course that means some people won’t like it and other people arguably shouldn’t even see it. And of course it’s open to interpretation and co-opting, like many, many good films. But it has something to say and that’s why I loved it, even though I’m not sure I totally enjoyed it any more that I “enjoyed” (in the usual sense of the word) the aforementioned films by Fincher, but still find them important and worthy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn’t interpret </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Joker</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> as an indictment of either right or left, but rather as a warning to all of us to be careful about the social and political conditions we create, as well as an invitation to be more compassionate and thoughtful toward our fellow human beings. And, lest we forget, an origin story of a master villain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I completely respect Brody’s right to feel the way he does about this film. I just think he’s largely missed the mark and couldn't disagree more.</span></div>
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Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-4507519290895996992019-08-14T16:52:00.003-07:002019-08-14T16:56:56.912-07:00Auditioning Advice from Vancouver Actor Michael Coleman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_1216011079"></span><span id="goog_1216011080"></span>Michael Coleman is a Vancouver-based actor who has appeared in <i>Once Upon a Time, Supernatural, Stargate, Smallville,</i> and animated hits like<i> Hello Kitty, Dragonball Z, </i>and <i>Inuyasha</i>.<br />
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He is also co-founder of the production Rebel West Pictures, with several film and television projects in development, including <i>Thirty-Seventeen</i> and the television series, <i>Hipsterverse</i>, both set for release in 2019.<br />
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In addition to working in front of and behind the camera, Michael Coleman is also an educator and founder of Story Institute, an accredited, arts-based post-secondary school and think tank for serious actors, writers, and music creators.<br />
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With over twenty-five years experience in the Vancouver film and television industry, he knew acting was the career he wanted to pursue as early as high school. Many of his childhood idols were actors, actresses, and writers he grew up watching and he loved their life of creativity. If this is what his idols were able to do for a living, he thought me too! I want in on this life of storytelling and affecting how people feel.<br />
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"This is a subjective industry," says Coleman, "with subjective opinions on what people like, what the rules are, and what makes a bookable performance." So how does one ensure they are always able to deliver their best and respect the casting process and consistently deliver bookable auditions?<br />
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Coleman says there are 4 rules one should adhere to in every audition that are universally respected.<br />
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1. Be prepared. "</b>This is more than just remembering your lines or being 'emotional'”, says Coleman. It means understanding the core elements of story and character and scene work. It means having a clear motivation or goal and knowing what it costs you if you don’t achieve it. Being grounded and authentic. It means having rehearsed your scenes out loud with a scene partner and having triggers or personalizations that allow you to fall into the character efficiently and effectively for the audition.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h-LPQrebZqI/XVSdb8KqrMI/AAAAAAAAbI8/bzTG_nP5y4khvAwtmbHoDdHUjP7kPT-swCLcBGAs/s1600/MC%2B-%2BOUAT.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="207" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h-LPQrebZqI/XVSdb8KqrMI/AAAAAAAAbI8/bzTG_nP5y4khvAwtmbHoDdHUjP7kPT-swCLcBGAs/s1600/MC%2B-%2BOUAT.jpeg" /></a><b>2. Be efficient.</b> Casting has lots of people to see. This is also a part of being prepared. You have the drive/walk over to the audition and time in the waiting room to emotionally connect to where you need to be for the audition. Many actors use this time to be social and try to reduce the jitters with casual banter. This is a time to lock into the role and scene(s). Treat it like a stage performance. If your scene is coming up shortly you aren’t off with other cast or crew socializing, you are in the wings, preparing to go on.</div>
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<b>3. Be on time. </b>To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late. To be late is unforgivable. An audition scheduled for 1pm means you should be signed in and preparing by 12:45pm at the latest. "You only get so many minutes in the audition room," says Coleman. "Why would you do anything other than ensure you are always grounded and ready to deliver your best work?"<br />
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<b>4. Be directable. </b>This doesn’t mean nodding at the idea given by a director or casting director, this means being able to truly understand the note and being able to apply it throughout the scene. "There is nothing more frustrating," says Coleman, "than an agreeable actor who says they want the note but then aren't able to apply the feedback given." Try saying the idea back in your own words to ensure you truly understand what they are saying. Think the scene through and ask yourself where this note shifts things and how your motivation or goal may need to be revisited in order to respectfully apply the goal.</div>
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Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-2011465099259839722019-08-05T23:15:00.001-07:002019-08-05T23:23:59.041-07:00How Stories Made, Then Broke, and Can Still Heal The World<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont";">I'm not going to lie, the last eight years, one month, and thirteen days of my life have been flat-out amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; font-size: 12pt;">During that time, I have had the incredible honour of learning with and then teaching hundreds of professional and aspiring
storytellers, while I myself wrote (sometimes for money!) for comics, film, web series, and corporate advertising. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; font-size: 12pt;">My students have been screenwriters, novelist, actors, directors, producers,
animators, video game designers, social media marketers, business
professionals, moms and dads, grandmas and grampas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; font-size: 12pt;">They've come in all shapes and sizes, all ages, genders, and stages
of life, and arrived from different backgrounds and levels of experience with a
diverse range of personal and professional goals. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; font-size: 12pt;">They are high school
students, full-time employees, working moms, and retirees. Boomers,
Xers, millennials, Zs, and eventually, whatever comes next. They’ve come from all over the world and somehow
ended up around classroom tables and in convention rooms, offices, and labs
where I have the crazy privilege of leading them on journeys that change their
lives and mine.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Some just want to see if they’ve got a book in them.
Others want to sell an award-winning script or best-selling novel. Some have
had a story brewing inside for so long, they know they’ll explode if they don’t
get it out, while others are like a blank page, ready to start completely from
scratch. Some have been writing forever, others have never written a thing in
their entire life. Some are ready to rock ‘n’ roll, others are terrified. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">But
they all have one thing in common: they are extremely motivated to write. To begin (or continue) creating worlds and
characters they hope will entertain and inspire their fellow human beings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Oh, and almost all of them have one other thing in
common: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifontbold";"><i>They don’t get how seismically, explosively, world-changingly powerful story is. </i>Not yet, at least.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">I know what you might be thinking. Really, Paul: <i>world-changing</i>? I
mean, sure, I was moved by stories people read to me when I was a kid. And I've perused a few on my own. And, hey, who doesn’t love a great movie or TV show? But world-changing?
That’s a bit much, isn’t it?</span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifontbold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFontBold;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><i>Nope.</i> </span><span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont";">Don’t believe me?</span></div>
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<b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #660000; font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Story Make (or
Break) Our World</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Answer this question: Do you believe that every human
being is worthy of equal respect and opportunity, regardless of age, gender,
orientation, or any other involuntary personal consideration? That everyone
should have some say in the way society runs and the laws that govern daily
life? </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">If you live somewhere in the western hemisphere, I’m going to take a wild
stab and guess your answer is “yes”. But does </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifontitalic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFontItalic;">everyone in the world</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"> believe in the equal rights of all? Not by a long
shot. In fact there are entire countries and regions of the world that </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifontitalic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFontItalic;">don’t</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"> believe this, several in fact, with policies or
practises that quite clearly express their belief that all people </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifontitalic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFontItalic;">do not </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">have equal rights. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Meanwhile, our belief in universal equality
is so deep, so automatic, such a given, that we call human rights “inherent”
and “inalienable”, and shake our heads of the rest of the world for just not
getting it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">But here’s a truth that may shock you: the only reason</span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifontitalic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFontItalic;"> we</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"> believe in equal human rights is because </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifontitalic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFontItalic;">that’s the story we’ve been
telling each other in this part of the world for the past 350-ish years</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">. The story is called “democracy”, and it’s attached
to an even older story that goes back to the time of the ancient Greeks. There
is clearly no globally-agreed-upon consensus regarding equal human rights or we
wouldn’t have a thing called the United Nations trying so desperately to build
one. Democracy is an <i>idea,</i> facilitated by a <i>story</i> (or more accurately, stories)
proposing that nations, communities, families, and individuals live better, freer,
happier lives with democracy than without it. It’s a story that motivates us,
drives us, inspires us, propels us. . <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Pretty powerful for a story, right? </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iTEgYCgiXYg/XUkaL718XsI/AAAAAAAAbCA/Eht19cZpw-E4JW7Z2vsiz8t_OefvQgR-ACLcBGAs/s1600/Gandhi-Hitler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="1000" height="148" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iTEgYCgiXYg/XUkaL718XsI/AAAAAAAAbCA/Eht19cZpw-E4JW7Z2vsiz8t_OefvQgR-ACLcBGAs/s200/Gandhi-Hitler.jpg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">And i</span><span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont";">t's one we've been telling each other for a long time, so long in fact that we assume it's truth is universally accepted. The fact that it isn't embraced by all is a reminder that it is, in the end, just a story.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Adolph Hitler had a story. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Mahatma Gandhi had a story. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">ISIS has a story. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had a story. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Martin Luther King had a
story (fuelled by a dream). </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web,
had a story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont";">The current American President has a story. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><i>And that’s
just the twentieth century! </i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">I could go on forever. And given the right conditions,
the right crisis or opportunity, and the right marketing, the story of </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifontitalic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFontItalic;">just one person</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"> can completely transform our world, tilt the social
and political axis of the planet, for good or for evil. That’s no exaggeration, it’s a fact: <i>s</i></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifontitalic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFontItalic;">tories
change the world.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">And unless mother nature gets us first, stories will
either be what save us or finally destroy us. Heavy. Or empowering! Depends on
your perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><span style="color: #660000;">(Almost) Everything is a
Story</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Next to eating, sleeping, and getting it on, telling
stories is the one thing humans have been doing longer and more often than
anything else. Before homo sapiens could put two intelligent words together, we
were already sharing stories on cave walls and acting them out before
enraptured hunters huddled around fires…in 3-D! </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Every single thing we do, say,
and believe – good, bad, or indifferent - is based on stories:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">The family unit is a story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Money is a story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">The Middle Class is a story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Every religion is a story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Every political and business institution is a story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Every news report, every blog post, every good ad - all
stories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Our notion of how life is supposed to work (go to
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Every joke is a story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Every conversation is a story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">If I asked you right now how your day went, what would
your first instinct be? To start telling me a story! <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“How was your day, Karly?” “Oh, it was crazy. I took the bus to work
today and of course it was raining and of course I forgot my umbrella and then
this crazy person got on one stop before mine and started yelling ‘Hallelujah!’
and the driver had to stop and…” </i>See? We can’t help it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-og0PxJd3F0c/XUkaWNpvS7I/AAAAAAAAbCE/sbdS_Fhavc8HO78BwyQyELJfqptngoB6gCLcBGAs/s1600/Rowling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="766" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-og0PxJd3F0c/XUkaWNpvS7I/AAAAAAAAbCE/sbdS_Fhavc8HO78BwyQyELJfqptngoB6gCLcBGAs/s200/Rowling.jpg" width="194" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">And here’s the coolest part: if we want to, we can
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how creative we’re willing to be!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thankfully, having an influence as a storyteller doesn’t
require the sky-high, megaton weight of an Oprah or Gandhi. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A single mom named
Joanne Rowling wrote a little series of books about a boy and his magical
friends that inspired millions to discover and own their power and do good in
the world. (They were also just freaking entertaining!) Justin Halpern turned a
series of blog posts into a runaway bestseller called <i>Sh*t My Dad Says</i>. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And there’s
no reason to believe <i>you</i> can’t be next.</span><!--EndFragment-->Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-35773981085598405312018-02-07T17:00:00.000-08:002018-02-07T17:01:08.486-08:00FILM NIGHT Podcast #39: Star Wars: The Last Jedi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eQtW9FXRkXU/WmksCizlb-I/AAAAAAAAT84/99icXtPw9lUkou5j2QBI9qQcbNR01iDWwCLcBGAs/s1600/SW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="1086" height="205" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eQtW9FXRkXU/WmksCizlb-I/AAAAAAAAT84/99icXtPw9lUkou5j2QBI9qQcbNR01iDWwCLcBGAs/s320/SW.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://filmnight.podbean.com/e/39-star-wars-the-last-jedi/">Click here for episode</a><br />
<br />
Few films have polarized fans more than 2017's The Last Jedi.<br />
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Hate, love, somewhere in between, Paul, Paul, Ian and Nick talk about what makes the latest entry into the Star Wars saga one the most frustrating and epic yet!Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-86449731290497705002018-01-31T16:55:00.000-08:002018-01-31T16:55:12.163-08:00FILM NIGHT Podcast #38: Blade Runner 2049<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wVL7bTixAvA/WmkqxTFH-TI/AAAAAAAAT8s/ZJ_S7sQa298ATnfRFJX2RyVejw5_SrvcwCLcBGAs/s1600/BR2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="709" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wVL7bTixAvA/WmkqxTFH-TI/AAAAAAAAT8s/ZJ_S7sQa298ATnfRFJX2RyVejw5_SrvcwCLcBGAs/s400/BR2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://filmnight.podbean.com/e/38-blade-runner-2049/">Click here for episode</a><br />
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Now on Blu-ray, Paul, Paul, Ian and Nick explore the big questions:<br />
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Did Ridley Scott and Denis Villeneuve pull it off?<br />
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Does Ryan Gosling have the chops to step into Harrison Ford's shoes?<br />
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And what does this follow-up to the 1982 cult classic have to say about the world we live in?Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-63021472552261275682018-01-24T16:51:00.001-08:002018-01-24T16:51:29.968-08:00FILM NIGHT Podcast #37: The Magic of Blade Runner (1982)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EOKR-2tenRg/Wmkp2zdtgtI/AAAAAAAAT8g/QZiVhoFm6SIabv6JERJkqi6Eyl5YLmo5wCLcBGAs/s1600/BR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EOKR-2tenRg/Wmkp2zdtgtI/AAAAAAAAT8g/QZiVhoFm6SIabv6JERJkqi6Eyl5YLmo5wCLcBGAs/s400/BR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://filmnight.podbean.com/e/37-blade-runner-1982/">Click here for episode</a><br />
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Paul, Paul, Ian & Nick explore the revolutionary influence of Blade Runner on film, anime, fashion, and society...and how it plays 36 years later.Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-8346530995031721952017-07-26T17:12:00.003-07:002017-07-26T17:13:43.810-07:00LEARN TO BE A SCREENWRITER IN VANCOUVER (Starting September 14)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs-GQSSNF74/WXkv0wmOyBI/AAAAAAAASr0/uyL48Zadn68esF_L4BQ0tUGQ8ZqPU7_SgCLcBGAs/s1600/laptop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs-GQSSNF74/WXkv0wmOyBI/AAAAAAAASr0/uyL48Zadn68esF_L4BQ0tUGQ8ZqPU7_SgCLcBGAs/s320/laptop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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COMING TO A CLASSROOM NEAR YOU - SEPTEMBER 14: Always dreamed of becoming a screenwriter but don't know where to start?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 6px;">
Join me at Vancouver Acting School this September for SCREENWRITING FUNDAMENTALS, a 6-month part-time evening adventure that will take you from 0-60 and help you get that script finished! </div>
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Click the link for course and registration info, or call 604-568-5668. </div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">See you there!</span></div>
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<a href="http://vancouveractingschool.com/our-programs/screenwriting-level-ii/">SCREENWRITING FUNDAMENTALS COURSE (September 14)</a></div>
</div>
Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-49971862026416499082017-02-27T13:26:00.002-08:002017-02-27T13:27:41.949-08:00FILM NIGHT: Night at the Oscars!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d76qB_j9Xbo/WLSZbi40ydI/AAAAAAAASN4/87Wn9_iCKksi5JtVe81Q5TmHSxh9_eeEQCLcB/s1600/Oscars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d76qB_j9Xbo/WLSZbi40ydI/AAAAAAAASN4/87Wn9_iCKksi5JtVe81Q5TmHSxh9_eeEQCLcB/s320/Oscars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The gang discusses all the nominees.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/29-la-la-land/">La La Land</a><br />
<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/30-moonlight/">Moonlight</a><br />
<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/31-manchester-by-the-sea/">Manchester By The Sea</a><br />
<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/32-hacksaw-ridge/">Hacksaw Ridge</a><br />
<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/28-arrival/">Arrival</a><br />
<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/33-hidden-figures-lion-fences/">Hidden Figures, Fences, Lion</a><br />
<br />Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-10886798747257416742017-02-23T10:29:00.002-08:002017-03-24T09:59:41.710-07:00Favourite Film Scores to Create Magic To<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J0BcwU81vMc/WK8pmmx4rxI/AAAAAAAASNI/Gs3oo4ZAjkIsUdIV3iLYbOXq0ttZv07fwCLcB/s1600/Fave%2BSoundtracks%2Bto%2BWrite%2BTo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J0BcwU81vMc/WK8pmmx4rxI/AAAAAAAASNI/Gs3oo4ZAjkIsUdIV3iLYbOXq0ttZv07fwCLcB/s400/Fave%2BSoundtracks%2Bto%2BWrite%2BTo.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">To all you creatives (writers, artists, composers, etc): I've been asked from time to time what film soundtracks are perfect for making art to. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Everyone's tastes are different, but here are my "go-tos". Enjoy!</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Tree of Life</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Arrival</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Captain Fantastic</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Gone Girl</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Don't Breathe</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Hanna</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">John Wick</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Machinarium</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Revenant</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Nightcrawler</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Limitless</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Road</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Little Prince</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Ex Machina</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Social Network</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Looper</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Hell or High Water</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Blade Runner</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Chocolat</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Drive</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Heat</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Interstellar</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Manchester By The Sea</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Passion (Peter Gabriel)</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Extended Edition)</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Solaris</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Town</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Under the Tuscan Sun</b></li>
</ul>
Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-75767861226233058682017-02-08T17:01:00.001-08:002017-02-09T16:20:27.232-08:0030 Minutes Alone With Matthew Jenkins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Rw3Oopx3Pc/WJu_No5Gf_I/AAAAAAAASGw/MPjU3VGAT3wTjD3IbRBiSoWYmJgvL1S7wCLcB/s1600/MJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Rw3Oopx3Pc/WJu_No5Gf_I/AAAAAAAASGw/MPjU3VGAT3wTjD3IbRBiSoWYmJgvL1S7wCLcB/s320/MJ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: red;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">“Every step in the game development process, every aspect of gameplay, has to go through the mill of public opinion. And it’s really exciting to watch our students successfully navigate the paradigm shift from what <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">they</em> like to what <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">other players</em> like…and celebrate the process.”</strong></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
<i>Matthew Jenkins is the head of SchoolCreative’s video game department. He received his Masters of Digital Media from The Centre for Digital Media in 2009 and has worked as a member of the Electronic Arts’ production team, taught at Art Institute of Vancouver, and is founder of the MWJ Technology Group.</i></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Let’s start with the most important question: What games are you playing right now?</strong></div>
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At the moment, Blizzard’s <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Overwatch</em>. Truly a piece of transmedia genius and they’ve already got 54 million players. Interestingly, they were kicked out of Russia because one of the characters in the online comic is gay, so it’s been banned there. Which is a shame because Russia was number two in the world after South Korea in this year’s first ever Overwatch World Cup. Another game that I’m really drawn to right now and am following closely is Bethesda’s <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Fallout 4.</em></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </strong><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">You’re playing <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Fallout</em> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">4</em> on PS4?</strong></div>
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No, I’m pretty much an exclusively PC guy right now thanks largely to Steam, the most phenomenal delivery platform ever. You can mod, access online communities, it’s totally revolutionized the industry. The other area of focus for me right now is indie games, ones made by one to three people. For example, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Stardew Valley</em>, a farming simulator in 8-bit graphics that won a bunch of awards and made more money than <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Call of Duty</em> in 2016. It was developed by one guy, Eric Barone, who worked ten hours a day, every day, for four years. I understand he made $24 million last year. I love high graphic, AAA-title games that I can immerse myself in for hundreds of hours; but the whole indie revolution, where the means of production and the means of distribution have become free or close to it, has empowered an entire generation of kids to make really good, really interesting games. It’s a very cool time.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What goes into developing a game? Where do you begin?</strong></div>
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To start with, nobody knows what fun is until they have it. Which means that when you come up with a game idea you think is good, you’ve got to test it. Throw it in front of a bunch of people and find out: are they having fun or aren’t they? If they’re not, you make adjustments then test it again. It’s a grassroots, quantitative approach, a constant gathering of data to make your game better and better. There’s no genius designer anymore, no one sitting in a box for a year and suddenly – poof – Athena pops into their head fully-formed. It’s a much more incremental, cyclical, step-by-step process where we put something in front of people, get feedback, make course corrections, and repeat. This means that failure is both inevitable and critical to succeeding. True success starts from the lean-and-agile startup mentality, which is <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">“fail early and often”</em>. And get comfortable with failure. Make it your friend, expect it, embrace it. That’s essential in the video game industry because it’s not only a technical process, it’s also a creative one. And those two things bounce off of each other much more than they integrate, until they finally fuse into an alloy that is both technically strong and creatively unique, while of course also being a ton of fun to play.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What’s the best way to get started – as an indie developer or working for a big company?</strong></div>
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If you’re planning to go indie right out of the gate, that’s a rather audacious goal. I hear this question often, should I go indie or work for a big company in the beginning? I absolutely understand where they’re coming from, but it’s really the wrong question. I could direct you to a video game company down the street that’s been indie for 25 years, privately owned by four guys, and pumping out solid titles since it started. They’re a company <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">and</em> they’re indie. You see, people tend to equate “indie” with “doing it on your own”, but that’s not necessarily the case. When starting out, you should aim for the greatest likelihood of success, seek out a place where you can learn the most and grow the most. Which most likely means working for a company, whether it’s indie or one of the big dogs.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Is that because “going it alone” will make it harder for an aspiring developer to get noticed?</strong></div>
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No, mainly because there’s just still so much to learn. It’s a classic case of “you don’t know what you don’t know”. You can have the greatest concept in the world, but you still need to learn how to finalize a game, how to get a game out the door. What I notice about people who want to do it on their own is that they get to the idea phase, maybe even the prototype phase, and then rarely go any further. That’s usually because they don’t know how to tune their game for a specific market audience. And there’s no one who can teach you better how to monetize a product than someone who’s done it before. Then there’s the whole dynamic of effectively communicating in a business environment. Solo developers are usually building games for themselves and haven’t yet learned how to speak to someone who isn’t them. And as mentioned, there’s the brutal reality of what it takes just to finish a game and all the sacrifices required to get it to market. If you plan on making money and being successful, you have to be willing to give up half of your brilliant ideas, watch your “babies” die, and be okay with that. You have to routinely expose yourself to criticism, grow a thick a skin, learn to ask the right questions. There’s just no way around it. If you want to be successful, you’ve got to spend a year or two with people who have already done it.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">So what’s the right approach to getting in with a game company?</strong></div>
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Just to get in the door, you’ve got to show them you have the chops. And the best way to do that is to pick your favourite engine and build something you can show, some tangible demonstration of your talent and passion, a demo reel or portfolio piece. You have to be able to show them something you’ve made. Whether it’s a Broken RPG Maker game, or Unreal or Havok, or just software that you downloaded for free, and you make a decent clone, if you can show that to an employer and say this is why I made this decision, then you’re at the top of the list. That’s the entire focus of the game department at SchoolCreative, positioning our students for success as soon as they graduate.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What’s the best way to spend those crucial first two years?</strong></div>
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Quality assurance. Find your nearest location to do play testing and get started. Almost every executive producer I’ve ever met started in QA. Which means testing the same five minutes of game play every day for eight hours, trying to find every usability bug you can. You log the bugs and that eventually makes its way to the game team. Then the producers look at it and prioritizes the fixes, and it goes on from there. It’s gruelling work but it teaches you game design like nothing else. You become analytical at a very deep level of the minutiae of game play.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">How does SchoolCreative’s training in game design and programming help launch students into the workforce?</strong></div>
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While anyone can walk off the street and become a QA person, what we do at SchoolCreative is provide students with what they’d normally learn in their first year or two of QA with a company, while preparing them to start as entry level designers and producers. The core of all of our teaching is quality assurance. Like I said before, you don’t know if it’s fun until ten strangers or a hundred strangers tell you it is. Every step, every aspect of gameplay, has to go through the mill of public opinion. And while they master design and programming skills and develop their own original IPs, it’s really exciting to watch our students successfully navigate the paradigm shift from what they like to what other players like <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">and</em> celebrate the process. Testing with strangers repeatedly and getting positive feedback, they’re over the moon because they realize they’re getting closer and closer to the fun.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">If you could summarize the top skills needed to be successful, what would they be?</strong></div>
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To survive and succeed in this industry, once you’re in the door, you need to exhibit at least two out of three qualities: be great at what you do, be fun to work with, deliver work on time. Ideally you’re all three, but if you can nail at least two of those, the industry can work with you according to your strengths. They’ll forgive or work with your weaknesses so long as you’re willing to improve or at least delegate to team members who are strong in those areas.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">How can new designers and programmers navigate the inevitable emotional ups and downs inherent in the game development process?</strong></div>
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What allows you to take immense amounts of criticism is <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">having a vision</em>. That’s what allows you to stay calm and say to someone giving feedback, I’m listening to you because I need data. Then listen to fifteen other people and collect their data, and finally see how many people said the same thing, look for patterns, and if required, adjust my vision. If you’re just trying to validate your own vision without making any changes, you’re in trouble. So our aim is to instil confidence and courage in our students to be passionate about their vision as they collect data that will give their vision what it needs to become successful. I tell them, you are designers, you have good ideas, and those ideas will keep coming if keep learning and growing. If you accept that you are a creative person and that you have a definite role to play, I believe no amount of criticism can take you down. On the contrary, you learn to transform all of that criticism into added value. Once you start doing that, the future begins to open up and becomes yours to own.</div>
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Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-82211202859640902162016-12-08T17:58:00.000-08:002016-12-08T17:58:00.151-08:00FILM NIGHT Podcast #19: Are Blockbusters Dead?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DJjZBKu6VRI/WC0OzUW6TJI/AAAAAAAAR3o/s0r3Yc73JWohABw1SX_StYXoksAg2M9kwCLcB/s1600/Podcast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DJjZBKu6VRI/WC0OzUW6TJI/AAAAAAAAR3o/s0r3Yc73JWohABw1SX_StYXoksAg2M9kwCLcB/s400/Podcast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
With the current glut of titanic, box office-smashing, often-disappointing blockbusters invading Hollywood, have we finally had enough?<br />
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Find out what four hopelessly drunk film "experts" have to say <a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/19-blockbusters-are-dead/">here</a>!Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-26819200321683031592016-12-02T12:57:00.000-08:002016-12-02T12:57:03.494-08:00FILM NIGHT Podcast #28: Arrival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-04nzBzWwGzU/WD89C9u4IdI/AAAAAAAAR6g/RAF0ruGIk-0E3h0qIrF86HKjFp2LS5XYACLcB/s1600/Arrival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-04nzBzWwGzU/WD89C9u4IdI/AAAAAAAAR6g/RAF0ruGIk-0E3h0qIrF86HKjFp2LS5XYACLcB/s400/Arrival.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
In the Age of Trump, it's worth asking: Will our increasing inability to communicate with each other and listen be the end of us?<br />
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Parental instincts meet sleek, simmering sci-fi in one of the best films of the year. </div>
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Listen to us gush endlessly <a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/28-arrival/">here</a>. </div>
Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-5898086830714968872016-11-30T12:49:00.004-08:002016-11-30T13:00:22.523-08:00FILM NIGHT Podcast #27: Dr. Strange - Love It or Hate It?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_TGKDOgpLaY/WD87RwXR0gI/AAAAAAAAR6Y/U6B9yNwIs6Ug_WWIALQdMQfmNdK2vWFFwCLcB/s1600/Dr%2BStrange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_TGKDOgpLaY/WD87RwXR0gI/AAAAAAAAR6Y/U6B9yNwIs6Ug_WWIALQdMQfmNdK2vWFFwCLcB/s400/Dr%2BStrange.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The best Marvel film to-date or the worst?<br />
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We can't agree! And, of course, that's where the fun begins.<br />
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Listen to the boys and I get graphically novel <a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/27-marvels-doctor-strange/">here</a>.Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-35884414644682354242016-11-24T18:02:00.000-08:002016-11-24T18:02:07.862-08:00FILM NIGHT Podcast #20: Stranger Things & the Netflix Revolution<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6ebQgJ71WA/WC0QIYpYjeI/AAAAAAAAR34/Kd4jyKLNz0o22bG-mhnkxdtAZPrO2r3TwCLcB/s1600/SThings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6ebQgJ71WA/WC0QIYpYjeI/AAAAAAAAR34/Kd4jyKLNz0o22bG-mhnkxdtAZPrO2r3TwCLcB/s400/SThings.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
With Netflix and Amazon quickly taking up cinematic real estate, it's fair to ask:<br />
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Is the "small screen" the future of film?<br />
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Find out what four inebriated buffoons in love with the movies have to say <a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/20-stranger-things-and-the-netflix-revolution/">here</a>!Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-89815709568420404292016-11-17T11:00:00.000-08:002016-11-30T12:43:57.716-08:00FILM NIGHT Podcast #21-26: Horror Never Dies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--OGkSqgtMeo/WC0R5cyYkkI/AAAAAAAAR4E/7g4h7a-UvwUsqNb97XVWx5MF_2qZtxW-QCLcB/s1600/Halloween.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--OGkSqgtMeo/WC0R5cyYkkI/AAAAAAAAR4E/7g4h7a-UvwUsqNb97XVWx5MF_2qZtxW-QCLcB/s400/Halloween.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
So long as we love to have the poop, popcorn and pesos scared out of us, horror ain't going nowhere. Besides, it's <i>good</i> for you!<br />
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Listen to five horrifying monsters mash up the history of cinema's most frightening baddies in this incredibly long 6-part series.<br />
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Part 1: <a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/21-horror-never-dies-part-i/">Horror Never Dies 1</a><br />
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Part 2: <a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/22-horror-never-dies-part-ii/">Horror Never Dies 2</a><br />
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Part 3: <a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/23-monsters-in-the-closet/">Monsters in the Closet</a><br />
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Part 4: <a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/24-the-soul-of-horror-part-i/">The Soul of Horror - I</a><br />
<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/25-the-soul-of-horror-part-ii/"><br /></a>
<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/25-the-soul-of-horror-part-ii/">Part 5: The Soul of Horror - II</a><br />
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<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/26-the-soul-of-horror-part-iii/">Part 6: The Soul of Horror - III</a>Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-39399642346457625852016-11-16T17:43:00.000-08:002016-11-16T17:43:02.256-08:0030 Minutes Alone with The BFG's Daniel Bacon<blockquote style="background-color: white; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px;">
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: red;">“Acting is simple, but it’s not easy. However, if you’re willing to strip down and go all the way, acting <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">and</em> life begin to get a lot easier. And a lot more fun!”</span></div>
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Daniel Bacon is an actor and instructor in SchoolCreative’s Acting: Film, Television & Voiceover diploma program, with previous roles in <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">50/50, Fantastic Four</em>, and <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bob the Builder</em>. He is currently starring in Disney’s <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The BFG, </em>which opened in theatres on July 1.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">You played Bonecruncher in a Disney adaptation of one of the most beloved children’s books of all time, directed by Steven Spielberg. How did that happen?</strong></div>
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I get an email from my agent in March 2015 inviting me to audition for the role of a giant in an unnamed film. And my first thought is, I’m 5’ 9’’, how the heck am I supposed to play a giant? I didn’t understand it. So I dug a little deeper and discovered it was going to be performance capture and I thought, okay, I get it, I could do this. Then about halfway down the page I see who’s directing and I’m like, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">ok-a-a-ay</em>.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">How did it feel to know you’d be working with one of the greatest directors of all time?</strong></div>
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I’ve been fortunate along the way to work some successful actors and great directors, so my reaction wasn’t so much about hero worship or that kind of thing. Mostly, I was surprised he was going to be directing a film in Vancouver, which he’d never done before. He’d produced shows here, but not directed. That was interesting to me.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">So knowing that height wasn’t a factor, what did you bring that they were looking for?</strong></div>
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They wanted actors with a theatre background and who’d worked with animals, both of which I had done. For the audition, they gave us two scenes: one that was scripted and one we had to come up with on our own. And they wanted to see two different characters, once for each scene. This was a Thursday, and my audition was scheduled for the following Monday. When I finally found out what the movie was, I ran out, bought the book, and read it. I was very familiar with Roald Dahl – who doesn’t know about <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox </em>– but I hadn’t actually heard of <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The BFG</em>. After reading the book, I watched the 1989 animated version of the story to get a sense of who the giants were. Then I went for a walk and started coming up with ideas for who my two giants would be and especially how the unscripted part of the audition would look.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Take us into the audition room. How did that go?</strong></div>
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I came into town and visited a workout space where I did a full theatre warm-up, about an hour and a half. I don’t do that for every audition, but I knew this was going to be very physically and vocally demanding, requiring a British accent and a fair amount of grunting. When I got there, I took off my shoes and shirt, rolled my track pants up into a kind of giant’s diaper, and I just went for it. When I was done, I left the room thinking, I love what I just did. One take, the casting director thought it was fantastic, and because I did what I set out to do, I felt good about it and was able to let it go.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Do you think your preparation was the difference-maker?</strong></div>
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No question. Preparation plus going all the way in the audition. Keep in mind there was only one audition, no call backs. Some of us didn’t have a clue what made the difference for us initially. But then as the full cast assembled, it became apparent that those of us who got the roles were the ones who really went for it. The ones who didn’t merely go over the top but were very detail-oriented and grounded with a very specific story they were telling. I’ve always said to my students that every audition is important, whether it’s for a student film or Spielberg. We should approach them all the same way, with the same dedication and focus. Adrenalin will usually remind you that one’s bigger than the other. But as far as the process is concerned, that part you actually have any control over, it’s the same: you always answer the same basic questions, go through the same paces, and have the same objective.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">That being said, did you give your audition for The BFG a little extra something?</strong></div>
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Not really. However, I would emphasize one thing: I wasn’t afraid to look silly or make mistakes. I wasn’t worried about being perfect. I didn’t think much about the fact that I was auditioning for Steven Spielberg. I just thought, this is my job, this is what I’m here to do. Actually, I was more excited about the creative choices I’d made with respect to the characters and performances. I committed to those, and that’s why I was able to walk in and out and forget about it, rather than obsess about whether I was good enough.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What happened next?</strong></div>
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Three weeks later, I got a call from my agent and found out I’d been put on a short list. They were looking for nine giants in total and they’d auditioned a couple hundred actors in Vancouver, plus more in Toronto, L.A., and London. Two days after that, I learned I’d been put on a shorter list. Finally, five days later, my agent called with the news that I’d been confirmed as one of the giants. To which I said, okay, cool.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">“Okay, cool.” That’s it?</strong></div>
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I’ve worked long enough in this business to know that, until a project wraps, I’m not going to get too excited. Because anything can happen. Just because they cast you, it doesn’t mean you’ll be in the final product. It’s okay to have your head in the clouds so long as your feet are on the ground, if you know what I mean. You need to stay focused on what you’re there to do, especially with big productions like this. Because if you’re not, you could easily be replaced. Having said that, every day I was filled with a sense of excitement and gratitude for this amazing opportunity. Every day, a part of me was going “woo hoo!”</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Can you tell us about one of those “woo hoo” moments?</strong></div>
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There’s a sequence in the film where I’m lifted up from the ground in a cargo net about three or four feet. When we filmed that, Mr. Spielberg came and laid down on the floor right below me, coffee in hand, to walk me through the scene. That was one of those moments where I was like, okay, this isn’t happening. Another one was when I got to stick my butt in Bill Hader’s face, walk over and push Mark Rylance over, then have Spielberg tell me, “great work!” And of course, there was walking the red carpet in L.A. I’d always wanted to experience that and, for years, had imagined what it might be like. Of course it never occurred to me that it would for a Disney film directed by you-know-who, with a bank of forty photographers shouting my name.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What was it like working with the cast and crew?</strong></div>
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Mr. Spielberg was full of this incredible energy and joy right from the start, putting us at ease and getting us excited. That took all the anxiety away on day one, which I’ll never forget. I mean, he must understand that he and his body of work exude a certain aura that some could find intimidating. So for him to go out of his way like that to break the ice, it was wonderful. And he was there every day, equally enthusiastic from one day to the next. He could have kept to himself if he wanted to, be unapproachable and stand-offish, but he never was. At all times, he seemed genuinely excited to be working on this project. And it trickled down to the rest of the cast and crew. He’s got award-winning costume designers, lighting people, and camera operators that have been working with him for years, and they’re all incredible gracious and humble, working together to get the job done. Mark Rylance was the same, an Olivier-award winning hero of British theatre, treating everyone with dignity and enjoying the process. It felt extraordinarily collaborative, it was wonderful.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What did you take away from that experience that you’d pass on to your fellow actors?</strong></div>
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Same things I’d say in general: Remember your reasons for being there, know what your job is and do it. As an actor, you’re there to support the story. Everything else is bonus. Above all, stay grounded. I had two cards, one that said “breathe” and one that said “trust”, and put them in my shoes. Every day when I walked on set, with every step I took, I was reminded: <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Breathe</em> and <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">trust</em>. It’s okay to be nervous, but breathing is how you overcome that and get on top of it. M. Scott Peck once said, “fear is excitement without the breath.” Do just remember to breathe! And <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">trust</em>. Trust that I got here for a reason, trust the process, trust in my peers, my cast mates, the director.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">When did acting start for you?</strong></div>
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I went to theatre school when I was 26, but before that I was going to be a teacher. I completed two years of a bachelor of physical education in Nanaimo, BC, then decided I wanted to get off the island for a bit and visit the big city before continuing my studies at the University of Victoria. So I came to Vancouver and while I was here, I got involved in a singing project. A Vancouver company was interested in me because of my involvement with a group in Nanaimo and eventually I became part of a boy band that toured and performed for a couple of years. This was 1991 as as hip hop was starting to gain steam, pre-internet and well before the Backstreet Boys. As a result of that experience, I was invited to audition for a commercial, which I landed. Then I got a couple more right out of the gate, and I thought, hey I could do this! Some actor friends at a restaurant where I worked recommended I take some classes, which I did and really enjoyed. Did that for a year before I came to a serious crossroads: do I pursue acting full-time or finish my teaching degree?</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">A lot of aspiring actors end up at that crossroads. “Do I go all the way with my dreams or choose the ‘safe’ path?”</strong></div>
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And I totally get that. It’s inevitable. What you want versus what society tells you that you <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">should</em> want. At first, I chose to finish my degree and moved back on the island. But it was while I was at university, preparing for the next school year and filling out my timetable, that I thought, what am I doing? This isn’t what I want to do. But I’m not a hundred percent sure about this acting thing, either. It felt like the 25 year-old version of a mid-life crisis! So I snapped my pencil in half and walked out, wondering which way to go.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What did your family think of all this?</strong></div>
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I’m a bit of a black sheep, a do-my-own-thing kind of guy. My mom mostly stayed in the background, a bit unsure of the whole acting thing. But she was never heavily involved in my life path, so that didn’t play too much of a role. I did, however, have a roommate who was very supportive. After the deadline passed at UVic, I spent a lot of restless hours working at the restaurant and watching Oprah, trying to figure out what I was going to do next. One night, I went to my roommate and we sat up all night talking about life, and I realized that while I loved teaching, I loved acting even more. So I decided then and there that I was going to move back to Vancouver, give everything to acting and see it through. A month later, I was back on the mainland in acting school.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Over the span of your career, have there been other moments when you felt stuck, and that resolving to give it your all lifted you from that plateau?</strong></div>
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About eight years in and roughly 30 roles under my belt, I hit a place where I felt stagnant. I wasn’t moving forward. I was still getting parts, but they weren’t growing in size and they were infrequent. Plus I was in debt and didn’t have some of the things I wanted in life, like a house and a wife and kids. So I began to question whether I’d made a mistake with acting. I even seriously considered becoming an agent, realizing I’d come to a place where I could walk away, make a living doing something else, and pursue the kind of life all my friends had. But in that moment, I also realized I wouldn’t be happy; that deep down, I’d spend the rest of my life realizing I didn’t invest fully in what I really wanted to do, and that I’d really regret that. So I made the choice to level-up and give 100% to acting. Struggle, toil, claw, whatever it took, even if it meant bartending at 50. And I was okay with that. But I also knew something had to change. I had to step out of my comfort zone, take another class, make some sacrifices, do whatever it took.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Can you give an example of a sacrifice that helped take your career to the next level?</strong></div>
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There was a night, a big gathering of friends for a guy’s night out, an annual thing we all did. I was super excited, all dressed up and ready to go, and I got a call around 6:45 from my agent with two auditions lined up for the next day. At that moment, I had a choice: I could either carry on and go to the dinner I was really looking forward to or say, sorry guys, I’ve got to go. The old Dan would have gone for dinner, but instead I made a quick appearance, then went home to prepare.</div>
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Truth is, if you want to be successful doing what you love, you’re going to miss out on a few things. I’ve missed out on birthdays, weddings, a lot of things. And that’s a choice you have to make as you build an individual identity of who you are and how you move through life. Your true resume is about how you conduct yourself in the industry. The cream will always rise to the top, which is way less about talent than about how passionate and committed you are. And by the way, if you don’t choose to go all in, someone else will. And they’ll get the part.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">As an instructor at SchoolCreative, what do you hope your students leave the classroom with?</strong></div>
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To know this: that acting is messy and to embrace the mess. Acting it’s about translating real life into your art. I see a lot of actors who try to be perfect in an audition or performance, try to nail it without making any mistakes, try to get it right, whatever that means. But I say, embrace the mistakes, the mess, the struggle. Life is messy, awkward, often irrational. So often, students come in and want to make it neat and tidy and orderly, but that’s not life. So just be yourself. Everyone’s always looking for the secret to giving that extra five or ten percent, but the real secret is to just let go of “getting it right” and be you. Acting is a field, a craft where there is no getting it right. No right, no wrong, only strong and true. It’s not about giving a flawless performance, it’s about whether they believe you. It’s not about the costume or the gimmicks or the tears, but about knowing the story, how your role fits into that story, and above all, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">being yourself</em>. Which can be hard, I understand, because that means taking the time to find out who you really are. Like we often say, acting is simple, but it’s not easy. However, if you’re willing to strip down and go all the way, acting <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">and</em> life begin to get a lot easier. And a lot more fun!</div>
Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-77593775246049704292016-11-10T17:48:00.000-08:002016-11-16T18:13:42.645-08:00FILM NIGHT Podcast #16: Captain America: Civil War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JsX-I6rNzUY/WC0MaMVczwI/AAAAAAAAR3Y/VIccAVep_7Mv-W5Q_KFjiDo63pj3dUNEgCLcB/s1600/CW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JsX-I6rNzUY/WC0MaMVczwI/AAAAAAAAR3Y/VIccAVep_7Mv-W5Q_KFjiDo63pj3dUNEgCLcB/s400/CW.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
As the Marvel universe prepares for its next phase, Cappy and crew are far from done!<br />
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Hear what the boys have to say <a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/16-captain-america-civil-war-and-comic-book-movie-overload/">here</a>.Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-68249421455994673352016-11-03T17:54:00.000-07:002016-11-16T17:56:14.925-08:00FILM NIGHT Podcast #17 & #18: Star Trek & Beyond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HRSneI7WP2A/WC0NsPBpS2I/AAAAAAAAR3g/GY7tbzQwIDQRHwr7uVoENhCH8N1UmPRqwCLcB/s1600/ST.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HRSneI7WP2A/WC0NsPBpS2I/AAAAAAAAR3g/GY7tbzQwIDQRHwr7uVoENhCH8N1UmPRqwCLcB/s320/ST.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
You know what happens when a bunch of Vulcans and Jedi end up in the same room. Enjoy the battle over <i>Star Trek Beyond </i>and the universe beyond!<br />
<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/the-star-trek-saga-part-1/"><br /></a>
<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/the-star-trek-saga-part-1/">Part 1</a><br />
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P<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/18-the-star-trek-saga-part-2-suicide-squad/">art 2</a><br />
(Bonus feature: We wax not-so-philosophical on <i>Suicide Squad!</i>)Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-49515389598312689392016-07-22T16:36:00.001-07:002016-07-22T16:36:03.714-07:0030 Minutes Alone with Bates Motel's Marc-Anthony Massiah<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3VLr02rA3w/V4A4zecU7-I/AAAAAAAARZc/HpXL9SYzC3YjWZLSh0ZvuGKkYQcoDM5TQCLcB/s1600/IMDB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3VLr02rA3w/V4A4zecU7-I/AAAAAAAARZc/HpXL9SYzC3YjWZLSh0ZvuGKkYQcoDM5TQCLcB/s320/IMDB.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px;">Marc-Anthony Massiah is an actor and instructor in SchoolCreative’s Acting: Film, Television & Voice-Over diploma program. Credits include </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-size: 16px;">The A-Team, Smallville, Fringe</em><span style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px;">, </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-size: 16px;">The Killing</em><span style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px;">, and </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-size: 16px;">Once Upon a Time</em><span style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px;">. He is currently starring in A&E’s </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-size: 16px;">Bates Motel</em><span style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px;">.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #993300;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">“Skill level aside, if you’re willing to show up and do the work, I will teach you. I will get down in the dirt and struggle with you. If you’re willing and present and prepared to do what it takes, I’m here for you and it’s on. Because that’s what it’s going to take to be successful out there.”</strong> </span></blockquote>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">When did you get the first inkling that you wanted to be an actor?</strong></div>
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Growing up, I did a lot of different things, from brushing horses to pumping gas to office work to working in a shipping yard. But I was raised to be a free thinker, more of an entrepreneur than an employee. The whole nine-to-five thing never made sense to me. Then in my mid-twenties, I started doing extra work.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What prompted your start as an extra?</strong></div>
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At first, honestly, it was the money. I was like, free money for having fun <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">and</em> I get to be in a movie? That was amazing to me. That, plus the freedom to not be stuck doing a desk job. It started with my car. A film being produced nearby was looking for someone who could simply drive by in a car and they wanted to pay me a hundred bucks for the car and twenty-two dollars an hour as an extra. Ten hours on set made what seemed, at the time, a fortune. So I was in and I took it super seriously.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">How so?</strong></div>
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I would create identities for my characters, give them names and backstories and families, make them real people, at least to me. I played a prisoner once on TV and I made up a card game I had to play with this other guy, I imagined the crime I had committed just to give myself a sense of who I was. I mean, it was just fun to pretend even if my character was far in the background. I hate seeing extras in scenes that don’t look like they’re “in the movie” and I didn’t want to be that guy. And that job with the car opened up a second opportunity for me. One of the extras on that project was fired for flirting with a lead and they asked me if I wanted to stay and play a cop. Turns out the lead in question was Halle Barry so now I’m nervous, not wanting to offend her or screw up. One of my first actions was to open a prison door, which ended up being lighter than it looked, so of course I swung it wide open and nailed her right in the shoulder.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">How did Ms. Berry react to that?</strong></div>
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I was mortified. I said I was sorry, that there was probably a place in hell where actors get to kill extras when they hurt them. But she said, no, it’s okay, she should watch where she’s going, too. So I asked her how I should address her if I had any questions, told her that, as an extra, I didn’t want to get fired. But she was so gracious. She said, extras are actors, too, that the film couldn’t exist without us. Her words were an affirmation of the work I’d put into being the best extra I could be, a beautiful validation for my natural process as an actor. I always thought I was the weird one, going the extra mile, not just dialing it in, staying in character because the camera could start rolling at any time. Extras matter. Because it’s all acting, and any performance worth doing is worth doing well. The following week, I was in acting classes.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">So extra work was the tipping point for you?</strong></div>
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Definitely. I said to myself, if I’m already doing this in the background, why not move into the foreground? It also spoke to me at a deeper level. I’d always been surrounded by artists and free thinkers as a kid. In school, I was the class clown. I had a lot of energy. I was terrible at math and science, but I was always good at English composition and anything where I got to use my imagination. I also liked to study people, their behavior, their emotions, what made them tick. So when the opportunity came along to get into acting, it took all of those things, brought them together, and gave them a purpose. My tendencies to act out, to analyze people, to imagine crazy situations and scenarios suddenly went from being weird to being a really powerful skill set. It’s not that those things were leading me to acting, at least consciously, but when acting came into my life, it made sense of the things that made me <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">me</em>. Acting felt like home. It still feels that way.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Where did you train?</strong></div>
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The Acting Project in Montreal, which I’m not sure exists anymore. I lived in Montreal for 26 years, did my training there, then moved to Vancouver at 27.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What prompted your move to Vancouver?</strong></div>
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While I was training, an actor friend, Elias Toufexis, had booked a feature film and I went to Toronto for the premiere. That really opened my eyes, observing the success he was enjoying. It wasn’t just the money. I thought, my God, to be rewarded in this way, to be able to make a living just <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">playing</em>, that was just incredible to me. Then Elias moved to Vancouver and I followed the year after. I had a one-way ticket, two bags, two thousand dollars cash, two thousand on a credit card, and no idea where I was going to work.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">No auditions lined up, no prospects, nothing. You just took a leap of faith?</strong></div>
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I went all in. I moved to Broadway and Eleventh and the rent was through the roof. It was hard. I didn’t work for two months. There was a hot dog cart on the corner, so I’d have a hot dog for lunch and another for dinner, and just vary the toppings. Then I moved to South Vancouver where I got work at a shipping company and eventually a role in a local production of Hamlet with Elias. After that, I started taking classes with SchoolCreative in its early days and working in the office. Meanwhile, I continued to do extra work and, thanks to a switch in agents, I began going out for auditions. Only this time around, I was able to take all that experience I’d had as an extra, all the terminology I’d learned and the professionalism I’d been committed to, and really up my game. So when I started booking bigger roles, it wasn’t a radically different experience. It was just like being an extra, only on steroids and with the camera paying more attention. Like Halle Berry said, in the end we’re all actors, playing our roles and getting it done. That realization had a very calming, peaceful effect on me.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Would you recommend extra work to new actors, then?</strong></div>
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Without question. Anyone, especially someone just getting started, should take extra work. Take it, take it, take it. Sit down, shut up, observe. And don’t waste your time engaging with people who just want to commiserate, complain about the food, that kind of stuff. If you’re anywhere near the set, always be learning. Watch the rehearsals, watch the blocking, pay attention to what the other actors are doing, ask them questions. You can’t put a price on all of that.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Besides your role as Jake on <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bates Motel</em>, what else have you got going on? </strong></div>
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I changed agents recently. I was with the same agent for about three years and it was going well, but I’m just in a demographic where it seems I should be auditioning more often and I needed someone who would be a little more aggressive. Someone who would put me in the room for roles I know I’m suited for, who would negotiate harder. I even had actor friends who would show me their sides and ask why I wasn’t auditioning for certain roles they thought I was ideal for. In some cases, I didn’t even know these roles were up so I asked my agent, why aren’t you putting me in the room for this?</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Is it difficult to change agents?</strong></div>
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The process isn’t tough but it can be hard emotionally, almost like a break-up. I’m a loyal guy, almost to a fault. But the death of an actor is loyalty to an agent. It’s not personal, you just need an agent who’s in your corner, who’s going to fight for you.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">You’ve been an instructor at SchoolCreative since 2013. When you walk into that classroom, what do you want to bring to your students?</strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
Number one, total honesty. I aspire to be as honest with my students as I expect them to be with me. We’re going to explore some serious human emotions in class, so we need to free those emotions up. We need to be fully human, fully ourselves, flaws and all. I’m not afraid to let my students see my flaws and that, in turn, frees them up to be fully themselves. Some people think being an actor requires having a split personality, but that’s not the case. Acting isn’t about being two different people, it’s about digging deep and finding within yourself what’s already there and letting it out. Acting should always be an authentic extension of yourself, brought to the surface by the skills you acquire in your training. That begins by connecting in a deep way with your truest self, your history, your memories, your emotions, your triggers, all of it. Actors need a safe space to learn how to do that, and in the classroom, that begins with me. So honesty is everything.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
Second, I am committed to training anyone who gets up in the morning and drags himself or herself to class on time. That alone shows potential and I’m committed to working with anyone who will do that, anyone willing to be honest and receptive.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">So attitude is everything?</strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
Skill level aside, if you’re willing to show up and do the work, I’m yours. I will get down in the dirt and struggle with you, I will fight for you, I will do everything in my power to help you succeed. Regardless of where you’re at today in terms of skill or talent. If you’re willing and present and prepared to do what it takes, I’m here for you and it’s on. And I insist on that, because that’s the attitude it’s going to take to be successful out there.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
Thirdly, I try to be the best teacher <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">I</em> ever had, so that I can be the best teacher <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">they</em> ever had. Which means being non-judgmental, focusing on students as individuals, discovering how each of them learns best. Meeting them where they are, rather than just cramming information and my way of doing things down their throats.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What advice would you give someone embarking on the actor’s journey?</strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
Stick with it. Sure, it feels scary sometimes, hard, unrewarding. But if you persevere, years from now, you’ll look back and it will all make sense, it will all be worth it. Give it everything you’ve got. Be willing to “go there”. Regardless of the success you experience on film or on stage, the things you discover about yourself in your training, rehearsals, and performances just can’t be measured. As an actor, you become less cynical, less judgmental. You understand people better, become a better listener. Being forced to climb into another person’s psyche, to understand their behavior and motivations – whether they’re a president, a criminal, a lover, a parent – inevitably makes you more empathetic and understanding toward others. Contrary to what some people think, acting is where life happens. So let it happen and enjoy the ride!</div>
Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-69828594371905547552016-07-20T16:23:00.001-07:002016-07-20T16:25:54.899-07:00WANTED: Leaders Focused on What Really Matters (or, Why I'm Done With Vision Vancouver)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AFg1xdcyB1E/V5AFyqS57CI/AAAAAAAARcM/--FDYMrwnXYA7BUVFUUZhXssTuTwMGGQACEw/s1600/Vision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AFg1xdcyB1E/V5AFyqS57CI/AAAAAAAARcM/--FDYMrwnXYA7BUVFUUZhXssTuTwMGGQACEw/s320/Vision.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've finally
had it with @VisionVancouver. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I live in
the West End where Vision is currently campaigning to raise the parking permit
rates by nearly 900% to “free up spaces” and "increase availability".
No doubt it’ll free up spaces, as families already barely making it are finally
squeezed out in Mr. Robertson and company’s commitment to make Vancouver THE
BEST CITY EVERRRRR! </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Cue the Urban Reconstructionist chorus: “Well, did you
think you and your family could live in Vancouver <i>forever</i>, Paul?” To
which I respond, Go love yourself, these are real flesh-and-blood human beings
trying to live here.) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course,
Vision has really, really good reasons for jacking the prices, at least that’s
what they tell me. And to find out what <i>I</i> think of the proposed change,
Vision invited me to complete an online survey. I’m not sure where the survey
came from, or what it’s actual reasons for being are (correction: I know
exactly what it’$ for), but apparently I asked for it. Guess I’ll take their
word for it. Well, I've tried to complete the survey three times now, on my phone,
on my laptop, on my work computer, but it freezes every time just before I
finish. How symbolic. Happened last time I was asked to "Talk
Vancouver", too. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Side note:
I don't recall having any say in the double-digit car share spots imposed on
our neighbourhood. Or the lanes they keep taking away from our bridges and
streets. Or the wholesale conversion of a section of Point Grey into one big
bike lane when we lived there. News flash, Mr. Mayor: While we applaud your “Go
Green” mantra, some of us actually need vehicles. Bigger families,
tradespeople, people with disabilities - people who legitimately have no other
choice. So if you’re going to ask our opinion about things that affect us, do
it consistently, yes?) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love
Vancouver's commitment to being the eco-friendliest city in Canada. I don’t
just love it, I’m proud of it. But am I the only who feels we've become a bit
manic and borderline fascist about the whole thing? This government has decided
to make the world LOVE Vancouver, damn it! In the process, though, those of us
who live here and are most directly impacted are only consulted on a
politically convenient or need-to-know basis, with a few glitch-ridden surveys
thrown in for optics. That’s not community-friendly, much less democratic. It’s
merely the appearance of democracy. But that’s what Vancouver has become: the <i>appearance</i>
of a grand city full of wonders, while its lifeblood - we, the people - is
slowly drawn from its veins. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If our
municipal government gave half the attention and effort to making Vancouver the
most <i>liveable</i> city in Canada that they do to increasing bike lanes and
making incessant cosmetic upgrades, where families and single people can afford
to rent/own a home without constantly feeling squeezed out by fees and bylaws,
Vision would get my vote every time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Instead,
Vision’s best attempt at addressing the <i>real</i> elephant in the room, the
one that's sucking the emotional oxygen out of the city - escalating housing
prices - is to tax empty dwellings, a dubious and ultimately unenforceable
non-solution. That, apparently, is the limit of this government’s power or
willingness to solve the one, soul-sucking, life-altering issue we unanimously
agree is numero uno. Vision (and, to be fair, every previous regime for the
past 30 years) stood by and watched homes go from a basic right to an
investment commodity, knowing it was a growing problem but doing virtually
nothing to stop the commercial and financial forces causing it, then swung in
at the last minute with a politically-expedient “solution”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yup, a home
vacancy tax. That’s what going to make homes affordable again. “Too little too
late” doesn’t even begin to summarize this epic non-starter. Well-intentioned
or not (and I’m going with <i>not</i>), most of us see it for what it is: smoke
and mirrors, shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic, a frog in a frying pan -
like installing more recycle and compost bins while the city burns.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But, hey, at
least the tourists think we’re great! I had a kind German visitor tell me on
the weekend how lucky I must feel to raise my kids in such a beautiful place.
It <i>is</i> beautiful, I’ll give them that. In the same way a Venus Flytrap is
beautiful to a fly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, you
fooled me once, Vision, but not again. I don’t doubt you have a vision, it just
clearly has nothing to do with my own. Nothing has more quickly and effectively
turned this liberal into a social conservative than a so-called progressive
government hell-bent on making Vancouver look good on the outside while making
it consistently harder to breathe on the inside.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: inherit;">I mean, who
cares of we're greener, cleaner, and leaner when living in Vancouver has become
so much meaner?</span></div>
Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-43970584367701385902016-07-15T16:31:00.000-07:002016-07-15T16:31:00.292-07:0030 Minutes Alone with Actor Jeff Evans Todd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWxjdC5AdO0/V4A35lJ_feI/AAAAAAAARZQ/TgAVbpzCKdE8aHFUxs-2ooy-U1KI73TlgCLcB/s1600/Jeff%2BEvans%2BTodd%2BHigh%2BRez%2Bprint%2B%2528sharpen%2529-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWxjdC5AdO0/V4A35lJ_feI/AAAAAAAARZQ/TgAVbpzCKdE8aHFUxs-2ooy-U1KI73TlgCLcB/s320/Jeff%2BEvans%2BTodd%2BHigh%2BRez%2Bprint%2B%2528sharpen%2529-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
Jeff Evans Todd is an actor and alum of SchoolCreative’s <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Acting: Film, Television & Voice-over</em> diploma program.</div>
<blockquote style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">“If you want to do something and your heart is still beating, then do it. Do it now. </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Don’t <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">wish</em> to do something, don’t <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">wish</em> to be happy; be happy <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">now</em> doing that thing you love.” </span></span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What are you working on right now?</strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
A few different projects, but a couple I’m really excited about. I got to play a pretty fun character in the season four finale of A&E’s <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bates Motel</em>. I’m not allowed to say much more about it than that, but I think fans will enjoy it. The other project, which I also can’t talk about yet [<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">laughs</em>], is a dubbing job for a popular anime series in another country.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">How did you land that gig?</strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
As with a lot of successful, established shows, they’ve already got such a strong fan base back home, they want the North American voice actor doing a specific character’s voice to sound as close to the original as possible. It just so happened that my voice fit the bill, but I didn’t get a vocal reference until I went in for the audition. At that point, my training really helped me shake my nerves and focus on the voice.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">They felt you had the right voice but still wanted you to audition?</strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
That’s right. Although sometimes I’ve been able to book work from my demo alone, which is always nice. Would be fantastic if that happened more often with on-camera acting! There are roles you book sometimes that involve, say, one line of dialogue. And you’ve got a resume of work, an online demo and a head shot, and you think they could look at all that and say, “yeah, let’s just book this guy.” Then again, I love the face time with casting directors, and potentially a director or producer. That can be a fantastic opportunity to build relationships which becomes important later. So ultimately, it’s a good approach to stay open to whatever scenario plays out.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Speaking of staying open, have you ever landed a role that seemed to come completely out of left field?</strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
Actually, one of the other projects I’m working on was one of those. Just before Christmas last year, I auditioned for a fairly big film role with a casting director I hadn’t seen in a while. She was honest and told me she’d actually forgotten about me, but that she thought my performance was really good. As it turns out, I didn’t get the part, didn’t have the right look. But a few days later she invited me back to audition for a smaller role she thought I was perfect for, and I landed it. So sometimes the work you get isn’t the original thing you went out for. Actually, when I think about it, there’s never been a direct link for me from the first meeting to the job I ended up booking. For example, I auditioned a while back for a role that had the casting director in tears. They thought I was great. But again, I didn’t have the look they were after. But because the director liked my acting, he and I ended up becoming friends and I’ve worked with him on two different projects. There’s no way to predict those opportunities.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What advice would you pass on from that experience to others?</strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
Be patient. Have faith in yourself, continually improve, trust the process, but above all, be patient. Everyone’s got insecurities, and those insecurities constantly threaten to sabotage you. So don’t let them. Recognize and honour what you’re insecure about and know where it comes from, and you’ll build a depth of self-awareness that works in your favour. Through learning to be patient with yourself, you’ll learn to be patient with acting. Which is key because the life of an actor can feel like a long, surreal journey!</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">You’re a fairly spiritual person. How important is your connection to the universe when it comes to your success as an actor? </strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
I learned early on that, for me anyway, there has to be some sort of spiritual center to what I’m doing. In May 2012, I was in a production in which I played Charlie Brown, and my girlfriend at the time gave me Julia Cameron’s book, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Artist’s Way</em>. Working my way through it, I discovered how important it was to really know myself and let myself have fun and just play, and things began to take off for me. Internally, I mean, as both a person and an actor. It was like a light went on, like I was “levelling up”, to borrow a term from video games. It gave me a lot of confidence faith in myself, as well as in the process of acting.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">And has that helped in those moments when you don’t get the role or experience disappointment?</strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
Definitely. I’m not just an actor, of course, everyday life happens, too. I went through a fairly significant breakup that felt like the end of my world at the time, and that threatened to keep me in a rut. Then there’s the auditions you don’t book, the roles you don’t land, and all of that can really tempt you to get down or just give up. Being an actor is a real trip, emotionally and psychologically. So knowing how to quickly get back to your spiritual center, to replenish your courage and move on, is important.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">How soon after you graduated from SchoolCreative’s Acting program did you find work as an actor? </strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
Within a month of graduating, I learned there was a shortage of actors my age in Vancouver and that agencies were looking. I originally thought I wouldn’t actively seek representation for at least six months, but the opportunity was there, so I grabbed it. As part of SchoolCreative’s program, we produce a professional voiceover demo, so I brought mine with me to the interview. The agency liked what they saw and heard, and agreed to represent me for both on-camera and voice work. A month after that, I auditioned for <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lego Legends of Chima</em>, and a month after that I got confirmation that the role was mine. So roughly four months after graduating.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sounds like you might have missed that opportunity if you hadn’t acted quickly.</strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
Absolutely. That experience reinforced how important it is to know what your gifts are, to keep your eyes open to opportunity when it shows up, and take that next step without hesitation.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">How did it feel to get work so soon after graduating?</strong></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
I felt incredibly lucky. But strangely, I also felt lonely and a bit anxious about the future. You see, I grew up in Saskatchewan and from the age of ten, it was always my dream to become an actor. I loved to make my family laugh and took theatre classes when I moved to Alberta, where I got to play Donald the Soda Jerk in a school play called <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Rock Around The Block</em>. The audience laughed right from my first line and I thought, oh yeah, I like this. And as the years went on, that dream just got stronger and stronger, and then one day, there I was living <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">inside</em> my dream, which is a place not a lot of people find themselves. And now my thought was, where do I go from here? What if I lose this?</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #414141; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">If you could go back in time and talk to yourself, what would you say?</strong></div>
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I’d say, relax. Worry less and just be nice to yourself. Go to the mountains, go to the spa, nurture and trust yourself. And pay off your student loans! I was making good money, I could have done that but I didn’t. I’ve learned to be better with money since then.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">How important has family been on your journey?</strong></div>
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Huge. They’re all a bunch of goofballs, too. For the first year, I think they were like, what is he doing, what is this acting thing? But now, as time’s gone by, they’ve put together the pieces of my, shall we say, <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">interesting</i> behaviour as a child, and of course now it all makes perfect sense. And as I’ve done that, it’s been cool to watch them pursue their own sensitive, artistic sides, too. Since I got into acting professionally, my dad, who’s an RCMP officer, has written a book. And I’m super proud of him for that. I’ve seen him open up emotionally as well as creatively. Meanwhile, my brother, who is a prison guard in Red Deer, has decided to move to Vancouver and become a professional photographer. So there’s this visible evolution in my family. I’m not assuming that’s all my doing, but I can’t help thinking that when you see someone you love chase that crazy, bold, unpredictable part of themselves, it inspires you to do the same.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">You pursued acting right out of high school, didn’t let any grass grow on your dreams. How important do you think that is? </strong></div>
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When it comes to doing what you enjoy and being happy, I don’t understand why anyone would postpone that. Life is short and opportunity doesn’t hang around indefinitely, so you’ve got to take hold of it while it’s sitting there in front of you. At the same time, I’m quick to say that it’s never too late. There are plenty of examples of people who pursued their dream when they were older, who sometimes didn’t even know what their dream was till later in life. Like my dad or my brother or my mom. If you want to do something, if you still have the urge to do it, if your heart is still beating, then do it. Do it now. Don’t <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">wish</em> to do something, don’t <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">wish</em> to be happy; be happy <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">now</em> doing that thing you love.</div>
Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-15076052358807040182016-04-21T12:52:00.006-07:002016-04-22T14:54:35.800-07:00SchoolCreative Screenwriting Students Didn't Wait For Fate to Decide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"><strong>Ragini Kapil</strong>, <strong>Lawrence Davidson</strong>, and <strong>Maxence Pierrard</strong> are students in SchoolCreative’s one-year Writing for Film & Television diploma program. They recently entered their original pilot </em><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Kris With No Kitchen</span><em style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"> into StoryHive’s 2016 Web Series competition.</em></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 700; text-align: right;"><i><span style="color: #666666;">Prior to their arrival, Ragini was a school principal in Delta, B.C., Lawrence, a restaurant manager in Kamloops, B.C. and Maxence, a film student in France. </span></i></span></blockquote>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">How did you find out about SchoolCreative’s Writing for Film & Television Program?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>LAWRENCE:</strong> By sheer randomness, I went to a career fair in Kamloops in early 2015, where I was living at the time. My mom told me about it so I went and met [artistic director] Michael Coleman and [admissions advisor] Paul Donnett, and found out about the screenwriting program. The rest is history!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>MAXENCE:</strong> I was attending a film school in France where I grew up and quickly realized there was going to be very little opportunity to work as a writer or filmmaker there, unless you happened to be both. In France, there is basically no distinction between writers and directors, very few people who make a living just writing. People think there’s a huge film industry in France because of the New Wave of the 60s, but everything on TV and in theatres these days is mostly American. Then I visited Vancouver in April 2015 and loved it. When I went back home, I realized Vancouver was where I needed to be, this was where I was going to build my life as a writer. I looked online and learned about SchoolCreative, and really liked what I saw. So I called and found the admissions team very easy to work with. And here I am!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>RAGINI:</strong> I was taking part-time Improv classes at Vancouver Acting School [a subsidiary of SchoolCreative] when I was invited to Vancouver’s 2015 FanExpo to hear a panel of successful voice actors who were also teachers at SchoolCreative. At the Expo, I learned about the full-time Writing program and it really appealed to me because I’ve always been a closet writer. As a school principal, however, I didn’t think I could make that commitment. That’s when I met admissions advisor Paul Donnett, who also happened to be a screenwriter and who had left a successful career in the Alberta oil industry to follow his own dream. After talking with him, I turned to the friend I was with and said, “I’m going to leave my job and go to school to become a screenwriter!” It was one of those epic moments where the whole room recedes and you realize you’re making the right decision, and I’ve never looked back. My school district was incredibly understanding when I requested a leave to start what was clearly going to be a whole new chapter in my life.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p-6MIwTPQZw/VxkvVRgRHzI/AAAAAAAARII/ZlnEl0vtTRsjj8L2c7iqSgADnlvp5QEwACLcB/s1600/KWNK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p-6MIwTPQZw/VxkvVRgRHzI/AAAAAAAARII/ZlnEl0vtTRsjj8L2c7iqSgADnlvp5QEwACLcB/s320/KWNK.jpg" width="320"></span></a><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">And since starting your program, you’ve also had opportunity to "star" in a local independent film? </span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>RAGINI:</strong> Three films, actually. Yes, I’m pretty much a background "star" at this point. [<em>Laughs.</em>] That’s actually another huge benefit of being at SchoolCreative. You can take part-time evening classes in scene study, voice acting, and more while in any full-time program. I figure this is my year, this is my one chance to learn and grow and take full advantage of opportunities to work with other writers, actors and other professionals. I want to do it all! I’ve even been able to direct a film. I’ve got a Masters degree and yet I’ve never learned so much in such a short time and in such depth, it’s incredible. In fact, the most depressing days for me are the first or last days of any given month because it’s a reminder that we’re month closer our program ending. I’m just loving it so much.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why writing?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>MAXENCE: </strong>When I was younger, I was a graphic artist. I loved creating universes and characters, whole new worlds in which I could share my point of view, make people think, change minds. I was raised by my mother to observe, to look around me and see how people act and react. As a result, I always wanted to bring the human experience into what I did, to explore and discuss how we grow, what happens in this life, what happens after this life. Those kind of things that make people think differently and live differently. That’s my goal. Actually, my experience as a graphic artist helps me in my writing a lot, helping me picture ideas visually and making the writing process easier.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you find yourself writing mainly in French or English?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>MAXENCE: </strong>English. Originally, I was writing in French, but then I had to translate all the time. Now when I have trouble, these guys help me with my expressions and idioms. When they’re not laughing at me, that is.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Come on, they don’t laugh!</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>LAWRENCE:</strong> I definitely laugh at him. [<em>Laughs.</em>]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>RAGINI:</strong> That’s actually one of the great things about training in Final Draft [writing software]. It allows us to make notes and suggestions in his script, and then Maxence can choose what he wants to do with our input so it still ends up as his work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>MAXENCE:</strong> [<em>Laughs.</em>] It helps a lot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>RAGINI:</strong> Writing is my passion because I’ve got so many stories I want to tell, so many experiences I want to share. When I was a kid going to school in Vancouver, it wasn’t really a thing to be a creative writer. I would write poetry and letters that would get published in the newspaper, but I didn’t think of pursuing writing as a career because it didn’t seem real to me. There were no classes in creative writing.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">There still isn’t a lot of emphasis on creative writing in a lot of schools.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>RAGINI:</strong> No, it’s not encouraged enough. Even when I took my English Lit degree, I had to defend and justify it to people who said I should get something more “solid”. In fact, even when I started the program at SchoolCreative, I was a bit shy sharing my work in class.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>LAWRENCE:</strong> It was like pulling teeth, actually. Ragini would say she hadn’t written anything. Then later we found out she’d been quietly writing commercials and jingles and all these things, and we were like, “Why have you been hiding these?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>RAGINI:</strong> It’s true! The one thing, though, that made me realize I could actually do this, actually be a writer and a filmmaker, was when I worked with my students to make a commercial for the <em>BC Hydro PowerSmart Challenge</em> and it was aired on TV, then later used for in-school training. That was big.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">What about you Lawrence, why writing?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>LAWRENCE:</strong> I always loved writing. When I was in grade six or seven, my best friend Tamara had a cousin who sent her this really weird short story he wrote. I read it and thought, I could do that, so I did. I wrote a ton of short stories right through high school about me and my friends. But being a professional author didn’t seem practical, so I just assumed this would always just be a hobby. Then I met the people at SchoolCreative who helped me realize that screenwriting could actually be a real career if I was willing to put myself out there and make stuff happen. And making things happen was something I was good at. So I knew this could work.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">The support of family and friends tends to plays a big role in people’s decision to pursue a dream. How did your family feel about your choice to become a professional writer?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>MAXENCE:</strong> My mother and grandparents actually pushed me to come here. I wasn’t sure if we had the money and sort of held back a bit, but my grandparents wanted me to succeed and told me to just go, we’d figure it out. My mother was the same. She was just so happy for me to do something she never had the chance to do. She’d always wanted to be an artist, but when she was young it didn’t seem there were many career options, so she was pressured to go into accounting. That’s why now she encourages me and my sister, who is a professional dancer, to do what we love. It was tough to leave France, for me and for them, but the support of my family and friends has been huge. And I’m so, so grateful for that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>RAGINI:</strong> My entire family was super supportive from the start because, in their words, they knew that this was what I was born to do. The school district I work in was very accommodating. This was a big decision for me and they were wonderful about it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>LAWRENCE:</strong> My family was really supportive, too. My mom is a bookkeeper and I told her I could go work for her and learn accounting as a trade. But she said, “That’s fine, but you really don’t want to.” Then she heard about SchoolCreative’s program, knew how much I loved writing, and she said, “Go, this is exactly what you want to do.”</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nuhR2UTwwhs/VxkvNghYVlI/AAAAAAAARIE/SVSZi32s3NAl9R214LYvcEqNKmaBqUnnACLcB/s1600/STORYHIVE_Web_Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="85" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nuhR2UTwwhs/VxkvNghYVlI/AAAAAAAARIE/SVSZi32s3NAl9R214LYvcEqNKmaBqUnnACLcB/s320/STORYHIVE_Web_Logo.png" width="320"></span></a></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">How did you three team up to enter StoryHive’s 2016 Web Series competition?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>LAWRENCE:</strong> It all began in our web series class, taught by award-winning screenwriter Nick Carella. He showed us a bunch of web series and it became clear that this was the wild, wild west, that we could do just about anything we wanted because nobody is holding the keys. So we all wrote our own web series pilot episodes, each unique and different, with a plan for five more episodes. Months later, Maxence shared his opinion that all of our pilots were filmable and why don’t we start a YouTube channel. And after asking a bunch of questions we all said, yeah, let’s do this, and set up our channel, <em>Honey Spot Productions</em>. We shared the idea with the class and with another teacher, Ryan Bright, who saw we had a fairly clear sense of direction and recommended we apply to StoryHive. At first, I was a bit hesitant because it looked like a lot of work. But then we bought in and decided to go for it, starting with “Kris With No Kitchen”. And Ryan, who had pitched and won in last year’s StoryHive, became our mentor, our Gandalf. Another benefit of SchoolCreative, teachers who know the way things work.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">How did you find actors and crew for your episode?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>LAWRENCE:</strong> Yet another benefit of the school! Time was of the essence and frankly, we didn’t have time to go through a lengthy audition process. A friend and student in the Acting Conservatory program, Chantal Morin, had a really great sense of what we were looking for in terms of character and she quickly helped us find our leads, Brett Hudson and Avalon Short, also from the conservatory program. So a win-win for everybody.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>RAGINI: </strong>Because I used to make movies with my students, I directed. And I have a friend who is an experienced videographer who agreed to come on board with two days notice and had the gear we needed. Between him and Maxence, we had everything set up in time. Plus Lawrence had to move the day before we had to film, and we were out buying a microwave the morning of the shoot, so teamwork was key. Somehow, Lawrence managed to be the epitome of calm through all this, refusing to sweat the small stuff, even when he had to be in character on camera.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>LAWRENCE:</strong> Yes, but we wouldn’t have eaten if it wasn’t for Ragini! She kept us alive, even while she was directing and making sure things were moving along and looking great.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>RAGINI:</strong> That’s what has been so great about this, everyone contributing based on their strengths, looking out for one another.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>MAXENCE:</strong> Then came the editing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>LAWRENCE:</strong> Yeah, that was Maxence’s job. I knew he was going to be working for two weeks straight, so I asked how I could help and he said, “Keep me company.” So for two weeks, I fed him and took him for walks. Like Ragini said, looking out for another!</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">What’s next after StoryHive?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>RAGINI:</strong> StoryHive is an amazing opportunity and of course we hope we win! But whatever the result, the plan is to keep going, keep writing, keep producing. I hope to work with these guys for years because I know a team as great as this doesn’t come along every day.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">What advice would you give to aspiring writers?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>RAGINI:</strong> Get training. Learn your craft. It’s fantastic to want to tell your story, but learn how to tell it properly. There is an art to it, a craft, and it takes time and discipline to learn it. I have learned so much this year, it’s insane. Learn all you can, too. Take part-time classes in another areas while you’re in the full-time program. This is your year!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>MAXENCE</strong>: If you love to write, don’t hold yourself back, just go for it. Yes, you may need to take another job while you’re writing, but so what? If you love it, get the training and do it. And find the right people to workshop with, who can give you feedback and help you become a better and better writer. Build a good team.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>LAWRENCE:</strong> I’ve always believed that other writers are not competition, but rather potential collaborators, potential team members. I come at everything from the angle of, how can I build others up? There’s another filmmaker here at SchoolCreative, Megs Calleja, who has also entered a project in StoryHive called <em>Ask Will</em>. So how can we work together to help promote her project, too? As artists, we’re all in this together, we’re a community. And that extends to our teachers as well. They are our biggest supporters, and we are theirs. This is the team! That’s my philosophy, and I would encourage anyone to approach it the same way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To find out more about <strong><em>Kris With No Kitchen</em></strong>, check out: <a data-mce-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYy54vzYB5w" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYy54vzYB5w" style="-webkit-transition: 0.5s ease; color: #0f2760; transition: 0.5s ease;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYy54vzYB5w</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; text-align: right;">To find out more about <b>SchoolCreative's one-year diploma programs</b>, </span><a href="http://schoolcreative.com/programs/" style="text-align: right;">click here</a><span style="color: black; text-align: right;">. </span></div>
Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-9715265804456716422016-03-16T09:31:00.003-07:002016-04-21T15:30:46.295-07:0030 Minutes Alone with Montana Norberg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-smugG5DuezM/VumKNYJCKpI/AAAAAAAAQtY/THDe4oDhGV8lKt9TCIMrzatHC2DJc2ICQ/s1600/w9IHq5Ej.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-smugG5DuezM/VumKNYJCKpI/AAAAAAAAQtY/THDe4oDhGV8lKt9TCIMrzatHC2DJc2ICQ/s320/w9IHq5Ej.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Montana is an actor based in Vancouver with work that includes </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Lego Star Wars</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Urban Jester</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You were Padme in <i>Lego Star Wars</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I booked Star Wars two and a half years after
graduating from acting school. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Crazy! How did you land that?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">That year was crazy for
voiceover auditions. I had just auditioned for a <i>Barbie</i> cartoon as well, so
when my agent called me, I thought I’d booked <i>Barbie</i>. But it was <i>Star Wars</i>
instead. Crazy! I’m a bigger Lego fan than I am a Star Wars fan, so that was a
lot of fun. I actually recorded the mp3 for Star Wars in SchoolCreative’s
voiceover booths with former fellow student Jeff Todd. That’s why I love that
place, we can continue to use the facilities and produce these amazing quality
mp3s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When did you know you wanted to be an actor?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I first told my mom I wanted to go to
film school, she reminded me of something that happened when I was a kid. I
don’t remember it, but apparently she found me behind the TV one day and she asked
me what I was doing. I told her I was trying to figure out how to get inside because
I wanted to be on TV. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What shows were big for you when you were a kid?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I remember watching the Olsen twins on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Full House</i> and thinking, I could do
that. I started watching other sitcoms like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Friends</i>,
which I was probably too young for but I just loved how the characters made
people laugh. That was really attractive to me. When I was twelve or thirteen,
my sister, her friends and I would stay home on Saturday nights and watch <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saturday Night Live</i>, and between
commercial breaks, we would re-enact the skits and add our own little
improvisational flair. Then we would videotape our own version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Idol</i>. I’m sure we’d roll our
eyes at it now, but we’d watch it months later and laugh our heads off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sounds like you started gearing up for a comedy career early.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, I grew up in Williams Lake, BC so there
wasn’t much else to do! I had a friend with an amazing costume trunk, and we
would dress up and do skits. Eventually, I got involved in musical theatre. But
being a small town, you never heard of anyone going on to do film or moving to
Vancouver to do anything in the arts. Then our family moved to Nelson, which is
a really artsy town, but I didn’t really want to move so I kind of shut down my
arts interests and focused on soccer instead. By the time I got to high school,
I wanted to become a makeup artist. That’s what I originally moved to Vancouver
for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What re-kindled your interest in pursuing an acting career?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I got to Vancouver, a friend invited me to check
it out the acting program he was attending. Honestly, growing up in small towns, I didn’t see acting as a real
career option. Especially since most of my experience had been in musical
theatre. But I attended an audition class for fun and all of my childhood
excitement came flooding back. Being surrounded by the friends I had, it
quickly became clear to me that a career in film and television comedy was a
real thing and I enrolled at SchoolCreative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Any big revelations while you were at school?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I fell in love with voiceover work and went pretty hard in that direction after I completed my training. I jumped onto Voice123 online,
started putting up mp3s, had some Skype auditions. The first few jobs didn’t
pay fantastically, but they were important steps. One of my first gigs was a
car dealership radio ad and they paid me $75, and I was like, “What, really?
Amazing!” I thought, I’m actually getting paid for this!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That validation early in your career must have been huge.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Totally. That was about three months after I
graduated. And I just kept hustling really hard. I got a voiceover agent before
film agent, and quickly booked my first cartoon, then a few radio ads. Then
along came Padme. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KY3-3sMyV_g/VumKNWb6EWI/AAAAAAAAQtQ/IfxohJqAGQ8T_NsTe1cCPUT3mp0QZiCzQ/s1600/lego-star-wars-droid-tales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KY3-3sMyV_g/VumKNWb6EWI/AAAAAAAAQtQ/IfxohJqAGQ8T_NsTe1cCPUT3mp0QZiCzQ/s400/lego-star-wars-droid-tales.jpg" width="400" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Did booking Star Wars open up other opportunities?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, booking any role can open doors, but
that was a real a cool booking because I got in the room. And as anyone who’s
into voiceover knows, you nerd out on successful voice actors like Tara Strong
and others, especially the big Vancouver actors. And suddenly, I’m working with
those people. It’s a funny story, on day one, my agent actually drove me to the
wrong place for the recording session. But it was great because I wasn’t
nervous, I was so preoccupied with just showing up on time. And when I got
there, there were twelve people in the room, and they start introducing
themselves and I’m thinking, “I know you, I know so much about you!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Did formal training prepare you in any way to work alongside actors
you looked up to?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Absolutely. It gave me the confidence to know
I deserved to be in that room. I was working with actors I admired and that I
was excited to be with, but the disciplines we learned helped me focus on the
fact that we’re all doing the same thing. We’re all working the same show. Don’t
get me wrong, you’re still really excited to be doing this, but it turns into a
different kind of excitement. You’re confident, you’re prepared, you and know
what to do next, rather than just nervously wing it and hope for the best.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have you got any personal projects on the go that you’re excited
about?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I work with a fantastic sketch group called
Urban Jester alongside Scott Patey and Ed Witzke, two huge Vancouver talents
who also teach at SchoolCreative. About two years after I graduated, even though
I had an agent and was booking auditions, I really wanted to do comedy and Scott
and Ed knew that. So they invited me to one of their writer’s rooms where I was
one of the only girls on the team. In the beginning, I would listen and pitch
in. Eventually I threw in my own sketches and had the opportunity to produce
one I’d written. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve see Urban Jester on YouTube. It’s really funny!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We’re really proud of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What are some of the big challenges you’ve faced as a professional
actor?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, look at me. I’m a medium-height,
medium-weight, brunette woman in her twenties. So there’s a lot of “me” out
there. Finding an agent was hard in the beginning. There were times when I was
really broke. I went through all the questions and self-doubts about whether the
training was worth it or if I’d ever work. I’ve had to schedule my sleep at
different times or I just didn’t get any. Same stuff a lot of actors go
through.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What kept you going?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I guess I’ve just never loved anything this
much. And having busted through those moments, I’m also at a place where I’ve
seen my work pay off so it’s much easier to keep going. I believe strongly in
self-development as well, and I read a lot of things that move me in that
direction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And now I hear you’re preparing to run a marathon.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When you’re auditioning all the time, it’s
easy to think your future is entirely in someone else’s hands – producers,
agents, whoever. So I decided to train for the BMO marathon happening this
April. I think it’s a great idea to have a hobby that’s not related to your
job, which is tough because acting is so fun. But it’s really important to have
pursuits that aren’t related to acting, to have friends that aren’t in the
business. I love running because it’s just me, it’s just mine. Which is very
empowering. It kicks my butt out of bed in the morning, I journal about it. It’s
what keeps me sane. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sounds like your family has played a big role keeping you going.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">They’ve been very supportive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m the middle child in a blended family. I
think there was a small part of my mom that hoped I would go to university and
get a degree. But more than anything, she wanted me to be happy doing something
I loved. That’s huge. Sometimes I forget that not everyone’s parents are like
that, so I’m very lucky that way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVkJ_itV6r8/VumKNSzqSlI/AAAAAAAAQtU/hVWdrgweTy8fd0sfdQUbWSjVDl6fdlHSA/s1600/montanna-norberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVkJ_itV6r8/VumKNSzqSlI/AAAAAAAAQtU/hVWdrgweTy8fd0sfdQUbWSjVDl6fdlHSA/s320/montanna-norberg.jpg" width="213" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How important is it to have ongoing support from your teachers and
fellow students after you graduate?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve had to battle a lot of doubts, every
actor does. Some of the biggest and best support I’ve had has come from my
teachers and fellow students, and it started right at the beginning of my
training. It’s massive, just how much everyone continues to
encourage and believe in one another. To be taught by people who’ve been where
you’re at and who know what it’s like to be on hold, to cancel work, to go into
auditions, and who can speak based on work they’re doing right now, not just
from roles they booked years ago. They get it, they’re living it. And sometimes
their support comes in the form of tough love and calling you on your excuses,
at least from the teachers I appreciated most. They help keep us focused and
accountable. Some schools seem to be all about getting students and their
money, but it’s so clear that isn’t their motivation. And that’s everything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What advice would you give someone who’s thinking about pursuing a
career in acting?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Above all, do it! Get training and make the
most of being surrounded by like-minded and passionate people, because there’s
really no other time in your life that you get that. Look for opportunities,
take advantage of them when they come, because they will come. Don’t say no,
even though you might think you’re not ready, or it’s not the right time, or
you can’t take that job because you have to work. Keep that fire inside you
burning!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-2755167179286984652016-02-26T16:49:00.000-08:002016-11-17T11:26:44.934-08:00FILM NIGHT Podcast #14 & #15: Oscar 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sosEe6qU6O4/V4A8GnrnGVI/AAAAAAAARaE/sMUbSkJ6rZUk63gdwviy-onyph0wpQ2xgCLcB/s1600/Oscars-2016-Best-Picture-nominees-Big-Short-Bridge-Of-Spies-Brooklyn-Mad-Max-Fury-Road-Martian-Revenant-Room-Spotlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sosEe6qU6O4/V4A8GnrnGVI/AAAAAAAARaE/sMUbSkJ6rZUk63gdwviy-onyph0wpQ2xgCLcB/s400/Oscars-2016-Best-Picture-nominees-Big-Short-Bridge-Of-Spies-Brooklyn-Mad-Max-Fury-Road-Martian-Revenant-Room-Spotlight.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Who should win big at the 2016 Academy Awards?<br />
<br />
We know you're just dying to know what we think at the Film Night podcast, so we had to break it into two parts!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/14-oscars-2016-best-picture-nominees-part-1/">Part One</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/15-oscars-2016-best-picture-nominees-part-2/">Part Two</a>Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704110534440602882.post-84858605840540626502016-02-06T16:45:00.000-08:002016-11-17T11:27:29.914-08:00FILM NIGHT Podcast #13: The Hateful Eight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CXXtVEUG2I4/V4A6_4nK5zI/AAAAAAAARZ4/nJSCsrsJVnkIgQ5FQtSBntahpXotERWuACLcB/s1600/tumblr_nyqpb4HtOO1sygddoo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CXXtVEUG2I4/V4A6_4nK5zI/AAAAAAAARZ4/nJSCsrsJVnkIgQ5FQtSBntahpXotERWuACLcB/s320/tumblr_nyqpb4HtOO1sygddoo1_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Listen to me and the boys <a href="http://filmnight.podbean.com/e/13-the-hateful-8/">love-hate on Tarantino</a> at the Film Night podcast!Paul Donnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10977368536922643556noreply@blogger.com0