God's Root Theatre- Reaching The World Through Drama

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God's Root Theatre- Reaching The World Through Drama God's root theatre is a non-denominational christian theatre with the aim of reaching the world through drama

05/08/2018

In today's teaching.. I'll be letting you know THE THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO AFTER AN AUDITION
I’ve been told a thousand times to “do the audition and then forget it!” Unfortunately, I still find it ridiculously hard to let go. And I think we all feel the same way. The following article is my lame attempt at self discipline. I hope it helps you, because it probably won’t help me…

Don’t Watch The Show!
Even the worst TV show instantly becomes ten times better after you receive an audition for it. For one particular audition I watched three seasons of rubbish in one day to help me understand the “mood”. But there is one thing worse than binge watching hours of television in procrastination-preparation, and that’s watching hours of television in post-audition obsession. Grinding out hours and hours of NCIS because you think it will help you get the bit part you auditioned for last week is exactly what not to do after an audition.

Don’t Call Your Agent
After your next audition try something new and don’t call your agent. Not only is it a waste of your time, it’s a waste of their time, which is time they could spend on getting you another audition! It also brings attention to the fact that you’re not booking jobs, even when you think you’re killing it! Just don’t do it.

Don’t Tell Your Friends and Family
This one is so hard it makes me want to throw a tantrum at myself. But! When you tell your mum about an audition, all you are doing is setting her up to be devastatingly disappointed. I get it, you haven’t worked as an actor for nine months but you’ve done 20+ auditions. You want to scream from the top of your lungs “I’M STILL AN ACTOR!” Unfortunately, the pride in your friend’s eyes isn’t worth it when they tell their kids that they don’t know the new Batman.
Don’t Wait for the Phone to Ring
Don’t leave the audition room and then instantly set the habit of checking your mobile phone every ten minutes. Don’t jump every time you receive an email or text message. Don’t answer “Private Number” calls because it might be your agent at a phone booth – it’s probably just an over-due electricity bill. Try putting pen to paper or reading a book. Go and see your mum and don’t mention acting, watch a football match with mates and don’t mention acting, live a little! The phone will ring in it’s own time, or not!
Read: How to Find Auditions
Conclusion
We can never fully shake that desire to book the job. We all love acting and want to be working. However, there is simply nothing you can do about the outcome of an audition. Try to learn from every experience, and once an audition is over – let it go. It’s a great habit to get into early, because there is going to be plenty of rejection to come.

04/08/2018

In today's teaching, I'll expose to you The Things an Actor should never do...
Actors should never…
1. Complain
Cultivate a life that isn’t focused around complaining. I once watched someone agonise about choosing between two of the best acting agents in the country, almost to the point of tears. It’s an important decision, but whichever decision you make is a great one! Complaining wastes energy and people won’t want to work with you. Great article on how to stop complaining…
2. Be out of reach
Actors must always be contactable. If you are represented, make sure that your agent has all of your contact details including phone, email, home address, and your emergency contacts. If you a freelancing, make sure your casting profiles have your current contact details. I learnt my lesson a few years ago when my agent called my girlfriend about an audition. Never be out of reach.
3. Say no to helping a friend
An acting career relies on friends. Friends to film self tests with, friends to run scenes with, friends to film short films with. Be good to your friends and they will be good to you. PS. If they don’t help you out, they’re probably not your friend…
4. Post monologues on Youtube
Monologues and showreels should remain in the private section of Youtube and Vimeo. Have them on your casting profiles, but don’t post your latest monologues/scenes to Youtube and especially not to Facebook. If you’re desperate make a short film and then go nuts!
5. Start an acting blog
Yes, I see the hypocrisy, but seriously your public image is important. You want to keep some mystery as an actor. If you are a poet, musician, writer, please share. Make a blog, page, the whole deal. But unless you have a knack for writing we don’t want to hear the ‘weekly updates of me trying to make it in LA!’
6. Start an acting page
Unless you are working consistently as an actor consider whether it’s worth getting an acting page. If you write, or produce work then do it, but your friends don’t want to see your latest headshots or photos of you learning your lines in cafes.
7. Write reviews
I went down this rabbit hole myself. Actors are sensitive. If you’re an actor don’t p**s other actors off. Critiquing the people you are trying to work with and for isn’t the best move.
8. Pay money to an agent
Agents should never charge for their services. They take a cut of your work, that is all. They may recommend a headshot photographer or that you sign up to particular casting directories , but don’t ever pay your agent. For more on agents…
9. Believe in sunk costs
Many actors have this notion that because they spent three or four years training as an actor they have to be actors forever. If the lifestyle isn’t for you, there’s no shame in throwing in the towel. I interviewed
Lee Lewis , an incredible theatre director, and she spoke about how the reality of being an actor is just not for everyone. If it’s just not your cup of tea no shame in
throwing in the towel .
10. Get swallowed by cults
I am an advocate for ongoing training, but there are many actors who get swallowed up in a cult like obsession with acting teachers (gurus!). Having role models and being inspired by teachers is great. But remember to balance how much your are paying for classes with how much you are working as an actor. You are a business, so some initial investment is fine, but don’t get stuck paying to play .
11. Mimic another actor’s career
As with point 9, it’s great to have people to look up to, but you can’t live someone else’s career. It is unpredictable being an actor, so don’t think that there are patterns that you can just copy. ‘They got a headshot from so and so, and then landed that gig, so maybe that’s what will get me my next role’. Work on your craft and look for opportunities that resonate with you. For more on acting…
12. Lose perspective
You take yourself and your acting career really seriously, and that’s great. But it doesn’t mean that you can be a jerk to everyone in your life. It’s not your mum’s fault you didn’t get the part. It’s not your partners responsibility to learn your lines for you. You played a bit part on NCIS… that doesn’t mean you don’t have to to pay your rent!
13. Be late
I have said it before, but I have to say it again. Never be late! A professional has to be able to be on time. It’s that simple. If you can’t be on time, you’re not a pro.
14. Ask for another take
If the director or casting director has said they have got what they need, you should not ask for another take. If you do, make sure you show something different. On set you are asking the entire production to wait while you do another take – so you better make it a good one.
15. Give away perpetuity rights
Your work is your work. If people want to use it, they should pay. Unless you are being paid literal millions, you should not sign away the rights to your image in perpetuity. Have faith that your career is trending upwards, and maintain control of your work. You don’t want a company to be able to re-use your toothpaste commercial after you win an oscar. Always check with your agent or union if you are worried about issues with contracts, that’s what they are there for.
16. Be broke
Work. Work. Work. Being broke is the worst. Being a broke actor will mean you take work for the money. Work that you don’t want to do, that you won’t be proud of, and won’t progress your career. Put some money away for a rainy day and always choose work for it’s merits, not for the money. Good jobs for actors…
17. Audition when sick
Never audition when you are sick. Or at least while you are contagious! I know it seems like a good idea at the time. You don’t want to miss out on an opportunity of a lifetime. But guess what? Casting directors and readers are people too – and they get sick… Ask yourself: Do I want to be remembered as the actor that gave a casting director a cold? No? Then don’t audition while you are sick. Send a self test instead!!
18. Act on their own
Insert all the clichés here: Acting is reacting. Acting is about relationships. Acting is listening. Acting is about trying to achieve objectives etc. etc. Actors should never act on their own because they can’t. Unless you are in a room, on your own, pretending to be someone or something you are not. In all other cases you are acting with other people (or the camera, and through the camera an audience.). Sure, you can ignore the people around you, but that needs to be a character choice – and that character choice needs to serve the story .
19. Tell other actors how to play their part
This happens all the time, especially in theatre. Actors often rehearse their part in a certain way in private, making assumptions about the way the other actors will perform, only to find the other characters behaving differently than expected in the rehearsal room. If you find yourself in this situation you have two options.
Option one is to tell the other actors how you think they should play their part. This option will lose you friends and work. Option two is to respond naturally, in character, to what you are receiving. This option will help you win friends and work. The second option will also allow the other actors to accurately gauge if their choices are correct. You never know, given time and support, they might find your interpretation.
20. Think they have the role
It’s natural to want to tell everyone that you are really close to securing a role. You have had two call backs and you agent sounds optimistic. But actors should never assume they have the role until a deal memo or contract is signed. I know it’s exciting! But you don’t want to have to take a trip to Texas, to hide the fact that you’re not on set.
21. Listen to advice!
Obviously this one is a bit tongue-in-cheek. We’ve tried to give you a list of what not to do, but of course, there are exceptions. Your unique qualities are what set you apart from the crowd. It’s impossible to follow every piece of advice, so use what works for you, and throw the rest away!Actors should never…
1. Complain
Cultivate a life that isn’t focused around complaining. I once watched someone agonise about choosing between two of the best acting agents in the country, almost to the point of tears. It’s an important decision, but whichever decision you make is a great one! Complaining wastes energy and people won’t want to work with you. Great article on how to stop complaining…
2. Be out of reach
Actors must always be contactable. If you are represented, make sure that your agent has all of your contact details including phone, email, home address, and your emergency contacts. If you a freelancing, make sure your casting profiles have your current contact details. I learnt my lesson a few years ago when my agent called my girlfriend about an audition. Never be out of reach.
3. Say no to helping a friend
An acting career relies on friends. Friends to film self tests with, friends to run scenes with, friends to film short films with. Be good to your friends and they will be good to you. PS. If they don’t help you out, they’re probably not your friend…
4. Post monologues on Youtube
Monologues and showreels should remain in the private section of Youtube and Vimeo. Have them on your casting profiles, but don’t post your latest monologues/scenes to Youtube and especially not to Facebook. If you’re desperate make a short film and then go nuts!
5. Start an acting blog
Yes, I see the hypocrisy, but seriously your public image is important. You want to keep some mystery as an actor. If you are a poet, musician, writer, please share. Make a blog, page, the whole deal. But unless you have a knack for writing we don’t want to hear the ‘weekly updates of me trying to make it in LA!’
6. Start an acting page
Unless you are working consistently as an actor consider whether it’s worth getting an acting page. If you write, or produce work then do it, but your friends don’t want to see your latest headshots or photos of you learning your lines in cafes.
7. Write reviews
I went down this rabbit hole myself. Actors are sensitive. If you’re an actor don’t p**s other actors off. Critiquing the people you are trying to work with and for isn’t the best move.
8. Pay money to an agent
Agents should never charge for their services. They take a cut of your work, that is all. They may recommend a headshot photographer or that you sign up to particular casting directories , but don’t ever pay your agent. For more on agents…
9. Believe in sunk costs
Many actors have this notion that because they spent three or four years training as an actor they have to be actors forever. If the lifestyle isn’t for you, there’s no shame in throwing in the towel. I interviewed
Lee Lewis , an incredible theatre director, and she spoke about how the reality of being an actor is just not for everyone. If it’s just not your cup of tea no shame in
throwing in the towel .
10. Get swallowed by cults
I am an advocate for ongoing training, but there are many actors who get swallowed up in a cult like obsession with acting teachers (gurus!). Having role models and being inspired by teachers is great. But remember to balance how much your are paying for classes with how much you are working as an actor. You are a business, so some initial investment is fine, but don’t get stuck paying to play .
11. Mimic another actor’s career
As with point 9, it’s great to have people to look up to, but you can’t live someone else’s career. It is unpredictable being an actor, so don’t think that there are patterns that you can just copy. ‘They got a headshot from so and so, and then landed that gig, so maybe that’s what will get me my next role’. Work on your craft and look for opportunities that resonate with you. For more on acting…
12. Lose perspective
You take yourself and your acting career really seriously, and that’s great. But it doesn’t mean that you can be a jerk to everyone in your life. It’s not your mum’s fault you didn’t get the part. It’s not your partners responsibility to learn your lines for you. You played a bit part on NCIS… that doesn’t mean you don’t have to to pay your rent!
13. Be late
I have said it before, but I have to say it again. Never be late! A professional has to be able to be on time. It’s that simple. If you can’t be on time, you’re not a pro.
14. Ask for another take
If the director or casting director has said they have got what they need, you should not ask for another take. If you do, make sure you show something different. On set you are asking the entire production to wait while you do another take – so you better make it a good one.
15. Give away perpetuity rights
Your work is your work. If people want to use it, they should pay. Unless you are being paid literal millions, you should not sign away the rights to your image in perpetuity. Have faith that your career is trending upwards, and maintain control of your work. You don’t want a company to be able to re-use your toothpaste commercial after you win an oscar. Always check with your agent or union if you are worried about issues with contracts, that’s what they are there for.
16. Be broke
Work. Work. Work. Being broke is the worst. Being a broke actor will mean you take work for the money. Work that you don’t want to do, that you won’t be proud of, and won’t progress your career. Put some money away for a rainy day and always choose work for it’s merits, not for the money. Good jobs for actors…
17. Audition when sick
Never audition when you are sick. Or at least while you are contagious! I know it seems like a good idea at the time. You don’t want to miss out on an opportunity of a lifetime. But guess what? Casting directors and readers are people too – and they get sick… Ask yourself: Do I want to be remembered as the actor that gave a casting director a cold? No? Then don’t audition while you are sick. Send a self test instead!!
18. Act on their own
Insert all the clichés here: Acting is reacting. Acting is about relationships. Acting is listening. Acting is about trying to achieve objectives etc. etc. Actors should never act on their own because they can’t. Unless you are in a room, on your own, pretending to be someone or something you are not. In all other cases you are acting with other people (or the camera, and through the camera an audience.). Sure, you can ignore the people around you, but that needs to be a character choice – and that character choice needs to serve the story .
19. Tell other actors how to play their part
This happens all the time, especially in theatre. Actors often rehearse their part in a certain way in private, making assumptions about the way the other actors will perform, only to find the other characters behaving differently than expected in the rehearsal room. If you find yourself in this situation you have two options.
Option one is to tell the other actors how you think they should play their part. This option will lose you friends and work. Option two is to respond naturally, in character, to what you are receiving. This option will help you win friends and work. The second option will also allow the other actors to accurately gauge if their choices are correct. You never know, given time and support, they might find your interpretation.
20. Think they have the role
It’s natural to want to tell everyone that you are really close to securing a role. You have had two call backs and you agent sounds optimistic. But actors should never assume they have the role until a deal memo or contract is signed. I know it’s exciting! But you don’t want to have to take a trip to Texas, to hide the fact that you’re not on set.
21. Listen to advice!
Obviously this one is a bit tongue-in-cheek. We’ve tried to give you a list of what not to do, but of course, there are exceptions. Your unique qualities are what set you apart from the crowd. It’s impossible to follow every piece of advice, so use what works for you, and throw the rest away!

12/01/2018

TODAY'S TOPIC
What is Continuity? Why it is so important when making film?

One of the areas that seems to be an issue time and time again is the thorny issue of Continuity.
Today I would like to outline the three most important aspects of continuity in relation to shooting your film. Continuity is so important. It is one of the areas that the emerging film maker consistently overlooks with negative consequences.
I would like to break continuity down into four areas.
Acting continuity
Props Continuity
Costume Continuity
180 Line
1. Acting Continuity.
Actors need to do the same action and say the same line in different shots and different takes. I love to demonstrate this in Film Class.
We get actors to play a scene a certain way in the master shot. The actor may pick up the glass with the right hand and then wave with their left hand. Then we shoot a Close Up where the actor picks up the glass with the left hand and then waves with the right hand. Then we edit the two shots and see how bad the scene cuts. Now we do this on purpose for demonstration purposes. However, so many film makers make this very mistake with their actors on important film projects with detrimental results to one’s film.
Make sure that your actors are trained or are exceptionally aware of continuity. Motivate the actors by letting them know if their continuity is exceptionally good , its means that their close ups get more screen time.
Secondly, make sure you hire or recruit an excellent continuity person who watches the video split screen for these errors. A good Continuity Person will pick up when an actor has digressed from important actions or has forgotten key lines in their speech. They are worth their weight in gold. Good acting continuity differentiates the amateur film maker from the professional film maker.
2. Costumes:
Another area that can be challenging to the emerging film maker is costume continuity. Generally, the wardrobe department will keep tabs and photos of all costumes worn by the actors. However, on a micro budget film, the film maker may not have a wardrobe department.
In this case, you need to keep very good photos of the actor before you shoot the first take in your scene. What this means is that you can refer to this photo as you shoot the scene. If the actor goes to lunch and takes off his tie, it is reasonably easy for the actor to forget to put the tie on for the afternoon shoot. This can cause very bad continuity issues.
Also, when the next scene in screen time follows the previous scene, continuity becomes very important. What if you are not shooting the next scene for a week. Who is going to remember what the actor was wearing? Often the actor will forget.
However, if you have a photo of what the actor is wearing, the correct costume can be found and the next scene can be shot with the actor in the correct clothes rather than an embarrassing continuity error.
3. Props Continuity
It is a very important to get prop continuity correct. When you start shooting a scene, you may start with the master wide shot. At this point take photos of the whole film set and exactly where everything is.
Later when you are shooting the Close ups, it may be necessary to move the table and the props. Then at a later point you have to shoot another shot that shows the table again in shot. You will have to put the table back exactly where it was with the exact same props. This can be difficult if you have forgotton to take a photo at the start of shooting the scene. This can be another source of continuity errors. So take the photo of the set at the start of shooting the scene.
Also, if there is action such as a fight, props may be moved and then have to be replaced for the next take.
4. 180 Degree Line
Now what about the 180 Degree Line. This one is always a challenge for the emerging filmmaker. Place the camera on the correct side of the line and you will never make the worst continuity mistake of all continuity mistakes.

Conclusion
The micro budget or full budget film maker should have a really good continuity person on their film set who watches continuity like a hawk. They should observe actor continuity, prop continuity and costume continuity. The continuity person should take photographs of the whole set and the actors costumes. If all of this is observed properly, you will have a film that you can cut in the edit suite later. This also ensures that the editor has maximum cutting choices in the edit.

12/01/2018

In today's teaching, we will be looking at;
What is Continuity? Why it is so important when making film?

One of the areas that seems to be an issue time and time again is the thorny issue of Continuity.
Today I would like to outline the three most important aspects of continuity in relation to shooting your film. Continuity is so important. It is one of the areas that the emerging film maker consistently overlooks with negative consequences.
I would like to break continuity down into four areas.
Acting continuity
Props Continuity
Costume Continuity
180 Line

1. Acting Continuity.
Actors need to do the same action and say the same line in different shots and different takes. I love to demonstrate this in Film Class.
We get actors to play a scene a certain way in the master shot. The actor may pick up the glass with the right hand and then wave with their left hand. Then we shoot a Close Up where the actor picks up the glass with the left hand and then waves with the right hand. Then we edit the two shots and see how bad the scene cuts. Now we do this on purpose for demonstration purposes. However, so many film makers make this very mistake with their actors on important film projects with detrimental results to one’s film.
Make sure that your actors are trained or are exceptionally aware of continuity. Motivate the actors by letting them know if their continuity is exceptionally good , its means that their close ups get more screen time.
Secondly, make sure you hire or recruit an excellent continuity person who watches the video split screen for these errors. A good Continuity Person will pick up when an actor has digressed from important actions or has forgotten key lines in their speech. They are worth their weight in gold. Good acting continuity differentiates the amateur film maker from the professional film maker.

2. Costumes:
Another area that can be challenging to the emerging film maker is costume continuity. Generally, the wardrobe department will keep tabs and photos of all costumes worn by the actors. However, on a micro budget film, the film maker may not have a wardrobe department.
In this case, you need to keep very good photos of the actor before you shoot the first take in your scene. What this means is that you can refer to this photo as you shoot the scene. If the actor goes to lunch and takes off his tie, it is reasonably easy for the actor to forget to put the tie on for the afternoon shoot. This can cause very bad continuity issues.
Also, when the next scene in screen time follows the previous scene, continuity becomes very important. What if you are not shooting the next scene for a week. Who is going to remember what the actor was wearing? Often the actor will forget.
However, if you have a photo of what the actor is wearing, the correct costume can be found and the next scene can be shot with the actor in the correct clothes rather than an embarrassing continuity error.

3. Props Continuity
It is a very important to get prop continuity correct. When you start shooting a scene, you may start with the master wide shot. At this point take photos of the whole film set and exactly where everything is.
Later when you are shooting the Close ups, it may be necessary to move the table and the props. Then at a later point you have to shoot another shot that shows the table again in shot. You will have to put the table back exactly where it was with the exact same props. This can be difficult if you have forgotton to take a photo at the start of shooting the scene. This can be another source of continuity errors. So take the photo of the set at the start of shooting the scene.
Also, if there is action such as a fight, props may be moved and then have to be replaced for the next take.

4. 180 Degree Line
Now what about the 180 Degree Line. This one is always a challenge for the emerging filmmaker. Place the camera on the correct side of the line and you will never make the worst continuity mistake of all continuity mistakes.

Conclusion
The micro budget or full budget film maker should have a really good continuity person on their film set who watches continuity like a hawk. They should observe actor continuity, prop continuity and costume continuity. The continuity person should take photographs of the whole set and the actors costumes. If all of this is observed properly, you will have a film that you can cut in the edit suite later. This also ensures that the editor has maximum cutting choices in the edit.

11/01/2018

WHO WAS THE FIRST ACTOR?????
The first actor
One of the first actors is believed to have been an ancient Greek called Thespis of Icaria. Writing two centuries after the event, Aristotle in his Poetics (c. 335 BCE) suggests that Thespis stepped out of the dithyrambic chorus and addressed it as a separate character . Before Thespis, the chorus narrated (for example, "Dionysus did this, Dionysus said that"). When Thespis stepped out from the chorus, he spoke as if he was the character (for example, "I am Dionysus. I did this"). To distinguish between these different modes of storytelling—enactment and narration—Aristotle uses the terms " mimesis " (via enactment) and " diegesis " (via narration). From Thespis' name derives the word "thespian".

10/01/2018

Hello great Thespians!! Today, we'll be looking at an important topic..

Top 10 Qualities of a Great Performing Artist

In the cutthroat performing arts world, musicians, singers, dancers, actors, and others find themselves constantly trying to outshine the competition and rise to the top. The most successful in the performing arts industry should have:
1. Creativity: A great performing artist is very creative and can come up with ideas that help make performances more interesting, engaging, and exciting.

2. Enthusiasm: A great performing artist has a great sense of enthusiasm for their craft. They support their peers and the industry as a whole and enjoy the work they do. Their passion shows in their work.

3. Flexibility: A great performing artist must be very flexible, as working the arts can be intermittent and schedules can vary widely.

4. High Self-Esteem: A great performing artist has excellent self-esteem and does not let rejection and poor reviews affect personal perspective or motivation.

5. Networking Skills: A great performing artist has excellent communication and networking skills. Many of the best jobs in the industry are found through industry connections, and networking skills can be vital to success.

6 Perseverance: A great performing artist should be very persevering and seek out job opportunities continually, even in the face of inevitable rejection.

7. Physical Stamina: A great performing artist has good physical stamina and can endure long periods of standing, dancing, singing, or other physically taxing activities.

8. Presentation Skills: A great performing artist has excellent presentation skills and can present themselves professionally in auditions and interviews, and pleasingly to audiences.

9. Self-Discipline: A great performing artist should have excellent self-discipline and be able to self-direct practice time and other development exercises..

10 Talent: A great performing artist should have natural talent in their chosen craft. They should have genuine interest in the craft that propels them to hone their talent and improve in performance.
By Mr. Thespis

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