Film Acting Superfuntimes

I don't remember who I stole this from. But one of the crew put it on their FB page. Thanks dude.

I feel like I should give a little update on the whole acting thing. I started this blog to profess my love for all things British, silly and dramatic, but don't ever provide any of the actual created drama...instead I litter the web pages with all my mental dramas.

Aren't you so lucky?

I've done a few things to make January a truly fantastic month and wonderful start to 2013. I participated in a film short, an AWARD WINNING film short, and I survived URTA. And kind of enjoyed it.

Guys...I say the latter and I'm not even drunk. (Any actor who's done URTA to attempt to get into grad school knows where I'm coming from.)

First, the film short. I hopped on to that project after a friend posted on Facebook about needing actors for the Rochester Movie Makers 72 Hour Mind to Movie Challenge. They got their person/place/premise and then had 72 hours to write a script, include original music (or music given by permission I think), and film/edit the whole thing. I volunteered to help out...though I've never done screen work before, and it was such a freaking blast.

(Picture credited to Matt DeTurk...yes I stole it from your Facebook and I will someday learn how to properly credit a photo back to it's original source. Today is not that day. I'm hungry and need to leave soon.)

The producers of the project, Matt, Adam and Katie, are my new favorite people. And I'm not just saying that cause I live at home with my parents and don't get out much. PROMISE. They're super creative and really funny people. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time (and there was NO booze involved, winning) so it was quite the good time. The whole script is quite pun-y, so obviously right up my alley. The filming is done so completely different than what I'm used to in theatre that it was  definitely a learning experience.

I can't say I love my acting in it. Though for this type of project, you can't really learn lines and delve into character background. We did a read through on a Friday night and we shot all day on a Saturday. We did each little bit piece by piece and didn't go in order. The whole movie can only be five minutes long, but it certainly took all day to make. I would definitely love to try out this kind of thing again. Hopefully, if I get into grad school I'll be able to take some classes on screen work and get better in that kind of medium.

This project, if anything, showed me how important a director and a script are to film. Listening to all the directors talk about their projects at the screening was immensely enlightening to the film making process (btw, if you're in the Rochester, NY area, I HIGHLY suggest going to the screening, even if you're not involved, just to see other creative projects made locally). I can see now that my acting, in just a five minute span doesn't really matter much unless there is a good director behind the camera and a great script. We had both of those and came in second place. So freaking proud of the team that made this film. Check it out below:

*Fun fact: the hay scene was done inside of Matt and Adam's kitchen. We missed out on doing it outside because the sun went down, so they dumped a full bale of hay in their kitchen just to get that joke in. These are the kinds of people I want to hang out with all the time. The kinds of people that will DUMP HAY IN THEIR KITCHEN for a joke. Baller.

(Picture credited to Matt DeTurk)

Though I obviously have critiques for myself...dude, what is up with my hair? (Just so you know, that's pretty much how I always wear it...with half of it falling out of my clip...so it was quite a true to life picture) I can say that my Mom loved it. So I don't really care what anybody else says, if my Mom likes it, then I can rest easy that I didn't embarrass myself. I win, guys, I win. I want a gold star and a brownie.

*Another fun fact: This is should come as no surprise, but I got real excited about doing this project after Matt said he was going to pay me in pizza. Embarrassing fact about me...I will work for good pizza.

(Picture credited to Matt DeTurk)

I will have to save URTA for another post as now I am off to dinner at a Hibachi place for the first time ever, and then to see "Identity Thief". Now Melissa McCarthy is definitely someone I idolize in the film world...her, Rebel Wilson and Catherine Tate. Comedic genius'.

Cheers,
L xx

"Nothing to do, nowhere to be/A simple kind of free/Nothing to do, no one but me/And that's all I need/I'm perfectly lonely..."

A great way to start off a day (besides my mandatory cup of coffee from Cowgirl Creamery) is rocking out to John Mayer's new album "Battle Studies" (Perfectly Lonely lyrics as title of post) and some old stuff by Citizen Cope. I'm feeling very mellow and yet jazzed up (is it the caffeine she inquires?).

I'm currently making some lentil tacos for a quick lunch before work. I'll have to get the recipe up here if I haven't already cause it. is. amazing. I really do have to thank my sis-in-law for getting me hooked on these...though hers will always remain mad good (thanks Estelle!).

Can I just say I can't wait for Thanksgiving?! It's going to be great, despite being on the road for the majority of my time off and only being home for less than 3 days. I'm driving off to Philly to pick up my brother tonight after I get out of work at the theatre around 9:30ish. Once there it's sleep for about 4 hours, get up, caffeinate, hop back on the road and we're off to Rochester, NY! There will be audio book fun happening and with two siblings on a 5 hour car ride with some intense dark coffee coursing through their veins things will be on the insane fun side. Trust me. My family veers on the wacky side. We manage to down play it in polite company but mixing any of us together and things get a bit out of hand.

Example: Every major holiday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter, etc., etc., we always go to a movie because we're not really close enough to visit our relatives. And every major holiday the entire family gets into a big, close to knock-down-brawl that may or may not include visual aids, hand gesturing, and threats/attempts on lives when it comes to deciding which movie we should see. This may be a slight exaggeration but welcome to my random acts of drama.

Ah, holidays...what fun it shall be. ;)

xo, Lindsay

Things You Don't Want To Know About Your Parents

This is a Public Service Announcement: Do Not Show Your Parents the Movie "Failure To Launch".

You may think this is funny now...but you will regret it immediately if you show your parents this movie and let it get into their heads that they too need a "Naked Room" in the house after you've flown the coup. Then, when in the midst of conversation on the phone with the 'rents, your Mom mentions that "well your father said he's going to go hang out in the Naked Room", you will be adding this comment to the official list of Things You Don't Want To Know About Your Parents. Other things will pass through your brain as well that will horrify and shock you, such as: Which room is the Naked Room? Is it your's or your sister's room? Will you ever be able to make a surprise visit again? (The answer is no.) Is sitting down on furniture allowed when in the Naked Room? WHICH ROOM IS THE NAKED ROOM?

Now you need to go drink heavily/get a lobotomy/pour boiling water on your brain. And who really wants to go through that? (And by that I mean the last two.)

Your parents may make such comments about a Naked Room followed by partially smothered giggles that might make you doubt such claims...but is there any way to find out that doesn't involve trying to remove real time images from you head later? No.

So just listen to me when I say, best leave it alone. The movie is funny and awesome and, yes, your parents probably would get a kick out of it. But you really don't want to take the risk of them getting any ideas. Heaven forbid your parents start thinking crazy thoughts.

This has been a Public Service Announcement. You're welcome.

xo, Lindsay

"This film should be called 'The Children of Marx and Coca-Cola'."

Okay, I just needed to blog about this. Get ready for it...I have, for the first time ever, ventured into the work of Jean-Luc Godard...hell, I've jumped right into French New Wave Cinema...and let me tell you....WTF?

Well there may have been a few wtf moments, but overall...I really kind of liked a lot of aspects from this particular film, "Masculin Feminin". I mean, I don't entirely get the whole jarring sound bites he plays at random times, even over conversations the characters are having, or the silence moments, or the voice speaking over the black screen with messages...like he was trying to be super deep but it didn't really translate well...BUT...I loved how the camera stayed on certain actors, even when others were speaking to them. It gave you a chance to see the reaction of the actor to the words directed at them. In the extras on the DVD I learned that a lot of those particular moments where something the director did because he was really into making scenes as natural as possible. A lot of the time he'd focus the camera on the actor and using an ear piece that the actor had he would ask them really personal questions that the actors were suppose to respond to as themselves...not as their character. He then took those clips and found a way to blend the character he wanted with the actor's responses.

I love that.

Next will venture onto "Pierrot Le Fou" as suggested by Lea Maria. We shall see how that goes...

Post Script: I just love French movies. And this one was a great peek into French culture/society in the '60s. If you are into French films too then I'd highly recommend the following: L'Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartment) and it's sequel Les Poupees Russes (The Russian Dolls)...and of course can't leave out Amelie...fabulous. Any suggestions? Send them my way ;)

Have a fabulous night, I'm taking my glass of wine to bed with the book Julie & Julia by Julie Powell...because having loads in common with the main character always makes me feel better about myself.

xx Lindsay

A New Frontier.

I just want to do a quick post about this now and hopefully I'll get around to doing a longer post about it later.  Exciting news...someone is actually giving me some acting work to do. Not paid sadly, but at least I get to do what I love and in a format I've never tried before. 

I'm going to be doing a short film that's only about 10 minutes long.  A group of local film makers got their scripts picked to put on film. I went to the audition to try out for one of those films and while I was there I tried out for another one that I fit the description of and that's the one I got picked for.

I was happy just to do the audition because I've only ever auditioned for theatre stuff and this was my first one for something on film. It was actually a lot more fun than a lot of the theatre auditions I've done. It was a very relaxed atmosphere where I got to meet the directors of the two pieces, the guy doing the filming and the guy leading the audition. Overall, it appears that a lot more people are involved in this process than with theatre auditions.

I was given a few minutes to look over the "sides" (just short selections from the scripts), then I had to sign a sheet that stated I understood I wouldn't be getting compensation for this project but I would get a copy of the film on DVD.  Which I can only assume is because then I can use it for when I want to show some work I've done (yippee! hello grad school applications...)

All I had to do for the actual audition was look into the camera when they said go, state my name and my phone number where I could be reached and then read through the lines. I had a guy off to the side that read the roles opposite me as well, which was useful. It was fun doing this audition because for the first piece I did, the director gave me some suggestions for how he wanted it done differently a second time around, and I'm pretty comfortable with this kind of comment/change/redo style of auditioning because it's what I always do with theatre. You just do it over and over again, sometimes with different people, so the director/s can see if you'd fit in the role. But for the first piece I only had to do it twice and then the second piece I only did it once and I was done.  Amazingly quick...I guess they can be that way when they've just filmed it and can then re-watch it as much as they want.  

I really enjoyed the whole audition, wasn't sure how well I did because...well...I've never done film before, but was really happy when I got cast in the second piece.  It should be fun and quite a learning experience.  I'll blog more about it as we get into rehearsals (only 2 or 3 before actual filming commences). I'm quite glad I'm not getting paid for it though, as I've never done something like this I don't want to completely mess it up, so it relieves the pressure a bit when a paycheck isn't involved.