Inspirational

Tips on techniques I used on the feature film ON THE HORIZON. On The Horizon was a process that took four years. I’ve learned a lot in that period of time. For the past 12 years, I have been working on short films, music videos and now feature films. All my projects have always been done the same way, with barely any budget and no crew at all, but I was still successful. I won festivals around the world and secured funding for two feature films. I wanted to share with you some crucial tips on...

Many commercials and some re-enactment parts come to you with one simple instruction: 'No sides, all improvised'. For all those trained comedians, this is a huge relief and they can walk in excited to play with new scene partners. For the actors who are more comfortable with scripts…panic will start to set in. "Improv?! Do I have to be funny, what if my scene partner stinks at improv?" Here are five things you can focus on that will make your auditions memorable.  1: Focus on your partner. One...

I wrote my first book when I was five years old. Ok, 'book' may be a bit strong. What I wrote was five pages of a story, on notebook paper, front and back. I stapled this along the left-hand side and finished it with a nice masking tape binding. I even did a custom illustrated cover and a hand-lettered synopsis on the back. The finest in artisanal publishing. Of course, when I brought it to school the next day, my teacher and my fellow students laughed. “Real books aren’t written on noteboo...

"We're going to have to let you go..." were the first words that prompted my acting journey. I had been working in IT for nearly 22 years when my company down-sized and, after a testing time personally, with a difficult divorce, I made a decision. They say that as one door closes another opens, well, the door to regular and comfortable salary-earning did slam firmly shut and like any redundancy, fills you with that initial fear and trepidation. What has happened since then has seen me expand m...

It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog – even for my own site. In all honesty there just hasn’t been anything that compelled me to sit down and put my thoughts out there… but as I had previously written about the death of camera assistant Sarah Jones, and as two years have now passed since the incident that took her life (she was killed on February 20th, 2014), I decided to revisit my feelings on the topic and look at what has come of that loss. Several months back, I was disgusted to hea...

As an artist and storyteller, I know all too well the struggles of making art. Your very first sketch is met with resounding confirmation: "I am wasting my time." Eventually that's partnered with "I am not good enough." If you somehow survive this double onslaught of internal doubt, you will meet the most vicious internal critic of them all:   "No one will care."   Let me tell you a story.   A little over three years ago one of the lowest points in my life occurred. I was laid off. T...

We’re all looking for a hero. This is especially true on a film set where all too often, chaos reigns, but not every superhero jumps around in spandex and underwear. Indeed, one hero carries a more unsuspecting symbol of hope. That hero is you—the 2nd AD! Your on-set weapon for combating chaos: the call sheet! but how can you get the most out of this secret weapon? Strap yourself in; we’re about to tell you how to take your set to the next level.                   1. Have a Centralized Plan—...

It was one of my (mostly) daily tips in the screenwriting lounge that spawned this post, but it was also mentioned that perhaps the community would be interested in things I’ve learned and could relay in regards to my experience. So, I put the two thoughts on the simmer burner of my brain and when I went to check the pot, I remembered that both my creative approach to projects and my personal approach to professional accomplishment, are one in the same and that is the most valuable tidbit I coul...

When I was invited to share with the masses my first thought was the Pet Shop Boy's 'What Have I Done To Deserve This'? I am one of those proverbial aspiring creatives with an insatiable hunger, looking for a foot in the door. So far, only small work on projects that aren't even a blip on an intergalactic map. Then it hit me like a kick to Rhonda Rousey's head. I've always had a certain mindset. A manner of thinking that everyone and I mean EVERYONE who wants to succeed in a creative industry wh...

The Only Rule is Success. Sounds easy, right? Not always, but it is something you can trust.   I was taught three things growing up:   1) You can be anything you want to be if you are willing to work for it. 2) You have a gift and talent, learn your skills. 3) The questions are what is interesting, the answers are all around you.   My life began on a beach in South Texas, with a family from a farm and a college town in Arkansas.  I always knew what I wanted - to get to LA, and...