An acting coach might not be the first thing that springs to your mind when thinking about a life coach, they are similar and very different at the same time.
In our Fundamentals of Acting Course whether this is private or a group class we work on many different levels of your life. Let you become aware and more confident about who you are and where you want to be.
Here are the areas that an acting coach can help become your life coach:
Improve your self-confidence
One of the benefits of getting to know yourself better is that you become more confident on what you want and what you don’t want. I have seen dramatic increases in my student’s self-confidence over the duration of the course.
Improve your public speaking skills
In the Fundamentals of Acting Course, we don’t focus on public speaking, but we practice it a lot. I have had students come to my class who said they couldn’t speak in front of a camera or in front of people and after the first few classes don’t have any problem in that regard anymore.
Find your goals
What is it that makes you happy? A lot of my students are at some point of their life where they feel stuck. They don’t know how to continue. They are unhappy with their job, with their private life and unsure on what to do next. While my function is not to tell you what to do, the exercises we are doing in the class will help you to find answers to those questions by yourself.
What is it that you really want in your life?
Sometimes we don’t see the trees amidst standing in the forest. Our Fundamentals of Acting Course can help you to clear that vision. Help you to get back to yourself. Who you really are inside. What you want and why you want it.
Many of my students are disappointed of where they are at that very moment. They are looking for something and don’t know what. It feels like something is missing in their life. After joining my classes, they start to feel invigorated. They feel a new passion for their life, for their job, for their love, or know which changes they have to make in order to get what they want.
If you are looking for such a change, our Fundamentals of Acting Program may just be what you are looking for. A different kind of life coaching by getting to know yourself.
First time on a film set and you feel like a fish out of water? Here are some guidelines on what to do and not do on a film set that people already expect you should know:
1. DO find someone responsible for you
The first thing you should do when you arrive at the film set is to find the person who is responsible for you, the one who tells you what to do and what not to do.
2. DO find out about catering
Try and find out where the food and drinks are so you know where to go when you need refreshments.
3. DO find the washroom
After all those refreshments—food and drinks—that you’ve had, you are going to need to locate where the washroom is and it’s better if you find out beforehand!
4.DO find out where the makeup, hair, and costume area is
Usually, you’ll find them near each other. So it’s better to locate it before you have to get dressed and leave your things there.
5. DON’T be late
After you are done with makeup and hair, you’ll have to wait for some time for the set to get ready. So being early means you’ll be able to snag one of the limited seats they have there and avoid sitting on the floor.
6. DON’T wander without letting people know where you are
Being where you are when you’re needed is ideal, but if you have to step away for a moment, let people know where you are otherwise it might cause panic or a fuss. Just let them know, ‘Hey, I need to go to the washroom, I’ll be back in a few minutes, is that okay?’ or something like that.
7. DON’T be rude
This may seem obvious—and it is—because there is no reason why you shouldn’t be nice to people. It may be your first time on set but these people on set have worked together or known each other for a long time and they talk. They talk about you, they talk about all the people on set because they have nothing else to do except for working on the film! So make a good first impression—and a lasting one—by being nice, always! Because they’ll remember it.
That’s it for the guidelines on Do’s and Don’t’s on a film set. To sum up: find out the basic information, always let people know where you are and always be nice!
Acting in student films might not be the first place that you look at for roles. But here’s why you should look at it as a stepping stone to bigger projects:
1. Experience
Acting in student films gives you the experience of being on set. You get to see what’s going on and how it’s going on as well as working with people. See who’s doing what and identify the A.D, the director, the D.O.P—everyone who’s doing anything on set. It’s a great way of getting to know the whole structure and the working of things which will make your experience on other sets easier if you spent time working on student films, familiarizing yourself with everything.
2. Be the main or supporting character instead of an extra or featured extra
If you have worked on bigger projects and worked in roles of an extra or a featured extra, this is a good opportunity for you to try out for the lead role if you’re acting in student films. It’s an entirely different experience from being someone in the background to the one carrying the story. So get your game face on and try out for the lead role in a student film!
3. Student short films can be very creative projects
Instead of working on commercials, which is quite boring as it’s usually always the same and you’d follow the same rules, student projects are quite out there. You can explore crazy characters if you want to or get the chance to. Acting in student films allows you to explore various roles and get experience.
4. Gather material for your reel and boost your resume
Student short films are an excellent way to build your reel. You get materials to add to your reel as well as your resume. This helps you get bigger projects or work on a feature film even. But the stepping stone is acting in student films—the first step before you can move onto something bigger.
5. Networking / Connections
By acting in student films, you get to network with people and these people will remember you. It’s because you’ve worked with them during their student life—well if you’ve been nice and not rude. They’ve probably pursued their career in the film industry after their student life meaning they are going to be someone. Personally, the people I’ve worked with on student film projects have become my friends now and we occasionally work on projects together. The thing is because you’ve worked with them previously on student films, it’s much easier to work with them. It’s because you know how they work and because you’ve forged a lifelong connection with them. So, be nice and grab every opportunity you can get to network with people you’ve worked with. And hat’s going to help you propel forward.
All of the people I know that have been successful in the industry constantly keep track of their work. So, here’s why you should follow up on your acting roles as well:
1. You can use the material for your showreel
Follow up on your acting roles by collecting the works you have been a part of, whether it’s in TVCs or a role as an extra or a voiceover job—anything that shows your talent as an actor. When the work you’ve done is released, look for it, download a copy, always have one with you. Try searching for it on websites for the company you worked for or even ask the director or your agent if they know where you can access it. You can then use it to make your showreel.
2. You can build an actor’s resume
If you follow up on your acting roles, you can build your resume. The more acting credentials you can add in your resume, the better. It shows your experience as well as your acting capability/talent.
3. It shows your dedication
Follow up on your acting roles to show you’re dedicated to what you do. It also shows that you’re proud of your work. Sometimes, it’s not easy finding your work but when you do, keeping up with it definitely pays off.
Are you looking for how to get started on getting acting roles? Well, here’s why you should jumpstart your acting career in Thailand.
1. There is less competition
There are a lot of international movies or international productions coming to Thailand. Alas, there are not many foreign or Caucasian actors here. So chances are higher that you can get involved due to less competition. With the current situation of COVID-19, and what comes after, it’s likely there will be even less competition.
2. There are no unions
In the U.S or the UK, the amount of jobs that you can be a part of is pretty limited if you don’t have an agent or if you’re not a part of a union. But the great thing about Thailand is that they don’t have unions. Hence, you are eligible for any kind of job. You can work on any kind of production that you want if you’re fit for it. Or if you have the talent to lead the role you want!
3. There are lots of international productions shooting here that need foreign talent
There are a lot of international productions coming here. You have international movies, Hollywood movies, Bollywood movies, movies, and series from China. They all come to Thailand because production costs are low and there are diverse talents. Speaking of diverse, Thailand is also a one-stop to find an incredible range of diverse actors—Caucasian actors, black actors, Indian actors, East Asian actors. These attract international productions to shoot here. And you can be a part of that talent pool! You can work on international productions as well as get the international experience here. You can work on films, short films, and you have a higher chance to work on commercials and any of that sort.
4. You can get experience, build a resume, build a reel that can help you to get jobs abroad
With the experience you get working in Thailand, you can build your resume, your acting reel, and your showreel. And then you can send these to international productions abroad and get jobs there. So people in Thailand can get international success from working in Thailand at first. They can build on all the things they have done here.
So jumpstart your acting career in Thailand and see how far you can take it!
By now, you’ve heard the word ‘reels’ a lot of times already. But there are different types of reels you should know about.
The first type of reel you should know about is:
1. Commercial Reel
A commercial reel should be around 1 minute long. The attention span of the casting directors you’ll be sending this to is very short. Which is why you should pack it in with your best works, your best commercials, and the many different types of characters you’ve played. This lures in their attention and shows them what you can do commercial wise.
The second type of reel you should know about is:
2. Action Reel
This should also be around a minute long. My friend, Ron Smoorenburg, who is knowledgable in the action area, mentioned that an action reel should change to the beat. So it’s recommended to have background music and every time there’s a beat, the shot should change. It’s going to short but fast-paced which means your best action shots should be in there.
The third type of reel you should know about is:
3. Acting Reel
Acting reels are common in the West—Europe and the U.S, especially. They look for acting reels if you want to get any kind of acting job there. They should be around 2 minutes long, maybe a little more but don’t over exceed. Within these two minutes, you’re focusing on dialogues and interaction with other people. Each shot should be around 15 to 20 seconds, a little more if the dialogue is really good. It’s important to show your best stuff in these 2 minutes. Start with your best work—don’t save it till the end—because people don’t have time. They’ll stop watching if it’s not a good tape without a second thought. Give an overview of your acting skills as well as the kind of characters you can portray!
The fourth type of reel you should know about is:
4. ShowReel
My reel from 2017 is pretty much of a showreel with a mixture of both the commercial and acting reel.
In Asia, a showreel is a combination of a commercial reel and an acting reel. You want to impress the casting directors as well as show them your talent in both commercial and acting. You can have some music in the background that can have a certain rhythm to it. It should be around 2 minutes long and so, it will be fast-paced. But it should not only have the dialogues and interactions. Strike a balance to accommodate the mixture of the commercial and acting reels.
3 Reasons why you should have a reel:
1. To show what you are doing as an actor (Your business card)
By showing what you’ve done so far as an actor, you’re not only just telling them, you’re showing them proof—the credibility of your talents.
2. To send to agents/casting directors for work
If you want to attract agents, you should show them what you can do. If you want to send a profile for a job you want, you should include a showreel as well.
I, myself, got booked for a couple of jobs through my showreel. I didn’t need to audition because they knew I was suitable for the job. Showreel really helps showcase your talent and the agents and casting directors can see it too if you send them yours.
3. To show that you are professional
Having a showreel is just the standard in the industry. If you don’t have a showreel, it shows the lack of seriousness in what you do. If you are serious about acting and establishing a career in this industry, you should have been—or at least, should be working on building your showreel.
—————————————————————-
Contact Ron Smoorenburg to create your reel: ron_smoorenburg@hotmail.com
Contact Manu Zirnheld to create your reel: zirnheld.manu@gmail.com
So we finally present to you, Breathe (COVID Cut). This song I wrote, together with my brother and my friend Nik Supatravanij (who played the keys), was done a little less than a year ago. When my grandmother passed away I had a lot of thoughts going round my head, the next thing I knew my anxiety crept up. This song is about reflecting on that moment and overcoming it.
I wanted to make a song that was relatable to people going through the same things.
However when I was going to do the Music video for this particular project Covid-19 happened and instead of canceling the whole project, we re-directed our creative direction. We wanted to try and give to others who are in need and at the same time create. So please, enjoy Breathe (COVID Cut) xoxo.
[ad_2]
