from Trilby Jeeves (article by Pamela Vanderway.)

A few weeks ago I asked a question on twitter regarding challenges you encounter surrounding your work and what a good situation would be.  I had some interesting answers but one in particular was impassioned.

Pamela Vanderway is a dialect coach and obviously has great avidity for her chosen work. I asked her if I could post her valuable response on my blog, and she agreed.

Voila:

“Trilby, you had asked me what the ideal scenario is for film projects when it comes to requiring actors to work in a dialect other than their own.  Each project will have special requirements, but in general here’s what really works well…

Read the rest of this article from TrilbyJeeves.com

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This article was written by Trilby Jeeves.

“Out of your head and into your body”. When I heard American Acting Coach, Larry Moss emphatically state these words, during the recent Vancouver Acting School workshop, I felt a knowing thrill dash through my body. It’s the motto I constantly preach in my Buffoonery Acting Workshops – and it’s even imprinted on my business card!

Obviously, we still need our head but lately, the body seems to be a neglected tool in the practice of acting as was made evident during the workshop. Actor after actor was ordered by Larry Moss to commit more to the script and physicalize their process.

Read the rest of this article from Trilby Jeeves.

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This article was written by Trilby Jeeves.

I have just spent three amazing days auditing, witnessing, observing, absorbing, laughing, crying, taking notes, processing, confirming, squirming, cheer-leading, supporting, holding my breath, thinking and agreeing at the Larry Moss Workshop by Vancouver Acting School.

No,  Larry Moss, well known American acting coach, does not need to find his inner bouffon. He has it well intact as he was brutally, and winkingly (a made up Trilby word) truthful, like a bouffon loves to be, with each and every actor who was brave enough to perform a scene for him to critique. And, he did.

Read the rest of this article from Trilby Jeeves.

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This article as written by Peter Knegt.

“You should be president,” someone in the audience said at the end of Jeffrey Tambor’s acting workshop in Austin, Texas yesterday. “I have never felt so inspired… And I don’t even work in the film industry.”

While presidency may be a stretch, it was hard to argue against the inspiration that was Tambor’s 90 minute workshop.  Met on stage at the Austin Convention Center by the stars of Bryan Poyser’s “Lovers of Hate” – Chris Doubek and Heather Kafka – Tambor continued an annual tradition at SXSW, by taking two actors from a film at the festival and getting them to reenact a scene from the film.  What resulted was a partly hilarious, and at times surprisingly affecting experience for the audience, and for Doubek and Kafka.”

Read he rest of this article from Indie Wire.

“Hey, I want you to introduce you to my friend Brian. You’ll really like him. He used to hang out with us back in college. And he’s an actor!”

“An actor, huh?” (Snicker and sneer). “So what’s your REAL job?”

Does this conversation sound familiar? I’ve been through it myself many times throughout the years. I’ve gone down a different path since I’ve had my family, but for a long time I was trying to make it as a working actor. Even when I was making some money, this was a pretty disheartening conversation. As soon as the word “actor” leaves your mouth, people form a mental picture of you waiting tables or living in a cramped apartment with half a dozen other wannabes.

Interesting–people know that actors have the ability to make money, but they always assume that you are not. If you ask around, people will be able to quote how much money Julia Roberts or Brad Pitt made in their last films, but they seem to have no concept of actors working but making less than that.

We’ll I’ll tell you a secret that you’re not going to like–we are part of the problem. Yes, us. The actors.”

Read this article from Brian Powers.

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall

You may be wondering what a Bouffon show has to do with film directing? Well…it’s about actors and performance and theatre and those certainly qualify. Right? Also, my partner, Trilby Jeeves (Buffooneryworkshops.com) is producing and directing this event to showcase the talent of her creative and fearless buffoons.

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On Friday, February 13th, (just in time for Valentines Day) the Bouffons of Vancouver will be let loose for the first time in public to give a performance of the original (really off, off Broadway) production of “Fools For Love…Bouffons Do Classic Love Scenes.”

Don’t miss this pre-Valentine’s Extravaganza – a first for Vancouver! Classic Love Scenes (Romeo & Juliet, A Street Car Named Desire), Poems, and Songs (My Funny Valentine, When the Moon Hits Your Eye) and more, by our gang of fearless bouffons!

WHERE: The Chapel Arts, 304 Dunlevy Avenue (@Cordova), Vancouver, BC, Canada
WHEN: Doors open at 7:00 pm for the pre-show display – Showtime is at 8:00
WHAT: Bouffon Show, preview of the art show “The Big Heart”, cash bar, Valentine cookies, live music, dancing and guaranteed laughs!
DRAW: Two people will win a free 2 Day Buffoonery Intensive
COST: Pay What You Can (proceeds go to space rental) Come early as seating is limited

What is a BOUFFON?

People think it is a clown. But, clowns mostly seek approval from their audience. Bouffons don’t give a s..t and that’s where the fun begins!

Based on the teachings of Jacques Lecoq of Paris, “Le Bouffon” is an exploration of the ironies, and absurdities of human existence. “Le Bouffon” comes from another world, perhaps the inner world of the planet.

Its distorted appearance liberates its character to mock, imitate, and laugh at the rituals of the human being – and get away with it! Its opinion is made clear through large, exaggerated gestures. Mimicry is his ultimate pleasure & there is no limit to the expressions of “Le Bouffon.”

“The Buffoonery Workshop was an eye opening acting experience, an awakening spirit of improvement in my acting ability. As an instructor, Trilby Jeeves is honest, compassionate, focused and direct. She dares the actor to go beyond compromise. She, then, through buffoonery deconstructs your acting preconceptions and helps you find that safe place in which to explore.” Dane B. McFadhen , Vancouver, Canada

“The Buffoonery Acting Workshop” with Trilby Jeeves is two fun-filled days of discovering how to find authentic, believable and committed performances. Through “Le Bouffon,” the film or theatre actor will find a route to authentic, believable and committed performances.And have FUN!!

Buffoonery is one of the best ways to break through a stiff, conscientious performance to one of un-distracted commitment. You will develop a tool for creating well-rounded characters with minimal information. (just be careful of where you practice!) You will also have a chance to exercise the wholeness in your being from the top of your head to the tip of your toes.

For more information on “The Buffoonery Acting Workshop” with Trilby Jeeves, as well as how to register for the next 2 day intensive workshop on January 24, 25, 2009, Click Here.

“The experience of this workshop has been fantastic. The whole group learned how to connect with the body and personally that is what I wanted to learn and I did. The technique was awesome and I’m so happy that I got to get that amazing technique and a big tool for my professional life.” Melissa Reyes, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico

Verbs are used to stimulate an emotion. In order to perform truthfully, actors need to find the right action to fit a particular line or a particular dramatic situation.

Actors need action verbs (an action.) They cannot act truthfully with adjectives. By using action verbs instead of adjectives, an actor can focus on convincing the audience of the feelings to be found in the scene. EX: If they are playing a bully, some action verbs you could use are “to intimidate, to threaten, to ridicule.”) These action verbs are the motivation for the character and that’s what the actor needs to make a character come alive.

And if you want more intensity in the performance, you just give a stronger verb. EX: you can start off with “to complain.” You can then use “to warn.” If that isn’t enough, you can use “to punish.”

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1. Conflict is the essence of drama. Without conflict, there is no drama.

2. From an actors point of view, conflict is the result of two objectives in conflict with each other

1. TEXT is what is said (it is the outer world of the character)

2. The text is what we get from the screenwriter. Text is what forms the script – it is the dialoque and the stage directions

3. The Text in a script is like a map: we use it to find out where we are going – but how we get there is up to the actors and the director

4. SUBTEXT is what is thought (it is the inner world of the character)

5. People don’t always say what they’re thinking. Subtext is what your characters really think or believe – the content underneath the spoken dialogue.

6. What characters are really thinking has a great effect on how actors move and how they deliver their lines

7. CONTEXT means the circumstances in which the text is used. It is usually the background, time period or the environment relating to a particular event in the story.

8. The director can also adapt the context of a script to conform with the particular needs of a production. For instance, Baz Lurman’s version of “Romeo and Juliet” which was updated to the modern suburb of Verona yet still retained the original dialogue.

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Want to Learn More Film and Television Directing Tips and Techniques? Check out Peter D. Marshall’s 2008 multi-media reference guide for filmmakers, “The Art and Craft of the Director 10-Day Audio Seminar“ – a 162 page eBook packed full of insider film directing tips and tools supported by over 500 film making reference links, 26 mp3 audio files, 28 video links and 23 pdf special reports all designed to help you become a successful, working film and television director.
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