Monday, December 14, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
There's an art to listening in an audition. By Craig Wallace
http://www.backstage.com/bso/advice-the-craft/quiet-someone-s-getting-the-job-1004050300.story
You've just seen a movie with a group of friends. You're having coffee, discussing a particular scene that everyone agrees was the best part of the movie. You all try to remember the exact lines of the scene, but you find that each of you remembers them differently. Then things get quiet for a moment as you replay the movie in your head: You see the faces of the actors, their eyes; you fall into memory of the deep, pure silence of the scene, and you realize it wasn't the actors' words that made the impact. It was their listening.
We take in words intellectually. They stay in the memory based on the importance the brain gives them. But we take in reactions on a more visceral level, and they become imprinted on the heart. This is what great film and TV actors offer us through listening. And this is what you have to offer through listening, starting from the very first moment of your audition.
Reactive Media
Film and television are reactive media. The next time you're watching a TV show or movie, notice that the actors listen and react more than they talk. It follows, then, that hiring decisions made in auditions are based heavily—at least 50 percent—on what you're doing when you're not reading your lines. Too many actors believe an audition is all about their lines. But while they may read well, they're not going to get the job if that's all they've prepared for. Then, when they don't get the job, they obsess over how to improve their reading rather than how to improve the quality of their listening, their silence, and their reactions to the other character's lines.
The kind of listening that wins jobs isn't about glancing at the reader every once in a while in an effort to appear involved and connected. What I'm talking about is listening so alive and vivid that it expands the possibilities of the role. Some call this "map of the world" listening. It happens when an actor is deeply connected and engaged when the other person is speaking, to the point where the actor's face opens up and shows us the "map" of his or her emotional world. Directors especially love this quality. They know that if they hire an actor who really knows how to listen, they will get consistently dynamic reaction shots and the unique moments of silent revelation that are so vital onscreen. A director friend of mine says he won't consider hiring an actor unless he sees that the actor is able to tell the entire story of the scene through his or her face and eyes. He wants the actor who doesn't actually need the lines to make the scene compelling. That's the level at which job-getting actors operate.
Even in roles with a relatively narrow scope—a tough cop, a prickly judge, a sweet mom—or with very few lines, listening can make or break an audition. The risk with these roles is that even if you have made wonderful choices, it's more than likely that many other actors will have made choices in the same ballpark. So what breaks you out from the crowd? Why you and not them? Again, your uniqueness lies in your moments of silence. While other actors may be able to speak like you, nobody listens like you, processes information the way you do, or reacts as you react. These moments of fully involved listening say more about who you are than the words ever could. At the end of the day, what gets you the job will have less to do with what you say and much more to do with how you hear.
A Dynamic Form of Communication
One of the reasons listening is often a problem in auditions is because most actors don't listen particularly well in real life. This is not exclusive to actors, by the way. Our culture is so wired and we have so much information coming at us from all directions all the time that our brains are constantly multitasking. Our listening skills become shaky at best. We may look like we're listening to what someone is saying; some of their words might even get in. But at the same time, we're thinking about the text we just got, the grocery list, or our next appointment. No wonder most actors, if they listen at all, listen in this distracted, jumpy way in auditions.
Let me repeat: Film and TV are about real listening, the kind that requires you to clear your addled mind and focus exclusively on the person right there in front of you and what he or she has to say. The kind in which you allow the person's words and thoughts to penetrate your heart and mind and then let your reactions to those words emanate purely and powerfully from your eyes as your face relaxes from its neutral curtain and becomes alive with expression. Real listening is about listening as a form of communication that is just as dynamic as speaking and is appreciated as such. The actor who really listens knows it's the eyes that are the window to the soul, not the mouth.
The art of map-of-the-world listening in auditions requires openness born of skill. I teach the specific steps to attaining this skill in much greater detail in my classes, but, simply defined, it rests on mastering a technique that allows you to find and establish personally meaningful relationships to the other character or characters in the scene, in order to form connections that have depth and intensity.
We all know that most of the time you're not going to get a lot of help in this regard from the reader. But that will matter less if you have established a strong relationship: You will be responding more to the feelings you have for the person than to how his or her words are being delivered. If you have the tools and take the time to establish a dynamic relationship, your reactions will stay fresh and vivid throughout the scene. You will be on your way to being a map-of-the-world listener. But if you rely only on the reader to give you something to react to truthfully, well, that's a map to nowhere.
Giving a reading is not nearly enough to win a role. Jobs don't go to readings but to real people, and real people really listen. Jobs go to actors who are confident enough to take the time to deeply hear, process, and react to what the other person is saying. These are actors who know that jobs are won in the silences; actors who appreciate that, as in life, there is no audition that can't be improved by a moment or two of being quiet and connecting. The actors whom directors want are those whose reactions expand the possibilities of the role, and whose open and expressive faces will stay in people's hearts long after the words are forgotten.
You've just seen a movie with a group of friends. You're having coffee, discussing a particular scene that everyone agrees was the best part of the movie. You all try to remember the exact lines of the scene, but you find that each of you remembers them differently. Then things get quiet for a moment as you replay the movie in your head: You see the faces of the actors, their eyes; you fall into memory of the deep, pure silence of the scene, and you realize it wasn't the actors' words that made the impact. It was their listening.
We take in words intellectually. They stay in the memory based on the importance the brain gives them. But we take in reactions on a more visceral level, and they become imprinted on the heart. This is what great film and TV actors offer us through listening. And this is what you have to offer through listening, starting from the very first moment of your audition.
Reactive Media
Film and television are reactive media. The next time you're watching a TV show or movie, notice that the actors listen and react more than they talk. It follows, then, that hiring decisions made in auditions are based heavily—at least 50 percent—on what you're doing when you're not reading your lines. Too many actors believe an audition is all about their lines. But while they may read well, they're not going to get the job if that's all they've prepared for. Then, when they don't get the job, they obsess over how to improve their reading rather than how to improve the quality of their listening, their silence, and their reactions to the other character's lines.
The kind of listening that wins jobs isn't about glancing at the reader every once in a while in an effort to appear involved and connected. What I'm talking about is listening so alive and vivid that it expands the possibilities of the role. Some call this "map of the world" listening. It happens when an actor is deeply connected and engaged when the other person is speaking, to the point where the actor's face opens up and shows us the "map" of his or her emotional world. Directors especially love this quality. They know that if they hire an actor who really knows how to listen, they will get consistently dynamic reaction shots and the unique moments of silent revelation that are so vital onscreen. A director friend of mine says he won't consider hiring an actor unless he sees that the actor is able to tell the entire story of the scene through his or her face and eyes. He wants the actor who doesn't actually need the lines to make the scene compelling. That's the level at which job-getting actors operate.
Even in roles with a relatively narrow scope—a tough cop, a prickly judge, a sweet mom—or with very few lines, listening can make or break an audition. The risk with these roles is that even if you have made wonderful choices, it's more than likely that many other actors will have made choices in the same ballpark. So what breaks you out from the crowd? Why you and not them? Again, your uniqueness lies in your moments of silence. While other actors may be able to speak like you, nobody listens like you, processes information the way you do, or reacts as you react. These moments of fully involved listening say more about who you are than the words ever could. At the end of the day, what gets you the job will have less to do with what you say and much more to do with how you hear.
A Dynamic Form of Communication
One of the reasons listening is often a problem in auditions is because most actors don't listen particularly well in real life. This is not exclusive to actors, by the way. Our culture is so wired and we have so much information coming at us from all directions all the time that our brains are constantly multitasking. Our listening skills become shaky at best. We may look like we're listening to what someone is saying; some of their words might even get in. But at the same time, we're thinking about the text we just got, the grocery list, or our next appointment. No wonder most actors, if they listen at all, listen in this distracted, jumpy way in auditions.
Let me repeat: Film and TV are about real listening, the kind that requires you to clear your addled mind and focus exclusively on the person right there in front of you and what he or she has to say. The kind in which you allow the person's words and thoughts to penetrate your heart and mind and then let your reactions to those words emanate purely and powerfully from your eyes as your face relaxes from its neutral curtain and becomes alive with expression. Real listening is about listening as a form of communication that is just as dynamic as speaking and is appreciated as such. The actor who really listens knows it's the eyes that are the window to the soul, not the mouth.
The art of map-of-the-world listening in auditions requires openness born of skill. I teach the specific steps to attaining this skill in much greater detail in my classes, but, simply defined, it rests on mastering a technique that allows you to find and establish personally meaningful relationships to the other character or characters in the scene, in order to form connections that have depth and intensity.
We all know that most of the time you're not going to get a lot of help in this regard from the reader. But that will matter less if you have established a strong relationship: You will be responding more to the feelings you have for the person than to how his or her words are being delivered. If you have the tools and take the time to establish a dynamic relationship, your reactions will stay fresh and vivid throughout the scene. You will be on your way to being a map-of-the-world listener. But if you rely only on the reader to give you something to react to truthfully, well, that's a map to nowhere.
Giving a reading is not nearly enough to win a role. Jobs don't go to readings but to real people, and real people really listen. Jobs go to actors who are confident enough to take the time to deeply hear, process, and react to what the other person is saying. These are actors who know that jobs are won in the silences; actors who appreciate that, as in life, there is no audition that can't be improved by a moment or two of being quiet and connecting. The actors whom directors want are those whose reactions expand the possibilities of the role, and whose open and expressive faces will stay in people's hearts long after the words are forgotten.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
How not to pay too much for car repairs by Kim Fusaro, Little Miss Fortune, Glamour,
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/how-not-to-pay-too-much-for-car-repairs-546731/
A Reputable Mechanic Should Provide
* ASE or AAA certification, and/or a state license, which is required in many states
* A clean garage, free of empty cans, dirty rags, and old tires
* A friendly, polite staff that communicates well
* Before service: an itemized bill with a written estimate for repair work
* After service: a detailed invoice of work done and parts supplied
How to Approach a New Mechanic
* Get a recommendation. Ask someone with a similar income level and car if they have a good relationship with their mechanic. Don’t ask a friend who has a car or lifestyle that’s very different from yours.
* Use the owner’s manual. This manual is your most valuable defense tool when visiting the mechanic. You should never, ever walk into a mechanic and say, “I need a tune up.” This is an open invitation to charge you up to $1,000 for miscellaneous unnecessary services. Go by the services in your owner’s manual. Most list the necessary services according to the mileage on your car. Just saying something as simple as “I need my 30,000 mile service,” shows your mechanic you are informed and not someone he can easily take advantage of.
* Get an estimate. Before service, make sure your prospective mechanic gives you a detailed parts-and-labor estimate so you’ll know exactly what he plans to do and what went wrong if you have a post-service failure. Never accept a verbal estimate or a sheet of paper that says something unspecific like, “Fix Car - $800.” Make sure you sign the itemized estimate and walk away with a signed copy.
* Ask questions. Never be afraid of asking questions such as “Do I really need that?” or “I don’t see any symptoms of failure. Is work on that part absolutely necessary right now?” If your mechanic makes a generalization like, “The part is old,” ask for details. Find out if it’s leaking, losing pressure or what the specific problem is. Then ask to see the part. A good mechanic should be able to physically show you the problem with the part on your car or explain it to you by using a removed car part. Similarly, if the price quote sounds expensive, tell the mechanic what you were hoping to spend and ask him if you can get by safely with a less expensive job.
* If you think the job sounds expensive and your car seems to be working fine, get a second opinion.
Common Traps
* Drastic statements like, “We need to tow your car out of here because we don’t want to be responsible for you driving it,” are almost always a scam. If you drove your car into the mechanic with no issues, most likely you can drive it away from any threatening advice without any problems.
* Coolant and power steering flushes are common services some of the larger mechanic chains will propose in order to make money. Check your owner’s manual to see how long your fluid is supposed to last so you know if your mechanic’s suggestion is warranted.
* Do your research before having a catalytic converter or other emissions part repaired. Some of these pieces have a very long factory warranty including free replacement of covered parts.
* A muffler that lasts a lifetime does not exist. Many of the larger companies give you free replacements and make their money on expensive exhaust system repairs.
* The $55 brake pad job is also a scam, nine times out of 10. No shop can make money on a $55 dollar brake pad replacement job. It’s an excuse to suggest the replacement of other parts such as brake rotors when you don’t need them.
And to avoid landing in the mechanic’s shop in the first place ...
Keep Up on Car Maintenance
* Get regular fluid changes as per your owner’s manual. This includes oil as well as brake, windshield and coolant fluids.
* Replace the air filter when needed or suggested in the owner’s manual.
* Keep tires inflated properly for your safety. Check once a month and before long car trips to make sure your tires have a little bit less than maximum pressure.
I know, I know. It’s a ton of info. But I didn’t want to leave anything out—it all seems important!
A Reputable Mechanic Should Provide
* ASE or AAA certification, and/or a state license, which is required in many states
* A clean garage, free of empty cans, dirty rags, and old tires
* A friendly, polite staff that communicates well
* Before service: an itemized bill with a written estimate for repair work
* After service: a detailed invoice of work done and parts supplied
How to Approach a New Mechanic
* Get a recommendation. Ask someone with a similar income level and car if they have a good relationship with their mechanic. Don’t ask a friend who has a car or lifestyle that’s very different from yours.
* Use the owner’s manual. This manual is your most valuable defense tool when visiting the mechanic. You should never, ever walk into a mechanic and say, “I need a tune up.” This is an open invitation to charge you up to $1,000 for miscellaneous unnecessary services. Go by the services in your owner’s manual. Most list the necessary services according to the mileage on your car. Just saying something as simple as “I need my 30,000 mile service,” shows your mechanic you are informed and not someone he can easily take advantage of.
* Get an estimate. Before service, make sure your prospective mechanic gives you a detailed parts-and-labor estimate so you’ll know exactly what he plans to do and what went wrong if you have a post-service failure. Never accept a verbal estimate or a sheet of paper that says something unspecific like, “Fix Car - $800.” Make sure you sign the itemized estimate and walk away with a signed copy.
* Ask questions. Never be afraid of asking questions such as “Do I really need that?” or “I don’t see any symptoms of failure. Is work on that part absolutely necessary right now?” If your mechanic makes a generalization like, “The part is old,” ask for details. Find out if it’s leaking, losing pressure or what the specific problem is. Then ask to see the part. A good mechanic should be able to physically show you the problem with the part on your car or explain it to you by using a removed car part. Similarly, if the price quote sounds expensive, tell the mechanic what you were hoping to spend and ask him if you can get by safely with a less expensive job.
* If you think the job sounds expensive and your car seems to be working fine, get a second opinion.
Common Traps
* Drastic statements like, “We need to tow your car out of here because we don’t want to be responsible for you driving it,” are almost always a scam. If you drove your car into the mechanic with no issues, most likely you can drive it away from any threatening advice without any problems.
* Coolant and power steering flushes are common services some of the larger mechanic chains will propose in order to make money. Check your owner’s manual to see how long your fluid is supposed to last so you know if your mechanic’s suggestion is warranted.
* Do your research before having a catalytic converter or other emissions part repaired. Some of these pieces have a very long factory warranty including free replacement of covered parts.
* A muffler that lasts a lifetime does not exist. Many of the larger companies give you free replacements and make their money on expensive exhaust system repairs.
* The $55 brake pad job is also a scam, nine times out of 10. No shop can make money on a $55 dollar brake pad replacement job. It’s an excuse to suggest the replacement of other parts such as brake rotors when you don’t need them.
And to avoid landing in the mechanic’s shop in the first place ...
Keep Up on Car Maintenance
* Get regular fluid changes as per your owner’s manual. This includes oil as well as brake, windshield and coolant fluids.
* Replace the air filter when needed or suggested in the owner’s manual.
* Keep tires inflated properly for your safety. Check once a month and before long car trips to make sure your tires have a little bit less than maximum pressure.
I know, I know. It’s a ton of info. But I didn’t want to leave anything out—it all seems important!
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