I attended an event last night sponsored by the Writers Guild of America East about the economics of new media. Given my web series/production company, the WGA contacted me about signing with them as part of their 2.0 New Media initiative. Cool! So, as I'm in the process of forging a relationship with the WGA I thought I'd check out this event.
There were 3 panelists who gave their input on what the landscape is and how us New Media creators can shift our perspective to capitalize on these new opportunities: Anita Ondine (CEO of Seize the Media), Mark Lukasiewicz (VP NBC News Specials and Digital Media) and Moishe "Mo" Koyfman (Principal at Spark Capital). Basically here's the gist...the world is changing fast. What once were the gatekeepers of creative expression are now busting open. New platforms are continuing to emerge and we as creative artists have a duty and an opportunity to seize the reigns! But how do we profit from this new-found freedom? With traditional financial models falling apart as we speak, what form do we follow?
The answer is there is no answer. Comforting, huh...? What's exciting is that we get to have a hand in crafting the answer. Some possibilities? Sponsorship from a corporation, branded marketing, and crowd sourcing. Companies like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo help artists raise money by encouraging fans to contribute to a particular project and help bring it to life. The key is to engage the audience, get them involved in every part of the process. Give the power to the people!
Though a bit overwhelming, it is exciting to know that possibilities exist. People (myself included) are working really hard to create, to innovate, and to shape the landscape of media and entertainment as we know it. It's a big deal and I'm proud to be a part of it.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
My Mantra
As I'm integrating new tools and practices into my life, I've decided to come up with a mantra of sorts. Plus, I have a great audition tomorrow that I plan on booking. So here goes...
I welcome success, prosperity, happiness and good health into my life and into the lives of the people I love. I am amazed at how quickly I have been able to make my living solely doing what I love! How is it that so many exciting opportunities continue to present themselves to me? How is it possible to get paid so much money to follow my dreams? I can't believe that I am collaborating with and working alongside the best and the brightest talent in the industry. Great work continues to fall in my lap. Money continues to fall in my lap. My career continues to unfold in the most thrilling ways. I am able to share my success and riches with my family and my friends. I am able to give back to my community in a way that I never thought possible. I am continually challenged and inspired by my work and my peers. I am able to afford luxuries and have more than enough money to help support those less fortunate than me. I have the freedom to pick and choose my projects. I have the freedom to travel around the world. It's fun being in demand. It's fun sinking my teeth into provocative, challenging acting roles. It's fun getting my colleagues' work produced! It's fun setting a positive example to younger artists who have similar dreams. I feel amazed, humbled, inspired, grateful, empowered and overjoyed.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it :-)
I welcome success, prosperity, happiness and good health into my life and into the lives of the people I love. I am amazed at how quickly I have been able to make my living solely doing what I love! How is it that so many exciting opportunities continue to present themselves to me? How is it possible to get paid so much money to follow my dreams? I can't believe that I am collaborating with and working alongside the best and the brightest talent in the industry. Great work continues to fall in my lap. Money continues to fall in my lap. My career continues to unfold in the most thrilling ways. I am able to share my success and riches with my family and my friends. I am able to give back to my community in a way that I never thought possible. I am continually challenged and inspired by my work and my peers. I am able to afford luxuries and have more than enough money to help support those less fortunate than me. I have the freedom to pick and choose my projects. I have the freedom to travel around the world. It's fun being in demand. It's fun sinking my teeth into provocative, challenging acting roles. It's fun getting my colleagues' work produced! It's fun setting a positive example to younger artists who have similar dreams. I feel amazed, humbled, inspired, grateful, empowered and overjoyed.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it :-)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
To stay or to go?
At what point do you throw in the towel? Do you just say, "Enough" ?
I've always been a fighter. I have a good sense of what I want out of life and I don't let too much get in the way. I think most often this determination and sheer will has been an asset to me. But once in a while, one encounters challenges in life and the question arises..."How many chances do I give this?"
My cousin recently emailed me about a last minute trip to LA. She had a radio audition with a network. She figured it would be a great opportunity to bring me along so I can meet her colleagues. After double checking my commitments in New York, I jumped on the opportunity. I've been wanting to make a trip out, I have no Giver performances scheduled, so why not? I quickly emailed my main LA contact, informing him that I'd be making a trip. Unfortunately, his office would be closed on President's Day and he said he might be going out of town. He would, however, be available to meet up for drinks later in the week. Ok! Minor concern about President's Day, but problem seemingly solved...All that now needed to be confirmed before we got tickets was my cousin's meeting with the network. After a lot of back and forth, she still hadn't gotten a clear confirmation from her contact. Meanwhile, the flights to LA went up in price. Uh oh. Given that I wasn't going to have to pay for a rental car or accommodations, though, I figured it was still worth the trip.
Finally after much deliberation, and after the network contact said he assumed she was coming all along, my cousin bought the tickets. Yay! Some time later she got an email from her radio contact canceling the audition. After all that?! With no appointment in LA, there was no reason for her to make the trip except to introduce me to her peers, which can happen down the line. What to do? To me, although disappointed, I figured it is not worth it for my cuz to take the trip with no meeting in place. I emailed my manager contact (who we were supposed to see for drinks) and let him know that the trip was going to fall through. He was totally fine given his work has been so hectic the past little while and Monday is a holiday with his office closing.
Cut to...the next morning. My cuz got an email from a big-wig radio agent she'd contacted saying he was available to meet her on Tuesday. Another wrench thrown into the mix! Now what to do? Shouldn't this process be easier? Is the universe telling us to go or to stay far away? Why do we keep running into roadblocks? Should I be staying in New York for some amazing reason next week? Am I reading to much into this whole ordeal?
Ultimately we decided it was best to postpone the trip. It seemed like we were trying way to hard to make the trip work and it just wasn't going to happen in this moment. I guess sometimes life falls into place nicely, and sometimes it just doesn't. Maybe (and most probably) none of this means anything. In the meantime...now at least I'll have something to look forward to!
I've always been a fighter. I have a good sense of what I want out of life and I don't let too much get in the way. I think most often this determination and sheer will has been an asset to me. But once in a while, one encounters challenges in life and the question arises..."How many chances do I give this?"
My cousin recently emailed me about a last minute trip to LA. She had a radio audition with a network. She figured it would be a great opportunity to bring me along so I can meet her colleagues. After double checking my commitments in New York, I jumped on the opportunity. I've been wanting to make a trip out, I have no Giver performances scheduled, so why not? I quickly emailed my main LA contact, informing him that I'd be making a trip. Unfortunately, his office would be closed on President's Day and he said he might be going out of town. He would, however, be available to meet up for drinks later in the week. Ok! Minor concern about President's Day, but problem seemingly solved...All that now needed to be confirmed before we got tickets was my cousin's meeting with the network. After a lot of back and forth, she still hadn't gotten a clear confirmation from her contact. Meanwhile, the flights to LA went up in price. Uh oh. Given that I wasn't going to have to pay for a rental car or accommodations, though, I figured it was still worth the trip.
Finally after much deliberation, and after the network contact said he assumed she was coming all along, my cousin bought the tickets. Yay! Some time later she got an email from her radio contact canceling the audition. After all that?! With no appointment in LA, there was no reason for her to make the trip except to introduce me to her peers, which can happen down the line. What to do? To me, although disappointed, I figured it is not worth it for my cuz to take the trip with no meeting in place. I emailed my manager contact (who we were supposed to see for drinks) and let him know that the trip was going to fall through. He was totally fine given his work has been so hectic the past little while and Monday is a holiday with his office closing.
Cut to...the next morning. My cuz got an email from a big-wig radio agent she'd contacted saying he was available to meet her on Tuesday. Another wrench thrown into the mix! Now what to do? Shouldn't this process be easier? Is the universe telling us to go or to stay far away? Why do we keep running into roadblocks? Should I be staying in New York for some amazing reason next week? Am I reading to much into this whole ordeal?
Ultimately we decided it was best to postpone the trip. It seemed like we were trying way to hard to make the trip work and it just wasn't going to happen in this moment. I guess sometimes life falls into place nicely, and sometimes it just doesn't. Maybe (and most probably) none of this means anything. In the meantime...now at least I'll have something to look forward to!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Mentors
The idea of mentorship is one that comes up again and again. It's one that has been brewing in my mind for the past little while. Last week I had the good fortune of attending an amazing event organized by New York Theater Experiment called The Generations Project. This event was an inspiring forum between generations on artistic vision, leadership, and of course mentorship. Anne Bogart, Seth Barrish, Virgina Louloudes, Beth Milles, and Maryellen Karnaghan all discussed their experiences as visionaries, as teachers, as students of the world, as mentors and as mentees. What I found interesting was that their definitions of mentors all varied. For them, a mentor could be a person who guides you one on one through rough learning patches. It could be someone who inspires you. It could be someone who comes and goes in your life. It could be a fleeting moment or an interaction or even a piece of art...not even a person at all! This idea comforted me. I have been searching for mentors ever since the notion of its absolute necessity in life came up!
What I realized after attending this inspirational evening was that I have mentors in my life-a lot of them, and they will continue to present themselves as my journey continues. Some of them I have a deep relationship with. Some of them I have only met once or twice. Some of them I look forward to meeting in the near future. So with that in mind, I want to acknowledge and thank my many mentors: Wynn Handman, Austin Pendleton, Tom Woodrow, Ted Hope, Robert and Michelle Colt, Bob Fraser, Dallas Travers, Anna Wood, Benjamin Salley, Oron Stenesh, Dawn Mora, John Mossman, Michael Forman, Dani Super, Marci Phillips, Betsy Capes, Mitzi Hamilton, Franny Liebergall, Donna Drake, Robert Tunstall, Paul Russell, Evan Cabnet, Philippe Ifergan, Teri Shulman, Robert McKee, Jody Austin, Robert Ian Mackenzie and the old PST clan, Andrew Pifko, Michelle Martin, Lisa Donadio, Kelly Gillespie, the folks at NYTE, Meghan Rafferty, Shirley Curtin, Steven Spielberg, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, Julianne Moore, Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, Jackie Earle Haley, Gosford Park, E.T., and of course, all the members of my family who have guided and will continue to guide me on my path. I am grateful to you all.
What I realized after attending this inspirational evening was that I have mentors in my life-a lot of them, and they will continue to present themselves as my journey continues. Some of them I have a deep relationship with. Some of them I have only met once or twice. Some of them I look forward to meeting in the near future. So with that in mind, I want to acknowledge and thank my many mentors: Wynn Handman, Austin Pendleton, Tom Woodrow, Ted Hope, Robert and Michelle Colt, Bob Fraser, Dallas Travers, Anna Wood, Benjamin Salley, Oron Stenesh, Dawn Mora, John Mossman, Michael Forman, Dani Super, Marci Phillips, Betsy Capes, Mitzi Hamilton, Franny Liebergall, Donna Drake, Robert Tunstall, Paul Russell, Evan Cabnet, Philippe Ifergan, Teri Shulman, Robert McKee, Jody Austin, Robert Ian Mackenzie and the old PST clan, Andrew Pifko, Michelle Martin, Lisa Donadio, Kelly Gillespie, the folks at NYTE, Meghan Rafferty, Shirley Curtin, Steven Spielberg, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, Julianne Moore, Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, Jackie Earle Haley, Gosford Park, E.T., and of course, all the members of my family who have guided and will continue to guide me on my path. I am grateful to you all.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Resistance
Time and time again I've heard that success is just outside your comfort zone. As this keeps coming up in my reading, learning, etc, I made the following New Year's resolution:
Do 1 thing a day that scares me.
This can be something physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, whatever...so long as I am consistently putting myself in a position of discomfort. Call me crazy, but I believe in order to really achieve your dreams, you have to go there.
A little over a year ago I took a seminar called Acting Success Now led by the wonderful Robert and Michelle Colt. I didn't know much about what I was getting myself into, but I figured what the heck. I had signed up for a free introduction to their program and was intrigued. So I took 3 days off to delve into the unknown. What I learned is pretty eye-opening. The gist is that we as human beings are made up of a brain and nervous system (among other things of course). Our brain and nervous system functions to protect us, so if my brain, for example, perceives that I am in danger, it will alert my nervous system to react. That signal will manifest itself physically and prevent me from harm. Basically, we are hard wired to stay safe and in status quo. The very notion of this, however, goes against everything we need to attain success in the acting world. Think about it. We put ourselves "in danger" on a daily basis--we open ourselves to rejection, failure & humiliation. We expose our inner secrets and vulnerabilities. We constantly step into the unknown. So of course our system will react. It will make our palms sweaty. It will make our hearts beat in our stomachs. It will make our bodies feel heavy. It will activate voices in our heads. It will do everything in its power to keep us safe. So know that to feel these things is to be human. And to feel these things doesn't mean anything about how capable you are. It's just your system trying to keep you safe.
Michelle and Robert teach you a variety of simple techniques to handle what comes up when your system perceives that you are in danger. I won't go into them, as it is better to consult the experts, but I will say that they work. They pop you back into that place of quiet, spaciousness and relaxation--everything you need to really do your job as an actor.
Had it not been for Robert and Michelle, I don't think I would have set up an audition to study with the incredible Wynn Handman. And if I had not auditioned to study with Wynn Handman, I would not currently be doing the most rewarding, challenging, and inspiring work of my career thus far (and be getting paid for it!)
Which brings me to this point....fuck you fear and resistance! I know that you are just trying to keep me where I am. I thank you for trying to protect me, but I don't always need you. And so now when I feel fear or resistance, I know that whatever my brain/nervous system is trying to protect me from is EXACTLY what I need to be doing if I want to make leaps/bounds of progress in my life. I'm not saying that this is or will be easy, but I look forward to the challenge.
Do 1 thing a day that scares me.
This can be something physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, whatever...so long as I am consistently putting myself in a position of discomfort. Call me crazy, but I believe in order to really achieve your dreams, you have to go there.
A little over a year ago I took a seminar called Acting Success Now led by the wonderful Robert and Michelle Colt. I didn't know much about what I was getting myself into, but I figured what the heck. I had signed up for a free introduction to their program and was intrigued. So I took 3 days off to delve into the unknown. What I learned is pretty eye-opening. The gist is that we as human beings are made up of a brain and nervous system (among other things of course). Our brain and nervous system functions to protect us, so if my brain, for example, perceives that I am in danger, it will alert my nervous system to react. That signal will manifest itself physically and prevent me from harm. Basically, we are hard wired to stay safe and in status quo. The very notion of this, however, goes against everything we need to attain success in the acting world. Think about it. We put ourselves "in danger" on a daily basis--we open ourselves to rejection, failure & humiliation. We expose our inner secrets and vulnerabilities. We constantly step into the unknown. So of course our system will react. It will make our palms sweaty. It will make our hearts beat in our stomachs. It will make our bodies feel heavy. It will activate voices in our heads. It will do everything in its power to keep us safe. So know that to feel these things is to be human. And to feel these things doesn't mean anything about how capable you are. It's just your system trying to keep you safe.
Michelle and Robert teach you a variety of simple techniques to handle what comes up when your system perceives that you are in danger. I won't go into them, as it is better to consult the experts, but I will say that they work. They pop you back into that place of quiet, spaciousness and relaxation--everything you need to really do your job as an actor.
Had it not been for Robert and Michelle, I don't think I would have set up an audition to study with the incredible Wynn Handman. And if I had not auditioned to study with Wynn Handman, I would not currently be doing the most rewarding, challenging, and inspiring work of my career thus far (and be getting paid for it!)
Which brings me to this point....fuck you fear and resistance! I know that you are just trying to keep me where I am. I thank you for trying to protect me, but I don't always need you. And so now when I feel fear or resistance, I know that whatever my brain/nervous system is trying to protect me from is EXACTLY what I need to be doing if I want to make leaps/bounds of progress in my life. I'm not saying that this is or will be easy, but I look forward to the challenge.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
New Day New Way
My Red Oak Elementary School substitute teacher used to say the following which has stuck with me in my .....years of life: "New Day, New Way." And so I take that pearl of wisdom through me as I embark on my journey into 2010. With a very successful 2009 behind me, I ask myself, "how can I continue to break new ground in my life and in my career?" I already have some of the ingredients in place: A newly formed production company (LBM Productions, LLC), a new webseries (Missed Connections Live), and an ongoing theatre gig (The Giver, directed by Wynn Handman and produced by American Place Theater). But how can I approach these new things in a new way? How can I use my company, my series, my theatre gig and my brand new blog to perhaps effect change? To positively contribute to my personal and artistic communities? To inspire those in my constantly growing network? To gain financial freedom? I obviously don't know how I will achieve these things, but I look forward to the journey. And so I introduce myself to the world of eblogger on this new day: Wednesday January 6, 2010. Thank you for joining me on this ride!
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