Archive for the ‘Pointers’ Category




You could have...

...just had a fight.
...just woken up.
...just stepped in dog shit.
...just got laid.
...just had your dog die.
...just got a new job.
...just quit your job.
...just won a $5,000 scratch ticket.

You get the idea.





– Jimmy Durante



So, remember that shirt you were so awesome about putting on before you sat down to get your make-up and hair done?

It's got a secondary purpose. It's multifunctional. Yeah, that's how awesome this shirt is.

Your On-Set Shirt should also be a little bit big for you. Big enough that you can throw it on easily over whatever other wardrobe you're wearing.

Why is this important? Because, hopefully, at some point, you're going to break for lunch. When you do, you're going to be able to save yourself some hassle by being able to put your "On Set Shirt" on right over your regular wardrobe. I know, so frikkin' genius.

This will stop you from getting food all over yourself, and, therefore, will keep wardrobe happy, and make you look more professional, because you are. Wardrobe and make-up are both in charge of how you look, so making their jobs easier, and less stressful is going to make you look that much better for the final product.

I know, I know. You don't spill food on yourself when you eat. Yeah, yeah. Neither do I. But you know what, it's a good thing I've had that damn shirt on, more than once. Cause sometimes, there's ice cream for dessert.

You should own a snap-up, or button up shirt that's a little too big for you, that's not offensive, or some crazy color. Something from Target is fine. This shirt will have one purpose and one purpose only.

It is your On Set Shirt. Yeah, I capitalized, it's a proper name.

I'm not saying that you have to where this shirt TO the set, but it's going to help you out once you get ON set. Here's why.

Say you're sitting in the make-up chair, and the hair person just finished about 20 minutes (if your a guy) or an hours (if your a gal) of work. You then go over to wardrobe to get your stuff. What happens then? Before you can put your wardrobe on, you've got to take your t-shirt off...over your head.

You're about to ruin someone's work, and they're going to have to come touch you up. Before the shoot even starts.

Once you get to set, and have made your impression with you're awesome sense of style. Change into your on-set shirt before sitting down in the make up chair. When you're done, and it's time to change, you don't have to worry about messing up someone else's hard work as the first thing you do on set.

There's another reason you should have an onset shirt, we're not done yet.

You should try something that you KNOW isn't right.

Make a choice that your POSITIVE doesn't work for the scene.


Guess what's gonna happen?


Guess what else is going to happen?



Your welcome.









Sound familiar?


Your welcome.

I don't care who you're reading with, look right at them, and do the scene WITH them. Not AT them. WITH them. Get them to feel what you want them to feel, to say things in a certain way.

Putting that effort in will go a very long way in developing a reputation as an actor that connects.

Believability - I don't think it's a word, but it should be.

All acting stems from this. I don't care what history work you did, and that you're mother in the scene is an alcoholic, and your dog just died. None of it matters if I don't believe you.

The reason all those acting greats are so great? You fucking believe them. Think of Roy Scheider in Jaws. Remember the scene? When Jaws comes up out of the water, while he's throwing chum out to sea. His look is completely blank. You totally believe he just saw the biggest fucking shark he's ever seen, then he says, "We're gonna need a bigger boat." and you are completely there, you totally buy in. You believe him.

Every other lesson, task, motivation, whatever it is you're doing to make the scene feel more "alive," should stem from this one thing. Am I believable?