BREAKALEGG

To a film-filled 2010!!!!!!!!!

We would like to wish all of you a…

LETS MAKE 2010 A YEAR TO REMEMBER.

January 1st, 2010 | Category: News | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a comment

Movie Review: AVATAR (Hype Vs Delivery)

So I finally gave in and spent 15 dollars to go see AVATAR this weekend.The visual effects of the movie are in no doubt in a league of their own and so will not be the focus of what I am going to discuss. To the thousands of graphic artists involved from sketching and concept, to animation 3-D or lighting… BRAVO!.

Now, what I really wanted to review is the "substance or lack-there-of" of this multi-million dollar investment. AVATAR rumors and hype have circulated the net and subsequently our TV screens for months. Fans have written reviews before even seeing it, and not-so-fans hated it likewise. Honestly, if forced to choose… I was in the latter group. Not that I an not a huge fan of James Camerons previous work. I loved Alien (all of them), Terminator, The Abyss, Titanic, and even had a soft spot for Jamie Curtis doing her awkward strip-tease in True Lies…BUT after reading and hearing so much about AVATAR I pretty much decided prematurely that it was a retold combination of "Ferngully" and "Dances with wolves" starring some very large smurfs!

Little did I know how only 15 minutes into the movie I would come to fall in love with Sigourney Weaver's portrayal of a snarky scientist with a die-hard smoking habit, or the kick-ass colonel. Even the typically bland Sam Worthington gained life when inside the avatar body with the help of the FX people! And the parts of the storyline you expect and can get "cliche" were easily overlooked. Zoe Saldana (although the least recognizable of the cast) was also funny and suprisingly exciting to watch.

Hype normally becomes a problem for moviegoers (not for the studios) because high expectations are usually not met. In this case, I think it somehow set me up for disappointment in that it made me believe it would be another substance-lacking boring-as-hell blockbuster in the same league as "Transformers 2" or "Surrogates" has been this year. And so I was almost blown away when presented with a movie I would actually want to go pay for and see AGAIN. Here is a filmmaker who has proven me wrong in thinking all Hollywood thinks good action movies are only based on effects. To Mr Cameron; I congratulate you on another great action flick.

The worst thing an actor can hear: He’s too GREEN.

On one of my first auditions the casting director told my manager I was good, but I was "a bit green". What the hell does that mean? Well, its still not very clear. For some its a simple excuse not to get into detail about WHY they didnt like you. For others it means their lack of experience is preventing them from hiring you even though you have talent, and for others, its a matter of a lack of talent or not having leart to use it.

After this, I asked around to everyone I could: What does being green mean?. Every single actor has gotten it at some point. The beginning ones get it as soon as they hand in their resume. The more experienced ones get it when they present themselves without a certain confidence generally associated with experience.

I started re-playing the audition over and over in my head because I wanted to know exactly what was pushing this CD to say that. And then I realised I had done everything right…up until I finished my audition. I had planned in my head for days how I would walk in confidently, shake their hands and do a great job (and so I did), BUT I had never thought about what would happen afterwards. So as soon as I finished and he told me how "That was a great job"…I was cought off guard, I got nervous and said in what I can describe as an insecure teenagers’ impression: "Oh, really? Did you think so? Gee, thanks…"

In a matter of miliseconds I had transformed from my character and a confident actress sure of what she is doing in a sad puppy in need for approval and eager to please. I was doomed! I walked out not giving it a second thought until I got home. Its an old age saying that had done wonders for me in this arena after my horrid experience:

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT.

As actors we are all eager to please the casting directors, our agents..etc. After all they are the ones between us and that next big gig. But coming across as unsure, hesitant or merely wanting them to like you you are shooting yourself in the foot. Have you ever seen how cocky some of the best actors are? Not as people, but when it comes to their proffession. They dont hesitate when asked how they got into character, or how they did this and that in a scene. They dont appologize for their mistakes over and over. If you believe you are a master at your craft; You will be seen as one.

Needless to say when I returned to that same CD, I put on a brave front UNTIL I walked back to my car and never heard that comment again.

September 30th, 2009 | Category: Actors Training, Business | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a comment

100 years of effects…

Homage to the great sci-fi effects artists…

September 8th, 2009 | Category: Technology | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a comment

How many teen dance flicks can they concoct?

Soon "Fame" will be coming to a theater near you. It was a classic, they are making it into a disgrace. Next thing you know they will be remaking "Grease" or "Pajama Party". Listen, I know we need more musicals in film, but not cheesy, formulated, unoriginal teen productions without pazazz! I love that modern days have good movies that integrate music like: Chicago, Moulin Rouge, Hairspray, Sweeny Todd…(have you noticed the best musical features come from really good theatrical musicals?)… and on the other end of the spectrum we get the Step up (1 and 2!!!!), Dance with me, You got served, Whip it and countless others that mean NOTHING when it comes down to making a good movie.

Yes, they might have great dance moves in them, good choreographies, but they are like 2 hour long videoclips! And here we have anotherone coming…(Lets hope this one is better than the aforementioned). Unfortunately sounds like another Save the Last Dance.

Have you ever notices most of these stories revplve around Hip Hop dancers who learn classical or "formal" dance, or vice-versa? And another of my pet peeves, they dont really hire actors for most of the starring roles. Musicals used to be done by great actors who had musical abilities. Now… They get dancers who cant say a line honestly to save their life. I’d like to see these same teen "dancers" auditioning for Cats! For the full article...Click Here.

September 8th, 2009 | Category: News | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a comment

The best Film Titles ever made.

Here is a great article from Creative Review about the opening titles of classics and modern day jewels when it comes to film. Personally I have to say the 2 most iconic opening sequences from the list are any of the Bond Movie titles (who can forget those intricate and beautiful graphics and patterns intertwines with silhouettes?) and suprisingly the Pink Panther; mainly due to the catchy tome but also to the playfulness. Dudum Duddum, Duddum duddum duddum, Duddum Duduuuuuuuum. For the full article…Click Here.

September 8th, 2009 | Category: Movie Reviews | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a comment

NEW TRAILER: “The men who stare at goats”

If only for the brilliance of Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges this movie is a definite "Must -See". And among SOOOO many remakes or unoriginal movie concepts (Somebody say: Final Destination 4, Wolfman…) its good to see that we are also still getting those great jewels (admittedly they are mainly based on Novels so its not exactly the screenwriters who get the credit). Here is the new Ewan McGregor and George Clooney movie: The Men Who Stare at Goats.

Sometimes it pays to be multi-talented…

As actors we are stuck with alot of "in-between gigs" periods. All that time when there arent many auditions and bills still need to get paid. When your career seems at a standstill sometimes you need to find new ways to CREATE opportunities. The most common and well known example of how this works is Sylverster Stallone, who wrote "Rocky" with the intention of creating for himself a good role that would showcase his talents. Im not saying your next script will be a big hit, but isnt it worth a try? It might even open up a new side of you that you werent aware of. Our advice here at BREAKALEGG is never think youve done enough. Even if youve gone to your classes, and if you have worked on your talent, read up on plays and scripts, auditioned wonderfully, been on time and professional…if theres more time than you thought, find something else to work on that can help you get where you want to go. Screenwriting, Directing, producing, teaching, volunteering… For those of you who want to give filmmaking a shot, here is a great article to get you started… For the full article..Click Here.

Crying on command…

Here is an article I thought you all might be interested in. Its amazing how many questions we get asking about how to cry! Although its a taboo subject among actors (many feel if they ask their fellow actors or teachers they will be frowned upon as talentless) most actors have the same doubts and difficulties crying at the beginning of their career. Its not easy to reach intense emotional states truthfully, even harder at an audition, so here are a few ideas on how to focus on being honest and eventually letting yourself get carried away enough to allow tears to flow… For the full article…Click Here.

Are we perfectionists and over-achievers?

The other day I was reading this article on Unclutterer (for the full article…click here.) and it really struck a chord. In the extremely competitive business that is acting…auditions anyone?… how often do we feel the need to best others? To look better, perform better, act better, prepare better…basically BE better?

I knew an actress that wouldnt go to auditions unless she had atleast 2 weeks to prepare for an audition because she said only if she had that much time could she walk in feeling like she would be the best! I believe in going in prepared, but that just seems like she is missing alot of great opportunities. Something most actors cant afford to do. Another guy I knew quit class when he saw some of the other students were much better or talented than him. And the examples pile on. Is it self sabotage? Are we such over-achievers that we are willing to quit if confronted with someone better?

The best thing (the only in fact) you can do is be YOUR BEST without comparing yourself to others, because the truth is…there’s always going to be someone better, more talented, better looking, or whatever MORE than you. But that doesnt necessarily mean they will be more successful. If not, every talented young actor out there would be working and we all know thats not the case. Be smart. Thats the best advice I can think of in this business. Know yourself and learn how to improve and SELL yourself to your own advantage. If you find "your place" in the ndustry (or even create it) then you wont need to be better than others, just the best yourself.

August 5th, 2009 | Category: Business | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a comment

Some key points to keep in mind for an audition…

In this video, professional voice instructor Jennifer Rutherford of International School of Music, and private teacher in Bethesda Maryland, describes how to prepare for a competition like American Idol, or any other audition. Some tips on preparation, vocal health, song choice, and audition etiquette are covered. Warm ups are also suggested and demonstrated with student and model, Mair. The video assumes that candidates will have some level of training or natural ability, but would also be useful for the amateur interested in pursuing training for a career in singing.

BOOK REVIEW: PRACTICAL HANDBOOK FOR THE ACTOR by Several authors.

Like every week we post a book review on a subject related to acting, health, personal growth or anything related to the showbiz industry. This time it’s the highly acclaimed “Practical Handbook for the Actor” whose authors (all of who are young actors) include: Melissa Bruder, Lee Michael Cohn, Madeleine Olnek, Nathaniel Pollack, Robert Previto and Scott Zigler.

In the book a technique developed by the authors is explained, written for any actor who has ever felt frustrations in acting classes or felt like they lacked clarity or objectivity. Its writing style is very direct and definitely gets you right to the point of the matter.

Divided in 2 parts: THE TECHNIQUE: with topics like; analyzing a scene, truth of the moment, and other tools of the craft it gives you a great overview. And the second part: PITFALLS is more about working in the real world, getting stuck in emotional traps, the professional characters you will meet along the way or even keeping the theater clean…

So, Is it worth reading? DEFINITELY. It’s a very small price (around $11.00) to pay for such a good little handbook that can serve as a leisurely read . It has really good advice, but most of all is clear and concise in its explanations.

Why you need to know how to apologize…

Generally speaking, actors are normally too apologetic about themselves or their craaft. We tend to victimize ourselves somehow (specially at auditions) because we feel lucky to be given a chance, or time, or a meeting, so we value other peoples time more than our own. How many times have you been at an audition, had to start over or simply been given feedback and started by saying: "Im sorry". Or, "Im sorry I couldnt memorize the lines, I got the script last night…etc." Chances are, very often. When it comes down to it, 90% of apologies are done for one of two reasons: Justify and make Excuses, or To seek sympathy or pity by becoming the victim. NEITHER of these will help you in your career or to become a better actor. SO STOP doing it.

On the other 10% of the spectrum, we are human, and we all make mistakes, and if these mistakes genuinely hurt or hinder others then we not only should, but need to apologize sincerily. Its the only way you can maintain healthy relationships and not burn bridges in the industry when you mess up. So what does it take to really make a true heartfelt apology? The Simple Dollar breaks it down to 3 parts:

The Accuracy
An apology that actually works is one that shows that you have real insight into what you did wrong and the effects of that mistake. Doing that well takes some introspection and some willingness to admit that you do have specific faults.

When you realize you’re in a position where you need to apologize, step back for a bit and look at the situation. What exactly did you do wrong? It might be easy to point to a specific thing, but is that actually just one little piece of a larger thing?

The Delivery
There are three key points you need to get across when you deliver your apology.

“I did something wrong.” A real apology is an admission of fault. You made a mistake somewhere along the way – if you had not made a mistake, you would not be apologizing.

“What I did hurt you – and I recognize that.” Your fault, the one you admitted to, caused pain or difficulty for someone else. You need to recognize that if you want your apology to matter at all.

“What can I do to make amends?” Most of the time, an apology is sufficient for beginning to rebuild trust. Sometimes, however, more may be needed – perhaps you need to speak to someone else to repair a reputation, or maybe you should fix an item that you broke. Reaching out and offering to make these amends (and if you don’t know what they might be, offering to do what it takes) goes a long way towards cementing the sincerity of your apology.

The Sincerity
Most important of all, if you can’t be authentic about any of the above parts, don’t apologize at all. An insincere apology is transparent and does nothing to repair the situation. All it does is further damage your own reputation, not only in terms of the person you’re “apologizing” to, but to anyone else who hears about it.

Another note: a sincere apology never, ever expects an apology in return. An apology in the form of “I apologize, but I expect you to apologize in return” is not an apology – it’s a request for someone to apologize to you.

For the full article on Simple Dollar… Click Here.

July 25th, 2009 | Category: Business, Personal Growth | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a comment

For the narcissist in all of us…How to look good in pictures.

Here is a simple yet effective article on Readers Digest. Its a compilation of the basic rules to look good in pictures. This is actually advice some celebrities have to pay for when red carpet events start happening. The posing, the look, the feet position…all things to keep in mind. For the full article… Click here.

NEW TRAILER: BROTHERS.

July 13th, 2009 | Category: Trailers | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a comment

LINKS FOR THIS WEEK…

Waldo to become a movie, seriously…. (The Bad and Ugly)

When Pay does become a factor…(Actor Growth)

On "Breaking Bad"… (Notes on Acting)

Screen Actors Guild Union cards… (Actor-preneur)

Sindication: the gift that keeps on giving… (Defamer)

The art of business… (the acting room)

July 13th, 2009 | Category: Links | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a comment

BOOK REVIEW: THE POWER OF POSITIVE CRITICISM By Hendrie Weisinger, P.HD

Like every week we post a book review on a subject related to acting, health, personal growth or anything related to the showbiz industry. This time its about how to take and give more positive criticism.

The book “The power of positive criticism” by Hendrie Weisinger, P.HD shows you how to take or give advice that doesn’t turn people down or make them get on the defensive. It basically shows you how to “sugar-coat” your criticism to still get what you want from others. In a tone more appropriate to a 3 year old than a mature adult, the writer almost degrades its readers by treating them like incompetent and ignorant children.

After much sorting I finally found the part where then the book goes into talking about actual criticism and it did slightly improve. He explains his method of the "20 tips" and how to put them to work and includes plenty of real life examples. Such tips include things like:

- Be improvement orientated
- Criticize your criticisms
- Tell them what you want
- Acknowledge that its subjective
- Know your criteria for criticizing…

So, Is it worth reading? Well, it wasn’t exactly what I expected when I read the back-cover and the title. I expected more on dealing with criticism than on giving it. And its more business orientated than for personal growth, so I would say NO, don’t waste your money. As actors we deal with criticism constantly but unfortunately its mostly on the other end.

July 13th, 2009 | Category: Book Reviews | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a comment

Character Build series: Imagination (week 4)

At the end of the day, a character is fully created when it is no longer seen as a character, but a person. But how do we make this change? Where do we get the necessary information and tools to make this possible?

A)from our own experience.
B)from observation.
C)from research.
D)from our imagination.

This is the last of a four week series in which we will look at all these tools: today we look at imagination.

IMAGINATION

What happens, when experience is lacking, observation is impossible, and research doesnt exist? Imagination comes into play. As actors read a script for instance, their mind starts to form these characters weather they are realistic or not. And after a couple more times reading, they start to "see" this character. Anthony Hopkins once said:

"I read a script atleast 200 times when I take on a movie. Not because after the 20th I dont know it by heart already, but because after the 50th, I can see how this character moves, and after 100 times, I start to hear his voice, and after the 150th time my imagination starts to actually alter or adjust the character to myself."

Its as simple as picturing what this character feels like. And yes, due to the lack of experience, possible research and observation your guess may be way off. Maybe he is a quiet reserved person in the eyes of the director but you see him as an assured and confident person. But one thing is guaranteed; your performance will still be good. The CD can always ask you to alter those things. The script may be so vague, or your part so small, there really isnt much to go on. But as long as you commit to your point of view, and transmit what in your mind seems like this persons charisma, then you will at the very least be presented as a professional and good actor. Imagination, at the end of the day, IS OUR MOST POWERFUL TOOL as actors.

RIP: Michael Jackson.

Several readers have asked if I was going to post about Michael Jacksons death. Ive held out and restrained from making any comment so far because of the utter overload of fake/real/rumors/news on his death, his state of mind and body prior to, and his life in general. I believe most sites (including some news sites of reputable name) have turned Michaels’ death into pure sensationalism. I know regardles how controversial his life had been, if I were his family I would not appreciate so many people not involved with him speculating and causing new and worse rumors to arise. There have been very few sites and programs that have treated his death as what it is: a tragic loss of an incredibly talented artist.

No matter what artistic form; music, acting, writing, directing, painting…etc. Losing someone who has made such a difference in the world, the industry and millions of individuals lives with his art is tragic and should be treated with respect. So many fans have it, why cant some of the media or gossip sites do the same? I was shocked at what happened with Perez Hilton and the backlash from his posts, and I completey understood the publics reaction. We should treat our public figures differently.

Today his memorial is taking place here in LA. Its good to finally see his death treated with love and respect. Regardles of a persons controversies during life, you need to respect this time for his family and loved ones. Like my mother used to say: "if you arent going to say something nice, just dont say anything at all."

Michael Jackson, Rest in Peace. Our heart at BREAKALEGG goes out to you and yours.

July 7th, 2009 | Category: News | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a comment

ALL THE EFECTS IN THE WORLD CANT MAKE A GOOD MOVIE..

I admit it. I went to see Transformers this week. No, Im not proud. The case is, the movie has some wonderful effects (sometimes too many in too short a time frame, but you have to give it to them.. theyre well made). But does that make it a good movie? Heres what I think. The same way a good costume doesnt make a good actor, good effects dont make a good movie. According to an article in THR the movie was expected to do well in Box office and bad in reviews, but nobody thought it would do SO good at the box-office and SO bad in reviews. So you can have great bombs and seamless special effects, but when the story, the acting and basic rythym of the movie is so terrible…even the fans reject it.

And to know this movie took so much work and so much time and SO MUCH MONEY makes one think of where the directors priorities. But like I said, money cant always buy quality. So here is an article from Gizmodo about one of the good things this movie can offer (if not the only one)…the special effects. For the full article...Click Here.

July 7th, 2009 | Category: Technology | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a comment