It's been a rather busy few weeks. Since I recently got hired to write a comedy web-series, with a very good friend of mine, it's been all go on the old creativity front. Firstly, writing a web-series (at least writing one of any wit, style and/or substance) is bloody hard work! The idea for our series is terrific and the collective brainbox has been producing lots of good things, however while I would usually celebrate such an instance, in this case it is almost a hindrance. You see, making something funny, furthering a plot and developing characters - both central and periphory - is quite a difficult thing to accomplish in 5-6 minutes of screen time. You literally have no time for back story, no time for elaborate "twas a warm summer's eve, and Jennifer wandered the forests with a pondering expression in her eye" -style descriptions. It has so far been an absolute lesson in writing succinctly.
That said, my writing partner and I have no illusions as to the work involved and so far we've got something which I think could be really quite good. Definitely the potential for a sitcom...but I probably just sound like a delusional fool for saying that out loud. Plus, sitting around with a mate coming up with funny stuff all day ain't my idea of a bad gig. Kna'mean!
Also, for some unknown reason, I've been getting lots of auditions lately. All for commercials. All weird and wonderful in their own way.
As I may have mentioned on this blog before, the commercial business is a funny old one. Most of the time you go in not knowing what to expect. In fact the only thing you can be sure of is that you will make a complete tit of yourself, in one way or another. One minute you're being asked to fall asleep in front of a room full of people (true story - I had to do it twice), the next you're given a wife, a child and asked to improvise your honeymoon slideshow for 20 minutes (again, true story). I prefer the latter, it must be said.
In all honesty it's gotten to the point where I don't know what they're actually looking for with these things. You've just got to go in, do your best, piss into the wind and hope you eventually snag something with a paycheck. Thank god I've got other interests or I'd probably go insane by now.
Finally, I have also been doing classes at the esteemed Upright Citizens Brigade theater. Now, these classes are technically Improv, but not as we know it. I went in thinking "I'm going to show all these f**kers just how funny and delightful I really am. They're in for a treat!" However, within an hour I was a cowering wreck. They stamp that "aren't I funny?" gene right out of you immediately. Instead they teach the importance of two things. One, listening to what's going on and creating a scene based off of that (quite a nerve-shredding experience). Two, committing 100% to whatever you're doing. The experience so far, has been revelatory.
You see, as far as commitment goes, nothing is more important if you want to be a good actor, or indeed a good comedian. Let's face it, acting, by it's very nature, is ridiculous. You are essentially doing 'make believe' as a grown adult. However, stories need to be served and the only way to serve such stories is to commit to your part with everything you've got. They say you're reporting on a Manatee headed, Tuna-fish bodied sumo wrestler who threatening to destroy human kind? Then you better report with all the terror and blind panic you can muster.
For example, think of Harrison Ford in Star Wars. It was his first big role. He's sitting on set, convinced he's making the biggest turkey of all time. He was, in his words, "set to fire my agent". However, when he's running through that set being told "Okay, you just came out of an asteroid field six parcecks too far" do you believe for a second that it's not real in the finished product? No chance. Or when he has to pretend that an 8ft hairy beast whose only dialogue is "Gggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" is his best friend, he's in it, 100%. And look at him today.
So when you're in an audition being told "when you bite into that burrito, it's like the happiest you've ever been" (again, true story), instead of thinking how absurd the last sentence that passed your ears was and how much you should be working with Martin Scorcese by now, you've just got to say f*ck it and believe everything as if it were actually happening.
Therefore my advice is to commit to whatever it is you're doing. Because yes it might feel unnatural, and yes you might feel stupid, but one day you might...um...shag Calista Flockhart? I don't know what I'm saying. You get my point.
Peace,
John.
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