Protected: AUDITIONS IN ARIZONA for FATE and PRECIOUS PENNIES
Posted by Leslie on December 19, 2010 | Enter your password to view comments
Produce (Short) Movies
How-Tos for New Filmmakers and Wanna-Producers
Category: how to become an actor
Chris Valenti Acheives his Goal… 12 New Comedy Movies in 2009
Posted by Leslie on March 31, 2010 | No comments
Chris Valenti is another friend/filmmaker of mine (also a great musician and comic) and he has some really great comedy movies online and I just wanted to turn you on to his blog.
In 2009 he vowed to do a short film each month and he succeeded and I think that by setting a goal that is both a stretch and something that he can track, he made a great choice, and he achieved his goal! YAY!
Here’s his Funny or Die page: http://www.funnyordie.com/chrisvalenti
Enjoy!
New Vlog and New Comedy Movies Online by Vegas 1404
Posted by Leslie on March 19, 2010 | No comments
FUN! • General Filmmaking • LA Acting • Las Vegas Acting • Movie Directing • Shameless Self Promotion • comedy movies online • how to become an actor • new comedy movies
It was a lazy Thursday yesterday when I shot this. I stayed in all day editing and was in the middle of working and thought “I should post a vlog update.”
If you like any of the following videos, please give them a “Funny” rating (by clicking on the word “funny” below the screen) on Funny or Die.
Hiring Pundits: I directed, wrote and edited this one.
Hiring Pundits – watch more funny videos
Wide World Of Bowling
(My comments) Good job on Graphics and greenscreen. Might want to stand a little further away from greenscreen next time. The outline around the actors will be better.
Sometimes people used to writing for theater don’t realize that people are used to watching video with a lot of different shots, so it would have been cool if they had cut to “The Bulldozer” bowling or something like that… Especially if he was drunk when he bowled or other physical comedy. This would have added to the comedy and also made it more visually interesting. I’m very impressed with the ambitious use of graphics, though. Very cool, and most of them looked good!
Wide World of Bowling – watch more funny videos
VEGAS 1404 News
(My Comments) I like that they are shooting downtown Vegas. Very interesting area… I’m not involved with this but if I was, i would be highlighting the positive stuff going on… The artists, the new businesses to improve the area, something about themselves (Vegas 1404), First Friday, new theaters…
Everyone knows that Vegas has pimps and hookers and druggies… but why is that news? I think they’re still testing out this genre and it will get tighter as they go on. And I have a tendency to look for the up-side of things, and that may not be what they are going for which is cool. All voices are necessary in the world of art and flimmaking. Good job, guys!
Click Here For more Vegas 1404 Newscasts
Sedona Film Festival 2010
Posted by Leslie on March 2, 2010 | No comments
Well, I spent this weekend shooting footage for NAZ Today of the Sedona Film Festival.
I got a tremendous quantity and high quality of footage, including an event called “Conversation with Michael Moore” and several great interviews with directors and producers of the films being screened at the festival, but unfortunately I don’t have the footage.
Sorry.
Here are some pictures… (sorry about the low quality)
Sedona Film Fest 2010
Michael Moore at Sedona Film Fest 2010
Jerry Stiller at Sedona Film Fest 2010
To Sundance or not to Sundance?
Posted by Leslie on January 23, 2010 | One comment
One of the questions I often get when asked about how to become an actor is whether or not to go to Sundance, the big film festival that happens in Utah every January.
I’ve never gone.
I get invitations to parties and to roommate with people every year, but I’ve been to Salt Lake City other times of the year and the idea of a large portion of Los Angelenos descending upon that tiny town every year makes me hyperventilate from claustrophobia.
I mean, should the opportunity come when my schedule is free, then I might check it out, but I don’t personally think it will benefit most actors and there are better ways to network.
Sundance started as a way for the indie filmmaker to get the word out about his or her film, but it has gotten so big that it has become a celebrity stomping ground, complete with schwag tents and photo-ops if you are on the A-list.
What does that mean for the beginning or intermediate actor?
It means that you could probably meet some interesting or even powerful people at the event, and see a lot of great movies premiere and attend some awesome parties, but it won’t do much for your career.
As a filmmaker, the advice I’ve gotten regarding Sundance is that you should go if you have something screening, otherwise it’s kind of a waste of resources. A fun waste, but a waste.
My advice would be to seek out smaller film festivals. If you are from LA, go anywhere in the nation that has a film festival and you will find filmmakers from Los Angeles. YAY!
If you are not from L.A., go to the festivals that are local to you. The reason is that most festivals favor local filmmaking talents and encourage them to apply. This means that you will be networking with filmmakers in your area, which means you have a good chance of being cast in their next project (or at least auditioning.)
And don’t forget to go to the galas at these smaller festivals. Sure, you may have to pay a bit of an entrance fee, but it’s like an automatic set up for you to talk with people. Tables are shared typically (awesome!) and lots of mingling ensues. Congratulate the people that win awards and follow up after the event with an email. Ideally, you got to see their project during the festival. Tell them what you liked about their work and that you would like to get involved in their next project if there is an appropriate roll.
Finally, if you do go to Sundance, go to the workshops. Great place to meet people. And also waiting on lines for standby tickets for films. But really, you’ll meet people everywhere when you go. After all, it is Sundance and a majority of the industry people go just to chat it up with other industry people.
And as always, Have Fun!
A Few of Good Resources for Los Angeles Actors…
Posted by Leslie on January 2, 2010 | No comments
I was thinking about a friend who recently moved to LA to do some acting and was trying to decide what resources I would refer him to.
There are three off the top of my head that I wish I had discovered earlier.
The first is Suzanne Lyon’s Flash Forward workshops, which I have mentioned here several times.
The second is Jeffrey Gund’s InfoList, which is a regular email that gives you information on the latest events and workshops in town.
And the third is CCI, Center For Cultural Innovation.
They focus a lot on the business of art and I had the pleasure of going to one of their free artists info days which they hold approximately every 6 months.
The topics at that even ranged from legal assistance to doing your own PR to getting yourself organized (called “Getting Your S**t Together”), and while CCI tends to be more geared toward visual artists, I found it to be extremely valuable for other artists, such as actors, filmmakers, musicians, etc…
Great networking, too!
“Ten Steps to Wrapping up 2009…and Giving Yourself the best Holiday Ever!”
Posted by Leslie on December 29, 2009 | No comments
It is tremendously helpful to start the new year with a clean slate and I, in some way or another, usually go through my previous year and review all that has happened, all the successes I have achieved, where it has left me at the end of the year, and, most importantly, where I am headed in the next year.
I have done many different systems that all work well, depending on the sort of mind frame I am in and the sort of experience I see myself having in the new year.
Suzanne Lyons runs a workshop in December called Launching the Future, and though the even has already passed, here is a message from Suzanne on how to get “complete” with the previous year, so that you may step into 2010 full steam ahead and with all of your energy moving toward what you want to achieve.
“Ten Steps to Wrapping up 2009…and Giving Yourself the best Holiday Ever!” by Suzanne Lyons
1) Take a thorough serious look at your year. Go through your calendar, day timer, diary, etc. See where you are out of communication, out of touch, and out of integrity with colleagues, family and friends. Make a complete list.
2) Take your list and write up what you would need to do or say to clean things up (to be complete). I am not saying that you have to take the actions. You can take the actions if you want to, but often just the act of acknowledging what is incomplete will have it disappear.
3) Go back through your year and take note of all the projects, areas and anything from your “To Do” list that is incomplete or unfinished.
4) Take this list and write out what actions you could take to be finished or be complete. It is up to you whether or not you take the actions, but once again in order to be complete with 2009 it is important to take note of the above and acknowledge what is left unfinished.
5) Accomplishments: Now it’s time to brag! I love this part. Go through your year again and this time make a list of all of your accomplishments…no matter how small you think some of them might be. All too often we focus on what’s wrong, what we didn’t get done or what we should have done. So now I want you to focus on everything you accomplished. Claim it! Be proud of it! Take joy and pleasure in it!
6) Acknowledgment: There are two sides to this one. Giving and receiving. Both are very important and both are missing in our culture. And it is all part of being complete. In all of 2009, what would you like to be acknowledged for. For example, “I would like to be acknowledged for sticking to my weekly exercise program.” Write out a list of all the things you want to be acknowledged for and share it with a friend. Perhaps you could have a friend or family member do the exercise so you can share your lists with each other. A friend of mine, with her family, does the accomplishment and acknowledgment lists every Christmas. Wow!
7) Acknowledging others: Who do you want to acknowledge? Make a list and include the acknowledgement in your holiday cards, calls and emails. Acknowledge not only what they did, but also who they are for you and the difference they have made in your life.
Expectations: A friend of mine once said that “human beings are walking expectations just waiting to be unfulfilled”. So that said, what about going into the holiday with your friends and family with absolutely no expectations at all! Just allow them to do what they do and be who they be and have no reaction. Just keep falling in love with them over and over again no matter what. Wouldn’t that be a fun adventure to take on for the holidays?
9) Appreciation and Gratitude: There is a great quote by Melody Beattie where she says that “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Create a list of all the wonderful things you appreciate and are grateful for. Come up with at least 50! Look at this list everyday and keep adding to it.
10) Contribution: Since this is the season for giving, the greatest gift you can give is yourself….your time, your love, your kind words, your ongoing commitment to be an example for humanity…bringing excitement, possibility, joy, love and passion to everything you do and everyone you touch!
(BTW, I recommend you sign up for Suzanne Lyon’s newsletter by going to her website!)
Happy 50th Anniversary to The Second City!
Posted by Leslie on December 15, 2009 | No comments
The Second City
In case you were not aware, some of the greatest comedians of our time were gathered in Chicago this weekend to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Second City…
Second City is considered the Harvard of comedym and almost everyone involved in comedy for the past 35 years is an alum or is in some way related to the famous comedy school.
(For example, I studied improv in New York at Chicago City Limits, which is an offshoot of Second City.)
Anyway, it’s exciting and it must have been quite a fun party!
You can see pictures from the event if you become a fan of their Facebook Page…
An NPR article states:
“From the beginning, The Second City has always been an unparalleled incubator of talent, launching the careers of a who’s who of Hollywood, television and Saturday Night Live stars: Alan Arkin, Paul Sand, Barbara Harris, Fred Willard, Robert Klein, Peter Boyle, Joan Rivers, Harold Ramis, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Eugene Levy, Tim Kazurinsky, Mary Gross, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Martin Short, George Wendt, Shelly Long, Bonnie Hunt, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Steve Carell, Steven Colbert, Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, Horatio Sanz and many, many more.”
Here is the link to the rest of the article from NPR on the Second City 50th Anniversary Celebration.
Los Angeles Networking: Six Degrees of Entertainment and Silverlake Film, Music, TV & New Media Holiday Party!
Posted by Leslie on December 11, 2009 | No comments
I received this invitation from my friend Ruby Lopez. She and I did several Flash Forwards (along with a number of other Suzanne Lyon’s workshops).
I will not be in Los Angeles on the 15th, so I will not be able to attend, but I figured I would pass it on to you, my readers.
I think a lot of Flash Forward alums are going to show up, and if so, this is definitely worth going to. All the people I met through FF are wonderful and very good at networking and being strategic about their careers.
If you go, have fun and post your experiences here in the comments section!
DATE: TUESDAY, DEC. 15, 2009
LOCATION: THE BUNGALOW CLUB — MELROSE
7174 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles CA 90046
Phone: 323-964-9494
TIME: 7pm to 10pm
NO COVER CHARGE
(RSVP deadline: December 15, 2009 4:00 PM)
http://www.meetup.com/Six-Degrees-of-Entertainment/
Six Degrees is about networking with other professionals in the Film, TV, Music and New Media industries. Everything in entertainment is interrelated. You could be a director looking for an actor, agent or composer for your movie. Or a producer looking for a web marketing expert for a webisode. Or a screenwriter looking for an agent or manager. Come and join us in our monthly meetup events and meet other industry professionals in a fun, casual setting.
FYI: There’s street parking if you get there early. Otherwise, there’s valet.
Looking forward to seeing you there! Please rsvp and bring as many guests as you want.
Thank you! Happy Holidays!
FYI: I’ve extended the invitation to two additional industry related meetup groups. So, it’s sure to be a great turnout!
TEN STEPS TO SUCCESS IN HOLLYWOOD (Or any Business)
Posted by Leslie on November 17, 2009 | No comments
Suzanne Lyons
TEN STEPS TO SUCCESS IN HOLLYWOOD
(Or any Business)
1. SET A GOAL – Do a one year goal. For example, “By December 1st, 2010 I will _________________________ _________________________________________. Then break it down into monthly milestones: January 1st, February 1st, March 1st, etc.
2. DESIGN YOUR PITCH – Do a FANTASTIC logline for your project or yourself depending on whether or not you are selling your script or yourself. Then prepare a two minute pitch to expand on the logline. If you are pitching yourself be sure to design your pitch drawing from highlights from your career and your personal life. I usually make a list of 5 to 10 highlights from my career and personal life and then I choose the ones I want to use in my pitch. As producers you should always have a great pitch ready that is about you because you will constantly be enrolling people in YOU, whether they be financiers, agents, directors, etc.
3. CREATE A DISPLAY OF WHO YOU KNOW (MAP OF RELATIONSHIPS) – Categorize the names of everyone you know in the industry, ie. producers, writers, casting directors, directors, entertainment attorneys, etc. Call everyone on your Map and tell them what you’re up to.
4. NETWORK – Continue to expand your Map. Network, Network, Network. Get out there and meet people. Sometimes to push myself a little I will set a goal like “I will meet 10 new people this month”. See my October Newsletter for some great tips on Networking and creating Relationships.
5. MAKE REQUESTS AND OFFERS – Make requests (not favors) of people on your Map. For example, “I’m really committed to meeting 3 new directors for my film project. Do you know any directors you could introduce or refer me to.” Also, end every call and conversation with “Is there anything I can do for you”. We all to often forget to do this and it means a lot to the person on the other end of the phone.
6. CREATE A HITLIST – Target who you need to talk to or meet with. RESEARCH. Read the trades. Make a list of 10 to 20 names and start calling. This could be one of the requests that you make to people on your Map. For example, “I am looking to set up a meeting with John Doe, Casting Director. He is on my Hitlist as someone I really want to meet. I know you have worked with him before and was wondering if I could use you name when I called him.”
7. BRAINSTORMING – Get ideas outside of what you alone can come up with. So often we try to do it alone and it’s crazy. In the Flash Forward workshops over the years we had a built in one-hour exercise called “Brainstorming” where we divided into teams of six or eight people and then divide up the time equally. Then one person would state what they needed and then they would be quiet and just listen and take notes as everyone threw ideas at them. They were not allowed to comment on the ideas at all. They just wrote everything down and then took from the ideas what they wanted. It was extremely successful.
8. KEEP STATS – I know this doesn’t sound like fun and we all get a bit squeamish when we think about statistics. However, it is such a great wake up call to what actions you are really taking as opposed to what you are just talking about. Make a list of 3 to 5 categories you want to track and then add up the actions you have taken on a weekly basic. In the workshops I have led I always include this as part of the program. People are always shocked at how few calls they have made compared to what they thought they had. Categories could include: Number of production companies contacted about my project; number of meetings set; number of auditions; number of scripts sent out; number of new relationship made, etc.
9. GET A MENTOR – No matter what level you are at. Make it easy for them. Request only a little of their time over a very specific period of time. For example, three ten-minute conversations over the next four weeks, or a half-hour coffee meeting, or a lunch together. Also, please be prepared with your questions ready and it is important that you generate the conversation. It is not your mentor’s job to generate it. Remember it is a business relationship so always acknowledge them for their time.
10. CREATE A SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR YOURSELF – It is extremely important to be held accountable for your promises! We’re only human after all and sometimes when the going gets tough the tough get going. Don’t let that happen. Be held accountable for your word and your actions. Every Tuesday morning a group of 6 of us get together to talk about our goals and what actions we are going to take that week. On Friday we email in what we have done so far, and what is still left to do before we meet the next Tuesday. It really helps keep us focused and on target, and the coaching and brainstorming we do with each other is priceless.
A BONUS TIP: HAVE FUN AND ACKNOWLEDGE YOURSELF DAILY! We are here to have fun (no matter what business you’re in) so keep that in mind at all times. The more you take on having every action, every milestone and every goal as FUN, the more people will want to play with you and the more you will attract into your life everything you want. Also, don’t wait for others to acknowledge you. Acknowledge yourself. In the Launching the Future workshop I lead I include a page where people list what they want to be acknowledged for, just to get them in the habit of acknowledgment.
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