Archive for the ‘Acting’ Category
Staatsoper Vienna Opera House
Posted: February 15, 2013 in Acting, Study abroad, TheatreTags: Acting, Collin Medford, Opera, Staatsoper, Study abroad, Theatre, Tourism, traveling, Vienna, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech Study Abroad
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“10 STEPS TO BREAKING INTO ACTING” By Matt Newton
Posted: December 10, 2012 in ActingTags: Acting, Book, Business, Collin Medford, Finals, Matt Newton, Virginia Tech
It’s finals week here at Virginia Tech and I have been super busy with rehearsals, marketing projects, studying, and work so I have not been able to blog. Anyway, I want to spread the word about Matt Newtons’ new book. He was my first ever acting coach and made me realize how hard this business truly is. He’s a fantastic coach and I look forward to meeting up with him next fall when I’m out in New York City. His book is called, 10 STEPS TO BREAK INTO ACTING and was just made available via Ebook. It’s available to own at Amazon for 3.99. Although I have yet to read it, I have purchased it and am eager to start it. So far the reviews have been nothing but positive. I have provided a link above to the Amazon web site as well as a review below.
“Mr. Newton’s witty and concise book is an invaluable resource for any actor. While it is geared toward the those aspiring to “make it” in this business, it is also particularly useful for those stage actors that may be pursuing a new direction doing commercials, films and TV. He has written the book he wished he had had during his own struggles, in a business that can seem impossible at times. It’s full of intelligence and common sense in a field where such qualities are nearly extinct, and he covers practically every question you’d want to ask. . .as well as giving you some gems of wisdom concerning what NOT to do, and scams to avoid. Everything from auditions to agents, from resumes to demo reels and headshots, is covered here. This book will help save you TIME, MONEY, and even perhaps a bit of your remaining sanity! Highly recommended.” ~Amazon User Review
What Element Are You?
Posted: November 29, 2012 in ActingTags: Acting, Air, Collin Medford, Earth, Elements, Exercise, Fire, Movement, Stephen Belber, Tape, Theatre, Training, Water
This was one of my favorite exercises that we did in our movement class during my time here at Virginia Tech. First, our professor had us lie down while she turned on music that sounded like it could have been off of an Enya soundtrack. Then she described each element in great detail and the class would instinctively react, while we would move our bodies correlating with the description of the element. For example, when she was illustrating fire, she conveyed an image of a tiny ember slowly burning. Eventually, that ember became a raging inferno, engulfing a cabin in the woods, and then setting the forest a blaze.
What’s my Element?
The element that I related most with was water. I believe it’s the most powerful and destructive element, yet very peaceful and beautiful at the same time. I felt most comfortable being submerged deep in an ocean with only water surrounding me. I’m by no means a shy person, but I do enjoy my alone time. My instructor said I needed to explore how water reacts off of rocks and rapids. At the time I was still insecure and wasn’t confident about my acting or myself. A year and half later I can say that I have in fact explored the other areas of water.
How does this relate to acting?
Every character that an actor creates can be based off of one of the four main elements: Fire Water, Wind, and Earth. Characters can be a mix of each element, but I find that you are usually able to distinguish a characters main element. Right now, I’m working on a scene from the play Tape, by Stephen Belber. I’m playing the character, Vince. I find him to be mix of all the elements, but he is a very airy creature. His mind moves a millions miles a second, and he uses so many different tactics to get what he wants. This is a very useful and helpful tool an actor can use to explore a character at the beginning stages of the work.
So I ask you, what element are you?
Back Home for Thanksgiving
Posted: November 19, 2012 in Acting, Film, TheatreTags: entertainment, film adaption, Glencoe, Hamlet, Kenneth Branagh, professional shakespeare, Shakespeare, Virginia Tech, Writers Theatre
Well, I’m back home with the family in Chicago for Thanksgiving break. I went to Madison, Wisconsin to visit a couple buddies of mine over the weekend. It was a hell of a time; too bad the Badgers couldn’t pull off the upset in overtime. I’m still suffering from post dramatic Woyzeck disorder. It’s been a little over a week since our last show and I miss pretty much everything about it. You know what they say though life goes on.
Life has treated me well this semester and I can’t say that I have had any major dilemmas or problems. My mother and I are going to go see Hamlet at the Writers’ Theatre in Glencoe this Wednesday. I have never seen a professional Shakespeare play and I’m looking forward to it. Kenneth Branaghs’ film adaption is my favorite Shakespeare movie of all time. It’s hard to talk about his portrayal of Hamlet because words can’t justify the beauty of his performance.
That’s about it though. I finally have free time to kick it, read plays, find monologues, and enjoy my final weeks as at school before I go abroad. Below is a preview of Hamlet from the Writers’ Theatre. Enjoy!
My College Experience
Posted: October 21, 2012 in Acting, Virginia TechTags: Acting, College, Collin Medford, Motivation
Like most freshman, I went into college not having a clue what I wanted to do with my life. I studied hard, earned good grades, and applied to the business school here at Tech after my freshman year. Even though I was accepted, it didn’t feel right. Right now, I’m working on getting my marketing degree, but theatre is my true passion. Still to this day, I remember how much fun I had in my 8th grade drama class and it annoys me that I did not stick with it through high school. My first performance was a poem, “One Sister for Sale”, by Langston Hughes, I remember enjoying every moment up on stage. After being accepted into the business school, I enrolled in a second major, theatre arts, with a focus in performance. The first semester was great. I took acting lab and intro to cinema and learned the very basic fundamentals of acting. I was on top of the world, or at least I thought. Ever since that semester, until about 5 months ago, has been a struggle. I lost confidence in myself, I became depressed, I started smoking unhealthy amounts of weed, and just lost my grip on reality in life. I didn’t take the work seriously and was stressed out trying to organize my time for both theatre and marketing. For my sanity, I dropped my theatre major to a minor and ever since then I have felt impeccable. I believe the three biggest reasons for my failures in theatre the past two years were a lack of confidence, not taking the work seriously, and not having the time. I’m back though, I posses that confidence I had when I was growing up. I’m ready to do this and I’m ready to continue to learn and be emotionally and physically available. It’s only been 2.5 years since I began this adventure. It’s never to late to learn. Commit yourself, be available, and say yes to everything!
