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The Power Of Inspiration

photo(1)L-R Anne Hubbel, Tiffany Shlain, Rose McGowan, Mamrie Hart, Kamal Sinclair

By Marci Liroff

In my last column, I wrote about how my film, “The Sublime and Beautiful,” made its world premiere at this year’s 20th annual Slamdance Film Festival. Slamdance started as a ragtag festival running simultaneous with the Sundance Film Festival, and features emerging talent in films made for under $1 million. While I was there, I tried (to no avail!) to get into screenings at Sundance, but tickets are at a premium and mostly sold out—or you stand in a long line outside in the cold, only to be turned away. But then I discovered the panels! The panels at both film festivals were eye-opening. Beyond being there for my film, I found my true reason for being there: inspiration!

Inspiration can sometimes be an elusive thing, but when it strikes, it’s so powerful that you just know you’re on the right path.

The Women in Film panel at Sundance was especially inspiring. Anne Hubbell from Tangerine Entertainment moderated, with guest speakers Tiffany Shlain (founder of the Webby Awards), YouTube sensation Mamrie Hart, actor Rose McGowan (at Sundance with the short film she directed, “Dawn”), and Kamal Sinclair, senior manager of the Sundance Institute’s New Frontier Story Lab.

One of the themes repeatedly discussed was “community supporting community,” and the notion that you should not wait to be asked to the party by looking for permission to create. There are so many different ways to “crack the nut” to launch your projects, whether it be in film, television, Web series, or theater. Whatever your art is, surround yourself with advocates, put together your team of like-minded, incredibly talented, and creative people, look for your mentors, and keep your eyes open for your inspiration.

A Slamdance panel discussing short-form content had Chad Hurley (the co-founder of a little thing called YouTube!) and brothers Joe and Anthony Russo, who were at Slamdance in 1997 with “Pieces,” before Steven Soderbergh hired them to direct George Clooney’s “Welcome To Collinwood.” They then directed the pilot of “Arrested Development,” became executive producers–directors on NBC’s “Community,” and most recently co-directed “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

In this panel, they talked a lot about how short-form content (i.e., Vine videos, short films) can be a “point of access” to decision makers. Joe Russo says his daughter doesn’t watch comedy TV the way we used to. Now she watches Vine videos for an hour and laughs hysterically to get her “hit” of comedy. He mentioned Vine star Rudy Mancuso as a good example of how you can be discovered, “because somebody like me sits in an office, laughs, and says, ‘Find this guy.’ ” They liked him so much, they contacted him about doing a project, all from watching his six-second videos! I wondered if all this short-form content was fostering short attention spans in the viewers. I think our brains, especially in the younger folks, are actually being rewired to only be able to view and retain short-form content.

The Russo brothers suggested that if you’re a filmmaker, you should have scripts ready so that when you get the opportunity, you actually have content to show. Decide what kind of career you want and use the question, “What do you want to be doing in five years?” to reframe your thinking and choose your path.

So I ask you: What do you want to be doing in five years, and how are you going to get there?

Make sure to check out my new online course “How To Audition For Film and Television: Audition Bootcamp”. You can view it on your laptop or your mobile device and your subscription gives you lifetime viewing privileges for this course. I’ll be adding lectures throughout the year.

Glad you’re here.

Marci

THE ULTIMATE BLOG FOR FINDING SCRIPTS ONLINE

By Marci Liroff

I’ve been private coaching actors for the last several years in person and through Skype. (you can check out more info here). Most actors come to me to prepare for upcoming auditions or jobs they’re about to do and need some fine tuning and direction. It’s a great way for actors to get some feedback and guidance from a person (me!) who has the perspective of a casting director and producer who’s actually in the audition room and knows what’s expected of you in an audition.  I know what level you need to be in order to actually get the job or even be considered for the job.

Many actors come to me weekly to go over material that they want to work on to keep their minds and bodies sharp. I love this kind of work. Lately I’ve noticed that there is a huge chasm in finding great material worthy of spending your time. Traditionally they bring in old auditions, or scenes they were given at workshops which are, for the most part, horrible!

Used to be you’d drag yourself down to Samuel French Bookstore in Hollywood and buy old plays and screenplays. Now there are so many sources online to obtain scripts or monologues for FREE! I strongly suggest you learn a scene or a monologue once a week to keep yourself sharp and in tune as an actor. (Let me know if you have any more sources in the comments section).

Here are but a few of them:

2014 Oscar Contenders Screenplays

Simply Scripts  
http://www.simplyscripts.com/

Why Insanity (Movie monologues)
http://www.whysanity.net/

Daily Script
http://www.dailyscript.com/index.html

Screenplays Online
http://www.screenplays-online.de/

IMSDB
http://www.imsdb.com/

West Wing Transcripts
http://www.westwingtranscripts.com/index.php

Actors Pages (Audition sides)
http://www.talentpages.com/info/sides/

Script-o-Rama
http://www.script-o-rama.com/

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-57359896-10391698/download-scripts-of-award-contenders/
(some scripts are still available on this site)

Script Source – movies
http://www.chiff.com/art/theater/scripts.htm

Script Source – television
http://www.thescriptsource.net/TVScripts.html

Theater
http://www.chiff.com/art/theater/scripts.htm
http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk/full_length_play_scripts.htm

2012 Oscar Nomination Contenders
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Glad you’re here!
Marci