Why Bother?
For most of human existence
The meaning of life was very simple
Survive
Why?
Because it was so bloody difficult
A human being
On its own
Is a feeble creature
A soft and vulnerable thing
But together
We have survived
How?
Connection
Connection allowed us to go from near the bottom of the food chain
To the top
Now, what helps build connections?
Stories
Meaningful stories
“Doug went to waterhole. Lion at waterhole. Lion ate Doug. Don’t go to waterhole” - Karen, the cavewoman
“Thank you, Karen. The rest of us will now survive today” - Joel, the caveman
Why is this important?
Because nothing has changed
The best in the business
Still do the exact same thing
They share meaningful stories
They help humans connect
They help the group survive
So…
Why bother?
Bring it back to something of importance
Help others survive
Help others connect
Share meaningful stories
Let’s break this down even more
What are ways in which we could share meaningful stories?
We could be a writer, director, producer, cinematographer, grip, assistant, comedian, etc, etc
Countless different ways
But lets focus on acting
Lets break down the craft of playing dress ups
An actor provides a character within a context
Acting = Character + Context
Character = Human
Context = Moment
Therefore…
An actor helps share meaningful sotries by providing human moments
Now…
Lets help ourselves put our heads on the pillow feeling proud
Lets make small, progressive steps toward meaningful goals
Lets get good at sharing a human moment
Build competence at being a human in front of the lens (or on stage)
Build competence at being that human within a given context
Hope this helps
m
Quote I’m Considering
“As actors, it is our responsibility to read newspapers, and then say what we read on television like it’s our own opinion”
- Team America, World Police