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I just found out a few minutes ago that I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE FILM PRODUCTION PROGRAM AT YORK UNIVERSITY! This is a huge deal for someone my age to have accomplished because many work for years after high school to be able to enter a strong film program like this one.
I'm amazed because 900 people applied, and only 42 have been accepted.
Walking in on interview day, I was nervous because it seemed as though every single person had an amazing portfolio, so I was stressed during the long wait to get the final result. But I have gotten into York, and this is the beginning of my career as a filmmaker.
P.S. The music will never be lost, I will continue to develop all of my artistic abilities, and I'm glad to say that an education York will make that possible for me.
- The Artist
I've decided to take some time over the March break and see some good movies. I just saw "The Hurt locker," and the movie is really worth watching. A team of American troops in Iraq specialize in bomb detonation, and their team captain is killed in action. The replacement is a corrupt leader who breaks the rules and constantly puts the lives of his crew (and his own life) at risk.
The entire experience of the movie, the visuals and the sound were so amazing that after a while, I forgot where I was and I could've swore that I could taste, smell and feel what it was like to be there as well! I actually still feel like I'm out in Iraq, risking my life for the world, instead of telling people to go watch a movie.
This film was truly an amazing film, and I know it was because two hours in when the end credits began to roll, I was in shock; I had to check my watch because I was ready for the story to keep on going. When it was all over, I could feel the story in my bones, it dug in that deep.
Now I understand why this film is worthy of best picture. Make sure that you go and see it; take it all in!
- The Artist
Every artist should have an identity, a desirable consistency in their performances and in all of their work. When your style develops and becomes memorable and desirable enough, you will notice that your pool of fans is growing as well.
For any of the sure that are fans of Chris Tucker, I'm sure that you can also tell me why. He bring it every time, and he leaves his audience rolling on the floor with laughter, but would you ever look forward to a movie where he didn't make you laugh? Chances are that the world doesn't want a serious Chris Tucker, but at the same time, if he choses to leave the comedy scene for good, it would be to make himself better and not necessarily for commercial appeal.
I think it's good to challenge yourself as an artist by moving on to new things, but my point is that when you have a good brand going for you, it would be wise to STICK TO IT.
I personally would never settle for being a "One-hit-wonder." I would see what was so great about my last work, and give it to the public again, in a fresh way, so that they can love it just as much as the last one, or even more.
So if being quirky works for you, be quirky; if you're great at being serious and intimidating, stay with it because your audience will become your fans when they can see your name and KNOW that they're about to experience something that they love. Consistency is key in building a fan base, so do what you do well, and just keep on getting better at it.
- The Artist
The Academy Awards. A gathering of the greatest Directors, Producers, Writers, and Actors in the film industry. Anyone remotely interested in even entering the industry should be soaking up the atmosphere of the ceremony.
Though it is an amazing ceremony, I am not particularly a fan of the phoniness of the people involved in the show. Everyone shows up for their own publicity, everyone wants the spotlight, and very few people are "real;" everyone has a face that they throw on as a cover. It's no wonder that Brad and Angelina passed on this year's ceremony; I'm sure they would much rather just spend the time at home watching it with their kids.
There were some times that threw me off during the show, like when different people got cut off during their speeches. One man was interrupted by someone in his own film, who stole his speech, and a couple others were cut off by the orchestra before even getting the opportunity to have a moment at the microphone. This is a real shame.
After the years of dedication that lead up to the moment of accepting the Oscar, having your speech cut off is really a nightmare and the producers should be ashamed of doing that to people.
Though I'm not a fan of the overall attitude of the Oscars, I'm a huge fan of what the show is meant to represent; the years of hard work, the dreams become realities, the priceless stories of lives that have been changed. People who could at one time, only dream of even attending the show, who have now gotten the chance to accept an award for their accomplishments in front of the entire world. That is why I still watch the Academy Awards every year.
- The Artist
I've been listening to a lot of smooth jazz lately and I had a moment of realization; no matter what genre of music you listen to, you will eventually be able to predict how songs will end up sounding. It's hard for me to admit this, but IT EVEN HAPPENS IN JAZZ!
There are very few musicians out there that that can come out with a fresh sound every time, while holding on to their identity. I've seen too many artists who have an amazing first album or breakout album, that seem to lose what makes them special by the time they are ready to release their next one.
If you study any artist, you may be amazed by their style and the nuances that make them unique; but after you have consumed their style, you may find nothing left to love about their music. Why is this? It's because many artists run out of ideas and end up writing formulaically so that they can quickly and easily dish out more of their product.
But the artists that will leave their audience in awe every time are the ones that create the music in their hearts and simply allow it to come out.
As Michael Jackson put it, they didn't write the music, they "let the music write itself." This is my personal lifeline when it comes to writing music. As soon as music becomes your science, you better be careful, because it is passion that holds on to audiences.
Have you noticed that every great artist has at least one epic song? The one that you could never forget, these songs are life-changers, they tell a story, and they could only come from life-changing experiences in the artist's life. In my opinion, sax player Kirk Whalum's epic song is "All I do;" if you haven't heard the song, take a listen to it right now. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFcg8O_P02M]. This is one of my all-time favourite songs because of how amazingly it was performed by the young, but legendary Kirk Walum on that night.
So artists, musicians, from now on, the music that you write should come from somewhere on your heart; if it doesn't, maybe it isn't worth writing.
Finally, the storm is over and we can all just be a company-family again. We had been split for a good two weeks, and It's good to finally have everything back to normal now. Today was the day that we had our big show, the one to decide what the identity of our company would end up being, and it was a strong competition all the way.
We anticipated a few problems for the day of the show and we weren't mistaken; there were people missing when the morning rehearsal came around and we were missing some of our decorations. Despite of our challenges on the day, our presentation of the brand was amazing because of the way that our team pulled together in the end.
We ended up winning the challenge and from now on we will be known as "Eminence Production Company." Our mission is to raise the bar for the young artistic community, with the amazing work that spawns form our limitless potential. The new company has been born, and it will make an impact in the entertainment industry.
- The Artist
The production company that I am a part of has been split for about two weeks now and the competition has done nothing but stiffen. What I'm noticing though, is that many people are easily stressed out by situations like this one.
I'm finding that most of my group members are having problems with each other. Some are feeling left out and unheard, while others are afraid that we're behind in production of the branding. We are a day away from the presentation and there is still so much to do. And it isn't as if everything is just for fun; there will be a number of guest artists involved, so there is an element of urgency involved.
I've found myself playing the role of the peace-keeper, being seemingly the only one unshaken by the pressure of the situation. I'm not easily unsettled, so I'm using my gift to help my team stay cool as well. I'll let you all know what happens with the branding very soon.
- The Artist
This is a good follow up to my post about the experiment that I'll be starting soon. Right now, I would like to introduce you to the idea of fearlessness as a performer.
Whether you're an actor musician, or any other kind of performer, it is necessary that you have the ability to put aside all of the insecurities that you have in your everyday life, and allow yourself to just be in the moment. Imagine an actor who is amazing, conveying the character to perfection; without a doubt, you believe that he is that character.
Now imagine the same actor stumbling over his words, pausing and trying to remember his lines, and shifting nervously to the point where you yourself are feeling a little uncomfortable. It isn't good for the actor (who will feel like garbage when the show is over, guaranteed), and the audience likely to feel ripped off (assuming that they paid to watch this person act). This is really a situation in which no one can win; no performer wants that for their audience and especially not for themselves either.
I do get nervous when I do things like this, but I'm at a point where I'm more afraid of having regrets than looking stupid in front of people. So when I hit the street with my method acting character, I'll attack the role and become that character completely. When my character finally comes out, he (or she? I dunno) will be %100 real to the people that I run into.
There is no such thing as an embarrassing situation, just an opportunity for an interesting experience.
Fearlessness as a performer is really just leaving everything on the stage, and the feeling of accomplishment after doing this is far worth the risk of failing. So I challenge you to put a little more risk in your life, (especially if you are the type of person who likes to be sure of everything), and give yourself the opportunity to be fearlessly in the moment.
- The Artist
I feel like doing something crazy, I want to take a risk; I want to make a point. This is definately my actor's side speaking right now, and it's telling me that I need to do something good.
I've already set the goal for myself, and it's not at all an easy one. I've decided that I will go for 3 days as a different person, a challenging person. I'm not exactly sure of who I'll be yet, but right now, I'm considering anything from from a homeless man on the street who confronts people, to a successful businessman, who demands top service in expensive stores. What I will be doing is called method acting and it is basically putting yourself %100 in the character's shoes to learn how to be more believable as that character.
I may or may not decide to bring my decided character to school depending on if it will be as effective with people that I know, but I will definitely make this character appear in public places. I'm also planning on catching it on camera to show right here. So be ready to find out what I decide to do.
- The Artist
