Actors seem to need to know the right questions to ask and are required to do a lot of their own character and script analysis.  It’s our job (as actors) and we study for this: to figure out the character’s ‘objective’, the ‘super objective’, the character’s goal etc. etc. — whomever you listen to or with whom you study.  Then the Director has his say — ideally before the actor has read his mind!

This is a full-time job, and one must research and become the character and not over-intellectualize.  Oh dear, ‘the intellectual actor’.  You may think this is a compliment, but it’s not!  You must come from the gut and above all — truth.

For acting classes in Sydney              http://wp.me/sXTWu-1560

“If you catch somebody ‘acting’ in a movie, that actor is doing it wrong.  The moment he’s caught ‘performing’  for the camera, the actor has blown his cover.  He’s no longer a private character in a private world.  Now he’s a highly paid actor on contract to speak these lines for the public.  Good-bye illusion.  Good-bye career.”

– Michael Caine

So? Stop acting even in acting class!

Do it, don’t do it, just be……………………xx

P R E P – R O A R – F I N (These 3 words will WOW your audition technique!)

Auditioning?   Love it or Hate it…it’s necessary to Audition to get a job!  The more you audition,
the better you get at it (hopefully) and the less nervous you get.

Three things from the book “Audition Secrets…” are right here and seem simple:

PREP – Preparation
ROAR – Own the Room
FIN – It’s over, don’t beat yourself up or think it’s “in the bag”.

These tools are explained in more detail in the book, which can be found at

www.audition-secrets.com

You MUST prepare.  Casting Agents and Clients name this as their No.1 annoyance – when an
actor has come unprepared.

When you go into the audition room, these are the 2-5 minutes of acting you may do all week, so
make the most of it!

When it’s all over, it’s over.  At least enjoy the fact that you got SEEN and hope for the best.   Just
because you don’t get the job, doesn’t mean YOU were bad. You know, it’s the old – ‘they wanted
a different color of hair in the end’.  Give yourself a break.

Please remember that those people casting you are “not out to get you”. Actually, they are out to make you
look as good as possible – so help them out!  They have clients to please too.

So, as I always say, get out there and HAVE FUN and BE PREPARED.

What a great idea and wonderful casting with Russell Brand playing ‘Arthur’ in the remake of ‘Arthur’.  Brand certainly has his own fast-paced wit and sense of humour.

He says:

“I am hoping that I too will get an Oscar nomination,” he told MTV News when they visited the “Arthur” set. “What I did is, I’ve pretended to be Dudley Moore for a lot of this film, because I was thinking perhaps they just might think, ‘He’s almost the exact same as him. Let’s nominate him for an Oscar.’”

Ha! I think Russell can hold his own with this character (“a loveable drunk”), by tapping into his past when he was a drunk, but is still certainly loveable.  I do hope filming is over soon so he can grow back his facial hair!

Who’s this?? That is the cloned child of Russell Brand and Johnny Depp.  I call him my son because I was there when he was created and born.  Check him out at djsteen.com

Film opens April 8th in the USA!  I’m in Australia, so maybe I’ll get to see it for free on the plane!

Best Original Screenplay

1. Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg -The Kids Are All Right
2. David Seidler – The King’s Speech
3. Christopher Nolan – Inception
4. Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John J. McLaughlin – Black Swan
5. Mike Leigh – Another Year
6. Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson – The Fighter
7. Derek Cianfrance – Blue Valentine

Best Adapted Screenplay

1. Aaron Sorkin – The Social Network
2. Joel and Ethan Coen – True Grit
3. Simon Beaufoy, Danny Boyle – 127 Hours
4. Debra Granik, Anne Rosselini – Winter’s Bone
5. Michael Arndt – Toy Story 3
6. Peter Craig, Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard – The Town
7. William Davies, Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders – How to Train Your Dragon

Best Original Score

1. Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross – The Social Network
2. Hans Zimmer – Inception
3. Alexandre Desplat – The King’s Speech
4. AR Rahman – 127 Hours
5. Danny Elfman – Alice in Wonderland
6. Clint Mansell – Black Swan (Ineligible)
7. Alexandre Desplat – The Ghost Writer
8. Carter Burwell – True Grit (Ineligible)
9. Randy Newman – Toy Story 3

Chances are, if a film isn’t on one of those lists, it’s not going to get nominated. Still, making the master list below means there’s always a chance. Here are the lists.

Original screenplays

AGORA
ALL GOOD THINGS
ALPHA AND OMEGA
ANIMAL KINGDOM
ANOTHER YEAR
APARORIS
APPLAUSE
BIUTIFUL
BLACK SWAN
BLACK TULIP
BLUE VALENTINE
THE BOOK OF ELI
THE BOUNTY HUNTER
BROOKLYN’S FINEST
BURIED
BURLESQUE
CAIRO TIME
CASE 39
CASINO JACK
CITY ISLAND
THE CONCERT
CONVICTION
COP OUT
COUNTRY STRONG
CRAYON
CYRUS
DATE NIGHT
DAYBREAKERS
DEFENDOR
DESPICABLE ME
DEVIL
DREAMKILLER
THE DREAMS OF JINSHA
DROOL
THE DRY LAND
DUE DATE
EASY A
ESSENTIAL KILLING
EXPECTING MARY
THE EXPENDABLES
THE FIGHTER
FOUR LIONS
FRANKIE & ALICE
FROM PARIS WITH LOVE
FURRY VENGEANCE
GET LOW
GOING THE DISTANCE
GREENBERG
GROWN UPS
HAPPY TEARS
THE HARIMAYA BRIDGE
HARRY BROWN
HEARTBREAKER
HEAVEN’S RAIN
HEREAFTER
HIDEWAY (LE REFUGE)
HOLY ROLLERS
HOW DO YOU KNOW
HOWL
HUBBLE 3D
I AM LOVE
IDIOTS AND ANGELS
THE ILLUSIONIST
INCEPTION
INSIDE JOB
THE JONESES
JUST WRIGHT
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
KILLERS
THE KING’S SPEECH
KNIGHT AND DAY
THE LAST EXORCISM
LEAP YEAR
LEBANON
LEGION
LETTERS TO GOD
LETTERS TO JULIET
LIFE AS WE KNOW IT
LOTTERY TICKET
LOUIS
LOVE RANCH
MACHETE
MADE IN DAGENHAM
MEGAMIND
MICMACS
MIDDLE MEN
MISCONCEPTIONS
MONSTERS
MORNING GLORY
MOTHER AND CHILD
MY NAME IS KHAN
MY SOUL TO TAKE
NIGHT CATCHES US
OCEANS
ONDINE
THE OTHER GUYS
OUR FAMILY WEDDING
PLEASE GIVE
PREACHER’S KID
RED HILL
REMEMBER ME
ROBIN HOOD
ROZYCZKA
SALT
SEQUESTRO
SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE
THE SICILIAN GIRL
SIX DAYS IN PARADISE
SKYLINE
SOLITARY MAN
SOMEWHERE
SPLICE
THE SPY NEXT DOOR
STONE
SUMMER WARS
TAKERS
3 BILLION AND COUNTING
THE TILLMAN STORY
TOOTH FAIRY
TOUCHING HOME
TRASH HUMPERS
UNBEATEN
UNSTOPPABLE
VALENTINE’S DAY
VAMPIRES SUCK
THE VIRGINITY HIT
WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN”
WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY
THE WARRIOR’S WAY
WATERCOLORS
WELCOME TO THE RILEYS
WHEN IN ROME
YOU AGAIN
YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER

Adapted screenplays

THE A-TEAM
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
THE AMERICAN
ANTON CHEKOV’S THE DUEL
BARNEY’S VERSION
CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE
CHARLIE ST CLOUD
CHLOE
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
CLASH OF THE TITANS
COCO CHANEL & IGOR STRAVINSKY
THE COMPANY MEN
THE CRAZIES
DEAR JOHN
DEATH AT A FUNERAL
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS
EAT PRAY LOVE
EDGE OF DARKNESS
THE EXTRA MAN
FAIR GAME
FLIPPED
FOR COLORED GIRLS
GET HIM TO THE GREEK
THE GHOST WRITER
THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
GREEN ZONE
GULLIVER’S TRAVELS
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 1
HEMINGWAY’S GARDEN OF EDEN
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
IRON MAN 2
IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY
JACK GOES BOATING
JOHN RABE
JONAH HEX
THE KARATE KID
KICK-ASS
THE LAST AIRBENDER
THE LAST SONG
LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: THE OWLS OF GA’HOOLE
LET ME IN
LIFE DURING WARTIME
LIKE DANDELION DUST
LITTLE FOCKERS
THE LOSERS
LOVE & OTHER DRUGS
MACGRUBER
MAO’S LAST DANCER
MARMADUKE
MY DOG TULIP
NANNY MCPHEE RETURNS
NEVER LET ME GO
THE NEXT THREE DAYS
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
NOWHERE BOY
THE NUTCRACKER IN 3D
127 HOURS
OSS 117 – LOST IN RIO
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2
PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF
THE PERFECT GAME
PIRANHA 3D
PREDATORS
PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME
PURE COUNTRY 2: THE GIFT
QUEEN OF THE LOT
RABBIT HOLE
RAMONA AND BEEZUS
RED
REPO MEN
RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE
THE RUNAWAYS
SAW 3D
SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
SECRETARIAT
SEX AND THE CITY 2
SHREK FOREVER AFTER
SHUTTER ISLAND
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE
STEP UP 3D
THE SWITCH
TAMARA DREWE
TANGLED
THE TAQWACORES
THE TEMPEST
TINKER BELL AND THE GREAT FAIRY RESCUE
THE TOURIST
THE TOWN
TOY STORY 3
TRON: LEGACY
TRUE GRIT
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE
TYLER PERRY’S “WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?”
WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
THE WAY BACK
WILD GRASS
WINTER’S BONE
THE WOLFMAN
A WOMAN, A GUN AND A NOODLE SHOP
YOGI BEAR
YOUTH IN REVOLT

Original Score

THE A-TEAM
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
THE AMERICAN
ANIMAL KINGDOM
ANOTHER YEAR
APAPORIS
BABIES
BARNEY’S VERSION
BIUTIFUL
BLACK TULIP
BROOKLYN’S FINEST
CHARLIE ST. CLOUD
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
CLASH OF THE TITANS
CONVICTION
CYRUS
DAYBREAKERS
DESPICABLE ME
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS
EDGE OF DARKNESS
THE EXPENDABLES
FAIR GAME
FOR COLORED GIRLS
FRANKIE & ALICE
GET LOW
THE GHOST WRITER
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 1
HEREAFTER
HOW DO YOU KNOW
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
HOWL
THE ILLUSIONIST
INCEPTION
INSIDE JOB
IRON MAN 2
JUST WRIGHT
THE KARATE KID
THE KING’S SPEECH
THE LAST AIRBENDER
LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: THE OWLS OF GA’HOOLE
LET ME IN
LOVE & OTHER DRUGS
MADE IN DAGENHAM
MAO’S LAST DANCER
MARMADUKE
MIDDLE MEN
MORNING GLORY
MOTHER AND CHILD
NEVER LET ME GO
THE NEXT THREE DAYS
OCEANS
127 HOURS
PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF
THE PERFECT GAME
PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME
PURE COUNTRY 2: THE GIFT
RABBIT HOLE
RAMONA AND BEEZUS
REMEMBER ME
ROBIN HOOD
SALT
SECRETARIAT
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
THE TEMPEST
TOOTH FAIRY
THE TOURIST
THE TOWN
TRON: LEGACY
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE
VAMPIRES SUCK
WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN”
WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
THE WAY BACK
WILD GRASS
WINTER’S BONE
WRETCHES & JABBERERS
YOGI BEAR

There ya have it.  My favorite is MAO’S LAST DANCER.  Who says it can’t make the top?   Right-ee-oo, many.  It’s my top, so really now folks, does anything else matter………………………….?  Now now, no dart throwing or blood, I take the “Freedom of Speech” American-style.