Podcasts about Stella Adler

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Stella Adler interviews Steve Zagor, adjunct faculty member at the Nutrition and Food Studies Program at the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Together, they discuss Steve's career in the restaurant, hotel, and food consulting industries, tips for establishing a successful restaurant, and how the New York City food scene has changed over the years. They also answer one of the hardest questions ever: what's the best slice of pizza in New York City?Steve Zagor's multifaceted career has included owning a multi-concept restaurant/retail/club group, directing a $10 million NYC restaurant, serving as a regional consulting leader in food business advisory for a worldwide financial firm, and sitting on boards of businesses and non-profits. He is quoted and appears frequently in major media. Currently, Steve is a faculty member at both NYU and the Columbia Business School, where he developed courses in food/restaurants and the business side of nutrition. He has a food business consulting company and performs satirical ventriloquism on The Food Freneticks.For a full transcript of this episode, please email career.communications@nyu.edu. 

Timothy Trust & Martin Sierp haben mal den Zauberstab geschwungen und eine neue Folge erscheinen mit diesen Themen lassen: Ostervorbereitungen, schmutzige Wäsche waschen, Zuschauer zum Vergessen, die stinkende Tennisspielerin, lärmendes Marketing, der Mörder ist immer der Gärtner, die Ameisenschmuggler, Zecken, Ötzi, zu hohes Arbeitspensum, Patsy Rodenburg & Stella Adler, die höchste Scheidungsrate und Luciano Pavarotti. Höre dir diese Episode an bevor sie sich in einen Elefanten verwandelt! HIER KANNST DU UNS ÜBERALL HÖREN: https://linktr.ee/komischegespraeche HIER KANNST DU UNS AUF KAFFEE EINLADEN: https://ko-fi.com/komischegespraechepodcast HIER GEHT ES ZUR KOMISCHE MUSIKE PLAYLIST AUF SPOTIFY: https://tinyurl.com/komischeMusike

Consent is Sexy! Intimacy director Claire Warden on her extensive experience in TV, film, and theater, highlighting her groundbreaking work on Broadway and various TV productions. Claire explains the role of an intimacy director, the importance of actor consent, and how her methods elevate performances by ensuring actors feel safe and empowered. Sarah and Claire also delve into the collaborative nature of her work and its profound impact on storytelling. Claire (she/her) is an intimacy coordinator/intimacy director with over twenty years experience in TV, film and theatre across America and the UK. Claire works as an intimacy coordinator on numerous television productions under various studios including HBO, Hulu, Amazon, Showtime and Apple TV as well major motion picture studios such as Sony and 20th Century Fox. She was the intimacy coordinator for Mrs Fletcher, And Just Like That (S2), Gossip Girl(2021), Dickinson, Billions, Harlan Cobens's Shelter, Your Honor, Looking for Alaska, Hunters and the feature films West Side Story (dir. Steven Spielberg) and A Journal for Jordan (dir. Denzel Washington). She worked as intimacy coordinator and part of the creative team on the TV series of Three Women and has recently finished working as intimacy coordinator on the upcoming TV series Dying For Sex. Claire is the Director of Advanced Training at Intimacy Director and Coordinators, which is a global leader in training and certifying intimacy coordinators for film and intimacy directors for theatre. She is also part of the collaboration team advising SAG-AFTRA on their effort to standardize, codify and implement guidelines for on-set intimacy coordinators. Claire also works in theatre and made history as the first intimacy director on Broadway with Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. She also worked as intimacy director on the Broadway productions of Slave Play, Romeo and Juliet (directed by Sam Gold), The Inheritance, Jagged Little Pill, The Notebook, Company, Death of a Salesman, Waitress and West Side Story. In Jan 2025 she will begin work as the intimacy director for Othello, starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gylennhaal and directed by Kenny Leon. She recently opened the West End production of Slave Play, serving once again as intimacy and fight director. She has also worked on the National Tours of Les Miserables, Company and Waitress. She was awarded Variety Magazine's 2019 '10 Broadway Players to Watch'. Claire was also recently awarded a special Drama Desk Award for “pioneering work as an intimacy choreographer… and her leadership in the rapidly emerging movement of intimacy direction”. Claire is a Drama Desk award winner for ‘Outstanding Fight Choreography' for Slave Play at NYTW and was also nominated in the same category for the play Daddy. Claire trains faculty & students in acting training institutions across the country, including Yale, Brown/Trinity, Brandeis, Tufts, JMU, SITI,University of Hawaii, Stella Adler, the O'Neill Theatre Center and numerous others. She has presented workshops, conferences and training across the globe. www.IDCprofessionals.com www.clairewarden.com Connect with GOOD SHOW! Instagram: @goodshowpodcast  Tik Tok: @goodshowpodcast   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a deep dive into character acting with the esteemed Anna Garduño, a voiceover artist and coach. The BOSSES share their invaluable insights on mastering the art of engagement in voice acting. Anne and Anna emphasize the importance of enthusiasm and authenticity, and use examples from industry legends to discuss how to breathe life into every line by using script analysis and character creation. The BOSSES also dispel the myth that success in animation voice acting is about being a celebrity, emphasizing that unique and authentic acting choices are what leads to booking success. 00:02 - Jen Keefe (Ad) Hi Anne, this is Jen Keefe from Real Women's Work Podcast. I just wanted to come on and say thank you, thank you, thank you for the series you're doing on AI and voice. I've listened to VO Boss Podcast for a few years now and it's always been informative and helpful, and not only is this series not an exception to that, but it is just the cherry on top. It has been so comforting and helpful to learn about this industry and I just thank you for taking all of the time you must have taken to research and understand, to know what questions to ask so that we're all better informed. It is just awesome, awesome, awesome. I feel excited and confident going forward into the future in the VO industry, all because of this series that you're doing. So, thank you, into the future in the VO industry, all because of this series that you're doing.  00:46 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) So thank you, hey, how's it going? Bosses Anne Ganguzza here. Elevate your voiceover game with our VIPeeps membership. With VIP membership, you can access our extensive library of over 350 hours of pre-recorded workshops. Whether you're interested in commercials, promos, character animation, audioos, character animation audiobooks, video games, corporate narration, audio description or dubbing, our workshops cover it all. Plus, as a VIPeeps member, you'll enjoy a 15% discount on current workshops and complimentary free monthly workshops to further develop your skills. Join VIPeeps today at vopeepscom and take your voiceover career to new heights.  01:31 - Intro (Announcement) It's time to take your business to the next level, the boss level. These are the premier business owner strategies and successes being utilized by the industry's top talent today. Rock your business like a boss, a VO Boss. Now let's welcome your host, Anne Ganguzza.  01:50 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Hey everyone, welcome to the VO Boss podcast. I'm your host, Anne Ganguzza, and I am here today with very special guest. I'm so excited, Anna Garduno. Anna, thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you.  02:04 - Anna Garduno (Guest) I was completely thrilled when you asked me because the truth is it's been a bit of a goal, a little career goal. To please get me on with the boss.  02:12 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Oh, I love it, oh my gosh. Well, bosses out there. For those of you that are not familiar with Anna, Anna is a boss. I was just saying this before you came out of the womb.  02:20 A boss, Hilarious you came out of the womb a boss, but recorded her first radio spot when you were 15 years old, shot your first TV job at 17, and currently teaches classes for VO, commercials, animation, promos, narrations and games, and has been nominated Best Voice Over Teacher two years in a row by the readers of Backstagecom. And I wore my Teach, love and Inspire shirt just for you today, Anna. I love it Again. I love the cougar aspect it's a little bit of that sexy?  02:52 - Anna Garduno (Guest) come on, make it happen.  02:54 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) fabulous, you got to add that little bit of flair to it. But, gosh, anybody that knows me knows how much I love teaching. It's so important. It is who I think. I was born to be a teacher and I love talking to other teachers, such as yourself and bosses. So the combination teacher boss love it, absolutely love it. So thanks, first of all, for being here. I know you've got a busy schedule and you know what's interesting. Another fact that you wrote in your bio is that your students have booked over a million dollars in jobs and continue to thrive, which is such a great. I love that you have a number.  03:29 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Well, I imagine that yours have too, and absolutely because I'm sure your students every week say hey, I booked this. Hey, I booked this.  03:38 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Hey, I booked this. They do, thankfully. Yes, I'm grateful for that. And when?  03:40 - Anna Garduno (Guest) you really think about it when you've been teaching for years, as you and I both have, because I started keeping track, really, and I was actually like, oh well, this is exciting and encouraging. I know you're such an encouraging teacher and there's so many cynics out there and I like to be encouraging. Come from joy, Come from possibility.  03:58 I believe in that too, you know it's so important and I think when people see that they go. Oh, because once in a while I hear people say does anyone really make money in voiceover? And I try not to laugh. Yeah, there's a reason, it's a global industry. So, yes, get that negative interject out of your head Absolutely and go forward.  04:18 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) You know what's so very interesting. Now I'm going to tell you. I was in Pilates this morning and there was a substitute that came in and she was teaching. I'm all about teaching, she was teaching, but she was teaching with a very like kind of monotone sort of and this, and then next we'll put our left toe over our right ear while simultaneously rotating our hip. The whole class, I mean, we're talking 45 minutes of no emotion, and I understand that she was trying to maybe put us in a Zen mode, right, but it was.  04:46 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Pilates Maybe sleepy, not meditation.  04:49 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) And she was really good. Like technically she was really good. But she was shouting out all these instructions and I was listening so hard because her voice was so like even keel, with no like real I would call it elevating the teaching moments. So I was listening so hard, I was exhausted, mentally, okay, and physically. But at the very end, right after this, I had decided, like literally 10 minutes into it, I don't like this class, I don't like this teacher. She's not like. I don't feel an emotion, I don't feel encouragement, I don't feel anything. And when she was done she said oh my God, you guys did so good. And then I immediately loved her and I thought why. You know what I mean. So it really made me reflect on being a teacher for my students and also for the whole e-learning genre. And anybody knows I'm like a broken record, like you have to be everyone's favorite teacher.  05:36 You do, you just do Not just if you teach, but if you're doing e-learning, and so you've got to bring that emotion and that point of view, which I consider and let's have a discussion on this I consider that to be the frosting on the cake, that's the top element when you are there as an actor, right, that is what you're bringing to the copy, no matter what genre you're in.  05:55 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Oh, absolutely. And you bring up such an important point because this I know exactly what you mean. I've had teachers exercise teachers like that also, and I think one of the most challenging things in our industry right now, in whatever genre and I'm sure you've come across this, but correct me if I'm wrong where people say we want it natural, we want it real, yeah, yeah. And actors unfortunately misinterpret that and think, oh, passive, yes, oh, my god, that's casual, so it sounds like you have this passive teacher right now, nobody's passive in life.  06:24 We speak for a reason. We have a lot of musicality in our voice. Even if we're calm and relaxing, there's an intention behind it, even if it's the poppy reed.  06:32 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I'm just saying I'm just saying the poppy reed has dynamics to it. Oh my God, so much If you were to score that reed and really try to copy it.  06:40 - Anna Garduno (Guest) She goes up, she goes down, she takes pauses. There's all of this musicality. It's not a sleep, and so you bring up a really good point. You have to be engaged with who you're talking to and then it's engaging and it brings people along. Voice work is communication, obviously, but I find too that people get so quiet Sometimes they're disconnected from their breath and not to be too focused about it. But your breath is literally like your life force. So I'm not saying yell, but be connected, and that's why my little company is called Voice Forward, like send your voice forward. You want to connect through the microphone, through whatever, to that other person. You don't want your energy to go here and hi.  07:19 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I'm halfway to you.  07:20 - Anna Garduno (Guest) And then you stop. You don't want that.  07:21 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) And it's so interesting. I think about it as an older, more mature woman, about communication, right. I mean today everybody's texting right, and it's the communication is changing. But I also feel that for us as voice actors right, our voice is so, so important, and especially in this world of technology and digital everything and synthetic voices right, technology and digital everything and synthetic voices right I think it's more important than ever that our voices really keep that engagement, keep that human aspect of emotion and point of view, because that's what makes us interesting.  07:54 And, honestly, when I choose what I'm going to listen to on a day-to-day basis, honestly it has to be interesting to me and, I think, right for your listener. When you're being engaging and you're behind the mic reading a commercial whatever you're doing a commercial, e-learning corporate you have to connect with that listener to get their attention. Otherwise, I mean, it's always self-serving. Because why do I listen to somebody? Well, I listen to somebody because they've got something that I need right. Either they're educating me or they're entertaining me, right, and hopefully both at the same time. Those are the best teachers and that would be great. So I need to have a reason to listen. And so if you're coming at it from behind the mic where you're like, no, listen to my beautiful voice, you're not connecting.  08:38 And I think that today more than ever, we need to connect and we need to be the actor, and I know that you put in your notes that this is something that you wanted to discuss today about. How can we, as voice actors, get there? I have my methods. I stand on my soapbox all the time and say it's so important, more important than ever, to really bring that connection. Let's talk about how you have your students. How do you elevate your students to be able to do that?  09:03 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Okay, sure, well, I have. There's a couple of things you know. We all come to this as actors. My training, my background, everything is an actor, particularly a theater actor.  09:11 I've been blessed to work with incredible teachers through the years, primarily with Larry Moss and Patsy Rodenberg, who's you know, the premier voice Shakespeare teacher in the world and Stella Adler, who's all about script analysis right For teaching or plays and theater and film, and that's what we do, right, we get a script and then how do we communicate best? And there's two basic things that she talks about that are very rudimentary, that I like to give my students a place to start, which is when you look at text, what is your point of view about people, places, objects and events that you're talking about? Right? So that's how you start, because so often people can do sort of like hi, I'm a generic, happy read sort of like this or I'm a very generic seductive read you know whatever it is.  09:53 So you don't want to be generic, right? So the easiest example is something like about the people I'm talking about. Let's say you have a thing where you say and it's the best ice cream from Ben and Jerry's. So many people do. And I say, well, pretend that Jerry's your absolute best friend and he's a bit of a goofball. So from Ben and Jerry, you know what?  10:09 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I mean, you know Jerry.  10:11 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Just that. Or say you have a thing where you say so my husband came home with a new computer. Now, if the ad is about the right computer, right, then you're going to say husband, he did a great thing. Now say but the wrong, the anti-commercial, so my husband came home with a new computer.  10:28 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) What is your point of view?  10:29 - Anna Garduno (Guest) about the husband and about the new computer. I mean, it's so basic. And then also, where you are is who you are is a big way to connect to a script too. And are you a CEO talking to another CEO about finance? Or are you that reassuring financial advisor for someone who's really nervous making their first investment?  10:48 Because you can have the exact same text but depending on who you're talking to and I'd like to think like what are you wearing? Really helps me personally. There's a million ways in, but I know if I'm playing a character on TV or something or movie that's like in a full-on business suit, I'm going to stand differently, I'm going to present differently.  11:06 My tone of voice is going to be different, whereas if I'm playing, like you know, the hippie chick from Laurel Canyon which I mentioned, who I am, it's going to be a whole different vibe, a whole different thing. So these are two very simple things that you can look at text right away and circle oh wait, here's the event, here's the object. Or in an animation example, I have a piece of copy I like to work on where someone's putting together a potion you know like to get revenge on somebody, and one of the lines is my potion will be ready and one of the lines is one more lizard leg and my potion will be ready. And so often people will go one more lizard leg and my potion will be ready, right? So I would say, you know, the people who wrote this copy, whatever it is, are often the people hiring you, right? Which wasn't always the case so often, right? So if you can make their text pop out just a little bit, because they could have said anything, they could have said one more batling, one more toad head, they could have said anything, but they said lizard leg.  11:57 And I always joke with my students. They got that approved. You know, disney approved lizard leg. They think they're going to get a bonus at the end of the year for coming up with lizard leg and plus, it's funny, with the two L's, you know lizard leg and the G. So instead of just saying one more lizard leg and my thing is ready, how about you take the number one and it's like you're thinking about it, right, and you go one more and you're looking at your stuff in your mind.  12:22 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Lizard leg. Lizard leg.  12:23 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Exactly so. It's specifically a lizard leg. So it's really simple and it's what we do in life when we talk about you know, I got these new glasses that I love. I got these new glasses. You know what is your point of view, and so that's the basic thing that I do with people all the time how do you feel about what you're talking about? Not moody, how do you feel, but literally.  12:44 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I love that. How do you feel it's so important? And how you feel changes and can evolve from the start of your sentence to the end of your sentence can absolutely evolve and it can evolve throughout the script. So I feel like what you're really talking about is, first of all, we need to assess the script, right. We need to assess what's the purpose. The script, right, we need to assess what's the purpose. Why are we saying these words? Right? Who are we saying them to? And again, changing who we're saying them to can make all the difference in the world.  13:11 And what I like to also say is that, like, especially in corporate like, no, you're not talking to your best friend. I need you to be engaging, but Sally could give a crap about SAP. Sally doesn't even know what SAP does or who they are or what they make, right, right? So don't talk to Sally because it's not relevant to Sally, right? And so that whole conversational talk to your best friend. Yes, they may put that in specs, but in reality, you need to talk to the person that's going to benefit from listening to the context of the script, right? So what's the purpose? Are you trying to sell a product? Are you trying to explain how it works, you know, and who is it that needs to listen to that?  13:47 And I had a discussion with La the other day, la Lapidez and we were talking about there's always stakes, right, there's always stakes in the script, and so you've got to know what those stakes are as an actor, right, I mean, we are actors. It is not enough to just read that. And I love how you did the melody in the head about the lizard One more lizard. And it's funny because in our head that's the melody we all hear and I swear we're all on the same wavelength, right. One more. Where does that come from? I don't know, because we read the words and we feel like, oh, initially this is where the emphasis has to go Right, but in the real world we're thinking about things. Well, every sentence is a new idea.  14:25 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Exactly Every sentence is a new idea, and when you're reading or anything like that, and so that's another thing I say is it's a new idea and also a good example of you bring up such a good point about talking to a friend Like what does that mean? Or conversational, what does that mean? And I always say to people going back to you have different kinds of conversations.  14:38 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Every day.  14:38 - Anna Garduno (Guest) We have conversations every day Exactly, and I tell my students, like, say, you get an audition for Lexus and Subaru the same day and the specs are going to be pretty similar, conversational, real, talking to a friend blah, blah, blah. But Lexus, as we know are usually kind of seductive and a little bit like this and all that. And so I'll say to one student what do you call that? Like, I always have my students come up with titles or names for different types of reads.  15:01 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Right, what's that?  15:02 - Anna Garduno (Guest) read yeah, and one of my students had the best thing ever. He said I call that my I've earned it guy. Is that great?  15:08 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Oh, I like it.  15:09 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Yeah, Now the I've earned it guy is right next door to what I like to call the. I know you want it, so it's the same volume, the same note of your voice right the same sound, but there's a slightly different intention. And then the Subaru, which is getting a little more rugged now, but Subaru, as you know, they always end with that love. It's what makes a Subaru.  15:30 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's the family. Family You've got like dogs and kids, exactly, you know, on a picnic Soccer equipment.  15:37 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Yeah, sauger equipment, exactly so I always call that one like the kind of the save the planet mom, yeah, yeah. And what I tell students is those styles cross different brands. So the person who does the Subaru, the save the planet, mom is going to do Kashi, seven whole grains on a mission, and Patagonia and all that. You see they're both having conversations. So I know you know this, but I find to be able to come up with names for the different types is helpful.  16:03 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Well, and characters You've given a character to it, which is great, rather than I want this sexy read or this seductive read. You've given it a character which I think gives it more definition.  16:13 And I think when you're analyzing, too many of us run into our studios and like, oh, I got it and they play to that melody in their head. Right, they play the melody in the head that probably 90% of everybody that is going in their studios doing the same darn thing. And we've all talked about what do casting directors want? They want to be able to hear something different than 200 of the same kind of melodies right, and so if you're coming up with a different melody or a different story, that's immediately oh cause for, yeah, I'm shortlisting.  16:44 I can tell you me as a casting director, every time I hear somebody that enters into a script and I can tell they've got a story, I'm like shortlist Because there's an actor, there's an actor, there's an actor.  16:53 - Anna Garduno (Guest) And it's about having that point where you bring up a really good point, too, about how do you make your reads stand out, and At that point you bring up a really good point too, about how do you make your reads stand out. And I'm very big on playing with pace, particularly in the first sentence.  17:02 Yeah, yeah, yeah, Almost any first sentence you can play with pace, because often a sentence as you were saying, looking at the text has two ideas in it. So like to use an animation example. I have a piece of copy I love to work with. The first sentence is hey, you know what's the best thing, about being a jellyfish, so that's it right.  17:18 So everyone kind of usually does it that way, like enthusiastic surfer jellyfish. Now, if you just play with pace and you go, you know what's the best thing about being a jellyfish yeah, yeah, yeah, like all of a sudden he's mischievous, or the other way you do it fast.  17:34 You know what's the best thing about being a jellyfish. So already that first sentence is engaging yes, so little things like that. No, I wanted to ask you, anne, I found and you probably come across this too a couple months ago I started working with students on animation who were getting this spec which I thought was hilarious where they would say we want it like you're in a movie, but louder. And my poor students would be like what does that mean? We want in a movie? And I like, when casting people not you, of course, but some people you know don't act, just do it like you're in a movie.  18:06 - Jen Keefe (Ad) Okay.  18:06 - Anna Garduno (Guest) You're. You're acting in a movie, just so you know. So I was sitting there, I go. What do they mean? And I it was what we talked about earlier it means to not be passive, you're told do less, so they've been getting reads. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're told do less. So they've been getting reads, obviously, from people being very quiet, very hello. I have a mic right here.  18:21 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yes hi, yes hi.  18:22 - Anna Garduno (Guest) I'm going to read like this yeah, exactly, and it's like I'm in a movie and I don't have to do anything.  18:27 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) And it's so boring, or you're in a movie theater where you have to be quiet.  18:32 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Yes, exactly. So what they mean is Point of view, don't be passive. Yeah, so they were getting all these under, these de-energized voices, and of course, it's not engaging at all.  18:44 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) And you can be quiet and have a ton of energy. I mean, it's so much about the energy, but it really has nothing to do with volume, right? The energy of the Well, I use a term.  18:52 - Anna Garduno (Guest) I say to people you need more vocal vitality. I don't mean louder, I mean vocal vitality, and it's exactly what we're talking about. You need to have presence in that you're engaged with whoever you're talking to on the other side of that copy, because you're never just talking to yourself, ever Exactly.  19:07 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I mean, let's talk storytelling. I mean, how important is storytelling? I mean I say it all the time, like I think exhaustively, yeah, but there's storytelling in every like, everything, everything everything right?  19:20 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Yes, absolutely. And also, you're always in the middle of a conversation, too, even if it's e-learning. You've already been talking to somebody about something and now we just happen to pick up the conversation in the middle.  19:29 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Oh, I love that. I'm always telling people you don't start a script with once upon a time because, right, like cause, that means you just, oh, I thought of it and I'm going to go into a monologue, right, Right. And that means you're not going to engage.  19:41 If you're going to go in you're like that friend that doesn't shut up. You're like, hi, it's all about me, me, me, me, me, me, and I'm just going to talk and I'm not going to allow you to interact at all with me. And I didn't even hear what you said.  19:55 - Anna Garduno (Guest) It was tiring for the listener.  19:58 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Exactly, exactly, and so you do have to start in the middle, and that's why I'm always saying that moment before right.  20:04 - Anna Garduno (Guest) It's so important, which is your basic acting thing. Right, like what happened before you came in the door, the scene, what happened, like how was the drive over?  20:11 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yes, and I'm like no, no, no, no, no. I hear the events that are happening. Tell me what the other person said and then how you responded. And I don't want you to respond with the first word. I want you to respond with maybe something that's rolling into the first word of the script.  20:30 Yeah, give yourself a lead in, because then it doesn't sound like the note like once and we all start on that same pitch. Right, I broke it down technically into musical notes, but still, you don't need to start like, hi, I'm just starting to talk.  20:45 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Yeah, you know no, of course not, but see, the moment before is really important. I imagine you do this with your students too. One of the benefits of doing these auditions at home and working at home is you can try a lot of things, which is and you can also give yourself a lead in, sometimes so that you are literally starting in. You say absolutely.  21:04 Don't stress about that credit card. Let me look. Let me look at the credit card. Like I have a piece of copy that starts out Wait, did you book the bartender? $200 last week. Like that's a good sentence, actually, but how much better is it if you imagine that your friend's upset crying. They're freaking out, Exactly. Listen, let me see you grab it. You go, okay, let me look at this for a minute. Wait, did you? $200? Which really means like, how drunk were you, Dear God?  21:30 - Jen Keefe (Ad) what was that about?  21:32 - Anna Garduno (Guest) And it's just taking that extra moment to put yourself in this situation Absolutely. And then, because you do it at home, you can do that lead in and cut it out. And that's one of the benefits, I think, of doing these auditions at home Because, as you know, in the in-person auditions which are starting up again thank God a little bit you usually get one shot and you can't do that lead in ahead of time.  21:51 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Well, exactly so. We've talked about the moment before, which, again, I think is so important. We've talked about storytelling. What other things would you say are important for a voice actor to know today in order to get noticed and stand out?  22:06 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Okay, well, this is such a basic thing. It's going to sound so silly, but it's very important to do some homework. We'll just talk right now about two areas, about commercial and animation, but this is true for everything. Actually, listen to what is actually on the air to hear what the styles are, what the tones are and everything. I have students and I'm sure you do too Some, you know, women students who've gone off and raised children and they're coming back 20 years later, right, and everything is like it's in the eighties or the nineties. It's so amped up. I'm like, okay, have you actually heard a commercial? And I'm shocked at how people say, well, no, I stream.  22:43 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I don't watch TV. Yeah, I don't watch TV. What?  22:46 - Anna Garduno (Guest) What does it matter with you? And what's so nice is you can that's research, yes, and also watch some different animation too, because, as we know, that natural voice, right, which is sort of the BoJack Horseman model, and then there's, you know, slightly more character-y things like in Spongebob, and then there's super cartoony, right. I am shocked at how many people do not actually pay attention to cartoons and they'll say, well, there's so many. How do I start? I go okay, watch movie trailers.  23:12 Watch the movie trailer, for inside out it's three minutes. There's five women and five men. Watch that and take notes. Don't just watch it passively. Write down what are the archetypes, what are the things, and then you put a check mark. So I'm very surprised at how people don't do their research. And I also tell my students it doesn't take long. If you spend half an hour a week listening to commercials in a very specific way and half an hour a week to different animation, listen to 10 minutes of three different shows and take notes on them, you do that for a month solid. Oh my God.  23:43 You have such a better foundation than everybody else. Oh my gosh, it's a very basic thing It'd be hard to audition for a play if you'd never seen a play Right. It would be hard to audition for an hour-long TV show if you hadn't watched hour-long TV in 20 years. You had no idea what those shows are like, because they're different than what they used to be.  24:01 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) And before you run into audition for no Matter what, can you take five to ten minutes to just look up the brand yes and look and see what's their website look? Like what is the product that you're talking about actually do. Do you know the product? Are you familiar with it? What is their demographic? Who are they trying to sell to? I mean, there's so much backstory.  24:22 Again, it's almost like you're doing character study right, but you're doing it about the brand because the brand is looking for a voice. Even if there are casting specs, right, you can always go to a brand and find out, like, who are they selling to and how are they trying to do that by just literally a Google search. Absolutely, and I don't see why people don't take the time to do that. I mean it could take literally five to ten minutes before you rush in and everybody's like I've got to get the audition in. I've got to get the audition in, but do the homework first. Spend five or ten minutes. I don't think that you're going to miss the timing. I mean, I know people are like I've got to get it in first.  24:52 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Also, it's going to be much more efficient. Right, you take five, ten minutes, so like, oh, what is this new? Obviously, I don't know anything about tech stuff. So what is this new tech thing about? I need to find out what it is, and then you can do almost anything in three to four. Takes Almost you know after that.  25:06 So it's not going to take you that long. But I think one of the things I recommend my students do is so that you're not always in a rush right, trying to do the audition and get all this stuff in is set aside a specific time, wednesday morning from 10 to 1030. I'm going to look at ispottv and I'm going to watch 10 car ads in a row and I'm going to write down the differences between them. So if you just set a specific time, then it's part of your ongoing kind of homework and then when you get that audition for Lexus or Jeep you've already seen it and you know what it is.  25:40 And you're like oh, or you can say oh, this is like the absolute vodka ad I just watched. Okay, and that's what that is. So you're not playing catch up. Yeah, and it's the only area of acting I've ever come across and where you can get better at it really fast, because if you have a good ear, you can hear, like students where I've done this myself right, I think I'm sounding very sexy, yeah yeah, and I just sound sad, sad and depressed.  26:07 I'm like, okay, that's bad. Or I'm trying to be enthusiastic and I sound crazy, like I've had 15 cups of coffee, so you can hear it and you can adjust it immediately and that's so satisfying. I mean, I love to do dialects, as I know you do, and you know dialects takes years to really be super great at them. And this is another area about the voiceover world is you can move forward very quickly if you are just consistent, consistent with your study consistent with your class?  26:40 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yes, absolutely.  26:42 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Consistent instead of stopping and starting all the time.  26:44 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I love that. I love that and I try to tell my students you know, look, it's better for you to do one or two scripts a day because I give homework right. And I say it's better for you to do one or two scripts a day because I give homework right. Yeah, and I say it's better for you to do one or two scripts a day, then wait until the night before and then do all the scripts at the same time, because then you're in the same performance mode, right.  26:58 - Jen Keefe (Ad) You're just like, oh God, I've got to get my homework done.  27:00 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I've got to get my homework done and so I'm going to listen to you. And so one of the reasons why I give homework is to hear, for me I'm vocally branding my students as well, so that we're prepping for the demo. Right, I want to hear them talking about Toyota or I want to hear them talking about Subaru or some other brand and I want to say, okay, I hear that, you know, and for me it's just a creative thing where I'm like, yes, I can hear that she sounds great with that brand, and so now we're going to focus on a spot on our demo for that brand. And so I give lots of homework because, number one, you should be able to practice what we're doing in between our sessions. Otherwise, like you want me to just live direct you once a week, that just, I mean, I don't feel that you're going to progress quickly.  27:45 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Well, what you're talking about, anne, is giving them the structure and the tools to become their own best director. Exactly that's what you're talking about, and that is a gift to give to students.  27:55 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Thank you for calling homework being a gift. I love that. Oh, it is a gift. Yeah, I love that, and also I always say to people it's optional okay. I don't want to stress you out, yeah me too.  28:03 - Anna Garduno (Guest) I don't want to stress you out, but you're giving them. It was a new student, they go. Well, I just need to be. You know, if I have a director or a cast member, they tell me what to do. And I said to them okay, well, what might they say? And she said, well, they would tell me to be more conversational. I said, okay, and then what would you do? Blank face, yeah, and everyone's different. Like for me to be more conversational. In general, I have to slow down and I have to bring my voice down just a little bit.  28:31 Other people have to go faster.  28:38 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Typically people pitch up when they're reading. That's just a, I think, human nature kind of thing, but you're right. And then sometimes they just go fast through everything or they go too slow through everything and then they sound too consistent. Consistency is like. I think I can't be stagnant in my business. That's the death of my business, and I think consistency might be the death of a voice actor. Because you can't be consistent in any sound right, because then it sounds robotic, it sounds with no point of view, there's no right, it's rhythm, and point of view is everything.  29:05 - Anna Garduno (Guest) I think Point of view drives the rhythm and sometimes the rhythm is like there's one style that sort of is kind of the opposite of all we're talking about a little bit is I call it a cello read Is that Eternity by Calvin Klein?  29:16 - Jen Keefe (Ad) Right when they just say do less, do less, do less.  29:18 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Right, hi, yes Hi, I'm not going up or down, but that's its own rhythm.  29:22 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) So that's why I call it a cello.  29:24 - Anna Garduno (Guest) So if somebody plays one note on a cell, that's what it is. Yeah, it's like that. So even that is a very specific point of view.  29:32 - Jen Keefe (Ad) Yeah, absolutely.  29:35 - Anna Garduno (Guest) And it makes it dynamic because you're right, if you're just consistent all the way through the same way, it's so boring, yeah, you just stop. It loses any kind of dynamic.  29:42 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) It loses point of view too Correct, it really does.  29:44 - Jen Keefe (Ad) Oh, absolutely yeah.  29:53 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) It's interesting how musical it can be and then yet I don't want my students to approach it necessarily musically. I want them to approach it like an actor, because if you can do that, then ultimately things just fall into place. When you're responding to something, you're acting is reacting. When you're reacting right and you're reacting with the lines in the script, it falls together naturally. It really does.  30:08 And so the rhythm and the melody just fall together, and the emphasis on the words. It just falls together Like it's an easy thing for me to say. However, somehow, when people get words in front of their face, yes, because I was taught to read aloud, you know, in grade school, and I was like yes, me, I love to read, I'm a good reader, and let me hello, I'm going to read my text now, and so you have no time to put a point of view on when you're just reading from left to right, you don't know what the story is. There's no history there, there's no. Who are you talking to? Well, I'm just reading to the air, right?  30:40 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Well, I think you bring up also a really good point too. The approach isn't after the voice will follow the musicality, all that will follow. And something that's a particular challenge is since when we're reading or working, a lot of times we have headphones, so we're hearing ourselves while we're talking and there's a big temptation to be the director, the producer, all at once while you're literally saying your words absolutely you have to not do that.  31:02 So I'm a big advocate just put one headphone on, because you don't ever hear what you actually sound like through your head or your headphones. It's close because you're listening through the speaker of your head, right? So that's that's. The other thing, too, is I tell students don't judge your read like. Listen to it back first before you start making adjustments, or you stop in the middle or you change it or something.  31:21 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yeah, that's good, I like that. Wait until you're done. I have the advice, which is interesting I get the one ear on, one ear off. For some people yeah, for some people, because for me, when I was initially starting, I had a lot of like noises coming out and I was evaluating my booth and so I couldn't tell if there was noise and also being directed right. So when you're directed, you kind of have to have your headphones on.  31:42 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Oh no, absolutely Right, You've got to be able to hear the direction.  31:44 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) So I always say your headphones are amplifying your sound, yes, and so if you get used to not listening to your sound and you're into the storytelling, it won't matter if you have headphones on or not. But that's a hard thing for people to do sometimes, because I know when I first started hi, oh, I love this. It's amplifying my voice, you know that kind of thing and it just gets to be a little egocentrical there for a minute. But I don't think any voice acting really should be egocentrical at all. It's something you are gifting right to the person who is listening to you and that is a gift you give to them. It's not about you listening to yourself.  32:20 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Well, even though you're just doing one side of the conversation. You're in fact interacting. Yeah, you are always interacting, and that's when they say talking to a friend. That's what they're trying to say is you're talking about this paper towel is going to soak up that spilled wine. Because you just came to your friend and said, oh my God, I spilled red wine all over my couch, I don't know what to do. You say, oh well, actually this thing is going to help you. You're interacting. Right, it's not about you at all. And it is a challenge sometimes not to fall either, to fall in love with your own voice or to decide.  32:49 You hate everything about it which is also not helpful.  32:52 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) That's so true. So you have to not judge.  32:54 - Anna Garduno (Guest) You have to wait and listen back and then see do I sound like I'm engaging with someone? Because you're always talking, like you say, for a reason. You know, even in animation stuff. You know I was talking to someone the other day about BoJack Horseman because that's such a common spec.  33:10 You know they say we want to like bojack horsemen, not rugrats and things like that. And I had somebody once I think was at sad foundation, wasn't a regular student said, and they said, well, you know, will arnett, they just hired him because you know he's just will arnett all the time. And you know what I said. I said, okay, I see why you're saying that, but my guess is a lot of people would like to play bojack. I bet chris rock would have loved it, paul rudd would have loved it.  33:28 Paul Rudd would have loved it. Owen Wilson would have loved it. There's a lot of comedic Seth Rogen, there's a lot of guys, and Willa and I get it, not because of the sound of his voice, but because he created a character that was engaging. So don't self-sabotage by saying, oh, it's a star. That's all they do. Don't diminish their work and don't diminish your possibility to do work as good, absolutely.  33:52 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) So I think that that's really interesting. Oh, I love that. I love that. Gosh, Anna, I could talk all day to you.  33:58 - Jen Keefe (Ad) Well, that's why we're going to get together and have cocktails and dinner.  34:00 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) There we go Well, there we go Well. I have to say thank you. So so much. Thank you so much and I know that it's been a pleasure having you on. Now you've got a special offer for boss listeners. I do Special offer.  34:12 - Anna Garduno (Guest) Talk to us about that a little bit so for boss listeners. You get 10% off any classes, 10% off any private coaching or things like that, and also 10% off any demos you may want to work on or refresh or anything like that. Just say that you're a fan of the boss lady. The queen herself Love it and I'm very happy to do that. And you can reach me through.  34:33 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) My direct email is AnnaVoiceForward at gmailcom, and just say hey, heard you on the boss, and we'll put that link in the show notes as well to get to your website. And so thank you so much, anna, for being with us today, and I look forward to working with you more in the future. For sure I want to have you as a VO Peeps guest director too, so coming up, so I'll be sending you that schedule. Yay, I would love that. So perfect. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, and so a big shout out to our sponsor, ipdtl. You too can connect and network like bosses. Find out more at IPDTLcom. Bosses. Have an amazing week and we'll see you next week. See you next week, bye, thank you.  35:20 - Intro (Announcement) Join us next week for another edition of VO Boss with your host, anne Ganguza, and take your business to the next level. Sign up for our mailing list at VOBosscom and receive exclusive content, industry revolutionizing tips and strategies and new ways to rock your business like a boss. Redistribution, with permission. Coast-to-coast connectivity via IPD TL.   

https://www.michelledanner.comwww.allinfilms.com   Instagram michelledannerla  There aren't many people who can point to a career full of success as a performer, teacher, storyteller, entrepreneur, and expert. But Michelle Danner can. The legendary acting teacher and founder of the Creative Center for the Arts and the Los Angeles Acting Conservatory, Danner is also now well-established as a successful film director. Her last film,“Miranda's Victim,” stars Abigail Breslin, Luke Wilson, Ryan Phillippe, Emily VanCamp, Mireille Enos, Enrique Murciano, Brent Sexton, Josh Bowman, Sebastian Quinn, Taryn Manning, Nolan Gould, Dan Lauria, Kyle MacLachlan, Andy Garcia and Donald Sutherland. The film tells the true story of Trish Weir (Breslin) who was kidnapped and brutally raped by Ernesto Miranda. The subsequent trials went all the way to the Supreme Court and led to creation of the Miranda Rights. Up next for Danner is the comedy romance film “The Italians,” which stars Matthew Daddario (Shadowhunters), Rob Estes (Silk Stalkings), Perrey Reeves (Entourage), David DeLuise (Wizards of Waverly Place), Olivia Luccardi (It Follows), Lainie Kazan (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), and Abigail Breslin (Zombieland, Little Miss Sunshine). The film is currently playing at festivals around the country. A dedicated mom of two (one is an aspiring filmmaker), Danner still has her “day job” – overseeing the faculty of the Los Angeles Acting Conservatory, and conducting her weekly acting class. Michelle has worked privately with Christian Slater, Salma Hayek, Gerard Butler, Seth MacFarlane, Penelope Cruz, Chris Rock, Gabrielle Union, Zooey Deschanel, Henry Cavill, Isla Fisher and James Franco. A longtime student of legendary acting teachers like Stella Adler and Uta Hagen, Danner's eclectic approach (which she calls “The Golden Box”) allows actors the freedom to employ a wide variety of techniques. Raised in a show business family and with a deep appreciation for all of the performing arts, Danner also continues to run the boutique “Cinema at the Edge” film festival and is currently preparing to direct a new one-person play, Bonnie Culver's “Norris,” starring Anne Archer, based on the memoirs of the widow of writer Norman Mailer. Simply put, there's almost no one in the business who knows as much about acting and success as Michelle Danner – and her continued success in multiple creative fields makes her one of the most successful women working in the industry today. Meosha Bean Films on Plex https://watch.plex.tv/person/meosha-bean Shout out ATL link -https://shoutoutatlanta.com/meet-meos... Listen To Creator to Creators Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Watch Meosha films on Tubi -- https://tubitv.com/person/b00c45/meos... Rate comment subscribe hit notification bell for all new videosBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/creator-to-creators-with-meosha-bean--4460322/support.

Comedians Sarah Halstead and Manu Badenes joined Mark and Nicole for a frequently hilarious and surprisingly deep show Sarah talked about growing up in Flint Michigan and how Michael Moore damaged that city as much as GM closing their plant, how she was successful in the wine and champagne industry but always yearned to act and make people laugh so she drove cross country and has been in over 90 commercials for everything from Crepe Erase to Astroglide and is a very successful stand up comedian whose comedy special RVs and Cats dropped just as the pandemic hit Manu is one of Spain's biggest stand up comedians and talked about being a "rock star" just as the first wave of stand up comedy hit the country. He was a successful lawyer but felt the passion for acting and comedy. He got a scholarship to the Stella Adler acting school and left everything behind in Spain to start over in the United States and has now performed comedy in Spanish, Italian and English He gives great advice on acting, music, comedy and life in general.  Sarah was struck by how much Manu looks like one of the Bee Gees which led to some spontaneous sing-alongs... This show is sponsored by: Eddie by Giddy FDA Class II medical device built to treat erectile dysfunction and performance unpredictability. Eddie is specifically engineered to promote firmer and longer-lasting erections by working with the body's physiology. Get rock hard erections the natural way again. Using promo code DARKMARK20, you can save 20% on your Eddie purchase, and you and your partner will be chanting incantations of ecstasy together faster than you can say “REDRUM.” Go to buyeddie.com/DarkMark for 20% off your purchase using code DARKMARK20 today. Raze Energy Drinks Go to https://bit.ly/2VMoqkk and put in the coupon code DMS for 15% off the best energy drinks. Zero calories. Zero carbs. Zero crash Renagade CBD Go to renagadecbd.com for all of your CBD needs Tactical Soap Smell Great with Pheromone infused products and drive women wild with desire! Go to https://grondyke-soap-company.myshopify.com/?rfsn=7187911.8cecdba

This episode gets back to the HUGE topic of using your own life, featuring an in-depth conversation amongst the class. It culminates with the following ideas: even though Stella Adler advised against using your own life and experience because it limits you, it's impossible to take you out of the work. When you use your imagination instead of searching for how you can “relate” to your character, whatever comes up emotionally for you is the result of your own personal, emotional well. Your life is still going to be there in your performance because it's you! But that is simply the result, not some place that we should start. WANT MORE? Become a subscriber on Spotify for bonus content! ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actingclass/subscribe⁠ Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 

As a working actor, Ryan Czerwonko's credits include “The Endgame,” “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire,” “Cherry,” “Paint,” and “Watchmen,” to name a few. He's also the artistic director of Adult Film, an exciting Brooklyn theater and film group where he acts, directs, and teaches. His latest project is a year-long exploration of Chekhov's “Sea Gull” that will culminate in a limited engagement in Manhattan in May and a documentary on the whole process. On this episode, he explains why Chekhov is so important to him and what he set out to do with this ambitious endeavor. He gives us a deep dive into his very specific preparation process and takes us through the various techniques and approaches he has collected and adapted for his own use and combined into a curriculum for his students. He uses his recent time on the set of a movie as an example of being in the present moment and using your current thoughts and feelings as the driving force of your work, which is a major tenet of his approach. He explains why Stella Adler and Nikos Psacharopoulos are so influential to him, why tension is good, “acting” is bad, how he learned to stop worrying and focus on the work, and much much more. "Sea Gull" Info and Tickets  Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast from  Filmmaker Magazine. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.  Follow Back To One on Instagram (Photo by Matt Street)

A mentee to Frank Sinatra and Stella Adler. A friend to Sylvestor Stalone and Timothy Dalton. With credits in over 130 films, a chart-topping jazz album, and a career spanning nearly 50 years, actor, musician, filmmaker, and all-around renaissance man, Robert Davi, has truly done it all. This week, he joins Hollywood at Home to share captivating stories and sage advice from a life at the forefront of show business. Davi's prolific filmography includes leading roles in defining hits such as The Goonies, Licence To Kill, and Die Hard, as well as new contributions to the cultural lexicon like Bardejov and Inside Man. However, his stories go beyond a cursory behind-the-scenes glimpse of these famous sets. With his trademark no-holds-barred candor, he reflects on the movies and performances that have shaped the modern era of film.

Casting director Deb Aquila (CODA, LA LA LAND, SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) joins us on this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Deb grew up in an arts-loving family, whose encouragement to enter the field led her to attend NYU and study under Stella Adler. Pivoting into casting, Deb found herself working on the hit series MIAMI VICE for two seasons before growing into a veteran independent casting director. Deb breaks down what really goes on in the audition room and how she works with actors to bring out their best performances as she hunts for the right choice for a part. We learn how she works with directors after being brought on to a project, and she shares how a character can evolve over the course of the audition process. Deb later shares what her responsibilities are as a studio executive at Paramount and how she balances those with her responsibilities as a casting director. Towards the end, we discuss “casting” personalities, when hiring both the cast and crew, and the value of creating a safe space for actors to give their best performances during the shoot. - This episode is sponsored by Aputure Instagram: @aputure.lighting

BOB HOPE was a British born American comedian with a career that spanned nearly 80 years with achievements in Vaudeville, Broadway, Film, Television, Network Radio, and 57 USO tours. He appeared in more than 70 feature films including the series of seven Road To...musical comedy films with long time friend Bing Crosby as his partner. Bob Hope was praised for his comedic timing, specializing in one-liners and rapid fire delivery of jokes that were often self deprecating. He is credited with being the father of "stand up comedy." He died on July 27, 2003 at the age of 100 years old. MILTON JUSTICE is an Academy and Emmy Award winning producer. He has moved between film, television, and theater throughout his career. On Broadway he produced Tennessee Williams' Vieux Carre. Off Broadway he produced Jack Heifner's Vanities ( the longest running play in off-Bway history) and Das Luscitania Songspiel written and starring Sigourney Weaver and Christopher Durang. Milton was mentored by the legendary Stella Adler for whom he taught acting classes and became the first Artistic Director of her theater company in Los Angeles. His best selling book, I Don't Need An Acting Class was published in 2021 and his podcast also titled I Don't Need An Acting Class, was recently listed as the 9th most popular entertainment podcast in history. Milton worked for Bob Hope after becoming the first recipient of SMU Theater's Bob Hope Award.

Welcome back to SEASON 11 of The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning and emotional intelligence training for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren't taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I'm Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to help us to APPLY this research in our daily lives. Welome back to PART 7, of our review of Wallace D. Wattles, The Science of Getting Rich. In this classic book on thinking, this book describes how each of us shapes the events around us, creating much of the positive riches in our own personal and professional lives. Rhonda Byrne, creator of the movie The Secret[i], said she stumbled across The Science of Getting Rich and has "never been the same." This was one of the first seminars I sold when I worked with Bob Proctor back in the late 1990s, and he mentioned to me in our interview on EP 66[ii] that his business took off after Rhonda Byrne's The Secret took off. There is true magic within the words written within these pages, and like all of the books we dive deep into, it's the application of what we read here that has the potential to change our life forever. If you enjoyed our Deep Dive into Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich[iii] book, or the 4 Part Series of The Silva Method,[iv] (that I'm going to revisit after this study is complete) the concepts we will cover in this review go hand in hand with those Deep Dives. I'm currently studying Hill's “Think and Grow Rich” with Paul Martinelli[v], who teaches this book like no one else and I'm constantly reminded of how important our ability to “think” really is. Napoleon Hill titled his book with four simple words. He picked “think and grow” as the first three, and we covered in this series the power of our thoughts. Now, we are learning through the words of Wallace D. Wattles, that once we know how to think and grow, we can next add the rich part, and he shows us there is a science to this. I always add that it's not just rich financially, but we grow rich in our knowledge, rich in our potential, and we need money to keep learning, and growing, so yes, rich financially. Bringing us to Chapter 11: ACTING IN THE CERTAIN WAY Have you noticed that up until now, we have been focused on THINKING in a CERTAIN way in this book study? Now we are at a pivotal part of the book where we must shift from thinking, to now ACTING IN A CERTAIN WAY. This chapter caught me off guard while writing this review and was a huge AHA Moment of learning for me. I've been studying this book since June of 1999 when I attended my first live seminar with Bob Proctor on this book, and I sold this event over a span of 6 years, meaning that I had to convey to others what this seminar was about, in order for them to attend. It hit me when I got to this chapter, on “Acting in the Certain Way”, that up until NOW, 25 years later, I realized I wasn't thinking at all while reading, studying and learning this book. You know when you read something quickly, you can miss the meaning? Granted, this isn't the easiest book to read, written in 1910 with abstract concepts on thinking in a certain way that I didn't really understand. I thought this was ANOTHER chapter on “Thinking AND Acting” in this certain way and wondered why he wrote the book with ANOTHER chapter like Chapter 4, where he already covered “The First Principle in the Science of Getting Rich” that was about the power of our thoughts.  I misread the title that says “Acting in This Certain Way” and I MISSED the point that Wattles was making. This is why it's important to study these classic books on success, year after year, revealing new truths of understanding for us. Wattles spent the FIRST 10 chapters of the book talking about the importance of our thinking, and only now, at Chapter 11, did he approaching the Acting part of the syllabus. Another part of this book that I missed is that Wattles repeats the syllabus over and over again the book, but he doesn't read the whole syllabus at once. He adds the parts he is covering in each chapter, revealing a bit more of the syllabus for us, as we progress through the book. He only reveals the part of the syllabus on Acting in the Certain way at the END of this chapter when he adds the lines “That they may receive what he wants when it comes, a person must now ACT upon the people and things in his environment.” (Ch 11, SGR, Wattles).  A PERSON MUST ACT, AS WELL AS THINK: Wattles opens up Chapter 11 by bridging the first 10 chapters we've just read when he says “Thought is the impelling force that causes the creative power to act; thinking in a Certain Way will bring riches to you, but you must not rely on thought alone, paying no attention to personal action.” (Ch 11, SGR, Wattles). Once we perfect Thinking in This Certain Way, it's time to move onto Acting in This Certain Way. When I read the line “A person must act as well as think” (on line 10 of Chapter 11) I know it means taking action on whatever it was that we want, but I couldn't help but think of Stella Adler's The Art of Acting here, that we covered on EP 288[vi] last May. It was TODAY, January 15th, 2016, 8 years ago, that I attended my last live seminar with Proctor where I wrote about him talking on stage with Oscar Award Winner Phil Goldfine. Phil was a master at “Acting” in this Certain Way and I mean taking action, that would lead him to WHATEVER goal he had, whether it was what he did to become an Oscar Award winner, or the daily training he endured. In an article written about him in 2019, “Oscar and Emmy winner Phil Goldfine shares the five things you need to know to succeed in show business”[vii]  his first tip is to take “Action, action, action….every day to get things done.” It's this chapter of the book that I think can change a person's ENTIRE life, if they read this early in their lives. The action that we take, on a daily basis really matters. There's many layers of meaning in this chapter, and I hope to unravel them all in this review, tying together many of our recent episodes, like Dr. Joe Dispenza's work, that jumps out at me while reading this chapter. On line 19 of Chapter 11, Wattles says “By thought you can cause the gold in the hearts of the mountains to be impelled towards you. But it will not mine itself, refine itself, coin itself into double eagles, and come rolling along the roads into your pockets.”  Like Phil Goldfine said “It takes action, action, action.” Next Wattles reviews ALL concepts in prior chapters by saying “You must give each person more in use value than he gives you in cash value (and that) you must use your faith and purpose to positively impress your vision upon the formless substance, which has the same desire for more life than you have. And, this vision, received from you, sets all the creative forces at work in and through their regular channels of action, but directed toward you…(and) All you have to do is retain your vision, stick to your purpose, and maintain your faith and gratitude.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles). Then he says it. “You must act in this certain way” and if you can hear what “this certain way” is especially for young adults, this concept is worth all the gold in the mountains that Wattles was describing. I'm so grateful to have started to read this book in my late 20s, but I'm 52 now, and still “sharpening” these ideas. Wattles gives us what I think is one of the “key secrets” to Thinking AND Acting in This Certain Way here when he says “By thought, the thing you want is brought to you. By action, you receive it.” If I was to write ANYTHING down, or highlight anything, it's where Wattles bridges the concept of Thinking and Acting in This Certain Way. Next he warns us that “if you act in the present with your mind in the future, present action will be with a divided mind and it will not be effective. Put your whole mind into present action.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles). Isn't that what Dr. Joe Dispenza taught us with his “Predictable Timeline” where we must learn to focus on the present moment? Wattles describes this similarly, but adds an important angle by saying “You cannot act where you are not. You cannot act where you have been (the past), and you cannot act where you are going to be (in the future). You can only act where you are.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles). IMAGE CREDIT: Andrea hand drew the image from Chapter 2 Becoming Superhuman This is what I think changed everything I do in all areas of my life. Even though I missed the title of Chapter 11, these next three words come into my head over and over again over the years. He says, “Do not dwell on whether yesterday's work was well or poorly done. Do today's work well. Do not try to do tomorrow's work now, there will be plenty of time to do that when tomorrow comes.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles). Then he reminds us “Do not wait for a change of environment before you act. Cause a change of environment through action.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles). Whenever you are unhappy in your present environment, Wattles suggests to “act on your present environment with all your heart and with all your strength and with all your mind. Hold the vision of yourself in the right business –with the purpose to get into it and the faith that you will get into it. But, act in your present business.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles). I've been in exactly this spot, where I've known I'm in the wrong place of work, and the natural urge is to stop working hard, and focus on the place of work that you desire to be in, but Wattles would say this is not going to get you there according to his “Science.” He would suggest that you “hold the vision of yourself in the job you want, while you act with faith and purpose on the job you have, and you will certainly get the job you want.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles). “You vision and faith will set the creative forces in motion to bring it towards you. And, your action will cause the forces in your own environment to move you towards the place you want.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles). As you take action in your present environment, you will begin to change, and will outgrow your present environment, preparing you for the NEW environment you will be moving towards. As you move towards it, it also begins to move towards you. How does this happen? This is where Wattles timeless book, connects back to what we covered in such depth with Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich. By “Thinking” and “Acting” in this certain way, we change our frequency or vibration, until we are on the same frequency as whatever it is that we want. Wattles ends this chapter, by revealing the last part of the syllabus on Acting in the Certain way when he adds the lines “That he may receive what he wants when it comes, a person must ACT now upon the people and things in his present environment.” (Ch 11, SGR, Wattles).  Not past environment, and not future environment. ACT NOW. ACTIVITY TO PUT CHAPTER 11 into PRACTICE: Write out in clear detail what it is that you WANT. I remember the first time I did this activity, I sketched a house that I wanted to live in (that looks a lot like the house I'm currently living in), and see if you can strengthen how you see what you want on the screen of your mind. Next, write out some next steps, or actions you can take, to bring what you want closer to you. This is where I always will say to “DREAM BIG” or be careful what you wish for, or dream about, because you may just end up one day living the dream in reality, that you shaped so carefully on the screen of your mind. CHAPTER 12: EFFECTIVE ACTION Just as there is an effective and ineffective way to THINK, there is also an effective and ineffective way to ACT. What is effective action? When we take any productivity course, we learn how to plan our day the night before, so we can make use of the time in our day. Time wasting is one of my biggest pet peeves. I don't like wasting my time, or other people's time and it's probably because I can see how detrimental it can be for my own goals as well as other people's. Wattles believes in not just taking action in the present moment, but by making sure it's EFFECTIVE action with EVERYTHING that you do.  This is why I like interviewing others, especially those who are high performing, to see how they THINK and ACT, every day, to hit such high levels of achievement. While writing these episodes, I do like to go back and look at past interviews to see how connections can be made, and revisiting EP 38[viii] and EP 166[ix] makes sense here, to see how pro athletes and their coaches THINK and ACT in this certain way to attain such high levels of achievement. When you watch a professional at work, you'll see it. They are involved in effective action. Wattles brings our attention to the fact that every day is either a SUCCESS or a FAILURE and it matters what ACTION we take every day. Funny thing, while writing this episode, my oldest daughter came to me with something I had to sign for her school work (high school level) with any suggestions I might have for her to improve on.  She passed me this sheet of paper and said “just sign it and say you agree with it” and I read what she had written and she hasn't even completed the sentences on the page she asked me to sign. She was not taking effective action, and was asking me to sign and say I was ok with her putting in half the effort. You'd better believe this led to a discussion on doing your best with EVERYTHING you do. Taking EFFECTIVE ACTION is not just for our work, it's for how we live our life. Do we make our bed with half the effort? Do we wash up half the dishes? Do we clean half of our house, or keep only half of the interiors of our cars clean? If we can teach this concept to our children when they are young, they will be living one of the most important and timeless lessons I've seen in all my years studying the characteristics of high performers. Wattles reminds us in this chapter that “the world is advanced only by those who more than fill their present places.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles) and that “every day is either a successful day or a day of failure.” This sentence almost haunts me with my daily work when he says “if there is something that must be done today and you do NOT do it, you have failed insofar as that thing is concerned.” (Chapter 12, SGR Wattles). Have you ever said you will do something, like go to the post office to mail something for an example, and the day gets away, and you have not done the things that you said you would do, Wattles would say that you have FAILED with that action. When you fail to take action, you mess up all of the future possibility associated with the action you were supposed to take. He says “You cannot foresee the results of even the most trivial act. You do not know the workings of all forces that have been set moving on your behalf.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles). THINK to all the times when massive change happened in your life. I bet it was because you were taking efficient action and it was not by chance or luck. So, if I write down I'm going to the Post Office tomorrow, I will be haunted by Wattles words, until I have done what I said I was going to do. “Do, every day, all that can be done that day.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles). He does remind us that we are “not to overwork or to rush blindly into our business in the effort to do the greatest possible number of things in the shortest possible time.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles).  “Do every day, all that can be done today.” to live with EFFICIENT ACTION consistently every day. But, if for some reason something does not get completed, it goes at the TOP of the list to be completed tomorrow and I remember “It's not the number of things that I do, but the efficiency of each separate action that counts.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles). He also says that “every action is either weak or strong. When every one is strong, you are activating in the certain way that will make you rich. Every act can be made strong by holding your vision while you are doing it and by putting the whole power of your faith and purpose in it.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles) Aim to do everything with strength and he says that “every success (you encounter) opens up the way to other successes. Successful action is cumulative in its results.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles). This is incentive enough to always do our very best. “Do every day, all that you can do that day, and do each act in an efficient manner” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles) and you will find the right balance for you. Wattles ends this chapter by slightly changing the closing statements on the syllabus to bring us to where we are now in our study, by reading the syllabus as we know it, and adding “He must form a clear mental picture of the thing he wants. And, he must do with faith and purpose all that can be done each day—doing each separate thing in an efficient manner.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles). If you do what Wattles suggests here, and turn The Science of Getting Rich into a habit, I can guarantee that: “When riches begin to come, they come so quickly, in such great abundance, that one wonders where they have been hiding all those lean years.” (Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill). ACTIVITY TO PUT CHAPTER 12 into PRACTICE: Write out the list of what you intend to accomplish the night before your work day, and while going about your day, ask yourself “did I execute that task with effective action?” Next to each of your daily tasks, put a check mark if you think you accomplished this. If not, work on doing all you can, effectively, every day, until you can honestly put a check mark next to everything that you do. EXTEND THIS ACTIVITY Once you have begun to execute every task effectively, and it becomes a habit, keep your eyes open for doors that open up to because of this. This is what I would like to know. If you have noticed that you were able to advance yourself forward in this way, using these principles, please send me a message.[x] I'm always looking for people who THINK and ACT in this Certain Way. CHAPTER 13: GETTING INTO THE RIGHT BUSINESS I always remember LOVING this chapter because it separates those who will work hard for what they want, from those who won't. Wattles says “success in any particular business depends for one thing upon you possessing in a well-developed state the faculties required in that business.” (Chapter 13, Wattles) He reminds us that “Without good musical faculty no one can succeed as a teacher of music” and he goes on to explain that many people can be working in a certain field (he gives examples like blacksmiths and carpenters who have excellent mechanical ability) “but they do not get rich.” (Chapter 13, SGR, Wattles). It's here that Wattles talks about the “various faculties of your mind” that are the “tools with which you must do the work which is to make you rich.” (Chapter 13, SGR, Wattles). He says “it will be easier for you to success if you get into a business you are well-equipped with mental tools.” He's talking BEYOND our God-given talents and abilities. It will be with the use of our “mental tools” or the “Faculties of our Mind” that will bring us riches. We covered going beyond our five senses, developing the Six Higher Faculties of the Mind on EP 294.[xi] Have you ever wondered “where am I best fitted?” in your career? It's here we must do some soul searching and answer the question we asked in PART 6 of this series. What is YOUR desire that's seeking expression with and through you? This desire in you is “the urge of the Original Substance, containing all the possibilities of life.” Listen to the quiet voice within you to know for certain that you are working in the right business because that “desire” seeking expression with and through you has tremendous power. “Where there is a strong desire to do a thing, it is proof that the power to do it is strong and only needs to be developed and applied in the right way.” (Chapter 13, SGR, Wattles). It's this desire, with this power attached to it, that will keep you working and applying effort during difficult times. He says “ Do not be afraid to make a sudden or radical change if the opportunity is presented and if you feel, after careful consideration, that it is the right opportunity” and don't worry you will end up in the wrong place, or miss the boat for the right place, because “as you go on in the certain way, opportunities will come to you in increasing numbers.” (Chapter 13, SGR, Wattles). ACTIVITY TO PUT CHAPTER 13 into PRACTICE: Chapter 13 ends with a reminder of the syllabus to “do all you can in a perfect manner every day, but do it without haste, worry, or fear. Go as fast as you can, but never in a hurry. When you see yourself hurrying, stop. Fix your attention on the mental image of what you want and begin to give thanks that you are getting it. This exercises of gratitude will never fail to strengthen your faith and renew your purpose.” (Chapter 13, SGR, Wattles). He's asking us in Chapter 13 to make sure we are living Chapters 4 (thinking in the certain way) 14 (the impression of increase) by reaching for more of what you want, and 7 (by connecting ourselves to our source with a deep feeling of gratitude). REVIEW AND CONCLUSION To review and conclude PART 7 of our review of Wallace D. Wattles' The Science of Getting Rich, we covered: Chapter 11: ACTING IN THE CERTAIN WAY Where we looked at the importance of how “A person must act as well as think.” We spent some time on separating THINKING in a CERTAIN way (that Wattles covered in the first 10 chapters of the book) to “Acting in the Certain Way” that he covers in Chapters 11-17. We did an activity at the end of this chapter where we sketched out what we WANT on the screen of our mind (Thinking in this Certain Way) with action steps to take by (Acting in this Certain Way) to bring whatever it is towards us. CHAPTER 12: EFFECTIVE ACTION Where Wattles reminded us to “Do, every day, all that can be done that day.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles) and of the importance of being effective with our daily actions. The activity we did at the end of this chapter was for us to self-evaluate whether we think we were effective with our daily tasks by putting a check mark next to our daily tasks if we thought that we performed them effectively. We extended this activity by making it a habit, to always execute our daily tasks effectively. Don't do anything half-way. Do all that you can effectively, in one day, without rushing. CHAPTER 13: GETTING INTO THE RIGHT BUSINESS It's here we revisit the question: What is YOUR desire that's seeking expression with and through you? And we make sure that we are doing everything we can every day, efficiently, while holding the image of what we want, and being grateful for every single good thing that comes our way. While writing these steps, it feels a bit like juggling. We started this book study by juggling the concepts of chapters 4, 14 and 7, (and were urged to read these chapters for 90 days so we can solidify the ideas into our mind), and then we started to work through the chapters of the book with the first 10 chapters being about Thinking in a Certain Way, and the last 7 are about Acting in a Certain Way. And if we can learn to juggle the chapters of this book, with accuracy, and not drop any concepts, we will meet with riches that will come so quickly and  “in such great abundance, that (we will wonder) where they have been hiding all those lean years.” (Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill). It's here that I can go back to PART 5 of our review, where we started into the chapters of this book and I'll read this again. At this point of our review, I look at what Wattles wrote here, and I don't think he's far off. He says: We have learned specific ways to THINK and ACT, that make sense to me that when we sharpen about mental abilities, and follow the formula that Wattles suggests, that Failure of What You Want, is Impossible. What do you think? Do you think that there is a Science of Getting Rich? CHAPTER 14: THE IMPRESSION OF INCREASE We covered Chapter 14 on The Impression of Increase on EP 316[xii] in PART 3 of our review.  We started this review with Chapters 4/14/7 in this order, because this was the order that we recommended to me to study this book for maximum results. CHAPTER 15: THE ADVANCING MAN I love this chapter!  Especially when I see this in others. This is not as easy to see in ourselves, since it takes time for us to see our own advancements, until one day, we look back, and BAM, we see it. Then we wonder, “How on the earth did we get to where we ended up?” or as Hill says, that one day, when we least expect it “we will meet with riches that will come so quickly and  in such great abundance, that (we will wonder) where they have been hiding all those lean years.” (Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill). Like Ryan O'Neill, from EP 203[xiii] who I watched over time, completely transform his career, reading this book. It's actually Ryan's copy of the book that I used in every graphic for each of these sessions.   Wattles says that “the advancing man who holds to a clear mental image of himself as successful and who obeys the laws of faith, purpose and gratitude—will cure every curable case he undertakes, no matter what remedies he many use.” (Chapter 15, SGR, Wattles). CHAPTER 16: SOME CAUTIONS This chapter is important to read to see what Wattles believes we should be “cautious” about. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SPEAK ABOUT: I'll never forget this line where he says “Never speak of times as being hard or of business conditions as being doubtful. Times may be hard and business doubtful for those on the competitive plane, but they can never be so for you. You can create what you want to create and you are above fear. When others are having hard times and poor business, you will find your greatest opportunities.” (Chapter 16, Wattles). This one is essential for anyone and everyone to practice. I remember in my early days of sales, that when someone would ask “how's business?” and it was difficult (it was never easy) I would say “BOOMING!” regardless of how it really was going. This is a habit that will get you through the rough snowstorms, and blizzards of life. I remember this caution now without even trying. Things were not easy for me in my early days of living in the US, but I knew they would be what would give me my character, backbone and determination to get me through the difficult times that are a natural part of this thing called life. You'll never hear me complaining of those days when money was tight, because looking back now, there was so much to be grateful for in those lean years. NEVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO FEEL DISAPPOPINTED: This one is valuable. You will save yourself so much heart ache if when something doesn't work out the way you want, that you grab hold of the lessons learned and keep moving. Wattles suggests “You may expect to have a certain thing at a certain time and not get it at that time. This will seem to be a failure. But, if you hold to your faith, you will find that failure is only apparent. Go on in a certain way, and if you do not receive that thing, you will receive something so much better that you will see that the seeming failure was a prelude to a great success.” (Chapter 16, Wattles, SGR). Practice this one. I can only say from experience that this one ALWAYS works. I rarely quote my Dad, but I will here. He used to always say “Andrea, what's for you, won't go by you” and this is true. You will never miss the boat for something that is meant for you. I've heard this said another way that if you miss the boat at some point, and the opportunity was meant for you, don't worry, keep working, and the boat will come back for you, time and time again, until you jump on it. STUDY THIS BOOK: He suggests to “make it your constant companion until you have mastered the ideas contained in it.” (Chapter 16, Wattles). Isn't this the truth. While you may come across some parts of the book that you disagree with, find out dated, or old fashioned, if you can get the main points of the book where he teaches us to THINK in a Certain way (Chapters 1-10) and then how to ACT in a Certain Way (Chapters 11-17) I'm certain your life will change. When we can make these concepts a habit, we will certainly notice that money flows easily to us and like I mentioned in the beginning of this study, once we have mastered these principles ourselves, our next course of action it to go out and see how we can help others. CHAPTER 17: REVIEW Wattles writes his review of this book in just over 2 pages. For those people closest to me, they know that I have a really hard time saying anything I think is important, in just a few words. To close out this book study, I can see that by far, the most important part of this review is The Syllabus. Maybe this is a lesson for me to learn. The Science of Getting Rich is ALL about the Syllabus. This  whole book can be summed up in 5 paragraphs, not 17! I have this Syllabus laminated so I can pin it up on my office wall to be read next to my goals. It's easy to look back now that we've reached the end of this study, and I can tell you that I sold this seminar without truly understanding the contents of this book, until now, 25 years later. I mentioned that I missed the fact that the first 10 chapters were about Thinking in this Certain Way, and the last 7 were about Acting in this Certain Way, and I wonder what else could I have missed, which is why Wattles suggests keeping this book as your Companion until you achieve the results you are looking for. So, if I read the book, without completely understanding it, implementing SOME, not ALL of Wattles concepts, and STILL created everything I've ever wanted over the years, (all the goals I've ever written out I've attained so I keep adding new ones each year for continual growth) then I can say to you, the listener, to just read the book, begin your study, and let me know where it takes you. You don't need to understand or implement EVERY chapter, but just begin.  I know there is so much more for me to learn, but what a life we can create, when we think it's IMPOSSIBLE to fail. I just saw that Lewis Howes, the podcaster who runs The School of Greatness Podcast, just covered Rhonda Byrnes[xiv], who read this book, was never the same, and used the concepts she learned from this book to form the ideas you see in the movie, The Secret[xv]. If you want to hear Rhonda Byrne's thoughts on this subject, I'll link this episode with her and Lewis in the show notes. She has some incredible tools that can help people to create prosperity thinking, which I thought is the MOST important part of this book study. To review and conclude this book study, I thought a good way to end this study would be with a practical real-life lesson learned attached to each of the 7 PARTS of this study, so we can begin to think about applying these concepts in our own daily lives. Putting PART 1 into ACTION: Prosperity Consciousness FINDING THE JOY IN LEAN OR DIFFICULT TIMES  “Money doesn't bring you happiness, but happiness brings you money.” (Lewis Howes, The School of Greatness). If any of you are listening to this series, and think you have a poverty mindset, join the club. This is where I was BEFORE studying this material, and it's been a process for me along the way. I told my story of running out of gas when I only had $16 in my bank account, but I knew in those early days (around 2001) how important prosperity thinking was and being truly happy, even in those lean times, since I was still selling this seminar back then. I look back now to those early days, and those difficult times hold such joy for me. It sounds odd to say this, but they really do. I remember working as a nanny at one of Arizona's most beautiful resorts, and I could hear the birds singing, while walking with someone's youngster, trying to create mystery and intrigue for them walking through the resort. I knew all of the “secret” passageways and would take young kids through these passage ways telling them the stories that only the walls could tell. They listened to my stories, and scavenger hunts with their eyes open wide. Prosperity thinking took me some time, but the key to all of it was to find the “joy” when times were difficult, and then be open to what I would discover.  Where would these lean times lead me? While experiencing those moments of “joy” I know I felt it from the inside out, and gave my best to each family I worked and interacted with. At the end of providing the best service, giving them more in “use” value with each family, I often received very large tips. Back then, a large tip for me was over $100. I'll never forget the families who gave back to me when I most needed this money, allowing me to remember when I was able to, I would do the same. “Every person naturally wants to become all they are capable of becoming...Success in life is becoming what you want to be.” Wallace D. Wattles Putting PART 2 into ACTION: The First Principle of the Science of Getting Rich: Getting Comfortable with Money This is a hard one to do when money is lean. How do you hold it, feel it, and get comfortable with it, when you haven't got it? In this chapter, I showed a photo of Grant Cardone and his children playing a game where they were fishing for $100 bills. If you can play games with money, even Monopoly money, teaching our children what it looks and feels like to touch it, hand it out, have a lot of it, throw it up in the air, you will be teaching them to become comfortable with money. Money is not to be feared. We can ALL earn it. It's given to us in exchange for services rendered. So how do I teach my children to become comfortable with money? When money was tight, (before I had my own kids) I showed children I worked with to see the natural beauty around them. We didn't spend any money on our nature walks, talking of the past history of some of Arizona's most precious landmarks, opening their eyes to ways they could create an innovate in their futures. These nature walks were behind the books I would write in the future. Now I have my own children, and want to teach them to be comfortable with money, and not fear it, so once in a blue moon, I will say when I have set aside some extra money, we will go to the shopping mall, and find something that we REALLY love. The important part with this shopping spree is that we DO NOT look at the price on the label of what we find. This is difficult, because we WANT to, but I instruct them to pick something, and they must not know the price. Not being afraid to spend money, if you have it, is important for getting comfortable with money. Also, not being afraid it will be spent, and you won't have any more.  We were at the mall, and our oldest daughter needed a pair of sunglasses. She had a concussion in the summer, and she was still sensitive to sunlight, and needed a pair. Instead of looking at the $20 glasses in one of the stores, I said to her “why don't you try on a pair of those sunglasses” as we walked passed some beautiful glasses all in cases. These were designer glasses and not something a teenager would usually buy, but for the point of learning this lesson (it was once in a blue moon) so she agreed to try on some glasses from this section she would normally not be looking in. She found 2 pairs. One was much cheaper than the first pair. I told her to NOT look at the price, but she did, and then the sales clerk came by and spoiled my plan when she said “oh these ones are double the price of those.” I knew she loved the expensive pair. I could just tell. When I asked her which pair she wanted, she picked the cheaper pair, and I asked her if she picked the cheaper pair to save us money, and she said “yes.” So, I said, “she would like this pair” and handed her the pair that was double the price. Now I can't make this up, but this is the whole reason why it's important to not look at pricing and pick what you love, if you have the money and not be afraid that you'll spend it all, never to have any more again. When the sales clerk rang up the expensive pair of glasses, she got this weird look on her face. She kept typing in numbers, and then she said “I don't know what's happening, but this pair, that should be double to price, is ringing up much less than the other pair you were looking at.” She knew what the price was, but there was a glitch in her system that she said would be more work to fix, so she charged us much less, for the expensive pair of glasses. #Mindset #Thinking #Thoughts #TheScienceofGettingRich #WallaceDWattles #Prosperity #WaltDisney #ArtLinkeletter #Abundance  Putting PART 3 into ACTION: Living the Impression of Increase So how do we take this concept and put it into action in our daily lives? It's all about taking the focus off ourselves, and directing it towards others. Since all people seek this increase, if we become someone who inherently gives this to others, we will become in demand. The example I wanted to share here is that we can all give increase to others, even if we are living in lean or difficult times ourselves, we just need to be aware, so we can act quickly. This is where I've got to say that I am guilty of sometimes not being aware. Sometimes I'm standing in line at a grocery store, and just zoning out, thinking of all the things on my plate. Go back 20 years, when I was in my lean times, and I was exactly the same. If we want to LIVE the impression of increase every day, we've got to be aware. One day, I was standing in line to pay for groceries, and this was a time when I had to make the money I was earning stretch far. I was tired, and was not paying attention to the fact that the guy ahead of me was trying to buy diapers for his family. He was trying to pay with some sort of voucher that this store didn't take. Now fast forward to when I had my kids, diapers were really expensive. This was something he needed, and I missed the opportunity to offer to help him. I had enough money that day to pay for my food and his diapers, but he was sent away. I remember trying to run after this young guy in the parking lot, to say I could help, but he was gone. Not a fun experience standing at the cash register and you can't pay for something. For this lesson, I would say, be aware of where you can help others, and if you can, lend a hand. I always regretted not paying attention, and missing an opportunity to help someone. “Increase is what all men and women are seeking: it is the urge of the Formless Intelligence within them, seeking fuller expression…All human activities are based on this desire for increase; people are seeking more food, more clothes, better shelter, more luxury, more beauty, more knowledge, more pleasure—increase in something, more in life.” Wallace D. Wattles #mindset #Thinking #thoughts #TheScienceofGettingRich #Prosperity #Neuroscience #TheImpressionofIncrease #abundance  Putting PART 4 into ACTION: GRATITUDE IS FAITH In ACTION Read chapters 4/14/7 for 90 days, paying attention to each chapter and this alone will change your world. I challenge YOU to read chapter 4/14/7 of this book for 90 days, and let me know what happens.  "Gratitude is an attitude that hooks us up to our source of supply. And the more grateful you are, the closer you become to the architect of the universe, to the spiritual core of your being." Bob Proctor on Chapter 7 of Wallace D. Wattles' SGR book.  #TheScienceofGettingRich #BobProctor #WallaceDWattles #gratitude #gratitudepractice #gratitudechallenge #gratitudejourney #thinking #thoughts #mindset  Putting PART 5 into ACTION: DEVELOPING A ROCK SOLID MENTAL MINDSET Reading chapters 1 (The Right to be Rich), 2 (There is a Science of Getting Rich), 3 (Is Opportunity Monopolized) and 5 (Increasing Life) we are working on our mental faculties. The first part of this book, or Thinking in a Certain Way, takes time. If you want to know how you are thinking, look at the results you are achieving. This is a clear sign. If you like the results that someone else is achieving, ASK them, “What is your mental mindset as it relates to your work” and you'll learn something new that you can apply to strengthen your own. Rome wasn't built in one day, and our mindset and ability to THINK in THIS CERTAIN WAY takes time and practice, but this is the foundation for what we are building here. Putting PART 6 into ACTION: UNCOVERING WHAT YOU REALLY WANT. "Never think or speak of what you want without feeling confident that it will arrive." Wallace D. Wattles, The Science of Getting Rich In part 6 we are still working through how to THINK in This Certain Way covering Chapters 6 (How Riches Come to You), 8 (Thinking in the Certain Way), 9 (How to Use the Will) 10 (Further Use of the Will). We looked at ideas for creating Multiple Sources of Income here, and ways to further strengthen our mental abilities by referring back to the Think and Grow Rich study, or The Silva Method. This whole time we are letting the Syllabus sink into our daily life, and becoming familiar with Chapters 4, 14 and 7. #TheScienceofGettingRich #WallaceDWattles #Mindset #Prosperity #2024Goals #TheWill #Thinking  Putting PART 7 into ACTION: Here we covered Chapters 11-17, the final chapters of the book that are focused around ACTING in THIS CERTAIN WAY. We are reminded that “A person must act as well as think” and how important our daily actions are. It's here that productivity courses come to mind, to sharpen our daily routines. Wattles believes in not just taking action in the present moment, but by making sure it's EFFECTIVE action with EVERYTHING that you do.  FINAL THOUGHTS: For a book that I was hesitant to cover, I'm so glad I did. It was a mindset shift for me to pick the Science of Getting Rich notes, study guides and worksheets out of the back of my closet, and begin this study the end of last year. I hope that you've enjoyed looking at the deeper meaning behind the words of Wallace D. Wattles, with me, where he shows us that there is a Science of Getting Rich, and it's all about Thinking AND Acting, in This Certain Way. PART 1: Prosperity Consciousness FINDING THE JOY IN LEAN OR DIFFICULT TIMES What's YOUR story for this example? PART 2: The First Principle of the Science of Getting Rich: Getting Comfortable with Money What's YOUR story for this example? How have your worked on your own prosperity consciousness? PART 3: Living the Impression of Increase How do YOU live the impression of increase? PART 4: GRATITUDE (FAITH In ACTION) How do YOU put faith into action in your life? PART 5: DEVELOPING A ROCK SOLID MENTAL MINDSET How do YOU strengthen YOUR mental mindset? PART 6: UNCOVERING WHAT YOU REALLY WANT Are you aware of what is seeking expression with and through you? What are you doing to develop your talents and abilities? What multiple sources of income can you set up with these talents? PART 7: REVIEW COMPLETE THESE 4 ACTION STEPS: CLOSING ACTION STEPS: I do encourage everyone to read Chapters 4/14/7 for 90 days as an action item to studying this book. Print a copy of the Syllabus, and put it somewhere you will be able to see it, and read it. Read the Syllabus every day, for 90 days, along with chapters 4/14/7. Finally, come up with your own examples that go with the 7 PARTS of the book. I had to THINK to create mine, and when you can see these principles in ACTION, along with a change in your THINKING, this is when the magic will happen. You will begin to ACT in this CERTAIN WAY. My goal for the END of this review, is to show that without a shadow of a doubt, we ALL have the ability to “Think and Grow Rich” like we learned from Napoleon Hill's study (with our potential as well as our finances) and That there is a Science to Doing This, using Wallace D. Wattles principles.  If we can do the hard work involved (using persistence like we did while reading chapters 4/14/7 for 90 days) sharpen our ability to think, make connections grow from what we've learned, and then finally, APPLY what we've learned, we will see that failure impossible. We just need to keep “thinking and growing” and then “Acting in This Certain Way.” RESOURCES: How to Manifest and Attract Financial Abundance w/ Rhonda Byrne (Creator of "The Secret") Lewis Howes: The School of Greatness with Rhonda Byrne In today's episode of The School of Greatness, we're diving into a topic that's close to my heart and likely yours too - the journey of manifesting money. I had the pleasure of sitting down with none other than Rhonda Byrne, the mastermind behind “The Secret.” Our conversation was nothing short of enlightening. As Rhonda shared her insights, I couldn't help but reflect on my own financial journey, from times of struggle to moments of abundance. This episode isn't just about money; it's about transforming your life through the principles that Rhonda and I have lived and tested. Whether you're just starting out or looking to deepen your understanding of financial abundance, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-school-of-greatness/id596047499?i=1000641351452 REFERENCES:   [i] Rhonda Byrne 2006 The Secret https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0846789/   [ii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #66 with The Legendary Bob Proctor https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/the-legendary-bob-proctor-on/     [iii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast PART 1 Think and Grow Rich Series https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/think-and-grow-rich-book-review-part-1-how-to-make-2022-your-best-year-ever/     [iv]Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast PART 1 of The Silva Method  https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/a-deep-dive-with-andrea-samadi-into-applying-the-silva-method-for-improved-intuition-creativity-and-focus-part-1/     [v] Join Paul Martinelli's Study of Think and Grow Rich for FREE https://www.freeprogram.yourempoweredlife.com/   [vi] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #288 on “What Does Acting Have to Do With Our Self-Belief and Identity?” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/brain-fact-friday-on-what-does-acting-have-to-do-with-self-belief-and-our-identity/   [vii]“Oscar and Emmy winner Phil Goldfine shares the five things you need to know to succeed in show business” Feb. 25, 2019 by Yitzi Weiner  https://medium.com/authority-magazine/oscar-and-emmy-winner-phil-goldfine-shares-the-five-things-you-need-to-know-to-succeed-in-show-b3152bbf985e   [viii]Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #38 with Todd Woodcroft  https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/assistant-coach-to-the-winnipeg-jets-todd-woodcroft-on-the-daily-grind-in-the-nhl/   [ix]Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #166 with Chris Gargano https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/vice-president-executive-producer-of-the-new-york-jets-chris-gargano-on-accelerating-leadership-for-maximum-impact-and-results/   [x] Andrea@Achieveit360.com   [xi] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #294 on “Beyond Our Five Senses: Using the 6 Faculties of the Mind.”  https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/beyond-our-5-senses-understanding-and-using-the-six-higher-faculties-of-our-mind/   [xii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE 316 PART 3 REVIEW of The Science of Getting Rich https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/part-3-review-of-wallace-d-wattles-the-science-of-getting-rich-on-chapter-14-the-neuroscience-behind-the-impression-of-increase/   [xiii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #203 with Paranormal Researcher Ryan O'Neill  https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/case-study-with-paranormal-researcher-ryan-o-neill-on-making-your-vision-a-reality/   [xiv] Lewis Howes with Rhonda Byrnes How to Manifest and Attract Financial Abundance w/ Rhonda Byrne (Creator of "The Secret") The School of Greatness  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-school-of-greatness/id596047499?i=1000641351452   [xv] The Movie, The Secret https://www.thesecret.tv/  

This week, host Charlotte Alter is joined by award-winning actor and activist Mark Ruffalo, for a captivating conversation on his Hollywood journey. Ruffalo shares stories about his childhood in Wisconsin and Virginia and the path that led him to discover his passion for acting. He opens up about the influential time he spent studying under the legendary Stella Adler and reflects on how each role he's played has shaped his career. Ruffalo shares unique insight into the impact Marvel movies have had on the film landscape and takes us behind the scenes of his latest role in Yorgos Lanthimos' “Poor Things.” Ruffalo also discusses his dedication to climate activism, revealing how his personal beliefs intersect with his professional life, and what drove him to take up the causes he fights for.    Mark Ruffalo and Gloria Walton on Climate Solutions: Let's Fund Communities ‘Like We Want Them To Win' | TIME • https://time.com/collection/earth-awards-2023/6274444/mark-ruffalo-and-gloria-walton-local-climate-solutions/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Don't shop at Kmart if there's a Tiffany's at 57th and 5th.” -Stella Adler on Making Choices This episode begins with Milton's deconstruction of an audition. He talks about the downside of adding a lot of plot points to your preparation for a scene: it means you have to earn every single one of them in a way that feeds you emotionally. “But the advanced work,” he says, “is making kick-ass choices. You challenge yourself to be smarter.” WANT MORE? Become a subscriber on Spotify for bonus content! ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actingclass/subscribe⁠ Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actingclass/message

Tommy Thomas: Three years ago, I started a tradition on the podcast. I'm interviewing someone from the music industry for the episode being released the week of Christmas. My logic is that most people probably aren't doing much professional development this week. And rather than not have a release, I would default to something that is near and dear to my heart. I started taking piano lessons when I was seven. In high school, I played in a local garage band. In college, I sang folk music, and, in my twenties, I sang with a bluegrass group in Birmingham. In fact, one of the things on my bucket list is to play a set with the cover group, Jay and the Elders from Birmingham. So, Jim Blackman, if you're listening, I'm waiting on my invitation. Our guest this week is Dr. David Tolley, the Associate Professor and Director of The Music Industry Program at Delaware State University. David is a very talented composer, arranger, producer, and instructor. I believe you're going to love his story.​ [00:01:08] Tommy Thomas: Before we take too deep of a dive into your professional career, take us back into your childhood. What's your happiest memory? [00:01:17] David Tolley: Happiest memories of childhood. I'm one of eight kids. I'm number seven. And we were born, not really on a farm, but in Dublin, Ohio. [00:01:25] David Tolley: We had an apple orchard, chicken coop, and things like that, but it wasn't a full fledged farm. But we used to play Cowboys and Indians, hide and go seek. And playing with all my brothers and sisters probably was one of my favorite memories. [00:01:39] Tommy Thomas: What about the gifts your parents gave you? What's the greatest gift you remember? [00:01:44] David Tolley: Greatest gift or appearance? Probably the electric football game where you put the players on there and the game vibrates. Yeah. That was that. I had to think about that. I haven't thought about that in a long time yet. [00:01:56] Tommy Thomas:: Wow. We had one of those that was fun. [00:01:58] Tommy Thomas: Yeah. And what was high school like? [00:02:01] David Tolley: I went to Worthington High School, and it was great. I wasn't in the marching band or the choir because I was a pianist, and in junior year, Columbus started a brand-new performing arts school called Fort Hayes, and it was modeled after the one in New York and then one went down into Dallas. So it was experiential Columbus and it's still going, but went there my junior and senior year and half of the day to Worthington. So it was a lot of fun. I started composing for some theater things and other things. And I was valedictorian of the class when I graduated. But the only regret I have about that is I cut off my social life from my high school friends. Because I went down there at noontime and then was downtown Columbus. And you know how after high school, a lot of people, they have afterschool activities, and I was out of town. [00:02:56] Tommy Thomas: Yeah. I guess when you enrolled in Ohio State you knew you were into music by then. [00:03:01] David Tolley Yeah, I played sports, Tommy, and believe it or not, I used to play football and was quarterback and I played basketball and baseball, but I didn't grow to be huge, you know, like 6' 2”, 6' 3”. And so it started to hurt in middle school. So I got back into music heavy and I was just practicing all the time and I was lucky to get this pianist, Richard Telly Curtis, and he was head of the piano division at Ohio State and I got him in high school. I don't know how I got him. But he said he took me because I had a good smile. I don't know. I practiced all the time and that's performing arts school. They just kind of let me go and I would go down to the practice rooms and just practice all my whole time there. So I entered Ohio State and got a double bachelor's in piano performance and composition, and then got my master's in theory and composition before I moved out to Los Angeles. [00:03:55] Tommy Thomas: Had you started your PhD before you moved to Los Angeles? [00:03:58] David Tolley: Yeah, back then we were on the quarter system, so I had the first quarter and then I thought, wow, I'm only 21 or 22, I think. And I'm like, I'm doing my doctorate in music. I got into music to perform and to compose, mostly compose. So I thought, and I talked to my mom and I was playing at a church, Liberty Presbyterian Church, all through college and stuff. [00:04:22] David Tolley: They didn't want me to go and my mom of course didn't want me to go, but she actually gave me her blessing and packed up my rabbit and moved out to Los Angeles. [00:04:31] Tommy Thomas: Wow. Yeah, I can see Los Angeles. Back then, Nashville wasn't in the scene. I guess it would've been LA or New York probably your two options. What was the early days like in Los Angeles as a fledgling musician? [00:04:45] David Tolley: Yeah, it was scary. I tell these stories to my students because they have the itch in them, these young college kids, and I'm like, you know what, if it's really on your heart and you're passionate about it, you gotta try it now because you might be regretful later on. So I was scared to be honest, and because I only knew one person out there. I took every other thing I had in a VW Rabbit and I went to North Hollywood, and that was the year that they had Richard Ramirez, the Hillside strangler, and then all of the freeway shootings. I was like, what did I do? But after about a year, it settled in and I was fine. [00:05:25] Tommy Thomas: I'm going to probably not remember the details from how you told it years ago, but as I remember you told me that your brother came out to visit you one Christmas and y'all ended up at the Johnny Carson Show. Can you fill in the details there and tell our viewers a little bit about that? [00:05:42] David Tolley: Okay. So being one of eight kids, I was number seven, and my youngest brother was number eight. We pretty much grew up without a dad and so my mom thought, this is David's first Christmas away from home. And Christmas was a big thing, eight kids and the Christmas tree and gifts. So she was very wise and sent my youngest brother out to visit me. And for a week we went to the beach, we went to all these different things. The Hollywood Stars, Beverly Hills houses, went to where the Lakers played and everything. And then he had the idea to go, hey, can we go to The Tonight Show?  I don't know how to do that. [00:06:20] David Tolley: It was like his last day. And so he called up and he said, all you have to do is show up in line in Burbank and wait outside. So, we did after we had gone to the beach all day, and then we walk inside and we got in barely. And we were about three quarters of the way back in the audience. And it was Johnny's last show before he went on Christmas break the next day. And it was a Friday night, I think it was December 19th, 1985. And Johnny comes out with no preparation during the monologue, he said, you know what, you're all in the Christmas spirit, and we have a dilemma tonight. We scheduled this beautiful nine-foot Steinway piano that we had imported in for the classical pianist, Ori Gutierrez, who won the Van Clyburn Award. And the only thing is, he nipped his fingers because he shut his hand in the car door accidentally. His career's not hurt. But he doesn't feel like playing. And so, we have a dilemma. I'll let you know after the commercial break what we're going to do. And so he comes back, he goes, you know what? We're going to try something we've never done before. Is there anyone in the audience that plays a piano? And so I didn't even know what was going on. My brother raises my hand and before I know it, I have a Nike T-shirt and jeans and flip flops, and I'm playing on a nine foot Steinway for 28 million people. [00:07:42] Tommy Thomas: Wow. I'm just thinking what was going through Carson's mind. My gosh what a mistake it could have been. [00:07:49] David Tolley: Yeah, he actually mentioned that. Actually you can see it on YouTube. He says, wow, this could have been a real bomb. And actually, he picked a woman to go first and she played silver bells and she was good. And but he said, just in case she lays a bomb, is there someone else?  And that's when he picked me. [00:08:08] David Tolley: He was pretty amazed of the crowd's reaction.  [00:08:12] David Tolley: He put his hands up the air like, I don't believe this, so it was fun. I didn't know Tommy; I didn't know I was playing for all these people. It was kind of like a dream. I went up there, I was smiling and, back in Ohio, for the church for years, and then I used to play a lot of parties, so I thought, oh, this is fun. I'll just start playing. I didn't know all those 28 million people were watching, so I was winking at the audience. I pretended I had tuxedo on. I was just goofing off. I was a little clowned, but I guess the audience really liked that. [00:08:45] Tommy Thomas: So everybody can Google I guess David Tally the Tonight Show and you can see the YouTube of this. So what did you play? How did you think about it, or did you just go up and just start playing? [00:08:58] David Tolley: I must've been on autopilot because I barely remember the show. I know it happened, but we only had a minute to think. And so I though, the Cats was real popular at the time, the musical, so I said, how about Memories from Cats? He goes, oh, that's great. And I went up and played. [00:09:17] David Tolley: After I got done, you can see on the video, the audience was just clapping and roaring. And I touched Johnny's hand, oh wow, that worked out. And so yeah, it was fun. Johnny was super nice to me. Both shows. I left and they got my name and number and stuff like that. And I went with my brother back to my little studio apartment in North Hollywood and he was like, he kept on hitting me in the arm going, did that really happen? Did that really happen? So, it was a great way to end the week with my younger brother and actually my dad's mom, Grace , who I partially dedicated Amazing Grace, my variation, and she had never seen me play the piano and she was 92 at the time. She lived to be 99. My whole family got to watch it. My grandmother that never saw me play got to see it. So it was neat. +++++++++++++= [00:10:12] Tommy Thomas: So, what did you play on your second appearance? [00:10:15] David Tolley: They called, they had lost my number somehow, so they put a search team out because Johnny came back and Grant Tinker was the CEO of NBC. And he called Johnny the next day. He says, boy, that was great planning that kid on the show. Johnny goes no. I didn't plan it. I just took a chance. He goes, what? So he said, we have to have him back. We have all these letters and phone calls. We gotta let them know. And so Johnny goes, yeah, that'd be great. So they actually called me and I was in North Hollywood. I answered the phone. I still remember, it was lunchtime. They said, hey we have so many letters and phone calls. We really have to have you back on the show so we can explain to the audience this is really what happened. I actually said no. I said, I'm a composer. I'd be too nervous. He said, yeah, but what you just played on there? I'm like, yeah, I didn't know was going on. [00:11:07] David Tolley: So they said, let me call you back after lunch. And I still remember, Tommy, I got my little can of Chicken Noodle soup, Campbells, and I cooked it and put it on my spoon. I could not even keep a noodle on my spoon. I was shaking. So, I had a week to think and I thought, you know what? This is a great opportunity to give glory to God, and do my theme and variations on amazing grace. I wrote it for the church when I left because they had a wide variety of people that some liked pop, some like gospel, some like straight hymnals, some like country, some like jazz. I thought, you know what, it's all music to me as a composer. It's just an attitude of the heart. And so, I did my theme and variations on Amazing Grace as a gift to them. And for my gram Grammy Grace. And so I played that and Johnny, at first they thought, oh, that might be too religious. And actually Johnny said no - let him play what he wants to play. And anyway, so that's what I played. [00:12:08] Tommy Thomas: Wow. And what was the immediate aftermath of that? Did you see any uptick in any opportunities to record or to write? [00:12:17] David Tolley: Yeah, I got to see the great side of Hollywood, and the bad side. Because I had like agents, managers, it was so confusing. From a little town, at the time it was a small town, a suburb of Columbus and I didn't know anything about the music business. I had what, three degrees and started my doctorate, but I didn't have one music business course. Nothing about contracts or intellectual property or anything.  [00:12:40] David Tolley: I was very confused and the White House saw it and they said, we would like you to play at Easter time at the White House. I'm like, okay. And I was actually the MC for the Easter Fest. I actually showed up at the White House and they booked a hotel and brought me in. They said, you know what? We know you're playing and performing, but we'd like you to be the MC. And they handed me a script. I'm like, I wish you guys would've told me. But anyway, so a lot of things like that. I tried out for some movie parts. Madonna and Michael Jackson's manager had a record deal that they were working on, which didn't work because, like I said I saw the good and the bad and a lot of things like that. A lot of projects, some TV and film projects that I did. [00:13:28] Tommy Thomas: As I remember for a while, weren't you Mayor Bradley's pianist of record for a lot of his parties? [00:13:36] David Tolley: Oh wow. Yes. Wow. I haven't heard that name in a long time. Yeah I did. Even though I was out there as a composer, I still was a pianist, and I would still play on people's albums. A lot of rock bands that were signed that didn't have people or players. I was a studio musician that would come in and play and in between projects, if it was a cartoon or scoring an anime film or TV show. I did a lot of stuff for ABC, CNBC and CBS. But there are gaps. There are gaps in between projects, so I always kept up my playing. So, I was playing at the Bel Air Country Club for years, and I played, which when you're out in the public Mayor Bradley saw me and I played so many functions for him. And I played Muhammad Ali's birthday party and I'll never forget it. Muhammad came up and his Parkinson's had set in and he came up to the piano during his birthday, and he wrote me a poem. He was shaking and he was always one of my favorite athletes of all time. And then just a lot of parties and things because they're just people that happen to live out there. And since I'm out in the public I did a bunch of parties for Clint Eastwood and I remember one party in Malibu that I was sitting, it was just a cliff with nothing but glass, looking at the ocean. And I'm like, okay, I'm showing up for this birthday party. So out there and all of a sudden right next to me is Walter Mattau. Right behind me is Gregory Peck, Jack Lemon, Marlon Brando. I'm like, what's going on here? And it was a birthday party for their acting coach, Stella Adler. So it was a party, and I played Hello Dolly for Carol Channing to sing. And my mom would've been in heaven if she would've been there. So yeah, I had a lot of neat experiences like that. [00:15:29] Tommy Thomas:  And then somewhere along the way you got connected with Disney. [00:15:33] David Tolley: And that actually wasn't a result of the Tonight Show. That was, I forget how many years later, five or six years later. Because all that hype and everything slowed down. My phone was off the hook. I was like, oh boy. Yeah, I didn't know what to do. And I probably made a lot of bad decisions. [00:15:54] David Tolley: But I finally settled down to be a composer and play in between. And Disney got ahold of one of my first CDs and they were doing a new park in Paris or Euro Disney. And they took the music from Frontier, Leanne? I forget the land shoot. This is terrible. Anyway, tomorrow land and, this is a brand-new park, and they wanted a brand new lands called Discovery Land. And so it had all these explorers and things like Jules Verne and thing themed rights. I was lucky that out of, I don't know, hundreds or thousands of composers that wanted to do the theme music for this land, I got the job. So I did a two hour soundtrack for piano and orchestra. And it still plays. It opened in 1992 and I still see my, it's not great royalties, but it's, yeah, I'm not going to turn them down. Every quarter I see royalties from my music that's playing 18 hours a day. [00:16:55] Tommy Thomas: So, looking back on the Southern California portion, what's your biggest takeaway? [00:17:03] David Tolley: That's a good question. Just, probably hang on to God, hang the thick and the thin though it wasn't always great times. There were sometimes it was very thin, and I bought a house in Woodland Hills, started having kids and those were great years and then there was some thin years. But God's grace was with me the whole time, and it's exciting. It's not for everybody. In fact, my younger brother moved out there, a lot of friends moved out there. They saw the hype, and within a year they moved out because it's like a concrete jungle. And you have to love the creativity. That's what I liked about it. And it's not for everybody. +++++++++++++= [00:17:45] Tommy Thomas:  What brought you back east and how did you decide it was time to finish that doctorate? [00:17:52] David Tolley: Good question. So basically, I told my mom when I started my doctorate and when I was making that decision to move out to LA, I'm like, I will finish this. I will finish. I wanted to be a brain surgeon, I ended up going into music. So, I said, Mom, I will be a doctor. And I still remember that conversation. So my wife, we had four kids and we were out in Los Angeles. We had a house, a pool, a studio, and she got cancer. And she was from Ohio too and she had a cancer called MOC Sarcoma, a soft tissue cancer. [00:18:26] David Tolley: So, it was an extremely hard decision because the kids had all their friends in middle school and stuff like that. We had a great setup. I was finally out there living, and doing what I love to do, but thought, it's pretty serious stage four cancer. So we moved back to be with her family, my family and the support. She fought it for a good three and a half years and then passed. [00:18:50] Tommy Thomas: How did you, as someone that's never had that kind of experience, how did you get through that? [00:18:56] David Tolley: Oh, it was all God. It really was God. And it's funny that, through most of life, at least for me, it's a pretty constant relationship. But in those very trying times, it's almost like you can hear him breathe. I mean it's very real and that's really what kept me going. Prayer, the church and support. [00:19:18] Tommy Thomas:  You finished your doctorate; you became that doctor that you had promised your mom. [00:19:22] David Tolley: Right. [00:19:23] Tommy Thomas: So now you're on the faculty at Delaware State. Tell us about that. I guess you commute from Columbus to the campus periodically or regularly. [00:19:32] David Tolley: You'd think I was a nut, I probably was, but I moved back to LA, finished, and I thought, Mom, I'm not in an entertainment town anymore. I have to think of a living now. So, I finished my doctorate, and I started Ohio State Music Industry Program from textbook stuff and then real live street knowledge that I gained out there. [00:19:52] David Tolley: The only thing is they started it and everything and built the studios. Boom. And it came time to get the director of the music industry program and I already started the curriculum and everything. They had a new director and I guess they went by the rules. I had one quarter left to go or two and they were doing a search, and they couldn't hire someone unless they had already been an assistant associate, an associate. They wanted a director and I was just finishing up my doctorate so I couldn't even be on the table. My faculty was furious, but that was a hard blow to me. And I finished up and I thought, you know what? I guess I just gotta keep on looking. I've had four or five job offers. One in New Orleans. One was in the Midwest, like in Indiana. I forget the name of the school. But Delaware State, I could fly there to Baltimore in one hour and commute. You thought, why don't you move the family there? If you remember, I moved the family home to bite the cancer. Because they have a great cancer center at Ohio State. And I did that every Monday into Thursday for 10 years. Every single week. I flew there and then now after Covid. I talked to the Dean, and I was full professor now and with tenure, so I was able to say things like this. I was like, I can't travel like this anymore. I'm too old. This airport thing, and Covid, so they made me a deal that I come at the beginning, the end and in the middle. And the rest of the time I'm home. [00:21:31] Tommy Thomas:  I do a lot of work in higher ed, and I ask all my higher ed people this question. What was the greatest lesson that you learned through Covid that you think you'll take forward in your career? [00:21:43] David Tolley: It's being a global world in and with the way broadband is and connections. It took a while to get used to online teaching, and some of my students really like it because they can stay in their apartment or dorm and listen and but sometimes they really miss the one-on-one contact, at least showing them something in the studio or at the piano. But it seems like the tools are getting better and I do all my pro tools and other things. I share my screen, they can hear it, they see it, things like that. But just the question about AI and everything, I still think, that human heart, spirit, that's hard to put into computer code. [00:22:31] Tommy Thomas: I know you're not a conductor but you probably own the fringes of conducting.  I'd like to ask you to respond to this quote from Ben Zander, the Boston Philharmonic. He says, the conductor doesn't make a sound. The conductor's power depends upon his or her ability to make other people powerful. [00:22:51] David Tolley: Wow, that's a great quote. Yeah, there are great conductors and then there are beginning conductors and even at the bus in Symphony Hall when I saw Beethoven's ninth, it's amazing. There are great leaders. They're going through the same gestures of downbeats and expressiveness of dynamics and things like that, but they have such a charismatic power that kind of pulls energy out of the orchestra that they go to new heights that other people can't do. +++++++++++++++ [00:23:29] Tommy Thomas: Yeah. So I'd like to close out with a lightning round of questions. These are generally short answers, but sometimes not. Yeah. [00:23:38] David Tolley: Okay, I'll keep it short. [00:23:39] Tommy Thomas: What's been the greatest invention in your lifetime? [00:23:45] David Tolley: Probably the internet. [00:23:47] Tommy Thomas: What's the best compliment anybody's ever paid you? [00:23:55] David Tolley: I still get comments from that Tonight Show. In fact, I got three this morning. It's crazy. It was so long ago. But I remember a lady, her email, it is almost like you could see her cry. She was, I guess losing someone in the hospital and she would play that over and over for their family member and she said, I felt like you're playing that from heaven for us. [00:24:17] Tommy Thomas:   So if you could go back in time and tell a younger version of yourself one thing, what would that be? [00:24:28] David Tolley: Find what you're really passionate about. Spend some quiet time in prayer, away from the noise and screens. Once you have that down, educate yourself as much as you can, take chances, because God's going to be there with you. [00:24:45] Tommy Thomas: If you could meet any historical figure and ask them one question, who would it be and what would the question be? [00:24:56] David Tolley: My favorite composer of all time is Beethoven. So I would've loved to have met him and since he wrote the whole ninth Symphony in his head, and he was an outcast. People thought he was crazy, but he couldn't hear and he'd walk through town and he had a terrible childhood, but he kept on writing music and I'd love to know what kept him going. [00:25:17] Tommy Thomas:  What's the most worthwhile lesson you've learned so far in your career? [00:25:35] David Tolley: Boy, you just stumped me. I wrote a musical on Solomon, and it's never been mounted. And but one of the main themes of that is chasing the wind and you can have all this stuff, all these riches, all this stuff, but if you don't have God, it's nothing.  It's empty. ++++++++++++++++++++++= [00:25:51] Tommy Thomas: I hope you enjoyed this podcast. After we turned the recording button off David and I were talking and he told me that he is expecting one of his musicals to appear off Broadway sometime in the spring of 2024. If you want to bring some laughter to your day, watch the two YouTube clips of David's first and second appearances on the Johnny Carson Show. The first appearance will have you in stitches. Only Johnny Carson could do the setup like he did for David. I've included links to both appearances in the episode notes. January brings us to a new year for the podcast. And I'm pleased with the guests that we've lined up so far. Next week, our guest will be a man who's been the president of three different universities. One of these being a startup. He has a lot to share about leading institutions of higher education through the various stages of their life cycles.   Links & Resources JobfitMatters Website Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas The Perfect Search – What every board needs to know about hiring their next CEO David Tolley's first appearance on the Johnny Carson (the Tonight) Show David Tolley's second appearance on the Johnny Carson (the Tonight) Show David Tolley's interview with Scott - the Piano Guy David Tolley's Interview - the 200 Year Anniversary of Liberty Presbyterian Church   Connect tthomas@jobfitmatters.com Follow Tommy on LinkedIn   Listen to Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts    

WANT MORE? Become a subscriber on Spotify for bonus content! ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actingclass/subscribe⁠What do we mean when we say the Given Circumstances? According to Stella Adler, the Given Circumstances includes everything— all the facts. And as Milton puts it, it incorporates all the P's: the play, the playwright, the plot, the place, the period, and the personality, past and profession of the character.  Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actingclass/message

Melora Hardin is best known for playing Jan on the American version of “The Office.” She was nominated for an Emmy for her work on the series “Transparent.” Recently she stepped back into the role of Trudy Monk for “Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie,” which is streaming now on Peacock. On this episode, she talks about bringing the character Mabel Montgomery-Mayflower to life in the new independent film “Golden Vanity,” and how the perfect combination of director's vision and true collaboration helped her deliver that tour-de-force performance. She takes us back to her early days as a child actor, lessons learned while getting 10,000 hours of experience before her 18th birthday, tells an incredible story about Stella Adler, and a touching one about Gene Hackman, plus much much more. “Golden Vanity” is playing at the Cinelounge Sunset in Los Angeles through December 17th. Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast from  Filmmaker Magazine. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.  Follow Back To One on Instagram

When I was in high school and dreaming of being an actor, I read a lot of the major acting texts. I read Stanislavksi. I read Stella Adler. I read Uta Hagen. I read Sanford Meisner. I was particularly enchanted with the Meisner book and tried to square it with the Meisner exercises we'd done at the Governor's School for the Arts. They didn't QUITE connect and I could never really apply what I learned to actual shows but I was captivated and all these texts seemed to strive for a more authentic, emotionally honest style of acting. A lot of acting training is concerned with this authenticity. A lot of acting training takes itself very seriously. I took it all pretty seriously. I took myself pretty seriously, truth be told. And then I started working as an actor. The concerns of working actors have very little in common with acting training. For the most part, the jobbing actor becomes less concerned with whether or not you can tell someone their shirt is brown with authenticity (Yes, this was an exercise I did when I was 15.) but whether or not you can be heard and understood by the audience. To keep reading Some Actor Training You Don't Get in School, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog. This is Episode 377 Song: Twist and Shout Image by Stem List via Unsplash To support this podcast: Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review! Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co Me on Hive - @erainbowd ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tell a friend! Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ As ever, I am yours, Emily Rainbow Davis

As young actor—he's now 97— he studied with Stella Adler along with Marlon Brando, (“He was a great actor but an impossible person.”) a saga he recounts in The Star Dressing Room. One of them became the head of Warner Brothers Television, the other became Marlon Brando.

Sarah and Rich welcome comedian/writer/actor/producer Wayne Federman to the cellar for a deep conversation about everything from the science of decanting to Stella Adler, and the beauty of a post-show Taco Bell run! Also, our producer counted, and in addition to some great stories from his long career in comedy working alongside the likes of Garry Shandling and Larry David, Wayne delivers about 5.5 jokes per minute in this episode. So, grab your beverage of choice and enjoy this hilarious episode with one of the very best in the business! Cheers!

WANT MORE? Become a subscriber on Spotify for bonus content! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actingclass/subscribe One of the biggest contributions that Stanislavsky (and later Stella Adler) made was the clear logic they brought to the study of acting. This episode includes several ideas in acting technique that simply make sense: make a choice, move slowly, do research that feeds you, "keep moving. It may be forward." Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: questionsformilton@gmail.com Also, check out our website: www.idontneedanactingclass.com  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actingclass/message

In this Human Meme podcast episode, the AI voice of Howard Stein relates his take on: "The Habit of Intelligent Choice."

Lisa Barnes has spent two tours of duty as an actress in New York. First, after graduating from the University of Southern California's theatre department, she spent a number of years in the Big Apple. She acted in plays Off-Broadway and in regional theaters while studying with the legendary Stella Adler. As well, along with a favorite StoryBeat guest, Casey Childs, Lisa co-founded the renowned off-Broadway theatre company, Primary Stages.            She subsequently headed to Los Angeles where she performed in television and theatre, winning numerous acting awards, including two Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards. But in time, a stage show she did in L.A., directed by the late, great Orson Bean, moved Off-Broadway, and Lisa then spent more than a decade in Gotham once again.             Occasionally, when in New York, Lisa performs “All of Us,” a piece that she co-wrote via Zoom with 6 other New York actress-writers during the two-year Covid lockdown. 

When we drill down into the biographies and training histories of the cast of the hit show, "Succession," there's no uniformity of background. Some of them carry the pedigree you might expect: the American conservatories; Yale, Juilliard, Carnegie Mellon, or the London conservatories; RADA, LAMDA, and Central. Some come out of the New York studios; the Neighborhood Playhouse, Stella Adler, the Lee Strasberg Institute. A few have bypassed those training pathways altogether. This episode compares and contrasts the pathways of some of our favorite actors. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/storyofacting/message

Welcome to Voice Acting with Veronica Barrera! On this week's episode, we have the talented and  good friend Ginny Hayes. She is a voice actor living in the Los Angeles area. Ginny and I talked about why the writer's and actors strike is so important, studying with Stella Adler, whats it's like being a judge on SOVAS, and so much more! Join me on this awesome two part series. Listen as you do chores, commute to work, or any other way. https://ginnyhayesvoiceover.com/ Places to donate for Hawaii wildfires: https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/?fbclid=IwAR1D5V4beczuZRVgbgJU5_nx7FdqHeqJWoOgbgYgP8JGfeRRCofG2Hr1qcw https://mauifoodbank.org/donate/ https://www.redcross.org/local/hawaii.html?fbclid=IwAR1fbPkNn2X6AUs1Z5qD_3SabKdUbjTog95k3I2cIAVazRtZTVjZbHZ08a4 Facebook Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/631972061329300  Instagram Podcast: @voiceactingwithvb  If you want a The Voice Straw check out these affiliate links. Thanks! https://voicestraw.com/?ref=ctQaTgfR https://voicestraw.com/discount/VERONICABARRERA?ref=ctQaTgfR

A quick fast forward to 1935 when the Group Theatre is on Broadway with Awake and Sing, while down the block, Michael Chekhov stars in a Russian Language Inspector General. Stella Adler heads backstage to ask Chekhov to teach the Group. A very young Beatrice Straight pitches Chekhov to come to Dartington Hall, a center for education, agriculture and the arts founded by her parents, Lord and Lady Elmhirst, on a sprawling English estate. Guess who wins. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/storyofacting/message

GUEST OVERVIEW: Tom Dugan is a playwright and actor who has received many awards and nominations. His one-person plays have been produced throughout the U.S., Canada, and many other countries. His play WIESENTHAL, about famed Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal, was produced Off-Broadway by Daryl Roth and featured on PBS with Tom in the part. His other solo plays include FREDERICK DOUGLASS: In the Shadow of Slavery; THE GHOSTS OF MARY LINCOLN; and Tevye In New York! (based on the characters of Sholom Aleichem). Tom studied acting with Stella Adler and Howard Fine and has appeared in many films and televisions shows. https://www.facebook.com/TomDuganPlays  

Lisa is joined by actor Tiffany Rothman who shares her passion for acting. Tiffany Rothman is an Asian American actress and model based in Los Angeles. She was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the U.S. as a child where she trained in acting and dance from a young age. Tiffany is most known for her roles on the CBS series 'Blue Bloods' the Sundance Official Selection film 'The Accidental Getaway Driver', among many others.Tiffany returned to her performing arts roots as an adult while living in New York City, acting in independent films and off-Broadway shows at theaters like St. Luke's, Stella Adler and Ensemble Studio Theatre. She is also a board member and earned the title of 'Artist-in-Residence' from the Isadora Duncan International Institute for modern dance.After years in NYC, Tiffany relocated to Los Angeles where she is based, acting in film and television. In Los Angeles, she starred in a new drama, 'Brackish', at the prominent Grand Central Art Center at California State University. Tiffany also works in commercials and print as a model.In addition to acting and modeling, Tiffany studied fashion retail and after moving to N.Y. acquired an MBA in Human Resource Management. Shortly thereafter, she earned a Masters in Educational Psychology and in 2017, obtained her Doctorate in Counseling Psychology. Tiffany's thesis was based on a play called "Flowers: A Thorny Romance", a play that she has previously performed in about domestic violence.Tiffany enjoys performing in film, dance and theater as well as spending time with her loved ones - these are the things that make her feel like she has truly achieved 'the American dream'.

Today, I'm so excited to announce my episode with star of stage and screen Leslie Uggams. Leslie's new movie Dotty & Soul is now out on all streaming platforms. Tune in today to hear her talk about how meaningful the part of Dotty is to, as well as tell stories about her Broadway career, including taking acting lessons with Stella Adler and Sal Mineo, her early friendship with Ethel Waters, talking to Arthur Laurents about the role of Madame Rose, why Her First Roman wasn't successful, dealing with Carol Channing's allergies, reading Hallelujah, Baby! while David Merrick fell asleep, and so much more. You won't want to miss this illuminating conversation with a legend of the stage.

Today we will be speaking with Milton Justice about one of his favorite subjects, legendary actress and teacher Stella Adler. Milton Justice is an Academy and Emmy Award winning producer, On Broadway he produced Tennessee Williams' Vieux Carre,. Off Broadway he produced Jack Heifner's Vanities (which became the longest running play in off-Bway history. His book, I Don't Need An Acting Class, was published in November of 2021 and his podcast, also called  I Don't Need An Acting Class, was recently listed at the 9th most popular entertainment podcast in history.

At last! Talia Shire and I catch up in person at Talia's Southern California home. We've been talking ever since her first appearance on Really Famous - on the phone, on Zoom, text messaging - but this is the first time we're hanging out face to face, and what you'll hear is something totally natural and unexpected. You'll hear about everything: what she's doing now Megalopolis, the new movie she's doing with her brother, Francis Ford Coppola social media (I teach Talia what "likes" are) The Godfather Rocky and Sylvester Stallone her famous family, which includes Nicolas Cage, Francis Ford Coppola, Jason Schwartzman and Sofia Coppola her friend and acting teacher Stella Adler deep sadness grandchildren dogs teaching the career she wishes she had fame and getting recognized at the market therapy tips and insights from me, which Talia and I debate You'll hang out with two open, honest friends having fun and being real with each other. Enjoy! Links to Everything! Talia Shire and Kara: Our First Podcast ➤ https://really-famous.com/now/talia-shire  Subscribe on YouTube for all my anniversary updates, mini interviews and full interview videos ➤ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbR3_S40FqVaWfKhYOTneSQ?sub_confirmation=1 Watch this interview on YouTube ➤  https://youtu.be/6jwIJiZ3CbE Get 10% your first month of therapy at BetterHelp ➤ betterhelp.com/reallyfamous Get a Really Famous mug ➤ https://really-famous.myspreadshop.com/really+famous-A5d211932162c5f1ba0e0ae33?productType=949&sellable=xrOAqlvEk1UqmOlaDVqJ-949-32&size=29 Shop through my Amazon storefront (hey, thanks!): https://www.amazon.com/shop/reallyfamous Watch Really Famous on Facebook Watch ➤ https://www.facebook.com/karamayerrobinson/ Join my special insider's group + get notified about our LIVE SHOW ➤ http://eepurl.com/dnbUWL Follow me on social media for behind-the-scenes photos and clips of Tim and me ➤  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/karamayerrobinson/  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/karamayerrobinson/  Twitter https://twitter.com/kara1to1  Join our talks in my Facebook Friends and Fans community ➤ https://www.facebook.com/graoups/reallyfamous   Check out my sizzle reel ➤ https://really-famous.com/kmr-reel   Celebrity interview by Kara Mayer Robinson Music: Take a Chance by Kevin MacLeod - Incompetech - Creative Commons

Katie sits down with actress, writer, and stand-up comedian Natasha Leggero as she opens up about her first (and last lol) book, The World Deserves My Children.   Natasha discusses how stress and anxiety has impacted her throughout her journey of motherhood. She also envisions what she sees in her child's future as she grows up. The comedian even goes into how she escaped the common mommy-rut of feeling like you are living the same “beige” mother life. Plus, why is hiring a bad nanny a bad idea? And wait, Katie used to be hired as a nanny… does that mean she was an ugly one? Tune in for all the details and laughs! Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle CollinsProducer & Editor: Casby BiasAssociate Producer: Akiya McKnight  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Reading is not for play. It is to gain knowledge” Stella Adler The Art of Acting[i] and she adds that “I, for instance, am very strict about what I eat and I'm equally strict about what I read.”   In keeping with our season theme of going back to the basics, and building the strongest 2.0 version of ourselves, I'm skipping to episode #199[ii] on “The Neuroscience of Self-Belief and Our Identity”[iii] from Feb 2022. For those who are returning guests, welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we cover the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (for schools) and emotional intelligence training (in the workplace) with tools, ideas and strategies that we can all use for immediate results, with our brain in mind.  For those who haven't met me yet, I'm Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast to share how the understanding of our complex brain transfers into our everyday life and results. On this episode #288 we will cover: ✔ A review of The Neuroscience of Self-Belief and Our Identity ✔ How Belief in Ourselves Develops and Changes Over Time ✔ Top 5 Lessons Learned from Stella Adler's “The Art of Acting” ✔ Why Continual Study is Important When I looked back to EP 199 on “The Neuroscience of Self-Belief and Our Identity” I noticed that we opened with a quote from the late Bob Proctor, and a meeting with my friend Patti, who worked closely with Bob's seminars over the years. Patti and I met a few weeks after Bob moved from what he would say was the physical plane, to the spiritual, and we talked about some of the important lesson learned, and knowledge gained from those days working in the seminar industry, and how they've impacted our daily life since then. Concepts based on our beliefs like: “All things are possible if you believe. “Our results are all based on our beliefs” “If we don't like what's going on outside, we've got to go inside, and change our beliefs.”[ii] --Bob Proctor These ideas were at the core of every seminar Proctor conducted, and he would travel the globe presenting these ideas in a way that would captivate and change the lives of his listeners globally.  Now I sold seminars for Bob from 1999 to 2002 and every time he would come up with a new seminar, people would say the same thing.  What's new with this one?  I'd explain that this new seminar had a different angle but some people would challenge this new angle and say, “that's kind of what we learned in the last seminar” (belief in ourselves) to do xyz and the answer was yes… belief is behind everything we want to do… it's at the heart of every seminar.  It's also something that takes time to develop. I've heard it described in different ways. It's like pouring a drop of red food coloring into a glass of water, and you stir it once, and the red coloring disappears. We've got to keep putting the red drops into the water, to notice the change in color. It's not easy to notice at what point the color goes from clear to red, as this change takes time. Just like the belief we must have in ourselves that develops over time. It's difficult to put belief into words, or know when we've got it, or not, but it can be seen easily by others. I saw it while interviewing Ryan O'Neill on EPISODE #203[iv] on “Making Your Vision a Reality” because I knew Ryan BEFORE he achieved the goals he had set for himself, and remember when they were just ideas, written down.  Watching his success over the years has been nothing short of incredible, and the change shows up for Ryan on the outside. His knowledge, confidence, and success in his daily life, shows up clearly with his demeanor, as his work now is being showcased globally, on the Discovery Channel[v], and he himself agreed with me when I pointed this out to him. Over time, he could see it himself, but like the food color in the water, it is difficult to pinpoint the change as it's occurring. How do we change our belief and identity over time? Other than continual study, and learning that leads to growth, what else would the experts in the field of learning suggest? We can review the science behind self-belief, and where belief exists in the brain, by going back to EP 199 where we covered this, but today, I've got to go back to the seminar industry, because so much of what yielded success in those early days, worked for some reason, (I can list so many who have surpassed their goals with these principles) so my goal today is to revisit these age-old strategies, that have been around for over 2,000 years. Today's episode takes us back to this one book that speaker Bob Proctor would talk about in every seminar, and even in his book, Change Your Paradigm, Change Your Life[vi]. If you've ever been to one of his events, you'll know what I'm talking about. He would say “You know, you've got to read Stella Adler's The Art of Acting” whether he was talking to a regular person, like you or me, or an Oscar Award Winner, like Phil Goldfine[vii], who listened to what Bob told him, then took the action that led to his Oscar Award in 2014. I remember Phil standing and holding this prestigious award at the last seminar I attended in January 2016, explaining that it all started when Bob told him to write down his goals, and he did, and the next thing I knew, here he was, standing up and holding his Oscar, while the audience just listened to how simple it was for him to achieve it.    Phil Goldfine would tell you it was just his belief that did it, and he went on to use the same principles to achieve something next with swimming, something he had yet to perfect, that I'm sure he has achieved by now. It took me two seconds to find an interview from 2019 with Phil Goldfine that showed me he DID in fact hit his swimming goal, and many others that he declared back in 2016 when he showed us his Oscar. What he said got him there was “action”[viii] and that's one of the secrets within the pages of that book that Proctor recommended we read every seminar, The Art of Acting. Stella Adler's technique, called “Method Acting” is founded on an actor's ability to imagine a character's world. Now it's all starting to make sense to me why Proctor would love this book, and talk about it so much, as he would hold his hand out and get us to all look up into the air, and “build our castles in the sky.” He was trying to get us to “imagine” the world we wanted to build. It's called “Method Acting” and now I can see exactly how acting is connected to self-belief, building our identity, and goal-achievement. Stella Adler was the only American artist to study with Konstantin Stanislavski, a prominent figure in Russian theatre and her technique encouraged actors to expand their understanding of the world, in order to create compelling performances. You know, what we don't understand, or we don't connect with, we tend to ignore, and that's what I did when Bob talked about acting. I remember thinking, oh shoot, here he goes again about that acting book, as he would stand on stage, and explain how Laurence Olivier could transform his character, and move his audience, using something called “Method Acting.” Now I'm not at all into movies, and not usually star stuck by actors or fame as I've met many from this industry along the way, and I marvel at how they do what they do, but I'm most interested in the journey that got them to where they are today. I met film Director David Webb[ix], while he was shooting the horror film Taking Lives, with Angelina Jolie, Colin Farrell[x], while he was filming A Home at the End of the World, and they were both “out of character” and relaxing, just chatting to me about what they were working on. Then, I sat at a lunch table next to Stephen Spielberg[xi], and listened to what his day to day conversations, which was nothing out of the ordinary, but when I met Sean Penn, I KNEW he was an actor. Sean was in a swimming pool, with sunglasses on, and introduced himself to me as “hey, I'm the make-up guy” with an accent anyone from the 1980s could place, and I just laughed, knowing full well that he was playing the character of Jeff Spicoli, from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, just to see my reaction. I glanced over at his wife, Robin Penn at the time, and just laughed. This was no make-up artist. He was Jeff Spicoli, and we all knew it. He was “Method Acting” and it's taken me almost 20 years to learn about this method. This weekend I finally read the book that Bob Proctor would recommend in every seminar, Stella Adler's “The Art of Acting.” I never understood what an acting book would have to do with setting and achieving goals, so I brushed it off, and never read it. What a huge mistake. Just a glance at the table of contents and the lights went on (pun intended). Stella Adler was teaching acting in a way that Proctor taught us success principles in the seminar world. “You'll never be great unless you aim high” or “ideas are difficult because they are on paper, but read them several times slowly, the ideas will become yours and you'll be able to give them back.” Stella Adler Bob's practices were right in line with Stella's. He used to have us focus on a sentence, word by word, until we integrated the idea into our daily life (Thomas Troward as an example). So what does acting, a profession that's almost 2,000 years old, have to do with goal-setting and achievement?[xii] I didn't see it either, until I actually read “The Art of Acting” and started to put the pieces together. There is a connection between reaching those high levels of achievement, that leads to a change in self-belief, and it begins with an understanding of “the stage” that Stella Adler outlines in her book. I found an article written by Amy Beilharz, that outlined the Top 4 tips from this book, that translates to our everyday life, called “What Do the Oscars and Your Success Have in Common.”[xiii] She talks about “acting” as “doing” describing the lessons she learned in the book. This book is something you just have to read, and you'll see what I mean as you will see something in yourself, that you might not have seen before. She outlines 22 lessons, that were her classes, and begins with a powerful story from Laurence Olivier. I heard this story over and over again from Proctor, and I used to zone out because I just didn't see what was so profound about some actor on stage, but after reading these pages, I began to connect the dots. Proctor tells it better, but the main idea is that Laurence Olivier played Othello in a way that one night, blew the entire audience away. At the end of the show, everyone asked him “how did you do it” and he said “I don't know” because he really didn't understand what he did. He later discussed on interviews that he had massive anxiety about this, as he didn't know how to replicate what he had done, and worried he'd never be able to do it again. I KNOW WHAT HE DID. And it took me back to PART 5[xiv] of our Think and Grow Rich book study, where we learned about how to transmute our energy from one form into another. It's one of the “Secrets” is in the pages of Stella Adler's “The Art of Acting” that explains why Laurence Olivier moved his audience. He became someone else while he was on stage in a way that no one had seen before. Like Sean Penn who became Spicoli, he became Othello in a way that hit the audience from the spiritual, intellectual and physical mind, and it was masterful. It was unforgettable. I bet it took the breath away from those watching. It shocked Laurence Olivier just as much as it shocked his audience. You'll know what I mean when you think of an artist that hits you to the core on all 3 levels (spiritual/soul, intellectual/ mind, and physically as you can feel the performance). I can name a few artists I've seen who can do this. Think about this for a minute? Can you? Who moves you to the core when you watch them perform, that you can barely speak? You're captivated. That's Stella Adler's “The Art of Acting” And it takes the belief of the artist FIRST. REVIEW AND CONCLUSION: To review this week's Brain Fact Friday, we went back to EP199 on “The Neuroscience of Self-Belief and Our Identity”[xv] that took us back to improving our self-awareness that we covered on EPISODE #2[xvi] of our podcast back in July of 2019. We looked at where self-belief and our identity exist in the brain and we pondered: Where does self-belief come from? How does it get instilled in us? How can we inspire it in others? Then we looked at Stella Adler's “The Art of Acting” to see what acting has to do with self-belief, our identity, goal-setting, and goal-achieving. There were many timeless lessons in the pages of her book, and I do hope that you will read this book yourself, but here are the ones the stood out the most to me. ACTING IS DOING: (Class 3) She says that “you learn acting by acting” and isn't that true, that we learn when we take action. But Stella Adler was very strict with the actions that she takes. She said it in the beginning that she is strict about what she eats, and equally as strict about what she reads. She was also very strict about how someone stands, walks and presents themselves saying “if your body is not in good shape, your acting cannot be in good shape.” (p18). THE ACTOR NEEDS TO BE STRONG: (Class 4) where she reminds us again of the importance of health and sitting upright, not looking like we have “broken bodies that turn inward.” I can just imagine her yelling out “sit up straight” to her students, as I remember that was the key to projecting our voice when I was in choir in 5th We were taught to breathe from our diaphragms and she explains this with the importance of projecting our voice. And to build our voice she suggests “to read an editorial aloud every day.” First, read it with a normal voice, and then your voice should get “bigger and bigger, stronger and stronger.” (p55). I can tell you for sure that recording solo podcast episodes has helped me to build my voice. I know I speak much differently into the microphone, than I do if I'm talking to someone in person, or even on the phone. My WHOOP device logs my heart rate that goes well into the target heart rate zone every time I record my voice, and over time, I do see this practice has helped me to improve my speaking and presentation skills. I know there's ALWAYS room for improvement here, but that's what Stella wants us to remember. DEVELOPING THE IMAGINATION: (Class 5) Stella reviews the importance of health again here, and how “we are instruments of our bodies, and have to keep them in optimal condition.” (Page 63). We've focused entire episodes to the theme of health (mental and physical) on this podcast, as I also believe that without our health, we are at a disadvantage, but she connects this to our ability to create something in our minds. Stella teaches her students how to “live imaginatively” building images on the screen of our mind first saying that “anything that goes through your imagination has a right to live.” (Page 66). She has many exercises in this class to build up your imagination faculty so you can “bring aliveness” to your acting, which is much different than just acting “the facts.” She says that “you must give back life and not death.” YOU MUST DRESS THE PART: (Class 16) This chapter we heard over and over again in the seminars, as Proctor lived it himself. It was rare to see him wearing jeans, even when I had to drop something off at his house, he would be dressed up. He talked about the importance of “dressing for success” especially when working from home, and treating a home office, just as you would if you had to drive to one. Stella believed the same, saying that “You are what the clothes makes of you. Clothes say something about your self-control, your self-awareness, your social awareness. Clothes say something about your ability to be restrained, your ability to be respectful.” (Page 192). She says that when you come on stage, to “stand in a way that expresses power that comes from the ground up.” (Page 196) I agree with her that you can feel the power, and energy with the way you dress, and stand tall. The fastest way to “feeling” successful, is to put in the effort to look your best every day. PORTRAYING CLASS ON STAGE: (Class 22) This is where Stella talks about “the method” where “understanding your character has to go beyond your own life.” (Page 253). She asks us to imagine playing a peasant, and getting into the character with class, by looking at Van Gogh's painting of peasant boots saying “that everything has value. Nothing is old—or rotten.” (Page 252). Stella learned “method acting” directly from Russian playwright Konstantin Stanlisvaski who “directs the actor to apply deep personal and emotional connections to a role to achieve a realistic and naturalized performance.”[xvii] Not all actors believe in this “method” as Laurence Olivier was famous for “expressing disdain for method acting while filming the 1976 film Marathon Man. Exasperated with the lengths his co-star Dustin Hoffman was going to for his role, (who actually stayed up for days to become sleep deprived) and Olivier asked, My dear boy, why don't you just try acting”[xviii] which I thought was hilarious and so very true. Stella Adler “was wary of Stanislavski's idea of emotional recall to generate emotions on stage and felt it limited actors to their small realms of experience.”[xix] Adler believed more in cultivating the actor's imagination to bring their characters to life. I hope that you can now see, like I did, the clear connection that exists between acting and our future success. Some people like Phil Goldfine, or Sean Penn, have used these practices to reach great heights with their careers, and Proctor would call these people “consciously competent” as they were aware of what they were doing to get these results. Others, like Laurence Olivier, were shocked and amazed at their results, having no idea what they had done, and Proctor would call people like this “unconsciously competent” meaning they couldn't explain what they had done. While I know we all won't be as good as Laurence Olivier or Sean Penn, right away, the goal is to keep reading, learning and getting better at whatever it is we are doing, so that our results become predictable, aimed high, and that we work towards being consciously competent at whatever it is we are working on. If we can do this, then we can teach it to others who follow in our footsteps. If we can follow Stella Adler's “Art of Acting” with whatever platform or stage we are performing on daily integrating her tips into our work, and aiming at hitting our audience on all three levels: physically, intellectually and spiritually, then we know we are on the pathway towards something special. Remember: She would say “What is acting? Voice. Voice. Voice.” I'm glad I finally read “The Art of Acting” to gain this new perspective of building self-belief and identity, and can now add Stella Adler's tips to help me to become a stronger, more resilient version of myself with her strategies that go back 2,000 years in time. With that, I'll close out this episode, and see you next week.   REFERENCES: [i] Stella Adler The Art of Acting (compiled and edited by Howard Kissel) https://www.amazon.com/Art-Acting-Stella-Adler/dp/1557833737 [ii] https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/brain-fact-friday-on-the-neuroscience-behind-self-belief-and-our-identity/ [iii] https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/brain-fact-friday-on-the-neuroscience-behind-self-belief-and-our-identity/ [iv] https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/case-study-with-paranormal-researcher-ryan-o-neill-on-making-your-vision-a-reality/ [v] Warner Brothers, Discovery UK and Ireland  https://twitter.com/chrisfleming91/status/1647083554118021120/photo/2 [vi] Change Your Paradigm, Change Your Life by Bob Proctor https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Paradigm-Life/dp/B09G5132VW/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=604546232584&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9030068&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4410657837430788254&hvtargid=kwd-622963963620&hydadcr=22592_13493326&keywords=paradigm+shift+book+bob+proctor&qid=1683679068&sr=8-1 [vii] Phil Goldfine Grammy https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBobProctor/photos/phil-goldfine-has-been-a-student-and-friend-of-mine-for-many-years-last-night-hi/10152248842639421/?paipv=0&eav=Afb0ArYL4FwVIZqrj0nxLES9BYlLb6erWqGP8VbuO3_KABPdpfgY-LMt5VWDasplRkM&_rdr [viii] Oscar and Emmy Winner Phil Goldfine Shares 5 Things You Need to Know to Succeed in Show Business Feb. 25, 2019 by Yitzi Weiner https://medium.com/authority-magazine/oscar-and-emmy-winner-phil-goldfine-shares-the-five-things-you-need-to-know-to-succeed-in-show-b3152bbf985e [ix] Taking Lives 2004 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364045/fullcredits/?mode=desktop&ref_=m_ft_dsk [x] A Home at the End of the World 2004 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0359423/ [xi] Stephen Spielberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Spielberg [xii] What do the Oscars and your success have in common? https://www.proctorgallagherinstitute.com/9551/what-do-the-oscars-and-your-success-have-in-common [xiii] What do the Oscars and your success have in common? https://www.proctorgallagherinstitute.com/9551/what-do-the-oscars-and-your-success-have-in-common [xiv] https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/think-and-grow-rich-book-review-part-5-on-the-power-of-the-mastermind-taking-the-mystery-out-of-sex-transmutation-and-linking-all-parts-of-our-mind/ [xv] https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/brain-fact-friday-on-the-neuroscience-behind-self-belief-and-our-identity/ [xvi] https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/self-awareness-know-thyself/ [xvii] 7 Actors Who Put the Method into Method Acting by Aiden Canter April 12, 2022 https://collider.com/actors-method-acting/ [xviii] Why Hollywood is Finally Over Method Acting by Emma Nolan April 22, 2022 https://www.newsweek.com/why-hollywood-finally-over-method-acting-1700143?amp=1 [xix] Don't Be Boring: An Introduction to Stella Adler's Technique by Tatum Hunter https://dramatics.org/dont-be-boring/  

This week, we take a look back at a movie celebrating the fortieth anniversary of its theatrical release this coming Saturday, a movie that made a star of its unconventional lead actor, and helped make its director one of a number of exciting female filmmakers to break through in the early part of the decade. The movie Martha Coolidge's 1983 comedy Valley Girl, starring Nicolas Cage and Deborah Foreman. ----more---- TRANSCRIPT   From Los Angeles, California, the Entertainment Capital of the World, it's The 80s Movies Podcast. I am your host, Edward Havens. Thank you for listening today.   On this episode, we're going to be looking back at a movie that will be celebrating the fortieth anniversary of its original theatrical release. A movie that would turn one of its leads into a star, and thrust its director into the mainstream, at least for a short time.   We're talking about the 1983 Martha Coolidge film Valley Girl, which is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its release this Saturday, with a special screening tonight, Thursday, April 27th 2023, at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood with its director, doing a Q&A session after the show.   But, as always, before we get to Valley Girl, we head back in time.    A whole eleven months, in fact. To May 1982.   That month, the avant-garde musical genius known as Frank Zappa released his 35th album, Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch. Released on Zappa's own Barking Pumpkin record label, Drowning Witch would feature a song he co-wrote with his fourteen year old daughter Moon Unit Zappa. Frank would regularly hear his daughter make fun of the young female mallrats she would encounter throughout her days, and one night, Frank would be noodling around in his home recording studio when inspiration struck. He would head up to Moon's room, wake her up and bring her down to the studio, asking her to just repeat in that silly Valspeak voice she did all the crazy things she heard being said at parties, bar mitzvahs and the Sherman Oaks Galleria shopping center, which would become famous just a couple months later as the mall where many of the kids from Ridgemont High worked in Amy Heckerling's breakthrough movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. For about an hour, Frank would record Moon spouting off typical valley girl phrases, before he sent her back up to her room to go back to sleep.   In a couple days, Frank Zappa would bring his band, which at the time included guitar virtuoso Steve Vai in his first major musical gig, into the home studio to lay down the music to this weird little song he wrote around his daughter's vocals.   “Valley Girl” wold not be a celebration of the San Fernando Valley, an area Zappa described as “a most depressing place,” or the way these young ladies presented themselves. Zappa in general hated boring generic repetitive music, but “Valley Girl” would be one of the few songs Zappa would ever write or record that followed a traditional 4/4 time signature.   In the spring of 1982, the influential Los Angeles radio station KROQ would obtain an acetate disc of the song, several weeks before Drowning Witch was to be released on an unsuspecting public. Zappa himself thought it was a hoot the station that had broken such bands as The Cars, Duran Duran, The Police, Talking Heads and U2 was even considering playing his song, but KROQ was his daughter's favorite radio station, and she was able to persuade the station to play the song during an on-air interview with her.   The kids at home went nuts for the song, demanding the station play it again. And again. And again. Other radio stations across the country started to get calls from their listeners, wanting to hear this song that hadn't been officially released yet, and Zappa's record label would rush to get copies out to any radio station that asked for it.   The song would prove to be very popular, become the only single of the forty plus he released during his recording career to become a Top 40 radio hit, peaking at number 32. Ironically, the song would popularize the very cadence it was mocking with teenagers around the country, and the next time Zappa and his band The Mothers of Invention would tour, he would apologize to the Zappa faithful for having created a hit record. "The sad truth,” he would say before going into the song, “is that if one continues to make music year after year, eventually something will be popular. I spent my career fighting against creating marketable art, but this one slipped through the cracks. I promise to do my best never to have this happen again."   As the song was becoming popular in Los Angeles, actor Wayne Crawford and producer Andrew Lane had been working on a screenplay about star-crossed lovers that was meant to be a cheap quickie exploitation film not unlike Zapped! or Porky's. But after hearing Zappa's song, the pair would quickly rewrite the lead character, Julie, into a valley girl, and retitle their screenplay, Bad Boyz… yes, Boyz, with a Z… as Valley Girl.   Atlantic Entertainment Company, an independent film production company, had recently started their own distribution company, and were looking for movies that could be made quickly, cheaply, and might be able to become some kind of small hit. One of the scripts that would cross their desk were Crawford and Lane's Valley Girl. Within a week, Atlantic would already have a $350,000 budget set aside to make the film.   The first thing they needed was a director.   Enter Martha Coolidge.   A graduate of the same New York University film program that would give us Joel Coen, Amy Heckerling, Ang Lee, Spike Lee and Todd Phillips, Coolidge had been working under the tutelage of Academy Award-winner Francis Ford Coppola at the filmmaker's Zoetrope Studios. She had made her directorial debut, Not a Pretty Picture in 1976, but the film, a docu-drama based on Coolidge's own date rape she suffered at the age of 16, would not find a big audience. She had made another movie, City Girl, with Peter Riegert and Colleen Camp, in 1982, with Peter Bogdanovich as a producer, but the film's potential release was cancelled when Bogdanovich's company Moon Pictures went bankrupt after the release of his 1981 movie They All Laughed, which we covered last year. She knew she needed to get on a film with a good chance of getting released, and with Coppola's encouragement, Coolidge would throw her proverbial hat into the ring, and she would get the job, in part because she had some directing experience, but also because she was willing to accept the $5,000 Atlantic was offering for the position.   Now that she had the job, it was time for Coolidge to get to casting. It was her goal to show an authentic teenage experience in Los Angeles in the early 1980s, absent of stereotypes. As someone whose background was in documentary filmmaking, Coolidge wanted Valley Girl to feel as real as possible.   Her first choice for the role of Randy, the proto-punk Romeo to Julie's… well, Juliet… Coolidge was keen on a twenty-three year old unknown who had not yet acted in anything in movies, on television, or even a music video. Judd Nelson had been studying with Stella Adler in New York City, and there was something about his look that Coolidge really liked. But when she offered the role to Nelson, he had just booked an acting gig that would make him unavailable when the film would be shooting. So it was back to the pile of headshots that had been sent to the production office. And in that pile, she would find the headshot of eighteen year old Nicolas Cage, who at the time only had one movie credit, as one of Judge Reinhold's co-workers in Fast Times. Coolidge would show the photo to her casting director, telling them they needed to find someone like him, someone who wasn't a conventionally handsome movie actor.   So the casting director did just that. Went out and got someone like Nicolas Cage. Specifically, Nicolas Cage.   What Coolidge didn't know was that Cage's real name was Nicolas Coppola, and that his uncle was Coolidge's boss. She would only learn this when she called the actor to offer him the role, and he mentioned he would need to check his schedule on the Coppola movie he was about to start shooting on, Rumble Fish. Francis Coppola made sure the shooting schedule was re-arranged so his nephew could accept his first leading role.   For Julie, Coolidge wanted only one person: Deborah Foreman, a twenty-year-old former model who had only done commercials for McDonalds at this point in her career. Although she was born in Montebello CA, mere miles from the epicenter of the San Fernando Valley, Foreman had spent her formative years in Texas, and knew nothing about the whole Valley Girl phenomenon until she was cast in the film.   Supporting roles would be filled by a number of up and coming young actors, including Elizabeth Daily and Michelle Mayrink as Julie's friends, Cameron Dye as Randy's best friend, and Michael Bowen as Julie's ex-boyfriend, while Julie's parents would be played by Frederic Forrest and Colleen Camp, two industry veterans who had briefly worked together on Apocalypse Now.   As the scheduled start date of October 25th, 1982, rolled closer, Martha Coolidge would be the first director to really learn just how far Nicolas Cage was willing to go for a role. He would start sleeping in his car, to better understand Randy, and he would, as Randy, write Foreman's character Julie a poem that, according to a May 2020 New York Times oral history about the film, Foreman still has to this day. In a 2018 IMDb talk with director Kevin Smith, Cage would say that it was easy for his performance to happen in the film because he had a massive crush on Foreman during the making of the film.   Because of the film's extremely low budget, the filmmakers would often shoot on locations throughout Los Angeles they did not have permits for, stealing shots wherever they could. But one place they would spend money on was the movie's soundtrack, punctuated by live performances by Los Angeles band The Plimsouls and singer Josie Cotton, which were filmed at the Sunset Strip club now known as The Viper Room.   The film would only have a twenty day shooting schedule, which meant scenes would have to be shot quickly and efficiently, with as few hiccups as possible. But this wouldn't stop Cage from occasionally improvising little bits that Coolidge loved so much, she would keep them in the film, such as Randy spitting his gum at Julie's ex, and the breakup scene, where Randy digs into Julie by using Valspeak.   In early January 1983, while the film was still being edited, Frank Zappa would file a lawsuit against the film, seeking $100,000 in damages and an injunction to stop the film from being released, saying the film would unfairly dilute the trademark of his song. The lawsuit would force Coolidge to have a cut of her movie ready to screen for the judge before she was fully done with it. But when Coolidge screened this rushed cut to Atlantic and its lawyers, the distributor was pleasantly surprised to see the director hadn't just made a quickie exploitation film but something with genuine heart and soul that could probably have a much longer lifespan. They were originally planning on releasing the film during the later part of the summer movie season, but now knowing what they had on their hands, Atlantic would set an April 29th release date… pending, of course, on the outcome of the Zappa lawsuit.   In March, the judge would issue their ruling, in favor of the film, saying there would be no confusion in the public's mind between the song and the film, and Atlantic would continue to prepare for the late April release.   One of the things Coolidge really fought for was to have a wall of great new wave songs throughout the film, something Atlantic was hesitant to pay for, until they saw Coolidge's cut. They would spend another $250k on top of the $350k production budget to secure songs from The Psychedelic Furs, The Payolas, Men at Work, Toni Basil, The Flirts and Sparks, on top of the songs played by The Plimsouls and Josie Cotton in the film.   Valley Girl would be one of three new movies opening on April 29th, alongside Disney's adaptation of the Ray Bradbury story Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Hunger, the directorial debut of filmmaker Tony Scott. Opening on only 442 screens, Valley Girl would come in fourth place for the weekend, grossing $1.86m in its first three days. However, its $4200 per screen average would be better than every movie in the top 15, including the #1 film in the nation that weekend, Flashdance. Not bad for a film that was only playing in one third of the country.   In its second weekend, Valley Girl would fall to seventh place, with $1.33m worth of ticket sold, but its per screen average would be second only to the new Cheech and Chong movie, Still Smokin'. Over the next three months, the film would continue to perform well, never playing in more screens than it did in its opening weekend, but never falling out of the top 15 while Atlantic was tracking it. When all was said and done, Valley Girl would have grossed $17.34m in the United States, not a bad return on a $600k production and music clearance budget.   There was supposed to be an accompanying soundtrack album for the film that, according to the movie's poster, would be released on Epic Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records whose eclectic roster of artists included Michael Jackson, The Clash and Liza Minnelli, but it turns out the filmmakers only ended up only getting music clearances for the movie, so that release would get cancelled and a six-song mini-LP would be created through a label Atlantic Pictures created called Roadshow Records. But then that album got cancelled, even though some copies had been printed, so it wouldn't be until 1994 that an actual soundtrack for the film would be released by Rhino Records. That release would do so well, Rhino released a second soundtrack album the following year.   The lawsuit from Zappa would not be the only court proceeding concerning the film. In July 1984, Martha Coolidge, her cinematographer, Frederick Elmes, and two of the actresses, Colleen Camp and Lee Purcell, sued Atlantic Releasing for $5m, saying they were owed a portion of the film's profits based on agreements in their contracts. The two sides would later settle out of court.   Nicolas Cage would, of course, becomes one of the biggest movie stars in the world, winning an Oscar in 1996 for his portrayal of an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who goes to Las Vegas to drink himself to death.   Deborah Foreman would not have as successful a career. After Valley Girl, it would be another two years before she was seen on screen again, in what basically amounts to an extended cameo in a movie I'll get to in a moment. She would have a decent 1986, starring in two semi-successful films, the sexy comedy My Chauffeur and the black comedy April Fool's Day, but after that, the roles would be less frequent and, often, not the lead. By 1991, she would retire from acting, appearing only in a 2011 music video for the She Wants Revenge song Must Be the One, and a cameo in the 2020 remake of Valley Girl starring Jessica Rothe of the Happy Death Day movies.   After Valley Girl, Martha Coolidge would go on a tear, directing four more movies over the next seven years. And we'll talk about that first movie, Joy of Sex, on our next episode.   Thank you for joining us.   Remember to visit this episode's page on our website, The80sMoviePodcast.com, for extra materials about Valley Girl.   The 80s Movies Podcast has been researched, written, narrated and edited by Edward Havens for Idiosyncratic Entertainment.   Thank you again.   Good night.

I'm super excited to have Aimee Greenberg on the show today. Aimee's a true New Yorker, who's worked with some of the best teachers in the business like Sanford Meisner, Wynn Handman, and Stella Adler. She's got some serious Off-Broadway creds, having cut her teeth at La Mama, Etc., Theatre for the New City, and The Medicine Show Theatre. Aimee's collaborated with some big names in the industry too, like Grotowski, Augusto Boal, and Guillermo Gentile. She's also raked in quite a few prestigious awards and fellowships like The Asian Cultural Council Fellowship, The Los Angeles Endowment, The Los Angeles Women's Foundation Award, Seattle Original Works, and the Susan B. Komen Award. With her wealth of knowledge and experience, Aimee's been teaching performance technique, writing, directing, theatre, and film studies at international conservatories and universities like JAMU, UCSD, CSUSM, SDSU, and CSLA. Let's get into it as we talk to Aimee about her career, experiences working with theatre icons, and what she thinks about the industry today! _________________ Ukraine on Stage The performance in San Francisco will raise funds for the work being done by the Ivano-Frankivsk Drama Theatre in Ukraine.  The Theater is not only serving as a bomb shelter, community center, and food distribution point, but is also continuing to perform.   Its recent activities are discussed here and here.  (If you view any of these websites using the Google Chrome browser, you can right-click on a page to translate its content into English.) This event is sponsored by the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council: Website here and facebook page here. The Performance is on Saturday, April 29 at 2 P.M. Tickets ______________________________________________________________________ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts (Itunes) Green Room On Air Web Site: http://greenroomonair.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raysgreenroom/ Opening and Closing Music by Carly Ozard: http://carlyozard.com Contact Ray at Green Room on Air: greenroomonair@gmail.com 

On this episode of The North Coast Podcast, we are joined by the multi-hyphenate artist, Rob Chen! Rob is a musician, comedian, actor, and all around SWEETIE who brought us sponge cake. You can see him perform his one man show, The Blu Room, on 4/9 @ The Players Theater at 7:00PM. You can also checkk out Rob on Spotify under "Blu Hyku" and IG as @robchenhere ! The North Coast Podcast is a Musical Comedy podcast featuring interviews, improvised hip-hop songs, and long-form improv from New York City's long-running hip hop-improv team, North Coast. From conversations with comedians, hip-hop artists, and other exciting creatives, you can now bring the infectious energy of a North Coast show into your headphones with this brand new podcast. Produced by Anna Torzullo and Douglas WidickNorthcoastnyc.comRob Chen - @robchenhere  North Coast - @northcoastnycRj Williams - @rjron.williamsMichael Crisol - @TheDoctorBrickMel Rubin @melrubin2Billy Soco @bsocoDouglas Widick @douglaswidickLuke Miller @lukemillerfakeRalf Jean-Pierre -  @preciousgorgeousralf Anna Torzullo - @AtorzzWith a cast of improv comedy veterans in New York City, North Coast's explosive performances have been packing comedy venues, universities, and festivals nationwide since 2009. Built around a single suggestion from an audience member, the show's improvised scenes escalate into full-blown hip-hop songs, facilitated by resident beatboxer, Doctor Brick. With their seamless melding of comedic timing and freestyle rapping abilities, North Coast frequently blurs the line between comedy show and concert, drawing audiences from the comedy, hip-hop, and theater communities for an experience that has been hailed as “mind-blowing” and “next level” by critics and audiences alike.Named one of the “Top Ten Best Comedy Shows”  by Time Out New York, North Coast has been featured on Vh1, in Slate's Podcast The Gist, The Village Voice, and The New York Times Comedy Listings. Currently, you can catch them performing Saturday 4/15 @ 7:30PM at the Peoples Improv Theater. 0:00 - Start1:15 - Welcome, Rob Chen! 2:30 - Rob Brought Sponge Cakes 4:15 - FOOD 5:20 - Rob's Culture 7:57 - How'd Rob Get Into the Arts10:30 - SONG: I Pierced My Ears 13:02 - Ralf's Judgement Is Challenged 17:00 - Stella Adler 20:59 - Rob's Musical Beginnings 24:47 - Dance 28:13 - SONG: Art Is My Water 31:00 - Advice for Artists 32:00 - Leng Zai 37:55 - Rob's Fav Pastimes 40:15 - SONG: Real Life Reaction Video 

Bertila Damas Voyage Through Acting Bertila Damas is a two-time Star Trek veteran with some tremendous roles on stage and screen under her belt. Bertila played the Vulcan Sakonna in the two-part DS9 episode "The Maquis" and returned to Trek for a role in the tragic Voyager episode "Survival Instinct" as Three of Nine while a Borg and Marika as a Bajoran. We learn all about her time on Star Trek, including the arduous makeup routine as a Borg, working with Armin Shimerman, Avery Brooks, Marc Alaimo, and Tony Pilana on DS9, and some great stories about Jeri Ryan on VOY. "Survival Instinct" is one of my favorite VOY episodes, and if you like it even a fraction as much as I do, you will love Bertila's stories about this one! Plus, Bertila's training with Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, and some amazing lessons she learned with her fine education in performing, including doing a stage adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's "A Touch of the Poet" with Robert Beltran, working on The Golden Girls spin-off "The Golden Palace" with Cheech Marin, and working on what is considered by many to be the worst film ever, "Nothing But Trouble" with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd. Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future. Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold. Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us! Follow Trek Untold on Social Media Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntoldTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntoldFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold Follow Nerd News Today on Social Media Twitter:  Twitter.com/NerdNews2Day Instagram: Instagram.com/NerdNewsToday Facebook: Facebook.com/NerdNewsToday Trek Untold is sponsored by Treksphere.com, powered by the RAGE Works Podcast Network, and affiliated with Nerd News Today.   The views expressed on air during Trek Untold do not represent the views of the RAGE Works staff, partners, or affiliates. 

Bertila Damas is a two-time Star Trek veteran with some tremendous roles on stage and screen under her belt. Bertila played the Vulcan Sakonna in the two-part DS9 episode "The Maquis" and returned to Trek for a role in the tragic Voyager episode "Survival Instinct" as Three of Nine while a Borg, and Marika as a Bajoran. We learn all about her time on Star Trek, including the arduous makeup routine as a Borg, working with Armin Shimerman, Avery Brooks, Marc Alaimo, and Tony Pilana on DS9, and some great stories about Jeri Ryan on VOY. "Survival Instinct" is one of my favorite VOY episodes, and if you like it even a fraction as much as I do, you will love Bertila's stories about this one! Plus, Bertila's training with Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, and some amazing lessons she learned with her fine education in performing, including doing a stage adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's "A Touch of the Poet" with Robert Beltran, working on The Golden Girls spin-off "The Golden Palace" with Cheech Marin, and working on what is considered by many to be the worst film ever, "Nothing But Trouble," with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd. Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future. Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold. Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us! Follow Trek Untold on Social Media Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntoldTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntoldFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold Follow Nerd News Today on Social Media Twitter: Twitter.com/NerdNews2DayInstagram: Instagram.com/NerdNewsTodayFacebook: Facebook.com/NerdNewsToday Trek Untold is sponsored by Treksphere.com, powered by the RAGE Works Podcast Network, and affiliated with Nerd News Today.  

This week, Milton introduces us to the playwright August Strindberg, and how Stella Adler's teaching contributed to the way actors approach his writing. While Chekov and Ibsen signified the beginning of realism, Strindberg marked the beginning of what we think of as the modern theater, deeply exploring the human being's complexity and inner conflict. In this episode, as Milton introduces the Strindberg one-act Playing with Fire, he talks about two defining characteristics of the playwright: class, and the struggle between the sexes. Have an acting question for Milton or want to register for his upcoming workshop in March 2023? Email us at: questionsformilton@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/actingclass/support

This is The Zone of Disruption! This is the I AM RAPAPORT: STEREO PODCAST! His name is Michael Rapaport aka The Gringo Mandingo aka Captain Colitis aka The Disruptive Warrior aka Mr. NY aka The Inflamed Ashkenazi aka The Sultan of Sniff is here to today with legendary actor Christopher McDonald to discuss: Having similar careers & saying yes to a lot of projects, being a Buffalo Bills fan & super fandom, growing up in Long Island & upstate New York, a Super Bowl Prediction, studying with Stella Adler & acting techniques, favorite actors growing up, the impact of Jack Nicholson, Burt Reynolds, Peter O'Toole, studying in England, Directors Corner: working on Thelma & Louise with Ridley Scott, working on Quiz Show with Robert Redford, working on Requiem For A Dream with Darren Aronofsky, working with Harvey Keitel, planking, “What Makes Them Great?”: John Turturro, the unknown of being an actor, Ralph Fiennes, Kathy Bates, Happy Gilmore & The Legend of Shooter McGavin, A Picture with Tiger Woods & a whole lotta mo'! This episode is not to be missed!   Stand Up Comedy Tickets on sale at: MichaelRapaportComedy.com   Follow on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelRapaport   If you are interested in NBA, NFL, MLB, Soccer, Golf, Tennis & UFC Picks/Parlays Follow @TheCaptainPicks on Instagram & subscribe to packages at www.CaptainPicks.com   www.dbpodcasts.com   Produced by DBPodcasts.com Follow @dbpodcasts, @iamrapaport, @michaelrapaport on TikTok, Twitter & Instagram Music by Jansport J (Follow @JansportJ) www.JansportJMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard ChasslerTake a walk down Fascination Street as I get to know actor & comedian Richard Chassler.In this episode, we chat about how & why Rich got into comedy, and which 1980's sit-com actor got him started. Rich shares stories about working with Stella Adler, and the impact she had on his life. We also discuss his love of The Grateful Dead and how many concerts he has been to, why he has such love for grilled cheese sandwiches, and wine, wine, wine! OF COURSE we talk about his recent engagement to previous guest of the show Sarah J. Halstead, and why they kept their romance a secret for so long. Lastly, we talk about his new AND FIRST stand-up special called Boy Outta New York, which will be available on VOD and his website either NOW or soon.Follow Richard on social media:Twit: @RichChasslerInsta: @RichChasslerWebsite: www.Richchassler.comSponsors of this episode are:Vanishing Postcards PodcastThe Gary Player Podcast

Recording a podcast episode with Milton Justice is a fun experience leaving much on the "cutting room floor." So this episode is mostly the leftovers, uncut Milton. He tells amazing stories about Tennessee Williams, Mark Ruffalo, and Bob Hope to name a few. There is not much of a connection to education in most of these stories, but they are a hoot to hear. Consider it a holiday gift from The Teacher As...podcast. 

Happy New Year!!! For the final episode of 2022 we welcome notorious acting coach, director, producer, and all-around Hollywood talent Michelle Danner on the show! She and Joe discuss her history in acting, what current projects she is focused on, and how her unique approach to teaching actors has lead to her specific style of crafting a "golden toolbox" of resources for each individual. We hope you had a fantastic end to the year, this year was a really great one which reflected a lot of growth for the show. We're excited to show everyone what we have planned for 2023. Enjoy! About Michelle Danner Based on Michelle Danner's last 30 years of supporting both A-List and up and coming actors to fulfill their maximum potential, film director and international acting coach Michelle Danner has distilled the best ideas and practices of the major acting techniques; Stella Adler, The Sanford Meisner, Lee Strasberg, Uta Hagen, Chekhov, & Stanislavsky so artists can draw upon them and utilize the strengths of each. Every actor is unique, so you will learn to form a toolbox of your own, your very own “Golden Box”. Through studying Michelle Danner's acting technique you will accumulate a comprehensive set of “acting tools” you can use when approaching a role or a scene, whether it be for film, television, or theatre. Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website! Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast! Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload.   With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale)   Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com AND Thanks to Self Unbound for this episode of the podcast: Your quality of life: physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, is a direct reflection of the level of abundant energy, ease, and connection your nervous system has to experience your life!    At Self Unbound, your nervous system takes center stage as we help unbind your limited healing potential through NetworkSpinal Care.    Access the first steps to your Unbound journey by following us on Facebook, Instagram, or at www.selfunbound.com   The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!  https://blog.feedspot.com/detox_podcasts/

You just heard about the time that Frank Donner made the painful decision to move back to Los Angeles, momentarily leaving behind his wife, his daughter, and well…me. Yes, you heard that right. Today, we are talking to my Dad: producer, actor, and family man. I've heard bits and pieces of his story before but now we're taking a true deep dive. From working alongside the likes of Mark Ruffalo and Benicio del Toro at the prestigious Stella Adler conservatory, to the Academy Awards for best documentary, to running multinational companies, to starting his own marketing agency BLKBX Creative Group, Frank's journey through Hollywood is certainly a lesson in adaptability. Like the overlapping highways of Los Angeles, Frank's life could have gone in any direction…off any exit…to one of hundreds of vastly different neighborhoods. Yet what if only one route could bring him to the love of his life on a different continent? And what happens if, like Frank, we only have one moment in time to make the right decision? Let's zoom in on this big picture and see Frank's early childhood in Chicago, back when his future was as blank and unmarked as fresh winter snow…

One of Stella Adler's fundamental exercises was a visualization exercise. This is something we can do anytime and anywhere— walking down the street, driving down the highway, standing in the shower. The more you train yourself how to see, the more specific your work will become, and the more the images will feed you emotionally. But this is not work you can do intellectually, deciding beforehand what the images are. It requires a leap of faith to be fully present and let the images come to you. Eventually, you will find specific things that make you come alive. Have an acting question for Milton? Email him at: questionsformilton@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/actingclass/support

Jonathan SchmockTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Jonathan Schmock. While we all know him best as the snarky maitre d' from Ferris Bueller's Day Off; he has brought us so much more! In this episode we chat about his comedy duo (The Funny Boys) being on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson TWICE and subsequently banned FOR LIFE from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno! We also talk about some of his other acting roles, his transition into directing, producing, and developing shows for television. Jonathan is responsible for developing Sabrina the Teenage Witch, for television, among other shows. Jonathan shares some stories of his experiences working with the legendary Stella Adler, working on Blossom, developing Brotherly Love for Joey Lawrence, working with Aaron Spelling on The New Love Boat, his arc on the US version of Showtime's Shameless, and OF COURSE we get into what his experience was with John Hughes and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Finally, we chat about why he became a political cartoonist, and how some presidents are less fun to make cartoons about. Jonathan was a delight to speak with, and kinder than I could ever have imagined. Thank you so much Jonathan.Follow Jonathan on social media:Twit: @JonathanSchmockFB: Jonathan SchmockWebsite: www.JonathanSchmock.comSpecial thanks to this episode's sponsors:*Law Offices of Phillips & Hunt*Chapline Distillery*DNASolves.com

Award-winning, writer, director, actress Christina began her career acting in such cult films as Suburbia, Boys next door and Dudes. She was one of three women accepted into Fox Searchlights new director s program, her IFP nominated Best screenplay, debut feature, PERFECTION was part of their rough-cut labs, Independent film week and winner of The Adrienne Shelly female directing award.PERFECTION screened at The Oxford film festival where Christina won Best Actor and Best Narrative feature and also screened in the San Francisco International Women's film festival, the USA film festival in Dallas, Texas, The Egyptian theatre in Hollywood, CA, premiered at the RIO cinema London, The Quad cinema, New York and screened at The Laemmle' s Monica 4plex in Santa Monica, CA.Christina has sat on the juries for the London feminist film festival, the Eastern European film festival, the 100 word film festival, NC and has served head of the jury at the USA film festival, Dallas.Her upcoming projects include, EXPECTING GRACE set in Marseilles France, her short, HOOKER #2 and the punk rock pilot, POSEUR. Christina has lectured at The New York film academy, The Met School, London, Harvard Westlake, Cal State Fullerton and is an adjunct professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles in the film and television department.Show NotesChristina Beck's Website - https://www.christinabeck.comChristina Beck on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cbrubylee_xtinabeck/Michael's Online Screenwriting Course - https://michaeljamin.com/courseFree Screenwriting Lesson - https://michaeljamin.com/freeJoin My Watchlist - https://michaeljamin.com/watchlistTranscripts Are Auto-GeneratedChristina Beck:I always say to my students, Pick stories that you love. Pick stories that you feel like you have to tell because you're gonna be living with that story and pitching that story way beyond the script. You're gonna be pitching it for grants, you're gonna be pitching it for festivals, you're gonna be pitching it for people to watch it online. You're forever pitching these stories. But to say something visually is powerful. I think it can change minds and hearts.Michael Jamin:You're listening to Screenwriters Need To Hear This with Michael Jen. Hey everyone, this is Michael Jamin and you're listening to Screenwriters. Need to Hear This. We got a special guest for you today. If you are an indie filmmaker, an aspiring indie filmmaker, you're gonna wanna listen to this. You're gonna wanna meet Christina Beck, who I've known forever. She's an old friend, independent filmmaker, but she's you. She also teaches at Loyola Marmont University and the Fame Stella Adler Theater where she teaches screen screenwriting as well as film producing filmmaking, all that stuff. Well Christina, welcome to the big show.Christina Beck:Thank you. Thank you so much. I was gonna call you Mr. Jam and it's a habit. I can't help it.Michael Jamin:It's a habit. There it is. Cause cuz Christina briefly worked for me as an assistant for me and my partner on a show. And then I force you to call me Mr. JaminChristina Beck:. it just kind of fell into this thing. Yeah, no, you did not force me. You didn't force me at all.Michael Jamin:I never did that.Christina Beck:But I will correct you Mr. Jamin. So I actually don't teach at Stella Adler. I teach at least Strassburg, but I could see where you would choose that. Oh, at least Strasberg. Yeah,Michael Jamin:Just I would think,Christina Beck:Right. Well, they're all,Michael Jamin:They're East Strasberg. Go to that one.Christina Beck:Yeah, but sad. They're not around anymore. But the legacies are for sure.Michael Jamin:I haven't been to West Hollywood forever. Yeah. And you guys see, you got your one sheet from, That's from Perfection. Let's talk about what you're at, some of your movies that you've done, cuz Christina is an indie filmmaker. She's a hustler. She makes her movie, she writes your stuff. You also started as an actor, right? Where, let's take me back to the beginning. You basically started, you wanted to be an actress, right?Christina Beck:Yes, yes. Yeah. So I grew up here in Hollywood, actually not in Hollywood. I grew up in the Valley. Let's get real about that. So I like to call it the main streets of Studio City. And although it was very different back then, I know today it's a unaffordable, you can't even get in there. But back in the day it was the suburbs, basically. And my folks were in show business. My father was a screenwriter and an actor, and my mother was an actress, a model kind of actress. She ended up studying in New York with some very significant people. Sandy Meisner had a full scholarship for the Neighborhood Playhouse, which was a big deal back in those days. But my beginning with acting really started just as a kid. being extremely bored in the valley and putting on shows. I was that kid. I was putting on shows, arranging the stuffed animals. If we ever had company, they were held hostage to my extravagant. Really? Yeah. It was Cabaret 24 7 and . I know. Yeah. You didn't know that about me. Yep. I didn't know that. Yeah.Michael Jamin:I also didn't know your dad was a screenwriter. I didn't know that as well. Did he work aChristina Beck:Lot? Yes, he didn't work a lot as a screenwriter. He worked a lot as an actor. So when he came out to Hollywood, he's from Texas originally, and he came out to Hollywood and straight away got signed to William Morris, got put under contract at Universal and did a bunch of movies. But then he did westerns. I always played the bad guy on Bonanza andMichael Jamin:Yeah, Christina, I didn't know your Hollywood royalty Well,Christina Beck:A little bit, yeah. Yeah. Oh wow. Definitely the lineage is there. Yeah. But his real love was screenwriting. He didn't love acting. He really did fall into it. And he had a great look and he was a cowboy, so he played a cowboy, but he wasn't even really a cowboy. He's just from Texas. But yeah, there's this really great story. So Robert Blake, who some of us know strange stuff all around that guy. But that said, back in the fifties, he was friends with my father was friends with him, and Robert Blake had a part where he had to ride a horse. And my dad said, All right buddy, I'll take you out. And they went to, I think probably, well, I don't know what it's called now, but it used to be called Pickwick, which is in Burbank near Disney. They went out over there and not only did he teach him how to ride a horse, he helped him learn his lines. And because I heard this story later after my father passed Robert said, Your father, he really sat with me in this tiny little apartment and he had me drill my dialogue and I got the roof because of him and just very sweet old school. Wow. Hollywood, stuff like that. But that said, when my father wasn't working as an actor, he was always in his, it was dad's den type, type type, type type. He was always working on screenplays and he loved writing.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Do you feel the same? Do you acting more, writing more for you? Well, are you like your dad orChristina Beck:Not? No. Yeah. No, I'm not like my dad. I, there's bits of me that I like him, but it's more acting was definitely the first bug. And like I said, putting on shows at home. But then I got kind of lucky, I was in the valley still. So on Ventura Boulevard near Vineland there was this place called Moral Landis Dance Studio. And my mother used to go and take a jazz class there. This is the late seventies. And next door was a place called the American National Academy of Performing Arts. So I kind of wandered over there and at this academy place, and I ended up joining an acting class. And my very first acting class, an acting teacher, was a man named Francis Letter. And I didn't notice at the time, so I'm like nine years old, 10 years old, and he is about 80 or maybe seven in his seventies. And so I joined this acting class and then he asked me to be in the adult acting class, and I gotta play all the juicy, the bad seed and just fun stuff like that. Oh wow. And so it turns out that later on I found out that he was a big deal and he was in Pandora's Box, the silent film starring opposite Louise Brooks. And he's, and he did a ton of stuff for a long time. And then he was part of the actor studio in New York, and he was from Eastern Europe, but came over here right before the war, I think, . So that's when I really just was in heaven as a kid acting in this class. And then I also did some commercials with my brother. We were in some commercials. And then I became a teenager, , and then I became really rebellious and mm-hmm got into the punk rock scene and completely fell in love with music and artistry. I mean, really at that time too, this was the early eighties when punk rock wasn't necessarily vi What's so funny,Michael Jamin:Cause I can't picture you doing being into punk rock. I guess it,Christina Beck:I got pictures. I got pictures, and I've actually written the whole show about it. Yeah, I . But all that to say, yeah, I, I never wasn't like the punk rock chick. I more, I liked the artistry of it. I liked the right, And when I say that, I mean there were a lot of wonderful, cool artist people that I'd met mostly, much older than me at the time, but they were musicians and writers and actors. But they were on this kind of rebellious thing where we don't need permission to do anything, we just get to be creative. And that's what I loved mostly about that whole scene. And then there were different facets of it that were cuckoo and, and intense and lots of drugs and lots of alcohol and lots of inappropriate stuff. But then I got cast in a movie, so now it's my late teens.And my best friend, she was well there is a woman named Penelope's Theorists who has made films that we know of Wayne's World and different Hollywood films. But at that time she had made a documentary called The Decline of the Western Civilization, which is a really amazing film even to this day because she really got into that la punk rock scene at that particular time in space. And it was an incredible film. And she wanted to make a narrative film. So she wrote a script and got it produced by a furniture salesman guy. And I think Roger Corman of course. And so I got cast in that. And like I said, I was in my late teens and at that time I was kind of over punk rock and I was like, Eh, don't wanna, this is stupid. But I ended up doing it. And that is where I really was like, okay, this is the way I wanna spend the rest of my life.I loved being on set. And to answer your question, it's really tricky. I love in the realm of all that we do in terms of writing has its moments and then the pre-production, but being on set to me is definitely my favorite. And post is a whole nother exploration. But yeah, so it was from that moment on that I was just like, Okay, this is what I wanna do. And I did a couple more films with Penelope and then I moved to New York City and I wanted to be a real, I also felt like, okay, I didn't really, I need to be a real actor. I really have. And soMichael Jamin:A theatrical actor, is that why you moved toChristina Beck:New York? Well, yeah, I mean I love theater and my very best friend, you might know her, Cynthia, Man. Oh, okay. Yeah, it's Shannon. Familiar . Yeah. So we wereMichael Jamin:Frozen. That's how I met my wife. That's how I met her. I met you through her. I met you honestly, Christina. That was the first time it was really, I met you really on real early on, but go on. When I was with Cynthia. Really? Yeah. Tour or something.Christina Beck:I know, it's so great. Michael Jamin:But go on. AndChristina Beck:So Cynthia was in New York and at that time, for me, I felt like I really wanted to study and be a serious actor because I come from more of a film background. I did study a bit with Francis, but I really wanted to pay my dues as an actor. And I, I studied with a bunch of different great people. I auditioned for everything that was there at the time. AndMichael Jamin:Tell me, I'm gonna interrupt for a second, hold on. But tell me what your thoughts are, the difference between acting for film or television and acting for the stage.Christina Beck:Well, in my experience and what I'm also kind of revisiting lately, well when you're acting in film, it's very subtle. There's a camera and the camera picks up everything. And so when you're on stage, you are playing to the back row. People in the back need to see and understand what's going on. And it's just a very different, and I think most actors can do both. Some are, I guess more comfortable doing one or the other.Michael Jamin:But when you study and you train, do you sometimes study specifically or did you specifically for film versusChristina Beck:No, no, I didn't. No.Michael Jamin:Are are classes like that? Yeah. Just forChristina Beck:Fun. Yeah. Yeah. There's like on camera classes where people, it's for auditions I think, but also to get to practice how you come off on camera. Yeah. I never did that . I never, yeah. Really did that. But here's a weird, maybe creepy thing. Ever since I was a kid though, I always felt like there was a camera on me. , I would visualize, I could almost disassociate a little bit, this is a psychological thing here, but I felt, I would kind of imagine walking to school, what would it be if this character was walking to school? I almost was above myself a little bit watching myself. And that's a weird thing to say cuz actually when you're acting in a film, you really shouldn't be watching yourself. But that's where I am also a director. SoMichael Jamin:In other words, you were visualizing visualize how you would shoot yourself or is it more of Yeah. Was it more of a fantasy thing or how would I appear on, I wanna shoot myself if I was walking down the street?Christina Beck:Yeah, it's more the that one. And of course a little bit of fantasy, but it was escapism. But it was also, I was sort of able to take myself little Christina walking to school fifth grade out of it and see it from this other angle. And I don't know what that's about, but I do now I I see things that way all the time.Michael Jamin:Really How you would shoot it, where you would place the camera Christina Beck:Or where is the camera? Yeah. And it's such a funny thing cuz we live in a world now where everyone has a phone and everyone is documenting, everyone is shooting themselves. And that's a little different. But I guess it's similar in a way.Michael Jamin:Did you have film equipment when you were that Young? Christina Beck:I mean, Well my dad I none. We really didn't. My dad, no, my dad did my made some super great films and actually. Yeah, we did a lot of home movies when I was little. So I was usedMichael Jamin:To with sound.Christina Beck:No, no sound. No, it'sMichael Jamin:Interesting.Christina Beck:So yeah, yeah, being tied up on a tree and then my brother coming up on a horse and all sorts of me crying. Yeah, I got it. I got it all.Michael Jamin:Wow. Then so after New York, so how long were you in New York?Christina Beck:Three years. I was there for three years. AndMichael Jamin:Then what made you decide to come back?Christina Beck:Well, I wrote a play and that's kind of what happened. So I'm in New York, I'm studying, I'm auditioning for Everything film. I remember that there was one year where I really went out for everything that was shot in New York or anywhere around there and didn't get anything. And at the time I was studying with a woman at Playwrights Horizons who was a writer and an actress. And she said, Listen, you guys really should start writing characters that you feel you could play or just more of an empowerment in terms of instead of waiting around for everyone to give you a role, write something. So a bunch of us did, and it really started out by writing monologues. So I was in a group of women and we formed a little theater company and so we wrote characters and monologues for these characters and then we put it up and that was really great. And then I gotMichael Jamin:You. Don't skip that step. How did you put it up? How do people stage playsChristina Beck:You a lot of time? Well, at that time, at that time, which was a long time ago we raised a little bit of money, kind of similar to a lot of independent film stuff. But we raised a little money, family and friends type of thing. We actually did it at the Samuel Beckett Theater, which was where Playwright Horizon, I think they're still there on 42nd Street, I think eighth and ninth, 42nd Street, . And we put it up for a weekend and we got reviewed and we got in. It was great. It was super fun. And it also felt like I started to feel more complete as stuff that I could do as an actress. I always, I didn't, waiting around, I don't waiting for, I just felt like I have more to do and I was always journaling and stuff as a kid and as I got in my teens.And so writing to me didn't feel that far off from what I was already doing. And coming into it as an actor, I knew I've read enough plays and I've read enough monologues to understand how to write in that form. So I ended up when I was living in New York, I'd come back to LA and visit in the summers. Cause summers are horrific in Manhattan. So there were some musicians that I met that were doing some kind of cool stuff. And this one guy played, he had a character that he did. And so I wrote a play. I kind of inspired me to write this play about him. He was playing a lounge singer and he, his friend had this group and it was kind of rock and roll stuff, but then they would go into a lounge sort of thing. And I thought, oh, that would be funny to, what would it be if these lounge singers had a kid and tried to live their life? And it was a little autobiographical, the father's alcoholic and the mother's sort of obsessed with her beauty. And so these themes started to come up in my work. So I wrote this full length play and there was music in it too. And then we also shot some video footage, so it was sort of like a multimedia thing. So I kind of had to come back to LA to do that.Michael Jamin:So you staged it?Christina Beck:Yes. I didn't direct it, so I wrote it and I starred in it. But a friend of mine this woman named Modi, who I met from the punk rock days, but also she was Penelope's assistant on some of the film stuff I worked on with her and was a video director in her own. And so she came in and she directed it and it was great. It was amazing. It was.Michael Jamin:And how do you even get the theater to put it up?Christina Beck:We raced a little bit of money and then we got producers and they put it up up.Michael Jamin:What do you mean? How does that work? You got producers, what doesChristina Beck:That mean? Yeah, so the woman who played my mother in this is an amazing singer, artist, actor. Her name is Jane Cotillion. And so she loved the play and she said, Oh, I know this guy Billy DeModa and he's a casting director and maybe he could produce it. And he didMichael Jamin:. This is just from being out here, just from honestly, just meeting people, being in circles, taking acting classes and because that's the thing about la everyone's trying to do something right?Christina Beck:Absolutely, yeah. I mean think it's now because of Zoom and different things in the world and there's so much more accessibility. I think it's possible to collaborate and not be here. But all that said, especially at that time, you had to be here. And I do think it's still important to be in the place where you wanna be if you can. And these people I knew, so I knew about the guy, his name is Manny Chevrolet and he and his friend had this act and they were opening up for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and I knew them from suburbia, which was the movie I did with Penelope I knew. And so it was kinda a group of people that I already knew. And then the musical directors, this guy named Tree, who's good friends with, and they were just all these people that kind of organically came on board.Michael Jamin:Interesting. And tell me, but how do, you're also, obviously you've written and directed and produced a bunch of movies, indie movies, some are shorts, some are full length, but do you go about, alright, so you work on the script. How long do you work on the script and when do you know it's done?Christina Beck:Yeah, that's a great question. And then everything's a little bit different. So with short films, well I'm teaching a course right now, so I feel like I already have this in my mind. Short film is one idea and that script can take a long time to write. It's not easy to write a short film because basically you're trying to squeeze in this one idea in a way that has a beginning, middle, and end. So you don't have the luxury of necessarily three acts, but you have to have this.Michael Jamin:How long is it short for you? Well,Christina Beck:Okay, so that's another great question because what I have learned now, I think a sweet spot for a short is anywhere from 10 to 12 minutes. I think if you can sit, do it in a shorter amount of time, even better because depending on what you wanna do with it. So there's a whole film festival world, which is pretty much the best place for your shorts to be seen if you can get them produced. So it's a matter of programming these films. So if you have a film that's 20, 25 minutes, that obviously takes up more time. And most film festivals, they program the short films in a block. So they're literally trying to pack in as many as they can and good ones. And it's all different too because the academy nominated films, they can be up to 40 minutes. But even again,Michael Jamin:When you say program, when they're looking for blocks, what is their intention?Christina Beck:Well, they'reMichael Jamin:Showcasing what I mean, you have to understand that right as well. How does the film festival, how do they make money so that they would want you?Christina Beck:Right. Well that's a whole other thing. So there's different kind of aspects to that. So there's short films that are star driven, meaning you can put a star name in it. Now that always brings money and cache to a festival but not you can make a great short film and not have a star in it, is really what I wanna say. Because a good short film is something that has a very original idea. Again, it's short enough where you want more basically. And it's not making a feature and then picking a scene from the feature and making a short out of it. Sometimes you can create characters or create a separate script. So I made a short film for Fox Searchlight, I got in this new director's program with a feature script and they would not let us just take us a scene from the feature.They were like, no, no, no, you have to make a short on its own, but with the same characters and the same relative premise. So that's kind of how I learned about that trap. But to answer your question the short films that get noticed at festivals or can even get into a festival are ones that are very authentic to whatever the genre is and the writer's vision. What are you talking about? Is it something, And that's also a weird trap too, because as a writer, I don't wanna be thinking about a festival, you know? I mean that's way down the line. But you have to live in both of those realities in a way. Because if this is a calling card as a writer or as a director of Indy films you have, it's good to keep in mind, okay, I'm not gonna write a 45 minute short film and expect it to be programmed. That would set myself up to fail if I could write. WhenMichael Jamin:You say programmed, you mean, what do you mean by programmed? Are they gonna play for that weekend?Christina Beck:Yeah, so in a film festival, they have a program of films they have, whether the festival is a week long or a weekend , depending on what festival it is. But for instance, let's just say Sundance, I believe a week. So there's some pretty intense statistics that I just found out from a friend of mine. So they had the largest amount of submissions of short films this past year than ever over 10,000 short films. And they only program 59 films. So wow. like, oh my God. And Sundance is wonderful and amazing and if you can get in, great, It's not the only festival. There's a gazillion festivals and anyone is a great experience to get in and go to have that festival experience. But to answer your question about programming , are we there? The people that program the festivals are people that watch the films and decide, we have a three short film programs, A, B, and C. This is just making this up, but it's kind of how they do it. We have 30 minutes in each block, so I gotta squeeze. It all depends. Sometimes there's a film that's a little longer, but they really like it, so they're gonna put that in there. And then there's less room for other films.Michael Jamin:. And how much does it cost to submit to a festival? Usually?Christina Beck:It varies. It definitely varies and it varies. Sometimes they have early submissions that are always a little cheaper. Also depending on you can always ask for a waiver. Sometimes they give them to you, sometimes they don't. So it can be anywhere from 20 bucks to 75 to 150 bucks. It definitely can add up.Michael Jamin:When you make a film, how many festivals will you submit to?Christina Beck:Again, that all depends. There's certain festivals that you can target for. Again, there's the big five seven festivals, Sundance and Berlin and Toronto Telluride and then those are kind of the biggies. But then there's everything that tears down from there. So yeah, it can get very expensive and super daunting. And that's a whole other conversation. The film festival world. Huge, big.Michael Jamin:Now let's say you get into a festival into a big prestigious one. What is the goal? Eventually I And what is the goal? You got, you're short, eight minute film is in Sundance. What are you hoping?Christina Beck:Right, right. Well you're hoping for Eyes on the Film and that's a really also interesting question that you asked because back when those festivals, especially Sundance is a very different festival today than it was when it first started as most things are. But those, that would be the eyes, all the, everyone would be there and you would get would just get the cache of this is a Sundance film. It would give you opportunities to meet agents and if you don't have representation it'll help with that. And it's still, those things can still happen, but now you can get eyes on your film, on the internet, you know, can generate that if that's what you really want, if that's your goal. So know we need those things, but we don't as much anymore. It's a very different business today. But initially you wanna get eyes on your film people to see your work, hire you for more stuff.Michael Jamin:And when you say on the internet, you mean YouTube or Vimeo or what's the platform? Both.Christina Beck:Yeah, I think YouTube is, I don't know if Jimmy I don't know how many people, I mean you can certainly send people there, but I think YouTube a little more, right,Michael Jamin:People find right. But what do you tell your kids in your class today? Are you telling to do more on social media? Are you like a TikTok or what else are you telling to get found?Christina Beck:Well don't more talking about the actual craft of the work, whether it's directing or screenwriting. I don't come up with all of that in terms of my work is as a writer director when I made my feature, I was very fortunate to I submitted the script to well I got into that Fox Searchlight program, which no longer exists. But there are other programs, there's lots of diversity programs, different studios have programs for emerging writers. And that one at the time I was one of two women, there were all men. There was like 40 men and two women. And nowadays it's definitely even doubt a lot. But all that to say that helped with, oh she was in that program, so let's take a look at her script. And then I submitted to an organization in New York called the If P, which now is called Gotham, but they do the spirit awards and Filmmaker magazine, which is something that I started reading very early on and I got nominated for best screenplay. So from that I got on their radar. So it's kind of just taking steps to be seen. It's always about people. Knowing what you're doing and what your vision is for this work,Michael Jamin:Do you go to a lot of film festivals even when you're not in them? Do you go just to watch or to meet people or anything?Christina Beck:I do in town. Yeah, in LA I will. I went to right Berlin when I didn't have anything in Berlin sadly. But I was there, I for a meeting with some European producers and then just happened to watch some amazing films. Film festivals are great cuz you meet like-minded people, whether it's people in the industry but also you meet other filmmakers, other writers, other directors, people that are maybe a little above you, maybe you've done a little more than them, but it's a really cool, cause the energy at most festivals I went to Can God, when was it 2006? I was trying to get my feature made and I was very naive. I made a short film version of my feature and I went to Can and I had my DVDs and I had my little pitch idea and I didn't really know that these meetings that they have, cuz there's a film market, some festivals have a film market and that's always really great. Berlin has one there's a film market here at afm. Kind of different energy though for sure, but can, it was like, oh my god, I was so lost. I was just like, what am I doing here? It was amazing and it was horrible and it was like that within each hour I just felt like I was in, was so over my head and yet really cool, wonderful things happened and I met people there that I'm still in touch with today.Michael Jamin:Hey, it's Michael Jam. If you like my videos and you want me to email them to you for free, join my watch list. Every Friday I send out my top three videos. These are for writers, actors, creative types. You could unsubscribe whenever you want. I'm not gonna spam you and it's absolutely free. Just go to michael jamin.com/watchlist. People ask me this a lot, but do you find from where are that, it's that right meeting writers and actors and directors. Do you feel it's like collaborative or is it competitive?Christina Beck:Well, I think it's collaborative and you can kind of sniff out people that are competitive. I, I've been in quite a few groups of women especially, so back a couple, one when my first short film screened with the American Cinema Tech, not my very first short film, but the first short that I directed. And I met a woman there named Kim Adelman and she's amazing. She's written a book about short films. She's incredible and she supports a lot of female directors. And her and this guy named Andrew Crane created a program at the cinema tech. And so through that we made this thing called the Female Filmmaking Collective. And so we would bring other women directors and this was kind of, well this is like 15, 16 years ago. And then there's been other women's filmmaking groups. The film Fatals, a member of the a w Alliance of Women Directors.So all that to say there's, for the most part, the energy is very much like, yay, how can I help you? And then there's a few people that are anywhere in the world. It is, it's their personalities, the spirit of, I try to stay in the spirit of that there's enough for all of us. Cause otherwise that makes me uptight and I don't wanna be uptight. But definitely, yeah, I think I don't write with other people. I haven't yet. I've tried to in different increments, but it just hasn't quite felt right. But I do collaborating for sure. And especially filmmaking when you're actually getting in production that's like all about collaboration,Michael Jamin:Especially with the good dp, you know, What are you shooting? What do you like to shoot on? Or do you care that much? What kind of camera?Christina Beck:Well, I like things to look like film . I mean, we shot my first short that I wrote Disco Man that was shot on 16. And my dp, I found him at USC Film School and he's a really good friend and we just shot something this last spring. So that was a long time ago. He became chair of the film school that I teach at now. But all that to say, yeah, again, it's the people that you meet here, you meet them there, we're all still here and still love film making. So that said, my DP for Perfection, my feature, his name's Robert Psal and he's amazing. Cause this guy, not only is he super talented, we shot that film for two years on the weekends, two and a half years. So to get someone to literally, okay, we got a little more money, Rob, come over, we gotta shoot this other would. And then a lot of times just he and I would jump on a bus and I'd borrow a camera from a friend. We had prime lenses, which if you put that on digital cameras, it gives a more cinematic look. So we had those for a while. We shot that film literally in four different formats, meaning four different cameras. And I DidMichael Jamin:You find it matched? Okay, Did itChristina Beck:Worked for the film? I don't know. Recently someone asked to see it, this wonderful DP that I was talking to, he lives in France and I felt a little self, cause I'm like, Oh my God, he's gonna see how, And he is like, Oh, it's shot so beautifully. And I'm like, wow, nobody knowsMichael Jamin:All this.Christina Beck:Yeah,Michael Jamin:Why you don't have to worry about that stuff. Well, and what aboutChristina Beck:It's gotta be in focus, let's put it that way, . Yeah. And sound is a big deal too,Michael Jamin:For sure. Absolutely. That's huge. It's hugely important if you can't hear it. Right. But what about how concerned are you when you shoot the stuff crossing the line or the cameras? Are you relying your DP for that, making sure that you know, don't have these jump cuts because the character's looking the wrong way? AndChristina Beck:IsMichael Jamin:That your concern or you let the DP handle that?Christina Beck:Well, because so far I've been mostly acting in the stuff that I've shot. I definitely rely on my DP as well as my script supervisor. . I mean, I can tell myself when we're setting up a shot and then sometimes you can cross that line and it's okay, it's not gonna be an editing nightmare, but you sort of have to gauge it. And I don't make those kind of decisions by myself. And I really do rely so much on my DP and my script D because it's, it's that funny thing for me. What the reason I became a director in film was because I made a short that another different short besides Disco Man that it's called Blow Me. And I didn't direct it. And I did a lot of directorial stuff on that project. And my director at the time was busy with other things.And so we weren't really able to finish the film for a long time. And actually my co-star was an editor as well. So he kind of got the film and he edited and we worked on it together. And what I learned, and this goes back to the film festival thing. So in film director has the say in everything in terms of how final say on music and different stuff. And being a screenwriter and an actor and even a producer, I didn't have the same access to the vision that I had. So I thought, ooh, I need to direct this stuff . SoMichael Jamin:Yeah,Christina Beck:That's how that shifted. HowMichael Jamin:Do you go about, but how do you go about fundraising for all this stuff and what kind of budget do you usually try to get?Christina Beck:Well, it's tricky. That's the hardest part. And I just was at a film festival here in la, it's the American French Film Festival. They have it every year at the dga. And I was listening to a panel of producers and directors and from Europe and the UK and Los Angeles. And the thing is, those foreign countries, they have film funding built into their system, literally the government. And there are different types of ways that those more character driven films. This is what I'm pretty much more interested in what we would call art house films. , especially right now, there's just this huge divide, which is very mm-hmm , much like the whole world that we're in right now. So there's tiny budgets and huge budgets and the middle size budget isn't really around anymore. No support for it. And it's happening in Europe too right now. So I was listening to see, okay, are they going through it too? So that said, yeah, there's different ways. And I would say for first time directors that are making a feature or a short film for the first time, Crowdfunding's great, there's amazing platforms. I did that with a company called Seed and Spark and they were really supportive and helpful. And we haveMichael Jamin:Some, Well what do they do? What do they do that's better than putting it up on what's some crowdfunding site?Christina Beck:Well they are a crowdfunding site, butMichael Jamin:Why not just use your own, I don't know what's the difference between, well go fund me or whatever.Christina Beck:Well I don't, yeah, get, well go Fund Me I thought was more for donations. Yeah, so there's fiscal sponsorship, which is something you'd need so that people that are donating to your project get an actual tax write off that's properly done. So you wanna do that but they help curate and they have a platform. I mean, look, you've written the thing, you're doing all this work. Are you gonna set up a website so people can give you money? So, and maybe you're really good at that. Places. Well indeed, Gogo and Kickstarter, and I mentioned Student Spark because they're someone that I did it with, but all those places haven't already. It's like, why reinvent the wheel? They've done all that work. So literally you can just send people there. They take a small percentage of whatever you get and different platforms have different things. I don't know. I know there's one that if you don't make your gold then you don't get any of the money. So I didn't do that one , butBut going back to someone who's starting out and wants to make something a short or a feature and hasn't already exhausted their family and friends, there's nothing wrong with doing that. Also there's grants and And those aren't easy to come by, but they're there. And depending on, there's different places. There's like in San Francisco, there's the San Francisco Film Society has very specific grants for people that shoot in the Bay Area. And a lot of films have gotten made through that grant. They give a significant amount of money. So there are ways, and it's not easy. I mean really, ideally a private investor is great and there's gonna be a loss. So now most of the indie films, and these aren't Es, and I'm not an expert, I'm just speaking from my own experience. But an indie film may not get a theatrical release. I did not with my feature. What I did get is I got the theatrical experience in film festivals and I was lucky to be programmed in Los Angeles through the American Cinema Tech. And I got to see my film at the Egyptian Theater, which was heaven. And I was there for that. You were there. So, and now it's available to stream. So most projects go to streaming and huge projects go to streaming now. So it's just in this very differentMichael Jamin:World. Is it, where is your playing, where is the streaming now?Christina Beck:On Tubby? Tubby . AndMichael Jamin:This is per perfectionist. Which one isChristina Beck:Yes. Perfection.Michael Jamin:Which, yeah,Christina Beck:Yeah. Okay. And all that's on my website. Christina Beck do com.Michael Jamin:Christina beck.com. Interesting. Wow, that's interest. ButChristina Beck:This is, and my shorts are on there too.Michael Jamin:All your short. Is there a down, getting to a big festival, that's gotta be a game changer. But can a little festival help you?Christina Beck:Well, yes, because again, you see your film on a big screen, you see your film with an audience, you meet other filmmakers and yeah, as you know, Mr. Jamin, everything in this business is preparation and luck. So you're honing your craft , you're doing what you love. There's no slam dunk guarantee. Even with the bigger festivals. I know people that have gotten into huge festivals and got big representation and then a year later nothing. So it's like nothing. Yeah. Yeah. I guess I always say to my students, pick stories that you love. Pick stories that you feel like you have to tell because you're gonna be living with that story and pitching that story way beyond the script. You're gonna be pitching it for grants, you're gonna be pitching it for festivals, you're gonna be pitching it for people to watch it online. You're forever pitching these stories.But to say something visually is powerful. I think it can change minds and hearts. So I come to it with that. And it is frustrating. I have a feature that I wrote last year that I have not made yet. We shot a few scenes in the spring with some of my students and my first dp, me, Kyle to kind of see where it lands and figure out do we wanna do a crowdfunding thing? Do we wanna try to get in Grant? Like what? And I don't know honestly, I don't know if I have the bandwidth to go through that hustle for getting financing right now. Right now. BecauseMichael Jamin:If not that, Oh well I was gonna say, if not that, then what? You know.Christina Beck:Well, right. Well, I mean look, ideally if we were all Henry Ja or somebody who has a trust fund, independent filmmaking is for people that have a trust fund basically.Michael Jamin:Or can fund, right? Or you,Christina Beck:Yeah, I'm teasing, right? Yeah.Michael Jamin:, how many, when you shoot, how many people on set, How many crew members do you wanna have? What's your skeleton crew?Christina Beck:My skeleton is probably 12 peopleMichael Jamin:That I'm surprised it's that big. So who,Christina Beck:WellMichael Jamin:Let's walk. You mean you've gotta skip supervisor DPChristina Beck:Happens fist. Yeah. Okay. Scripty, dp, ac sound mixer, boom. Makeup, hair. That could be one person blah. Who am I forgetting? Producer. Of courseMichael Jamin:You're gonna want someone with the lights.Christina Beck:Well, right. Lights, gaffer, grip. Then we have,Michael Jamin:How many cameras are you rolling at once?Christina Beck:Oh, one . Yeah, one. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. This isn't like tv, but I did actually, I made a short film with three cameras. Once I did that one I did for search site. Yeah, that's true. But that was a, people were like, Why did you do that?Michael Jamin:But that's still not even year 12. That might be, I don't know. I lost count.Christina Beck:Well, I'm missing people. I'm on the spot here. I'm trying to think. I'm totally missing people. I mean, there's craft service,Michael Jamin:Right?Christina Beck:Oh my God. Probably like the most You got people person, Yeah. Anyways, yeah. 10 to 12. It just adds a pa. You need a pa you need, yeah. Yes. But yes, you can do it with five people. I've done it with three. I mean,Michael Jamin:Are you pulling any permits or are you sort of shootingChristina Beck:That? I do permits when I am renting equipment. And I have, I've also completely gorilla so many things.Michael Jamin:Wait, if you have, why do you have to have a permit if you rent co equipment they requireChristina Beck:Because yeah, you have to have insurance and there's film LA and yeah, there's a whole thing that needsMichael Jamin:To happen. Yeah. People get paid off. Yeah.Christina Beck:. Well, it's kinda a, Yeah,Michael Jamin:It's hard and happens. Yeah, it's hard. It's a hustle. But you do it cuz you love doing it, right?Christina Beck:Yes. Yes. That is true. Right? That is true.Michael Jamin:And how many scripts do you have that are just sitting around that? Are you, I guess I won't even try with that one or,Christina Beck:Yeah, I know that breaks my heart cuz I was at a ratio of, at one point having everything produced. I was like, I don't remember everything's been produced. But now I've written more scripts. I like, Yeah, I have probably, but not a ton. I have a couple features and I've written a few series, so yeah, Not yet. Not yet. ButMichael Jamin:What about just something you could do and now we'll wrap it up cause I don't wanna keep for chill up. But what about doing something where you could just shoot it in your apartment? Write it specifically for your apartment?Christina Beck:Yeah, well I would still need to get permission from my landlord. I'd still need to get equipment. Cause you can't shoot without permission if you wanna have insurance and you have to have insurance. Now look, my , my feature perfection in my old apartment, I actually did have permission from my landlord, but we shot so much of it just really running gun. And that can be done. That can have, But you still, And also I wanna pay people. I'm at a place where I can't ask people to work for free. Now if it's your first project and stuff, I encourage everybody to ask people to work for free if you treat them well. And if they're newbies too and it's a shared experience of discovery and stuff and they feel connected to the work and you feed 'em well, you gotta feed well. You gotta giveMichael Jamin:'em some very, But it seems like you have the perfect person for that because you have a bunch of students who wanna just get their names on stuff.Christina Beck:That's true. That's true. Yeah. Well, and I would probably and probably will end up shooting this feature with, And look, my students are amazing. They are so talented and professional when I get on their set. So this year I've had two students cast me in their short films. So I got to show up really as an actor on these. That's fun. Well, it's great because I was talking to the other film professors, because we work with them on the scripts and we sign off the scripts and then they go off and shoot. So these, they're kind, they're on their own, they're chaperoned and then they come back and bring, and we work on the edit and stuff, but we don't know what really goes on in those sets. So I was saying to this other professor the other day, I'm like, Yeah, I was there. I gotta be there and see what, And the truth is these students are wildly professional and I wouldn't really honestly wanna work with anyone else. But then they are so good. SoMichael Jamin:Someone called me up a student, I don't wanna say where they needed a 50 year old man. Now I don't play 50. We all know that. I play mid thirties ofChristina Beck:Course.Michael Jamin:But I was like, right, I didn't really wanna do it. I was like, all right. And then he goes couple weeks later he's like he's like, Yeah, well we're gonna need you to read . I wasChristina Beck:Like,Michael Jamin:I'm off only . Oh my God. I didn't want it that bad. But I think that was part of the experience that they wanted to have was they wanted actors. I'm not reading dude Christina Beck:Great. Well they're trying out their stuff I guess. Who knows? In terms of, Yeah, but wrong guy. They got the wrong guy with you.Michael Jamin: offer only.Christina Beck:That's right. That's right. Mr. Jam .Michael Jamin:How funny. Yeah. So, alright. This is so fascinating cuz this is a world I know nothing about this whole people cause people ask me all the time I got India. I don't know, Ask Christina. So where do people follow Christina back on? How do they learn more about what you're doing?Christina Beck:Well, like I said, my website and then myMichael Jamin:Give it to you again so that,Christina Beck:Okay. It's christina beck.com. There you go. And yeah, and then I'm on Instagram X Beck. AndMichael Jamin:What do you mean wait, X dyna? How do you spell that?Christina Beck:X I don't remember that. T I n a.Michael Jamin:Oh it. So it's X.Christina Beck:Yeah.Michael Jamin:I dunno why you said Ina. We'll work on this later. Christina Beck:Put a little thing up there. We don't have to talk about it. Yeah, yeah. And I just wanna say lastly, I am so not an expert on this. Please. I've been just finding my way as I go. But you know, I've watched other writers, The path is just, it's just not a straight line. And I think to stay connected to purpose and okay, I feel like I gotta tell certain stories. And when I talk to my students about this, okay, why do you have to tell this story? And we ask ourselves those questions and why now and all those things. Which in as far as indie film goes, I feel like we're in a little bit of a dip right now where the character driven independent films, at least in America, are not being celebrated as they once were. . And I believe that that'll shift.And I talk, I've talked to many people about this and we've gone through so many different, you know, can look back in the 1970s where Paramount was like studios were making beautiful character driven films. And I don't know if we'll ever go back to that, but I do think like you said, you can have a tiny crew and you could make something. I could make something in my living room. Absolutely. And one of my favorite filmmakers is a woman named Barbara Loden. She sadly passed away a long time ago. She was an actress. She actually was married to Ilie Kaza and she made a film called Wanda. And it's an amazing film and you can find it online. It's on the Criterion Channel and different places like that. But she had a tiny crew. She had maybe six people. And , sometimes people besides the attacks right off, they wanna contribute. They wanna be a part of it. They wanna be a part of this passion storytelling.Michael Jamin:Sometimes they also wanna give you their notes. Right?Christina Beck:WellMichael Jamin:Sometimes that money goes and comes with strengthsChristina Beck:Or here's the other thing. Yeah. Find an actor who really wants a great part that has some dough that wants to coce or something. And you guys can collaborate on that and you can write something that's really great for them that they would never get cast in. There's a lotMichael Jamin:Of you recommended. That's a great idea. That's a great idea. You recommended to me to watch Thunder Road. Remember that? Oh yeah,Christina Beck:I watch that. The short.Michael Jamin:And I loved it That and I loved, and I didn't realize I didn't, it was actually, I watched the scene from it, but it was actually, I guess a feature or whatever, but the scene stood on its own. I go, this is a beautiful it short. But it was a beautiful scene.Christina Beck:Oh, so you watched from the feature or did you watch the short film?Michael Jamin:Yeah. Yeah. Cuz I think you gave me the link to Vimeo or something. OhChristina Beck:Okay.Michael Jamin:I just watched that one church scene where he wasChristina Beck:Like, Yeah, yeah.Michael Jamin:So over,Christina Beck:Yes. That guy is amazing. He's the real deal. He's a guy to follow. Cause he's Joe Independent film. He, Jim is his name actually . And he makes stuff and he works as an actor. He'll do commercials, whatever. And then he'll take that money and that's what caves did. Caves made whatever he was working in television stuff he wasn't crazy about. And then he would take that money and then he would just make the films he wanted to make. So maybe it hasn't changed at all. It just goes back to that thing again where if you have this story you gotta tell and it does start with theMichael Jamin:Story. What kinda stories do you feel you have to tell?Christina Beck:Well I feel like I almost keep telling the same story, but I, I'm reallyMichael Jamin:Love different versions ofChristina Beck:It. That's right. That's, as I get older, I get this different perspectives of it. But I do, I love the story of people, characters that have perceived limitations or real ones and they slowly find their way out of that predicament. And yeah, I like happy and things. I like to see the journey of someone of starting off in a place where they don't feel and they get a little better.Michael Jamin:And you said before I cut you off, you was, it all starts, the focus has to be on the script.Christina Beck:It's all about the script. That's the blueprint. That is the blueprint. Especially if you're shooting with no money and no time. And because you don't have the luxury and we never have the luxury. You see it all the time and any budget level. But the truth is, the script really is everything starts there. That's how you get anybody on board. That's how you can refer if a DP who's maybe a great DP and wants to do something small because he loves the story or he loves the subject matter and that script should be tight and ready to shootMichael Jamin:. Right. And because you could shoot something and you get the biggest crew and the biggest budget and it looks like a movie. But if the script sucks, so what? No, it's not anyone's gonna wanna watch it, but it may look like a movie. Yeah,Christina Beck:Yeah, that's right. And then it won't get programmed really in festivals cuz there's so much competition. I just think that thing that we kind of all know, make it a personal story, doesn't have to be autobiographical, but make it something that you really connect to or a topic that really you do have some experience in that you can bring something that maybe we haven't seen yet or we haven't seen from that angle, like you said. Yeah. That's the stuff that's really gold. I love that Thunder Road short. It's such a great example of a guy who just took a very, very simple premise. And the other kind of novelty of that short is he shot it in one take, which is pretty cool. That's not easy to do.Michael Jamin:That's not easy. What I'm saying. He did it and that's a novelty. But as you pointed that out, I forgot. I like the story of it.Christina Beck:Well that's the thing, you should just be looking at it like, oh, where's the cut? No, we wanna be engaged. And that was very engaging and that was a very personal story. I mean, I don't know about his personal story, but I know that I felt that in his work. Yeah,Michael Jamin:Yeah. It's all about that. It's all about being vulnerable and about sharing something that's that only you can do, right?Christina Beck:Yeah. Yeah. I mean hopefully, I mean, I don't know, I think it's two, there's too many topics now that people are dealing with in terms that need to, voices that need to be heard in the world, I believe. And yeah, this is a powerful way to get our voices out,Michael Jamin:But that means writing. So that's what I think cuz everyone's looking for diverse voices and voices that have been underrepresented. So that means writing about, I think your experience, that's what we want from youChristina Beck:Because Well, I think so too.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Now's your shot.Christina Beck:Yeah, I think so too. No one can steal your idea. That's a whole thing too. Sometimes people are like, Oh no, someone's gonna steal this idea. Well there's real, there's not that many ideas really when you think about it, the same story over and over. I'm still telling the story of someone overcoming. I love characters that overcome their limitation or their perceived limitations or their background. I come from alcoholism and all sorts of other things. And that doesn't mean that I'm gonna keep getting it on the nose with those topics, but it informs the way I look at the world growing up in that environment. And today I'm really grateful for that. But when I started writing, I was still very tortured by that. So , but keeping it, that process of keeping it personal and having that point of view with those circumstances makes it only something that I can sayMichael Jamin:I Christina, I think everyone should start taking your class one of either your classes, but the LMU one is a little difficult cause they have to enroll, but the other one Yeah.Christina Beck:Well, yes, is different. Yeah. I mean, I'm also, I do workshops too sometimes, so,Michael Jamin:Oh, you do private workshops?Christina Beck:I do screenwriting workshops.Michael Jamin:And Is that on your website as well?Christina Beck:Yeah, not right now, , but it was, Oh,Michael Jamin:How would that basically work? Yeah.Christina Beck:Well, I've worked, so I've done six weeks workshops where we really start off with, Okay, what's the story you wanna tell that's most personal to you? And so it's literally creating a character or that story from the point of view of the storyteller and the steps to take, whether it would turn into a series or a short film, or a feature or a play.Michael Jamin:And it's six weeks and it meets once a week or something.Christina Beck:Correct.Michael Jamin:That sounds really good. How many people are in that course, or outta time?Christina Beck:Well, it's different times I, It's been usually pretty intimate. Not a ton of people , but now we can do stuff on Zoom, which is great. Right.Michael Jamin:Wow, that sounds pretty cool. Yeah, people should check you. Yeah, you better put that up once this, IChristina Beck:Guess. I guess I'm Do that. Yeah, I guess so. ButMichael Jamin:Tell people where to find that again, so in case that you make that happen, that sounds like a beautiful thing.Christina Beck:Oh, thanks. Yes. Christinabeck.com.Michael Jamin:Christinabeck.com. Christina, thank you so much for joining me. This is a good talk. I thought this wasChristina Beck:Really helpful. Thanks, Mr. JaminMichael Jamin:Now I wanna be an independent filmmaker.Christina Beck:No, you don'tMichael Jamin:. No, you don't.Christina Beck:If you wanna make money. No. There are some that make money. There are some that make money, right? Yes, yes, yes, yes. But yeah, thank you. Thank you so much. It's so fun to talk with you, Mr.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. I'm gonna sign up, right? Everyone, Thank you for listening. And yeah, for make sure you get on my free weekly newsletter michaeljamin.com/watchlist. What else we gotta talk about? We have a course. Yeah, we can check out my course at michaeljamin.com/course. And if we post this in time, I don't know, but I'll be doing two shows in Boston, November 12th and 13th from a paper orchestra. It's my stage reading, and then two shows in December 10th and 11th. And for tickets, go to michaeljamin.com/live. All right. Thank you again, Christina. Wonderful.Christina Beck:My pleasure. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for asking. Yeah.Michael Jamin:Hey, it's Michael. One more thing. Come see me perform. I'm going to be in Boston area, actually, Amesbury, Massachusetts on November 12th and 13th at the Actor studio, performing my show, a paper orchestra. And then I'm gonna be back in Los Angeles on December 10th and 11th again at the Moving Arts Theater Company. So tickets are on sale. Go get 'em at michaeljamin.com/live. It's a small, intimate venue. I'm gonna be performing for my collection of personal essays, and each one's gonna be followed by like a 20 minute q and a. We get to talk about the work. It's a fun event. So I hope to see you there. Go get them tickets again are at michaeljamin.com/live, and of course, sign up to my weekly newsletter that's called the watchlist at michaeljamin.com/watchlist.Phil Hudson:This has been an episode of Screenwriters. Need to Hear This with Michael Jamin and Phil Hudson. If you'd like to support this podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review ,and sharing this podcast with someone who needs to hear today's subject. For free daily screenwriting tips, follow Michael on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @MichaelJaminWriter. You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @PhillaHudson. This episode was produced by Phil Hudson and edited by Dallas Crane. Until next time, keep writing.

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