Follow Your Bliss

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Adam Hill

Bliss was a short film made long ago by the filmmakers brining you Stages. It really has nothing to do with the article...except that following Bliss led us to doing lots more amazing work...

Bliss (noun): Complete happiness.  I like the sound of that – COMPLETE HAPPINESS!

What gives me complete happiness is teaching.  I can’t go a day without teaching.  If I am not teaching I fill the void by writing.  Teaching is truly my passion.  It’s my bliss.

What is your bliss?  What gives you complete happiness?  What is that something that when you are doing it your world seems complete?  Whatever it is, do it.  Don’t deny yourself your happiness.

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Letting Go of Fear

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Adam Hill

Sometimes, even David Stott gets scared...he is producing his first feature film, with support from many of us at StageSuccess. You can support him by liking it! (Click pic above!)

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

That is probably the most famous quote of the twentieth century.  It was proclaimed by president Franklin Roosevelt at the beginning of World War II.  Never were truer words spoken.

Fear has been described as an acronym: False Evidence Appearing Real.  Translated, fear is the result of the unknown or perceived.  Giving into fear creates a roadblock to any and all goals.

Fear surfaces our insecurities: What if Iʼm not good enough?  What if I fail?  What if there are others better than I am?  What if I donʼt have talent?  What if…?

Letʼs eliminate from this exploration of fear the words “What if.”

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Q and A: Do You Need to be SAG or AFTRA?

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Michael Schreiber
Q: [Our son] has been doing some work as an extra and we have been asked if we are members of SAG of AFTRA. Do you recommend one and do you need to be a member of both to be able to work on a SAG project or AFTRA?

A: To simplify as best I can: if a production is signed under a union agreement, you need to be part of the union to work on that production.  So, being in either union is good. Being in both brings more opportunities.  (There are other unions too, most notably Equity for stage performers.)

Certainly, if you are planning on having a career as a professional actor, you must plan on being a member of the unions.

However, once you are in a union, you don’t necessarily have the same opportunity to do non-union work.   Continue reading →
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Why do I teach?

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Adam Hill

Or a better question: why do I continue to teach?

The answer is simple: I have to.  It’s in my genes.  Here is a short “teaching” autobiography.

When I was thirteen and taking dance class my teacher saw me helping a younger child with the opening routine in her beginning class.  Continue reading →

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7 Simple Ways for Actors to Jumpstart Momentum

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Michael Schreiber
  1. Set a new goal. Choose an action you can take that you are in control of, and can work towards…big or small.  And then begin.
  2. Read.  Read plays, novels, short stories, the newspaper…acting is storytelling.  Let yourself be affected and inspired by stories and how they are told.
  3. Watch a movie…but watch it with intention.  Don’t just veg out in front of the TV.  Is there an actor you like?  A character you’d like to play?  Study the performances; develop a critical eye…what did you like, and why?
  4. Start work on a new monolog.  Do you need an audition piece?  How about challenging yourself with a role you wouldn’t normally play?
  5. Make a video.  Most of us have digital cameras…why not create a character or sketch out a fun story and post it on YouTube?  You’ll challenge yourself to create your best (or silliest) work if you are sharing it with others.  Recommended for all ages.
  6. Get in a class / work with a coach.  Obviously this is what we do…it’s also important.  Are you challenging yourself?  Working as smart as you can be?  Learning as much as you can?  A mentor of mine (T. Harv Eker) says that If you are not growing, you’re dying!  Feeling stagnant?  Get in touch with us or someone.
  7. Celebrate your successes!  Be encouraged by your victories, even the little things.  All the small positive actions lead to big results, and it’s important that we acknowledge them and enjoy them along the way.

Have other ideas?  Add them in the comments section below…

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You Never Walk Away Empty-Handed

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Adam Hill

I just returned from my second convention in three weeks. They both were exhilarating and taxing at the same time. What affects me the most at these conventions is the sadness of the contestants that believe they are losers. I want to personally console and then assure each and every one of them that they are winners just by being there.

But I didnʼt win anything…

Every one of us at one time or another will experience both sides of this coin. We will be winners and losers. The great salesman, Napoleon Hill, once said that in order to sell one encyclopedia you had to knock on a hundred doors. That means ninety-nine failures out of a hundred tries. I believe that salesperson will cut down the number of failures if that salesperson learns something new with each door that opens.

Before American Idol and all the other contest shows currently airing on television, there was a show called Star Search. I had a personal connection to Star Search as I directed the actors in the acting segment of that show. Here is a list of some of the Star Search losers. Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Alanis Morisette, LeAnn Rimes, Christina Aguilera, Destinyʼs Child, Rosie OʼDonnell, Drew Carey, Ray Romano, and the list goes on. Can you honestly call any of these wonderful talents, losers? I doubt if any of them labeled themselves losers, either.

A little clarity may be needed… Continue reading →

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The True Seed of Character Development

Posted on June 7, 2011 by joshadler

Casting is the process by which characters are born.  By choosing an actor suddenly the character is given eyes, hands, and a heart: the whole palette of humanity.  Directors are looking for the performer who brings her character to life, so that she is no longer an idea or words on a page but rather living, breathing, walking and speaking right before their very eyes. Continue reading →

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Q and A: What from a talent convention can go on a resume?

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Michael Schreiber

Q: Hi Michael,

You were great at the convention…

…my question is what from the convention experience can we put on his resume?  Continue reading →

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What are you Waiting For?

Posted on May 3, 2011 by axelavinjr

By Axel Avin Jr.

How many time have you heard these phrases and ones like them mumbled by your friends or even yourself?

  • “I can’t wait until I’m rich and famous, THEN I’ll be able to do what I really want to do.”
  • “I can’t wait until I book a pilot.” “I can’t wait until I get signed by an agent, THEN I’ll start working.”
  • “I’m sick of waiting for  casting directors to cast me.”

As actors, there is a lot of support for the idea that our careers are in the hands of other people. This idea is one that I personally struggle with. Like many actors, I have spent Continue reading →

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It’s Off to Work We Go

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Adam Hill

By Adam Hill

Recently I had the guilty pleasure of viewing, for the first time in many years, Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  What a delightful experience.

I especially got a kick out of the seven little men and their joy of life.  In particular was their daily march off to work.  They sang as they strutted through the forest “Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it’s off to work we go!”  Arriving at the mine wasn’t the end of their enjoyment only the beginning.  While there they “whistled while they worked.”

Acting is work.  It is a job.  It is true that acting is an art, but who ever said that art wasn’t work?

For those of you interested in a career in acting, it is important to remember this.  Acting Continue reading →

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