I recently attended a SAG Foundation LifeRaft session with Casting Director Bonnie Gillespie called, "Beyond Branding: The Why Behind the Buzz Word," which was essentially "ninja."
I love the concept of branding. It isn't foreign to me.
But I will admit - I had a hard time wrapping my head around it in the acting world... until now.
There are so many messages out there - so much bad information - and in one night it was like the light turned on and I said... "oh, it's like that. That makes sense." Click, Click, Click. Cue the Tetris music.
So without further ado, here are my Top Ten Branding Take-Aways From Bonnie Gillespie's session:
A recent post by Director Heidi Marshall entitled "Are you going where the heart is?" served as a great reminder to pursue ones passion. Much like Heidi, I am passionate about Indie films on many levels.
Usually going to the movies to watch one of these films is a solo experience. My family doesn't necessarily enjoy the dark films I so love. They joke that I must like feeling depressed...and I get it... but that is certainly not why I watch them.
I love indie films because they serve such a great purpose: they get to the core, to the grit of the human experience... they moooove me.
I find that Indie films reach the audience on a deeper level. And isn't that what it's all about? Telling a story that will ring true, connect with the audience, reach into their souls, open their eyes, and rock their worlds?
For me it is.
I believe that's part of my purpose. As an actor who is passionate about indie films, I get to create, move, and inspire the audience with the stories I tell. Isn't that amazing?
What a privilege it is to touch the lives of others simply by pursuing ones passion.
Thanks for the reminder Heidi!
I have an intense love for what it is to be human - the dichotomy of it. We've got the good and the bad in us - it's what we allow to emerge that can define who we are.
Most people don't tap into the dark side of humanity, and with good reason (such as staying out of jail and the like), but as actors we get to PLAY!
I was recently cast in the lead role of a short film - an undercover cop who is striving to overcome her history of abuse. The story goes back and forth in time, to show the red flags in a relationship, and how the cycle of abuse unfolds... an abused woman who becomes the abuser.
When we decide whether to take on a role that will tap into something from deep within to play the "villain," we must defend the characters actions every step of the way.
