is taking over the world.
And it's driving me mental. Can somebody please make the evil empire of reality TV just. go. away. Please?
I shouldn't be watching television anyway, I know. However, if there were a few less hours of Crap-ality TV going on maybe I *could* watch it without frying my brain so much. Plus, if there were more good dramas or even good soaps being made, there's be more work for up-and-coming twenty-something Sydney actors... :-)
Speaking of TV, I was thinking today that soap operas (I don't follow Neighbours or any of those amazingly scary American ones, but will admit to regular viewing of Home and Away) are almost little self-contained lessons in scriptwriting and acting. You get half a dozen examples of how NOT to do it, interspersed with a few lovely talented people who provide a good contrast and carry the show... Quite fascinating sometimes, don'tcha think?
And you know what - my eldest daughter can spell, write and read the word "television". This week for her homework she wrote a story: "My dog watches television." (Yes, in Term 2 of Kindy, one sentence constitutes a story!)
Thursday, 29 May 2008
Monday, 26 May 2008
Multiple viewings...
I was just pondering yesterday how interesting it is to watch a film over and over again... not in one day but over time.
I was watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for the bigzillionth time with my 3-yr-old B, and noticing that I watch it differently now that I'm so familiar with it. And I don't just mean the fact that I know all the Oompa-Loompa songs off by heart and joyfully sing along with them!
Yesterday in particular, I was watching Johnny's Willy Wonka very closely and really trying to take in every nuance of the character. I noticed moments where the character seemed, curiously, different. I kept thinking to myself how Johnny must have gone into so much detail with his character building (especially with all that backstory they've added to this version!). Usually when I watch Johnny films I can't help but notice mannerisms and brief moments of charcterisation that "belong" to other Johnny characters, but this time I was focussing so intently on Willy Wonka and trying to build a picture of him in my head, that that didn't happen. I was not aware of any "Johnny" or "other Johnny character" moments at all.
(by the way, I should be clear that I don't think this commonality of characterisation or the cross-evidence of mannerisms between characters and from the actor's own personality is a bad thing at all. An actor's only tool is their own self, after all. And people always have things in common with other people, don't they?)
Anyway, that was my focus on this viewing. Other times I have really focussed on the Oompa-Loompas or one or two or a group of the children. (Very rarely do I pay much attention to Charlie - strangely enough he seems quite incidental to the story to me. Except that he has a very cool name!)
Some films are fascinating to watch repeatedly - Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, for example, defintely chhange and grow with each viewing - while some I find are good in themselves with just one viewing. I haven't been able to bring myself to re-watch Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas yet because the first viewing, probably about a year ago, is still in there being digested slowly.
What films do you love, or hate, to watch repeatedly?
I was watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for the bigzillionth time with my 3-yr-old B, and noticing that I watch it differently now that I'm so familiar with it. And I don't just mean the fact that I know all the Oompa-Loompa songs off by heart and joyfully sing along with them!
Yesterday in particular, I was watching Johnny's Willy Wonka very closely and really trying to take in every nuance of the character. I noticed moments where the character seemed, curiously, different. I kept thinking to myself how Johnny must have gone into so much detail with his character building (especially with all that backstory they've added to this version!). Usually when I watch Johnny films I can't help but notice mannerisms and brief moments of charcterisation that "belong" to other Johnny characters, but this time I was focussing so intently on Willy Wonka and trying to build a picture of him in my head, that that didn't happen. I was not aware of any "Johnny" or "other Johnny character" moments at all.
(by the way, I should be clear that I don't think this commonality of characterisation or the cross-evidence of mannerisms between characters and from the actor's own personality is a bad thing at all. An actor's only tool is their own self, after all. And people always have things in common with other people, don't they?)
Anyway, that was my focus on this viewing. Other times I have really focussed on the Oompa-Loompas or one or two or a group of the children. (Very rarely do I pay much attention to Charlie - strangely enough he seems quite incidental to the story to me. Except that he has a very cool name!)
Some films are fascinating to watch repeatedly - Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, for example, defintely chhange and grow with each viewing - while some I find are good in themselves with just one viewing. I haven't been able to bring myself to re-watch Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas yet because the first viewing, probably about a year ago, is still in there being digested slowly.
What films do you love, or hate, to watch repeatedly?
Monday, 19 May 2008
Oh golly gosh!
... and other choice expletives!
I just hung up from another call from a casting agent (one of Sydney's biggest) wanting me to come in tomorrow for a casting for a cereal commercial. They were even fine with me bringing the new bub with me!
But of course it's a healthy cereal isn't it, with a but of a reputation so they have strict rules about the BMI of the actors in their commercials, so she had to check my height and weight. Damnit! I knew there was a reason I should've been trying harder to lose all that pregnancy weight! Let's just say I obviously wouldn't look too hot in a red minidress right now!
Well, hah de ha ha... it never rains but it pours...
The good thing is, at least I know that my new headshot on Showcast is doing the trick. :-)
I just hung up from another call from a casting agent (one of Sydney's biggest) wanting me to come in tomorrow for a casting for a cereal commercial. They were even fine with me bringing the new bub with me!
But of course it's a healthy cereal isn't it, with a but of a reputation so they have strict rules about the BMI of the actors in their commercials, so she had to check my height and weight. Damnit! I knew there was a reason I should've been trying harder to lose all that pregnancy weight! Let's just say I obviously wouldn't look too hot in a red minidress right now!
Well, hah de ha ha... it never rains but it pours...
The good thing is, at least I know that my new headshot on Showcast is doing the trick. :-)
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