Saturday we had a session with Jenn Gotzon, who was amazing. We learned a lot of really good tips both for AMTC and for film and TV audtitions out in the real world. She's so encouraging and always finds really positive things to say about what Gilly's doing, while at the same time telling you in clear terms how to get better. I really liked her a lot.
Session two was modeling- best tip David gave us was about professionalism. "walk in and out with confidence no matter WHAT happens in between those two times. Agents are looking for reasons you might be difficult to work with, so don't give them any!" They don't care as much if you mess up- what matters is how you deal with it. Pick it up and keep going and finish. Great advice for all situations!
The other thing he said was that for photo shoot, you should go home with specific outfits chosen for showcases. Oh. Fail. I asked specifically and I didn't feel like I could repeat myself more without being a pushy stage mom. I'm kind of annoyed about that, because they made me feel like it was no big deal and now it's like, no. That's on you, you should have known better and now it's your fault that you don't have outfits picked. The good thing is that we have dress rehearsal next month and we're supposed to bring outfits for every showcase and change into them, so if we pick ones that don't work, I'm certain they will let us know.
I really, REALLY loved the networking sessions this time. Our team leader gave us some practical tips for Shine that are going to be super useful. Writing them down for E & L, our roommates. :) It costs $5 each way to take a taxi to the grocery store, so we can get a week's worth of perishables and stuff for only the $10 extra in transportation fees. There's a fridge and a coffeepot in our room, and downstairs in the coffeeshop there's a community microwave that we can use if we're willing to wait if necessary. They recommend packing a whole suitcase of food if needed- instant oatmeal, ramen, mac and cheese, stuff like that so we can use the hot water from the coffee pot, and then protein bars and whatever else. She said a cheeseburger in the hotel restaurant is $17, so if you're worried about paying for extra baggage fees, just weigh that one fee against how much those meals would cost if we had to buy them onsite.
Also buy blister blocker and bandaids, and don't wear new shoes that might be uncomfortable. We'll be on our feet a lot.
And there was tons of good info about how to write a resume and how to present and print and bring it.
One of the acting coaches said something that really resonated with me. She was talking about being a vessel used by God, and how we tend to think that means we have to be Noah or Joshua or Moses- one of the big guys. She said, "yeah, but think about how it feels to be the bush. Everybody remembers Moses, but that bush had the remnants of having been used mightily by God for a short time, to further Moses along on God's mission. If you're the bush, your flame burns brightly for a short season, but you have the memories your entire life and you're just as important."
That made me teary.
Here's some scene read practice with some good stage blocking advice from Andrea. I like that G is learning so many different facets of acting.
More about day two later.
