Creative Actors Lab

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This week, Max and Kelley talk about their creative journey through writing, with Max's being mostly in poetry and writing a blog for a year and Kelley's journey with writing scripts, short stories, and novels.  Max also talks about a time in the early 90s when a short film that he wrote and produced called The Red and the Black was banned in New Zealand.  Kelley talks about learning from Table Reads for her work and those of others like Brandon Winget. She also talks about how reading pilot scripts and first drafts of movies can help you realize that your first draft is a good beginning but that you'll often have to make changes before you get a final product. She also suggested finding a good critique group that can read your writing and offer suggestions, and you get to review other writer's work and offer suggestions as well. 

Some of the resources that they recommended included:

• The Script Lab - you can register on their website with your email but you won't get spammed and access to thousands of movie and TV scripts. 
• Studio Binder - This site helps you find resources for creating your film, templates for pitch decks, call sheets, and tons of other helpful advice. 
• For Save the Cat - You can get free Save the Cat Sheets from Jessica Brody's website.  You can contact us at [email protected] if you want to have us send you the sheet directly. 

Thanks, and when the going gets tough, the tough get creative!

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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This week, Kelley and Max discuss the documentary series Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV  from the perspective of acting coaches and people who have also faced sexual assault. They discuss how important it is to listen to your gut instinct and how their experiences have helped them help others.  Please note that this episode discusses sexual assault. 

It's not an easy topic, but it needs to be discussed because toxic and manipulative people exist beyond TV and movie sets. Max and Kelley talk about how they identify if a person is trying to insert themselves into the lives of people they're trying to control. The #MeToo movement was a tipping point for adults, especially women; perhaps Quiet on the Set can do that for kids in the entertainment business.

They also talk about a nonprofit in Atlanta called  Revved Up Kids, which teaches children and teens how to defend themselves against predators and trains their parents to discover the signs. Here's a link to their website.

All five episodes of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV are streaming on Max.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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Max and Kelley discuss the importance of creativity and how it affects your brain when you do or try something new. They also discuss some of the scientific findings and a podcast by Dr. David Eagleman called The Inner Cosmos.  Max also talks about different problem-solving approaches, such as the SWOT analysis, Business War Games, and Brain Storming and Brain Writing. We also discuss how important it is to seek out new adventures and skills and how your brain lights up like fireworks on the Fourth of July when it is challenged by something new.

If you want to do a deeper dive, you can look at Rick Ruben's book The Creative Act, which is more than just a book about creativity; it's a manifesto for embracing the boundless potential within ourselves. Here's a link to the book on Amazon, if you're interested in learning more. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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Join Max and Kelley as they discuss why someone like Max might need to step away from acting for a few decades. In the interim, he found a new love of writing poetry, cooking as a chef, and expanding his painting ability.  Kelley talks about leaving an improv company after some bad experiences and finding the love of her life (spoiler alert - it's Max). 

Thanks and have a great week. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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This week, Kelley and Max explore how to act like a private detective when you're creating or playing a character. They explore the process of researching a character's motivation by pretending that you were hired to follow the character around. They delve into various aspects, such as how the character would cross the street, how they would perform household chores, or how they would get ready for work.

Kelley and Max also discuss a play they did for Florida International University (FIU) called Mad Forest by Caryl Churchill. The play revolves around two families thrust into political and social turmoil before, during, and after the Romanian Revolution of 1989.

Kelley also discusses a character sheet that includes ways to flesh out a character, including:

1.    If your character has a job, is they good at it? Do they like it?

2.    What are your character's bad habits?

3. What would your character tell you if you asked about their greatest dream?

4.    What's a secret dream he or she wouldn't tell you about?

5.    What kind of person does your character wish they could be? What is stopping them?

6.    What is your character afraid of? What keeps them up at night?

7.    What does your character think is their worst quality?

8.    What do other people think your character's worst quality is?

9.    What talent does your character think he or she has but is very wrong about?

10. What did their childhood home look like?

11. Who was their first love?

12. What's the most terrible thing that ever happened to them?

13. What was their dream growing up? Did they achieve this dream? If so, in what ways was it not what the character expected? If your character never achieved the dream, why not?

14. In what situation would your character become violent?

15. In what situation would your character act heroic?

 Thanks, and stay creative!

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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This week, Max and Kelley discuss the importance of meditating and reflecting on your art and what creativity you can accomplish. We discuss different meditation techniques, including Yoga Nidra it is considered sleep yoga, non-sleep deep rest,, and it's meant to reset your nervous system.

If you want to check out some of the practitioners, here are a few that Max suggests:
Ayla Nova - Yoga Nidra - here is a link to a YouTube intro video.
Ally Boothroyd - here is a link to a 10-minute YouTube video.
Ram Dass - here is a link to a YouTube video.

We can all practice a sense of well being whether you meditate for 1 minute, 10 minutes or more. It's good for your mental health and can increase your creativity. If you find yourself distracted at first, that's normal; keep working at it. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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This week, Kelley and Max look at the person who has influenced Kelley's acting journey the most: Viola Spolin.  Viola Spolin was an actress, educator, director, author, and the creator of theater games, a system of actor training that uses games she devised to teach the formal rules of the Theater organically. Her groundbreaking book Improvisation for the Theater transformed American theater and revolutionized how acting is taught. Here is a link to the website. Her son, Paul Sills, founded the legendary Second City improv group.

Kelley uses many of her methods in her teaching, including A & B mirror exercises, The Library, and movement exercises.  Her creative and life journey is truly inspiring. 

If you want to learn more or order her book Improvisation for the Theater, which was first printed in 1963, you can order it on her website or Amazon.    Click here to look at a complete list of her books at the Northwestern University Press. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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Join Max and Kelley as we look at iconic character descriptions in screenplays from Rick Blaine in Casablanca to Annie Wilkes in Misery to Apollo Creed in Rocky and Rose Maxson in Fences, and many other characters in between. We discuss the impact these characters had in their films and why writing good descriptions is vital for both the actor and the writer.  You get to hear the actual description as it was in the script and how an actor would interpret that character. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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Max and Kelley discuss the importance of Set Etiquette whether you're on stage or on a TV or Movie set. They use personal examples of the do's and dont's such as:

• Do be kind and show good manners. 
• Don't ask for a selfie with a lead. 
• Do be on time. 
• Don't try to manifest by telling a lead you will be their co-star one day. (Yes, we saw that happen)

We also talk about how being professional and nice to the Assistant Directors and Production Assistants might land you in a scene with the leads. It's good practical advice so that if you're on set, you know what to do.  We use examples from The Resident, Will Trent and some small independent films and theater experiences.  Enjoy!

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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This week, Max and Kelley interview fellow podcaster and the person who gave us great advice on starting our own show, Hersh from HERshyt Show. She's a retired combat veteran and also a FEMA hero who helps people and families get the help they need during a disaster.  One huge suggestion, keep an inventory of what you have in your home and put special documents in safe place, either a fire proof box or safe deposit box or have big receipts scanned and kept in the cloud. She gives great advice on handling those tough times, her creative process, and some information on Season 4 of HERshyt Show.  It's a wonderful and lively interview. 

Some of the resources she suggested were:
www.Fema.gov
www.usda.gov

For more on Hersh and HERshyt Show - check out these links:
Buzzsprout: https://thehershytshow.buzzsprout.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehershytshow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehershytshow ​​​​
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thehershytshow
email: [email protected]
SUBSCRIBE on to HERShyt Show on Youtube at: http://bit.ly/HERshyt

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!