Just ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Vancity Theatre on April 5th, Robert David Duncan talked to us about how his time as an actor and director influenced his work on A Legacy of Whining.

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Can you start by telling us a little bit about you?

I have been dedicated to acting for 10 years now, having decided to pursue it seriously in mid-life after working as a consultant, college teacher, author and public speaker. At one point, I literally “gave up my day job” and took a leap into the Stella Adler Studio summer conservatory program in New York, which was a wonderful experience.

After lots of acting training here and in New York and some cool experiences in acting, I decided to try directing. Ross Munro was a big encourager of mine, telling me that I should give directing a try, and that it was fun. He was right! Several years ago I formed a production company, Fat Punk Productions, and we have developed a number of films, most recently a feature called It’s About Love that is in post-production. We have been fortunate to have had a lot of success getting our films into festivals around the world and winning several awards. I have also written books on acting and filmmaking and teach both subjects.

Recommended Reading You Can Act On Camera Click a cover for more details The Art of Voice Acting Secrets of Screen Acting

What can you share about your character in A Legacy of Whining?

Hilariously enough, Dunc is like my evil twin. He is everything that I am not. Aside from the obvious physical and name resemblance, he is Mister Hyde to my Doctor Jekyll, which makes him a delicious acting opportunity. In real life, I am an optimistic, encouraging person. I’ve been with my wife for 25 happy years, I don’t party or pop pills, and I’d much rather be home in my nest when the sun sets. Dunc on the other hand, well…

What kinds of things did you do to prepare for your role?

Ross Munro and I talked quite a bit about the characters, and the homage to old buddy movies of the ’70s. We very early on had a meeting of the minds, and didn’t have to explore the script to death, because the rhythm of the communication between the characters was just so natural. We slipped into each of our characters very readily and our rehearsals were really a lot of fun. My wife was also great at helping me with the lines, and she still knows a frightening number of them – we are always tossing around Mitch-isms and Dunc-isms. I also think everyone has had a friend like both of these two guys, the one who remembers everything about the old days, and the one who couldn’t care less, the undermining friend, the starry-eyed dreamer, and so on. By the time you get to middle-age, there’s a lot of experience to draw upon!

You have a wide mix of acting and directing credits. What do you enjoy about each of them?

Directing is a lot of fun and I find it sits comfortably on me as a vocation, probably due to my background in teaching, acting and management. Acting though, is the real drug, and is my first love. There are times during a performance when you can be so in flow that you zone out, and only come fully back into yourself when “cut” is called and you see that everyone is quite excited by the work. I’m sure every actor gets that experience at times, and it is really special.

How does your experience as an actor help you as a director and vice versa?

Because I was an actor first, I get where most actors are coming from, which helps me immensely as a director. I have studied most of the acting traditions, and can relate to an actor that is working either from their emotional experience, or from a more cerebral or imaginative place. This helps me communicate my vision as a director in terms that we both understand. I also know to go easy on the number of takes because I understand the risks of burning out the actors. I aim for 3 takes maximum. To get to that level of performance I try to do a lot of work with each actor before we shoot. As for being an actor who also directs, I think it helps me understand what the director likely needs, and so I can bring that to my performance – things like repeatability in coverage shots, awareness of continuity and the like. In both cases, my empathy is deepened because I understand the different jobs on set, and the importance of serving the story and ultimately the audience.

Many of your directing credits are short films. What would you say are the three most important ingredients that every short film needs to be successful?

A story, a message and a theme you care deeply about. To some extent those elements overlap, but they are the key ingredients. I wrote a book called “Micro Short Filmmaking: A guided learning journey” which guides aspiring filmmakers on how to make a simple one-minute film. If you can get a story that fits into a minute, that is driven from something you care about, and leaves a viewer affected, then you can make any length of film. The important thing is to start. If you have a smartphone or other simple camera, you can make a micro short film for no money and get it into festivals and perhaps even win an award. I run workshops on micro short filmmaking, and I am constantly blown away by the creativity of the people who take part. These are the filmmakers of the future.

Are there any books or authors that have been influential in your career so far?

The Art of Acting by Stella Adler, Being an Actor by Simon Callow and Acting in Film by Michael Caine. I read very widely on acting craft, but those are the 3 that I would grab in a fire!

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career?

Nothing comes easy, and everything takes more time and more work than you can imagine. It’s important to be working constantly on craft and generating your own work through writing and producing. Waiting to be chosen through the traditional audition process is a recipe for defeat and discouragement. You don’t need anyone’s permission to be working on your acting craft. Study, practice, write and shoot a simple film, surround yourself with others who are working hard, and be quietly grinding away all the time. Work more, talk less.

What’s your opinion on the current state of the Canadian film industry?

We are in the middle of a sea-change in terms of the democratization of content production. We are seeing feature films shot with iPhones. If you have a great story, you can find a way to make a film and get it out there into festivals and released online. It’s not a recipe for making lots of money, but there is a lot of talent here in Canada, and a lot of creative people. I think it’s a great time to be an independent film producer.

What other projects are you working on right now and where can we find out more about you?

I am in post-production on a feature film called “It’s About Love” and I am really happy with how it is coming together thanks to an awesome cast and crew. I am also filming a second feature which is an experimental iPhone film, and I have other projects in development. People can come visit us at FatPunkProductions.com, and can check me out on IMDB. Information on my current workshops and training is here. I am @duncanrob on Twitter, and am also on LinkedIn.

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Thanks to Robert David Duncan for speaking with us!

You can check out A Legacy of Whining at the Vancity Theatre on April 5th at 6:30PM.

Tickets available through VIFF.org.

The post The Biz Interview: Robert David Duncan appeared first on Biz Books.

This is the pitch for How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Really Acting, the new book by actor, coach, and now author Peter Skagen which taps into his many years of industry experience and conveys his wisdom in ways that are inspiring, informative, and practical for today’s actors.

We spoke with Peter Skagen to give you a peek into his experiences in the industry, the insights waiting inside the book, and to find out more about just how to succeed in Hollywood without really acting.

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What was your inspiration for writing How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Really Acting?

I came to feel I was done with acting after 35 years and as many movies, and wanted to summarize everything I learned, without any agenda, into a book that would actually be useful, honest and hopefully inspiring.  It became a kind of thesis project, or maybe a letter to the young me.  Before it was even finished, it started taking on a life of its own.  I got a call from the Dean at the University of Lethbridge, whom I know, asking if the book was done.  I told him it wasn’t.  He said ‘we’ll take it anyway.’ They’re still using it, and since then, I’ve just been hanging on as it grows.  I get glowing reviews from casting directors all the time, and I’ve won a couple major book awards already.  I won Best Book in Performing Arts in California for 2015, and I’m a finalist in the Foreword Indie book awards, which is like the Oscars for indie books.

What are some of the recurring lessons that readers will learn from reading it?

Wow.  Well, there are a lot.  First of all, I think you need to be called to it.  Most successful actors I know can point to the very moment they woke up to themselves as actors.  That inspiration has to be strong enough to carry you to the bitter end, so it has to be huge.  Then, they have to know how the Biz works so they’re not going in blind.  Most actors take about 10 years just to figure out how it all works, so I want to save them that time.  Then story.  Story, story, story.  And craft.  Technique.  Nuts and bolts how to do the job.  Craft is the difference between working actors and wannabes.  Finding their brand, or signature character is crucial.  Then they need to know how to package and sell it.  And then it’s all about the audition.  Probably 98% of actors fail badly in the ‘room’ cause they don’t know what they’re doing; they think it’s about acting.  If they really take in all the secret info in the book on the audition process, they’ll never go wrong.

How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Really Acting

What do you think the biggest mistake is that new actors and performers are making when they try to enter the industry?

Giving it a try is the first mistake.  If you’re trying to be an actor, you should maybe move on.  You have to know.  You should have a ton of raw talent and unshakeable faith to start with because those things will be assumed throughout your career and you have to deliver them time and again without fail and without notice.  You gotta have the goods off the top.  If the industry–not necessarily acting coaches, but industry people like casting directors–if they respond to you early, that’s a good sign.   Love is another problem.  Many actors come to it thinking they’ll get love and admiration and all their problems will be over.  The Biz will never give you those things.

Who are the people that are going to get the most out of reading the book and applying the knowledge that you are sharing?

Anybody coming up, their parents, college students and professors, coaches and teachers, stage actors, comics, singers, anybody planning on moving to Los Angeles or New York to get into it, writers are loving the book, and you wouldn’t believe how many working actors in the Biz contact me saying how much the book helped even them.  Also, anybody who’s just plain interested will find the book very easy to read and very informative.  I hear it called a page-turner a lot.

 One of the themes of your book is the idea of not thinking like an actor, but instead thinking like a filmmaker. As you see them, what are the differences in how actors think vs. filmmakers?

Actors are all about themselves.  Filmmakers are about story, financing, making the day, and making a dollar at the end of it all.  They look for actors who understand their pain, and know how to help out in all those ways, and many others.  The acting is only a small percentage of the job.  Example: do you know how to talk to a potential investor in the movie in question?  If the answer is no, you have learning to do.

What inspired you to get into the film industry?

I started writing plays when I was about 9.  I made a movie when I was 14.  It was just always in there.

How would you describe the state of the film industry now? How has it evolved since you first became involved and where do you see it going?

This is a huge question which I address in the book.  I’m not a Hollywood insider by any means, but it’s clear that the actor has to think about his or her career more like a band does these days.  You have to become successful on your own.  It’s all about your social media following, your YouTube presence and so on.  And your knowledge and skill of the Biz, and ability to join the party seamlessly without having to be a beginner (somehow).  I came up during the ’80s, before the internet.  One of my classmates said she was thinking of getting into a new thing called rock videos.  Movie stars were really movie stars, and it was all about movies.  Nowadays, if you tell an agent you want to be a movie star, he might drop you.  There’s no money in it.  The big corporations running the studios don’t even want stars.  They want interchangeable young people as Spider-Man.  They want sequels, and remakes, and animation, and knock-offs.  The money is in television, and increasingly on the internet.  So, a lot has changed.  I see China becoming a much bigger player in the Biz, and I see the potential for a new renaissance of micro-studios making movies all over the world similar to Hollywood in the ’20s.  The major studios will continue only with giant blockbusters leaving room for new moguls around the world to fill the gap, and distribute on the web.

What books have been influential to you in your creative journey?

I’ve read everything on the subject I think.  I love the books of William Goldman – like Adventures of the Screen Trade – who wrote The Princess Bride and about 50 other major movies.  That’s for story.  Michael Caine’s book on acting – Acting in Film – is still one of the best.  And I love True and False by David Mamet.  Patrick Tucker’s book – Secrets of Screen Acting – is really good. And I would suggest reading books on film production including biographies, like The Kid Stays in the Picture by Robert Evans who produced The Godfather. And so on. You can’t read enough. And just really good fiction.  One of the first books I ever read was The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. It became a movie in my head.

What other projects are you involved with right now?

I’m writing a sci-fi thriller to be shot in China in 2016.  Right now it’s called Dead Still, but that title will change.  It’s a little like Jurassic Park but the dinosaurs are something else, and much worse.  And, crazy as it sounds, I’ve started writing a stage show based on the book.  It’ll be a musical with songs like I Wanna Be Rich, Would You Like Cream With That (from the book) and Oh, my God, it’s Johnny Depp.

Where can people find out more about you and your work?

They can go to PeterSkagen.com.

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Our thanks to Peter Skagen for speaking with us! You can check out his book right here!

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Recommended Reading

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Adventures in the Screen Trade
William Goldman

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Secrets of Screen Acting
Patrick Tucker

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[bscolumns class=”one_third_last”]

The Kid Stays in the Picture
Robert Evans

[bscolumns class=”clear”][/bscolumns]

The post The Biz Interview: Peter Skagen appeared first on Biz Books.

Last chance before the Oscars to see Interstellar in IMAX®!

Paramount Pictures, IMAX® Corporation and Cineplex Entertainment are giving fans one last opportunity to see Christopher Nolan’s Academy Award®-nominated film Interstellar. The critically acclaimed film will play in the IMAX® format in select Cineplex theatres on Saturday, February 21st, 2015.

The one-day-only “An Encore of Interstellar: The IMAX Experience®” showings will take place at 1:00 p.m. local time at participating Cineplex locations.

The prize pack also includes: A hat, t-shirt, filtered water bottle and canvas bag.

Film Details

Interstellar was nominated for five Academy Awards®: Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.  The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, John Lithgow and Michael Caine. With our time on Earth coming to an end, a team of explorers undertakes the most important mission in human history; traveling beyond this galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars. Interstellar is directed by Christopher Nolan, written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, and produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Lynda Obst.

How to Enter

Please send an e-mail to info@bizbooks.net and please include this information:

• Your Name

• Your E-mail Address

• Your Mailing Address

• Your Phone Number

• “Interstellar Movie Contest” in the subject line

Winners will be selected at random and will be contacted by e-mail.

The post An Encore of Interstellar: The IMAX® Experience appeared first on Biz Books.

Film Details

With our time on Earth coming to an end, a team of explorers undertakes the most important mission in human history; traveling beyond this galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars.

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn and Michael Caine.

Directed by Christopher Nolan.

Now playing in theatres and IMAX.

Interstellar.WithGoogle.com

How to Enter

Please send an e-mail to info@bizbooks.net and please include this information:

• Your Name

• Your E-mail Address

• Your Phone Number

• “Interstellar Movie Contest” in the subject line

Winners will be selected at random and will be contacted by e-mail.

The post Interstellar Movie Contest appeared first on Biz Books.

Tell us a little bit about The Oblivion Series: A (Not So) Girlie Show.

You mean my ‘magnum opus’? Haha! My show is a collection of characters and stories that I’ve been developing over the past few years. It was born out of me wanting to perform material as an actor that I felt really jazzed about. I am a longtime Cold Reading Series participant and one year Lori Triolo dared me to join in on the “Actor’s Challenge” – where actors write their own stuff and have it read at the event. Terrified, I took her advice. Much to my surprise it was quite well received, and from there the show slowly started developing a life.

What can audiences expect from The Oblivion Series: A (Not So) Girlie Show that will make for a unique stage experience?

I’d say that audiences can expect first and foremost to be entertained and to laugh. Also perhaps to be inspired, moved and turned on in a new way. I don’t mean that in a naughty way, but in an “ideas” kind of way. A lot of the ideas in the show seem to resonate with people. I imagine it makes for a unique stage experience because it’s written by an actor – not a professional playwright – so maybe that’s a different sort of thing right out of the gate. Also it’s not structured as a traditional “play” but really as a fun wild romp of a live “show”.

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For Young People

Can you briefly walk us through your creative process of this incarnation of the show – from the early stages all the way to opening night?

That’s a funny story. Basically my co-producer and co-star Lori Watt (who had seen the show in LA) called me up one day and said “hey I have a friend starting a Fringe Festival on the island and how would you feel about doing your show there in June?”

I said yes and we got together to read the monologues, deciding it would be fun to do it just the two of us. We thought originally that we would self-direct (which is hilarious in retrospect) and so began rehearsing at Lori’s place. After a bit we thought: maybe a director friend could look at this just to give another p.o.v., so we contacted Linda Darlow, who agreed to “take a peek”. From there it kind of snowballed into the Zone Festival with Jay Brazeau adjudicating, which was a very fun and encouraging experience. That was actually the moment I thought we were onto something with this new version. The audience feedback was clear.

Now, since joining forces with Alison Araya – who has really amped it up with what she’s bringing to the table – it really feels like it’s up and running with a clear vision and in a great place as a production. The creative process in a nutshell I suppose has been aligning with like-minded people who love this wacky material and are really bringing themselves to it and are showing up in a big way. Oh and HAVING FUN. I should have said that at the beginning. The creative process has mainly been about having fun with this.

The Oblivion Series: A (Not So) Girlie Show has played in a few different cities now. How has it evolved over time and where do you see it changing in the future?

It has evolved a lot. What a journey! Primarily I’d say the show is now finding it’s correct rhythm, and has become a lot funnier. I credit Linda Darlow for this immensely with her direction. Somehow she has elevated it to a wonderfully absurd yet honest and hard-hitting place, if that’s possible to imagine. The earlier iteration in LA was treated a lot more seriously. That’s the interesting thing about creative collaborations: so many possibilities to explore. Also there are a few new pieces in this show that weren’t in LA, and I’ve dropped a couple of old pieces. That’s the beauty of having titled it a “series” – it can always evolve and change as I write new bits. Probably that’s how it will continue to go in future.

What has been the biggest highlight for you with The Oblivion Series: A (Not So) Girlie Show so far?

Two things: #1: Debuting my show in L.A. at the Stella Adler Theatre. That blew my mind and was one of those ‘pinch me’ moments. Huge gratitude to the L.A. Women’s Theater Project for hooking that up. I read Stella Alder’s book on acting back when I was training and her words resonated with me more strongly than most teachers. She is one of the greats – and an original. I never thought I’d be in her theater with my original work. I still get goose bumps thinking of walking around her hallways and hanging out in her speakeasy. I’m pretty sure I could feel her presence in there. I think that’s what they call “walking on your dream”.

#2 biggest highlight has been working with Linda Darlow and the ladies of WaWaYa Productions. It’s simply a joy.

What were the biggest challenges for you in developing this production and how did you deal with them?

The challenges have really only been #1: getting out of my own way and just getting out there with my work, taking the risk, and #2: aligning with the right people to collaborate with. How I dealt with that is by #1: saying yes when there was interest in my show and basically throwing caution to the wind, despite my fear or doubts, and #2: trial and error, and getting clearer on my own vision over time. I sometimes joke that I’ve been work-shopping this show in public, and now it’s finally hitting its stride after all the live experiments.

What advice do you have for other performers who want to develop or act in their own show?

DO IT! Stop thinking about it and actually do it! If you are remotely inspired and have some ideas: write them down, try them out, read them aloud to people, get up on a stage and give it a whirl! I was so scared when I first started with this material and now I can honestly say it is one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences of my life.

The Oblivion Series: A (Not So) Girlie Show is very adult-oriented and draws from your own life. What was the process like of writing from your own experiences? How close does the final version match up with the original life experiences that they were drawn from?

I love how you say “very adult-oriented” – sounds so racy and dangerous! The process of writing from my own experiences is very liberating and empowering. I say in the synopsis that the characters are coming to terms with their lives, but secretly I think I am. There’s something about owning things out loud in front of people. Making them “characters” and putting them on a stage gives the freedom to poke fun at myself and to be creative about how I tell the stories. Hopefully I’m offering a somewhat universal take on the themes I’m exploring, and that the characterizations allow for that detachment that can then resonate more deeply somehow. I like to leave it up to the audience to guess how closely the final version matches up to reality. A girl’s gotta have some privacy. Things are certainly embellished and altered for dramatic (and comedic) effect.

What are the advantages of writing roles for yourself and acting in something that you’ve written? Are there any challenges?

The advantage is that I already know the characters because I wrote them. I already feel a sense of freedom and confidence because it’s from me. It feels natural right out of the gate to speak the words. There’s not that same searching and discovery process that comes from taking on a role written by someone else. There is still discovery, it just starts from a totally different place. The challenge has mainly been in marrying the p.o.v. of my director about the characters with my own, and allowing space in my writer brain for that much needed director p.o.v. Also it’s sometimes hard to separate my writing and acting brains, when they are both going on at once. But that’s a challenge I am thoroughly enjoying.

What were your reasons for getting involved with acting and writing to begin with?

Reasons? Ha! I’m not sure reason had anything to do with it! I have been making things up and getting people to watch me since the age of four. It’s just something I’ve always done. That’s from the acting side of things anyway. I guess there is a reason I got more involved as a writer these past years, and that’s because I wasn’t feeling entirely satisfied as an actor. I love performing but I only ever sometimes felt like the material was rocking my world. I needed more, and writing has certainly filled that hole.

Again I go back to what Lori Triolo preaches at the CRS: “…if you’re not satisfied with the work you’re getting, create your own!”

Ba-da-boom.

Who are the performers, writers, or directors that have been influential to you?

Along with those already mentioned… Eve Ensler, Meryl Streep (it’s not cliché, she’s a genius!), Robin Williams, Sandra Bernhard, Sacha Baron Cohen, Stephen Colbert, Marilyn Monroe, Ani DiFranco, Bob Marley and ummm, Madonna. To bring a local flavor I’m gonna go with Kate Twa, Andrew McIlroy, Lynne Stopkewich, Rob Stewart, Kris Elgstrand, Dylan Akio Smith, and Tony Pantages.

Are there any books or specific authors that have been influential to you so far in your creative journey?

Oh goodness there are so many! Off the top of my head, in acting school my favorite reads from a training point of view were Stella Adler and Uta Hagen. Also Michael Caine’s Acting in Film. Tina Fey’s Bossypants is SUCH a great read. I read a lot of non-fiction, quantum physics and healing stuff. At the moment I’m going between Joanna Macy’s Active Hope: How To Face The Mess We’re In Without Going Crazy, and Russell Brand’s My Booky Wook. Also I hear Linda Darlow has a new book coming out. That’s gonna be a must-have for every actor.

What can you share about any future projects that are in development?

I’m playing with ideas on how to translate some of this existing work into short film format. On the live performance front I’ve recently developed some 5 minute comedy sets that I’ve been performing at local comedy venues. I plan to elaborate on this, and am slowly but surely developing new material for an hour long show.

The Oblivion Series: A (Not So) Girlie Show is now on at Studio 1398 (Playwrights Theatre) Granville Island. For tickets, please visit: Oblivion.BrownPaperTickets.com

The post The Biz Interview: Justine Warrington of The Oblivion Series: A (Not So) Girlie Show appeared first on Biz Books.