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Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possesion: his 1972 Gran Torino. www.blacktree.tv Video Rating: 4 / 5
Knowing where to start with your acting training can be difficult. There are so many Drama Schools and Acting Schools in London, with a multitude of acting courses to choose from.
An actors' studio specialises in actor training for beginners who are serious about entering the profession.
One of the main barriers to taking the leap into professional acting is a lack of confidence and not knowing whether you are any good or not.
This is a hard question to answer at the beginning. You have to view actor training in the same way as you would any other job. How would you know if you are any good at being an accountant until you have studied the subject?
Most beginners have a desire and aptitude for acting, and that's enough to start with. If you take the correct drama course, you can begin to develop your raw ability to a professional standard.
Right from the start it's important to consider your acting training and what kind of acting approach you would like to study. A typical Drama School or Acting School tends to give you a pick'n'mix approach. They teach you a little bit of different techniques, and then you have to cobble together a mixture of everything.
The problem with this approach is that it leads you to being a 'jack of all trades and master of none'. In my experience, it's sensible to look at what the most successful actors do to achieve a high standard of acting.
With a little research on the subject, you will discover that many leading actors, particularly in the US, use Method Acting classes. One of the reasons they use it is because it achieves an exceptionally high standard of acting consistently.
It is important to teach this approach - Method Acting - to people who have little or no acting experience. There are acting classes and acting courses that focus in depth on Method Acting, to allow you to improve your acting ability to an exceptional standard, from day one.
Some acting lessons are split between acting technique and practical application within scenes. It is important to find a Method Acting class that is fundamental in training your talent, and are not about merely saying lines effectively and repeating them the same way each time.
"Brian is a Acting Coach with over 18 years experience in the industry and is The Leading Expert on Method Acting in the UK. He has taught actors appearing in London
(I recently taught a Bible study covering the book the Acts of the Apostles. I used my mother's Ryrie Study Bible to provide the basic outline of the Bible study.)
Back to Acts... When we last saw our heroes, we left them in the midst of a divine miracle. There had been an incredible sound of a rushing wind, tongues of fire had appeared over their heads and they were speaking in human languages unknown to the speakers, but known to their audience. To review, who were their audience? These were Jews and converts to Judaism from all over the Roman Empire { Show map of Pentecost "Bible Atlas" by Yohanan Aharoni and Michael Avi-Yonah, page 240 } as well as Gentiles currently living in Jerusalem. Read Acts 2:5, 12-13.
As a quick side note, who would have been the Gentiles living in Jerusalem at this time? I would expect that they would include merchants who traded in and around Jerusalem and Judea, as well as the Roman soldiers and officials and their families and slaves who were stationed in the city to keep order in this troublesome province.
Acts 2:14-36 gives us the text of Peter's first (sometimes called "great") sermon. Here we have a dramatic example of what Jesus promised would happen, when the time came for the apostles to speak publicly. Read Matthew 10:18-20. No, Peter was not arrested here (though he would be later), but as we read his sermon we can almost feel the rushing power of the Holy Spirit moving through him, providing him with the words to say that would best reach the crowd. His sermon flows logically, powerfully, with quotes from the Old Testament to back up his position. Because he is speaking primarily to Jews - and Jews that have shown a reverence for God by being willing to take the time and spend the money to travel so far to worship at the temple - quoting from the Old Testament would have added power to his message. When we study Paul's sermons, we will see how the Spirit worked in Paul to tailor his messages to meet his audience where they were at culturally and spiritually, which was in a different place from orthodox Jews.
The first thing Peter does is to refute that they were drunk. Read Acts 2:14-15. He points out something which would have made sense to the orthodox Jew: it was only 9 am or the "third hour", as some translations might say. They were all probably outside the temple, or near the temple district. On a feast day such as Pentecost, the orthodox Jew would not break his fast (he would not eat or drink) until 10 am, so it is highly unlikely a group of men would be drunk so early in the morning.
Peter then goes on to explain this incredible phenomenon, by quoting a prophetic passage they should all be familiar with. Read Acts 2:16-21. (As just a comment, this passage is taken almost verbatim from Joel 2:28-32a.) As we look at this passage, several things jump out at me:
In the last days. Peter clearly believes that the death and resurrection of Christ (followed by this experience at Pentecost) begins that period of time called "the last days." That is not how many modern day Christians think of that phrase, of course! We tend to think of living in the "last days" to mean we are getting closer and closer to the Lord's return, which of course is true, but to Peter and the apostles the sand started running out of the hourglass, so to speak, at that moment. From this point on, all of Church history occurred during "the last days." (I believe my pastor has preached on this point before, when discussing the overall time-line of history.) One of my commentaries said "the age of Messianic fulfillment had arrived."
The next concept that jumped out at me from Joel's prophecy was the lack of people discrimination, at several levels, when it came to the revelation of the Spirit's power. We have "on all people" (not just for the Jews), "sons and daughters", "men and women" (so not just for men), and "young men", "old men" (so for all age groups.) Joel is making it clear that the Holy Spirit is for everybody, regardless of ethnicity, sex, age, rank, or station. I believe this passage helps to support the belief that it was the 120 individuals mentioned in chapter 1 who experienced the tongues of fire and speaking in other languages, and not just the 12 apostles (as we might assume from Acts 2:14). We know that there were women present with the 120, so it make sense to assume that the women were also speaking in tongues, and not just the men, since women are mentioned in this passage by Joel.
Then there were three gifts or spiritual experiences mentioned that would happen to these people in the last days: they would prophesy, see visions, and have dreams. What do these gifts entail? I think one common theme is that these are all gifts where God chooses to speak directly to people, through other people. We tend to see these as gifts that give hints of the future: Joel's words, here, are the result of the gift of prophesy. God has given him the words to describe what is going to happen in the future and Joel has been called upon to share those words with other people. We have numerous examples of prophesy in the Old Testament, and several in the New Testament. Let's read two examples from the New Testament. Read Luke 2:25-38, Acts 21:10-11.
The book of Revelation is an example of someone having a vision or "waking dream." Read Revelation 1:9-11. John is commanded to write down what he sees and hears during this vision. This gift, too, we have numerous examples of in the Old and New Testaments. Read Isaiah 6:1-2, Acts 10:9-13. If we read through Revelation we see that much of it deals with describing future events. With these last two examples, however, God uses the gift of vision to teach truths about Himself, about Heaven, and about His love for all people (not just for the Jews).
And finally we know that God can speak to people through dreams. This is a vision that one has while sleeping. We have several examples we can study. Interestingly, many of these dreams are sent to Gentiles, not Jews or believers. For the sake of time, we'll just look at two passages. Read Genesis 20:1-7, Matthew 2:11-13. Here, again, God uses dreams to warn about future events.
So, back to our passage in Joel and Acts... these were gifts that the Jews would have been familiar with, from their knowledge of the Old Testament. But in the past, these were very rare occurrences, happening only to special people, but now Peter is reminding them that one of the signs of the last days would be that a large variety of people, from different backgrounds and experiences, would start manifesting these gifts. So, now they are confronted by a group of people (either 12 or 120, depending on how you interpret scripture), all prophesying (speaking God's words and truths) at the same time, in their own languages! That would have really got their attention.
But interestingly, Peter didn't stop here in this passage in Joel. He goes on to read about signs in nature that would herald the coming of the "day of the Lord." Re-read Acts 2:19-20. Now this is clearly talking about something more than just "the last days." This is talking about the Second Coming of Christ. I think what Joel (and now Peter) were doing, through the Holy Spirit, was "bracketing" a time span by describing signs one could look for: when people start prophesying, having visions, etc. in large number, this is the beginning of the time span. When these physical manifestations in nature start occurring, that should be a warning that we were reaching the end of this time span, climaxing with the Lord's return. Since we know, from this end of time, that this time span is going to last more than 2000 years, it is much appreciated that God would let us know, at this other end of time, what to watch out for! Joel's words are remarkably like what John describes in Revelation 6:12-14. What exactly does this all mean? We don't know now, but I would expect that anyone familiar with these verses will recognize it when it happens.
To be continued...
Sources Philip Yancey and Tim Stafford (notes). The Student Bible. NIV Version Aharoni, Yohanan and Michael Avi-Yonah. Bible Atlas
One of the oldest form entertainments is circus. Today, most people are still being entertained by watching circus. You will see in this article 5 of the most common stunts and acts that are performed by people in a circus.
Circus Stilt Walkers – Stilts are objects that are used by people or any structure that allow them to stand above the ground a higher level. Stilts could either be poles, pillars or posts. Walking stilts are the ones that are made from bamboo pole with wood or another bamboo attached to it for the feet to stand on to. They are the ones that the tall people you see in circus use, these people are called stilt walkers. Circus stilts are very much the same to the very first stilts ever used.
Fire Breathing – It is another attraction in a circus. We call the people who perform this act fire breathers. Fire breathers are one of the most common fire performers.
They are known to eat and breathe flames thru their mouths. A fire breather's tricks are classified into three major types – vapor tricks, fire transfer acts and fire dousing. Fire breathers use a special kind of fuel that only ignites if it is sprayed from the mouth into the air in tiny mist. The mist form of the fuel makes the fire bigger and looks thrilling. Fire breathing requires proper fuel and skill to succeed.
Toss Juggling – It is another very common and famous attraction in circuses. This is considered one that you see in many circuses and movies. The person who performs the said entertainment is called the juggler. Juggling is an ancient entertainment art. Technically, it means any form of object manipulation. These objects are most commonly balls, beanbags, rings, clubs, bouncing balls, cigar boxes, diabolos, plates and devil sticks. The more dangerous performances use knives and flaming torches. But strictly speaking, juggling in its purest sense is manipulating objects greater in number than the hands applied to do it.
Animal Acts – This is also an all-time favorite, whether of kids or adult. This involve the trainer of a specific animal and the animal that the trainer trains. The animals that are used during animal acts are elephants, monkeys, sea lions, bears, lion, tigers, leopard, parrots, and other hard to tame animals. Because of its use of animals, many animal welfare and other environment organizations are against the use of animals for their show because of the many reported animal cruelty cases.
Sword swallowing – The sword swallowing act. The sword swallowing act is an ancient art that is performed by having a sword pass through the mouth of the performer down over his esophagus and right towards his stomach. Sword swallowing is among the most dangerous stunts or acts in the circus.
This can lead to major injuries and possible death.
The stunts that these people do in circus are made possible through years of hard work and practice. These acts should not be done at home, only experts perform such acts. Stilt walking is probably the safest among them all.
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Designed To Take Your Acting To An Exceptional Level
...Even If You Have Never Acted Before In Your Life!
One of the most common reasons I hear from people who want to start a career in acting but haven't done so yet, is that they don't want to make a fool of themselves.
Let's face it, you don't want to turn up to an acting class where everyone is experienced and you feel out of your depth, but you do want an environment that is serious about acting, and delivers a safe and encouraging atmosphere for you to start to develop your ability.
I realised some time ago that it is difficult for adults to find this kind of course, so I developed my own actors' studio to allow people with little or no acting experience to begin their acting journey.
But I wanted to do more than just create a great environment. I wanted to create exceptional actors. To be honest with you, I have always been a bit obsessed with outstanding acting. Not 'ok' acting or 'middle of the road' acting, but truly brilliant, outstanding, eye-popping acting.
This is what led me to Method Acting many years ago, and it's the acting technique that will allow you to take your ability from basic to outstanding.
I love Method Acting, and I love educating people in the approach and giving them the chance to understand and practise the approach used by the world's top actors.
Now, I'm not saying that's an overnight process, but I do have a process, and a process that is used by the top 1% of the acting elite.
Many top film actors like Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep all started just like you. They didn't know how to achieve great acting, but they studied it in earnest. They studied Method Acting as opposed to any other acting technique because it has is proven to achieve outstanding acting.
I specialise in Method Acting, and most of my students start off with no experience and begin to develop their technique and confidence to a top professional level with me and my specialist coaches.
If this sounds like what you're looking for, then the first step is becoming a beginner... Before beginner there is just wishful thinking and 'what if's'.
To start the process, come along to my Introduction to Method Acting Boot Camp, where you will have an inspiring and potentially life changing experience.
"Brian is a Acting Coach with over 18 years experience in the industry and is The Leading Expert on Method Acting in the UK. He has taught actors appearing in London's West End shows to high profile films. Brian recently appeared on the BBC2 programme 'Murder Most Famous' teaching TV Actors; Sherrie Hewson (Coronation Street/ Emmerdale) and Angela Griffin (Coronation Street/ Holby City) Method Acting techniques. "
If you speak to fellow actors, you will know that people enter acting with different aspirations. You may have a burning desire to excel in a particular field of acting. The prospect of becoming an international film or TV star may be what appeals to you. Alternatively you may be driven by a deep love of the magic of theatre.
As an aspiring actor you may wish to specialise in the medium you feel most passionate about. The reality is that most people who have completed acting courses won't have the luxury of choice, and of turning down stage roles for screen roles or vice versa. It's a tough world and, as a new graduate from acting school, you will need to embrace all opportunities. That means cultivating the versatility to perform both on stage and in front of the camera. To do this, all actors need a thorough grasp of how different stage and screen acting are.
Successful actors choose their acting training carefully, plan their careers and capitalise on their strengths. It has been traditional in the UK for actors to learn their craft with acting training geared to stage performance. That's no longer always essential. For example, a new trend is standup comedians crossing over into stage and screen acting (think of Ricky Gervais, Eddie Izzard and Matt Lucas). What is vital is for you to appreciate where your talents lie, and to assess which medium ultimately offers you the best opportunity to shine.
Physicality
The key difference between stage and screen acting is the way in which meaning is expressed and conveyed. The stage play relies strongly on language and verbal delivery. First, that means that the stage actor needs a voice that can be heard in a large auditorium. Second, in stage work the voice is central to expressiveness and communicating emotion. Third, timing of delivery, and using the voice to create and sustain dramatic tension, are crucial, since they can't be tweaked in the editing suite.
Movies create meaning very differently. Montage - essentially the juxtapositioning of shots - is central. A character has received terrible news. Film can convey his or her reaction in several ways, suitably tuned to the narrative: by cutting to a stormy sky; a flashback to a car crash; a close-up of a dropped phone dangling. In a play, it is voice and physical movement that you must rely on for conveying emotion.
Gesture, movement and physicality are also vital on stage. Whereas tiny gestures can be magnified in close-up film shots, as a stage actor you will use your body very differently. You will need to communicate a physical energy and develop a 'stage presence'. The film close-up permits subtleties of facial expression and movement that don't work on the stage.
Camera work and editing achieve effects that the stage actor must create largely by using the body. In film, props and settings are also used extensively to convey meaning and atmosphere. As a stage actor, the onus is on you to do that work.
The Experience of Stage and Screen
As a theatre actor you may find yourself, quite literally, centre stage: significantly in control and in receipt of constant feedback from audiences. In moviemaking, the director's whim is paramount and editing powerfully shapes the product that (eventually) appears.
Temperamentally, you may discover that you are best suited to performing in one medium or another. You may realise that you are one of the many actors who struggle with the lack of continuity associated with shooting isolated scenes, the process of endless retakes and the absence of audience reaction. Three months on location in Borneo might not be your cup of tea either.
Whatever your preference, the ability to cross over and perform on stage as well as film and TV has clear career benefits. Variety can be the spice of life and mastering the different skills needed can help add texture and depth to your performances.
Method Acting: Bridging Media
Acting for stage and screen demands different acting styles and appreciating that fact should be a consideration for you when you are starting out in acting training and deciding which acting courses to take. Method acting gives actors a firm foundation for work in any medium. Creative expressiveness underlies good performances both on stage and before the camera, even though you will use different devices and strategies to convey it. For stage work, method acting will help you to create the emotional depth and intensity that stage performance demands. In film acting, it will help you to get into character on cue - no mean feat.
Because the stage demands a particular style of acting, some theatre-trained actors find making the transition to the screen difficult. Method acting will help you to bring a naturalism and authenticity to every one of your performances, regardless of whether it is for stage or screen.
As well as honing your ability, a spread of acting courses will illuminate the avenues that you can pursue as an actor and the skills you need to get work in different media. This insight you gain into the world of acting, along with self-knowledge, may lead you in directions other than those you initially planned to follow. Appreciating the different media, and the demands of each, will help you extend your range, depth and versatility as an actor.
"Brian is a Acting Coach with over 18 years experience in the industry and is The Leading Expert on Method Acting in the UK. He has taught actors appearing in London's West End shows to high profile films. Brian recently appeared on the BBC2 programme 'Murder Most Famous' teaching TV Actors; Sherrie Hewson (Coronation Street/ Emmerdale) and Angela Griffin (Coronation Street/ Holby City) Method Acting techniques. "
Performers who defined cinema in 2010 capture classic screen types. For more actors: nyti.ms/14actors
We now move into the third section of the chapter which describes the shipwreck. Read Acts 27:27. In ancient times the name "Adriatic Sea" is believed to have extended into the Mediterranean Sea as far south as Sicily and Crete. { Point out places on flannel map & estimate where the ship was currently } They have been driven along by the force of the storm winds for 14 days now. How did the sailors sense they were approaching land? Remember it is midnight now, and probably pitch black. One reference said the sailors would have known by the sound of breakers or waves hitting the shore; others by a highly developed sense of smell, as land smells different from sea water.
Read Acts 27:28. Taking soundings means that they lowered weighted lines down to measure the depth of the sea. When the depth begins decreasing, this means that you are approaching shore and shallower water. Remember, this is all being done at night, in the dark.
Read Acts 27:29. By dropping these four anchors the sailors were hoping to keep the ship from being forced forward further by the winds and smashing against whatever land mass was ahead of them. Because they had no idea where they were or how large the island was or even where it was, they could not do anything except wait until the light of day showed them what to do.
Read Acts 27:30. Because there was no port, the sailors felt they had a better chance of survival in the single lifeboat, unencumbered by the passengers.
Read Acts 27:31-32. If the sailors were allowed to desert the passengers wouldn't have been able to beach the ship safely the next day. The centurion, this time, listens to Paul and destroys the sailors' only means of escape, other than the ship.
Read Acts 27:33-34. Because of the storm, no food had been distributed or regular meals eaten for the last 14 days. Fasting that long can make a person weak. Paul knew they would need strength in order to make it from the ship to the island. His goal was to prepare the men physically, as well as to encourage them emotionally.
Read Acts 27:35-36. Paul sets a good example for the men: he ate food for physical nourishment and gave God thanks for the meal. Seeing Paul eat, as well as demonstrating such trust in God, encouraged the men. This was probably important, in part, to help ease the fears of the sailors, who had first tried to escape via the lifeboat, but were thwarted.
Read Acts 27:37. This was not a particularly large number of people to be traveling by ship for that time. Josephus, the Jewish historian, mentions a ship that had 600 people on board.
Read Acts 27:38. They throw away the remaining bags of wheat or corn from the cargo to lighten the load. The lighter the ship, the farther it can sail into shore before running aground.
Read Acts 27:39-41. This particular bay is called "St. Paul's Bay" today, and (as we will read in the next chapter) is off the island of Malta. { Show picture "Wind and Fire", pg. 13} The ship runs aground; it is only a matter of time before it falls completely apart and everyone left alive on the ship will drown. { Put up symbol for shipwrecked ship on flannel map }
Read Acts 27:42. This sounds horribly brutal, especially after all every one had gone through, but you need to understand that if a prisoner escaped, the life of his guard was taken in his place. The soldiers did not want to risk the chance of any of the prisoners escaping.
Read Acts 27:43. I think we begin to get a sense for why God chose this particular centurion, Julius, to guard Paul. Clearly he is used here to spare Paul's life. You have to admire him for that.
Read Acts 27:44. I would like to finish up this chapter by reading an excerpt from one of my favorite books, "Angels on Assignment", in which this particular incident is mentioned. This is from the chapter "Good News for You and Your Family". { Read "Angels on Assignment", pg. 23 paragraph, pg. 24 paragraph, pg. 26-27 excerpt }
Blessings!
Sources Editors. Compton's Interactive Bible (software) Philip Yancey and Tim Stafford (notes). The Student Bible. NIV Version Drane, John William. Wind and Fire: Spreading the Message of Jesus Hunter, Charles and Frances (as told by Roland Buck). Angels on Assignment
