Ah! Perfectionism, Perfectionism

"Doug, it doesn't have to be perfect!" I hear the sentence at least twice a week as I navigate the world. It tends to sneak up on me as I act, sing, shoot films, and complete projects. I'm not sure how my ideal perspective on getting things done came to be. I believe it was the competition that used to drive my frustration when I was younger. The competition would cause me to nit-pick all of my techniques/talents and find ways to improve them (sometimes when they didn't need improvement). Honestly, perfectionism hasn't been a problem for me since ninth grade; however, the three day film project brought that side of me back out. When I heard about the first film project, my mind was geared towards the direction of making a film that was worth watching. The project automatically turned into competition, rather then a learning experience. It was fascinating how my frustration with the time constraint fought against my perfectionism as I was completing the project and geared me towards a new outlook on future assignments. Perhaps, the perfectionism causes my brain to judge my techniques in a way that creates a closed mind, petrified of constructive criticism. The project has taught me to think spontaneously with ideas, to not put down any decisions I have unless they are terrible, and to concentrate on my feelings towards the actual project. These perspectives can now apply to my performance career where my ideas on how a character should be played (or what he's thinking) can flow more effectively. A large barrier between competition and my skills should also be set up in order to navigate the world in this way.

Ideas for the Magazine

1. Unleashing your holiday spirit in the city for a day. Talk about the top destinations that people should hit when visiting the city during the holidays. The lighting of the Christmas tree, FAO schwarts, A musical, etc.

2. The rights and wrongs of open-cast calls/auditions. I'll mention where to look for the actual auditions, how to prepare, what specifically the directors will look for, etc.

3. The New Iphone or Ipod touch applications available for purchase in the Itunes Appstore. The upcoming applications or apple products that everyone seems to adore during the holiday season. I'm a huge supporter for Apple products and I know most of the school invests in atleast one thing produced by the company.

Unique Actor of the Week: Daniel Day Lewis

Daniel Day Lewis: born in April 1957. Raised in London, England by his mother (an actress) and his father (a poet)

I've recently watched There Will Be Blood featuring Daniel Day Lewis taking on a character that blew my mind. Taking place in the early 1900's, Lewis plays a power-hungry oil prospector willing to overcome any obstacle preventing him from obtaining his dominance and his obsession with the suffering of his competitors. Although this is the only film I've watched featuring this phenomenal actor, I've developed such a respect for his talent. The film alone is exceptional, my eyes were drawn to the cinematography, the minor plot, and most importantly the characterization.

All of Lewis' acting is portrayed through his facial expressions and mannerisms. From start to finish, the plot is extremely minor. What makes this whole movie is the style in which Lewis displays the effect that the events had on his role. It takes a lot of dedication and determination to succeed in this type of character. His role interpretation is not only unique, it follows a path of connecting the actors pessimistic view on the world with the build up of hatred and anger through the actual dialogue. As I look back on the movie, I cannot help but to remember this mans ability to feed off of his supporting actors, use them to form a specific meaning and purpose behind every line. It is obvious that behind every bit of dialogue, Lewis developed a mindset of frustration and anger taken from past experiences. My past acting coaches have stressed this technique on me because it helps the audience feel what you feel, not what they are intended to feel.

Just like the repeating exercise, Lewis would sometimes take a question or a statement and repeat it two times to bounce it off the opposing actor and obtain different reactions. The second time, his emotion would reach its highest point or sometimes contrast with the original tone it portrays. "I am the third revelation, I am the third revelation." Overall, Daniel Day Lewis' purpose throughout the movie is to inform viewers not to let their ego or superiority guide them through life, it is passion and open-minded determination that helps an individual succeed. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I highly recommend it. Hopefully, you can get as much out of it as I did.