My 365: Picture a Day blog

Here's a link to my daily practice blog: http://dougs365.blogspot.com/

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My New Art Project: Metropolis based

Luke and I came up with a great idea for my portfolio art project. I am working on a piece that features several pictures of Freder from Metropolis, making distinct facial expressions. Freder's mannerisms stood out to me the most in Metropolis because they are one of the aspects that made this movie so unique and unusual. I started to relate Freder's strong facial expressions and the underlying emotions to my own self. This movie has brought me to the conclusion that I'm not expressive enough outside of my home environment. I've found that keeping anything inside, whether it'd be a secret, a goal, or an emotion, isn't beneficial. In fact, it could ultimately lead to the act of pursuing a fictitious persona that no one knows is fake. Almost everything that goes on inside must be heard by at least someone else on the outside.

In my project, I have six pictures of Freder's face, each with a different emotion. I have picked the pictures that are most distinct and relatable to emotions I have felt. Under each picture, I am including a caption where I speak about myself in the third person. For example, "Doug feels manipulated" or "Doug is enthusiastic." Although this may not seem like a masterpiece to the viewer, it's meaningful to who I am as a person.

Book Workshop # 1

This workshop is fascinating! The process of making these books involves so much focus, patience, and persistence. One wrong move, and you may have to start from scratch. This week in Carl's workshop, we worked on cutting the pages and sewing them together. When Carl was demonstrating, the process of ripping the brown paper seemed so simple. However, this ended up being extremely difficult. We had to rely on the ruler to make a clean cut down the middle of our brown sheets. I'm proud of the way my pages turned out and I'm sure next week's project is going to involve even more focus.

Carl's a really nice guy and seems to be really confident with his book making skill. He told us a story of how he had to do what we were doing almost every day in his old job. Carl's directions were very clear and easy to follow. I can't wait to see the finished product!

15 HOUR STAC TRIP!!!

In my opinion, friday's field trip went really well. When we were first assigned our new groups, I was scared to see how my day would play out. Not only was I hanging out with these STACies for the first time, I was also spending a whole day surrounded by them. I was afraid our personalities would clash or not mesh well, but I was wrong. From the beginning of the day to the end, I was entertained by a whole new group of intelligent STACies.

Luckily, I knew a couple of people in the group before the trip, so I wasn't completely alone in the crowd. The group did not separate at all because we were dedicated to the photography project and we were having a great time visiting the NYC landmarks together. Our main objective was to get lost in the city on purpose and photograph our reaction to being lost. Unfortunately, the subway took us on the wrong route and we missed Eataly, but the adventurous quests helped to strengthen the group's bond. I'm sure that if we combined all of our pictures from the beginning of our day to the end, our closeness will clearly be portrayed through the photographs.

Alphabet City and Bleeker street truly fascinated me because the stores were quaint and unadvertised. These stores and cafes were not well known and not overpopulated like other parts of the city. I find that in other parts of NYC, it's frustrating and confusing to be lost; however, this wasn't the case in Alphabet City or Bleeker Street. In fact, being lost became more soothing; it gave the group a sense of dependence and freedom. All in all, the trip was something new and extraordinary.

New Song, New Genre

So, I wrote a song the other day, and it took me one night to finish. I'm proud of this song because it's one of the first songs I've ever written that falls under the alternative/rock genre: mostly what I listen to. The song has more of a dissonant tone, rather than a happy tone, which is what I usually write. I will post the lyrics now, but I rather you critique the song as a whole after I post my recording later on. Enjoy!

(UNTITLED)- let me know if you think of a good title for the tune :)

Verse:

We're risking everything we want

Edge of destruction, we are in a rut

so take a chance on me

and let the pleasure seep deep into your black heart

Chorus:

I need you, you need me

let loose and I know that we'll get there soon

It's frightening to live like a stranger

trapped in the same old news

Verse:

Now I'm sleepin' on your stoop

you're trapped inside, my head is in a loop

It's time to let him go

Let the past be past I know

You still act the part

Chorus 1x

Bridge:

And now the world is catchin' up to you

you can't turn back,

I was the one that you used to get him back

The "Who is that Guy?" Experiment

Title: The "Who is that Guy?" Experiment

Location: New York City

Time: 5:00 PM

Day: October 1, 2010

So, on Friday night, me and a couple of STACies decided to play with the minds of the New York City walkers. Our goal was to get a group of people to follow me around the city trying to get my autograph even though I am not a real movie star. I have to say, we came really close to accomplishing this goal.

First, we would choose a crowded area of the city in which clumps of people could spot the event. Next, I would start to walk slowly down the street, along with Jill, covering my hair with my sweatshirt hood. Then, five other STACies would approach us with pens, paper, and cameras, desperately asking me for my autograph and a picture. Keep in mind, the experiment only works with a large group of "fake fans" who are not afraid to scream. At first, random people started to follow the "fake fans," asking them who I am and what movies I am from. Of course, the answer would always be, "he was in EVERYTHING!" What really attracted most followers were the moments when Jill and I would move fast through the crowds as the fans chased after us.

We tried this experiment five times in different parts of NYC, including the overpopulated Time Square. The funniest part was that people would follow the "fake fans" almost everywhere, trying to obtain an autograph from a movie star that they have never heard of; one that didn't even exist! We had one man following us for two blocks, along with two other girls who mistook me for Justin Bieber. I was amazed at how easy it is to manipulate the people of New York City into believing something this ridiculous. I really encourage some of you to try this next time you are bored in the city and I'm in the process of sending the experiment idea to the people of Improv Everywhere.

Psychogeography 2

For my second psychogeography, I decided to capture "action" and "movement." I've noticed that individuals are constantly surrounded by action and activity, but they don't get a chance to fully examine it. Sometimes, when we witness a quick motion, our eyes cannot travel fast enough to fully see what is moving; all we see is the start and end of this particular activity. This is why I chose to freeze every moving structure, vehicle, or object and examine it as it moves. Some of the pictures I took feature a variety of colors that can almost take the place of a smudged painting. Most of the colors blend together perfectly and develop a beautiful texture. Usually when I take pictures, I ignore the blurry ones; however, this time I decided to examine this mesh of colors and feature it on this page. As I photographed my surroundings, I would either move the camera and capture the still life or keep the camera still and capture the moving life. Either way, I came out with some pretty fascinating photos. I hope you enjoy!

Doug's Psychogeography

For my Psychogeography, I chose to capture "things that hold other things." I ended up shooting various bowls/containers filled with objects and I shot platforms that were holding up something or someone in particular. I often find support and stability very intriguing because a lot of trust is involved. For example, if a platform or container breaks, the object(s) it holds will be demolished. In my photos, I decided to focus more on the structure holding the objects rather then the objects alone. In other words, I decided to give the object doing the "holding" more credit then usual.

Usually, when we look at an object, we tend to ignore the structure that holds it in place and focus on the object itself. This is similar to recognizing the outline of an object. Outlining fascinates me because it's always there, but our eye is constantly focused on what goes inside the outline. For example, if one looks inside an empty glass, he or she usually considers the absence of fluid from the glass before considering the outline of the empty space inside this object. Perhaps, this symbolizes the fact that most individuals take too many things for granted or the fact that individuals don't know how to appreciate what they have in front of them. Who knew so much meaning could be concealed behind structure and outlines?

Songwriting update

Over the summer, I've written four new songs that I'm really proud of. I'm in the process of recording these originals, so I can post them here on my blog. I've written a variety of songs with different genres (rock, acoustic, and pop). I seem to have fallen into a good writing habit and these songs are flowing much more easier then previous tunes. I find that good songwriting takes inspiration, passion, and self-awareness. There must be some kind of meaning behind the lyrics and melody. I used to interpret my songs after they were written, but now I base them off of situations I've experienced. This has been my greatest creative endeavor and I'm hoping I will have an album recorded by the end of senior year.

The Prisoner (my first senior blog post woah)

AHH this show consists of cliff hanger after cliff hanger after cliff hanger, and I'm enjoying every second of it. The plot is really clever. It reminds me of the Truman Show in the same sense that both protagonists can't escape this mysterious town. I can also relate this miniseries to The Giver by Lois Lowry because both stories consist of totalitarian-like societies. However, this particular society in The Prisoner is really interesting. In the Truman Show and The Giver, I was aware of what was going on behind closed curtains within the town; however, I can't seem to gather that information from this show. This frustrates me and it's obviously a product of good writing. I can predict that some medicine is given to these citizens daily, in order to erase their past memory and prevent them from asking questions. I needed a show like this, thank you!

Lyrics to a new song

Decided to document my songwriting on this blog now...

working on a new song right now with more complex chords then the last...

The verse incorporates Emaj7, C#m, B, A

I'll wait for you inside the hill

this world we made is quite unreal

time will never be enough for this so let's just run

and face the other way for fun

Workshops # 3

Jim Bonny: I'm really happy Jim is trying brand new techniques with us this year. Yesterday, we were each given a short scene in which the situation and circumstances were very unclear. We would read the two person scene aloud with a partner and somehow put the subtext in as we went along. Jim would help us create situations that would set the emotion for each scene. I was fascinated by the scene between Jill and I because Jim would constantly make us say a line and repeat it, and each time we repeated this line, our intensity grew and the emotion varied. Jim was always repeating how important it is for an actor to "stay out of his/her head" and this exercise helped a lot. The scene work and the repetition technique allowed my mind to enter a subconscious state in which I cared less about the acting, and more about feeding off of Jill's external emotions. With the subconscious mindset, there is no pressure to "act well," so the emotion lacks any unnecessary fabrication.

Week #2: The Big Project

Last week: we put the final touches on our script by adding dialogue, taking away unneeded action, and changing the ending to something more anticipated

This week: we're going to learn how to use the "large camera" and shoot as many classroom/hallway scenes as we can. We will need about 10 kids

Week #2: The Big Project

Last week: we put the final touches on our script by adding dialogue, taking away unneeded action, and changing the ending to something more anticipated

This week: we're going to learn how to use the "large camera" and shoot as many classroom/hallway scenes as we can. We will need about 10 kids

Workshops # 2

Songwriting: Today, Robin and I put the finishing touches on my song, "Bring you Home" and we ran through the ending a couple of times to establish the main harmony and background vocals (on the outro). We then recorded a rough copy of the song on Garageband while Robin sang the harmony in the background. Although the sound quality wasn't superb, the recording sounded excellent as a finished piece, especially when Robin added some percussion. I learned that a verse could simply be adjusted and rearranged to play over a chorus at the end of a song. I'm also learning how to leave some space between the verse and chorus in order to feature the guitar part a lot more. Robin has helped prepare my song for a professional studio, which is a great accomplishment for the year.

Week # 1: Big Project

LAST WEEK: We fixed the ending of the script and made it so that Jenny kills Tim

THIS WEEK: We'll fix the rest of the script and possibly film on thursday if we aren't replacing the cast

BIG BIG BIG PROJECT

MY PROJECT:
I'm trying to achieve two main goals by the end of this quarter. First, I would like to revise the script for Father by changing the ending to something more satisfying and anticipated. Perhaps, my group and I could change around the cast so that we have older actors replacing the Father and Tim character roles. We will also reshoot a lot of the scenes even if the cast is not replaced. The film will then be ready to compete in a small film festival. Second, I would like to write a song that features a difficult guitar part and possibly write lyrics to this. Later on, I would like to perform the piece with two or three guitars.

Workshops # 1

Song Writing: Jesse and I were fortunate to have a lot of individual work with Robin on our original songs. I first played my song, "Bring you home" for Robin and we worked on making the flow of the song much smoother. He had so much input on the song I brought him and his simple adjustments made my song sound much better. Robin would replace my chords with ones that sounded ten times better with the song as a whole. Robin said that a large difference between the verse and chorus will ultimately make a song sound so much better. When Robin changed the chords around for my chorus, the differenciation between both the verse and chorus stood out and really helped the sound. Robin also helped me finalize my piece and he offered some ideas for essential background vocals. This workshop helped me realize that there are various ways to write a song and a lot of different ways to play with the structure of a song. For example, Robin gave us a few examples of hit songs that have A and B sections in the chorus, which makes the listener much more tuned in while they listen. I'm glad that an individual, experienced in the music industry, heard my original song and helped me set goals to make it something worth recording.

Jim Bonney: Currently, we are working on subtext and the ability to allow dialogue to stir up different emotions. I'm enjoying the workshop more then last time because this year, I'm surrounded by a closer group of people and I'm much more confident with myself as an actor. Jim did an awesome exercise in which he had us listen to the song, "I know" by Jude while our eyes were shut. Then we each recieved the lyrics and were asked to say different lines with different emotions behind the text. The workshop allowed me to express whatever I needed to get out without feeling embarrased or masked. These exercises will ultimately help trigger a lot of emotions in my future character roles.

Today's Presentation

Today was not as hard as I thought it'd be. Usually, I get nervous for presentations because I'm usually asked questions at the end that I'm not quite ready to answer on the spot; however, this Big Book presentation didn't involve the audience's input, which was a bit more relaxing. I was excited when I taught the class about Dreamwork for Actors because unlike other class presentations, I was given the opportunity to teach about my hobby and talent. Since I was fully engaged in my book from beginning to end, the opportunity to inform people about this came naturally. I'm glad that I prepared what I was going to say for this presentation because my ability to speak without preparation is weak. My main goal was to get actors/actresses in STAC to read this book because it runs through the basics of acting with a whole new twist and a whole new style. If I could change something about my presentation, I would have possibly completed a powerpoint instead of an oral report on the book because personally, when I'm learning, I stay more interested when I am visually engaged in a lesson. Overall, I felt confident with my presentation because I was teaching about psychology and dreamwork: something that almost anyone could relate to even if their passion isn't theater or acting.

Another Freaky Experience...

So, I was onstage today for Carousel with Becky and we both had an odd experience...

The scene takes place at Billy's house mid-day. My character has just landed on earth as an angel to visit his daughter Louise (Becky), all grown up. In the scene, Billy chooses to make his daughter see him and talk to him; she continues to ask questions about her dead father. Throughout the scene, Becky and I were completely trapped in our characters and couldn't get out. I was talking to Becky later today and we both agreed that our friendly relationship in reality was totally forgotten in the 3 minutes we were onstage playing our characters. It's odd because I can't recall what was going on in my head, but when our characters are supposed to argue towards the end of the scene, my frustration built to the highest peak possible. All I can say is that looking into Louise's eyes, I couldn't help but see the evil and hate in her that I suddenly wanted to change, which caused me to grab her hand and really throw all of my emotion into the slap. It was fascinating how engaged we both were in the scene. In this show, my mind barely drifts while I'm up onstage. Although I can't relate to this villainous character, I really feel the pain that he causes people just by looking in my victim's eyes or studying their facial expressions. Fortunately, the cast is extremely talented and they really give me a lot to work with while I'm acting.

It's incredible how I can communicate with a character through their eyes and facial expressions. Sometimes, I'm even scared of myself when I see the agony I cause these people. I encourage all actors to really try and stay focused on their opposing actor/actress onstage because when you feed off that person, it really creates exceptional acting.

I wrote a song!

My song is finished and up on youtube and I'm really happy with the result...

I couldn't have finished this without my DAILY PRACTICE

Here's the link to my sister and I singing my first original song: "Bring you home"

Please give us some feedback....

"BRING YOU HOME" BY DOUGLAS FABIAN

Here are the lyrics to "Bring you home":

Verse 1:
It's Friday night and you're on my mind
I drove all night just to come inside
You're hiding there in the evening light
Turn around, open up, and I'll bring you home

You're not aware when I look at you
That everything is right on cue
Don't you fear, the atmosphere will clear up soon.

Chorus:
I'll be singin'
Hold on
You're safe the world is never gonna catch you
Look it's the break of dawn
The sun is up, the stars are all around you

Verse 2:
It's Monday now and you can't get by
Your cheeks are soaked, the tears you've cried
You're standing there in the morning bright
Stand up tall, we can fight
To bring you home

Your toes are cold but your hands are warm
Our lives are like the changing storm
Here and now
Is all we have to help us through

Chorus:
While I sing
Hold on
You're safe the world is never gonna catch you
Look it's the break of dawn
The sun is up, the stars are all around you

Bridge:
Winds change
Colors fade
But I'll be your solid ground

The First Post about my book

My Book: Dreamwork for Actors

By: Janet Sonenberg

I find this book so interesting because it really separates what Sonenberg calls the "prepackaged cliched performance of shallowly observed behavior" from the mindful perspective on acting. In other words, it separates fake acting from constructed acting (based on past observations, memories, thoughts, and feelings). The author's main goal is to teach readers techniques that utilize dreams, psychology, and imagination. I am excited to learn these techniques because I am definite that they will help me become more aware of the characters I take on. For example, my character in Carousel is an all around evil individual overcoming horrible conflicts throughout the musical. I am having trouble finding a moment in my life where I was forced to emit extreme bitterness on another individual; however, I hope Dreamwork for Actors will give me techniques in which I can feel this character's pain and depression.

Daily Practice

HERE IS A LINK TO MY DAILY PRACTICE PAGE:

http://dougstacdailypractice.blogspot.com/

Enneagram, Core Values, Issues... woah

I'M A SIX?

SO... I get my Enneagram test result, which states, "you are most likely a type 6 or a 7." The first question that pops into my head is, "I'm closest to the devil?" I sit here wondering if this test is completely accurate or if I am mostly a 7 and have a certain number of type six traits. As I skimmed through the type 6 description, I secretly agreed with a lot of the traits. For example, I am always looking up to someone in authority, someone who I can believe in. The common characteristics I have with this type are my loyalty to friends who can prove themselves honest, the concealment of my small fears, and my hidden insecurities. However, I am not anxious often, I have never taken the dangerous physical approach to a situation, and I never feel robbed of peace in my mind. A type 7 seems to be more like me because I am open- minded, I am afraid of negative thinking, I have multiple skills, I sometimes avoid pain emitted from others, etc. I can conclude that... yes, I am often viewed as a perfect 7 on the outside, but deep down, I have the power to conceal my type 6 characteristics... that's awesome! Okay, thank you Enneagram for digging deeper!

Core Values:

1. Motivation and Influence

2. Achievement (Mastering something)

3. Dreams- Anything to do with dreams: dream analysis, dream interpretation, acting through dream analysis (what I'm currently working on)

Issues:

Judgement

The RIGHT Answer

Time

Perfectionism

Mind and Body Interaction

(Still thinking of more...)

Youth in Revolt: The Truth Behind our Teenage Persona

I've recently finished watching the film, Youth in Revolt starring Michael Cera. I must say, so much plot and meaning was packed into this simple movie. The film follows a vulnerable teenage boy who views society as a monotonous blockade, preventing him from indulging in what he constantly yearns for: freedom and self-awareness. Nick (Michael Cera) comes from a constraining home environment with his divorced mom and her abnoxious boyfriend. Moving to the country side, Nick meets an attractive young woman who lives life with confidence, wisdom, and intuition. He is very drawn to this girl probably because she makes him want to feel free-spirited and ultimatedly rebellious: the characteristics of most teenage minds. The plot takes a twist when Nick finds out that he must create a villainous alter ego in order to win the heart of this girl. With Clint Eastwood mannerisms and evil characteristics, the violent alter ego helps Nick gain confidence and battle against his insipid identity.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this what most teenagers yearn for in life? We don't want to be villainous, but we do want more out of our average lifestyle. We occasionally give into temptations in order to obtain that extra step beyond normality and average living. Isn't this what we all need: a revolt against our repetitive High School weeks and our constant teenage pressure? In reality, everyone has a rebellious side because deep down, we hate aspiring to be perfect and we hate when others block our freedom of expression or opinion. Youth in Revolt taught me to live my life peacefully without worrying about validation or the so-called "ideal lifestyle." I found that we must be independent, free-spirited, and unique to live a life worth remembering.

The character work is something in itself. Who knew the innocent Michael Cera could play such an intimidating corrupted role? I was drawn in by this new side to the actor. If sweet guiltless Michael Cera took on such a nasty character, I should be able to do the same in the spring musical, Carousel. It's not every day that your evil twin helps a great amount. Five stars, go see this movie!