1 New Thoughts For Actors by Jack Plotnick September 5th, 2015 website: www.JackPlotnick.com email: [email protected] 2 CONTENTS Section 1: THE POWER OF THOUGHT Actor Affirmations 3 The Vulture/Ego 5 The Journey To Self-Awareness 10 Focus On The Positive 13 About Your Higher Power 14 A Higher Plan 15 Section 2: TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF What Is Your Job 18 When Someone Doesn’t Like You 21 Finding Your Inner Child 23 If It’s Hysterical, It’s Historical 25 About Depression 27 Section 3: SECRETS TO SUCCESS Needing The Job 30 Want Vs. Need 31 How To Build A Career 33 Let The Universe Control 36 Story Of The Caterpillar 39 Tenacity 41 Wish Everyone White Light 43 Section 4: APPROACHING YOUR ART The Student/Soldier 45 Be A Selfish Actor 48 There’s No Such Thing As ‘Nervous’ 53 The ‘Real’ Actor 55 The Director-Proof Actor 58 You Are The Character 59 Acting ‘Straight’ 63 Focus On The Meaning Of The Lines 66 Scene Comprehension 68 The Definition Of ‘Acting’ 73 The Secret To Acting 77 Acting ‘Technique’ 80 The Trap Of Making It ‘Real’ 84 The Shortcut To Selfishness 87 Section 5: THE PERFORMANCE Issues With Lines 95 Thoughts Vs. Words 105 Take It From Where You Are 107 Acting In A Drama 111 Put The Circumstances In Your Stomach 117 There Is Only One Kind Of Acting 120 Magic Blank Spaces 126 Approach The Scene As If It Were An Improv 128 Preparing For An Audition 131 The Emotional Audition 143 Movement In Auditions 148 Lean Back, Look Up 153 At The Audition 155 There is No Such Thing as Failure 159 3 Section 1: THE POWER OF THOUGHT ACTOR AFFIRMATIONS My personal favorites for right before an audition or performance:
· I release and destroy my need to get this job.
· I am going to take it from where I am. However I’m feeling and however prepared I am is a fine place to begin this scene.
· I release and destroy my need to control this scene. I know that I am not strong enough to control it, and therefore ask my higher power to lovingly guide me through it.
· I am going to approach this scene as if it’s the ninth take (like an improv).
· I release and destroy my need to be an “Actor”. Let the other people here be the “Actors” and have all the responsibilities that come with it. I am just here to be myself and enjoy playing in the circumstances.
· (For Comedy) I release and destroy my need to be funny. I am just here to tickle myself with my own genuine human behavior.
· (For Drama) I release and destroy my need to make choices, but more importantly I will allow choices to happen to me.
· I release and destroy my need to impress them. I give myself permission to hate them. Fuck them.
Daily affirmations:
· I am grateful for all the good in my life. I am worthy of all the good in my life.
· All is well in my world. I am one with the universe and have more than I need.
· I am relaxed, trusting in a higher plan that is unfolding for me.
· I release and destroy my attachment to results. I am here to enjoy the journey.