A forgotten blog.
A crappy journal of entries recorded and uploaded from my Blackberry phone during the filming of Self Made.
Archive for the ‘Acting’ Category
September 13, 2011
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James.
By Ash in Acting
I like this image. If you’ve seen Self Made, you’ll recognise it from one of James’ workshop scenes.
September 13, 2011
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The Cornerhouse in conversation with Sam and Gillian.
By Ash in Acting, Art, Film, Theatre
August 22, 2011
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Self Made – Screening Dates.
By Ash in Acting, Art, Film
FULL DATES ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.
There will be a live post-screening Q&A with director Gillian Wearing and method acting coach Sam Rumbelow chaired by Cornerhouse Programme & Engagement Director Sarah Perks beamed from Manchester to all other cinemas screening the film on September 3rd.
August 17, 2011
2
Continuing the process.
By Ash in Acting, Art, Random, Unsigned
This month’s class has already been one of the best I’ve attended. An openness and unity within the group that has previously been absent has magically appeared. Whether that’s because regular class members are gaining a greater understanding of what ‘method’ is, or whether that’s down to more recent, tangible events is up for debate, but there is something more emotional and more challenging in the ether.
On the run up to the UK release of Self Made, I’ve been contacting acting agents in the hope that someone will come and see the film and consider putting me on their books. Sadly, the answer is primarily ‘No’, or – worse still – no acknowledgement at all. I understand that this is all part of industry and being an actor, yet it is also terribly demoralising. So whereas on the one hand, there are the joys of work in the studio – actually finding a place to put that practice to work has become the greatest challenge. It’s not as though I was ever ignorant enough to think this moment wouldn’t come, but it doesn’t change the feelings of rejection.
August 4, 2011
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Sam Rumbelow in The Guardian.
By Ash in Acting, Film
I have never been referred to as ‘mild-mannered’ before. Don’t think I like it.
May 27, 2011
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Hills Like White Elephants.
By Ash in Acting
And so another month of class comes to an end. The scene myself and my scene partner worked on was Hemmingway’s Hills Like White Elephants. It’s a very dry, yet rich story, but difficult to work with because it is so vague in terms of background and conclusion. There was a lot to get hold of, and both of us had to learn to let go of our conscious willing while being together in a related immediacy in order to bring life to the scene.
Last night, we managed to get the scene up to a level that affected people, but getting to that territory was challenging - as it should be. There is more work that we can do, but from where we started earlier in the class to where we ended up represented quite a shift in both our instruments. It sounds a bit wanky saying that, but that’s the terminology of the process.
Speaking of the instrument, the more training that has gone in to working with the self during technique is slowly reaping more rewards, and that can only be a good thing. I’ve another piece of film work potentially lined up, and some related good news that I won’t yet reveal.
Self Made continues its tour of the festival circuit, but will also screen at the Wimbledon Curzon next week (Tuesday, 31st May, 18.30 – Wimbledon Curzon). I’ll be joining Sam and Gillian on the Q & A panel.
Overall, it’s been a good month. I’m learning more and more about method, and how my personal methodology needs to change in order to bring about the creative moment.
May 16, 2011
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Bully.
By Ash in Acting, Art
Before Self Made was, er, made, there was a workshop at Twickenham Studios way back in December 2008. They were an intense few days. Cold too. Warehouses more look aesthetic, but they’re a bugger to heat. Gillian Wearing has taken a scene from those sessions and incorporated it into an art installation she currently has on show in NYC.
This image brought back a couple of memories.
(l-r) Sam, Farah, Jerome, Patrick, Luka, Dave, Cat, Me, Stephen.
James was choosing who would play what character in his ‘film’, so he is absent from this lineup. So, if you’ve seen Self Made, you can now see where four of the participants initially came from.
