In this episode, Kelley discusses what you need to do in a slate and do it correctly for an audition. A slate is a basic introduction before you submit your sides or monologue to a casting director or agent. It helps them see who you are before you delve into your character. Mostly, they want to see that you are easy to work with. Here is some of the essential information you need to include, but check with the specifications in the email or casting instructions to make sure you're incl...
In this episode, Kelley discusses the fine art of pitch decks for authors, screenwriters, and filmmakers. She looks at the basic structure of about 12 to 15 slides that can be in Google Slides or PowerPoint which includes:Cover ArtLoglineComps - other works that you can compare it to. Character Descriptions - only for your to 6 to 7 charactersSynopsis of the plot - one page or slide.The inspiration for the projectThe Tone - what visuals to use. The marketing potential - Who is your ...
In this episode, Max talks about how he left art school to pursue acting and how much he learned in the process. At one point, he was in the best and worst productions he'd ever been in. He's looking back at his history to plan for the future which is a great exercise for anyone, no matter your age. For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Li...
This week, Kelley talks about using AI to help you cut down on your writing time, whether it's helping you write a synopsis based on your Save the Cat Beat sheet, crafting a logline, or doing research for your pitch deck. What AI doesn't do well is writing comedy, and we discuss that, too. Here are some of the AI resources that Kelley talks about:Claude AI is good for doing literary research and asking about characters or authors or creating loglines, but not comedy.ChatGPT is good for c...
This week, Max and Kelley talk about their creative journey through writing, with Max's being mostly in poetry and writing a blog for a year and Kelley's journey with writing scripts, short stories, and novels. Max also talks about a time in the early 90s when a short film that he wrote and produced called The Red and the Black was banned in New Zealand. Kelley talks about learning from Table Reads for her work and those of others like Brandon Winget. She also talks about how read...
This week, Kelley and Max discuss the documentary series Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV from the perspective of acting coaches and people who have also faced sexual assault. They discuss how important it is to listen to your gut instinct and how their experiences have helped them help others. Please note that this episode discusses sexual assault. It's not an easy topic, but it needs to be discussed because toxic and manipulative people exist beyond TV and movie ...
Max and Kelley discuss the importance of creativity and how it affects your brain when you do or try something new. They also discuss some of the scientific findings and a podcast by Dr. David Eagleman called The Inner Cosmos. Max also talks about different problem-solving approaches, such as the SWOT analysis, Business War Games, and Brain Storming and Brain Writing. We also discuss how important it is to seek out new adventures and skills and how your brain lights up like fireworks on...
Join Max and Kelley as they discuss why someone like Max might need to step away from acting for a few decades. In the interim, he found a new love of writing poetry, cooking as a chef, and expanding his painting ability. Kelley talks about leaving an improv company after some bad experiences and finding the love of her life (spoiler alert - it's Max). Thanks and have a great week. For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always fi...
This week, Kelley and Max explore how to act like a private detective when you're creating or playing a character. They explore the process of researching a character's motivation by pretending that you were hired to follow the character around. They delve into various aspects, such as how the character would cross the street, how they would perform household chores, or how they would get ready for work.Kelley and Max also discuss a play they did for Florida International University (FIU) cal...
This week, Max and Kelley discuss the importance of meditating and reflecting on your art and what creativity you can accomplish. We discuss different meditation techniques, including Yoga Nidra it is considered sleep yoga, non-sleep deep rest,, and it's meant to reset your nervous system. If you want to check out some of the practitioners, here are a few that Max suggests:Ayla Nova - Yoga Nidra - here is a link to a YouTube intro video.Ally Boothroyd - here is a link to a 10-minute YouTube v...
This week, Kelley and Max look at the person who has influenced Kelley's acting journey the most: Viola Spolin. Viola Spolin was an actress, educator, director, author, and the creator of theater games, a system of actor training that uses games she devised to teach the formal rules of the Theater organically. Her groundbreaking book Improvisation for the Theater transformed American theater and revolutionized how acting is taught. Here is a link to the website. Her son, Paul Sills, fou...
Join Max and Kelley as we look at iconic character descriptions in screenplays from Rick Blaine in Casablanca to Annie Wilkes in Misery to Apollo Creed in Rocky and Rose Maxson in Fences, and many other characters in between. We discuss the impact these characters had in their films and why writing good descriptions is vital for both the actor and the writer. You get to hear the actual description as it was in the script and how an actor would interpret that character. For more on ...
Max and Kelley discuss the importance of Set Etiquette whether you're on stage or on a TV or Movie set. They use personal examples of the do's and dont's such as:Do be kind and show good manners. Don't ask for a selfie with a lead. Do be on time. Don't try to manifest by telling a lead you will be their co-star one day. (Yes, we saw that happen)We also talk about how being professional and nice to the Assistant Directors and Production Assistants might land you in a scene with ...
This week, Max and Kelley interview fellow podcaster and the person who gave us great advice on starting our own show, Hersh from HERshyt Show. She's a retired combat veteran and also a FEMA hero who helps people and families get the help they need during a disaster. One huge suggestion, keep an inventory of what you have in your home and put special documents in safe place, either a fire proof box or safe deposit box or have big receipts scanned and kept in the cloud. She gives great a...
Max is flying solo in this episode as he talks about doing something he's always wanted to do - voice-over work. He'll take you through his journey and even cold read a few scripts from Edge Studio, which specializes in voice-overs and has a library of over 6,500 free voice-over commercial scripts, narration, and animation. It's a great place to practice your voice-over skills. Here's the link to the Edge Studio script library so you can try it out for yourself. For more on C...
This week, Kelley and Max interview their student, Brandon Winget and talk about the acting and writing process. Brandon recently played Keith the Ghost on When a Bell Rings as well as also doing work with Brett Newton of LA Reels for a short film as well. We also put Brandon in the Hot seat and ask him probing question like his favorite sandwich, favorite action movie and we learn more about the love of his life, his wife, Jessie who he met in high school. Join us as we learn more about...
Kelley is flying solo this week and talks about how to make a resolution to allow yourself to be more creative and not block ideas that might some when you're working on another project. It's those creative detours that can often produce amazing results because you didn't plan them. We're also looking at having guests on to discuss their creative process and how they get to where they're going. For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can a...
This is our homage to It's a Wonderful Life. A ghost hunter whose life seems to be in decline learns what the world would be like without him with the help of a fallen angel and a ghost on a fateful Christmas Eve. We have a wonderful cast of voice actors, including: Mezi Mulugeta as Em Dean Atkinson as Jack BronsonBrandon Winget as Keith the Ghost Shiyla Gantt as Jack's Mom, AngelaJustin Deen as Jack's Father, Ted BronsonChiron Broderick as DaveLiz Ireland as Jack's...
This week's special guest is Queen Evi who talks about a wide range of subjects from first loves, how to govern, and favorite sandwiches. She talks about her kingdom and how to teach her daughters how to stand in their power. It's also a good way to explore any characters by asking them questions and then answering as that character. The questions include: Who was your first love?Favorite foods as a child. What do you regret? How would you like to be remembered? ...
Max and Kelley discuss a long-lost performance piece Max wrote over twenty-five years ago when we first moved to Atlanta. The piece examines our inner voice and how important it is to give grace to ourselves even if things are not going as well as we hoped. He found it recently and wanted to perform it for our podcast audience for the first time. We also talked about our history of doing radio theater, including for a public radio station, WLRN in Miami, where we performed o...