FilmmakerIQ.com » Acting

I Know That Voice!

John P. Hess — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:14:09 +0000

The names may not be recognizable, but their voices are household staples. Even in an era where Animation studios are trying to insure their films with A-List celebrities as voice actors, there’s something unique and wonderful about those behind-the-scene actors who really elevated voice acting to another level. “I Know That Voice” explores their work including appearances by Billy West, John Di Maggio, Tara Strong, and June Foray.

SAG and AFTRA merge to become one Über-Union

John P. Hess — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 20:17:57 +0000

The vote is in – members of the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) voted overwhelmingly to combine creating the largest Hollywood entertainment union.

After two failed attempts and 80 years of on-and-off efforts, the members of SAG and AFTRA have voted to merge. The new organization, called SAG-AFTRA, was born Friday afternoon.

The crowd at SAG headquarters in Los Angeles broke into song after the announcement, singing, “We have overcome.”

The vote among SAG members was 82 percent in favor – a stunningly high number — and among AFTRA members, it was 86 percent in favor. Sixty percent approval by each union was required. The newly titled SAG-AFTRA national co-presidents Ken Howard and Roberta Reardon announced the results to loud cheers at 1:35 p.m. PT.

“With this historic vote, members of both unions have affirmed one of the most basic principles of unionism: Together we are stronger,” Howard said. “This merger, the result of months – really years – of planning, brings together the best elements of both unions and positions us well to thrive in the changing 21st-century media landscape.”

The Hollywood Reporter | Read the Full Article

In an resounding show of support, SAG members voted 82% in favor of the merger, while AFTRA members voted 86% in favor. That was well above the 60% threshold needed for the combination to take effect.

SAG represents 125,000 actors, extras and stunt performers in movies and television shows. AFTRA has about 70,000 members who are actors as well as singers, dancers, disc jockeys, sports announcers, comedians and broadcast journalists, among others. About 40,000 people hold membership in both labor groups.

The historic vote comes nearly two years after union leaders began discussions to merge in a bid to gain more leverage in contract negotiations with studios and to end a long history of jurisdictional disputes and feuding over negotiating strategy.

LA Times | Read the Full Article

Various Opinions:

Michael Caine on “Acting in Film”

John P. Hess — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:32:57 +0000

In 1987, as part of a British series on acting, Michael Caine conducted a Workshop where he teaches the art of movie acting to five young actors, who perform scenes from Alfie, Deathtrap and Educating Rita.

From Imdb:

Michael Caine talks about how to perform in close-ups and extreme close-ups. He warns about the continuity dangers of smoking cigarettes or fiddling with props. He talks about screen tests, special effects men who are cavalier about your safety and speaking to someone who is off camera. The movie camera is your best friend and most attentive lover, he says, even though you invariably ignore her. The art of movie acting can be summed up in one word: relax!

Andy Warhol’s Bob Dylan Screen Test (1966)

Dennis — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 07:54:46 +0000

Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests were filmed from early 1964 – November 1966. Although the short films became known as Screen Tests, they were originally conceived as film portraits – portraits done on film rather than canvas.

Acting: 101

Dennis — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 04:11:44 +0000

Acting, whether it’s for a big budget movie or your friends weekend project can be a daunting task, mostly though it’s fun. Here’s a quick intro to some acting basics by the Vimeo Video School.

“Hollywood Extra Girl” 1935 Documentary on Central Casting with Cecil B. DeMille

Dennis — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 06:31:19 +0000

“Hollywood Extra Girl” was a 1938 semi-documentary that shows how Extra Girl #1472, Suzanne Emery, reports to Central Casting one day for DeMille’s “The Crusades”. Among footage of the making of the film, she gets her chance for fleeting fame.

All Hail the Character Actors

John P. Hess — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:57:33 +0000

You may not know them by name, but you’ve seen them in countless movies. Vanity Fair profiles 14 character actors from film and TV.

Click on the picture below to see the full article

Working as an Extra on Game of Thrones

Dennis — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:29:08 +0000

Go behind the scenes of working as an extra on Game of Thrones in this video created by HBO to promote their season 2 premiere on April 1st.

Dr. Strangelove sings The Beatles “She Loves You”

Dennis — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:30:05 +0000

In the mid 60s, Peter Sellers recorded The Beatles’ “She Loves You” in the voice of Dr. Strangelove along with other voices. The recordings were all released after his death in the early 80s and the albums are no longer in circulation.

Other versions of the song by Sellers:

Before They Were Famous: 25 Actors in 3 Minutes

Dennis — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:55:28 +0000

This embarrassing pre-fame footage of 25 celebs was edited together by YouTube user pleatedjeans. It includes Angelina Jolie, Jim Carrey, Ryan Gosling, Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogan, Natalie Portman, Jack Black, Joseph-Gordon Levitt and more.