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You Know What They Say About Assumptions, Right?…

In this Masterclass lecture, we open class by discussing the crucial nature of accountability in our line of work. Accountability is a scary thing to face when you really think about it. It really asks us to look at where we are in our artistic pursuit, and come to terms with if we are really giving our work the all that this industry demands. Especially when the “payoff” does not come right away. And it is something that seems to not be very much part of the curriculum these days while learning and exercising the craft! Yikes! That is a huge mistake! They go hand in hand. They are dependentupon each other. This can be taken for granted especially if the actor does not have, at this moment, the opportunity to be doing this kind of work full time. It is easy to allow oneself to use the terms, “I will do it a little later...” or “I’m tired…I’m beat… I’ll take care of it tomorrow…” or just waiting for someone else out there to do the work. Or, that “big dream” of simply waiting for that one in a million chance of “being discovered“. Come on…NO!!! Find a different career if that is your mentality. Do something much easier…less heartbreaking. We have to wake up and get out of this present-day “tomorrow” mentality! We only have now! We have to get out of our own way and show up to the plate! In other words, to be quite blunt, stop making excuses! If you really want things to pay off, if you really want a shot at this, you have to work your butt off for it. You have to exercise every muscle possible…personally, artistically and professionally…so it is all there supporting you in all areas of your career path. And you have to remember that THIS IS A BUSINESS! And I think it is safe to say it is not a very forgiving business when it comes to lack of accountability, professionalism, and responsibility. The actor, or any artist for that matter, has to be the CEO of his, her or their own corporation. You have to be your own boss and you have to hold yourself accountable for what is necessary for your business to succeed because YOU ARE YOUR BUSINESS! In other words, do not get complacent. Do not get comfortable. And, dear God, do not get lazy! Have professional and artistic standards and hold yourself to them! You must remember that this type of work is deeply hungered and craved by an enormous amount of artists who dearly love this art form. So it cannot be overlooked that for every person that is not willing to do all the necessary work and hold himself, herself or themselves accountable, there is someone out there who most definitely will… and then work ten times as hard for it. Why? Because he, she or they REALLY want it. The professional, no matter what career one is pursuing, needs to hold themselves to that same standard that they would expect if someone was working for them to allow for success. That means continually exercising that professional muscle in all areas, with complete fullness and specificity, so there is nothing logistically, professionally, or artistically that can stand in your way to succeed. So…Your health will always be number one (and that comes in many forms which you obviously have to navigate for yourself)! But then be sure to always communicate. Answer professional calls. Respond to professional texts and emails. Show up on time (which really means show up early). Keep exercising your craft. Do the work. All of it. Do not allow professional gaps to be the thing that stand in your way of your success. Because I can promise you, in the blink of an eye, someone else will be there waiting to do what you have allowed to pass you by. And, don’t forget, word and reputation travel fast in this business. So be mindful! And care! Lastly, we bring the lecture to a close with a review of really understanding how to break down the material, WITHOUT ASSUMPTIONS, and then really diving into formulating the spine in order to fully reveal the character that a writer has created. And then going that much deeper by using this very very important question (which happens to be a very potent single word) about behavior, triggers, reactions, and the human conditon…And that word is: “WHY?” Keep asking yourself “WHY” as you work on finding and discovering the character. The more you ask “WHY“,  the deeper your understanding of the character grows, and the deeper you can find that within you! So give it your all! And enjoy giving it your all. Nurture your career…your work…your art, with the same love and care that it truly deserves.
I hope you enjoy this lecture!
Much love,
Mario

#MarioCampanaro

▫️ TAG ▫️SHARE ▫️COMMENT ⚪️For more information on Mario Campanaro For The Actor & MC²=Mario Campanaro’s Masterclass, please contact our administrative department at assistant.MC2@gmail.com or visit us at www.MarioCampanaro.com


Growing Pains…Awareness…Sweat Equity…The “Dream” Breakdown…

In this Masterclass lecture, we have a heart to heart discussion about the inevitable growing pains the actor faces along his, her or their artistic journey. Let’s face it, to do this type of work, and to do it with the level of truth and artistic integrity that this work demands, it is going to ask the actor to look at, examine, feel, explore and then reveal (from his, her or their very being) certain aspects of the human condition that maybe a non-actor may not have to or be keen on experiencing. It is all the trials and tribulations and all the discomfort those obstacles cause, that are the very stimulus to a greater understanding of life and expansion as artists, and quite frankly, as human beings. All that “stuff” keys us into a greater and more compassionate comprehension of the human condition so it can then be revealed with integrity and truth within the work. In order for us to do this, we have to continually work on a greater awareness within our lives to avoid sleepwalking through our everyday. We have to be willing to take things in. We have to be willing to take our-self, our patterns, our feelings and our own behavior in. We have to observe things. We have to do our best to see the story behind all actions and why they occur. We have to care! Our awareness spotlights how we can make more informed choices that contribute to our greatest and highest good as well as the fulfillment of all our artistic endeavors. And a lot of the time this is going to be very inconvenient, difficult, tedious and maybe even heart-wrenching work without immediate payoff. But the more the actor stays on track, the more the actor continues persevere, the more the actor continues to align, refine and cultivate his, her or their craft, the more the payoff will come when that moment(s) is meant to come to fruition. It is about trusting the process. It is about respecting the process. And it is about holding oneself accountable within and throughout the process. As we look at all this through a microscope, we can see that art mirrors life. We can see that very structure in the craft itself as we breakdown the journey to fulfilling the actor’s dream. And by understanding that breakdown from a very personal level, we can then see, feel, understand and execute how we can breakdown the character’s journey to doing all he, she or they can to fulfill his, her or their greatest dream as indicated by the text.
I hope you enjoy this lecture!
Much love,
Mario

#MarioCampanaro

▫️ TAG ▫️SHARE ▫️COMMENT ⚪️For more information on Mario Campanaro For The Actor & MC²=Mario Campanaro’s Masterclass, please contact our administrative department at assistant.MC2@gmail.com or visit us at www.MarioCampanaro.com


When You’re Learning The Facts Of Life…

In this Masterclass lecture, we discuss the importance of certain tools that the actor has to help him, her or them dive deep into what motivates and drives the character throughout a given text. Just as a ballet dancer needs to know all the technicalities to do a thousand faute turns and do them so they seem effortless, the actor also needs to have a set of tools supporting him, her or them to do the work. There is no shame in the actor, or any artist for that matter, needing and utilizing tools that will help physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually during the creative process. This is what makes an actor an incredible craftsman or craftswoman. It is the difference between an actor making choices that have nothing to do with the text, and an actor that makes choices that have everything to do with the text. It is also the difference between an actor going into an audition and living the writer’s work, and an actor going into the room and rewriting the writer’s work by making uninformed choices. If the actor truly wants to live in the unknown of moment, he, she or they have to be aware of what is known to do just that. This is what actually creates freedom for the actor in the space. He, she or they have to be so connected to the life essentials of the character so that he, she or they are able to freely live moment to moment based on what is driving the character forward. This is why it is so important for the actor to be able to identify, understandand connect to the unwavering uninterpreted facts as laid out in the text. These facts, otherwise known as the given circumstances may sound very elementary to some, but truth be told, the givens are the very foundation or skeleton, if you will, to the life of a character as specified by the writer. And it takes a very skilled detective to really identify all the givens, especially the most subtle of facts that can easily be skimmed over that influence the full creation of character. Once the actor is able to identify all these essentials he, she or they can then begin to understand and formulate what is the driving force, life goal, and overall dream of the character that specifies all action, motivation, and yes, even listening, throughout the arc of the entire piece. This, otherwise known as the spine, super-objective, or overall throughline is there to guide, support, specify and most importantly stimulate the actor and all his, her or their senses to live fully the life of the character. Once all this is identified, the actor then has the creative opportunity and responsibility to now bring his, her or theirinterpretation based on those facts alive using the totality of his, her or their instrument. And that is when the next chapter of the creatiive magic really starts to happen!
I hope you enjoy this lecture!

#MarioCampanaro

▫️ TAG ▫️SHARE ▫️COMMENT ⚪️For more information on Mario Campanaro For The Actor & MC²=Mario Campanaro’s Masterclass, please contact our administrative department at assistant.MC2@gmail.com or visit us at www.MarioCampanaro.com