THE YEAR TO COME....

2012... it's the end of the mayan calendar, right?

so.. it's the end of the end.. and yet I feel like 2012 is just the beginning for me.. I'm sitting down and becoming more focused. I have goals written out and a purpose to pursue that puts me back in L.A. in two years.

I've had some great experiences this year through photo-shoots and a few acting gigs. I'll be posting more work up on my projects page of www.tyenelson.com before the year is over, and as always I'll keep my TYE NELSON OFFICIAL up to date as well.

...lets see if I can keep my blog up to date as well.. maybe I'll get more followers. :)

Happy Holidays!

"AUDITION"

... just a small update...

Aside from the classes I've been taking. I've been reading a book: "Audition" by Michael Shurtleff. In fact, I started a little group on facebook to have discussions about what we have learned, or taken from readings each week.

I've never had a knack for reading a lot, I never really learned how to study. When I read I have a hard time sitting down and focusing or I end up becoming tired and I fall asleep. Which is a shame because when I get through a book, I enjoy either what I have learned or the adventure my mind has taken. This is a battle I struggle with and am making efforts to overcome in my journey of exploration and healing.

As I read "Audition" two things occur to me. One, of course, is what I as an actor, should have prepared for an audition. ( side note here: it's funny I'm reading a book entitled "audition" and yet I don't want to call the "meetings" I go to "auditions". My friend, Glenn Morshower, has spoken a truth to me that it is the frame of mind that helps you succeed. By going to a Meeting, it's less about proving yourself, it's more about the exploration of character and communicating with the other people in the room about that character, and how that character fits in the big picture.. the picture that really matters.. the story!)

The second thing that I'm learning is how the information effects me: things that I may glance over because they seem intuitive, or things that I highlight because I want to go back and reread them, more importantly things that I stop on and ponder because they touch a part of me that resonates with my being and helps me understand myself and what I value.

WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST YEAR?

Interesting it’s taken a year for me to post again, have I been too busy? Probably not, but my blog has honestly not been my top priority this past year.

PHOTO-SHOOTS

The past year has mostly been comprised of building a portfolio from photo-shoots. My agency (Talent Management Group), was wanting to submit me on auditions that required a portfolio and I had never done any “modeling” , so I went to work on putting something together, reaching out to local photographers who needed talent either for their portfolios, or projects they were putting together. I’m very happy where my portfolio currently is, and I believe I have the material to put together a comp card and to go into auditions professionally representing myself and my agency.

Please check back soon in my PROJECTS section and GALLERY section at www.tyenelson.com for updates.

While I’m plugging things if you’re a facebooker please “like” my OFFICIAL page.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/TYE-NELSON-OFFICIAL/110982352280768

CLASSES

I’m now a year and a half into a Meisner class that I had formed with a few other “guides”. Not knowing what to expect, so far, it’s been an interesting journey. Taking the lead from my good friend Charlie Halford, the class was something I felt that I needed, and that would also be beneficial to the local acting community. I have to say that I’ve become a better actor from delving into the Meisner technique. The class is structured to follow workbooks written by a former student of Sanford Meisner: Larry Silverberg. For me the class has become a foundation to build upon. In my opinion the technique strengthens your core, its principles are to keep you from acting and to “bring life into imaginary circumstances.”

By early next year, we will have finished the fourth workbook, and started a new session. It’s a two-year course, in which I feel we are staying pretty true to. I’m intending on touching base with Larry in an effort to have him feel us out… to see what we’ve done right, and what he believes we can improve upon.

As well…

I just recently started another class, an audition workshop, called “Practicing The Profession”. This class gives talent the opportunity to work out auditions and be seen by working industry professionals. I’m lucky enough to be in the position to have experience both in front of and behind the camera in the auditioning room, that added with professional feedback from “Directors” is what I believe will make this class work.

FILM

The most recent project I worked on was a short film called “HOOAH”… We wrapped the principle photography early summer, it’s currently in editing and I have an ADR session this week. My guess is that it will be open to public consumption very shortly.

I’ll include links to HOOAH on my PROJECTS page as soon as I have them.

VACATION

Here, you’re probably thinking I’m all work, but I did take a bit of vacation and took my first trip to London. It was a quick 7- day trip, and while it was fun, I found after I got back I still have so much more to see. I’m hoping to schedule another trip within a year. … of course, as luck would have it one of my friends from the states who also dabbles with photography was in London when I took my trip. We scheduled a photo-shoot and are now working on selecting our best shots for print.

WHAT’S TO COME

It’s been an exciting year, and I’ll be putting more of an effort to update my blog more often. In the meantime… While I’ve done so much, here’s what I need to be doing:

What I haven’t been doing is writing. I may end up regretting this, but if you are talking with me, whether if it be in passing, catching up, business or personal – ask me how my writing is coming.

CASTING DIRECTOR: from the eyes of an actor.

The month of July was extremely busy. I’ve taken on my first official Casting Director role. Character Breakdowns; Pulling Sides; Deal Memo’s; Day out of Days; Bookings; LA trip; … and yet there is still so much for me to learn.

This experience has also taught me the value of preproduction and the necessity of preparation. It’s been humbling to see how professional the crew and cast treat their work and it makes me admire the life of the working actor even more.

As an actor we are trained to have the responsibility to tell a story, to live truthfully in imaginary circumstances – (thanks sandy!)… but, there is a great weight put on an actor, not to mention, the director or even a Production Assistant. Even on the lowest of budgets for any set, hundreds if not thousands of dollars are being spent every day. Every moment counts. It’s the professional that realizes this. It’s the professional that comes prepared. It’s the professional that I admire and motivate myself to emulate. It really is humbling to experience first hand how much more there is that I have to learn.

News Update (06/01/2010)

The site is up and running. Please email me and let me know what you think!