I bet you have a favourite quote.

I do.

Here it is:

“To be normal is the ideal of the unsuccessful.” Carl Jung

What I like about it is that it succinctly expresses a very real truth.

To be super successful, you need to be abnormal.

Muhammad Ali

Jack Nicholson

Martha Stewart

Steve Jobs

Steven Spielberg

Mother Teresa

Winston Churchill

Angelina Jolie

Pablo Picasso

Einstein

This lot are not normal.

If you want to be normal you will need to be part of the crowd and the crowd will want you in your place. If you try and step out of the norm you will (more than likely) be ridiculed by the masses.

Why?

They don’t want you stepping out of line. They want you in the fold.

Here is the lesson:

The successful crave the abnormal. They look at what everyone is doing and do the opposite. By doing this they find things that others did not see or think about.

So, Carl was right and if we reverse-engineer his quote it would say this:

“To be abnormal is the ideal of the successful.”

Something to think about!

To catch up with the latest episodes on my World of Acting Show go to iTunes here.

Or on my website here.

Brian

A question I am asked mucho is ‘How do you learn lines?’

My answer.

Don’t learn lines.

Confused?

Excellent.

All is explained in this short video I made at the Studio recently.

(Ignore the blood, sweat and tears on the floor…it all belongs to my acting students!)

https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/lines/

Brian

If you have never seen the film Whiplash, then you must.

It’s about an elite student jazz band and the plight of a young student drummer (Andrew) to make it into the band and stay there.

His nemesis is a tough, no B.S. conductor called Mr. Fletcher.

Fletcher is completely uncompromising and pushes students to the point where he is pretty much deemed abusive to the students.

In one scene, he is trying to get Andrew to play the right tempo, but he isn’t getting it right. In the middle of a song Fletcher throws a chair aimed at his head, but Andrew manages to dodge it.

He asks him, “Were you rushing or were you dragging?”

He doesn’t know.

He then gets him to count the tempo out loud and slaps him hard on the face to demonstrate a rushed tempo. He asks him again, “Was I rushing or dragging?” Andrew answers, “Dragging.”

Fletcher replies, “So you do know the difference!”

Extreme, I know and I can’t agree with Fletcher’s methods but his passion to push students to a higher level is spot on.

Later in the film he gives a beautiful little speech (you can watch it here) about how the great Jazz musician Charlie Parker became a brilliant musician, after a conductor threw a cymbal at him for not playing “spot on” one evening. He then went off and practiced and practiced and practiced until he became outstanding.

The truth is, to become brilliant at anything (acting included) it takes practice, practice, practice. It’s not something that is “god given” it’s something you develop. That’s what I like about the film Whiplash. It shows that greatness is not a natural occurrence but something that is created.

So, it’s worth doing a bit of Actorlash on yourself. Get that acting whip out and give yourself a good lashing until you become brilliant.

Now, if you would like someone else to do the lashing (ahem, metaphorically speaking) then look no further.

Auditions for the Ultimate Acting Programme are on September 2nd.

https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/ultimate/

Brian

Okay, let’s talk about dating.

As a happily married man I don’t need to do this anymore, but I do remember what a nightmare and joy it can be. Nightmare when you get it wrong; great when you get it right.

So, to the subject, how do you get more and better dates?

…and what the hell is this to do with acting? I hear you ask, as a sub question in the deep recesses of your mind.

Righty ho, let’s discuss.

First dates are a bit like auditions. You want the job, but you do not need it. There is a subtle difference. When you are on a first date you want them but don’t need them. That means you can walk away at any moment without it being a big deal. There is a confidence in that. It’s very attractive. It’s very seductive.

Be authentic. No one likes a faker in life or on stage. A date wants to see the real authentic you. So do audiences, agents and casting directors. (And no one likes to see a faked performance….if you know what I mean).

Don’t give up all the goods on the first date or first audition. You want to keep them coming back for more; if they get everything on the first occasion then their interest may wane. Now, I’m not suggesting that you deliberately hold back in auditions/dates, I’m just saying that you should show them enough to get them very interested and wanting more.

When you start doing the above you start to exude a quite seductive confidence, which will lead to more people being attracted to you and getting better dates.

Talking of dates, on September 2nd I will be auditioning for the Ultimate Acting Programme…want to join me?

Yes?

Then you need to apply. I choose who I work with.

https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/ultimate/

No?

Then it probably isn’t going to work out between us.

It’s not you; it’s me.

I think I need some space for a while.

I hope we can still be friends.

I’m sure there is a really nice acting coach out there for you…somewhere.

Brian

Have you heard of Percy Carrey?

Didn’t think so.

How about Jim Carrey?

Yes, of course you do, in fact the entire world knows his name. Percy Carrey was his dad.

Jim recently spoke about his dad and how he helped him become the man he is today.

This is what he said:

“My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that was possible for him and so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant and when I was 12 years old he was let go from that safe job and our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learnt many great lessons from my father; not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

So, there you have it. I don’t think I need to say much more on this subject. Jim has said everything that needed to be said.

Before I go though, a quick question.

Do you want to take a chance and do what you really want to do?

Then click the link.

https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/ultimate/

Mañana, my friend, mañana.

Brian

Here are some performance-affecting activities to be avoided.

1. Sleeping or closing your eyes an hour or less before a show. You may not wake up or wake up just before going on. This would leave you feeling very disoriented.

2. Drinking alcohol. Not a drop must be consumed before a performance for obvious reasons. I have come across a couple of actors in my time who have said ‘oh, just the one!’ No, not one. It’s unprofessional and will affect your ability negatively.

3. Being late. This can really disorientate you. Never do it.

4. Tomfoolery with other actors should be avoided before going on as it will distract you. There are exceptions of course, for example if you are about to play a scene that requires you to be very playful.

5. Don’t mix with the audience before a performance. If you do, that can affect people’s perception of you as the character. In my opinion, it can ruin a bit of the magic for the audience. There are exceptions, for example, playing promenade.

There you have it!

Put them on your fridge door, why don’t you?

They are also useful to note if you are about to audition for the Ultimate Acting Programme on the 2nd September.

https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/ultimate/

Brian

No one wants to ruin a good performance, but it does happen.

Let’s count the ways…

1. Faking and/or forcing the performance. If an actor deliberately fakes emotional content or starts trying too hard and forces the performance…yip ruined!

2. Not knowing the lines well enough. I have actually seen actors take to the stage with what can only be described as a shaking concept of the lines. The end result….performance ruined. They end up thinking about what to say next most of the time.

3. Not doing enough research. If an actor doesn’t delve deep enough into the character and do the background research, it leads to a two dimensional characterisation….thus ruining the (you guessed it) performance.

4. Not being familiar enough with props and/or costume. I have seen many an actor completely thrown because they didn’t practice enough with a prop or even worse forgot to bring a prop on stage.

5. Being late. Nothing ruins a good performance more than turning up just before you are about to work. A flustered and disorientated actor leads to only one thing…a ruined performance.

There you have it.

Avoid them at all costs! To be fair, it’s pretty easy not to fall into these traps; just use a bit of common sense.

The next ‘’available’’ ultimate acting auditions slots are on September 2nd.

Get an audition slot while you still can. Of course, just coming to the audition doesn’t mean you will get in. You need to earn your place.

Only one way to find out!

https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/ultimate/

Brian

A former student of mine said to me the other day.
‘You know what Brian, I still feel guilty about becoming an actor. My parents wanted me to become an IT professional and I feel I have betrayed them by becoming an actor’.
Oh, how I know this story.
I have been there.
Listen, parents always have our best interests at heart but at the end of the day it’s your life.
I had to have this chat with my parents once upon a time and I said to them ‘Do you want me to be a banker or do you want me to be happy?’
Interesting reframe don’t you think? What parent would want you to be unhappy?
I have to say that once I made the leap, I never felt guilty. I was too busy being happy. I know it sounds like a cliché, but it’s true.
Sometimes, people feel guilty just contemplating it. They say ‘God, if my parents knew what I was thinking of doing they would kill me!’
They won’t.
The worst is that they would disown you…only joking…kind of…depends on the parents.
Usually, there is concern then there is acceptance.
Remember it’s YOUR life and as far as we know you only get one shot at it. Why live it doing something someone else wants you to do? That’s like living the life of someone else.
There should be no guilt in living the life that you want to live, mon ami.
Which reminds me. If you haven’t got my book yet – The Ultimate Guide to Method Acting – then now is the time.
https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/the-ultimate-guide-to-method-acting/
Brian

Acting is not for everyone.

And if truth be told, there are some benefits to not being an actor.

Here they are:

1. You won’t have to feel afraid just before you step on stage or on set to perform in front of hundreds/thousands/millions of people.

2. You won’t feel rejection that much, as you won’t be auditioning for TV/Film and Theatre roles.

3. You won’t be meeting as many new people as an actor does. So, you can keep your circle of friends and colleagues small.

4. You can develop daily, weekly, monthly routines that will never change because you won’t be going here, there and everywhere working in different locations as an actor.

5. If you live long enough, you will retire and do the things you wanted to do when you were young. As an actor, you never retire. Not because you can’t but because you would never dream of stopping doing the thing you love.

So, there you have it.

I guess there are some benefits to not being an actor but to an actor they don’t look like benefits.

They look like hell.

Now, to help you if you really want to be an actor, you should join my Actors Inner Circle. I am opening the doors this month for new members.

Go see, mon ami.

https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/actors-inner-circle/

Brian

This is a true story.
Natalie’s dad knew this guy who went to fight in the Second World War.
When he turned up for his first day they asked what he did for a living.
He said he was a tiller.
Somehow the guy asking the question misheard the reply and thought he said he was a tailor.
So, they put him to work making uniforms and army clothing for the soldiers.
What a mess he made…trousers were at half-mast and shirts had different size sleeves. It was a sight to behold, apparently.
This is what happens when you are not trained to do the job. He was probably a very good tiller, but he knew nothing about being a tailor.
The fact that he didn’t point out the mistake tells me he fancied the job and probably thought he could do it, after all, how hard can it be to make a few trousers and shirts?
This is what I hear a lot from certain aspiring actors.
I ask, ‘Have you ever acted before?’
They say, ‘Of course, I’ve been acting my whole life. I’m a natural born actor’.
No such thing, my friend. It’s a trade like any other. If you have learned the trade, you can do the job; if not, you will make a hash of it.
Simples.
Which brings me nicely onto you know what – Boot Camp!
Are you finally going to learn the trade or are you going to busk it?
https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/bootcamp/
Brian