Catching up
I've been neglecting my journal. Keeping pretty busy. The Exchange Theatre show opens this Thursday, we're getting to the final stages of the Meisner Progression, and I've still got my full time day job to tend to. I love having a full calendar. It never ceases to surprise me, when I look at the emptiness I had over four years ago. It wasn't totally wasted, I read a lot, to the point where I supplied proof refuting the adage, "You can never have too much of a good thing." As I was changing my mode of living I realized that when I got the blues, getting busy always made it better, often getting myself totally out of the dumps.
Now I am looking forward to some time off. No guilt, just anticipation. And likely lots of journaling as I contemplate where I want to go with all this wonderful training I have gotten from the Meisner Progression.
I stopped my musings to go make a pot of coffee. Being a nice fellow I gave the counter around the machine a nice wipe. I somehow managed to catch my right thumb on the stainless steel lip on the front. It is not sharp, in fact it is the rounded edge of stout sheet metal that has been folded in half. I peeled the right 25% or so of the thumbnail all the way to the root. I didn't realize it at first, thinking it was just a typical tear to the corner of the nail. Then I noticed the base of the nail was no longer under the quick, but on top of it. A similar sensation to an earthquake or seeing a toe pointing straight out to the side after breaking it. That queasy, feeling of something unnatural, even though it is not really frightening or intensely painful yet. Luckily this hurt less than a broken toe, and should heal up more quickly.
It is starting to throb, and I am trying to teach myself to use my left thumb for the space bar. Harder than I thought. I normally type pretty quickly, but this thumb switch is constantly breaking the rhythm. It is slowly working it's way into a new habit. I reality I suppose I am adjusting pretty quickly, but that doesn't ameliorate my impatience.
Saturday was especially busy. I woke up early for me, to meet my Meisner scene partner for a 9-11AM rehearsal. I was more happy with our progress than Trina. Then off to Rachel's Open Rehearsal. Rachel was one of my instructors when I was taking classes at Bellevue Community College's Continuing Education program. I took her classes numerous times, as they were rehearsal/performance classes and I kept learning more. I agreed to run the video camera. I have done this a number of times for people and never got any feedback. I split my attention between the camera and the show trying to anticipate the action and focus at any given moment, and try to zoom in, zoom out, and pan smoothly, keeping the person I am focused on in the same spot for zooms. I tried similar things with the pans, especially when panning and zooming concurrently. I also tried to capture individual moments. Basically the stuff I want to see as an actor, AD, TD, writer, etc. It can be fun, and I have wished for three things. A heavy sturdy tripod to prevent jiggling, an analog wheel or lever to control the zoom. A spring loaded toggle doesn't allow much smoothness or fine control on the zoom. Thirdly, I've wanted feedback.
This time, I got my most important wish. Rachel was very, very pleased with my camera work saying it was the best she's seen in six years of doing the class. Very neat.
Now I am looking forward to some time off. No guilt, just anticipation. And likely lots of journaling as I contemplate where I want to go with all this wonderful training I have gotten from the Meisner Progression.
I stopped my musings to go make a pot of coffee. Being a nice fellow I gave the counter around the machine a nice wipe. I somehow managed to catch my right thumb on the stainless steel lip on the front. It is not sharp, in fact it is the rounded edge of stout sheet metal that has been folded in half. I peeled the right 25% or so of the thumbnail all the way to the root. I didn't realize it at first, thinking it was just a typical tear to the corner of the nail. Then I noticed the base of the nail was no longer under the quick, but on top of it. A similar sensation to an earthquake or seeing a toe pointing straight out to the side after breaking it. That queasy, feeling of something unnatural, even though it is not really frightening or intensely painful yet. Luckily this hurt less than a broken toe, and should heal up more quickly.
It is starting to throb, and I am trying to teach myself to use my left thumb for the space bar. Harder than I thought. I normally type pretty quickly, but this thumb switch is constantly breaking the rhythm. It is slowly working it's way into a new habit. I reality I suppose I am adjusting pretty quickly, but that doesn't ameliorate my impatience.
Saturday was especially busy. I woke up early for me, to meet my Meisner scene partner for a 9-11AM rehearsal. I was more happy with our progress than Trina. Then off to Rachel's Open Rehearsal. Rachel was one of my instructors when I was taking classes at Bellevue Community College's Continuing Education program. I took her classes numerous times, as they were rehearsal/performance classes and I kept learning more. I agreed to run the video camera. I have done this a number of times for people and never got any feedback. I split my attention between the camera and the show trying to anticipate the action and focus at any given moment, and try to zoom in, zoom out, and pan smoothly, keeping the person I am focused on in the same spot for zooms. I tried similar things with the pans, especially when panning and zooming concurrently. I also tried to capture individual moments. Basically the stuff I want to see as an actor, AD, TD, writer, etc. It can be fun, and I have wished for three things. A heavy sturdy tripod to prevent jiggling, an analog wheel or lever to control the zoom. A spring loaded toggle doesn't allow much smoothness or fine control on the zoom. Thirdly, I've wanted feedback.
This time, I got my most important wish. Rachel was very, very pleased with my camera work saying it was the best she's seen in six years of doing the class. Very neat.
1 Comments:
My first two plays, Julius Caesar and Medea, were photographed by a friend who had been a television director for 14 years. She has a phenomenal eye and instinct fot theatre. Her photos looked extra clear, beautifully framed, and each one was a moment.
Your video is the first footage of my work that has had the same quality as her stills. For the same reason -- it's someone with a profound instinct and love for theatre, seeing with an eye that has been trained for years.
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