Inception - Movie is a roller coaster of dreams..Wake up or not.

This film is about dreams and so far I have yet to watch the film, but will go and see it soon but check out the official trailer. It is incredible combined with the special effects is sheer brilliance.

The cast are good too but it's the acting by Leonardo Dicaprio seen in the trailer that really shows he is the leading man.  The next time you go to sleep who knows what could happen.

Do our dreams reveal truths of our existence and are there any messages in them? Everyone has an opinion. I believe there may be something in this but who knows.

Twilight Films are a great modern look at The Vampire Phenomenon.

Yes, before you ask, I absolutely think the Twilight Films are brilliant from the perspective Vampires in the traditional sense are integrating with society is a great modern take which works. Growing up watching films, from the 80s and 90s especially films of this genre; including Lost Boys and Interview wth a vampire were such epic cult classics and brilliant and some 'may say' ahead of their time. But, with all films there must be another shift and another level of creativity coming out of the Film Industry. And, here we have it. Twilight.

The next addition  of 'Twiilight' comes to our screens with less blood than the normal traditional. This was in many ways somewhat of a relief as Vampires always equalled blood  but this film takes a different angle to this cult phenomenon. We are taken on a journey with a young girl 'Bella', with teenage issues. confused and yet we see an individual crying out to be understood, and yet she is astute but lost and trying to find herself.  Bella  loves her father but is often distant, detached, showing us although love is there it isn't enough. The father daughter dynamics is not a normal synergy as this plays out in the film.

Bella cares very little to conform with her peers but is happy to live and co-exist but not engage with her new found friends at a teen superficial level.  Her life turns upside down as she meets the new guy at school. Edward with his chisselled looks; cool, slightly odd, but disengaged guy 'Edward Cullen' who is every teenage girls dream; tall, good looking who is captivating and who has caught her heart from a glance. This power draws them nearer and they soon are caught in a web of intense passion throughout the movie. Bella is drawn to Edward and vice versa with no understanding of the sinister truth of his existence or what fate has in store for them both.

Edward Cullen a young man, who speaks with maturity beyond his years and who has lived for decades. It is true being 17years is hard enough but having to repeat your education must be hard to take. It seems the approach  in the story and characters selected for the film were there to help us believe these characters could actually be in our own town. There were no blonde 'super-models' pacing up the corridors of the school  but young ordinary looking people, funny, quirky, enjoying life and unaware of the reality of their community.

The idea of vampires working within the community and making choices to integrate with humans is brilliant and a totally different perspective with a modern take. The pale faces are clearly different but this seems not to bother the people in the community. Refreshing. Twilight is not just about vampires and werewolves but it's about relationships and also love, superceding circumstances and indifference. Twilight with all the effects is impressive but the interaction between good and evil is more interesting in this film as they deal with this reality in a different way.

Love seems to have more power than anything else. But, also  we understand vampires have feelings too, they are not just the enemy but they do have another side, which is what we get to see in Twilight. Acting was great throughout and awesome locations.

Twitter Phenomenon and New Technology

This Twitter Phenomenon is a funny one. Ever since I heard about that news story in America where members of the public were able to see something and broadcast using their twitter accounts before regular mainstream news desks, was impressive, to say the least. It proved we have moved on heaps and bounds into a modern age where consumer becomes news reporter. News travels with new technology faster than even the press! The sheer power and control people have and more importantly the technology we have at our finger tips is changing interaction and speed of communication. The twitter news story opened my eyes to the reality and that was it. This idea was never something that I could have even perceived true but it seems people trust Twitter and so I joined.

It is the best thing ever! And I can assure you I'm not one to follow the crowd but had to admit this was revolutionary. The ability to connect with anyone around the world and share your thoughts instantly with the added benenfit of security and privacy, it proved a great networking tool. If your an actor or anyone in any field you get so much opportunity to talk about anything, anytime and it takes seconds to post straight from your phone! Phones were at home are now mobile and part of life. If I forget my blackberry it almost feels like I left myself. I don't think it's too extreme or dramatic but it's true. Technology has advanced.

Almost 20 years ago, Twitter was never truly realised or would be conceivable much the same as the mobile phone. What is the future for new technology? How far are we going with it and what will it be like in 10 to 20 years time?  Biometric technology and eye scanning are already underway but it's interesting the speed of change. Where will this take us and for those less technologically savvy, it could be a nightmare? or a brain melt-down.

In anycase, technology will no doubt evolve and integrate with our every day lives, as good design and technology should but will we lose the great part of human interaction and communication? Human interaction and how we use this technology is the fundamental question. Future dictated by technology or should we strive for equilibrium?

Workshops are a must as an actor!

As an actor I have looked at the importance of building up my skill. Let's face it, if you haven't been acting for a month or two, it's time to get into an acting workshop. The acting profession is not an easy one but with all talents we need to continue to develop it.

Talent is vital but our skill must be nurtured and constantly worked on, whether we are new comers or not. It's something actors must look at and enrol whereever necessary. In the United Kingdom, there are so many opportunities to advance our skills as actors and we should take them.  There are many good, reliable and cost-effective options out there! The Stage newspaper is a good place to start if you're based in the UK.

In the US, workshops are a highly used resource and I think it may be catching on in Britain much more. What do you think? It's an observation I have seen overtime and as an actor interested in 'method acting' for Film and I know it is imperative to seek more training. If we as actors are not looking to continue to learn and utilise our time well, then what are we doing with our time, when we are not working? It's a question to ask ourselves.

Training is the way forward I think but what do the rest of you think?

What is method acting? There are so many definitions but which is the definitive?

The process of method acting has been defined by so many different people but I think Stanislavsky' term (Definition 1) for this is the best and easy to understand;

Definition (1): an acting technique introduced by Stanislavsky in which the actor recalls emotions or reactions from his or her own life and uses them to identify with the character being portrayed.

Definition (2): (Wikipedia Research below) Method acting is a phrase that loosely refers to a family of techniques by which actors try to create in themselves the thoughts and emotions of their characters in an effort to develop lifelike performances. It can be contrasted with more classical forms of acting, in which actors simulate thoughts and emotions through external means, such as vocal intonation or facial expression. Though not all Method actors use the same approach, the "method" in Method acting usually Wrefers to the practice, advocated by Lee Strasberg, by which actors draw upon their own emotions and memories in their portrayals, aided by a set of exercises and practices including sense memory and affective memory.

Method actors are often characterized as immersing themselves in their characters to the extent that they continue to portray them even offstage or off-camera for the duration of a project. However, this is a popular misconception. While some actors have employed this approach, it is generally not taught as part of the Method. Method acting has been described as "revolutionizing American theater." While classical acting instruction "had focused on developing external talents," the Method was "the first systematized training that also developed internal abilities (sensory, psychological, emotional)."[1] Method acting continues to evolve, with many contemporary acting teachers, schools, and colleges teaching an integrated approach that draws from several different schools of thought about acting.

Further Information: Click on link >>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_acting

What has method Acting done for you?

Harry Potter comes to an end!!! What's the future?

It seems impossible to believe for many the very staple diet of Harry Potter is coming close to an end. When I read the story it was a surprise. No doubt, there will be many mourning at this time and Harry Potter fans checking in with a life coach as everyone tries to recover from the end of an era of what was an epic series from JK Rowling. What does this mean for the actors? May be JK Rowlling has a few ideas brewing in the pot. .....Hmmmmm Who knows, what lurks within the pot of ideas but I am certain there may be a new twist that only writers of greatness can solve. I'm thinking perhaps I need to ask Jeeves....He might have the answer. Let's hope it wasn't writers block that ended the epic HP.

What makes a movie great and can a film be better than the book?

It's something that I often think about all the time. What makes a film great, is it necessarily the dialogue alone or the characters or the idea? I have a thought, it might be the dialogue and how many set-up points there is in the script or is there no real answer? Everyone out there let me know your ideas.....People tell me all the time a book before the film is much better than any film remake but is this always true?