August 2010

• Masters of the Universe: the Musical!

  Posted by gmadmin   |   August 31, 2010

  Yessss! You can watch the full live-action He-Man movie online here.

  I predict this movie will be a camp classic for my generation on a par with The Brain that Wouldn’t Die and Plan 9 from Outer Space. It’s so bad it’s amazing.

  Think I should try to get the rights to adapt it into a musical? Am I the only person crazy enough to think that would be awesome?

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
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• Auditions and the Rashomon Effect

  Posted by gmadmin   |   August 31, 2010

  In Akira Kurosawa’s film Rashomon, four witnesses give four radically different accounts of an event. The film is about the subjectivity of perception and memory. In other words, we all see things differently.

  The Rashomon Effect is huge in theatre auditions. The producer, the director, the music director, and the choreographer can see the same audition and reach completely different conclusions.

  “Wow, what a great voice!”

  “Are you kidding? I thought she sounded awful. But her acting chops were solid.”

  “No, she couldn’t act for beans.”

  Etc.

  So how do you reach an agreement? First of all, someone has to be the boss. Whether it is the director or the producer, someone must have the final say, and the rest of the team needs to respect that decision. Good leaders listen to their team and weigh all arguments before making a decision.

  On the other side of the audition, actors can take heart knowing that just because you didn’t make the cut, that doesn’t mean you weren’t good enough. When you realize how subjective the casting process truly is, it helps you understand that there is rarely one “best choice.” It’s quite possible someone on the production team was lobbying passionately for you.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
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• I Wish I Were A Gregory Brother

  Posted by gmadmin   |   August 24, 2010

  These guys (and gal) blow my socks off. You don’t have to watch the whole interview (it’s long) but it shows a lot of their work.

  [vodpod id=ExternalVideo.964764&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]

  Q&A: The Gregory Brothers, posted with vodpod
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
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• Seven Slots for Short Term Memory

  Posted by gmadmin   |   August 23, 2010

  We have seven slots for short term memory, give or take maybe one or two. That’s all you get. Try to concentrate on any more than seven pieces of information in your head at a time and the house of cards will likely fall.

  There’s this amazing thing in stores called paper. Use it. Write down your options and tasks; cross out the wrong answers; write out the long division; prioritize and number your items; write down your ideas; circle, underline, star. When you’re done, crumple the paper and throw it away, or stick it in a box for posterity. Do this when you are taking a test, planning your weekend, making a big purchase, tackling a project… Free up some short term memory (in computer terms, your RAM) so you can think properly.

  Start a good habit and write stuff down.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
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• We Can Admit It…

  Posted by gmadmin   |   August 19, 2010

  TV has gotten REALLY good. Sure there’s a lot of garbage, but the best stuff is better than it has ever been – especially if you have premium channels like HBO. Entertainment is more plentiful and accessible today than at any time in history.

  TV is good. It’s very hard not to get sucked in.

  Only problem is, it’s still not good enough. Because your time is more and more valuable, and you just can’t afford to pour hours and hours each week into TV when you have so many opportunities to live fully and change the world. Do you really think the entire series of Lost is as good as one Stanley Kubrick movie? Sure, it may be more addictive, but does it stick to your ribs when it’s over?

  What I’m saying is, choose your entertainment wisely. TV shows are addictive and they are meant to drag on and on. Yes, they are mega-entertaining, but you have so much to do in this wide world. What I’m really saying is, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette suck so bad, and I find it galling that they would dare take up TWO HOUR SEGMENTS of your precious life every week!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
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• How Much Does it Cost to Make a Musical?

  Posted by gmadmin   |   August 4, 2010

  These days, around ten million bucks.

  Or maybe about a thousand dollars.

  There is another kind of creativity besides the creativity that writes music and tells stories. It’s the creativity in how to launch and finance a project. How much does it cost to make a musical? How much are you willing to spend?

  Don’t let your budget stop you. Let your budget force you to be more creative. There are free venues (parks, backyards, basements), volunteers (friends, family, Craigslist), even free story ideas and music (the Public Domain).

  If you’ve got guts and talent…

  Just do it. Just do it. Just do it. Just do it. Just do it. Just do it.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
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