jason bennett

8/13/2019 Jason Bennett

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Talent Is Common; Workmanship Is Rare: An Article

For Beginners and Professionals

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by Jason Bennett (2010 Runner!p for Best "cting #oach in $%#&

"cting an' singing talent is far more common than most realie) But

professional artists know talent is not at all enough to sign with a lea'ing

agent an' maintain a career in film* television* theatre or musical theatre)

+his article contains a ,sample menu, of the main ingre'ients of ,artistic

workmanship), -orkmanship is ,the pro'uct or result of labor an' skill. work

e/ecute'), +he artistic workmanship reuire' to be a professional actor an'

singer is where most aspiring performers (an' professionals& fall short)

o to any open call au'ition an' its clear most performers in the waiting area

have little artistic training or mastery of the workmanship of being a

professional) "n' what3s worse* most of them have no i'ea they have no

i'ea)

+he below sample menu is meant to inspire4 5t is i'ealistic an' 'uring some

phases of our lives* unrealistic) 5t shows how much 'e'ication an'

commitment it takes to cultivate raw talent* establish an' maintain an artistic

career) +his work has a si'e effect of being lifechanging in the mostwon'erful ways) -ell keep the below list simple* because a book coul' be

written about each item)

"t +he Jason Bennett "ctors -orkshop* you stu'y whatever you nee' from

this list) "ll this applies eually to film* television* theater or musical theater6


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1) %ou e/ercise for at least 78 minutes* five times per week)

2) %ou know all about the latest views on nutrition My two favorite healthsites* base' on years of research* are 'rmercola)com an' lef)org)

9) %ou get enough sleep) +he vast ma:ority of people in in'ustrialie' nations

are sleep'eprive' an' ignorant of how essential a'euate sleep is)

"'euate sleep* proper nutrition an' a comprehensive e/ercise routine are

reuire' for optimal talent e/pression the highest levels of creativity*emotional e/pressiveness* memory retention* immune health* fatburning*

muscle buil'ing* energetic en'urance* intelligence* etc) Books are written

about these sub:ects an' their relationship to creativity)

7) "t least three 'ays per week* you freewrite for 20 minutes everything)

;ave the intention to really e/press yourself on the 'eepest levels* but it

'oesnt have to be smart* seem talente' or be profoun') 5t clears you an'

helps connect you to your highest intelligence an' creativity) See Julia

#amerons* +he "rtists -ay)

8) %ou keep a :ournal by your be' an' write 'own any 'reams you can

remember. an' you note any 'ay'reams you have) +his connects you to your

talent because your 'reams ) 5t shoul' be a habit to know an' e/press how you feel on the 'eepest

levels) Most people go through their 'ay with no i'ea what is really going on

insi'e) ;ow 'o you feel? $o* really* how 'o you really feel? "re you

e/pressing it? @in' a safe way to e/press how you feel physically an' vocally)

"ctors an' singers must be free4 +his shoul' be 'eeply ingraine' in you)

Spen' at least five minutes a 'ay improvising with soun' an' movement*


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e/pressing how you feel)

A) #ultivate 'eep listening an' communication) Most people 'ont listen to

each other) Really listening means feeling another3s energy. listening to the

nuance an' many layers of their voice. very specifically observing their bo'y

as they communicate. hearing the wor's* but also sensing the intentions an'

feelings un'erneath the wor's) +his takes specific training to increase

energetic* sensory awareness an' communication for most* because our

culture is communicatively retar'e') @or the great actor an' singer* 'eep

listening an' communication is automatic an' the result of years of work)

"n'* we work on staying open our entire lives)

) %ou take si/ hours of 'ance or movement classes per week* specific to your

nee's)

C) %ou take at least eight hours of acting classes per week* specific to your

current nee's)

10) %ou vocalie* whether youre a singer or not* at least four hours per week)

%ou take group voice classes for actors for four hours per week* an' i'eally at

least one private hour with a voice teacher singer or not)

11) %ou stu'y yoga) Dripalu yoga is the best yoga for performers) +his is a

conclusion reache' after 1A years of my stu'ying 'iverse yoga metho's)

12) %ou are always rea'ing a book about acting the newest* most

comprehensive books) #onsi'er books about acting an' the business by Eric

Morris* Farry Moss* Seth Barrish* Brian G$eil* Haul Russell an' others) +he

newest books about performing are far more sophisticate' than the ol') My

own book will be publishe' in a couple years)

19) %ou see one play per week* whether youre into film* television or theater)

%ou see one movie per week) %ou rea' two plays or screenplays per week*

written by awar'winning* respecte' writers)


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17) %ouve been in great acting* voice an' movement classes for years) "n'

so you warm yourself up at least three times per week* using tools an'

metho's from all these classes* for at least an hour)

18) %oure always working on a new monologue or song)

1>) %oure always learning about psychology relevant to great acting Spiral

=ynamics* integral philosophy* +he Hsychology of Selves* archetypal

psychology an' humanistic psychology)

1A) %oure an e/pert on the business of acting) %ou wake up every 'ay an'

rea' the latest au'ition notices an' theater news at $%#astings)com*

Hlaybill)com* Iariety)com* Backstage)com an' more) %ou know who the

castings 'irectors are in $ew %ork an' Fos "ngeles) %ou get to know their

personalities an' their likes an' 'islikes) %ou know who the agents are an'

who their ma:or clients are) %ou know all the significant theaters* pro'ucers*

'irectors* screenwriters an' playwrights) %ou stay upto'ate on how the

in'ustry is constantly changing reels* vi'eo resums* hea'shots* electronic

submissions* mailings* showcases* internships* an' on an' on)

1) %oure always practicing altering your stateofmin' an' being) +he great

actor an' singer is fascinate' by what it feels like to be all kin's of people)

-ho is that person? -hy are they moving that way? -hy 'o they soun' that

way? -hat are they thinking about? ;ow 'o they feel? Gbserve it. embo'y it)

+his shoul' be a habit) %oure always in some kin' of consciousness training

therapy* spiritual workshops* acting classes* etc)

1C) +he actor an' singer is 'eeply informe' about what is going on in theworl') %ou cant feel a full range of energies 'eeply unless you are connecte'

to the worl' 'eeply) %ou cant have any artistic vision or know what kin's of

stories nee' to be tol' if you are not connecte' to what is going on in

peoples lives on profoun' levels) o to #ommon'reams)org*

=emocracynow)org* ;uffingpost)com* beyon' the regular corporate ,news,

outlets) Every successful performing artist knows that if the news is coming

from a large corporation* its mostly :unk) %ou have to search to really fin' out


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whats going on in this worl')

20) reat actors an' singers are curious* skeptical an' openmin'e') %ou

watch 'ocumentaries that may* at first* seem absur' to you) %ou go places

outsi'e your ,bubble*, to all kin's of churches* to all kin's of communities)

%ou talk to an' spen' time with all kin's of people) %ou can put your

:u'gments asi'e an' your upbringing asi'e* so you are free to really e/plore

all kin's of worl's* people* values an' cultures) %ou treat yourself an' others

with respect an' love)

"s state' before* this list is incomplete an' i'ealistic) $o one can 'o all the

things on this list each week) "n' there is a lot left off this list4 But* the truth

is respecte' performers have phases of their lives* often lasting years* where

this is essentially how they live each week)

So* strive for it) But* 'on3t beat yourself up) +he uestion is6 "re you living in

accor'ance with your priorities an' values? =o you feel creatively fulfille'?

"re you really keeping your commitments* to yourself an' others* artistically?

-ill you be satisfie'* later in life* by the level of artistic workmanship you

achieve' 'uring your lifetime?

Many in the public have no un'erstan'ing of how 'eep the commitment an'

'iscipline of the most successful professional actors an' singers) +o yiel' the

immensely rewar'ing spiritual an' material success of a professional

performer takes far more work than most career paths K far* far more) "n'

yet our :ob is to make it all look like magic* as if we 'i' no work at all)

+he irony is that if you work with great teachers that go into the work

containe' in this articleLan' work* work* workL 5n the en'* your performing

is most likely to feel an' appear mysterious* magical an' easy4 5t feels thatway an' it is that way) "n' this is when au'iences receive the most

entertaining me'icine our little planet has to offer K your performance K the

work of the actor an' singer who lives a Hh= in "rtistic -orkmanship4

-e are now interviewing for our fall classes* workshops an' private coaching)


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5f you have previous training* please submit a hea'shot an' resum to

info:bactors)com* along with what youre intereste' in) 5f youre a beginner*

please call 212AAAA>09) Fook through our web site for all we have to offer4

Jason Bennett is an acting an' voice teacher in $ew %ork #ity* an' via Skype*

all over the worl') %ou can rea' more articles he3s written by visiting

JB"ctors)com* N+he Jason Bennett "ctor3s -orkshop)O

See more at6

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