Sorry this is a rant post. Flipping through the channels tonight and as usual I'm greeted by an obscene number of reality shows. I'll admit there are a couple I love: Pawn Stars (I'm a history geek) and Say Yes to the Dress (I'm girl and there are pretty things on that show) are about the only ones I can stand. Between women and men who are so desperate for fame and just horrible concepts for shows, is it really any wonder that our industry is suffering?
What happened to the whole paying your dues and actually having a good work ethic? I, for one, love seeing an actor or actress develop into an artist. Take Natalie Portman. She's worked her butt off for years and is at a point that no one can deny how talented she is. But she worked. She educated herself while immersing herself in her craft.
I'm all for getting yourself noticed but I think you need to be careful how you're getting noticed. Is it because you genuinely did a good job or is it because you made a spectacle? This industry, while seemingly impossible for people to get into, is actually a very small community. Everyone knows everyone. Word travels and a good reputation is a precious thing to have. Build one and guard it like the treasure it is.
Happy creating!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Great Females Roles are Hard to Come By
So it looks like both Katee Sackhoff and Eliza Dushku are getting pilots this year. This makes me happy, mostly because I loved their portrayals of two of my favourite TV characters, Starbuck (BSG) and Faith (Buffy and Angel). And yes I'm revealing how much of a geek I am by saying I watched all those series faithfully...pun intended.
What I really love is that both of these women have a tendency to play strong female roles and that's a hard thing to do in this business. Most female roles are defined as "the girlfriend", "the wife", or most sadly, "the victim". As someone who spent most of her life as a blonde, I know all too well how much type casting comes into play when trying out for a role. The amount of ditzy cheerleaders or helpless victims I've tried out for is almost funny.
A writer friend of mine recently apologized for the general lack of creativity among writers when creating female characters. Which I thanked him for. It's a nice sentiment really but until I see more frequent awesome mainstream female roles in films, I'm not holding my breath that his awareness is widespread throughout the industry.
So here's my challenge to all you writers out there. Write a feature, a short, or TV episode that has one great female role. One where she's the strong one but not cold and unapproachable. Make her smart and equal to her peers. Have us want to see her character reveal itself. Just try it once.
Oh yeah, then tell me what hair colour she has in your mind.
Happy creating!
What I really love is that both of these women have a tendency to play strong female roles and that's a hard thing to do in this business. Most female roles are defined as "the girlfriend", "the wife", or most sadly, "the victim". As someone who spent most of her life as a blonde, I know all too well how much type casting comes into play when trying out for a role. The amount of ditzy cheerleaders or helpless victims I've tried out for is almost funny.
A writer friend of mine recently apologized for the general lack of creativity among writers when creating female characters. Which I thanked him for. It's a nice sentiment really but until I see more frequent awesome mainstream female roles in films, I'm not holding my breath that his awareness is widespread throughout the industry.
So here's my challenge to all you writers out there. Write a feature, a short, or TV episode that has one great female role. One where she's the strong one but not cold and unapproachable. Make her smart and equal to her peers. Have us want to see her character reveal itself. Just try it once.
Oh yeah, then tell me what hair colour she has in your mind.
Happy creating!
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