Being Thankful In Every Season

Being Thankful In Every Season

Take some time this Thanksgiving season to focus on what you’re thankful for…

Let’s be honest with each other, this industry is tough. We face a lot of rejection, hours of hard work that seems to go unnoticed, and expenses that come with necessary things like headshots and classes. Now with the strike continuing on, things can feel even bleaker than ever. 

In these moments it’s often hard to find motivation or joy.  When that happens, what do we do? We know giving up is not the answer. Let’s look at what one of the hardest working people in the industry, Oprah Winfrey, has to say about finding joy:

The key is gratitude. Oprah goes on to say that “When you don’t have anything…go back to your breath”. (Credit: Oprah.com) It’s that simple. If we are here, alive, we have something to be grateful for.  Focusing on what you have amidst moments of bleakness can help stabilize you and remind you of all the joy in your life as it is. 

I realize that’s easier said than done. So I reached out to some of The Actor’s Scene’s awesome staff members and coaches to see what they are grateful for in this wild career we have chosen to follow. Let’s take a look at what they have to say.

In the end, even when things are bleak, there is still so much to be grateful for in this industry. Find that and you will find the hope and drive to keep going. 

We want to feature an article from Backstage.com, “3 Ways To Be a Gracious and Grateful Actor”

“Gratitude. Manners. Generosity. These words matter, though it’s a challenge for each of us, in all aspects of the arts, to try and put them into practice. Daily life is an ongoing “audition” and is usually rushed and fraught with “shoulds.” A steady barrage of commitments, emails and phone calls can leave us feeling overwhelmed and constantly behind schedule. Here are three key suggestions on how to refresh one’s own spirit while reaching out to others in our business in a respectful and generous manner.

1. Thank your mentors and professional colleagues at every opportunity. I believe it is necessary to express gratitude to those who have nurtured us, extended professional courtesies and opportunities to us, and inspired us. A verbal or an e-mailed “thank-you” is always appreciated, but a hand-written note is especially lovely. Younger actors who grew up on computers may view a handwritten note as somewhat antiquated, but for those of us of a certain age (smile), it implies more care and thought. Invest in inexpensive notecards, and if you are so inclined, write a brief thank-you to people you’ve met on a general audition or for whom you have recently auditioned. You don’t need to say “Keep me in mind for future projects”—just thank the person for time spent and wish them well…” Keep reading HERE.

You’ve heard it said, The industry is smaller than you think. Isn’t that the truth? So while things are slow, take some time to check your heart and your head. Start each day with an attitude of gratitude, and be the person who is known for being gracious and grateful. Reach out to check on your acting friends and tell them how thankful you are for your community, reach out to your agent/manager with a heartfelt Thank You this Thanksgiving, reach out to your coach to share how grateful you are for their wisdom and guidance.

Spread some joy and bask in the warm feelings that come from a grateful perspective.

If you’re struggling to find your hope in this industry or even simply figuring out what direction to go, there are plenty of coaches here at TAS that would love to work with you in a private coaching session or a career coaching session. Give our front desk a call, you will be grateful you did!

Ready to get started? Reach out today!

TASFRONTDESK@GMAIL.COM

770-904-6646

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About The Author

Kirsten Krehbiel

Kirsten Krehbiel is an Atlanta based actress, director, and writer who enjoys bringing people new truths through the art of storytelling. She has a love of acting both on camera and on stage, having been lucky enough to be a part of incredible productions in both worlds. Kirsten joined the TAS team in 2020 as a coach, a job she loves because it lets her watch first hand as students grow and gain self confidence as actors. When she is not creating or coaching, you can find Kirsten hanging out with her grumpy cat on their back porch. 

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Get to know TAS Coach: Nyah Bass

Get to know TAS Coach: Nyah Bass

All of our acting coaches are highly qualified working actors who participate in the Film/TV industry in a variety of ways, in addition to coaching acting classes. But we want to give you a more in-depth look at who they are as people. 
 
This month we are sharing some insights that will help answer the question, 
“Who Is Nyah Bass?” Read on to find out!

How did you first get into acting?

In high school, I took a Technical Theatre class, which opened my eyes to the entertainment industry. I loved the production element of theatre, but I always knew that I wanted to try acting as well. Flash forward to watching a popular Netflix show, this was the true catalyst for me. I saw these child actors, the exact same age as me, doing the thing I wanted to do and absolutely loving it. After searching the internet for acting classes, that’s when I found The Actor’s Scene. I still remember my first class and how excited and motivated I was because it honestly felt like the perfect decision for me.

Besides acting, do you pursue any other interests in the entertainment industry?

When I’m not acting, I love production work. Going to a film school definitely helped me spend time appreciating various areas within the industry. For example, my most memorable moments were in either my Screenwriting or Production Audio class.

What has been your biggest struggle in the industry?

My biggest struggle within the industry was comparing myself to others. I was constantly comparing others’ success, skills, etc. to my journey. This hit an all-time high during the lockdown in 2020. When everyone was stuck at home, people were still auditioning and training, but in a whole new way. I would go to workshops and industry Q&As, and at times, I would get auditions, but the slower parts were the most challenging for me. I always felt like I wasn’t doing enough for my career and/or I was always doing the wrong thing. This created a lot of self-doubt and “imposter syndrome” within myself.

So, what helps you overcome self doubt and comparison?

A lot of self/ inner work had to be done to combat those emotions of not feeling like I belong, I wasn’t good enough, etc. I had to think all the way to the beginning; before acting classes, the Netflix show, etc. I had to remind myself of why I was doing this. It was for the little girl who would put on plays with my sister in our living room for our family. It was for the little girl who always wanted to be “on the TV”. I also had to re-learn that no one’s timeline is the same, nor should it be. This was the hardest but most important thing that I had to teach myself. This gave me so much of my confidence back and helped me believe in myself and my skills.

"We as actors always should and need to be our biggest advocates"

-Coach Nyah Bass

Why did you get into coaching?

I actually didn’t realize that I would be interested in coaching until after interning with TAS. This gave me a whole new perspective on acting in many ways. After being the student, and being blessed with some really impactful coaches, this inspired me; I wanted to do the same for future actors. When I got into interning, this helped me value the importance of the “student & coach” dynamic. Interning helped me gain skills that I could take into my coaching; for example, effective communication with actors, from an actor. This was very important for me because I believe there are more productive ways to get a stronger performance from actors than just “being really sad or really happy” within a scene.

What is one important bit of advice you always give the students in your class?

The one thing that I always try to express to my students is the importance of one’s voice. As actors, our voice is one of our superpowers, and we need to be able to use it effectively on and off-set. Whether that is through networking opportunities, collaborations, or even setting certain personal boundaries. 

What is your proudest coaching moment?

One of my proudest moments during my time with TAS was when I was interning various summer camps a few years ago. Seeing the evolution of all the students during those weeks is something that I still think about. I saw students of all ages find their own confidence in many ways; whether it was going through with their creative decisions, effective collaborations, or just using their voices to express their opinions. Knowing that I was a part of that is very rewarding to me.

What do you hope that your legacy will be as an acting coach?

I hope everyone will remember and recognize my passion and dedication to the industry. This field is ever-changing and there are always learning opportunities; I want to become multifaceted within the industry and hope that inspires others to do the same.

Lastly, tell us what makes you feel confident?

Planning and preparation make me confident. Whenever I am uncertain about my decisions or the future, I like to reflect on the work done beforehand that got me to where I am now. I always like to consider that everyone’s journey is different and there’s not one “right” way to go through life and achieve your dreams.

Nyah Bass Bio:

Nyah’s love for the entertainment industry sparked when she was a little girl. That little girl’s confidence and determination lead her to stop at nothing in order to achieve her dreams. Her acting journey started right here at TAS, and she hasn’t looked back since!

From climbing the ladder of student, intern, to coach, Nyah gives The Actor’s Scene immense gratitude for the extraordinary time she has spent here growing not only as a person but as an actress.

Nyah is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film & Television at Savannah College of Art and Design. She is also represented by Carol Shaginaw Talent Agency & The Actor’s Scene Management.

When Nyah is not working, she has a couple of hobbies she always comes back to including movie nights, listening to one of her many playlists, or taking a drive.

Would you like to take classes or private lessons with Coach Nyah?

Coach Nyah currently teaches Foundations classes and Working Actor: Taped Audition JR. For more information on our classes, click HERE.

You can also give our Front Desk a call at 770-904-6646.

To sign up for a private lesson with Coach Nyah, click HERE. 

Would you like to follow Coach Nyah? Check out her:

Actor’s Access

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Actors, It’s Halloween Time!

Actors, It’s Halloween Time!

Use these acting tips to create the best character ever! 

The weather in Georgia has finally cooled off. All around us shorts give way to pants, sandals to boots, and tank tops to chunky sweaters. Giant skeletons are now seen hovering over yards, and pumpkins can be found as decorations and in coffee alike. That’s right, autumn is here and Halloween is just around the corner. Kids wait in anticipation to collect enough candy to last them a year while adults make plans for haunted houses and themed parties. No matter your age, one thing that everyone who participates in Halloween needs is a good costume. 

Join us this month as we dive into the essentials of building a scarily creative character to impress your friends this Halloween. 

Dressing up for Halloween is a tradition as old as the holiday itself. The earliest beginnings of Halloween came from the Celts dating back over 2,000 years. Back then, it was more of a celebration for the coming New Year on November first and included sacred bonfires, crop sacrifices, and hopes of renewal.  Costumes looked a bit different as well usually consisting of animal heads or skins. Thankfully costumes options grew as the years went on. 

In America Halloween as we know it really gained popularity between the years 1920-1950. Costumes got an upgrade from what the Celtics wore to handmade masks, beings like witches or mummies, and more domesticated animals like cats. Store-bought costumes were also becoming more popular by the 50s so people could go out and just buy their desired outfit instead of hoping their DIY skills would do the trick. 

While some of these classic Halloween costumes are still used or seen in this modern era, most current costume inspirations come from characters of our favorite TV shows and movies.  A quick Google search for popular Halloween costumes this year will show you ideas for characters from “Barbie”, “Wednesday”, and “The Super Mario Bros.” Some sites will give you a list of where you can buy each item, others will show you how to make it yourself. 

 

As I dove into this year’s top Halloween costumes, I couldn’t help but think about the importance of details. Of course someone could don themselves in all black add a pointed hat and call themselves a witch, but to make it really believable you’d need:

Stockings 

Some witchy makeup

Nails to match.

Perhaps even a wand or a broom to really sell the look…

Add in the details of a witch’s cackle and some memorized spells to spout, and now you’ve really become a witch that will scare all who come across you! But what if a scary witch is not your thing? There are so many ways to portray a character, and the way that we bring our vision to life is through the details! 

This is also the same for actors. Since our October theme here at TAS is “Transformative”, this author could think of no better topic than COSTUMES. As actors it is incredibly important that we know the characters we play inside and out. When we are cast in a role it is up to us to discover all the facts about the character found within the script and then make decisions about our character based upon those given truths.

Who is this character?

Where do they come from?

What has lead them to the point where we meet them in the script?

What is their purpose in this script?

Answering questions like this will help us know our character and therefore build details to help us play the character with CONFIDENCE.

This internal work is so incredibly key, but does nothing for an actor if they aren’t able to add the external work: posture, movements, and most importantly… look.

Take Jenna Ortega’s performance as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s “Wednesday”. It is clear she took the time to dig into who the character is and answer all the necessary questions; resulting in a perfect performance as a serious, torture-loving, determined Wednesday. But what if we took away the physical details added to her character: her dark braids, black dress, and serious expression? What if they had put her in something bright, gave her colorful hair, and had her smile constantly? The character would no longer work and Wednesday Addams would cease to exist. 

Costuming also plays a huge part in world building. A great example of this is Effie Trinket, played by Elizabeth Banks, in “The Hunger Games”.  Effie come from The Capital, high society and lots of money. In her very first scene, before she even says a single line, one can already tell that she does not fit into District 12 (a destitute coal-mining community) simply from what she is wearing. Her outfits are brilliantly tailored, dyed in bright colors, and accessorized with embellished jewelry and hats. This against the plain, drab, simplistic style of the people in District 12 shows the complete separation between their world and Effie’s. Through the details on costuming alone, the audience is able to see the divide between those who live in Districts and those who live in the Capital. 

Wednesday Addams
Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games
Oppenheimer

Costuming becomes extra essential when doing a biopic. Oppenheimer came out this year with a bang. With an incredible script, a list of talented A-list actors, and of course Christopher Nolan’s vision, Oppenheimer has had positive reviews since it’s first preview. A huge part of the positive response goes to costume designer Ellen Mirojnick. In an interview with IndieWire she speaks to her work: “Oppenheimer never changed his silhouette from the time he began at Berkeley through the decades. That was a very, very important note to zero in on”. And zero in on it she did! Instead of changing his look drastically as the years when by, she kept him in the same style and the same silhouettes following his real life style choices. Capturing these small, but specific details is what brings the reality of the character to the screen. 

This year as you dress up for Halloween think about how the costume you put on transforms you into your character. What details are you adding to truly portray the character? If you find that you love dressing up and playing a part, check out some of our classes here at TAS. We can guide you to finding how to make your internal character match your external character.

And from all of us at TAS, have a Happy and safe Halloween!

Ready to get started? Reach out today!

TASFRONTDESK@GMAIL.COM

770-904-6646

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR CLASSES
SIGN UP TO AUDIT A CLASS FOR FREE
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR CLASSES

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About The Author

Kirsten Krehbiel

Kirsten Krehbiel is an Atlanta based actress, director, and writer who enjoys bringing people new truths through the art of storytelling. She has a love of acting both on camera and on stage, having been lucky enough to be a part of incredible productions in both worlds. Kirsten joined the TAS team in 2020 as a coach, a job she loves because it lets her watch first hand as students grow and gain self confidence as actors. When she is not creating or coaching, you can find Kirsten hanging out with her grumpy cat on their back porch. 

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