The Baron/Brown Acting Studio Graduation

In July I worked once again with the Joanne Baron/DW Brown Acting Studio to produce video of and for their student graduation ceremony. Every year they get fabulous guest speakers to come and share some inspiration with the newly graduated actors. Jim Caviezel, Robin Wright Penn, Oliver Stone, Mickey Rourke and Paul Sorvino are some from the last 3 years alone. My job has been to edit clips of their work to be screened in advance of their speeches. Let me tell you, when you haven't seen someone's work before it's super time-consuming to watch movies AND decide what clips of their acting are the best examples. It tends to be be more of a research job than an editing job.

After all the editing work is done and signed off for the big night I still have a camera and a projector to operate for an audience of 750 people. I record the event on video while also providing live-feed through the projector so the people in the back of the ballroom can see the speakers more clearly. I also run the DVD player at the appropriate times to screen the videos. Although I do a sound check before the event, the volume of enthusiasm by the audience often drowns out an otherwise audible soundtrack!

The students really bond during their two years of training because the Meisner Technique is pretty challenging on a person's concentration and self-awareness. They really come to depend on each other for support and encouragement and honest criticism. The instructors never bully their students and they get right out there and demonstrate their points. It's just like getting psychotherapy because this process helps the actor to know himself and find a confidence in that knowledge to enable him/her to become a believable person on stage and off. Maybe - after the final cut editing and videography - in my next life I'll become an actress!