How 'Neighbours' Filmed During Lockdown, 'Extraction' Review & Voiceover Tips | Ep 36

MAX: 00:12
G'day everyone. I'm Max. I'm Sam. And we are two unemployed actors joining the world where there's a lot of unemployed actors at the moment. Hell yeah. Pandemic life. But uh we've got some stuff to talk about. Stuff is still happening. Lots of stuff. So kicking it off right now. Actually, I'm wearing a badge that I bought last week, which I thought was really cool. Oh yes. Um it says if you can read this, uh you're too close, take a step back. Social distance hashtag social distancing. I love it.

SAM: 00:42
What if someone just has really, really good vision?

MAX: 00:44
It's like it's like it's it's practical and it's kind of fashionable. I like it. It's cool. I might even maybe I'll keep it post-social distancing.

SAM: 00:52
What keep it a thing? Just have people the special awareness you just need, like the special awareness.

Speaker: 00:59
Hey, take a step back.

MAX: 01:00
So, yeah, so I'm practicing my uh say social distancing, which is great. Uh, another thing that's pretty exciting is that it looks like we're lifting restrictions soon.

SAM: 01:08
Yes.

MAX: 01:09
Which is good.

SAM: 01:10
I think by the 2nd of May, I was reading it this morning, I think 2nd of May, you can go for a picnic.

MAX: 01:15
I mean, how cool is this? We've even got children excited to go to school. I mean, this is what happens in the upside-down world, but uh God. I don't want it to make What has the world come to? I don't want it to be a pandemic podcast, but but um but it's kind of dominating, right? So, in terms of productions though, in terms of productions, though, in in Australia, well in in the English speaking world, one of the first productions to go back into production is Neighbours, the long-running soap is Melbourne, filmed in Melbourne. They've actually started this week. And what's interesting, I've I've looked at how they're starting, because I'm like, how are they gonna do that? I mean, obviously there'll be writers for actors to sign and crew, I imagine, that you know, we're gonna do our best, blah blah blah blah blah, but legal, legal, legal, but uh sign here because we can't guarantee you safety, and if you don't want to, you don't have to. But basically they've they've divided their studio space because most of it's filmed in a in a in a sound stage uh with just a few external bits, like most, you know, most of those day day soapies. They've divided the studio into quadrants, and then there are three separate production teams that are isolated from each other. So if something happens to one person and say they've been in contact with someone else who's had it, and they have to go and quarantine, that that production team's quarantined, but there's still two other production teams that are running.

SAM: 02:35
Yeah, right.

MAX: 02:36
And there's only three actors that are allowed to cross between those those groups who are obviously in key storylines at the moment. So that minimizes the risk, right? And there'll be no more than a hundred people a day in any particular area with the four square meter rule to make sure there's plenty of space and one and a half meter social distancing rule and all that sort of stuff. So if someone gets sick, it's only the group whose members affected will be you know moved off and and the shoot can continue, which is great. They're gonna have a nurse on set and everyone entering will have to have their temperatures checked.

Speaker 2: 03:10
Oh my god.

MAX: 03:11
Then you think about what happens as an actor, you think about everything like you just you can't help but you're in contact with so many people. When you when you actually sit down and think about it, you realise just how much you're being um you're you're in close proximity with people. Like, think about makeup. Well, definitely. Yeah, they're right there, right?

SAM: 03:28
So male actors even with other actors, like they're intimate scenes and stuff as well.

MAX: 03:32
Well, male actors aren't gonna have any makeup, and female actors won't be touched up, so they'll do their makeup once, and then there's no you know, final touches before action.

SAM: 03:42
Are they actually the but that's kind of um sacrificing some of the quality, I guess, for for so that's the balance, isn't it?

MAX: 03:50
Do you want to keep the production moving forward with a slight yet understandable decrease in in that quality? I mean, you know, but as an actor, I would sacrifice that. I I'd even do my own main.

SAM: 04:03
Yeah, I'd I'd happily do it, but pr from a production point of view, like production crew point of view, and just like thinking about or production company sorry point of view. I don't know.

MAX: 04:12
Yeah, cool. Well, they're all they're gonna like you said before, that point about actors in close proximity, they're not gonna have in the storyline kissing, holding hands, or intimate scenes.

SAM: 04:21
Yeah, okay.

MAX: 04:22
And and actors will actually practice social distancing, so they're gonna use a few camera shots to make it look like they're closer. But they're won't be able to do that.

SAM: 04:31
You know, sometimes like if you're in a park, you have someone standing this close to camera and someone really far back, and it looks like they're like one small, it's gonna look like that.

Speaker: 04:39
Exactly, exactly. So they it's it's quite it's it's quite easy to cheat.

SAM: 04:42
There's gonna be a mini actor, a mini, mini person all the way up here. Listen, like a little Lego figurine.

MAX: 04:51
Yeah. And they're they're not gonna use extras at all because think about that as an as a as a as a potential problem as well, you know. And so they're just gonna have crew members like changing changing shirts and running in the background. Limbs and things. Fair enough. So I mean, Hollywood's in their sixth week of production shutdown, and speaking to a friend over there, they're doing lots of um self-tapes at the moment, getting ready for stuff that's being written as we speak, sort of thing. So, like they know what's coming up, and they're doing lots of self-tapes to help work fit and and get them ready and fresh show reels and all the stuff that we're doing, all the stuff that you want to be doing while you're in downtime.

SAM: 05:40
I watched Extraction. Have you seen it yet?

MAX: 05:43
Yeah, I did. I saw I saw that one-a- uh twice. You know that 12-minute action sequence?

SAM: 05:48
Holy hell! Like, that's very, very cool. So I thought that the cinematography was really well done. It was actually quite similar to, I think, to upgrade in that sense at times. Um I liked that there was kind of all like there are a lot of like that one a scene was kind of like all diegetic sound, like no music, which was kind of cool. Um, and obviously every fight scene was awesome, but the plot was very disconnected, wasn't a great plot, didn't have me connected, which like you can't expect too much.

MAX: 06:17
Yeah, it's one of those from a stunning count action movies, you know what I mean? So um, but what was interesting, what I was looking forward to, even in production, when I was talking about him, you know, strapping himself to the front of the camera car to really get into the the the minute of the uh the camera shots and the and the you know the cinematography and all that, and I think you know an accomplished stunt man directing an action movie just has so much so much potential, and and it really shines like this is a guy who's picking up stuff every time he does stunt sequences. Um he's been unit director on Avengers and that sort of stuff, working with the Russo Brothers, and you know, controlling the action shots. And I think what he said was interesting was when he's in his mind organizing these uh action sequences, he's already thinking about camera placement and uh how we can get unique angles and get closer to the action and all that sort of cool stuff, which I think is which I think is great. And you know, he wasn't really he wasn't originally pitching for Hemsworth.

SAM: 07:20
Yeah, I know. It was like Bruce Willis or Arnold Schwarzenegger I read somewhere.

MAX: 07:24
No, well he they what I originally wanted to do was was have someone who's less like a action hero, like less bulky, like someone who Who more like think think martial artist who's a bit slim, bit you know, not like or kind of like a John Wick, but without the weapons, he's still okay with his hands, you know what I mean?

SAM: 07:43
Okay.

MAX: 07:43
It's even more um jarring when all of a sudden the guy comes to life and is an action superstar sort of thing. But obviously, when Chris Hemsworth becomes available, you take it.

SAM: 07:56
His acting was Chris's acting was really good, I thought. Um there were points where um uh like he was just he was underplaying it, but it worked so well for the character. Like I thought he played it really well.

MAX: 08:09
I think I think those moments where you actually got to, you know, he's not the jokey sort of Thor character. Um it's it's really a bit more raw, and and when he you know, in those two two shots um scenes with the child, that it's like it's just yeah, it's a bit more um much more emotional, you know, that that's it.

SAM: 08:30
And Joe Joe Russo wrote it.

MAX: 08:32
Uh that's that's that's awesome, I think to to get and and to have that much commitment to like the you've got the Russo brothers, they've written it, their baby, um, and it's like you've worked with them before, so it's kind of like it's all sort of coming together to to be a no-brainer, you know. It's gonna be a cool action.

SAM: 08:49
And Sam Hargrave had like that cameo as well, as the sniper dude, and he he was also filming a lot of it. He was the one sitting on the front of the cars doing a lecture.

MAX: 08:57
Yeah, I remember I shared those stuff as action was unfolding. I'm like, this is so cool. He's invented this new category of title, it's called stunt directing, I think. That's that's that's my my feeling. Because I asked him when he was strapped to the front of the car, I'm like, is that beard gonna make a cameo in the movie? He's gone, there is a strong potential. So now that I see he's actually had a cameo in it. And I have to say, I want to go to the Sam Hargrave school of um weapons handling because it looks so good. Like he's w when he's when he's uh about to take a shot, like he's sort of fairly loose and limited, but then as the weapon comes up, there's this moment where everything freezes and he just flexes and it looks like he's just about to kill someone. Like it's just I don't know, I can't put my finger on it, but it's it's awesome.

SAM: 09:41
Yeah, it's scary. Well, that first fight scene was sick. That was so cool.

MAX: 09:45
I know. Could you imagine how many months of of training? Because it's so cool.

SAM: 09:50
Anyway, it was it's it's it's a great do you reckon Chris survives?

Speaker: 09:55
You know that ambiguous ending. Sequel prequel.

SAM: 10:00
He has to. He's he's Thor, like King of Asgard, you know.

MAX: 10:04
You can't kill Chris.

SAM: 10:05
You can't kill Thor.

MAX: 10:06
It must be in his contract. Don't kill me and make me look better in the guy.

SAM: 10:12
Yeah, yeah. The only thing separating it from um like a Bollywood and Hollywood film is Chris.

Speaker: 10:18
Exactly.

SAM: 10:20
Except um David Harbour was in it. That was cool. That was a cool moment.

MAX: 10:24
Yeah, all of a sudden Harbour walks in. I'm like, wow.

SAM: 10:27
Wow, what the hell?

MAX: 10:29
Wow.

SAM: 10:30
Yeah.

MAX: 10:31
Just popping into Thailand for a shoot in between Stranger Things.

SAM: 10:34
Thailand.

MAX: 10:35
Oh, they filmed that in Thailand, yeah. Did they? Uh Thailand and Eleven Days in India.

SAM: 10:41
Oh, so there was one.

MAX: 10:42
Obviously, obviously in Australia as well, because those opening shots are all in Oz.

SAM: 10:45
Are they actually in Australia?

MAX: 10:48
It does look like Australia. It looks a bit hard to fake that. Yeah, it's a good idea. Probably like a small unit though. I mean, it was only a couple scenes.

SAM: 10:54
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've been watching a lot of um uh TED talks recently as well. Just because like, you know, I think it's really interesting and uh it, you know, opens your mind up and you can get a little get a little more intelligent by watching those things. Um productive downtime. Yeah, not even necessarily on acting, um someone acting, but like a lot on just random things like how to s how to tell if someone's lying or deceptive or how to cut like uh difference between us and people who think originally and and all this different. There are so many I've been watching, and how to speak uh more intelligently or sound more intelligent and and just different things like that. It's really interesting.

MAX: 11:46
Um personal improvement, personal development.

SAM: 11:50
No, it's just I got in I've gotten into TED Talks recently. I watched um an Adam Driver one where he was talking about his his journey from Marine to actor, because he was a Marine.

MAX: 12:01
What did that journey look like? Suddenly landing in uh you know, in the real world from the army and going, what what do I do now?

SAM: 12:09
And then finding an agent and then Well he so he was he he lived in a small town and so the only theatre he knew were the ones that he the plays he was doing in high school and the film that films that he knew were the ones that he got from Blockbuster. Um so he but at 17 he applied for Juilliard and didn't get in. Decided to drive to LA Um but had all these moments of his car breaking down and then getting to Santa Monica and turning around and driving back. Um and he decided he was, you know, selling vacuums at at his hometown and doing all these different things, and he's like, I just feel kind of useless right now. And it was just after 9-11, so he was kind of feeling patriotic. So he decided to apply for the for the Marines, and he was like doing that for years, for a few years, and just before he was about to be shipped off for his first tour and like wherever, um, he like broke his sternum doing BMX biking.

MAX: 13:03
As you do.

SAM: 13:04
So he was devastated that he couldn't go, but then he was sent back home, applied for Juilliard again, and got in this time. Um but it was about how he, you know, once you've done been in the military, you kind of he's he was talking about how civilian problems don't seem that big anymore. And it was hard for him to kind of especially go into acting and fake emotions for whatever and and just know it was hard to just try like kind of transfer from Marine to actor again, and the struggles of that, but then finding his way and finding the connections between them both, and he started this whole non-for-profit company as well for it. It was it was quite interesting, actually.

MAX: 13:42
Okay. Who'd have thought it it his life changed from a BMX accident?

SAM: 13:47
And now he's a nominate Oscar nominated actor.

MAX: 13:58
I haven't been delving into TED Talks. I've been delving more into the industry and around because we get it.

SAM: 14:06
You're better than me. We get it.

MAX: 14:07
I know, no, no, it's but yes. Um it's it's it's more about like I know all the the a lot of the jobs of the crew and like I know what they do, but I don't know how, right?

SAM: 14:21
Yeah.

MAX: 14:21
And I got no idea like the specialties involved, and I don't, I don't, I don't really want to know intricate details and study all all the bits and pieces that others do on the crew, but obviously the more I understand how it relates to to performance, um the the better, I guess. And yeah, with a bit of downtime, why not? I stumbled upon I think it's Adam Savage. You know, remember from Miss Mythbusters?

SAM: 14:43
Yes, yeah, Adam Savage, he's cool.

MAX: 14:45
Basically, he's he's YouTube has lots of how-tos and how does this work and lots of stuff. He went to uh musical in San Francisco, was Hamilton in one of the huge theatres, and just did a microphone. Yeah, he just did a 20-minute piece with the the sound mixer and it was fascinating, fascinating stuff. Like I I I I learnt so much. Like basically, uh it's not just turning on the mic when they're uh starting their performance and then turning it off when they finish their performance, it's actually turning the mic on for every line and then off as soon as the line's over. Yeah. Like as they're performing. It is to see him do that with like it's just crazy to try and even comprehend the skill involved because there's so many mics and backup mics, it's just insane.

SAM: 15:40
I think I saw that same video, like they they did custom mics.

MAX: 15:44
There's two different uh there's two different videos. One talks about sound mixing, which is very different, and the other one's about the mics. Oh, yes, okay. How they uh form and and have backups and that sort of stuff. Now there's like 110 for the production uh as a separate. Okay, you watch the sound mixing one. Yeah, yeah. Uh I mean I've looked at them both, but what really stood out for me because I've got I've had less to do in my past with you know the intricacies of mics than the the mixing desk, because I I think on radio I the biggest desk I had was like eight channels, and within those eight channels there was a few that that doubled where you've got to flick the switch for you know we even had a reel-to-reel machine and two turntables for vinyl, um, a computer for some of the songs because that was just starting, and uh minidisc player. Do you remember mini-disc players? You might have missed those. Uh two C D players.

SAM: 16:37
I know what they are, but no, I don't I never use them.

MAX: 16:39
Two CD players. It was just like there's a lot happening from this little eight eight track, and um it was live. So, you know, but but to try and like to see the size of that professional desk that they that that they use in um Broadway and the intricacies involved with mixing all those channels, I'm just like and and live for each of the mics as well. Oh my god, it was just blew my mind. I'm just saying this whole because you just you don't realise just how much a part of the performance that that they are. Like if you're on key and absolutely uh you know having a great night, he's gonna he's gonna bump you up. Yeah, because you're on it at the moment, like he's gonna bump you up. But um, it's interesting too just how much they can be your friend when you know you're not quite there or you've you've missed a bit or something. You know, like it's just it's amazing. It's amazing. And being live, anything can happen, so you've got to be on it. It's just fascinating. And to see the size of his script that he uses, it is his book that's massive, and it literally, as he turns the page, it's got every like what's happening on which which which mic number corresponds to which line, um, what changes with the music, so that he knows how to dial up. Like, even just on the drums, there's four mics. Like, it's just it's just phenomenal. So I absolutely blew my mind because here I am with my uh roadcaster pro, you know, and doing a podcast, and I'm just like, that is insane. It really, it really like it's a it's I didn't realize and I didn't appreciate just how much a part of the performance that that is.

Speaker 2: 18:15
Yeah.

MAX: 18:15
Unsung hero. I tell you, if you're on stage in a musical, you want to give this guy a Christmas card. Seriously.

unknown: 18:21
Yeah.

Speaker 2: 18:23
Absolutely.

MAX: 18:24
It's it's just insane. It's just insane. The amount of detail and the amount of training and the oh, it's just fun. As you as you'd expect, I mean, it's but but I just it just blew my mind. I don't know. So I shared it on my on my Facebook page, my acting page, but I'll I'll share it on the two unemployed actors um socials as well because I it's so worthy. And it's a great opportunity to appreciate just how much work goes in behind the scenes on. So I was pretty, I was pretty excited and uh got all nerdy because it's all about sound and stuff now. And I think knowing more about what I what you know with voiceovers and the podcasting, etc., I'll probably appreciate it a bit more now than even you know a year or two ago. Um, but like even on set, I remember talking to on my last professional shoot, talking to the soundie. We you know, we're on break and talking about the nuances of of using a bass bass traps when you're doing when you're trying to have a better sound environment for whatever you're doing. And he was surprised that I knew what I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm just keen, I'm asking more and more questions because it was because that was at a time when I was looking at uh purchasing some new equipment as well. So it's just it's great to have those moments, but I think my curiosity's always been there. Um it's just now that we've got the time, I'm trying to I'm trying to download more data into my poor little brain. What what I remember when I end up on set again, I don't know. There's no guarantees, but I'm enjoying it at the moment.

SAM: 19:48
Yeah, it's good. Like that's all you can do.

MAX: 19:57
Voiceovers have been a bit busy too. I have to say, I had to work over the weekend a couple of half days each each day because um last minute job came in from Hewlett Packard, and it was three online advertisements all about how you know, in this current environment, here's how technology can help you, blah blah blah. And then uh talking to the uh Chinese company about narrating um their 15 episodes of cartoons that they're they're dubbing it in English, uh in time for a Canadian festival, but also wanting to use it globally.

SAM: 20:34
Uh so and narrating with my narrator voices on the topic of of voiceovers, uh I actually did a I did a voiceover audition recently actually through Star Now. Um this these people wanted, I don't know, 40 Australian voices for something. Um no guarantee, but like they're they're pretty much saying like because we need so many people, you you probably will get get something.

MAX: 21:01
Um you've got a better chance when you when you put your send your file away. Absolutely.

SAM: 21:05
Yeah, exactly. And so we had to it's it was weird. Um it would be a lot of a lot of lines, a lot of words, sorry. Um Okay.

MAX: 21:13
I think that's so they're probably looking for real consistent background then to make sure that it all sounds the same.

SAM: 21:20
Yeah, and some sort of they want some sort of um um I think it's for something in the US, something like a company or or a voiceover for like a video or corporate something or other. I don't know, something like that. Um is it broadcast, like for television and radio, or is it non- No, I think it's for for pre recorded video stuff, yeah, internal stuff. But uh good pay if you get it. Um but so we so Jess and I just set up like this fake studio where I did it, but I used my cupboard and I opened it up and put the mic in there and then put the uh uh the Duna over the back of it to make like a Little quiet studio worked kind of it does.

MAX: 22:03
I mean, I I know following lots of um voiceover artists and also agents when the lockdown started in Australia, they were certainly sharing their improvised studio spaces, and you've got people under the table with the blanket covering the whole table, you've got people in the closet. Because the closet's a good one, because when you're traveling and you have a little travel mic and your phone to record to, because it's a little dishes, it's not like you, you know, studio. You you you you you want to be able to replicate that, and it's the all the pillow castles on the bed, that was a good one. So it's really I mean, obviously, I sent a reminder to everyone going, hey, you know, just in case I've got a professional studio setup, happy to oblige. So it does help to have a have a studio setup, but it was just fascinating to see all these improv improvised uh spaces because they it can work, you can send studio stuff.

SAM: 22:54
Yeah, it's very cool. Like they they asked you not to apply unless you have a proper studio, so anyway.

MAX: 23:02
Well, you you gotta give it a shot, right? And you would be the only one look, I'm I'm I'm an actor, I'm an artist, I can I can I can understand this, so I can do it. I've got the equipment, let me exactly yeah, yeah, exactly.

SAM: 23:15
So having this now works for voiceovers. I mean, not probably not as well as your procaster, because it isn't for for singing, but um, it works. It works similar thing. I was very happy with one of my takes, it sounded very cool.

MAX: 23:25
Good. Well, I mean, uh well, remember when I started, I I just had uh um uh the the road mic go, which just plugs into my phone to be able to help as a directional mic when I'm doing self-tapes. So I just literally plugged that in to the computer directly and I was auditioning from that and I landed a couple of big jobs and I looked at that going, oh my god, I can't record this huge job on this tiny little Yeah. That's when I thought, okay, I'm gonna invest in the right equipment. So it was kind of you know how as I get more work, I reinvest to get better work. But uh but yeah, I'm like when I my first big successes, two of the big successes were from a tiny little mic.

SAM: 24:08
I guess it's interesting how if you think about like how they they give you those or they give you those roles after an audition through a tiny shitty mic or whatever.

MAX: 24:17
Yeah, well, I mean it's it's it's it's that just goes to show it's not like oh well you you you you want to be an actor. Okay, well here's a script, just go read off the script. Like there's just so much more to it. Like, how how do you sound? And I know at the moment it's less full-on DJ voice, it's more about relaxed and relatable. So it's like you're talking with people, not at people. It's it's that's that's the kind of and that and and with my experience of 20 years in corporate, like I've been on the receiving end of so many messages, I I sort of can understand really quickly what they're trying to convey. If it's a sales pitch, if it's internal pitch, if it's a trade show pitch, like there's nuances to help, and obviously the type of audience as well. That way, um, you know, it's more about how you and and I give people a few options as well. And like even something so simple as just smiling as you speak can change so much. Uh, particularly if they're customer service ones or phone on hold, you know, all on non-glamorous stuff, but pays the bills. You want to be smiling when you read because then it's a bit more, you know, yeah, exactly. It's less like you're on hold, you're gonna be here for a while, so just hang in there. You know, it's a bit you want you want it to be, you want it to be you're on hold, hang in there, you know. We'll be with you shortly. So you know what I mean? Like it's just how your voice ever so it's more about how you sound rather than the the the quality of how you sound. Now, I say that, but there is an element of they're gonna end up in the hands of a studio engineer who's going to put it together and and and you really don't want them to have to work so hard to repair what you do. Because even now with the right equipment, I don't do much processing at all. Like I just record raw and send them this high-quality file because they're the experts, they'll be able to play with it and put the music bed in and that sort of stuff. So there's yeah, you've got to have something usable, but it doesn't have to be you paying for studio time to get that amazing sound quality, yeah. Especially on an audition. Sometimes for the big jobs too, they'll ask for a directed session where they're actually on they're actually, you know, you're FaceTiming them, they can hear you and they can give you some feedback, and even um to connect through their ISDN or whatever the network connection is directly to the studio. So it's like that connection's coming from the sound booth in front of them, but it's just coming from you, so that it's literally a live connection between you and the studio. Um but that's you know, so then you need better equipment. So the the better equipment unlocks the better jobs, but but yeah, it's about you and how you sound and how you can sound uh for the client. There's heaps of of tutorials online too, um, from voiceover professionals, and best to go to the ones that are actually working and booking work at the moment because they'll have a lot more credibility because there's so much garbage out there, too. And uh and and that and that's quite interesting to hear them compare microphones and all that sort of stuff, but but for the techies, but um, it's it's fascinating too to pick up some tips and tricks and learn from their mistakes, it's a bit cheaper.

SAM: 27:33
Grunt Thompson actually watched one of our podcasts.

MAX: 27:37
Oh yeah? And then you watched on YouTube or listened on a podcast.

SAM: 27:40
Yeah, I think watched on YouTube. Okay. Well he said watched, so I'm guessing YouTube. But that's cool. He hated it. No, I'm kidding.

MAX: 27:49
I was I was waiting for that. I'm like, okay, he watched it.

SAM: 27:52
No, no, I think he liked it. He didn't talk much about it, but he didn't talk much about it, but he said he watched it and it was cool.

MAX: 27:58
So that's progress.

SAM: 28:00
That progress indeed.

MAX: 28:01
Uh uh I mean next he'll watch an another one and then he'll subscribe. I I can feel it. I don't know if he's that's a dude. If not, I will hunt him down. No. Um how's how's that going? Are you working on that self-type still for Mother Nugs, isn't it?

SAM: 28:17
No, no, actually, I've sent it. It's all sent. It's happened. Yeah. So I've I've sent the Mullners one and I sent the actor one. We we shot the actor one, which was really good. Uh we we we did something and we figured out what works for me, which is kind of thinking about something that makes me as a Sam um have those sort of emotions and feelings. So pulling from real experiences works really well for me. That that's what we did for the actor self-tape, and I think that's the best self-tape I've ever done.

MAX: 28:46
Grant's good, isn't he? At pulling the performance out.

SAM: 28:49
Yeah, and and so I've uploaded them and I I I forgot that I made a Vimeo account two years ago, but I have nothing on I had nothing on it. So I reset that up and and uploaded all my videos, so now that's on Vimeo, which is a lot easier and kind of I think better spot than YouTube because it allows you to change thumbnails without having subscribers, all that stuff, and you can have it, you know, as much as you want, except without paying, you you have like a five gigabyte limit per week or whatever of uploading.

MAX: 29:19
I I think Vimeo's been quite good. It's more industry, I find. And like I'm able to send a link to my agent or casting director knowing that it's gonna work, and I can make it private, and I just like I just want them to see it or a few people to see it. I don't want everyone on YouTube to see it. Um and and uh it works quite consistently. It's a bit of a clunky interface in that, but it like it does the job.

SAM: 29:44
Yeah, and I've I've sent I've sent Mark all my stuff, so that's good. I think it's yeah, yeah, I just oh crossing my fingers.

MAX: 29:50
Like good luck.

SAM: 29:52
We find out about the actor thing on the 6th of May. I think they they um announced the winner then, which is a pretty short amount of time to figure that out. Like there must be hundreds.

MAX: 30:01
Well, hundreds. Plenty of time on their hands, perhaps. Uh yeah, maybe not so busy with their day jobs, these judges, because there is no day job, sort of.

SAM: 30:09
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

MAX: 30:11
Pandemic laugh. But uh it's interesting what you said about the actor piece, how you've got to have these um you you're you're looking for these cues to use to bring out that emotion that the character needs at that point in the scene. Yeah, yeah, definitely. I it works for me too, that like I use the the the Chubbock technique, and I've talked about it before in previous podcasts, um, and coached by Anthony Brandem Wong on that, because I think particularly like imagine you're doing you know eight shows a week on stage. What what what's interesting is what you might be using to substitute in one performance in one particular key scene to bring out an emotion, it might be different three weeks later because it won't work as well. And you've got to have something else to to sort of to bring that to life. I remember Anthony saying there was one um particular scene and he laid it out in photos on the floor when he was when it was still fairly fresh, and he had some of the lines down, but he's just you know looking at at what imagery that works for him, whether it's personal experience or what he wants to do or loves or hates, uh, to bring out the right emotion at that time. So he he translates images on the floor, and literally it told this story for him that has nothing to do with the play, nothing to do with that character's moment, other than it brings out the emotion for him to be able to portray that character so accurately and intuitively in the moment. Really interesting.

SAM: 31:41
Yeah, wow.

MAX: 31:42
And you might even have a couple of different ones and play with a couple to sort of work out which one's gonna work better for you. So lots of playing around and stuff, and I think you know, once you get that, you know where the character's going, you know where he just was in the scene, what's gonna happen in the next scene, you all the circumstances around you, um, and you've got the emotion down of that particular scene. I mean, you could fluff lines and still be on point, you know what I mean? Like it's still you're not gonna say something random, you know.

SAM: 32:08
Well, that's what you need, exactly. You need to be at that point and that you're so connected that you know you're listening. It's like it's people underestimate underestimate how important listening is to for acting and performing, you know. As humans, we listen and you need to mimic that, I guess. Well not mimic it, but do it, you know.

MAX: 32:25
It's just sometimes I I don't listen to you, but mostly I do. I tell you what was exciting. Having having listening to the Premier of New South Wales talk about uh motorcycle riding, bike riding being uh exercise, a form of okay to do in pandemic. I'm like so excited, I can actually just go for a ride on my Vespa.

SAM: 32:55
I don't know if it's because it's a form of exercise.

MAX: 32:59
Listen, listen, she said it must be true. Don't question the premiere.

SAM: 33:05
That's hilarious.

MAX: 33:07
Or she'll have you arrested. No, it's not dictating. Martial law. And they opened Bondi, they opened uh they're opening Bondi and they're opening uh a few of the beaches again because they keep opening them, and then people just muck up and just end up close to each other and just laying in the sand, not exercising at all. So they've organized these metal barriers like a channel across the sand to the water, so it literally forces you to go straight down into the water swim and come back out again. I think it's kind of cool way of at least you're getting something because otherwise the idiots would take over and all the lower IQs are just muck it up for everyone else again for the third time. So um I I I seriously want like a note from my physio that I can do it for rehab, just laminate it and hold it up on the surf and just go, no, it's for medical reasons.

SAM: 33:50
Yeah, do it.

MAX: 33:51
My little chicken wing swimming in circles.

SAM: 33:53
If they allow it for marijuana, I guess it's not a stretch for swimming.

MAX: 33:59
You could just see me rolling up with the lights, my cappuccino hanging from my my cup holder on the Vespa with a big joint just smoking away, light waiting for it to turn green.

SAM: 34:09
You're such a meme.

MAX: 34:10
Sorry, officer. It's medical purposes. One of my personalities. You've been listening to Max. And Sam. And we're two unemployed actors. We'll be back next week. Don't forget to like and subscribe and all that exciting stuff.