The Power of Silence in Interviews & Nailing Your American Accent | Ep 72

MAX: 00:12
Welcome back to Two Unemployed Actors. I'm Max. I'm Sam. We have a huge show today. I've got an audition update on the play we talked about last week. Three union events, two with acting coaches, one with a writer. And speaking of writing, I'm attending a couple events at the Sydney Writers Festival, which is on this week as well. Very cool. Lots to talk about. And Sammy.

SAM: 00:38
Not as much to talk about.

MAX: 00:40
To talk about what I'm talking about with me.

SAM: 00:42
Yeah, yeah. I'm I'll talk listen. Um you will butt in when you feel like I'll add some stuff if we get on top again. Oh, I have something to do. Interrupt me more than Fred. Yeah, I'll do that. But uh yeah, just actually I I auditioned for a feature film concept trailer.

MAX: 01:00
Okay.

SAM: 01:01
Uh through Star Now. Uh and she really liked it, the casting director. Okay. Uh slash producer.

MAX: 01:07
What sort of genre is the movie? Sci-fi.

SAM: 01:09
Oh, see, you love sci-fi. It would be very cool to do. And the trailer seems cool, but they said, you know, if you're good enough in this role, uh surely you'd surely play the lead in the actual future. So I'm very excited. That's great, so that's cool as well. Double bonus. Um, but yeah, that's about it, and just trying to still get out of my hospitality job. But that's um get out of survival job. Yeah, exactly. Into the passion. Into the passion. But Max, what have you got with budget?

MAX: 01:38
You know what we talked about last week? Nomad Land. Yes. Um, what an Oscar sweep. Best picture, uh, best actress, Frances McDormand, best director, Chloe Zower. Yep. Um you have to go see that in the cinema before it uh leaves the cinemas. Um yeah, so I talked about an audition last week for a play, and I know because importantly because there was like this. I've just finished lipstick, bit of a lull, and I've got into organising, you know, the website, CVs, all the profiles, that sort of stuff. And then this play turns up that was really cool. Australian play called Spook. So I sent myself tape, I recorded it, I did the uh bit from the odd couple that I normally do that I did for work for Lipstick. Yep. Uh being from a play and a comedy. Uh and I got a callback, which is great. So sometime next week I'll actually be in theatre. Um, I told I actually talked to the director just before we uh we went to air here. Um and uh yeah, I said, look, you know, I'm available at these times, but pretty flexible. I live across the road from the theatre, so it should be fine. We could organize something, accommodate that, because you know it's it's it's not just the director, it's the other readers, etc. So that's coming up. I'm passionate about that, excited about that. That's a nice strong maybe. Um and we we cling to strong maybes in this game.

SAM: 03:02
Yeah, 100%. Cling to those strong maybes.

MAX: 03:05
They keep us surviving. Uh so the MEAA events, so the unions organized some events. Uh, there's a mix of in-person and live stream at the moment, with more on live stream, because I know they pivoted quite strongly to live streaming when um COVID hit.

SAM: 03:23
Yep.

MAX: 03:23
And fortunately had already done a few as a test to sort of see if that's a way to reach more members uh across the country without those just in Sydney or Melbourne offices, uh, which is great just as well because it certainly makes it easier now. There's uh a session with Miranda Harcourt, who is an acting coach, um an experienced actor herself, talking about um focusing on connection and protection. So how you can prepare your work to be able to safely enter and exit the role.

SAM: 03:56
Connection and protection.

MAX: 03:57
Because when you think about like you get look, I've been lucky the the roles I've had this year are all sounds like a con it could be connection and protection. You want to connect when you're protected, always oh there's a first sponsor. Um but yeah, no, like when you think I I've been so lucky this year it's been corporate stuff and uh comedies like the play where I haven't really had to be concerned about how I'm coming out of character. Uh but yeah, I mean if let's say that the next play I do happens to be a drama and there happens to be very full-on scenes in that play, um to be able to get in and out safely. I've got my little tactics. I know music works well for me. Um, but there you know, um it's like warm-ups. There's there's so many different ways to approach it. I'm happy to lean on an expert of many years and and try and uh practice a few. So that's this Thursday, I think. No, this Friday, and next Friday with Rand Harkourt.

Speaker 4: 05:02
Very cool.

MAX: 05:03
Um and another one uh this week as well, uh, on warm-ups, funnily enough. Uh Voice Warm-Ups with Natasha McNamara, who's an acting coach, another one, uh, but also a NIDA and Whopper graduate. So, what's better than graduating from one? Graduating from both of them. Uh I'm not a singer, so you're a singer, so you probably know more about warming up your voice. Oh, you're a voice over artist, it's a bit more. True, which is why I should know more about it. But I like it'll be interesting to yeah, it'll be interesting to um because I think that she talked about working on different ways to keep your voice warm just every day. Mm-hmm. Um, that are great habits to get into so that it's even easier when you do need to use your voice for work. 100%. So I'm really looking forward to that. And I'm I'm I'm and again, I'm I'm looking forward to sharing my insights. Uh, hopefully, if it resonates with me, it'll resonate with our listeners. True. Um, so we hope that with most episodes. Most episodes, actually. Good point, Sam. Hello, hello, anybody? Hello.

SAM: 06:08
Um it's only us anyway, so whatever resonates with us resonates with us, so it works. Fred likes it. If you like it.

MAX: 06:15
Uh yeah. So Sydney Writers Festival's on, and throughout the week there are so many events, uh, from panel discussions, interviews with authors, um, workshops on writing, you name it. It's all a part of this festival. And fortunately with COVID, we're all able to get together at Carriage Works here in well, I think it's actually Everly, which is in the next suburb. So it's very close then. It's a 10-minute walk away. So I've got two events. One I'm really looking forward to, okay. On Sunday, I get to to have a chat because it's a bit of a QA, but uh between George Miller and Tim Minchin. Stop it. I know. Uh there might be tickets still available. 35 bucks.

SAM: 07:01
Yeah, I may want to go because Jess is doing uh a screenwriting course at uni.

MAX: 07:06
Is she? Yeah. Is she doing screenwriting? Oh, it's well it's just one of her subjects.

SAM: 07:09
Wow. Um she's doing arts, okay, but one of her subjects she chose was screenwriting.

MAX: 07:16
There's so many sessions on that that might be a benefit. But when is it on again? It's now. It started yesterday and it goes for the week. Uh lots of um sessions throughout the day and the evening. Um I think it concludes on Sunday. Uh so yeah, midday, I'm sitting down with George Miller, Tim Minchin. Um George Miller, so for those that don't know, director of Mad Max. Fury Road. Yep. It's part of the Sydney Writers Festival. He's got three films that are in the top ten of Australian films in terms of box office take. Wow. So out of the top ten that made the most money in Australia of Australian films, three. Babe, Mad Max 2, and Happy Feet, they're pretty different. It's not like he's got one.

Speaker 1: 08:03
Yeah, I mean two.

MAX: 08:05
But they were yeah, and two films voted best action movies of all time, which is pretty good. Bad Max 2 and Die Hard.

SAM: 08:14
Did he do Die Hard?

MAX: 08:15
He did indeed. And the most nominated and most awarded Australian film ever at the Oscars, which was Fury Road.

SAM: 08:22
Yeah, they were I remember watching that one.

MAX: 08:24
Not a bad CV.

SAM: 08:25
It was it there was a it was like almost like a little competition between Fury Road and uh the Revenant.

MAX: 08:29
Well, I I liked The Revenant. Fury Road I struggled. It was kind of like just like this road rage. They went from one end of Parramatta Road all the way down the other end, said three things, and then went all the way back again. So anyway, we know we know the next one's been announced because it happened a few days ago. $350 million. Biggest Australian ever. Chris Hemsworth. So that should be interesting. And it's a prequel, which they like to do these days when you're trying to maximise a franchise. Yeah. Uh a prequel, and um maybe I'll ask him who's doing the casting. How's that for a question?

SAM: 09:02
That is a good question.

MAX: 09:03
As a as an actor in between projects, it's a very pertinent question.

SAM: 09:07
I've got a question for Mr. Miller. Hopefully it's not a wasted question. Hopefully he's not like I can't reveal that next question.

MAX: 09:12
He's currently in Sydney, not just to talk to people on Sunday. He's currently filming 3,000 years of longing um in Sydney. Um with no. I have no idea. I literally just read that.

SAM: 09:26
He also lives here, doesn't he?

MAX: 09:27
Generally. Well, yeah. He's also most of the time. Most of the time. I mean, when you're that, you knew you've got that much of a CV, the work comes to you. Um it's very, very true. You don't have to hustle quite as much.

SAM: 09:36
Hey George, we want you to shoot this, uh direct this film in uh Alaska. Yeah. Nah, uh make it here.

MAX: 09:41
Yeah, we'll just move it here. Some snow in the Queensland soundstage. It's fine. Um and also uh a second, so I said I'm going to two sessions. Yes. The second one, not so much related to the acting in me, but certainly fuel for stories. There's a lawyer, Bernard Colery, who is an Australian lawyer. He's uh has the potential for jail time for allegedly helping his former allegedly, he's a big strong word, everyone, allegedly helping his former client who, as an intelligence agent, um, an intelligence officer, we'll call witness K, who exposed Australia's bugging of the East Timory's government to gain upper hand during the oil and gas negotiations. Something that happened quite some time ago came to light a few years ago, and he is a part of helping this person who is looking at wit whistleblower coming coming forward under whistleblower protection, where there's legislation in Australia to help protect whistleblowers. Yep. But does that help protect someone who's governed by the Official Secrets Act and non-disclosure agreements, that sort of stuff, as an intelligence officer for Australia? Okay. So that's an interesting conversation between him and Julian Burnside QC, who's a is a fantastic Melbourne barrister. He specialises in commercial litigation. For those of you just having a micro sleep, just one more thing. I'm a bit of I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to the law and this sort of stuff. So I think there's plenty in there for some great stories. Um and it does relate to um Bernard Colery, who is uh written a book on the subject, which would be quite interesting, I imagine. When this is part of the festival as well. Yeah, it's part of the festival. Just yeah, okay, right. Sydney Ryder's Festival, who's a writer. Yeah, it doesn't have to do with uh and that just goes to show there's so many different events of album. There's um uh on interviewing, interviewing Andrew Denton about interviewing. Interviewing he is one of the best, he's one of the best people I've I've seen as an interviewer because the way he can get someone to give information that they wouldn't normally give other people, and one of his key strengths is not saying anything at all.

SAM: 12:03
Just let them talk. You know what I mean? Yeah, right.

MAX: 12:05
And and and the occasional sort of prod to shape the direction of the discussion.

SAM: 12:09
Yeah, right.

MAX: 12:10
Because I've seen some people interview and and they're sort of almost finishing the other person's sentence in a way, and really sort of and almost they're talking more than the person interviewing. That's probably worst case. Yeah, um, I know in terms of negotiation training, after 20 years of corporate negotiations, the power of silence is is powerful when as a negotiation tactic. Um, but not to bore you with that, but uh but uh that's that would be quite interesting. No, that's interesting. Yeah, is um it's interesting, and so there's so there's lots happening. So I've sort of gone from I've sort of gone from um you know the play, big projects finished, into update the website, tick that CVs, tick that, all the online platforms, recut show reels, all that stuff because you've got to make hay while the sun shines, right? And you keep busy, it's constructive, it's adding value, and then boom, all of a sudden, diary's filling up. I'm gonna do one of my buttons. Go for it.

SAM: 13:05
Speaking of show reels, I've um got it kind of up on Star Now and I will put it on casting network soon. So I've actually completed like what I've got so far.

MAX: 13:16
Would you send me the link so we can put it on to unemployed, not yet?

SAM: 13:19
No, no, yeah, I can. I I want to put in American self-tape in it. Okay. I just put up everything else um at this point because I did need to uh send it through for an or like for a feature film audition. They wanted to see that, so I kind of did a kind of rough one. Uh it's four minutes. Yeah. It's long. It is long, it's long, but that can be my long one. Indeed. I'll make a short one.

MAX: 13:40
Well, I mean, uh, because I mean you've got you've got like you have a like a drama show reel, maybe, uh like a more commercial show reel. And then a and you can have a drama drama one or or or self-type, really. I mean, think of it as your agent's got a bank to send. The showreel really shows your agent what you're capable of. Yeah. But if there's a drama role, they're not going to send something which is heavy on the drama.

SAM: 14:02
No, you can have different ones have drama, comedy, have American, have all that stuff.

MAX: 14:06
That's great. I think from a com from a commercial point of view for me, I've got my generic acting showreel, which I noticed is very heavy on drama because that's against type that I've been playing, and and and is something you wouldn't see in my work. I'm conscious of that. That's why I did a separate one of comedy to send as a self-tape for my last audition. Um, and I'm conscious of that because I had another piece of work drop, but I haven't included in the sh the the showreel because it's it's another one of me playing against Tyre, which is almost the similar character of that's represented there. Yeah, right. Uh so you know, it's alcoholic abusive guy, you know, angry. It's like, well, I've already got that there, I don't need another one. So I'm looking for perhaps more comedy to sort of bolster that. And then I've got a presenting-to-camera one, which is me, you know, find a presenting-to-camera or corporate presenting to camera. I think the miter 10's in there as well. Yeah, the power tools trying to tell myself. And actually, so you yeah, go on.

SAM: 15:07
I've gone back to I went, I I contacted Danielle Roth, who was my dialet coach for the journalists. That's right, you mentioned, yes. Yeah, so I went back to her and um I was so nervous, and so was she, because like we were like, Have I improved? Have I gotten worse am I the same? What's happened? Um, and thank God I'd improved. So that was good. Um so we're just kind of focusing now on minute details of different things, and I'm I'm happy about that, and I'm going back to it tomorrow. I just think it's just obviously just for me, it's getting more and more important to I think for everyone, but like just in my own life, like to do more American self-tapes and more of that stuff. So to have and I need the accent down pat.

MAX: 15:47
I mean, we we can't ignore the fact that although we're passionate about Australian stories, we're Australian and we're here in Australia, it makes sense. Um we're not um uh we're we're not ignorant of the fact that there's just so many millions of dollars worth of American content being created in Australia right now. Uh more so than usual uh because of the the COVID situation. Yeah. So conversely, it's it's suddenly very important to have um an authentic representation, because we're obviously not authentically American, uh to be able to work um at the moment.

SAM: 16:21
I think it's it's been awesome, and I think yeah, it's important to do so. But yeah, anyway, I just wanted to shove that in there.

MAX: 16:26
Yeah, because it's interesting because normally you know you'd probably have that uh uh uh in the back of your pocket, you know, so that if you do end up in LA for whatever reason to audition or whatever, you've got strong American accent, general American, you've got your showreel, all that sort of stuff.

SAM: 16:41
Yeah, I'm glad that it's that it's her. I can have her as a reference. You know, she's done uh Hacksaw Ridge and stuff with Andrew Garfield teaching him in an Aussie accent, you know, all this stuff. So it's cool. So yeah, I've got to do that. That's great.

MAX: 16:54
I feel that yeah, it's looked after the world's come to us, so we don't have to sort of go anywhere. Yeah. Um so one more thing, yeah, so writing. So again through the union, I'm leaning heavily on them at the moment, but I don't care, it's great as a resource uh with Miranda Harcourt um and also with Natasha on the warm-ups. But a writing course. So it's a course that's specifically tailored for um writing for actors uh by uh Chris Corbett, who's I think he's done over 50 hours of Australian television he's written for. So the focus is on screenwriting, uh on helping actors. So we're not trained to, you know, we're not creative writers and perhaps don't have that experience, but but certainly creative. And everyone's got stories. Yeah, it's just how you represent that, you know, what what are some of the typical things that can go wrong when you're building a story? Um, how do you hold an audience interest? Um, you know, you might have the best idea in your mind and you can play it scene by scene as we sometimes can as actors, but translating that onto a document that everyone's gonna have a piece of it's gonna be interesting.

SAM: 18:07
Yeah, 100%. I know that I have some unfinished scripts that I've tried to Yeah.

MAX: 18:12
Well, I'm thinking this might be the impetus. I've got a couple of stories up my sleeve, and I've been sort of writing bits and pieces, doing background on a couple of them. So I feel like this look, if anything, I I think even if it doesn't propel me into completing what I've started from a screenwriting perspective, it'll be great to give me some in extra insight as an actor, you know, analysing scripts and reading screenplays.

SAM: 18:37
And give you more of an insight in that, yeah.

MAX: 18:39
So I'm looking forward to it though. It's it's it's by Zoom uh once a week for five weeks um and free fortunately, thanks to our union membership. So very cool. It's um it's gonna be it's a jam-packed few weeks. Yeah, you're busy. Um in a sound booth on Thursday recording a corporate piece. I got a script which is like two pages of corporate speak. And um I have to make it look like it's absolutely the most interesting thing um that I've read. And then it'll lead to regular work where I can just sort of submit it from my home studio. But um so it'll be good to actually because it's been a while since I've been in a sound booth with audio engineers and a client who's who's actually sitting there to provide live feedback. I I I prefer that. It's like when you're in a room for an audition, you know, you get that live feedback. Yeah, sure. Uh rather than sending files back and forth. Um, and I think that's great, certainly, to get the tone and everything so that I can pick it up from my own little home studio when Fred's not barking, in between the planes flying over Newtown. That's the plan. Yeah, it is. Wow, so there's lots happening. So make sure you you keep listening over the next few weeks as we bring to life all this exciting stuff we've talked about.

SAM: 19:55
Bringing it to life.

MAX: 19:56
Uh, what's gonna happen with my play? Not even I know how that's gonna end. Uh the audition continues judying next week. Some insights from all these courses and George Miller and Tim Minchin. Yes, very excited to hear about that. It's going to be really interesting. So make sure you keep listening. Subscribe, follow us on social media, all that exciting stuff. Do it all. You're listening to two unemployed actors. I'm Max. I'm Sam. You'll hear us next week. Bye.