Acting Academy Exam: The Guest

For the Acting Academy exam, we are throwing a press release part base on us as an artist. For part of our exam, we are supposed to invite a guest that is part of the arts industry. The guest I chose to bring is my grade 5 teacher Mrs. Tanja Smithson, when I was in her class in grade 5; she ran a musical which I performed in called Santa’s Rocking Christmas Eve. I was a mistletoe (boy band member). Ever since grade 5 I’ve had a passion for being on stage and grabbing the spot light. When I needed help to enter a competition called “Born to be a star”, Mrs. Tanja Smithson stood up and supported me all the way. She is one reason big reason why I have decided to pursuit acting as a perfusion.  Ever since grade 5, Mrs. Smithson has hosted many different musical’s and plays at her elementary school and now, she is currently the dance and music teacher at Homestead public school Brampton, Ontario.

My experience at my first casting call/ Seeking Representation

So on Tuesday January 11^th, 2011 I went on my first seeking representation call. The company was called Orange Model Management Inc. Located at 111 peter street Toronto Ontario.  When I went to the agency, I’m not going to lie, I was nervous. It’s because I never did something like this before.  I didn’t know what to expect or how they would react in front of me. He, I didn’t even know if they were legit or not. So as I walked into the interview, the male greeted with respect and told me blow by blow on how this industry really was. He told me because I had no experience, it was hard for someone to just get jobs like that. Personally, when he was telling me all of this, I was surprised. I thought that agencies wanted people to get in and they just wanted to take your money, but I was quite mistaken.  This is how I knew he was legit. For someone to come out and say that, honestly, the competition is hard, and it’s totally up to you to join, made me want to learn more. Maybe it was just reverse psychology, but whatever it was, it worked on me.  After the interview, he made me audition. He told me to read a couple of lines, and examined me from head to toe. He checked everything from my neck size to my shoe size. He also checked my teeth to see if they were workable.  All In all, my experience at my first seeking representation was really fun. I got to learn a lot more about the industry and learned how to communicate with industry people. Oh and you never know, I might just sign with Orange Models, and become a star.

The Death of Leslie Nielson

On November 28^th 2010, Canadian actor and legend Leslie Nielson had passed away. He was one of my favourite actors as he starred in some of the best movies growing up. He starred in the Naked Gun Trilogy and classic Mr. Magoo. Not only was a famous Canadian actor, he was also my grandfather’s favourite actor, as Nielson knew how to deliver the laughs and could make you cry if he wanted too. He was best known for being a star in TV’s Golden Age and starring in many miniseries created by the Walt Disney Corporation. Nielson always starred in parody based movies, for example airplane which was a mixture of Airport and Zero Hour. Even in his 80ties Nielson still starred and performed in both movies and on stage. Some of his famous newer movies would include Scary Movie 3, where the actor posed almost fully nude, playing a President. His hobby was golf and golfed as much as he could on his spare time. Leslie Nielson will be greatly missed, Rest in Peace.

Skating Trip 2010

On December 30^th my cousins and I decided to go skating last minute. This day was quite eventful considering everything we planned to do, did not come together as planned. The day started off pretty good, we were on our way downtown when my cousin called me and told me he was unable to buy skates for $40 and this was a problem as neither of us had skates. So we decided to divert from going downtown to Pickering and meeting up with my cousins at his house, oh and to make things worst it started to rain. From my cousins house we went to like 2 different places to look for skates, and by now it was almost 2 o’clock. After finally getting our skates we decided to head down to the subway station close to my uncle’s store. On our way to the subway station my older cousin Nitin started to feel a little sick and, he was, good thing we were close to my uncle’s store. We got to the RTC and began our trip downtown by now it was already 5. We reached Nathan Phillips square around 6ish and as we were putting on our skates my brother noticed his skates were of the same foot. So luckily my cousin brought his brothers skates, which were about a size smaller but we managed to skate, using those small skates. Suddenly, my brother turns a corner and BAM, he got knocked over by some dude skating too close to the edge. I mean we were having an amazing time, but it started to get super cold, and I still had lots of homework to do when I got back. So just before we left to go back to Pickering, we were interviewed by CityTv, and we were asked questions about the new years show on the 31^st. Those were some hard questions. When we were on the subway back to Pickering, me and my cousin decided to play a prank on my brother and our friend who were semi sleeping on the subway. We decided to get off 3 stops before our stop and see if they would notice, they didn’t. Overall it was a great night and an amazing experience; I didn’t know skating could be so much fun.

Avatar: The Last Air Bender

Over the winter holidays my brother and I started watching this show called Avatar: The Last Airbender. Avatar, is a show that can be enjoyed by anyone, from children to those who are adults. The show is about a young child who is destined to be the avatar and save the world by using all of the elements; earth, water, air, and fire to defeat the fire lord. This show got me thinking, do the control of these elements still exist? How cool would it be to be able to bend fire and the earth in order to use as a means of transportation? All of these element bending comes from the study of Tai Chi and using the life force within ourselves to control the surrounding elements. I find it amazing that thousands and hundreds of years ago, people used to or could have studied and mastered the ways of these elements and something tells me deep down, that there are some people who may continue to study them. I remember that during this show I would Google, element bending and realized that there are some forms of it that exist today, for example pyrokinesis or pyromania is the study of creating fire, control and exhausting fire by using one’s mind. I just find it amazing how this stuff exists and I wouldn’t mind travelling the world, in order to seek and learn from those who can channel their energy to the point where they can create fire using just their energy.

Kids these days

One thing I have started to notice lately is that this world is changing, and not for the betterment of society. I have begun to notice that children around the age of 10 – 15 have almost no respect for anyone of authority. They curse at their parents, and at their neighbours. Last week I had an 8 year old run at me and tell me to F off, just because I wouldn’t move out of the way while shovelling the snow. I was horrified to see that their parent did not react to what the child had said and kept walking. Part of me wanted to grab that kid and give him a spanking that his parents should have given him. I know for a fact that if my parents catch me swearing or saying mean things, they would still lecture me about it. It is really sad that these kids are our future, and if they can’t learn to respect their elders or their peers, I fear that the future may be doomed.

Jet Li's Fearless- My Review

One of my favourite movies of all times is Jet Li’s Fearless. The story embarks on a young martial artist will, who vows never to lose in a fight. After watching his father lose and getting beaten up by the local bully, Huo Yuanjia (Jet Li) embarks on becoming the greatest martial artist of his time. Although this story is based on the heroic and legendary life of Huo Yuanjia, it is very difficult to tell the difference between the truth and lies behind his story. The story shows how one person’s will and desire can change the outcome of their life. After becoming a famous, undefeated martial artist, Yuanjia, is pursued by a child who challenges him by telling him that his grandfather is a much better martial artist and that he can beat him any day.  After Yuanjia’s victorious battle with the grandfather of the child, the child had gone and killed Yuanjia’s family, causing him to go and get revenge. Although, revenge never solves anything, Yuanjia had gone to the young child’s house and wishes to slaughter his family. When he gets there he realizes that the grandfather had died and that the young child had slit his own throat. Yuanjia had gone and tried to commit suicide by drowning himself in the river, but he washed away to a small village. There he learned to love again, and practice his martial arts for himself and not for the idea of fighting for honor. During his last tournament he fought a karate master, and was poisoned so that he would not win. Due to the amount of respect that this master had for YuanJia, the karate master forfeited his win to Yuanjia, who then died. I feel that this story had hit me hard as it shows the struggles of one man who had everything and went to absolutely nothing. This story also shows that greatness can be achieved without the use of violence, and with a calm sense of mind. This story can relate to me in a sense because this year I went to a tournament for the FMSS wrestling team where I was defeated and did not place. I promised myself that at the next tournament, that I would do better and get nothing but a gold medal. I remember struggling during that gold medal match and almost losing, but because I was a better, and much stronger opponent, I was able to walk away with the gold medal, I was Fearless.

Leadership final

I have finally finished my leadership project and wow doesn’t it feel great. All this stress that I had on my head throughout the semester has finally disappeared. The leadership assignment was basically, our class being assigned leadership roles and at the end of the year, come up with a final product. My leadership role was a film and video specialist co-leading with Nathanial and Idrees. As a film and video specialist, we had to film moments and presentations of the class and at the end of the year come up with a final product. Since we were the first year to have a film and video team, we had no projects to reference on.  So basically our final product was all up to us. Since we slacked off a lot, we missed out on many of our visions to start with. We didn’t do a class video montage or we didn’t do a class vlog. So we had to think of something we could do and we thought of putting all our presentations into a 6 box DVD set. After long and hard nights of editing and working, we completed our DVD sets with a full out menu and a DVD cover. When we handed our work in, our teacher was astonished, she couldn’t have believed her eyes. She did not expect us to do this much and because we were determined for success, we aimed for the best. And even though it was a tough project, I still had a lot of fun completing it. I’m going to miss videotaping in class.

HAIR SHOW!!!

One day, we were invited to Madam Thibault’s class to view her student’s performance for the upcoming hair show. The hair show was based on Los Vegas and there casino lounges. The show contained a mix of famous singer and celebrities like, Michael Jackson, Steve Wonder, Madonna, and many more. When we went to view her class, I didn’t know that Sharisa had booked us to perform in the show, so out of nowhere, Madam started to choose roles for various performances. I was selected to play Elvis Presley. After a couple of rehearsals and meetings, I was feeling very confident about playing Elvis but after the winter break, something bad had happened. Elvis Presley was taken out of the show due to lack of background dancers. I felt bad, since I was taken out. I had cancelled my wrestling tournament for this show and I wasn’t even going to be in it. So I talked to Madam to find me a place in this show. They added me as a model for the fashion show, a background performer for the break dance number, a background dancer for the Madonna piece, and a Zombie in the Thriller dance. After a couple rehearsals on each performance, it was performance day. On performance day, there was going to be two shows, one in during school and the other in the evening. I am not going to lie; our morning performance at school was a bust. We were not rehearsed too well, and we were un coordinated. Even though the fans loved us, we needed to make a change for the night show so after the first show was done; we had one last rehearsal where we all learned the steps properly. We were now prepared for our final show. Our final show was amazing. Everyone was on que and everyone looked good. Madam Thibault was very pleased in what she saw. She noticed a big improvement from the show in the morning and the show in the evening. We had a lot of fun during the rehearsals and being backstage. I made tones of new friends and noticed that some people, who I never expected to relate to, were pretty chill.

For now.... School = No Social Life

Has anyone told you that school takes over your social life, well when they use to say that, I never believed them, but wasn’t I wrong. Exams are here and I am on lockdown. It’s like I don’t have a social lie anymore. They say you should balance the two, but this is what I get for slacking off all year. In order for me to become successful in school, I needed to get my work ethic up and that is what I’m doing. In The Acting Academy, at first, I assumed I was going to be really easy. Hey, I’ve been acting all my life, but there more to just “acting” in the Acting Academy. There is a lot of work that is put into this class and if you don’t moderate your time, you are going to be like me and struggle in controlling both social and academic lives. I have been staying up late till 4- 5 am working on summative projects. This is the most I have ever worked in school in my life. At the beginning of the year, when your teacher says, ”keep up with your work, because it is going to get harder”, listen to her. She is not trying to scare you but help you. I always thought that when teachers said, ”it’s going to be hard”, even when the challenge is easy, they were just seeing who would stress out and run away from a challenge before it started. But when your teacher advises you that you shouldn’t slack off because the work load is going to get heavier and heavier then you should listen. Basically what I’m trying to say is, if you don’t want to end up like me, then stay focus and get work done on time or beforehand. It will make you life a lot easier, and your social life a whole lot better.

My New Years Eve

On New Year’s Eve, me my brother and a couple of friends got together and threw a small New Year’s get together. This was the first time in months since we all had last seen each other. The night was amazing. We had lots of fun; played many part games, and just talked. Who knew that just talking would cover up lost pages in your life. The night had started off kind of slow since we were cleaning up and getting ready for the party however, when the guest started to show, the party became liver. My highlight of the night was the final few seconds before the New Year. I remember all of us gathering in front of the TV and started watching the big apple drop. When it did I swear that the whole house stared to shake. Everyone yelling happy New Year was such a sight to see.  At 12 o clock, I tried to contact my parents to wish them a Happy New year. But have you all noticed that at 12 o clock, no phone lines work? It’s like if they shut down just before the New just before the New Year. Anyways... This New Year, my resolution is to do better in school and get accepted to university, and to keep fit, and get a job in modeling. I know that from the support from my family and friends, I will succeed in both of my goals.

My Wonderful Christmas

My Christmas was one not to forget, well the first half wasn’t. On Christmas day, me and my family woke up early and went to my cousin’s house for a Christmas brunch. Everyone from my dad’s family was there. Every year my cousins host either a Christmas eve party or a Christmas day brunch, and every year my family which I haven’t seen in moths show up. It was great. We had lots of food, lots of gifts and lots and lots of love. Sadly, the Christmas brunch had to end short for me, my dad and my brother. We all had a gig at a banquet hall. We were DJing and Anniversary party. At first, I and my brother were quite upset because, we wanted to spend time with my cousins. It was not like every day that we see them, however we sucked it up and went on with our night. The party actually wasn’t too bad. These middle aged men and women knew how to part hard. I was quite surprised and they were quite entertaining. So even though I had to leave my family for work, I’m not too disappointed.

A Christmas Redemption

On December 11^th, 2010, Mrs Thomas was throwing her second run of her production “A Christmas Redemption”. Two grab some hours, Idrees and I showed up and decided to record the show. This was my first gospel performance I had been to, and I was very excited to see what Mrs. Thomas would produce. At the end of the show, I was like “wow”. The performance was outstanding. She casted this play marvellously and Mrs. Thomas were outstanding too. she had written and directed such a magnificent play. The soundtrack was amazing and the stage settings were beautiful. Even though there was some technical difficulties (like the mic not working and the music not working at some points), the actors still carried through as if there was nothing wrong. My favourite scenes in the production were the boys barbershop scene, and the “money, money, money, money” scene. One big reason why I enjoyed both of those scenes was because it was funny and I could relate to some situations. In the boys barbershop scene, Steven stood out to me the most. I can still hear him say “Fu Fu” in his African accent. Man he was hilarious. In the “money, money, money, money” scene, I don’t know exactly their names but both of them were hilarious. The “come her woman” act had made my day. All in all, I found Mrs. Thomas’s Production a hit. I know she is going to become very successful from this and I am waiting until she reaches her destiny.

Our first fundraiser

On Monday November 29^th, 2010, we had organized to do our first fund raiser for our class. Basically our objective was to raise money for our Christmas party. The product we decided to sell was McDonalds. We believed that everyone wanted McDonald’s but had no way of getting there. So what we did was, we bought 70 JR Chicken Sandwiches and 50 double cheese burgers and sold them for $3 a piece making approximately a $1.25 on top of each burger. At first we though the price was a bit too high and we were concerned if anyone would buy it. But boy were we wrong. We had line ups that were begging to sell them it. It was insane. It was like we struck a gold mine. Everyone wanted a burger and everyone was willing to do anything for it. Me and Jordan needed up doing two trips to Two different McDonalds’ to get the amount of burgers needed. At the end of the day, we were quite successful. For only selling 120 burgers, we made a profit of $75.00 which was nothing we expected. If we ever get a second opportunity to do this again, by all means I am willing to do it. If I know that the money is going towards a good cause and that we are not being selfish on where it’s going, then I would love to jump towards that opportunity.

Cover It Up

Larisa and I were partnered up again for the relationship scenes. This scene was to show how you can play off, react and feel comfortable with a partner. There were many differnt types of scenes we could have played off of. The scene that we decided to choose was: a business trip hook up where feelings and emotions get involved. I played this man named Daniel Abrego aka Danny. He is a 28 year old Hispanic man that grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He has this problem where he falls in love too quickly and he tends to flirt a lot. The good thing about him is that he is very ambitious and determined for his goals. Larisa played a Female named Taylor Rickards. She is approximately 26 and is very experience in the business. She has this stubborn attitude and likes to get her way. She has a very bad past, and needs to learn that, she needs to fix things one step at a time.

Friday January 7^th, 2011 was our first presentation day. Larisa and I were ready to perform our hearts out but everything that could go wrong had gone wrong. The music didn’t play on time, our extras didn’t show up, the power had gone out, and the scenario that swings open the climax couldn’t have happened because of a character did not fulfilling his role. The scene was a complete bust. At the end of our performances, I requested if we could have another chance at it because, I wasn’t willing to take a R. After a deep discussion, she decided to give us another chance.

Monday January 10^th, 2011 was the second day we were given to present. This time, Larisa and I discussed everything and if problems do happen, what our plan b would be. When we went through the presentation, it was a lot better. Mistakes were slightly mad, but we always played off each other.  The only problem was, we couldn’t have finnnished the scene because the class time had ran out. Mrs. Thomas didn’t get upset since we were below time. She ended up stating that, we did a lot better and it went a lot smoother.

All in all, we had fun doing this assignment!

This is One Insperational Song

Donnie Mcclurkin - We Fall Down

We fall down
But we get up
We fall down
But we get up
We fall down
But we get up
For a saint is just a sinner who fell down,
but we couldn't stay there,
and got up

We fall down
But we get up
We fall down
But we get up
We fall down
But we get up
For a saint is just a sinner who fell down,
but we couldn't stay there,
and got up

We fall down
But we get up
We fall down
But we get up
We fall down
But we get up
For a saint is just a sinner who fell down,
but we couldn't stay there,
and got up

We fall down
But we get up
We fall down
But we get up
We fall down
But we get up
For a saint is just a sinner who fell down,
but we couldn't stay there,
and got up

We fall down
But we get up
We fall down
But we get up
We fall down
But we get up
For a saint is just a sinner who fell down,
but we couldn't stay there,
and got up

Get back up again (6x)
For a saint is just a sinner who fell down
and got up

Get back up again (6x)
For a saint is just a sinner who fell down
and got up

Get back up again (6x)
For a saint is just a sinner who fell down
and got up

Get back up again (6x)
For a saint is just a sinner who fell down
and got up

Personally, I am not a vivid gospel music listener, but the other day, Nathanial showed me this song by Donnie Mcclurkin called We Fall Down. At first, my reaction to the song was like, “how is this a song”, because of the repetitive lines, but after a few listens, the song had grew into me. One thing for sure that I will stick by is that, this is not a song. This piece of music is a chant. A chant that gives out a strong and powerful message that, yes we do make mistakes, but all we got to do is get up and try again. This message should be absorbed my all because, this song will give you the determination and hope, for you to achieve your goals. The reason why the talented Donnie Mcclurkin produced this song as a chant was because; he knew that when you repeat something over and over again, it tends to stick into your mind, and what better way of sending and inspirational lesson.

Media Project

Life through my eyes

Chorus

How would it feel to if you stepped in my shoes

People always laughin and starrin at you

What would you say, What would you say

How would you feel if you slept in the cold

What you call streets, is what I call home

What would you say What would you say

Verse 1

Livin out here aint the good life

All we do is fight to survive

It doesn’t mean we like what we do, sittin at every corner, and beggin for food.

We might look weird wearing dirty rags

Walking around the streets holding plastic bags

Smoke a cigarette to sooth the pain, drink a couple beers to pass the days.

life is just a game of chance,

flip a coin see where it lands,

gotta take a risk and see where your gonna be

I never thought I would end up here,

started the car but forgot to steer,

who would of thought this would be me

Chorus

How would it feel to if you stepped in my shoes

People always laughin and starrin at you

What would you say, What would you say

How would you feel if you slept in the cold

What you call streets, is what I call home

What would you say What would you say

Verse 2:

What my mom had said was always true

I shoulda nevea ever dropped out of school

I would have had a better life, could have had a job to keep my wife

It feels like im all alone

No one to squeeze no one to hold

I just sit here and cry, thinking to just let go and die

life is just a game of chance,

flip a coin see where it lands,

gotta take a risk and see where your gonna be

I never thought I would end up here,

started the car but forgot to steer,

who would of thought this would be me

Chorus

How would it feel to if you stepped in my shoes

People always laughin and starrin at you

What would you say, What would you say

How would you feel if you slept in the cold

What you call streets, is what I call home

What would you say What would you say

Bridge:

life is just a game of chance,

flip a coin see where it lands,

gotta take a risk and see where your gonna be

who would of thought this would be me

Chorus: x2

How would it feel to if you stepped in my shoes

People always laughin and starrin at you

What would you say, What would you say

How would you feel if you slept in the cold

What you call streets, is what I call home

What would you say What would you say

My First Gold In Wrestling

This week we had our second wrestling tournament. The tournament took place at Saint Augustine Secondary School located in Brampton Ontario on Tuesday November 23^rd, 2010. Our team is made up of many different skilled wrestlers, some rookies (first year wrestlers) and others veterans (one years or more experienced wrestlers). Every wrestler’s goal is to win a match and soon enough, win a medal. To most, winning a match reflects that all their hard work and determination has paid off. So, on Tuesday, I wrestled at the 83 kilos category weighing in at 79.5 kilos. That’s about 174 Lbs. In my weight class I placed gold out of 10 wrestlers, winning a consecutive 4 matches. Personally I felt that I could have done a lot better throughout my matches. There were a lot of mistakes that I need to work on. Like they say, you only learn from your mistakes. Over all, our team fought hard and did great, placing silver on the medal count. Hopefully we all as a team can take in the experience, and learn. Next Thursday is our next tournament at Turner Fenton. This time, we are going to fight hard and bring home the gold as a team!

My Wicked Experience

On Wednesday November 3^rd, 2010, our acting academy class wend down town to the cannon theatre to see Wicked.  Wicked is a Broadway Musical that tells the story about the Wicked Witch of the West and how she became so “evil”. When we arrived at the theatre, I was quite upset. The seat that I was given was way up high, far away from the stage. I barely could see anything, however, that was not going to stop me from enjoying the play. The Musical was incredible. The vocals were amazing, the lights and effects were amazing, and the actors were such a sensation to watch. My favourite part of the play was near the end with the flying monkeys. I’m not going to lie; the effects that were in that scene were beyond incredible. The first half was kind of slow because it was just the build up to why she became the Wicked Witch. The second half was intense because that’s where all the effects and action began. Personally, I suggest all should watch this performance. The production was fantastic and definitely on my top 5 favourite Broadway Musicals. Don’t judge the movie before seeing it. The cover and synopsis of the story might sound dull, but you will be amazed from the performance.

The Movie Se7en: Quick Movie Review

Is it really a sin if you're killing a sinner?

Is it really a sin if you're killing a sinner?

And they lived happily ever after… if that is what you’re looking for, than you’re wasting your time reading this review. The movie is called Se7en starring the heart throb Brad Pitt as Detective David Mills, the legend Morgan Freeman as Detective Lt. William Somerset, the beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow as Tracy Mills, and the talented Kevin Spacey as John Doe. This 1995 Screen play directed by the award winning David Fincher, and written by the well established Andrew Kevin Walker is a suspense thriller that will keep you sitting at the edge of your seats. Peter Travers, Rolling Stone Magazine says “A nerve-jangling thriller with a gut-wrenching climax!”, and NBC-TV, Los Angeles says that “seven will knock you out of your seats!”. Se7en, is about two detectives, Detective Somerset and Detective Mills that face an investigation in finding a psychopathic serial killer whose motive in choosing his victims is based on the seven deadly sins hence the name of the movie Se7en.

 

Without ruining the movie, all I can say about this movie is wow! This movie clearly deserved the awards it received. It is a great suspense thriller that should be viewed by all. The creative aspect from director, David Fincher, and writer, Andrew Kevin Walker, gave a bone chilling experience. “If you think you know where the story is going, think again” (J. M.  Anderson, Rotten Tomatoes). This movie has an eye catching opener that will drive you into a jolting climax. I recommend this movie to people that want a little excitement in their day. Even though I stated that this movie should be viewed by all, this movie is rated R and I strongly agree with that due to there is violence, language, brief nudity, and horrific scenes that are not meant to be seen by young audiences.

 

This Movie Deserves a 5/5 rating since the movie will keep your jaw dropped.

Seven Heavenly Virtues

Faith:

Faith is having a belief in the right things (including the virtues!).

Hope:

Hope is having a positive mind set, and that good will prevail.

Charity:

Charity is concern for other. It brings enlightenment, and shows a sense of care.

Fortitude:

Fortitude is when you have the determination towards success. Never giving up.

Justice:

Justice is being fair and even-handed with others. 

Prudence:

Prudence is being responsible with wealth and fortune. Keeping care of money.  

Temperance:

Temperance is the self-control of objects needed and not needed.  

At this very moment in my life, I strongly believe that, out of the seven heavenly virtues, I currently represent Fortitude the most. The reason why I believe so is because; I know that I am not going to end the race week. I’m determined of succeeding in this class and I am not going to give up.

The 7 Deadly Sins

Pride:

Pride, Also known as Vanity, is seen when you speak highly of yourself where it comes to a point that it interferes with the individual’s recognition of the grace of god.

Envy :

Envy is the longing for someone’s ' traits, status, abilities, or situation.

Gluttony:

Gluttony is a feeling consume more than that which one requires. (this is usually in the circumstance of food)

Lust:
Lust is an excessive craving for the pleasures of the body.
Anger:
 Also known as Wrath, Anger is an emotion created in an individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury.
Greed:
Also called Covetousness, is the need for material wealth or gain.
Sloth:
Also Known as being Lazy, is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.

Out of these 7 Deadly sins, I think the one I do the most is lust. I know it’s bad and I need to learn from what I do, but yes, as a matter fact, I am very lustful. I enjoy the presence of another and I am very flirty. This is one thing that I need to work on. I understand why it is a sin and it is not a good trait to be looked upon.

Fresh Prince of T- Dot

Our Vintage Scene:

After our vintage shopping trip, we were given an assignment divided up into 3 teams. Our assignment was to create a scene using our vintage clothing. My group was, Jordon V, Kandice S, Tianna T, Dillon S, Dane S, and Me. As a group we decided to go with n old school sitcom but which? Jordon with his great imagination came up with the idea of doing The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. I played Uncle Phil, Jordon Played Will, Dane played Jeffery, Dillon Played Carlton, Tianna played Hillary, and Kandice played Vivian.

The scene
While Kevin is watching his favourite show (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) he falls asleep. When he wakes up, the world around him changes. He is now in the TV show. At first he enjoys it. He loved interacting with the shows characters, but after he gets the blame for not picking up his Ashley, he looks for the ways he could go back to present time.

When we did our scene, it was a complete bust. Nothing went right. We planned on doing so many things with the scene but nothing fell through. But worst of all, we had a terrible ending. When Jordon was about to fall asleep to come back to the future, I walked in messing up the scene.  It wasn’t entirely my fault but if I didn’t walk out, the scene would of had a better ending. If I was given the opportunity of completing this assignment again, I would have.

Diwali Party Bust

Well on Saturday November 13^th, 2010, I was hired to Dj a Diwali Fundraiser event. Well in the beginning, I was looking forward to this event. We set up over 8000 watts of speakers for this, so I expected to have a lot of fun tonight. But whet I expected was the complete opposite. First who ever organized the night didn’t do a good job. People didn’t even have seats because the organizer sold more tickets than the capacity booked. The organizer also booked other sources of entertainment such as, dancer’s singers and musicians. Everyone that had bought a ticket for the night was told that the event was a dinner and dance, not dinner and watch people dance. So that being said, everyone in the audience was bored. Many people walked out half way through the show. I would have too but the difference was, I was getting paid to stay there. So from 7:00 pm to 11:00pm, the Mc and the Organizers had drained the energy of its audience with, performance after performance. At 11:00pm it was my turn to shine. We finally opened the dance floor. Everybody that was still left came on and packed the dance floor. Sadly, we had to end the party after 1 hour because we were only booked till 12:00am. I was very disappointed in the night. Even though technically it was “easy money”, when it comes down to something I love to do, I’d prefer earning it than just getting it handed to me. So I’m writing this blog stating that things don’t always work out the way it should be.

Life on the streets

While we were on our Ossington trip down town, we noticed a lot of people that live on the streets. I always wondered how they actually ended there. There were so many people out there that had so much talent, but they still ended up on the street. Why? I’ve came to realize that most people that roamed the streets had some sort of disability, whether it was a mental condition or a physical condition. This condition prevented them of getting a job, so to survive they ask around for a little change or some food. When I was downtown, I saw many different types of homeless people. There were some that looked scruffy, some that looked crazy, and some that looked like everyone else. As an artist I keep my eyes open for things that could inspire me. When walking down town, two things really caught my eye. The first thing was the graffiti painter that was painting a streetcar on the wall. That was amazing. I can’t hundred percent tell you that the people who were painting the wall were real homeless, but that was the first thing that I saw. The second thing that really inspired me is someone most of the class noticed. Thos man was a poet that wanted to get his word out. The thing is, he didn’t ask for money or anything, he was just given many donations. So someone that’s so humble and so pure doesn’t deserve to be on the streets, but hey. You never know, there’s usually a reason for everything. That is my experience and thoughts of the streets.

My Vintage Shopping Experience

So on October 29^th 2010, me and my class went down town to Ossington and Queen to do vintage shopping for our vintage scenes. Personally, I had a lot of fun. It was my first time going vintage shopping and I didn’t know what to expect. At first, I didn’t really want to go. The thought of trying on other people clothing had got to me. All I could think of was, were has these clothes been. I didn’t know if they’ve been washed, and even if they said they washed it, was it really washed?  So when we got down town, I was amazed to see how many stores were actual vintage stores. I thought there would be maybe a few or like 10 to the max.  But I was wrong. I was also surprised to see how many people do it. See since we were down town, I thought that when you go into these vintage store, you would see homeless people walking around looking for clothes, but no. I actually saw pretty average to wealthy people walk into stores and buy items. Another thing I assumed was that the clothes you would find would be out of style or torn up. Why else would someone throw out there old clothes. But again, I was wrong. There was actual appealing stuff there. So to me vintage shopping was the complete opposite to what it sounds like. Yes vintage may sound old, but it also is fashionable. I definitely recommend others to try this and hopefully learn from all of this.

Don’t lose yourself in Hollywood from the Acting Room

• Young actors believe that L.A. is a party scene, but its not.
• L.A. life isn’t what you see on TV.
• To live in L.A, is hard
• Think about it before you make a big leap into a city where you might not make success.
• Make sure to ask questions like why are you’re here.
• Oftentimes, young actors come to LA with unrealistic ideas. They often think, incorrectly, that they’re leaving some old life or self behind, and they suddenly create a whole new personality.
• *Aahhaa Moment.
• People assume that LA is the life to live. They think that everyone is having fun because of celebrities and what you see on TV. But really the reality of LA is nothing different then any other city, probably even harder.  It is very expensive to live in, if you don’t get a job off the bat, then you fill definitely fall in to financial problems.
• If you’re going to LA for a reason that makes you happy then go for it. But don’t let LA change you.
• Yes LA if fun and exciting, but at first your just like everyone else
• You want get into the loop unless you strive to the loop.
• Don’t let yourself forget who you are. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s so true

Marley and Me : My Personal Movie Review

So I recently just watched this really cute family movie called Marley and Me. This movie is starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston who play a married couple, John and Jennifer Grogan, who are just starting their life together. Jon Grogan is an ambitious reporter making his break and so is his wife, Jennifer Grogan. As they move through their journey of marriage, they adopt a Labrador puppy. His name was Marley. As you may know, dogs and puppies are hard to handle, but compare the challenges of taking care of a normal average dog and multiply it by 10 and you will get Marley. So this movie is basically about how a young couple live through life with an outgoing challenge that they love.

This movie is great for all, especially dog lovers. The comedy of just watching another struggle with a pet will make you cry in laughter. Personally I thought it was a fantastic movie. The acting was great too. I love the little quirky things the couple do with each other to espresso there affection for each other. Hands down, I would give this movie an 8.5 out of 10 rating. The music choice and the lighting brought a warm, comfortable, and relaxing mood. This is a movie great for the family and will bring a smile.

Eddie Guerrero “Latino Heat”

The Tragedy Monologue presentation will be based on the decease entertainer Eddie Guerrero “Latino Heat”. Eddie was born on October 9^th, 1967 in Mexico. He grew up with a family of wrestlers, his father “Gory Guerrero” being one. He entered into the entertainment game in 1987, at the age of twenty. Through his wrestling career, he unfortunately was involved with drugs and alcohol usage. His addiction made him responsible for a car accident while he was in the WCW. He had tried to stop the addiction of drugs by going to rehab and such. It had appeared that he had won his battle with drugs. But the stuff he had taken to ease the pain and addiction ended his life. He has an autobiography about his life and how he got through it all called “Cheating Death and Stealing Life”. He died on November 13^th 2005.

There are many reason that I believe that I could play him.  First reason is that I am a wrestler my self. I know how he trains and what he does to keep in shape (other than drugs). Second, I kind of look like him. We have the same skin tone, and if I really practice my look I can look like him. Third reason why I think I can play him off is that I can do the Mexican accent which he has. I am looking very forward to this presentation.

"Expect The Unpredicted".... Surprise Bithday Party

On Saturday October 16^th, I and my family threw a surprise 60^th birthday party for my uncle. It was fun but there is a lot of work in setting up a party. I need to give props to those event planners. The amount of work they must put in to set up a huge event must be a lot of work and stress. Anyways, back to the party. Close to 100 people were invited and about 85 people showed up. It was packed but we knew that when my uncle walks through the door, he would be surprised and he was. There were a lot of different styles of entertainment planned for this party. There were dance performances, slideshow movie presentations, karaoke and dancing. My job of the night of course was to DJ the party. We Indian people love to dance at any family gathering. So the party lasted till 2 am in the morning, well I assumed it was over. Just before everyone left, they started singing happy birthday. I assumed it was for my uncle since it was his surprise party, but I was wrong. They were singing it to me. On October 15^th, it was my birthday, and so they decided to celebrate my birthday with my uncles. It was a surprise that actually surprised me. I didn’t know that they all remembered and I was very humble about my birthday. I was and still am very thankful towards my cousins and my family for doing this for me. So that is why I say “expect the unpredicted”.

Contacts and Networking in Acting Professionally by Robert Cohen

Contacts and Networking was one of the most interesting topics that had appealed to me in this book. It basically stated ways to how important, how to reach and how to get contacts. To get anywhere in this industry, contacts are very vital. There are many contacts around you that you would never assume. Contacts are basically people you know, and people that know you. To create a contact, you got to take the time to get to know them and what they do because those five minutes that you have spent talking to them can be your big break. For example, if you were a director looking to cast a movie, and while reading over your script, you realize that there is someone that you know who could play a specific part. Instead of going through all the auditions, you can just call him up and get him the job. So what I mean is that, by getting or having a contact, it can open up various opportunities. What aahha’d me in this part of the book was when it said “no one makes it on their own” (Cohen 39). I thought in an audition, I could act, present myself, and get hired just like that, but there is a better chance of getting the role if you got a contact. There are some key fundamentals rules on seeking or knowing a contact which are; no contact is going to make it for you, your friend that made it may not help you out, contacts may not look like contacts, and not all contacts are really contacts.

The Acting Room: Why Method Acting is best for TV & Film Acting

Heath Ledger Method Acted in
his Role "The Joker"

• Method acting is the best teaching for T.V. and Film
• Lee Strasberg is the best acting teacher of the last century according to her
• Most acting programs in university gives you the tools to act on stage, not as much on camera.
• Improve gives you strengths like thinking on the spot, big reaction, and shows you the importance of props.
• *Aahhaa moment:
• After so many years of experience acting in plays, she gets rejected on a film and TV audition for acting “too big” (her acting style”
• That is my ahha moment because, that shows me that, when you over exaggerate, acting, it tends to look fake, which the film and TV industry wont like. Being “yourself” is better than overdoing a performance.

• When you over exaggerate a performance, you tend to get out o the moment
• Let your voice be real and quiet like in a film
• Don’t run around and be all jumpy
• Be relaxed
• Don’t join a school for acting like the Lee Strasberg, because you will be wasting a year. Find a private teacher, and examine the class, and when you well ready… GO.
• Private schools are cheaper and they give you the same result or even better.
• A good improve class helps with auditions
• Take a voice class, to help your voice
• Get in touch with breathing. Do yoga or any forms of exercise that could help.
• Get in touch with your past to improve on method acting
• If you can’t cry about your own past, then how could you cry on cue.
• I will need to learn how to unlock my emotions to be successful in this industry.