The Vs. Studio Blog

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” -Anton Chekov

For the screenwriter…

A useful exercise after completing your first draft is to go back and see how much dialogue you can eliminate. Challenge yourself to convey each scene’s intent and purpose without the characters uttering a single line of dialogue. Can it be done with simply a look or a gesture? Maybe you’ll realize the scene isn’t necessary at all. (Don’t fret about losing any gold here. It’s just an exercise. You can put every single word back later if you choose to.)

This exercise does two things. One, it aligns your script more closely with what films should be. Compelling images over words. Remember it’s “show, don’t tell.” Two, the dialogue you do keep–including any verbal arias–will now have that much more potency. Your characters will have a more urgent need to speak, and in turn, your script will have that more staying power.

P.S. – Two good articles on “show, don’t tell” are this one and this one.

Speaking of great movies and great scenes, John Huston’s Fat City (based on the Leonard Gardner novel of the same title) is a must watch. I just purchased the blu-ray and this scene has been on repeat viewing for me. Susan Tyrell’s portrayal (she was nominated for an Academy Award) of a boozy alcoholic might be one of the best ever captured on film. Stacy Keach is also incredible in this scene and the film overall. The two of them have such great drunk chemistry. His “You Can Count…On Me!” mantra is so fun to watch. Jeff Bridges, Nicholas Colasanto, Candy Clark and the rest of the ensemble are dynamite as well.

The film is also beautifully directed and shot (Conrad Hall at the top of his game). Some critics swear this might be the best–certainly the most authentic and bleakest–boxing movie ever made. Check it out. Lemme know what you think!

P.S. – Read The Paris Review article here. It’s terrific.

“He said to me, ‘I want to do the best acting I’ve ever done,’” Trier says of Lie’s preparation for Worst Person. “He’s gotten better with his craft, and he’s gotten even braver about exposing deeper emotions.” -Joachim Trier, director of The Worst Person In The World on actor Anders Danielsen Lie in Vanity Fair article

I re-watched the film The Worst Person In The World the other day. So good.

And then I watched my favorite scene over and over. It’s this one.

His vulnerability + Her listening = Masterclass.

A great practice whether you’re an actor, writer, director, designer, etc…is to compile a list of your all-time favorite scenes and take time to really study them. Get super granular. Notice all the scene’s intricacies from every perspective.

This “scene work” will educate you and keep you inspired. (And humbled.) It will remind you why you picked this art form (for me, that’s acting) and the kind of work you hope to be able to do for as long as you can do it.

Never stop learning. Never stop growing. Never stop reaching. The day you do is the day you should hang it up. Don’t let that day ever come.

P.S. – What are some of your all-time favorite scenes? Send ’em my way! Thanks!!

For the actor…

If you want to be vulnerable to the other person, you first have to care deeply about everything they say and do to you. It all has to affect you. In many cases to wound you.

If you’re not feeling anything, go back to the relationship. Who is this person to you and why are they so important? Why do you love them? How do they make you crazy? What do you desperately want to change about them? If helpful, write out a backstory. Examine your own life for a similar relationship. And engage your imagination in every way.

Once you’ve solidified that relationship, start at the beginning of the play. Take it off the page. Read each of the other person’s lines outloud to yourself. Go slow. It’s just an exercise. Repeat the lines as many times as you want. Take everything personally. Care what they have to say. Care. Care. Care. You can’t care enough.

I guarantee you, stuff will start coming up. You’ll get cooking. Good. Use it!

“Be good, be good
Be good, be good, be good
Be good, be good, be good
Be good, be good, be good (Johnny)
Be good, be good, be good
Be good, be good, be good
Be good, be good, be good
Be good, be good, be good” (Johnny) -song Be Good Johnny by Men At Work

“No matter what, my task is to be good. Like gold or emerald or purple repeating to itself. No matter what…my task is to be emerald, my color undiminished.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

“Be good. Do good. That’s the moral imperative of life. That’s all we have to do. Be good. Do good. No matter what.” -Ryan Holiday

When in doubt of what you’re supposed to do or how you’re supposed to act…

Be good. Do good.

Be good. Do good.

Be good. Do good.

You keep that mantra top of mind…can’t lose.

P.S. – This music video. Ultimate 80’s!

One of the many great things about producing is you get to create the sandbox for so many artists to come play in it.

We’ve been doing “Tuesday Nights At Vs.” each week for over five years now. I continue to be blown away by the immensely talented actors, writers, directors and artists who show up to play. I’m so grateful to them and to the audience who show up to watch.

All are invited. All are welcome. And they’re always free. If you’ve never attended a Tuesday Night or it’s been a while, come on out. We’d love to have you in our sandbox.

P.S. – This link explains what Tuesday Nights are all about. Drop me a line if you have more questions or want to get on the weekly email list.

P.P.S. – This scene. (Yeah, I couldn’t resist.)

For the actor…

Speaking of not getting fooled by feelings, don’t prioritize your emotions over the audience’s.

For you can “feel it” up there, but if they don’t feel anything out there, then it doesn’t matter one bit.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” – Viktor E. Frankl

Feelings are good. They exist for a reason. They serve as guideposts. But they’re not the end all, be all. And sometimes, our feelings can fool us into short-term thinking and behavior at the expense of our long-term dreams and desires.

For if we only did things when we felt like doing them (e.g. working out, eating healthy, sitting down to write, etc.), then nothing substantial would ever get accomplished. This is where discipline, commitment and focus come in to play.

Whenever you feel something strongly, before immediately acting on it, get curious with it. Ask yourself why you might be feeling that way. Allow the feelings in. Whatever the reasons–don’t judge them–say to yourself, “Oh, that’s interesting.” Then, proceed from there.

That pause between feeling and response is what makes us human and ultimately, where our true freedom lies.

“We create in service to art, not for what we can get from art.” -Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way Of Being

When you detach and always make it about the work–not yourself–you’ll never get too high or low.

Not too high when you’re being praised. Not full of yourself. Because you realize you didn’t do it. You channeled the work through you. You were a medium for it.

Not too low when you’re getting criticized or it’s not going well. Not down on yourself. Because it’s not about you. It’s about the work. Be open to the criticism if it makes the work better. If it doesn’t, let it go, and move on.

Then, get back to work.

confidant (n.)
1610s, confident, “person trusted with private affairs,” from French confident (16c.), from Italian confidente “a trusty friend,” literally “confident, trusty,” from Latin confidentem (nominative confidens), present participle of confidere “to trust,

“Butch: Y’know, when I was a kid, I always figured on being a hero when I grew up.
Sundance: Too late now.
Butch: You didn’t have to say that—what’d you have to say that for?”
― William Goldman, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Screenplay

Think about your family and friends. Who among them do you trust to always shoot you straight, no matter how much it might sting? If you have one or two, consider yourself blessed. You have a confidant.

That trust swings both ways. If you’re on the receiving end of their constructive criticism, first have empathy for their position. It’s hard to tell a friend or loved one that they’re messing up or that their passion project needs work. Then, trust that the confidant always has your best interest at heart. Even when and especially when, the truth is hard to stomach.