Emotional Connection

My teachers at YSAA, have been teaching me more and more about the importance of connecting and how it could never be pushed enough.

I am enrolled in Young Screen Actors Academy’s Emotional Connection class on Mondays. I had Kris Woznesensky as a teacher, and I can say with honesty “Woah did he ever kick our butts.” Seriously awesome stuff. 

I was excited after class because I was able to connect to my partner emotionally and then come back to reality after he said “cut.” He is a fantastic Teacher. 

 If You are looking for a class that gets you engaged in a scene, and truly connects you to not only your partner, but also yourself, then look no further:  http://www.youngscreenactorsacademy.com/myclasses/parttime.php?id=245. This class is intense, fun and an awesome way to push yourself!

Call YSAA. 604.408.8550

Dylan Padgett

Ok ok ok blog time...

 This past Friday I turned the lights off on the final class of my most recent YSAA Full-Time group. We had just finished sharing favourite moments, impersonations of me, words of encouragement, feelings of sadness, joy, and non-alcoholic toasts. The moments before the students left the class for their final time was filled with a bitter sweet feeling, but music and laughter (and a sugar high) did a wonderful job of masking the heavy hearted sentiments we were all feeling. Once the students had gone I proceeded to pick up papers, and tidy the room as always had after every class, however this time, in these, what seemed like final moments, my thoughts were not filled with my usual "Geez I gotta talk to these guys tomorrow about this, I'm not a janitor" mantra. This time I found myself with each thing I picked up, trying to place who it belonged to, and I was saddened as I knew: there was now "tomorrow", nothing more to be said, nothing more to impart, at least not in the same format as the last six months.

 While I knew and know I will see Heather's light, Naika's smile, Dylan's charm, Jay's wit, Christina's eyes, Nina's "knowing" grin, Josh's laugh, Sequoia's innocence, Kerline's elegance, Colleen's giddiness, and Julian's grace again the fact that it would not be under the circumstances they been under for the past six months weighed on me.

 I have since have time to sleep on it. Now where thoughts or sadness hung heavy, breaths of hope lighten the mood. These talented young individuals are, as cliché as it sounds: The future. They to me represent what is great about this craft. They are driven and hopeful, talented and humble, and most importantly HUNGRY!! They love to learn, they love to be challenged, this and they, are what the industry needs more of. Young people driven by the craft of acting.

 I once said " I want to be like the best teacher I ever had, so hopefully, I'll be the be the best teacher they ever had.

 I will say this,without a shadow of a doubt, was 11 of the best students I ever had!

 So I tip my hat to them as I watch them set of into the sunset, and will raise a glass to them from time to time as I trade "war stories" with other teachers about my Eclectic Eleven and how they without knowing it taught me, hopefully, as much as I have taught them....

So "I put out the light to then put out the light"

Congratulations to you all!!
You are with me forever!
See you on set!!!

That teachery guy
Marc-Anthony

Ok ok ok...so this blog was alright.... I mean didn't hate it....but.....

Marc-Anthony Massiah

Marc-Anthony was my first acting teacher outside of high school, and the first class I had with him he put me through an exercise he calls “the hallway.” It was one of the hardest things for me to do because it put me through the moments in my life where I was the most scared, most angry, most sad, and most happy. The point of the exercise is to make the actor aware of how to breathe properly and how to set triggers off. After that class I was immediately hooked I couldn’t stop thinking about acting. My class was once a week, I got so addicted to acting that I couldn’t help myself and signed up for the full time program at YSAA. Every week I went in with my eyes closed and he started opening them, showing me things about myself I didn’t know. Marc-Anthony has this amazing tendency to say something that resonates so strongly in you, that for the rest of the week you can’t stop thinking about it. Marc-Anthony is a living breathing Lie Detector, he can see a lie from a distance, and he will say things that will effect you emotionally. I constantly catch myself having to pick up my jaw because of how bloody accurate the things he says are. 

Marc-Anthony is a great teacher because he will see you eye to eye, he relates to his own life to help his lessons make sense. He will never scold you for feeling a certain way or being opinionated about something, even if he disagrees. However the one thing that I respect most about this teacher is that he will not let you get away with doing a scene 50% or even 99%, he makes you do a scene until you nail it. He is one of the most patient teachers I’ve had, and he won’t take work that isn’t done to your best ability. 

One of his biggest mottos is “I am who I am.” He does a fantastic job at showing his students that being confidant in who you are is one of the most important things an actor can be. He opens his teaching environment to everyone, everyone is welcome, and everyone feels like they are among family. He gives you permission to feel the way you want, which is a gift that humans seldom get. However when it comes to work he makes sure that you “leave your baggage at the door.” This means that if you are having a bad day, or got in a fight, those emotions don’t effect your scene negatively, but if using it works then use it. 

I couldn’t thank Marc-Anthony enough for his lessons; he has helped me and many others in their journey through acting. He is passionate, humble, and kind. A great teacher, mentor, and person.

Thank you Sir.

Dylan Padgett

One Heck of a Ride

If I could teleport back in time and give myself some advice about acting classes before I signed up; it would be "Buckle up buddy, you're in for one heck of a ride."

Now that my class is only 3 weeks away from being over, I can't help myself from reflecting back on the 6 months of intense, life changing experiences I went through. I have to remember the people I met, the people that changed my life and continue to change it. I must hold on to the moments that made me weep, laugh, rage, and tremble with fear. Will I ever be the same after this half year? With honesty I can say "No", I am a changed man. In my own eyes and in the eyes of people who truly support and know me, I have changed for the better. 

Young Screen Actors Academy has been, and always will be a place for me to live, to be Dylan Padgett through and through. I can leave my "baggage" at the door, strip myself of all negative emotion and just breathe. I went in to this class with my gloves down, my thinking cap tight on my head, and my ambitions clear in my mind. However, no matter how much I thought I could prepare myself for this ride; I couldn't possibly have known what I was about to dive in to. After the first week I was using some of my defence mechanisms I tend to have in my real life, I learned how to get over it, or if I could, use it in a scene. During the year we got fabulous sides from fantastic movies and we created characters and scenes from scrap. We learnt how to build these dynamic, well rounded characters, we could breathe life into our work, and it was a blast. The Teachers at YSAA  have taught me more about myself in six months then I've known in 19 years, How? Good question, the answer: magic. No that's not it, not magic, the answer is: they are all unbelievable actors and even greater people. They have lived, and are living fantastic stories, that one day I hope I can retell for the world to see. Every teacher at YSAA knows what they are talking about, and they have years of experience to back them up. I owe these people so much, and I am so grateful to have them in my life.

The People in my life impact me in ways that keep me moving, keep me on my feet, with out loved ones I would be hollow. It's my love for people that put me in this craft. The way people act and react to things, how people cope with a hard day, how people respond to a compliment. Christopher Morley said " There is only one success - to spend your life in your own way."  The interesting thing is that as actors our success comes from figuring out how people spend their life in their own way, and duplicating it. When actors surround themselves with people, friends and positive influences, they will achieve more motivation and inspiration. The actors I have met in class I hope will remain my friends for a very long time. They are all fantastic people, and fantastic actors. I have been through so much with these people, wept with them and laughed with them, they have been a family to me for the past six months. I owe these people so much, and i am so grateful to have them in my life.

I couldn't thank YSAA enough for helping me find my path to being a successful actor, however, as much as you need other people, you have to believe in yourself. I am glad I did the full time program at YSAA, I'm proud that I took initiative for my future. These six months were fun, changed my life, YSAA is a fantastic school, with fantastic teachers, and the students that attend, are nothing less but fantastic.

So, if I decided to go back in time to tell myself something about acting, I'd say, "Buckle up buddy, you're in for one heck of a ride. It's a roller-coaster, sure, but the ups and downs are worth it, because once you get off, you're going to turn around and buckle yourself back in."

Dylan Padgett

Turn it up to 11

There are few worse things than watching an actor nailing a scene but not being able to hear them. Having a mumbler or someone who tends to speak in a whisper is bone chilling; audio is a big deal, speak clearly, and speak up. People are actually interested in what you say, weird, I know. Humans tend to second guess what they say in life, so they say it under their breathe, mumble it, or worse case scenario don’t say it at all. If you’re shy in real life that’s fine, but for the love of acting, do not bring that insecurity on screen. Own the scene; show the world you have something to say. It’s hard to believe someone is fighting for something when you can’t hear them.

So like the great “Spinal Tap” taught me turn it up to 11. Now don’t shout, but project, take a class and learn how to use this great thing called your diaphragm. I’m still learning how to perfect the use of my diaphragm; but ever sense I took Voice Over, Breathing and Movement classes at Young Screen Actors Academy my projection and breathing has improved greatly. Learn how to do it right, breathing and being on your voice are mandatory tools to have if you want to be successful.  These tools actually are important for every person, even people who aren’t actors. When talking to someone who speaks clearly and knows how to breathe properly they tend to give off a vibe of confidence.

Everyone has something to say, so give your character the confidence to say it. We live in a world where some people have a hard time expressing themselves, to hell with that. Give yourself a voice, get the tools that you need to be a great actor. The world needs more great actors, so be one.

Dylan Padgett

For the Benefit of the Bright

For those of you who go to an acting class with an ear to ear smile, good for you!  Never ever change that, you have to be happy in what you do. Come to class with a positive and eager, ready to work attitude, seriously it will help you. If you are willing, ready, and excited to work then you will bring that to you're scene. Your classmates will pick up your energy, and if you can have a entire class thats "buzzing", then strap in because your about to have one heck of a class. 

Having a scene partner that is completely connected to their own energy, and also connected to yours, can have a significant impact on the outcome of any scene you do. So if you find yourself low on energy, do some jumping jacks, push ups, run around, breathe, do whatever it takes to get that blood flowing. On a scale from 1 - 10, 10 being jumping off walls, be a 10, no be a 20. 

A scene needs energy, but an actor also needs energy, so help yourself and go to bed at a reasonable time. When the actors brain is rested then the actor will make great choices, and be able to connect emotionally to the scene and to the character they are portraying. Take care of yourself, hit the gym every now and then, go for a run, do sit ups and push ups in your house, take 30 minutes out of your busy schedule and get that energy up. A Lazy actor is a bad actor. 

Take your career in your own hands and make it the best opportunity for yourself, i know you can do it. Be positive remember why you love this craft, and live your career with a bright, positive attitude.

By:Dylan Padgett

Paint the Scene!

It’s so important to see the vibrant details of your character’s environment. Just as a painter carefully chooses each colour for his palette. An actor needs to be equally prepared when going into a scene. 

Last night I was getting ready to film a scene for my acting class. I felt like I was totally prepared and had created a well-rounded character, but it turns out there was one major ingredient that I was missing. My teacher Marc-Anthony Massiah kept asking me, “Where are you?” “is there a clock on this wall? Or, is there a person standing over here, in the corner waiting to take you to prison? Does the room smell like coffee?” It turns out that I had focussed so much creating my character, that I had neglected to paint the world around her. 

When you add details to your scene, it comes alive for you. That in turn makes it come alive for your audience. It isn’t enough to just build a strong character, if you don’t have a setting for your character to live in. You have to create the world of your character. With Marc-Anthony’s help, I re-painted the scene in my head and added details to my “world”. We filmed another take. Let me tell you, after we watched it, the scene had changed completely!

I envisioned my environment so clearly that I permitted myself to relax. This allowed fun and spontaneous moments to pop up. The more detailed your palette (homework!) is, the more freedom you have to play. Paint the scene!

Written by: Heather Leavoy