Winning Concept – The 20 Mile March

Written by Gywn Gilliss

Winning Concept – The 20 Mile March

Creating a Successful Marketing Campaign

I love reading about adventurers, explorers, those who dared to strike out and accomplish something major. Even if they didn’t change the world, their stories are worth hearing about… inspiring to say the least. And there’s a lot to be learned in reading biographies of these extraordinary people. You can apply their choices to your life as a Warrior- Actor.

For example, THE SOUTH POLE. A story of two adversaries. Amundsen and his counterpart, Scott, were both extremely courageous men, two very different (and probably difficult) personalities. Jim Collins, best selling author who wrote Good to Great, and Great by Choice, explores the personality traits of highly successful CEO’s and of each explorer. Because that’s what it gets down to in life- PERSONALITY. PERSONAL TRAITS. Read more

Q&A: Stephen Lang Talks Acting, ‘In Plain Sight’ and How He’d Love To Do A Comedy

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:36 — 12.8MB)

I think Stephen Lang is one of the best character actors around and l will watch him in anything. As I told him in the Q & A below, anytime he’s on screen, he is just immensely watchable.

I was in a film, Gods and Generals with Stephen a while back and I was lucky enough to have a scene with him – we even spent some time together in the makeup trailer. He was in character as ‘Stonewall’ Jackson the whole time and let me tell you, he was intimidating. But as Jackson, he had to be. Acting with him was as good as it gets and just that short time we were filming, I learned a ton. 

He’s currently guest-starring on the USA Network’s In Plain Sight as James Wiley Shannon, Mary Shannon’s (star Mary McCormack) father and he was happy not to have a green screen behind him. He even joked that the first thing he did when he showed up on set was tell the crew, “Excuse me, where’s the green screen? I can’t work without a grain screen.”

In this Q & A, Stephen talks about his work on In Plain Sight, how theater helps with green screen work and his advice to actors.

In Plain Sight airs on Fridays at 10/9c on the USA Network Read more

First Look at ‘The Lone Ranger’ Starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer

Curious to see what Johnny Depp will look like as Tonto, The Lone Ranger’s faithful sidekick?

Well, here you go!

From producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski comes Disney/Bruckheimer Films’ The Lone Ranger.

Tonto (Depp), a spirit warrior on a personal quest, joins forces in a fight for justice with John Reid (Armie Hammer), a lawman who has become a masked avenger.

Read more

Willem Dafoe on Becoming a Nine-Foot-Tall, Four-Armed Martian for ‘John Carter’

You can look for Willem Dafoe in Disney’s sci-fi action/adventure film John Carter, but you’ll only hear his distinctive voice coming out of the mouth of Tar Tarkas, the nine-foot-tall, four-armed green Martian who leads his people, the Tharks.  He befriends the transplanted Earthling John Carter, played by Taylor Kitsch. 

But Dafoe didn’t just record his lines in a booth or shoot his scenes in front of a green screen.  He explains how his presence on the set not only helped “human actors” like Kitsch, but also helped his own performance.

Dafoe was attracted to the role principally because of the challenges it offered him as an actor.  He explains, “I was excited that John Carter was a big movie and at the prospect of playing a nine-foot-tall Martian warrior. When Andrew [Stanton, director] showed me the designs for the world of the movie, the beauty of it struck me. I liked the cast that was already in place, and I knew the Tars role would be a physically demanding one. I sometimes miss the physical challenges in movie roles but John Carter promised lots of physical performance elements— not only would I perform on three-foot stilts, we had to develop a vocabulary of gesture and the Martian spoken language which is used in part of the film.” Read more

Trailer 2: ‘Wrath of the Titans’ starring Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes & Liam Neeson

Wrath of the Titans: A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus (Worthington) –the demigod son of Zeus (Neeson)–is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades (Fiennes) and Poseidon (Danny Huston). The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld. Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramirez), switch loyalties and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth. Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

Director: Jonathan Liebesman

Cast: Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Danny Huston, Edgar Ramirez, Bill Nighy, Toby Kebbell, Rosamund Pike

Writers: Dan Mazeau, David Leslie Johnson

In Theaters: March 30th Read more

Screenplay: ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’

Courtesy of Focus Features, here is the screenplay to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Click here for the script

Director: Tomas Alfredson

Written By: Bridget O’Cconnor & Peter Straughan

Cast: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, David Dencik, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Stephen Graham, Kathy Burke, Ciarán Hinds

Read more

Biography: Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most sought after actors.

Hardy recently appeared in Lionsgate’s drama Warrior, starring with recent-Oscar® nominee Nick Nolte and Joel Edgerton. Hardy portrayed Marine Tommy Conlon, who is haunted by a tragic past. He returns home for the first time in fourteen years to enlist the help of his father (Nolte) to train for Sparta, the biggest winner-takes-all event in mixed martial arts history. An ode to redemption and reconciliation, Warrior is also a moving testament to the enduring bonds of family.

Hardy stars in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy opposite Colin Firth and Gary Oldman, who was Oscar nominated for his work in the picture. Based on the classic novel, the international thriller is set at the height of the Cold War years of the mid-20th century centered around the British Secret Intelligence Service.

Hardy recently wrapped Warner Bros.’ The Dark Knight Rises, directed by Christopher Nolan. Hardy plays the villainous Bane opposite Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Gary Oldman.

Hardy also recently wrapped RedWagon Film’s The Wettest County, set in the Prohibition era, where three brothers find their bootlegging business under threat in Franklin County, Virgina. The Weinstein Co is distributing the film later this year.

Hardy is next set to start production on George Miller’s new post-apocalyptic Mad Max movie, Fury Road, opposite Charlize Theron.

Read more

Screenplay: ‘Warrior’

Courtesy of Lionsgate, here is the script to Warrior.

Click here for the script

Director: Gavin O’Connor

Written By: Gavin O’Connor and Anthony Tambakis & Cliff Dorfman

Cast: Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy, Jennifer Morrison, Nick Nolte

Read more

Thoughts On the 2012 Oscar Nominations

I was laying in bed after the nominations had already been announced, grabbed my phone and saw the list. My first reaction was: The Tree of Life? What the hell?

It’s a beautiful movie to look at. Look at. That’s it. It leaves you with no emotional response after leaving the theater, nothing. I’m actually mad that the Academy snubbed Girl with the Dragon Tattoo over this.

Best Picture: War Horse, The Artist, Moneyball, The Descendants, The Tree of Life, Midnight in Paris, The Help, Hugo, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

War Horse was another Huh? It’s expected for the Academy to nominate this Oscar bait of a movie but this was a paint-by-numbers film that Spielberg could have done in his sleep. In fact, he may have. Didn’t he have 3 other films released this year? (It was only Tintin, I know. I was making a joke.).

I”m completely disappointed that these two films were included in the nominations.

I was happy to see that The Artist, Moneyball and The Descendants were nominated. Fantastic films that deserve recognition and more eyeballs to watch.  Read more

Complete List of the 2012 Oscar Nominations

Best Picture

War Horse
The Artist
Moneyball
The Descendants
The Tree of Life
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Actress

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Actor

Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Read more

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