Get Non-Artists Involved in Your Projects

Inspired by the 2015 Sundance Film Festival Premiere of the feature film Tangerine, shot entirely on three iPhone 5s smartphones, I decided to shoot a short on my mobile with a couple of close friends. 

Dan and Bill are medical professionals, not actors. Lured by my assurance, "You just have to be yourselves," and perhaps my promise to buy them dinner, they actually showed up on "set" (a restaurant) at their scheduled "call times." 

I had not clue what to expect, but was soon pleasantly surprised by the quality of their engagement. They both were not only terrific actors, but at times took on the roles of director, cinematographer, production assistant, and even script supervisor. 

What's more, they were insightful, curious, and clearly loved the critical thinking aspect of filmmaking. The three of us stumbled through ways to solve what to do about lighting, sound, and wide shots.

To say my film will not be at Sundance any time soon is possibly the understatement of the century. But it’s already proven a fun project worthy of my time and theirs...I hope.

Just because someone isn't an artist doesn't mean they're not creative. Get your non-artist friends and colleagues on board. They may surprise you.

Start by Starting

Admittedly, it took me several years to figure out something that now seems profoundly simple about my acting career: I didn't need to wait for permission to create.

For years, I'd followed the perceived blueprint of many New York actors. I trained at a rigorous conservatory. I graduated and was signed by a great agent. And before I knew it, I was off to the races, auditioning for feature films, television, and commercials. I was living the dream. It was a truly exhilarating time in my young life.

Eventually, the auditions slowly tapered off, the realities of how challenging a career in the arts would be set in, and I began to question my purpose as an actor. I judged my credibility and success as an artist on the number of auditions I received and the length of my IMDB page.

Thankfully, close friends grew weary of my griping and rightly so. At first they nudged, then practically screamed, "Create your own work!" It took a few years, but I finally got the message.

Today, there are countless resources at our disposal to get you on your way. There are free screenwriting tools like Storywriter on Amazon and the feature film, Tangerine, shot entirely on an iPhone was nominated for an Academy Award. So don't wait for your friends to scream at you. You don't need permission to create. The world needs to hear your point of view now. Start by starting.