This past weekend I had the privilege of interacting and spending time with some high profile actors, including Alex Russell (one of the leads in the recent movie Chronicle) and Christopher McDonald (you probably know him as Shooter McGavin on Happy Gilmore), on set. From watching them in action, both on and off camera, I picked up on a few things that I would like to share with you that we can all apply to our lives.
First off, they are absolute masters of their craft. Watching how they prepared for a scene and witnessing the level of intensity in both their preparation and performance was remarkable. I never knew how much thought, time, and energy was put into each word that they speak and movement they make. It was incredibly liberating to watch. Why do I use the word liberating? As I watched Alex and Chris do their thing, it subconsciously reinforced in me that it is more than OK to go for it. Their confidence on-screen comes from their preparation, thought process, and energy invested in their role off-screen. The old saying "our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure," comes to mind (more to come in the future on this quote). Fight and win your battle mentally before taking one step onto the battlefield so that when the time comes to put thought into action, you have already seen yourself "win" and know what succeeding looks & feels like. In turn, you have trained your mind to subconsciously know that what you are pursuing is possible and eventually turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. These actors are pros at this; that's a big reason why they have reached such great success in their careers.
Second off, these great actors surround themselves with the most capable people that they can find. In other words, behind every great character you have ever seen on the big screen is a small army of incredibly talented people who help that character reach his or her potential. Yes, the actor/actress has to nail the performance, but that is only half of it. An A-list performance requires an amazingly dedicated director, a selfless supporting cast, an unwavering set crew, a masterful camera crew, incredibly talented writers, a great lighting team, an impeccable sound crew, tasteful costume designers, a makeup artist who knows what they are doing, and an acting coach that has a true impact on their performance (and that is to name just a few of the pieces of the puzzle behind the scenes). Just like any President, actors are only as good as the people they surround themselves with. That's why when you hear them say, "I am truly lucky to work with such talented people," they probably mean it.
So what are the takeaways? You have to be unbelievably dedicated to your craft, whatever it may be. Along with physically mastering a craft, you have to get to a mental state that is higher and more focused than you think in order to truly be great. Block out any distractions, any doubts, and free yourself from any proverbial chains that could hold you back from reaching your peak performance. When it is showtime, you've already "nailed it" in your preparations and in your mind's eye, so go forth and "do" with confidence. And as you prepare, surround yourself with the best people you can find in your field. Don't be afraid to ask for counsel. I can assure you that to whomever you are reaching out, they have been in your shoes and can identify with your request more than you may think. Don't miss out on an opportunity because you were too afraid to ask.
Through intense preparation and a strong supporting cast, your chances of digging deeper and Venturing On when times get tough increase dramatically. That's what it's all about. Give yourself the confidence (different from arrogance) you need to never settle when sailing through rough waters.
First off, they are absolute masters of their craft. Watching how they prepared for a scene and witnessing the level of intensity in both their preparation and performance was remarkable. I never knew how much thought, time, and energy was put into each word that they speak and movement they make. It was incredibly liberating to watch. Why do I use the word liberating? As I watched Alex and Chris do their thing, it subconsciously reinforced in me that it is more than OK to go for it. Their confidence on-screen comes from their preparation, thought process, and energy invested in their role off-screen. The old saying "our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure," comes to mind (more to come in the future on this quote). Fight and win your battle mentally before taking one step onto the battlefield so that when the time comes to put thought into action, you have already seen yourself "win" and know what succeeding looks & feels like. In turn, you have trained your mind to subconsciously know that what you are pursuing is possible and eventually turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. These actors are pros at this; that's a big reason why they have reached such great success in their careers.
Second off, these great actors surround themselves with the most capable people that they can find. In other words, behind every great character you have ever seen on the big screen is a small army of incredibly talented people who help that character reach his or her potential. Yes, the actor/actress has to nail the performance, but that is only half of it. An A-list performance requires an amazingly dedicated director, a selfless supporting cast, an unwavering set crew, a masterful camera crew, incredibly talented writers, a great lighting team, an impeccable sound crew, tasteful costume designers, a makeup artist who knows what they are doing, and an acting coach that has a true impact on their performance (and that is to name just a few of the pieces of the puzzle behind the scenes). Just like any President, actors are only as good as the people they surround themselves with. That's why when you hear them say, "I am truly lucky to work with such talented people," they probably mean it.
So what are the takeaways? You have to be unbelievably dedicated to your craft, whatever it may be. Along with physically mastering a craft, you have to get to a mental state that is higher and more focused than you think in order to truly be great. Block out any distractions, any doubts, and free yourself from any proverbial chains that could hold you back from reaching your peak performance. When it is showtime, you've already "nailed it" in your preparations and in your mind's eye, so go forth and "do" with confidence. And as you prepare, surround yourself with the best people you can find in your field. Don't be afraid to ask for counsel. I can assure you that to whomever you are reaching out, they have been in your shoes and can identify with your request more than you may think. Don't miss out on an opportunity because you were too afraid to ask.
Through intense preparation and a strong supporting cast, your chances of digging deeper and Venturing On when times get tough increase dramatically. That's what it's all about. Give yourself the confidence (different from arrogance) you need to never settle when sailing through rough waters.