Task 1A Completed CV for my Professional Blog Profile

I am happy to present my final CV - which I rewrote from scratch - eradicating any unnecessary information or credits. I learnt that colour was a nice addition to a professional CV - however, I decided against the slightly elementary shade of purple in my first draft. I opted for a deeper purple, which I believe portrays a more professional quality. I remarked that CVs which were easy to read and laid out efficiently were the most appealing.

I prioritised my skillset to how I wish to be portrayed as a performer. I kept everything concise. I added in relevant information which I didn't have when first designing my old CV (i.e. Spotlight & Equity numbers and agent info). Finally, I was strict on the cut off dates for my credits. I didn't list every single school production I've been involved in - I went for quality rather than quantity (until they inevitably become on par... :P)

I am posting this CV on my professional blog profile so as my work on this is now linked entirely with my professional practice. Everything I post relates to myself as a professional actor and I am content to present myself online to show development of my professional practice - combining both my study of the practice and the professional work I do.


I also decided to make a black and white option (as sometimes I don't have the luxury of coloured ink). I think this comes across more or less as effective as the coloured option and it will more than suffice for those times when I need to print out a CV quick.

Task 1d: Utilising Instagram

Woah this is a bit like inception ^^^
Task 1d asks us explore the importance of using images and audio-visual in today's social media. As I highlighted in previous blogs - I believe imagery is the most instant and effective way to get messages across to viewers (especially for visual learners).
As a test - I have linked my blog address on my Instagram page, as well as posting a small sneak peak of my blog as an image on my Instagram. (Image embedded above) Within three minutes of posting this small image, I already had 8 likes. This is nothing in comparison to big Instagram names - however it still shows that the more well-promoted I am; the better I can get my message across.
I want to use this task as an experiment - I am going to see if the views on my blog posts go up since sharing it on my Instagram. If they do - I will take this as a clear indicator that digital storytelling is as powerful a platform as any other social media - if not the most!


Instagram link:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ-l5V_ju0c/?taken-by=eleanor_actor

Using Web 2.0 in Teaching - Task 1b idea

Yesterday I taught two contemporary workshops. I decided to utilise Web 2.0 as a tool to aid my teaching. I used the forum of YouTube to show the classes Sia's video for 'The Greatest' and encouraged them afterwards to discuss what emotions / storylines they thought were conveyed throughout the footage. It was enlightening to listen to 8-12 year olds commenting insightfully about the footage they had just watched. I learnt that Web 2.0 can open portals to aid teaching and to encourage creative juices to flow. The workshops ensued with recreating our own versions of the video and group-devising sections of the choreography. The results from the classes were utterly incredible and I will definitely be using this method of teaching again. Web 2.0 as a tool for teaching can be effective and visually inspiring for children.

The Beauty of Imperfection portrayed by Annette Bening

Last night - to wind down; put a bit of perspective on my life and view some quality acting - I watched '20th Century Women' directed by the artistically great Mike Mills.
I was blown away by the sheer realness exuding from Annette Bening. It was as if I was a fly on the wall watching the hustle and bustle in her household.
She has had 4 Oscar nominations - in my opinion an Oscar win is necessary for this wholesome, all-inclusive actress.
It's difficult to express how well-embodied and rounded she was as single Mom, Dorothea Fields. The depth and scope of her character wasn't played with a burdened effort - it came across completely naturally yet still contained the weightiness needed for the realism of this character.
Elle Fanning was a breath of fresh air as the crazy but caring Julie.
The topics raised throughout the film were so close to home. It exposed a Mother's struggling relationship with her teenage child. A quote which really stuck out to me was when the Mother and Son were discussing 'happiness' and thinking 'Am I happy?' The Mother responded with the frank reply:
'Wondering if you're happy it's a great shortcut to just being depressed'
The progression of child to teenager was conveyed sensitively by Lucas Jade Zumann and his struggles resonated with my teenage memories.
This kind of film makes me truly appreciate the practice of acting. It has the ability to evoke feelings in people and to simply convey reality.
I would love to be in a production of a similar genre at some point in my career. I love the idea of portraying an imperfect perfect world and sending out a feeling of slightly dysfunctional comfort to the viewing audience.
This is a great quality for a piece of creative work - The message that it's O.K. not to be O.K.

It's a marathon; Not a sprint

I was recommended to read this article after having a mini crisis about where I'm going with my life.
http://www.mensxp.com/special-features/today/34993-if-you-think-you-are-going-nowhere-in-life-take-a-deep-breath-and-read-this.html
^^ Have a read if you like, it brings up some really good life theories and healthy mind-set ideas. What stemmed my 'mini crisis' was that the other night - I went straight from hostessing at The Business Travel Show to waitressing at my local tapas restaurant. I was over-tired and over-worked. I questioned 'Am I getting anywhere in my professional practice by running myself to the ground to try and financially survive in London?'
I resorted to the reflective practice of noting 2 good things which had happened me that day...
1) I practised a skill which I hadn't in a while - I spoke French to some customers in the restaurant and it reminded me how much I love speaking the language. On reflection it sparked a linguistic passion in me to try and brush up on my former (80%) fluency.
2) I also have set a date set in March with my friend's brother who is a film student to spend a day filming the original scene myself and my actor friend wrote. It will be nice to dedicate a full day to creative and productive work.


By actively noting these 2 good events - I felt a lot better.

Continuation of 1b - Exploring Ethical Considerations

Today and yesterday I was working at The Business Travel Show, Olympia Kensington. As I was hostessing - it was a pleasure to be able to sit in and hear the talks / conferences going on throughout the day.
The Skype on 21.02.17 with Paula and the other BAPP students discussing Professional Communication Technologies was still fresh in my mind - therefore a lot of what the group discussed last night I found I was relating to the Business Travel Talk subjects.
In particular - ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS overlapped. In my previous blog, I mentioned for Task 1b I wanted to develop more ideas and opinions on ethical issues in regards to Web 2.0. We touched on the topic of how accessibility to a computer is just expected nowadays. Train tickets, boarding passes, banking and even oyster are all done online / via mobile apps.
One talk was called "If The App Fits" - discussing businesses using apps to develop. They discussed this problem in a slightly different light - that if all businesses are forced to do everything via mobile apps - some will not benefit as much due to the specific needs / nature of their businesses. They touched on the ethical consideration of "When do we switch off?" If everything is done via a mobile app - then how can one make that decision to "pack in a day at the office" in the evening - if the office is, in fact, in their pocket? How do we separate work from rest? At what time do we decide are our "after work hours"? More and more the typical 9am-5pm (or, in an actor's world, 5am-9pm...) previously conceived as 'normal' working hours are transforming into 24/7. How often have we retired for the night to do some recreational reading or something for our own well-being - and we hear an email ping... And how often do we give in and check this email? Regardless of whether we are in the business world or professional performing world - that tantalising email tone taunts us to stop what we are doing for ourselves and defy "out of work" hours. We are constantly in work. Personally, as an employee of many promotional companies, I fear of missing out on a good shift which would possibly be the make or break to afford my rent that month. On top of that, on the professional side, I submit to checking my emails after 5pm in case there is anything urgently career, agent or professional job related which otherwise I might miss. An entire evening of being ignorant about a self tape due in two days time because of lack of email check could make all the difference timing wise to the quality of the tape. Fitting filming around work is tight enough on time without missing out on an entire evening when I could've gotten the script down. The solution: be a slave to your devices. Succumb to message alerts. For your sheer survival in the professional and work world - you need to do this.
This is a major issue I know I face, and I hope I am not a lone soldier with crazy FOMO* habits in this regard.
A guest at this talk made an interesting comment that France (and other EU countries) are in talks about putting in place a new scheme in order to reduce usage of devices "after-hours" in regards to work. This was something that sparked my interest and I want to research more about...

I believe in making the most of every situation / opportunity we find ourselves in. I relate a lot of scenarios to my studies - but more importantly - to my professional practice and my life.
Another communication technology issue which arose in one of the talks was: Using one device for all work e.g. Phone. For me, I know this is impossible. I do not have the money for an iPod or the latest iPhone so instead I have a mismatch of Apple, Google Chrome and HP devices. These guys are not always pals (i.e. compatible) when it comes to transferring data. However, I have a roundabout system that works and I get by. To have one device wouldn't work for me - as there are some tasks which require me to use my laptop i.e. footage editing.
Some of the guests at the talk voiced their protests to transferring all of their work and tasks to one device - many had different reasons but it all boiled down to the same thing - as much as things look as if they are going this way - there will be many technological problems if everybody is pressured to use just one device.
A practical issue is the size of the iPhone's small screen which would render some practical tasks difficult. From my experience, Kortex isn't compatible with my tablet device therefore I use my laptop to read Reflective Practice. If I was forced to use one device - it would sacrifice my chance to develop intellectually / professionally.
The Protect Traveller's Data talk discussed a mirrored topic which we began to explore during our Skype session - when websites seemingly 'know' your interests. Useful or scary? This was a subject I literally touched on whilst beginning to analyse Reader 1. Since that brief acknowledgement of this ethical consideration - it has cropped up in discussions twice. There must be a reason and I'm guessing it is due to an increasing concern about this topic. There is an ongoing debate as to whether this computer intelligence is useful & clever or scary? When websites know our interests - I can confirm from both the business industry & the performing industry - many people find this unnerving.
Whilst observing talks at The Business Travel Show - it summed up for me that our industries are linked by professional communication technologies. Although our objectives may be different; our actions and processes are the same. They were having similar discussions even though they are a different industry to ours'. It brought to light that my professional practice is my business and it was through this mentality that I began to make the talks relevant to me.
In particular, the "If The App Fits" talk sparked an insight into my usage of professional communication technologies for my practice.
I use the app: 1Tap (Receipts) app. It helps the self-employed keep track of their receipts and expenses by taking and storing photographic evidence. It also sorts out and estimates our HMRC tax, and tax return. You can organise the expenses into sections so you can see clearly which expenses' sector the majority of your money is going on. As a poverty-stricken actor who doesn't have the luxury of an accountant - this (FREE!!) app is a great sidekick to help me begin to get my head around the confusing maze that is the 'tax return' and 'self-assessment'.

*FOMO = Fear Of Missing Out

Task 1a - CV Skeleton

The other evening I mapped out a skeleton of the content needed on my CV. I figured - once all of my information was compact, condensed and correct - I can then easily progress to making it presentable. The main pointers I've picked up whilst reading others' blogs and links to professional CV templates - including Equity's Actor's CV Template - are: not to over-pack your CV with irrelevant credits, quality rather than quantity, and to keep it simple and visually eye-catching.

Task 1a: CV Continuation

As actors, I feel as if we are constantly updating our CVs due to credits ever changing. We also want to avoid having outdated credits on our CVs. This can look unprofessional. I feel as if my CV comes across minimal. I'm worried that this will look less than impressive to casting directors. I also still have included productions in training. As a new graduate - I always wonder which training credits are relevant. I think perhaps the main productions in my final year are necessary to place on my actor's CV. I need to update my credits and perhaps look at changing the layout slightly once I have done this. I aim to get my headshots redone at some point in the near future, perhaps the coming fall. Once these are done - I must then redo my CV again with this updated addition. I feel as if, for performers, CVs are ongoing projects we must constantly keep on top of.

Creativity in Schools

Today I taught at a school with a company who offer kids in academic schools around the country the opportunity to experience dance and drama training - but during school times. I thought this was such a good idea because some of these kids would never be able to afford the luxury of going to a 'Saturday school'. It was amazing to see children in education inputting creative ideas and responding positively to the performing arts.
I remember when I was growing up in Dublin, my school never put a real emphasis on the creative arts - they didn't view them as being essential. On the contrary - I believe the performing arts are essential in a child's growth and education. Many kids may never go on to study performing arts at a further level - so people may argue it is irrelevant to teach them these skills. My argument, however, is that many kids will not go on to study maths / science / literature at a further academic level - but are these subjects any less important? The answer is quite simply - no. Each subject has its place in a child's development. There are many types of intelligence. In 1983 an American development psychologist, Howard Gardener, described 9 types of intelligence:

• Naturalist (nature smart)
• Musical (sound smart)
• Logical-mathematical (number / reasoning smart)
• Existential (life smart)
• Interpersonal (people smart)
• Bodily-kinesthetic (body smart)
• Linguistic (word smart)
• Intra-personal (self-smart)
• Spatial (picture smart)

If a school only aids kids with a specific type of intelligence - then they are not doing their job. The school systems must cater for all the different types of intelligences.
The theatre arts give students a solid basis of confidence and an open-mindedness to develop and discover new skills. I witnessed a great sense of discipline within the class today. This surprised me as it was clear the students were taking their acting / dance classes seriously. Of course, there was a large element of fun - but this went hand in hand with the discipline.
I was inspired by the work this company are doing in schools and I think we need more of this. I would have loved to have had these opportunities in my school when I was growing up!

Self-Devising

Today myself and my friend (who happens to be an actor too - and she's also Irish for that matter...) met up in the gorgeous setting of Columbia flower market to discuss self-devising an original scene with our screen reels in mind. We agreed that the material in our screen reels should represent who we are - and, by writing original material which is tailored specifically to who we are, I think we can achieve this.

As we chatted and chatted under the late February blue skies (tantalising us with the 'coming soon' summer sun) - we came to a realisation that we could base the writing in the scene around some of the topics we naturally talked about during our catch up. Basically, the scene we devised was a continuation of our conversation. The subject matters were slightly over-dramatised in our first draft - and the names used were all change to protect identification. The script flowed and we included some topics we had touched on whilst always being mindful to add humour.

When I got in this evening - I typed out our first draft. Have a read if you care to! Feedback always welcome.

I learnt today that when script-writing; as realistic as you want it to be, you must also tailor it slightly bearing in mind you are performing it for an audience.

The Vaults Festival

This week I went to see my friend in a play called 'Blood & Bone' in The Vaults. It was part of The Vaults Festival.
Submerged in the urban setting of the Waterloo outskirts - The Vaults is an incredible maze of creative communities.
'Blood & Bone' incorporated puppetry into a surreal yet scarily current feast for the eyes and ears.
I think what most appealed to me about the show was the self-devised and exciting aspect of it. It oozed actors having fun and I genuinely got a lot of pleasure from seeing this. Acting is playing and sometimes we can lose the essence of this.



The Vaults exuded a creative buzz the other night - full of young creatives, actors, directors and writers looking for new material to develop.
It proved one thing to me - We can make our own work.

I think people are sometimes too scared to create their own work in case it fails.

'Even if I do fall on my face I know it's not the end of the world and at least I tried to do something different'

- Dave Franco

Twelfth Night Quote

This is a quote I saw on the Web 2.0 forum of Instagram. A perfect example of how visual images can harness collective intelligence. I am one quote more intelligent (if you can measure intelligence that way... Questionable...)

Task 1b & 1c combined - Starting to evaluate Professional Communication Technologies

Reader 1 on Professional Communication Technologies explores the use of social networking in the workplace. Already I have outlined my use of Web 2.0 alongside my professional acting career. The idea of remixable data and transformations relates directly to usage of Web 2.0 forums such as https://www.dropbox.com/ and https://wetransfer.com/ where I can share my acting material and screen reels with my agents or casting directors. The Bruns' theory that we are both the producer and consumer of the media shared online is relevant in this case. Once I have shared a clip openly with someone else - it is in their hands to edit and amend how they want. This process of 'produsage' claims that 'artefacts generated are no longer products in a traditional sense: they are always unfinished, and continually under development'. In the scenario when I open a self-tape up to a critical consumer - produsage comes to the forefront of my mind. My clip is open to be subjected to being edited by the consumer by means of software on their personal devices.

Privacy is an ethical issue that may occur alongside produsage. I am more than happy to allow my personal media to be developed by my agents and so forth - however, I would hate to think that this footage would ever land in unsavoury hands. This is where the privacy settings during the sending process of footage becomes important. Dropbox, WeTransfer and YouTube all contain privacy settings on media that I share. Dropbox actually offers the use of a specific password where only people who know this password can access the material. I find this, alongside the private view setting on YouTube, really handy for my audition material. Regardless of 'unsavoury hands' finding the footage; I also don't want any of my footage to be on public display until it has been cleared and edited by my agents. This relates back to the importance of how we present ourselves as actors on Web 2.0 forums. In task 1c we are asked to use YouTube as a medium to record an audio-visual summing up our experience of the course so far. My experience with YouTube as a Web 2.0 platform will assist me on this task - as will my experience self-taping, to get a good set-up on my filming.

Reader 1 also discusses harnessing collective intelligence on Web 2.0 platforms. Gruber uses Facebook as an example of this mass communication. I would like to add that I find out a lot of recent current affairs first and foremost from Facebook. Facebook users are so quick on the mark at sharing tragic or amazing events that have occurred. Statistically this makes perfect sense - If you sum up the sheer amount of people who have access to write an opinion / share an event or update a status at the touch of a button; then of course the news I hear about is most likely to come from this forum of Web 2.0.

However, an interesting slant which dawned on me whilst reading Reader 1 was that Instagram is probably the biggest gathering of visual collective intelligence. We are slandered with thousands of instant images daily on Instagram - many of these specially honed to our own interests (a part of Web 2.0 intelligence which is expanding all the time). A particular sector of the Instagram Web 2.0 collective intelligence sector which I find ever-expanding is the health & fitness section. I am forever flooded with healthy food inspiration and various work-out ideas on Instagram. This is a positive reinforcement of collective intelligence - and I believe harnessing it in a visual manner reaches out instantly to the masses.

On a personal level - I use Instagram as an architecture of participation and platform to present myself, my thoughts and my vision. 

Another lightbulb which sprang into action whilst reading Reader 1 was how I take the freedom of online participation completely for granted. All of the Web 2.0 forums which I use are totally free. This allows the age-old freedom of speech right to be developed by the individual who chooses to use their social media as platforms for their practice. 

Most recently, I set up a Facebook group for the students of BAPP starting in Spring 2017. This is to allow us to share ideas, discuss problems and to use as a general forum to stay in touch throughout the modules.

'Web 2.0 advocates that through reducing these barriers and making participation cheap, easy and quick, people are more able to get involved in the processes of collaboration, sharing and interaction.'

- Reader 1, Middlesex University 2016 ©, p.4

This is a perfect quote from Reader 1 which highlights the reason why I started up the BAPP Facebook group.

I will continue to explore the ideas, theories and issues raised in Reader 1 in my blogs, including ethical considerations. I want to read more on the subject from other sources and continue to blog about professional communication technologies.

'L'internet rend le monde un petit village'

- TR. 'The Internet makes the world a little village'

Task 1b - Web 2.0 - A Forum to Further my Online Presentation

The benefits of communicating on Blogs with fellow performers has come to light very early on in the course. After posting about my screen reel, I received useful advice from blogger Lauren Nicole Harper. She mentioned the benefits of them and how having 'a showreel to send has either produced a job for [her] without having to audition or has helped speed up the audition process.'
This is encouraging for me to hear as it means the work I put into my screen reel is potentially incredibly beneficial.
She linked me the website https://www.starnow.com/help/14/ which had some really useful tips on showreels. It also made me feel reassured that my first screen reel was more or less on the right track in terms of the guidelines
The guidelines on the website included:

Keep the showreel around three minutes in length.

Only include substantial roles (no extras roles) and edit tightly around your scenes.

Demonstrate your versatility.

Do not include gimmicks like 'You are about to meet the next big star!'.

Include your name and contact details at the beginning and / or end of the showreel.

Think about using a montage at the start of your showreel to quickly show a range of your work.

An intro to Reflective Practice

It seems a lot of my educational life I have been forced to tick boxes to meet a certain 'criteria'. This way of learning has not developed me as a person - sure it has helped my memory retention and my ability to submit to a structured order - but the real question is - has this form of learning strengthened my reflective practice?

During my first week of BAPP, I have started to read 'Reflective Practice' by Gillie Bolton. I think this is an excellent indicator and confirmer of what the course asks of us and requires us to do. Since talking to both of my course leaders - it has become clear that we will not be spoon fed on this course. This excites me - because I believe this particular 'free' form of learning suits me as an academic.
To be allowed the freedom to explore my own opinions and develop my thoughts and mind-set enthuses me to put more time in to the study of my passion.
It means there are no limitations. I like being able to use quotes I myself have come across and find useful. I find this type of study the most enriching kind.

This self-evaluation form of studying also helps me develop further intellectually. By being told what to do - I don't believe we use the full potential of our academic minds.

Whilst beginning to read Reflective Practice I came across a good quote which seems to embody the essence of the open-mindedness of the course -
'A pedagogical text like this one should not be composed and studied as if it were a technical handbook that specifies effective procedures… Rather, [it] needs to possess an inspirational quality together with a narrative structure that invites critical reflection and possibilities for insight and that leads to a personal appropriation of a moral intuition (- Van Manen, 1991, p.9)

I found this reference to the text reflective of the criteria of the BAPP course - just like the course indicates; no one will give me strict guidelines to adhere to or tell me directly what to do. Learning things for oneself is very much a big part of the Professional Practice experience.

This course is also giving me the opportunity to set aside reflective time for myself. I find the blogging aspect highly enjoyable and almost therapeutic. There is something I enjoy about putting my thoughts and theories into writing. On a personal note - this course is giving me the opportunity to gain time back to myself and allowing myself the time to think since graduating from drama school. This time is precious because so often I get caught up in trying to survive financially in London. Blogging is something that goes beyond the course for me - I believe I will continue my blog into the future. Surely this is a reflection on the course too - I am learning life skills in my professional practice.


The quote I have used in the imagery of this blog comes from Cheryl Strayed. I watched Reese Witherspoon's portrayal of this non-fictional character the other night in the movie 'Wild'. I believe this quote embodies the freedom we get from facing challenges head on and overcoming them with our own strength of mind. I hope I face challenges in a positive light during this course and this can be a skill I carry with me throughout life.

   ― Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail    

Task 1c prepartation: Self-Tape

Self-tapes are becoming more commonly used in the screen acting audition world.
They have their pro's and con's - however I believe, with the media revolution in the acting world, the pro's are greater.

Using Web 2.0 forums such as Dropbox, WeTransfer and iCloud are all skills I have gained since entering the tech-savvy, and often last minute, world of self-taping. Online media relations with my agents are essential in my communication with them. We often need to work together in order to deliver a well-presented, as professional as can be self-tape to casting directors.

This is an example of a short self-tape I had to do. It was one of three script sides I had to learn for an audition for a part in a series. I have attached this just to show the rough idea of a self-tape - by no means is this self-tape perfect, but it gives the general outline of how the lighting, sound and positioning should be. (Emphasis on the word 'general' - every self-tape criteria is different depending on the role and job in question)

I use the tools of my iPhone and iCloud when filming and transferring the clips. iCloud offers a fast, effective track to upload self-tapes from my filming device onto my laptop (where it can be edited). I also invested in a small tripod which my iPhone attaches to - providing a steady and angle-flexible method of filming.
I believe my trial and error of filming myself for self-tapes will assist me in Task 1c - Visual Audio documentation of my experience of Module 1 so far. I aim to film this in good light and with my self-tape equipment so it can coincide with my practice and be a beneficial learning curve for my self-tapes. I have planned a few potential dates in my diary when my housemate can assist me in this filming. Filming takes pre-planning when myself and my housemates have such busy schedules.

In my opinion, self-tapes are a huge contributor to our online presentation. I am letting onlookers form their own opinions of my craft therefore I want to pitch the product with as much professionalism as I can manage.

I use self-tapes as a form of self-correction. I evaluate each tape I do and I try and pick out what I like and dislike. By using this method of self-evaluation I can use self-tapes simultaneously as an audition and learning process. Both are equally useful in my practice. Often times, I can tell if I am really listening or not. When acting I believe it is essential to be connected through the eyes. As is so often stated - the eyes are the gateways to our soul. I find it difficult to become connected if I am disengaged to what the other actor is saying. Truth stems from listening and I like to dissect my self-tapes to decide whether or not my truth is coming across.

'Hearing is a good sense to develop as a truth monitor'

- Mark Rylance

Task 1c: Exploration of Screen Reel

As I delve further into the various lenses of the BAPP course - I am beginning to realise how relevant and interconnected the forms of self-presentation are. If I look through the lens of Web 2.0 or Internet activity - I see many projects which I have completed or am working on as an actor come to light.

One of these projects is my professional screen reel. A showreel as a performer is highly valuable in this day and age. Dancers have showreels highlighting footage of themselves on stage or in studio; singers primarily have singing reels which have been recorded in a good studio facility; as for me - I chose to specialise in screen acting for my showreel.

The clips on my screen reel were taken during my years of training in Italia Conti. The acting for camera aspect of my course was strong and I took as much from it as I could.

As the industry changes and technology constantly betters itself - I am already eager to get started on creating a new, more up-to-date screen reel. I want better quality footage and material. This is something which I must set time aside for myself.

Creative time is valuable to me. Myself and my peers have discussed filming some clips from plays we like so as we can work towards new screen reels. This is a project which I will keep updates on as time progresses.

If there are any dancers / performers out there who wish to share their showreels, I would be happy to share them on different forums of social media. I believe performer support is essential.

Please let me know your thoughts on the importance of showreels, whatever your specific practice!

Problems which arose whilst creating and updating my screen reel included adding credits to the clips. I downloaded 'Windows MovieMaker' onto my HP laptop in order to undertake the necessary editing needed. When I became co-represented by my Irish agent - they required their contact details to be added to the end. I was proud of my initiative to obtain a forum of editing which was compatible to my device and which I could decipher simply. How we learn and recognise our practice is an ongoing lesson.
I find myself learning new things about technology every other day and how it benefits my acting career.

How I present myself to the cyber world is invaluable. As an actor - I need a good quality headshot and links to my agents' contact details to be clear and accessible. These additions to the header and footer of my screen reel are vital. The forum of networking in the professional practice of acting is a prominent feature. My screen reel is sandwiched between the two major presentations of myself as an actor - my image and my professional contact details. The rest follows... (or should follow)

Constantly learning and developing new skills is my job as an actor. This is most certainly reflected in the BAPP course. I am learning to blog for the first time, alongside connecting to my new peers in order to attempt this new journey alongside them. This journey will not spoon feed me - but I find the freedom of it tantalising.

'There is a drive in me that won't allow me to do certain things that are easy'

- Johnny Depp

Twitter - a spectrum of free professional advertisement

https://twitter.com/eleanor__byrne


I remember actually being advised at drama school to use my Twitter account as a professional and networking device.


This does not need to be misinterpreted as over-formalising your Twitter, and beginning every Tweet with a Shakespearian quote... It simply means being yourself and airing personal opinions, whilst simultaneously concentrating on Tweeting about subjects linked to your profession. For example, if I see a production and I really like it - I will compose a short Tweet to virtually verbalise my appreciation. I will also Tweet about productions or events which I am involved in.


Twitter is also a useful platform to see what shows are being cast. By following casting directors / agents you can get public insight into jobs or projects you would like to attend or be involved in.


Most recently I have used my Twitter as a platform to share my Blog. If anybody happens to stumble across my Blog and find some points which they somewhat agree with or can relate to; then that would be pretty cool. I like discussing what I do with people who do something similar - this way I can validate some of the theories and mantras in my mind as being somewhat sane. Although I'm not so sure if that's a good thing because at the end of the day - who wants to be sane in an insane world?

Spotlight... The acting industry working hand in hand with the online platform

http://www.spotlight.com/0810-1200-0962


For those non-performers out there - the word 'Spotlight' will simply be perceived as a noun which means a light used to highlight a certain area, generally onstage. To those more 'stagey' folks - 'Spotlight' fills us with mixed emotions. One emotion being a feeling of dread due to the yearly Spotlight fee, and another being a feeling of gratitude towards a company which strives towards getting performers work & offering us advice.


In a nutshell - Spotlight.com is a website which any performer worth their salt, actors included, is a member of. Spotlight sets you up with a page which includes your headshot, contact details (or agent contact details), appearance details and credits. This way - casting directors and other industry professionals can view your page and agents can submit you for castings. It is a worthwhile website to be a member of and I believe it is essential to use every tool available to you in this rough ocean of 'show business'.


My Spotlight can be easily linked and therefore it is accessible for people in the industry to view. I have my Spotlight CV linked on my Twitter and Facebook. It basically is a forum where people can easily access my professional information and get a rough idea of my casting and specialities. I make sure to keep my Spotlight up to date (i.e. by adding any new credits I have). My agents all have access to my page and can make amendments which they see fit.


How you advertise yourself is how you are perceived by others.


More and more the acting industry is becoming sped up by technology. This could be viewed as a negative thing... But why look at the glass half empty? As a kid of the techy age I aim to seize this revolution within the industry for my own advantage. If this is the way it is going - then there is no point in dwelling on the downsides; you must make the social media and online aspects of the industry work to your advantage.


THE (web) WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER (*side thought* maybe that is why those ridiculously over-priced cards of 'freedom' are christened that?)                                        

Task 1d: Inspiration Board

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAIBE3WSLUK/?taken-by=eleanor_actor

I believe my blogs will begin to reveal my love of a good, meaningful quote - quotes which I have read in various magazines / interviews / books which have stuck with me. Various quotes strike a chord with me when I can relate to them. Somehow I feel less alone in this crazy acting industry and realise that many people have been through the same predicaments that I have. However, I don't solely harbour 'acting' quotes; I particularly like to get a good quote about life from an actor. Just to prove that there is a bigger picture in life and we can all have our own views - we are not robots.

The picture above is an 'Inspiration Board' which I created about a year ago. It remains on my wall no matter which over-priced, London flat-share I find myself in. I keep it in viewing distance to remind me why exactly I am setting out in a career in acting. It includes quotes from many people I admire, not all necessarily actors. I like taking snippets of different people's mantras and incorporating them into my own form of thinking. The Inspiration Board body is made up of diverse people from Stevie Nicks to Joe Wicks; Eva Mendes to Oscar Wilde; Shia LaBeouf to Sara Sampaio and Joseph Gordon Levitt to Saoirse Ronan.

They all have one thing in common - I can either relate to them; or be inspired by them.

Prepare for a healthy dosage of these quotations I have gathered throughout my blogs and to help back my insight into the Professional Practice that is acting.

Quote of The Day

Angelina Jolie has a knack for putting things so eloquently. Any little part of our journey is essential in the overall vision of where we want to get. If we define ourselves as less than we deserve then we will slip into the dangerous path of complacency. If we believe in ourselves, even doing tasks which may not appear to be what we want to do, then we will eventually obtain that end result.

Why choose to study BAPP?

As a recent graduate from Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, I primarily want to broaden my intellectual capacity, hone my knowledge of the arts and explore different areas of my practice - acting - which I am wholeheartedly passionate about. Middlesex University’s BAPP Arts course allows the logistics of these academic dreams to come true. The aspect of Work Based Learning studies through social networking web tools makes this course a convenient and manageable option to top up my diploma to a degree as I will still to be able to multi-task with my professional career as an actor. I feel a degree will be extremely beneficial for me, especially in the long term, if I want to be taken seriously as a teacher of my craft. 

From reading the course’s brief, I understand it to be one which allows a certain amount of freedom to concentrate of particular aspects of the arts which I want to focus on and research more. This intellectual flexibility is extremely attractive to me. There is nothing I relish more than delving deeper into a subject which I already hold a great capacity of interest for. During the wonderful Skype induction given by Paula Nottingham and Adesola Akinleye they made it clear to us students that the BAPP course encourages the practitioners to take a personal approach to our submissions and blogs and to examine how I create and produce my own work. To be allowed the freedom to form my own opinions and for there to be no wrong answers is a form of writing i connect well with. We have to figure out what our professional practice is, nobody else can decide that for us. In this instance - my professional practice which I will be focusing on is acting. 
In saying this, I believe the BAPP Arts course will also give me a broad understanding of the cultural industries. I have specialised in acting, however this does not mean I am solely interested in this aspect of the arts. I have great respect for all areas of the arts including art, design, media, music and dance. I believe all of these industries benefit from each other in different ways and we are interlinked by creativity. The group Skype sessions and blogging system will give all of the different practices the opportunity to discuss their own passions whilst listening to stories about other professions too. We are all studying under the same umbrella - linked by a course name - but all of our experiences and opinions regarding our lives and our crafts are unique.
Lastly, I would like to emphasise my yearning to gain more intellectual experience. I enjoyed the contextual studies side of my Performing Arts Diploma course in Italia Conti so much that I know a further 16 months of part-time study is the correct path for me. I delight in essay and dissertation writing. The journey to create an in-depth essay full of background research and reading greatly pleases me and my academic brain is already becoming excited at the thought of more projects yet to come. The opportunities this BAPP Arts course will hopefully present to me are highly beneficial. For example, should I feel the academic or practical need to obtain a Masters in acting in the future – I will have set a stable building block to work upon in the form of this degree.

I love having my mind exercised.

'Study, find all the good teachers and study with them'

- Philip Seymour Hoffman

Task 1a: LBM Actor's CV

http://www.lbmactors.com/members/eleanor-byrne/

I graduated from drama school in July 2016, having moved over to London from Dublin in September 2013. My final year in drama school was a whirlwind of opportunities; in-depth productions; plenty of performances and, above all else, thrilling experiences and exciting times.
The most common word to come out of my peers' mouths during that hectic time was 'Agents'.
For those non-actors / performers who are not familiar with 'The Agent Game', I will explain briefly... An agent is a personnel who acts as your manager in order to work together to obtain professional work.
I felt excited and blessed during my third year to be entering into such an exhilarating profession. It was spelt out quite simply to us - an agent is not the be all and end all; however they are an extremely beneficial stepping stone during your first year out as a lone soldier (or in my case - actor).
Once graduated, life began to slowly merge back into reality. Work was scarce but needed and creative time was valuable and rare in order to be able to work enough to survive in London. In total - it was a vicious circle and just to survive at times seemed near impossible (dramatic I know, but what do you expect from a drama student?)
I soon realised adult-life was not going to be a walk in the park. There were two ways to approach this situation
1 - I could have crawled into bed and binged on never-ending cycles of 'The Crown' (relevant research for my career, but only beneficial when in moderation)
2 - Choose to take the situation into my own hands; take control of my creative life and mould it into the beginnings of a shape I would be proud of.

I chose the latter.

I have always been proactive but I chose to step it up a notch since graduating. This precious piece of advice has stuck with me - Do something everyday which furthers your career.
This can be something as minute as going to the gym in order to maintain your physique, but no matter how small - I always bare in mind the grand scheme of things.

I got in contact with an Irish actor's agency - Lorraine Brennan Management - and fortunately managed to arrange a meeting with them thanks to the help of my London agents. This decisive step and vision in my career has furthered me to become dually represented.
I have linked my professional actor's CV on Lorraine Brennan Management's website which I invite you to have a look at.

I think, at the end of the day, we can't expect magical happenings to occur overnight. Sure - there is a hell of a lot of luck involved in the acting game, however I genuinely believe we are the masters of our careers. As Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones star) puts it - 'It took me 12 years to get to where I am, but anything worth fighting for can take time. It is a marathon, not a sprint.'