Congressman Dennis Kucinich sums up our country’s woes in a nutshell. A must-see video.

Why is acting much more marvelous than one may have first imagined? A desire to better understand human existence is basic to the nature of art and propels the desire of artistic minds to create. Acting and motion picture making are ways to search for that understanding and seek deeper awareness of the human condition.

Human healing and transformation through the Arts

Acting is one of the most essential elements of this art of human healing and transformation. Storytelling, theater, and motion pictures are critical to the stability and progress of our society. These arts give the community the opportunity to examine old and new ideas and to develop the ability of reflecting, learning, and of discovery as central reasons for the existence of the human community. Fellini’s films reflect this in a very special way because they are free from conventional constraints.

The Fellini Way

Anyone wishing to undertake the intense task of studying acting needs as much encouragement and guidance as possible. The Fellini Way strives to encourage student actors and actresses to express their inner reality and perception of human states in a manner that best harmonizes with their individual interests, aspirations, and abilities. The wonderful thing about teaching acting as Fellini did is the individualized attention which makes it easier and more stimulating to personal growth than any methodological, academic theatrical style. The focus is on nurturing the creative energy of students and fostering enthusiasm on their part for personal discovery through the acting process. Perfecting one’s acting ability is different for each aspirant.

There are basic skills actors and actresses need to understand regarding speech, movement, and character which must be developed. Refining each performance according to what works best under the circumstances is the greatest way to accomplish rapid progress.

Becoming an actor or actress in our society depends upon being strongly committed not only to the art from a personal standpoint of growth and career, but also by a commitment to the larger effect of Art as an essential power to lift our society in many rewarding ways.

Acting as science

Acting is not only art, it is also a science. For example, it should be clear that if you “act” an emotion, it will appear false. Acting must be honest in the sense that you act the emotion you really feel. That is where the very subtle science of managing self-imposed emotions comes into play.

The first aspect of it is imagination. For instance when your acting makes emotions rise in the audience, you have tapped in them one of the triggers you must learn to activate in yourself.

Clearly this requires two steps. The first is to understand the actual flavor, so to speak, of the emotion you are trying to act and evoke in the audience. For example: fear. You feel a coldness inside, a tension, a faster heartbeat, a trembling, a near expressionless face with drawn lines, dry mouth, speech difficulty…and so on. Remember that in motion picture acting you may be asked to express fear suddenly and then be asked to do it again a dozen times between takes.

Language and movement are the tools and essence of acting for they are what this art is about — communication. Communication between actor and audience, director and actor as well as actor and actor. Acting is doing. Scene work helps actors to understand that acting is a collaborative art. An actor’s responsibility is not only to his lines and the camera but also to other actors in the scene.

No correct way to act

Acting methods often get in the way of realism. There is no single correct way to act. In fact, one has to discover one’s own way through the process of work/study and trial and error. Too often actors are taught that there is one way to act instead of realizing that different styles of drama will require different approaches to acting and performance. That is why Fellini often preferred untrained people for his films to highly stylized stars.

The importance of professionalism

Film people, whether in Hollywood, Rome, New York, London or Paris, have one thing in common: they admire professionalism. Given a choice between two actors, professionalism will often be the deciding factor. Competence and reliability are crucial to the forming of a reputation far more treasured than erratic brilliance.

The student seeking to become a professional actor must develop and refine understanding of the extra disciplines that filming demands.

For example: you’ve got to know how to help the camera. In a close up, the camera magnifies your actions, so you have to know how to scale down the action of your performance without losing intensity as the shot gets tighter. The professional will reduce performance physically in a close up, but not mentally. In fact, the mind should work even more intensely in a close-up because in a close-up the performance is all in your eyes and facial expression, and you cannot use the rest of your body to express yourself.

The synesthetic medium

Fellini often remarked that movies are a synesthetic medium. The effects on the senses from peripheral images and sounds other than the central elements in any scene. The collateral effects, such as seeing good food in a scene and having one’s appetite stimulated. A song meant for the ears but which brings visualization or evokes memories or historical periods. All these effects are referred to as synestesia.

Fellini was deeply aware of synestesia and encouraged actors to use this second layer of awareness which impacts an audience almost subliminally.

The power of imagination that is the foundation of great acting is implicit if we are to achieve wholehearted harmonious collaboration especially from those who have digested the immense possibility that opens into our lives when we have decided to fully embrace the profession of movie acting.

Alertness and relaxation

The importance of alertness and the wisdom of relaxation in movie acting.

“If you are knocking yourself out, you are doing it wrong,” according to Michael Caine.

Therefore, one of the first things we have to learn is how to overcome nervousness.

We must seek what Socrates asked for in the prayer from the “Phaedrus” when he said:

“May the outward and the inward person be at one.”

It is by this “pulling oneself together” that our greatest powers and talents are helped rise to the surface. Our lives are granted periods of spontaneous grace, when we feel exceptionally well and at ease. Finding the secret for extending these periods of intrinsic happiness until almost everyday of our lives is a fulfilling joy is like finding a magic power.

Reaction vs. action

Acting, by its very nature, is a moving from the world of reactions to the world of self controlled action. In life we are often like boats without direction whose captain is asleep at the wheel as our boat is tossed aimlessly toward dangerous shores. The accomplished actor learns to handle the sails of emotions and stays awake by holding the rudder of reason to take advantage of the pressure of winds and currents, and thereby sets course for safe harbor. Achieving control of your vessel gives you immense self confidence and fills you with joy.

So, as an aspiring actor, if a life storm has pushed you off course do as all good sailors do: head into the wind, reduce sail and then reset course so that by taking advantage of the energy of the storm you make great progress in the good direction where the island of fulfillment awaits you.

Fellini’s style

Fellini had all the appearance and presence of a very simpatico man of the people. He was warmhearted and simple in his daily communications with others and cordial to the constant calls of his admirers. Under his casual and normalizing Romanesque presence Fellini manifested a world of profundity and understanding of the human condition and — least known to most in spite of its appearing in brilliant flashes and in grotesque symbols in many of his films — he had an astounding intellectual intuition of esoteric realities and a vast, refreshing spiritual vision.

His understanding of the magical power to be evoked in the synergy of a cast of actors supported by film technicians all collaborating in the art of making a movie was key to his free directing style and his teaching actors to think and become immersed in the reality of roles. He understood that it was energy and enthusiasm generated by sharing a collective creative process that made motion pictures the principal and most powerful art of the Modern Age.

The chosen art

The artist, whether a poet, singer, dancer, actor, musician, writer, or craftsman, invests first in himself/herself and follows his/her love for his/her chosen art. In many cases more than one art fills the life of the artist. Dedicated artists soon intuitively discover that as they perfect their art, after much work and even pain propelled by love of it, gradually and sometimes suddenly a luminous quality, an inner well being, enters their life and with it a profound understanding of life itself. This understanding becomes the very wine the artist produces and feels compelled to offer others so they may become “inebriated,” even if for a moment only in a theater, while reading a book, by hearing a song, and share the artist’s vision of life’s potential for perfection.

Learning to act frees our power for self expression. By gradually learning to express feelings in the interpretation of a role, a power is developed inside of us that can unleash joyful enthusiasm not only for this great art but for the infinite dimensions of life itself.

Training the will

Part of the actor’s work is to train the will so that the personality can break out of all self imposed limitations born of fear and illusion about the human condition. Only in a fearless state do we become fully empowered to manifest what is best in ourselves. That is when we can fully share and enjoy life with others.

We hear often the question: “What’s new?” and life responds, “I am always new! Haven’t you noticed?”

Acting is the art of conscious renewal. Some of the greatest actors are known to have experienced the sudden “awareness of awareness, ” what in the traditional Japanese “No” and “Kabuki” theater is known as the “Zen of acting.”

The profound transformation called “renewal” is best grasped by those who, facing the shock of imminent death, are suddenly reprieved and literally given a new lease on life. That is when human awareness fully awakes and experiences a rebirth and a full restoration of a sense of proportions: eyes see better, ears hear more sharply, and all sensations become deeply real as they were when we first entered life and had no questions yet.

We tend to forget the cyclic aspects of life, even though we are taught the lesson of cyclical repetition daily with the rise and setting of the sun and with each season, and by the four directions rotating around the axis of high and low.

October 27, 2011

Dear Governor:

The whole country is seeking the leadership of decent civilized human beings who will not tolerate terrorists in police uniforms roaming our streets and attacking peaceful demonstrators.

Human patience has a limit. When armed forces of the biggest military power in the world cannot quell the resistance of  populations of small and poor countries, it would be wise for powerholders to estimate how massively explosive the potential upheaval of an outraged American population pushed into self defense could be.

Such a reflection should send shivers in the spineless dark minds who are attacking American citizens exercising their constitutional rights to protest peacefully.  That is like stepping on the tail of a sleeping tiger … totally insane!

Recalling you to your past greatness and progressive instincts, we respectfully ask you to condemn police violence and act in defense of the people.

Thank you.

Aldo Vidali

Read about Scott Olsen HERE.

Imagine for a moment that you’d never heard this story.

Listen in. Would it be believable?

People in North America, Hawaii, and Europe are witnessing crisscrossing streaks of white clouds trailing behind jet aircraft, stretching from horizon to horizon, eventually turning the sky into a murky haze. Intelligence tells us that these are not mere vapor trails from jet engines.

This video narrates the story of a rapidly developing chemical industry called geo-engineering that includes scientists, corporations, and governments. What are they up to?

Evidence demonstrates that straying has been underway since 1990 with devastating effects to crops, wildlife, and human health. Soil and water tests show that Mt. Shasta, for example, now has 60,000 times the safe level of aluminum, a neuro-toxin. We are being sprayed with toxic substances without our consent!

Learn more about Project Cloverleaf.

Cold fusion refers to a proposed nuclear fusion process of unknown mechanism offered to explain a group of disputed experimental results first reported by Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons.

Cold fusion, under this definition, was first announced on March 23, 1989, when Fleischmann and Pons reported producing nuclear fusion in a tabletop experiment involving electrolysis of heavy water on a palladium (Pd) electrode. They reported anomalous heat production (“excess heat”) of a magnitude they asserted would defy explanation except in terms of nuclear processes. They further reported measuring small amounts of nuclear reaction byproducts, including neutrons and tritium. These reports raised hopes of a cheap and abundant source of energy.

The documentary presented here — “Defense Against the Psychopath” – is from Chapter 1 of The Art of Urban Survival by Steffan Verstappen. It teaches people how to recognize and defend themselves against society’s most dangerous predators: psychopaths.

Comment about “Defense Against the Psychopath”:

I’ve spent most of my life being a victim of psychopaths until a few years ago when I started to wake up. I think the problem is more widespread than stated, and there is the problem of narcissism, particularly malignant narcissism, which blights a lot of lives.

To view, click video box arrow at right.

Let’s impose a change of course. How? By voting all warmongers out of office and supporting all pro peace and justice candidates.

The Imperial Titanic is about to collide with the iceberg of nuclear war, environmental destruction, and total fascist oppression.

Time for citizens to stand up and act.

Time for consumers to boycott corporate greed.

Time for workers to sit down in general strike.

Time for soldiers to refuse killing innocent people.

Time for Americans to crush corporate tyranny.

Time to restore real democracy or die.

It’s a simple concept: The U.S. Constitution guarantees Americans privacy in their homes, papers, and privileged communications with their attorneys, doctors, and other professionals. Along comes one terrorist incident of highly murky origin and POOF! the Fourth Amendment is gone.

Do you think they teach kids this in school today? I guarantee they don’t and most people under say 30 would probably be amazed to know that these rights even exist.

Searches of your home, your car, your private communications, your bank account require a judge’s order – unless an agent of the President (the one with the forged birth certificate) decides otherwise.

Take a listen.