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You're stepping onto the stage, amidst opening night flurry and last minute stage directions. In the audience are the director you'd like to work with, the reviewer everyone listens to, and your first acting coach. The blood pumps in your ears, your heart is racing, and your throat is so dry you can't possibly speak your lines. Every muscle is tense and you want to run.

It's called the "fight or flight" response. It's also called stage fright. Stage fright comes in many different forms. For some, it's a nervous energy that disappears as soon as they begin performing, or a familiar sensation that's always under the surface but feels manageable most of the time. For others, it's so debilitating that they can't get through an audition to even be part of a performance.

Stage fright has huge repercussions to the health and well-being of the performer.

Dr. Louise Montello of Musicians Wellness, Inc. has worked with injured, blocked and anxious performers for many years, and has developed a rich set of tools that we can use in moments of stress and anxiety.

One of her most powerful techniques, from the Yoga tradition, is breath. Breath is a key link between the mind and the body. Our body's autonomic nervous system is made up of the parasympathetic nervous system (related to relaxation, creativity and awareness) and the sympathetic nervous system (related to analytical thinking and action). When we're in "fight or flight" mode, our sympathetic nervous systems are in charge, and our bodies, minds and emotions are locked into battle with an imaginary enemy (while our creative expression gets caught in the crossfire).

Deep breathing and the specific techniques that will be described in this article can reawaken your parasympathetic nervous system.

Note: In yogic breathing exercises, it's important to always breathe in and out through the nose.

1. Diaphragmatic breathing ("belly breathing")

Why? It allows you to move more air into your body and also to send more stale air out on the exhalation.

How? Practice this type of breathing while holding your hands on your belly, to feel it expand as you inhale, and contract as you exhale. Your back and sides should expand and contract as well. watch a baby sleeping to get a really good demonstration of belly breathing.

2. Even breathing

Why? Will smooth out your breathing and help you to feel grounded.

How? Breathe in and out for the same number of counts.

3. two-to-one breathing

Why? Since exhalation is associated with the parasympathetic nervous system (related to relaxation, creativity and awareness), long exhalations also help to induce relaxation. This exercise is helpful in times of great stress (i.e. auditions).

How? Breathe in for a certain number of counts, and then breathe out for twice as many counts (count evenly in your own time), pushing the breath out from the belly.

4. Alternate nostril breathing

Why? By alternately breathing through our right nostril (connected to our sympathetic nervous system) and our left nostril (connected to our parasympathetic nervous system), we can balance our entire autonomic nervous system.

How? To prepare for this exercise, clear your nostrils by breathing in and out quickly several times in a row (another technique called "cleansing breath"). Now, fold the index finger and middle finger of the right hand into the palm, and use the thumb to close your right nostril and your ring finger to close your left nostril.

begin by inhaling through both nostrils. Then breathe out through one nostril, while blocking the other, and then switch and breathe in through the other nostril.

After three complete breaths, exhale without switching sides, and do three more breaths. This means you're now inhaling on the opposite side that you started from.

Now rest and breathe deeply and evenly through both nostrils for a few minutes. Then repeat that cycle two more times (with a rest in between), so you've done three cycles in total.

You'll be amazed at the difference these simple breathing exercises can make, with a few short minutes of practice every day. Then, at times of stress, you'll have a valuable tool to support your performance, and all your creative dreams.

Copyright 2005, linda Dessau. All rights reserved.

linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. Visit www.preparingforperformance.com for more help with performance anxiety.

posted by 55208  # 8:40 PM 0 comments

From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters....

The Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero's Journey:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

and more...

Jarhead (2005) deconstructed

FADE IN: (Loop) narrative; his hands remember the rifle.

New world and Self: you are no longer black, green, etc.

Meeting the Hero: meeting Swoff.

Ordinary world: Fitch being himself.

On a Journey: on the bus.

Threshold Guardian: presenting his papers to the officer.

New world: the barracks.

Meeting the Shape Shifter: Troy.

New Rules: being branded; games played in the barracks.

Developing the Shape Shifter: you want a brand, you gotta earn it. Welcome to the Suck.

Hero's Backstory: Swoff being conceived; his sister; breakfast conversations with dad; college;

Romantic Challenge: his girlfriend; I'll write you everyday.

Resisting the Transformation: Swoff in the toilet.

Meeting the Mentor: Sykes.

Developing Mentor: Sykes makes Swoff play the bugle.

Conscious Agreement to the Journey: I'm still here.

Magical Gift (becoming a sniper):

JFK shot.

training in the assault course.

You are now snipers; I was hooked; Swoff fires the shot.

Push to the first Threshold: listening to the Iraqi statement on TV.

Belly of the Whale: watching Apocalypse now.

Journey to the first Threshold: on the aircraft.

Goodbye to the Old Self: stewardess waves goodbye

first Threshold: arriving in iraq.

Threshold Guardian: Kazinski's speech; the picture of the Kurdish child; kick some Iraqi ass.

Outer Cave: where did the Iraqi's get their weapons from? Forget politics; we're here, all the rest is bullshit.

Middle Cave / Meeting Allies: talking about the girlfriends back home in the tent.

Inner Cave: putting on their masks; running in the suits; hrydrating, dehydrating, patrolling the empty desert.

Developing Characters and Relationships: the scorpion fight.

Inner Cave: Waiting in the desert; masturbation; cleaning their rifles; studying the phillipino mail order catalogue etc.

Wondering what she's doing now.

Trial and Transformation 1:

Outer Cave: Sykes tells them how to respond to reporters; complaints against free speech, that's un-american etc.

Middle Cave: Talking to the reporters; Swoff admits he's scared.

Inner Cave: Putting on and playing football in their NBC masks.

Transformation: Taking off their masks; getting naked; Sykes sends the reporters away.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Sykes makes Swoff et al take all that shit down.

Trial and Transformation 2:

Cortez has a son; Kristina has found a new male friend who's a good listener.

Thinking about his girlfriend in the shower.

not being able to jerk off in the toilet.

Swoff calls home and is cut off.

Swoff wakes up and clutches his throat; "..you're making some weird sounds man"

Transformation: Swoff wants see what it feels like to watch somebody else fuck your girlfriend.

Trial and Transformation 3:

Outer Cave: Swoff gets some "good shit" from the soldier who writes the major's love letters.

Middle Cave: The party.

Inner Cave: The fire blows the explosives.

Transformation: Swoff is made a Private.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Swoff is made to burn the shit; the senior officer leaves a present.

New Self: Swoff threatens to kill the sausage boy.

Resisting the New Self: Swoff apologises.

Foreshadow of the final Conflict:

The Arabs appear in the desert.

Developing Characters and Relationships: insulting the Arab passing in the car.

Meeting the Oracle: they're going to the mother of all battles.

Resisting the Journey to the Sword: resistance to taking the pills.

Shape Shifter Revealed:

Digging their holes.

The aircraft fly by; the war will move too fast.

Troy is being thrown out. Swoff told to keep him from fucking up.

New Self: Troy is branded.

Near Death Experience:

The war comes to them; Swoff pisses himself.

Retrieving the battery.

Pursuing the Iraqis.

Getting hit by friendly fire.

Swoff sees the charred remains; throwing up.

Pulled forward by the burning oil wells.

Digging their holes in the oily sand; the oil burns Fowler's face.

Rebirth: preventing Fowler.

Rebirth: Swoff calms the horse.

Atonement with the Father: Sykes sits down and talks to Swoff; he loves is job.

Apotheosis: Sykes and Troy sent out to see Kazinsky; "..fucking show me..".

Ultimate Boon: Swoff and Troy have an Iraqi in their sight; permission given for the JFK shot.

Refusal:

The major denies their request to take the shot.

Troy argues with the Major for the perfect shot.

Magic Flight:

The planes take out the site.

Rescue from Without: Troy's already got his papers; have to get back.

Crossing the return Threshold: Going back to camp over the dunes.

Master of Two Worlds:

The party around the fire; this shit is over; shooting their guns in the sky.

Freedom to live / Challenge Resolutions: Returning home as heroes; meeting the Vietnam Vet on the bus; his girlfriend has left him; doing their various jobs; Fergis arrives; Troy's funeral;

(Loop): narrative.

FADE OUT: the Jarheads.

learn more

The complete 188 stage Heros Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

posted by 55208  # 1:33 PM 0 comments