2013

So there's a reason I haven't blogged yet this year despite being back in London almost 2 weeks already. I always had a system in my head of if you apply loads for jobs one week then the next week you will see results from those jobs and things will pick up. Last week was my applying week in which, apart from an audition for a play, nothing came up. I never felt like blogging about what was going on because the week was pretty dull really. Things have felt a lot more serious now I'm back. Money has become an even bigger thought than before and the next few months are absolutely crucial for income to afford the London life. I guess I'm just impatient to hear back from applications. As soon as I was back in London I emailed every contact I had about future projects and work that could be going on fairly soon. That mixed with applying for jobs is going to require a lot of patience and faith.

Despite this seriousness and worry there has been plenty to be happy about. The audition for the play I had was successful and I got the role I was going for which is brilliant. I am in a play in London. Not quite west end but I have something I can invite agents to and something I can put my all into with a lot of time to do so. Also this weekend I went to Devon to shoot a short film for a friend. I always had in mind that if the weekend went well and I was happy with how I performed in it then this could be my showreel wrapped up for agents. Now after a long sleep and a hard working weekend I am so pleased to have spent it with such great people and after looking at a few shots back I think I can be happy with my performance. I awoke this morning inspired and thinking a lot about how 'all it takes is one idea' to get the ball rolling and seeing how easy it can be to put your idea into motion.

I'm so pleased to say I have started writing again towards clowning ideas. A long time ago in my final year of university I wrote and performed a 20 minute sketch as my inner clown. The performance got a 1st and lecturers likened it to Mr Bean. Ever since that performance I always thought if I put my all into this clown I know it would take me somewhere. I made a list before I moved to London of things I could do when I was living here and clowning was one of them but I never wrote anything down until now. Through some contacts I may be performing in March some time with my own material again. One of the reasons Rowan Atkinson is my number 1 hero is what he did with Mr Bean and how accessible it was to all audiences. My hope is to do exactly that and if by September I do have to move back to Bournemouth I want to have at least some memories of clowning performances on the stages of London, no matter how big or small.

I'm unemployed, I'm tight on money, I'm living on luck and faith, but I'm also recharged with determination, stocked full of contacts and feeling pretty lucky anyway. I will do all I can to cling on to London beyond September because this is where I'm happiest now. I have had tasters of my dream job and I am not going to let go of this chance I have now.

3 months, 2 weeks and 2 days later

I am currently on the way home for Christmas and couldn't have asked for a better time here since I moved. I've made a brilliant start to my career and will make sure 2013 is an even better year than this one. In the final 19 days of the year I can safely say this has been the best year of my life. I made what could easily be argued as the most foolhardy decision I ever have by moving to London without a plan or agent or agenda. I did it to try and make it on my own but above that reason is I would never have been fully happy in my heart if I didn't. I got impatient and depressed and I wasn't going to wait another year to try for drama school to possibly not get in again. The way I decided that moving to London was the best idea was by asking myself what would make me happy right now. It was always going to be the foolhardy decision which I am so glad I made. The determination in me called for a better Sam who would jump into the middle of it all and hold his own. I will never stop being proud of this moment looking back and seeing how I've grown into someone I am starting to really believe in.

I have earned my Christmas. I'm pleased I'm already thinking of the new plan of action for 2013 with agents in mind and just battling to earn enough to stay another year. I'm going to let the determination bubble up over Christmas so when I'm back to London next I'm out ready to fight for my place again. I won't be blogging again until 2013 so want to say thank you to everyone I know. Anyone who has read the blog and supported me in any way. You keep me going. I could not do this without your support. Everyone I've met has made me who I am now so thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will never have words brilliant enough to express my gratitude. Have an amazing peaceful Christmas and brilliant new year. God bless. X

An Early End of Year Thank You

I'd go ahead and say last week was my favourite week I've spent in London so far. Monday and Tuesday I auditioned for 5 various projects, all paid, most of them adverts that would be shown on TV. Thursday I was part of an online video games advert with by far the most fun crew I've worked with considering it was a 13 hour day. A few days later I finished a herbal cigarette advert and acted in a short film that will do all it can to get to Cannes Film Festival. A day later I performed the very difficult task of playing a giant kangaroo, dressed in a mascot suit for many hours, in a cash loans advert which may very well be shown on ITV. And I finished all this with about 14 hours of desperately needed sleep. It's been a hell of a week for acting. I remember thinking at the end of it how I used to amuse myself with the idea that one day when people ask what I do I would be able to say 'actor' without feeling like a ponce. Someone asked me that same question about 2 weeks ago and I replied with 'I'm an actor...I guess'. I really can't get my head round saying it without feeling like I need to assure them I'm not a ponce or big headed about it. On the other hand I suppose its better than saying I'm unemployed and assuring them I won't try and pickpocket them later on.

Try as I might I can't help but get excited about coming home for Christmas. Everyone in the acting world seems to want a work free Christmas so there isn't a great deal of work in December. I have a music video, an advert and 2 short films to shoot in December. It's very likely they may be the only pieces of work I will get before the new year and with so little work up for grabs when I'm looking its hard not to feel festive and excited about being home. The way things are going I feel I have earned this years Christmas. I am proud of the things I have done in the past 3 months and 2 days. I've even managed to earn just over a months rent in income which after 3 months I'm over the moon about. I want to keep my concentration and there shall be no more reflecting until I'm on my way home and this years work is over. As big as this year has been in my life next year will have to be bigger.

Something I would recommend doing for everyone which I did last night is go through old photos on Facebook or other albums. I only got as far as summer this year and already I believe this year has been the best year of my life so far. The things I've done, the times I've laughed harder than I ever have, the hope I've worked hard to make real and the people. I cannot think too much about the support people have shown to me because it overwhelms me. A thank you isn't enough for everyone. Some people have told me they are proud of me but that is nothing on the pride I feel to have such friends. There are no words. There is a great deal of Bournemouth love felt and I carry the love and support with me to every audition and every performance, because at the end of it all I do it for Bournemouth and my friends as well as myself. And its only been 3 months. Just think what I can do with 6! People don't need to worry about how next year will go for me and what the next step will be. Have faith. I got this.

No Luck Needed

I would like to begin this blog with the reason its been a while since my last. I never want to repeat myself in these blogs and always think there's only so many ways I can say something dramatic like 'this is going to be harder than I thought'. Sometimes its hard to get across my thoughts without sounding cheesy. I always wanted to try and get people reading this to understand the journey like it was something everyone can put themselves in a similar position of.

I will be writing about something that's been on my mind for a few weeks now, and at the risk of offending, I think superstitious people are crazy. I will hold up my hands now and say for about 3 years now I have walked over 3 drains in a row, let black cats cross my path and happily walked under ladders with a smile on my face. A word of warning to anyone who believes the drain theory and is thinking of moving to London...its filled with the buggers. And I have walked over them 3 in a row on the way to auditions and big jobs and I consider my current situation blessed with luck, if there is such a thing. I even walked over one this morning and am currently on my way to film an advert which will make it to some fairly obscure tv channels but another tv job is under the belt.

I have been going through a seesaw motion of thoughts recently. A small thought growing is saying although its been a great start it will take a further few hurdles to go through to a stronger financial position to be able to stay another year come August. That thought is met with a larger more relaxed mind set. I have been here 2 months 2 weeks and 3 days and I've achieved beyond what I thought possible. I know I'm focussed and understand what I need to do to be a success but I want to enjoy every minute. I realised last night that I have no idea where I will be in a year and honestly that thought excites me. The next year will be a hell of an adventure and I know no matter what happens I will look at this next year in the future and think what a great year I had. But for now I'm taking small steps and am just focussing on earning my Christmas and working hard from now until home time and rest. God bless London and the experience I have had so far. I will never stop being thankful for it all.

A Great Week

It's probably right to blog about the last 7 days. I've had the most successful week since I've moved. Tuesday I was asked by the wonderful Kate Hollowood to be an extra in a TV series she's starring in. Thursday I was an extra in a short film with 2 famous faces and Friday night I was involved in a commercial shoot for sofa.com. To add to all this these jobs they were all paid which is was brilliant. Confidence is at a high and concentration is as ever immovable. I was telling a friend the other day about how great these jobs are and how lucky I am, but the thoughts are constantly with the showreel. I am seeing how building a showreel from scratch is possible, and for me I will definitely get one together with the projects I am already a part of, but it will be a while.

It's a waiting game once you've auditioned for something and your waiting to hear back, but there's one giant waiting game happening outside of this. I'm currently waiting patiently to film my first shoot where I will be able to use the material for a showreel. I will then patiently wait for that footage to be released and then wait again to receive the footage. I'll go ahead and wait once more after finding someone to put a showreel together for me to complete it...then! Then I am ready to face an agent. I want a showreel put together by the end of the year. That is my aim and I'm sure with the things I will be filming and finishing that can happen in time. Already at the back of my mind a cautious voice is reminding me it may be possible I will have to pick up a part time job after the new year. A part of me is already feeling the heat to get things going quicker, but then the majority of me tells me to slow and calm down and reminds me how much time this may take to start getting somewhere.

I am fully in the moment now and caught in the current of working harder to keep the momentum going. I think if I did step out for a moment and sit down I would think its amazing what I've done here so far. I've only ever thought forward since I've moved here and when people praise what I believe to be the good luck I've had so far the normal protocol is generally: Thank them a hell of a lot, shrug it off, make sure both feet are on the ground at all times, and make sure I build on getting a damn load more work to be thankful for. I want to come home for Christmas with brand new stories and successful jobs under my belt. I want to enjoy Christmas once I'm home and know that there was never a time I didn't give my all to keep chasing my career so I can relax and enjoy the holidays knowing I deserve this break.

Someone New

Due to recent events which shall be told later in the blog I'm realising how, financially, not a lot has changed. I am currently not earning a great deal from the jobs I am doing and if I want to stay in London I do need to start earning soon. Now despite all this negative talk my morale could not be higher. Right now I am on target for really brilliant things. I've already mentioned the sketch show which I was successful in getting a part in, and have recently discovered an audition I did for 3 films I was successful in getting a part as well as being offered an extra role in one of the films because they were so impressed. I guess I've just been getting on with things and not thinking about the long term plan but really I'm right on track to getting up a great show reel in the coming months and hopefully at least applying to agents before the year is out. I still stand by if I get an agent before 2013 then this will have been by far the most successful year to date for me.

Days are getting busier and busier so I'm happy. Today I auditioned for a short crime thriller and found myself confident and calm throughout. There wasn't a moment of nerves and when they seemed to enjoy my audition all the way home I was feeling so content with how I'm handling everything that's come at me so far. I can only hope my luck continues and in 6 months time I'll be planning my 2nd year living in London. I remember saying before I moved I needed to be a brand new Sam Stevenson when I get to London and already a month and a half into it I can see differences. The first couple of extra jobs I had I generally kept quiet and only became myself until I got to know people more later in the day. The last extra job I had I went in and was shown to where the extras were sitting, about 15 quiet shy looking types, and sat right in the middle of them and talked to the group nearest me. That's the Sam Stevenson I doubted I could be but confidence has grown and I couldn't be happier with who I have become more of.

To date since moving to London I have been:
An extra in 4 music videos, (one of them being for a very famous singer but for legal reasons I can't divulge any more information!)
1 TV sketch,
Accepted as a major role in an up and coming sketch show,
Been chosen to be a model for a clothing company,
Chosen as lead male for a commercial,
And the recent news of the short films for Cannes film festival.

I'm also currently waiting to hear back from a TV series audition I had last week, a video audition I did for a short film in Bristol and a busy day tomorrow auditioning for a music video and a feature film audition next Tuesday. 2 of the listed jobs were low paid and that's as far as its gone financially so far. I don't see this as a negative. You can't if your in it for the long run. Listing all these things I've done and have ahead of me its probably clear to see why morale is so high. I've already done so much and I haven't even started going for serious work yet. I feel like I'm where I want to be now. At the bottom of about 5 different ladders and I can choose to climb them all. It could be too early to say not getting into drama school was the best thing that ever happened to me, but I've a feeling I'll be saying it sooner than I think. I hope so anyway.

Homeward Bound

So I'm heading home this weekend for the first time since I moved. The journey home made me think about whether I am returning proud and happy with what I've achieved so far. I think there's a lot I can be proud of and I'd quite like some point this weekend to find a break and reflect on what I've done so far. I'm so used to not stopping and constantly looking for the next job, I think this weekend will be good for me if I can find some time to relax and just be proud of myself.

It's been a good week. I've had auditions planned and am almost too busy which is how I like it. More extra jobs in music videos meant I met some more brilliant people. A contact from a previous shoot even contacted me and asked my availability for a shoot next week so the networking is really showing its benefits.

I feel a bit like I've earned this weekend. I have kept my focus only in London and I think I'll realise how much I missed family and friends when I see them. I am also starting to see why London may think people from Bournemouth are mostly elderly folk due to 90% of the people queueing for the coach home were above 70. But hey this is my Bournemouth and I wanted to do it proud. So all in all I am returning to Tuckton a happy man looking forward to a hug from my parents and seeing some faces I have missed a hell of a lot. God bless home.