Pushing Through

Due to work continuing to not come at the moment I'm making my own opportunities. I realise how lucky I was to get the jobs I got in the last few months of last year. This year has been very different but just as enjoyable. I've been slowly formulating a short film idea that I'd love to make and direct myself over summer. At the same time myself and my friend Adam have been filming a mockumentary (coincidentally about an actor who moves to London) which we have high hopes for. It's a brilliant feeling to have knowing all these ideas I had for sketches or films can be achieved now and without a massive amount of money. I used to think it wouldn't be until I have power over my own show on TV but now all it takes is one conversation with Adam and its already in the making. I've been in a creative mind set the last 2 weeks and its great that due to work not coming in I've made my own work to keep myself busy. Honestly I never thought I would seriously consider making a film let alone direct something but inspiration has hit me and I am in a position to have full power over what I can do with it.

I am getting closer to getting an agent. There is an agent who I'm told will contact me for a meeting at some point. My 2 main aims for this year are to make my film and get an agent (with the underlying main aim of staying in London) and at the moment I'm in a position to potentially achieve both soon. It gets boring having the same answers to questions about whether I have an agent yet and recent work. It has been a tough year for money and jobs and I don't want to sit back and say 'I'm sure things will pick up soon'. I'm never satisfied with how much I'm doing towards it and won't be until I'm getting involved with a lot more than I am now. It's been tough and I hope I can meet with an agent and make a film and make sure my aims for this year are completed. I want to look back after these projects are done and say I can be proud of how I didn't give up through these lulls because at the end of it all its just a bad day to get through for a better day the next.

Post Show Pride

This time a week ago I was in the Hen and Chickens Theatre in Islington doing a tech run for the show myself and the cast of Gameplan were preparing for. I couldn't have been more proud of what was ahead of us. Just the idea of 6 months on I would be performing in the same venue professional stand up comics use to practise their material in was wholehearted pleasure and that really resonated through me as it got closer to opening night last Tuesday. Throughout the week of performances I grew with pride at what we had achieved. The whole cast were superb at their roles and we really made an impact on the audience each night.

There was the hope that I would get some agents along and grow interest. Unfortunately it wasn't the case for me, though many agents and casting directors were in the audience and I got to perform in front of the head of comedy at Channel 4 who I heard was in the audience one night. Despite not being able to progress in a way I had hoped with interest and getting closer to an agent it was always going to be an absolute pleasure just being able to perform for London. I always thought from the start even if no money was made and agents didn't come it was always going to be worth it just for the experience and being on stage again. And also now that its over I can continue focusing on building my showreel and knocking at the door again growing as an actor.

So far this year has showed me that the next few years here may very well be the best years of my life. I have a part time job now so I can hopefully stay in London for as long as I want and I am determined to look back at the end of this year and say I did everything I set out to do this year. Life will always be great if you are where you want to be following what you want to do so money be damned, sleep be damned, and impossibility be damned. I will make the most of this place and already am so bring on the agents. I'm ready to be thrown in at the deep end. The support shown from my family and friends who came up to see it is all I need to reload my determination and bury myself in the never ending opportunity of acting in London.

Goodbye Young Sam

I should probably explain myself. There has been little or, more to the point, no work so far to talk about since my last blog. I have had some brilliant times this year and I would say January has been my favourite month so far in London despite no income. I have begun looking for a part time job as money is as ever a big thought. I want to stay in London and I noticed how much more relaxed I am knowing that a part time job will keep me here for a long time no matter how acting goes. A major thought for me that has come to surface in the last week is that I have no intention of returning to Bournemouth any time soon. London has truly got into my blood and I find if I'm not here looking for work I am not entirely happy. When I visited home last week my sister asked me if I've placed a time limit on being in London and trying for an acting career. I didn't really know how to answer it as the thought of giving up one day has never crossed my mind. As soon as I got here it was about keeping myself going to stay here in London for as long as I can. If I am being honest with myself I will never give up and its not because I'm determined or I want to be an actor. It's because I am and will be a successful actor. My heart grows hungry for more each day I'm here. For more auditions, contacts, jobs, prospects, and success because this is the only thing that makes me happy and I belong in London.

I am currently on the way home from my first feature film audition. Today was the biggest day of my career so far. I did all I could and I did my best and that's all I could ask for. I hope I can continue to get these auditions because I feel myself growing in London. I am getting bigger and better opportunities the longer I'm here and its only a matter of time before the success begins to flourish. A year ago it was crazy to move to London with nothing. A year on and it would be crazy to move away with everything happening here. I hope I blog again soon and have so much more to talk about. God bless this capital.

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.