12 MILLION TikTok Followers! 🎵 Trinity’s Acting Secret Revealed | The Heller Approach

Trinity is a influencer and has I think you have like 12 million followers or something like that. Is that right? - Yeah. which is just I mean mindboggling to me. How how did that happen? Like how did you manage to do that? That's was such an accomplishment. - Um I started um in 2020 in COVID times when everyone was kind of like locked in the house. - So I just you know bored made videos and you know millions of people just they loved it all in the house. - What were you doing in the videos do you think that made people want to watch them? Um, I was doing a lot of like comedic just like crazy stuff. Um, - can you give me an example of like one of the things that people talked about that they really like? - Uh, yeah. So, I used to try I'm really I I'm super bad at like pronouncing like other languages and I was trying to learn Spanish while I was while we were in lockdown and I was really bad at it. So, um, people would kind of just tune in like, "Oh, this is my language. Like, can you try to learn this?" and I would just basically record myself trying to speak other people's languages and it was really really bad and it get like hilarious and that's kind of how I mean that's - trying to pronounce words in one of the hardest languages to read French. First up we got yogurt that's say yogurt yogurt. See if I got it right. - All right. All right, next up we got squirrel. That say - close. All right, next up we got three. Say choice. That's I'm I'm confident - [ __ ] All right, next up we got happy. Just reading the second one. That say hur rocks. - All right, next up we got fur. That say fur. FOR AWAY for - real. Huh? All right. Next up, WE GOT BOX. That say - Oh, hell no. Last but not least, we got yellow confident that says Juan. I mean, there's I can already tell you just sort of based on what you're telling me, I think there are a couple of reasons people you you were so magnetic and funny because there are very specific principles why people want to watch you. I think number one, you're extremely likable and warm and people connect to you. They you remind them of people that they want to spend time with. You're authentic. And then the other thing is when you're talking about the story about being you know what they were watching and they were connecting to of you trying to learn a language like on that topic there are very specific comedic principles why people laugh and this is sort of one of the things that we cover in our class for example suffering you know being in pain is a comedic principle or doing things that are unexpected like if you we would we would expect you to be good at it and you're terrible at it that's kind of a funny idea too. So, those are a couple of the comedic principles, but um but you know, you so you managed to kind of get this traction. And how long did it take you to get to where you are today? You said it was like a few years. Was there something that kind of launched you to a new level? Cuz that's what you do for a living now, which is a pretty - a milestone. - Yeah. Um those videos um sort of like I gained I think like 10 million in a year just making I started off making those videos. Um, but that year was like really big for Tik Tok because again everyone was locked in the house. So everyone was kind of watching. So I had the attention of a lot of people. Um, and then from there I just started making all kinds of videos just like recording my life and - just like very quick entertaining moments. Um, and then now I grew it into like just I'm still recording my life but you know I do it in a a more like I'm grown. I was 19 when I started. I'm 25 now. - And you do How has it changed? Is it just a little bit more? What's different like now compared to - Yeah, I would I would say I am more into like doing fashion and makeup, but I kind of still bring my like comedic energy to those things. And so I think that's why people still kind of find it authentic and fun because they were able I've had people tell me like, "I watched you when I started high school and now I'm a freshman in college." And it's like it seems weird when people say that, but I don't it makes me feel old, but I'm not old. I'm only 25. - I mean, but you you are very uh connectable. You're very authentic. And I and this is kind of what I I try to do with my school is bring people's self, your own personality to your roles cuz you're not trying to create a role or a character. You're just being you under a different circumstance. And that's kind of one of the the things I think is really fun because you don't have to feel like you start from ground zero. Would you agree with that? Yeah, forget her. - People always be like, "Oh my god, I didn't even know that was you when I saw you before you face looking cute." Like, go ahead, girl. Half you [ __ ] look like this on a regular basis. On a regular basis. I'm just bold. So, I show how I look on a regular basis. I don't I don't get cute for the internet. The [ __ ] BUT THAT DON'T MEAN I'M NOT CUTE. Trying to play me like I'm ugly. I just don't give a [ __ ] - Um, all right. So, I'm wondering if there are anything, you know, I knew one of the things that I love that we're doing cuz I normally interview people who have been studying with me for a long time, but you've been with me for a relatively short period of time. And I'm wondering if there are any tools that stand out to you that maybe have helped you even cuz I do teach influencers as well like how to connect more with their audience, being more approachable, being more themselves, engaging, not trying to be funny or act or push. Is there anything that I've talked about that maybe has helped even you as a seasoned pro that maybe has helped you as an influencer in any way? Has that helped you at all? Yeah. I mean, I think one thing that I really resonate with, I think just in class, um, I I I've mentioned this before, like the techniques of kind of like being more relaxed and controlled in front of the camera because I do have a very kind of fidgety, you know, vibe to me. I I move around a lot. I talk with my hands. I you know so when I'm playing certain characters that that really stuck with me the advice you gave of like kind of like sitting back and kind of like taking control and having the audience lean into you and so I think that that's a really good tool to use in my content and stuff like that because it catches the eye and of a confident person catches the eye of someone who's scrolling you know who's looking - Yeah. So I think one of the principles you're talking about was power like you know we don't lean in that makes you weak compared to kind of leaning back and making people come to you. Is that is that kind of what you mean? - Yeah that's what I mean. - So that would be kind of a principle that's helped you in acting but maybe you were able to carry it over a little bit and - uh into your into your influence. That's cool. - Awesome. - Yes. - All right. So let me ask you a question. So how did you how did how did you find me? Like what made you decide to come here? Did you just kind of Google it or what? - Yeah. So, I tried acting class almost like a year and a half ago now, maybe two, and I hated - What did you hate? I'm just curious. What did you hate about it? Cuz a lot of people go through what you're going you went through. - I just didn't feel like very I felt like I didn't feel very connected in the class. I kind of felt like, you know, I sat in on the class and I just didn't feel like the coach was really in, you know, I just there wasn't any connectivity for me. So, I sat in a class one day and I was just like, this isn't really for me. And, um, so I just I just kind of left it there, but I, you know, kept practicing my acting on my own as best as I could. Um, and then, uh, yeah, earlier this year, I was like, I really want to try like put my best foot vote forward. So, I just I honestly went on like chat GBT and I was like, - okay, - like acting classes and like it listed the one it they had like a list and it listed the one I had did and then you it was you and then there was other classes - and I just clicked on yours because I was like this seems like, you know, okay. So, and you know, I went through the website and I was like, you know what? This seems like super easygoing and fun. So, I'm just gonna It did turn out being super fun. Yeah. So, - and you're having a good time. - Yes, I am. I'm having a great time. - What What is it like for you to be Cuz there are so many different ideas of what taking acting class on Zoom can be like, and I've heard from some people that study with me on Zoom that they've never had a Zoom class like mine. in other words, as engaging or connecting or is there anything different? Like what do you feel like? Because I find the Zoom experience to be very helpful, especially for actors when they're always sending in self tapes and having to learn what it's like cuz what I'm seeing right now is basically what your casting directors are seeing compared to when I'm in my theater and people are up on stage. What do you think about learning acting on camera and Zoom? How do you feel about the experience? What's that like for you? Um, I think for me it it's more of a comfortable experience because I am always in front of a camera um when I'm recording and going to my day-to-day life and my job basically. So, I think for me it's super it's comfortable and it is convenient because I can just when I'm traveling I can kind of pop my laptop open and still be in class and interact with everyone. um versus like if I did something in person, I wouldn't, you know, be able to do it while I'm traveling and which I do a lot. So, I think that it's super helpful. And I I think when I first started, I thought like maybe I wouldn't be able to get the full like experience, but I haven't felt that way at all. I think that it's been a really like fun experience meeting everyone in class, working with you. It's like super connected, which I really like. - What do you feel like Thank you. But what do you feel like are two or three things that you really love about the technique that I've taught you? Is there anything that comes to mind? Like I don't know. - I I don't want to get I don't want to feed you. So you tell or maybe things you hate. I don't know. Just tell me what you feel like has helped you. Like you've done a couple of scenes and I have some thoughts in my head about what really changed them for you. But I'm just curious. Is there anything maybe about me or the technique or whatever the class, the experience? It's like if I was a new actor and I didn't know where to study, why would I go here? - Yeah. I think for me, I really enjoy the feedback. Sorry, my dog's barking. The feedback that um you give. It's not it's very it's very helpful in a way of like it's not discouraging, but it's more of like hey, like this is what you can do. You make it fun. You have a very fun energy. And so I think for me what I took on was the the practice that you have us do when we do like the deep breaths and like really get into our character and get lightheaded. I've never done anything like that before. It sound, you know, it feels super like fun and crazy when I'm doing it. So I think it helps like to relax and really like just enjoy being in the scene. Well, it seems like I don't I I don't know if but the breathing exercise you're talking about - um which I learned from one of my main mentors, Don Richardson, you know, he that's a way of kind of getting yourself into a state of being filled with a lot of emotion cuz you kind of combine that intensity from breathing heavy with some parallels or whatever and it makes you charged because every character you play is going to be more interesting if you have a lot of electricity in you. So that's kind of why you're doing that. And it doesn't require you to have to delve into all this personal garbage in order to get really intense. - Was that kind of what you're saying or I don't want to just tell me. - Yeah. No, that's what I was I was referring to that. Yeah. Um just getting into the parallels and stuff like that. It's that's that was that I never knew I as a tool for acting, you know, I - So let me just make sure I understand. So, are you saying one of the things that you really like is the way we teach you how to evoke emotion in your character? - Yes. - Is that is that what you're talking about? - Yes. - Is is quick. It's not like threatening to your mental health and you get there. Is that Again, I don't want to feed you. You tell me. - No. Yeah. Yeah. That's what I'm saying. It's a It's a great way to like get into character cuz I'm still new, so I had no idea like, you know, the different techniques. So, I think that's a really fun one. It's been pretty helpful to me. - Do you think this could be a helpful thing for person for a person who has a difficult time accessing accessing their emotion or they're worried they're going to go into a dark place and need therapy after acting? Do you feel like my technique that I teach is helpful for that person? - Yeah, for sure. I think you can still kind of you just kind of put yourself in the shoes of the character, but you don't have to really like think of this traumatizing thing that's happened to you if that's the character you're playing. It just it helps you just get right in the scene. - Cool. Is there another thing that you feel like would be helpful to a new actor who's looking for classes? Like why would I go to the Heler approach? There's so many others out there. - Yeah. I think um also being taught to listen in the scene just as somebody who is always aware of what their body is doing. I sometimes am too aware of that in a scene. So like being taught how to listen to your partner, your scene partner, it helps you to kind of hone back in on the scene. So if you're someone someone with an anxious mind that kind of runs around like mine, that's a really good technique that I was also taught that helped me to like be a better actor, I think. - So in other words, you can connect and be in the scene more because you're listening. - Yeah. - Rather than sort of thinking about what you look like or how you should sound. - Yes. - Is that fair to say? Okay. Yes. - I think another thing, didn't we talk a little bit about being in a zone too of being like in a comfort zone? And you know, especially for people who are maybe a little bit more nervous when they're acting or they're fidgeting, what they try to do frequently is they try to get in the right zone to be their best. - And I teach at my class that there is no zone that you need to train in an uncomfortable environment to train your brain to come through under any condition. So you're not, - in other words, you're not rehearsing at home with a candle and incense with every window closed so nobody can hear you or see you. You're doing it in an environment where you are uncomfortable, so you train that way so that when you're at an audition or a casting director looks at you the wrong way. You've already trained your brain to deal with distractions, so you come through. Is that it's almost like going to the mental gym. Do you find that to be helpful what we talked about in class? - Yeah, for sure. I I definitely think that that's training your brain in uncomfortable state like states of mind is the best way to get comfortable being in those spaces. Um nice. - Yes, being new in class was super intimidating, but I think that um just being in class and learning these things has helped me be a lot more confident, have a lot more fun with it, and I'll be able to get in the zone even if I may be nervous or anything like that. So, when you're nervous, do you what do you do instead of kind of trying to make yourself not nervous? You kind of put it into the role. - Yeah. Put it into the role. - Yeah. Just make it make it the way that I play that character. Um, and it I think it creates a more interesting scene cuz you're putting yourself into it. - You're being authentically what you're actually feeling. - Yeah. Yeah. you know, so like I I'm in a scene and suddenly let's say I practice it at home and I think or with the scene, you know, my my my friend or whatever, we run lines and I'm like, "This part should be really like happy." But let's say I'm on set and I'm doing the scene and they're filming me, but I'm not happy. What do I do? I just play it as is, not happy. - Yeah. - Because anything other than that is going to be fake and you're going to lose your audience. So, you have to kind of deliver it as is. So, if you're feeling nervous or anxious, you just put it into the role. I look at it as almost like free gasoline, you know, free fuel you can use. Um, - what was it that made you decide that you wanted to be an actor? - Um, I've always wanted to be in the film making space. I grew up um with like a film buff father and so I've watched a lot of like movies I probably shouldn't have been watching at certain but um I just love everything about I love every how creative it is. I love the storytelling and um I wanted to like write and direct. But I think as my life continued on and kind of being in front of the camera all the time, it kind of showed me that like I can still be a part of this like but in a different way. Um, and so I was like acting seems like a great way to still get involved there and still I I have - I don't have experience with acting, but I have experience of being in front of the camera. So I just felt like, you know, felt like the right fit and - kind of a natural progression. Yeah. - Yeah. Yeah. - Cool. Um, all right. So, I wanted to just have a look at real quick. Um, oh, just before I go into that, is there any like one thing that makes you go, this is what I love the most about the school or the technique or studying here? Why do you keep coming back? Why are you here? like you what is if there was one thing like if cuz literally there's probably thousands of acting schools and I teach globally and fortunately my school has been doing well and I have students in different countries and all over the world with because of Zoom and very big management companies and agents have me teach their celebrity clients which I'm very privileged and honored to do. I'm just wondering from an from a person who's just started here, what do you think? Like what do you what what do you take away? Like why do you come here and do this interview with me? Like you could go anywhere. What is is there anything in particular that makes you go this is cool. - Yeah. Um I think for me I - just be honest. - Yeah. I I enjoy um I enjoy like feeling like I'm talking to like a real person. And like I understand that you're a professional, but you make people feel, for me at least, that I'm get I'm just getting advice from like a cool guy. Like, you know, I I connect with that a lot. I kind of especially being in this space and you're new, it's so intimidating. Um, and so I think talking to somebody who just kind of like helps you relax and have a good time, I think that makes like all the difference. And that's why I stayed because I've just had such so much fun in class and I think that's what it's all about. So - that's awesome. Yeah. I mean acting should be fun. Why are we doing it if it's not fun? - Yeah. Yeah. - Yeah. So I think we'll do one or the other. Do you have a preference? Do you want to look at the basic instinct scene or do you want to look at bridesmaids? Cuz I'm okay with either one cuz I just want to show you in action a little bit as an actor and and tweak it a little bit. Is there one in particular? Which one do you like? I we'll do the bright phase one because it's new and haven't worked through much. I basic instinct pull that scene up real quick. - And so this is just a sample for you new students who might be looking at coming to our class. Basically what we do is we bring in a scene and we read it together and then eventually you just kind of perform it in class either with a scene partner or with me and we run it. - Mornings with Tico. Will you move back? Damn yo yo yo yo. Pull off my chest. Let me sleep. - And I have not worked on this with Trinity yet. So, this would be kind of fun to see like, you know, if you were to come to my class and you work on a scene that I send you and you show it to me. This is kind of a good example of how it would work. So, you would come into class, you'd show it to me, I'm going to talk a little bit, and then we're going to work a little bit on a piece and then hopefully make it better very quickly. Um, so what happens in this scene real quick? So, in this scene, I am the bridesmaid of my best friend. And there's a there's a separate bridesmaid that I'm not a fan of. She's kind of become my arch nemesis at this point. Um, she's taken my idea of a Paris themed bridal shower. And I've reached my breaking point with her at this point because she's done a bunch of little things that's she's kind of like taking my best friend away from me. And at this point, I'm like pissed. I'm just I'm ranting and I'm saying everything I want to say with no filter in front of everyone at this bridal shower that's supposed to be this really nice event. And it's it's comedic cuz I'm losing it in that way in front of so many people and in a nice space. But yeah. - Okay. And have you used some of the tools you've learned here so far on this scene at home when you practiced it? - Yeah, I've I was able to use the parallel scene. I think that a lot of - parallels are like kind of when you use a an example of your own life to kind of compare it, right? - Yeah. I think a lot of young women we get in little kitty cat fights with our best friends. Um, so it was super easy to pull - connect that idea. - Yeah. Yeah. - Okay, cool. All right. So, you're talking to a bunch of people. You're Annie, right? - Yes, I'm Annie. - And the scene starts with, "Are you [ __ ] kidding me?" - Yes. - And who are you talking to? I'm talking to the whole room. Like I'm the whole room goes silent as soon as I say it. - And is this at like a party? Is that where you are? Like the actual party? - Yeah, we're at a bridal shower with my mom, the bride, all the bridesmaids. It's supposed to be this really fun thing. And I come in, I see it, and I'm like, "No." - And are you not invited? - I am invited. I'm a bridesmaid. - I see. So, what did the I mean, what did the person who made the event copying your idea think was going to happen? She just didn't care. - Like, she she at we've been kind of like passive aggressive to each other this whole time. Kind of like in competition for my best friend. And um at this point, she's just like gone over my limit. And I'm like, and then I like are you [ __ ] kidding me? And everyone's like, - how many people are in the room? There's at least like 20 20 to 20. Yeah, there's a good amount of people in this room. - Okay, cool. All right, so do you want to walk in and sit in or do you want to just start with your first line? What would be better for you? What would help you better? - I'll start my first line cuz my background might move a little bit. - Okay. All right. - Just kind of take a moment and think a little bit about what's just sort of happened right before the scene started and then I'll give you an action and then you start. Okay. Okay. - And it's uh not very long scene, so we'll see how far we go. Here we go. Do you have it memorized already? - Yeah. I'm just reading over them the second time just to make sure cuz I've only worked on it a few times, but I I should have it. - Do you have it? You need a second? - Yeah. Now I got it. I got it. - Yeah. - Okay. - All right. Here we go. Ready? And action. - Are you [ __ ] kidding me, - Annie? - No. Mom. [ __ ] Paris. I told you about Paris. Helen, I told you about this whole idea. - Annie, calm down. - No, Lillian. This is not the you that I know. No, sorry. - Wrong one. - That's okay. Go ahead. Just go from no. Lillian, what are you going to go? Where? What are you going to Go ahead. - Okay. No, Lillian. What? You going to go to Paris with Helen now? You guys going to ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes in the bathroom in front of your bikes? What? How romantic. What woman gives another woman a trip to Paris? Lesbian. We're all thinking it. - I'm not. I was. - Okay. We're all thinking it. We are. - Annie. - No. Lillian, this is not the you that I know. you that I know would have walked in here, thought this whole thing was completely over the top, ridiculous, and stupid. Look at this shower. Look at that [ __ ] cookie. Did you really think that this group of women was going to finish that cookie? You know what? That reminds me, I never HAD A CHANCE TO TRY THAT [ __ ] cookie and see. - Good job. All right, that was awesome. - Yeah. Still learning the the line. No, I mean I think what's fun to see is I mean you know you've been with me for what 2 or 3 months at this point. - That's it. And you're able to do that. Like that's pretty cool. Like and that was a great first read. Really good. Nice job. Nice job. - Okay. - So let's just work it a little bit. I'm going to give you a couple of things to think about. Okay. So the first thing is I think that you need to be a little bit more um specific on your ey line. Okay. So like if you wanted just make everybody me. - Okay. - So now let's say somebody else is talking and you were doing this organically already. So let's say you're talking to one person and then another person talks. What you can do is you can kind of look over at them and then make me them which you were doing already. But just remember whoever was me before they just moved over here. - Okay? - So everything's shifting back and forth. So it would be like I look here and then that person now that person is now there. - Okay. - Does that make sense? - Yes. - So that that can kind of help establish, you know, that you're changing people. However, in this scene, it doesn't seem like you necessarily need to have a whole bunch of people to talk to. Maybe two at most. I mean, I don't know. Is that true? Or do you need to have a bunch of friends or could it all be one or two people? Yeah, I think the most people that I'm talking to, I'm talking to Helen, who's the person who's taking my idea, and then Lillian, who is my best friend. - Okay. So, - everyone else is kind of like making side comments during my - Is Lillian the one that you're the most upset at? - I would say yeah, because she's my best friend, so I'm feeling super betrayed by her kind of like being, you know, know what I am. I only want to come over, put it on them. I got that na he drink that. - I begin to pass out and my head hit the wall. - But I had a grandmother. - Yeah. Because we don't necessarily know like who they are that you're talking to, right? - So like when I when you say, "Are you [ __ ] kidding me?" - Who are you looking at when you start? I'm just like - taking the whole room. - Yeah. I think it's it's it's almost like a scene where I walk in and I say it I'm saying it to myself, but I say it loud enough so that everyone is aware of where I'm at. Like I'm like, "This is not cool." - Have you gotten a clear idea of literally what you see in your imagination? - Yeah, I'm seeing like big cakes and balloons and flowers and the people. The people. - Oh, the people. Yeah. Like I think I'm seeing Helen here. I'm seeing Lillian here. That's how I feel. - Okay. But you say because then your mom has a line Annie and then you say - and she sound like over here like - so. Where's your mom? Where's your mom? - I think my mom's here. She's here. - Okay. And now one of the things that we also do is we substitute people. Who are you using for Annie and your mom and Lillian? Do you have actual people in your head? - Yes. - People that you know? - Yes. - Okay. So, like for example, if you're talking to your mom, it's okay if you want to use somebody that is your mom. It depends on your relationship to your mom, but you want to use whoever you're using, you want to kind of have a similar vibe. And if it's not the same vibe, you got to use your imagination to change it a little. - So, are you using somebody like your mom or your mom as your mom? - Yeah. - Okay. - My mom as my mom. - Your mom. And the person that betrayed you, Lillian, is that your best friend? Your actual best friend? Um, someone that used to be a best friend like years ago in high school. - All right. So then, - so when you before they betrayed you, - would you say that when we did the scene today, you were playing it more like they've betrayed you before or this is the first time? - I would say I was pl I was pulling from when they've betrayed me before. So, - do you see how it might work better for the scene? Because I assume your character has never been betrayed like this by your best friend. - The way you're playing it now, although you're upset, it did look like it's not as shocking. - Yeah. - Like I know for me, I got betrayed by a best friend one time for the first time and I was like my jaw dropped. I couldn't even believe it. Like I was stunned. - Yeah. And so it was different when that happened compared to a betrayal if it happened two or three times later. - Yeah. - So what you have to do is you need to kind of drop into the time that this person betrayed you the first time. Did you do that? - Maybe not. I kind of like thought just put them there. - Now can you can you think a little bit about what it felt like? because you have the fun of the expectation that they're going to be a good person - and then they dis then they freak you out. Do you remember when they freaked cuz I remember very clearly I was on the phone and this person said this thing and I just almost dropped the phone. So do do you do you have that moment in mind? - Yes. - Okay. So So when does that moment happen? - Like when did it happen or how - when does it happen in this scene? When I walk in and see my best friend like thriving in a space that I didn't create that someone took me, I'm like, - "All right, so you walk in and you see your best friend and your best friend, do you have a I would make however she's dressed the way that would betray you the most." Like maybe she has Miss Paris, you know, I don't know, whatever. Whatever it would be that would drive you the most nuts. Or like her and the other girl who's getting married both have little flags that say besties, you know what I mean? What would drive you the most nuts? Use your imagination to create that. - Okay. - Does that help a little? - Yeah. - Okay. So then I think you also want to look at emotionally when you walked in. What were you feeling when when you did the scene for me today? - Mhm. - What were you feeling? - I was feeling kind of like betrayed or something or what? - Yeah, like betrayed. Just just shock. Just like utter like shock. Did this girl really just take my idea and feed it to my best friend? You know, like that kind of like this is super ridiculous, insane. - The the idea of cuz you were smiling a lot in the scene and I think you smile naturally, right? - Yeah, I do. - That's okay. But that's okay. But I'm wondering if maybe in the beginning when you see this, maybe you wouldn't be. - Yeah. - You know, because - I'm [ __ ] sick of it. I'm [ __ ] sick of it. Oh, [ __ ] My hair nappy. - I guess I would ask you, would you be? - I think me personally, - you personally, if this happened and you were shocked and betrayed like this, - yeah, like like you said, I smile naturally. I think sometimes the smile is more sinister than it is like nice. It's a lot more like I'm trying to keep a smile on my face so that I don't - punch someone in the that's kind of like how that's how in my natural life that I would - that I would say that's cool but I think it might be funnier because you know there is an element of suffering when you don't smile that's kind of funny too. - Yeah. - So like when you walk in and you see her - just look like somebody hit you in the head with a brick. - Yeah. - Just going like and just uh like what the [ __ ] And if you're smiling, you smile. But that to me is kind of the quality I think would be kind of a fun - entrance. I don't know if that works for you. - Yeah. No. Yeah. Yeah. - Okay. So then that would be one thing. - Now I also want to look at what you know when you walk in. So you would say emotionally you're kind of filled with this sort of shock you said and sorry I have an itch back there. So emotionally you have like this shock when you enter. But like when you were betrayed the first time by this real event that happened to you, by this real person, what were you trying to do when you first found out about it? - I would say I was maybe trying to put the pieces together of like how or why is this happening? This is not Yeah, this I did not expect this. This is - okay. - Well, how did we get from point A to point B? You know, - it seems like what you were trying to do is almost try to understand or make sense or something. Was that - Yeah. - Is that what would be what would be the words you would use when that happened to you? Were you just kind of like trying to like understand like make sense or put it together? - Yeah. I'm just like trying to put together what would make you do this. - Okay. It's like trying to solve an equation. - Yeah. It's like you're just like dumbfounded like happening like a big question mark. - Sure. Sure. Okay. So then then we would say emotionally maybe what you were feeling is sort of a sense of shock and as you're here you're trying to put this thing together, right? - Yeah. - So would you say as the scene goes on you get more or less confused? - I would say maybe I I would say more as as I'm dissecting what's happening. I'm getting more confused and like you're because I'm asking her questions. I'm like you're gonna go to Paris like this is - what is happening? Great. - So I think I would be more dumb. - More confused. I agree with you cuz like the answers are not adding up and it's making it worse from your best friend, right? - Yeah. Okay. - One more question before we we start again. One of the questions we ask when we have a scene is the journey of the character. And this keeps you from slipping into doing a thing or a trick like I'm the angry person or I'm the shocked person and then you could just kind of play this onenote thing instead of this is a scene about a girl who blank and give me a positive nonjudgmental answer. What is the scene about from your point of view? A woman who's trying to give me a positive answer thematically. He's trying to a positive way to spin this. - Yeah. He's trying to like What were you trying to do if you were to like understand my friendship or - Yeah. Like - I'm I'm trying to - survive like - Yeah. I'm trying to keep my friendship with this person alive without - But I'm I'm angry because they're making it hard. - Yeah. - But yeah, I'm trying to keep my friendship with my best friend. Would you say you were also kind of trying to keep your dignity from being stabbed in the back? - Yeah. - Like I'm just - I don't want to look like a loser. Like I'm just trying to like hold it together and - would that factor in as well? - Yeah, I think so. Cuz I think, you know, I'm like this is this was my idea. Like I'm the one who knows you like this and she's not. She's the idea. - Yeah. - Perfect. All right. So now you got to keep that in mind when you're screaming because you're not going to do a thing. You're just trying to make sense of this thing and save your friendship. - Yeah. - Rather than just being the angry girl. - Yeah. - Okay. So is there a particular section that you would like to look at? Like we're going to just do a few lines just to kind of have a look at. Do you like maybe I don't know when I say Annie calm down and you say Lillian or is it later in the scene when you say mom and you say Lillian this is not the one about when you're talking about the cookie? - Yeah, I think part - the one that the one that the one that kind of has the more like comedic take is the one after um my mom goes Annie calm down. Um because or my or Lillian goes, "Annie, calm down." Because I'm like, I call the other girl a lesbian, which is like hilarious. - Okay. - Cool. All right. So, you say, "No, Lillian, what are you going to go? You're going to go to Paris with Helen now?" That line. - Yeah. And I'm just kind of like frantic like, "So, you guys are just going to ride around and that's so romantic." Like, and make poking fun at it. And then I'm like, - "Okay, ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes in the basket on the front of your bikes. Oh, how romantic. What woman gives another woman a trip to Paris? Am I right? Lesbian." We're all thinking it, aren't we? Okay. So, where would you Now, when you have a comedic scene, one of the things that we do is we try to identify where our funny moments are, - okay? And where our punchlines are. A punch line is a derailment. It's an unexpected delivery of a line. Where would you say your first joke in that section is? - Definitely when I'm like, are you guys going to ride around on bikes and baguettes - and [ __ ] baguettes? - Baguettes - in the basket of the front of your bikes. Okay. So, would you say maybe what are you going to you guys going to And then the the the punchline, the unexpected part is when you're talking about baguettes on the front of your bikes. Mhm. - Would that be fair to say? - Yeah. Yeah. - Okay. So, that's one joke. And then I would say another joke would be when you say lesbian. - Yeah. - Okay. Now, there are some others, but I would say for now, those could be the two that we could look at now. - Okay. So, what I want you to do is I want you to do you have your You don't have your script typed out, do you? - I have it. I'm looking at it. printed out - or not printed but no just like in the Yeah, - that's all right. So, what I want you to do is I want you to put a pause right before you say, "Are you guys going to ride around on bikes with berets [ __ ] baguettes?" What are you guys going to pause? Ride around on bikes and berets and [ __ ] baguettes in the basket in the front of your bikes. Does that seem like that's the funny part for you? - Yeah. - Or is it another part of that line? Is it the whole line or just a section? I think I think that whole line kind of. - All right. So, what you would do in your script is you would put a forward slash right before ride - and then you would underline ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] briettes in the baskets of your front of your bikes. - Mhm. - That all becomes a long punch line, right? - So, you would deliver that line in an unexpected way. Okay. Okay. - That's number one. And then the other joke we're going to look at is when you say, "What woman gives another woman a trip to Paris?" Am I right? Pause. Put a forward slash before lesbian and then underline the word lesbian as being your punch line. - Now, there are some other jokes here, but for now, we're just going to look at those two. Okay? Okay. So, what I want you to do is I want you to read that line to me and kind of half act it, but do not pause until you get to the word ride and then deliver that line and then do not pause again until you get to the word lesbian. - Okay. - So, trying to half act it for me. Go ahead. - Okay. No, Lillian. You going to go to Paris with Helen now? You guys going to ride a ride on bikes? Ride around. - Pauses. You can't do those pauses because if you put pauses before it, it takes away from the power of the punchline. No, Lillian, what are you going to do? You going to go to Paris with Helen now? What are you going to You guys going to ride around on bikes? I mean, other words, there's no pause until you What are you going to pause? Ride around on bikes with baguettes in the front of your bike. - Okay. - So, no pause until you say the word ride. - Okay. - And don't smile. - Okay. Go ahead. - Okay. No. Lillian, what are you going to go to Paris with Helen now? You guys going to see I'm pausing. I'm catching you. - Okay, but this is part of the training. Do not pause until you get to the word ride. - Go ahead. - Don't act. Just try to do it. Do it 20%. - No. Lillian, what are you going to go to Paris with Helen now? You guys going to ride around on bikes with - longer pause. - Okay. Okay. No. Lillian, what are you going to go to Paris with Helen now? You guys going to ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes on the basket in the front of your bikes? - Good. That's good. Now, what I want you to do is after you say, "What are you going to pause?" And the way you deliver ride means to be different cuz you said, "What are you going to ride around?" instead of, "What are you going to ride around?" Like, give me a different tone, a different energy, a different a punch line is an unexpected delivery of a line. - Okay? - So, make it big, make it small, make it different. - Try and this is what you do at home. You try different options. So just go from what are you going to what are you what just what do you go ahead try that line and give me three different versions of going to ride uh ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes in the basket on the front of your bikes. Give me three different reads on that line now. Just try different three. Go ahead. - Okay. No. Lillian, what you going to Paris with Helen now? You guys gonna part? No. So you're just going to go what are you gonna just from? What are you gonna at home? You're doing this. You're going, "What are you going to RIDE AROUND A BIKE? What are you going to go on a bike? What are you?" - Okay. Like try different tones. Go ahead. Just from what are you going to - Okay. What? What are you going to ride around on bikes with berets? - No. No. No. No. Long pause. No little stutters. - Okay. Okay. - What are you going to pause? - Okay. What are you going to ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes in the basket in front of your bikes? - Good. That's one. Now do it again and don't smile at all. - Okay. Oh god. It's okay. It's all right. Go ahead. - Okay. I got to wipe this off my face. Okay. What are you What are you going to ride around on bikes? - No pausing. Just what are you going to pause and now give me give me ride around loudly and obnoxious. - Okay. Okay. - Go ahead. - What are you GOING TO RIDE AROUND ON BIKES WITH BERETS AND [ __ ] BAGUETTES in the basket in front of your bikes? - Good. One more time. Now try it very small on ride around but say what are you going to loud and then say the punch line quiet. - What are you going to ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguetting the best in front of your bikes? - Good. Now which one do you like the best? - I would say I like when it gets louder. It's funnier. - So the obnoxious one. - Yeah, I think it's funnier if it's obnoxious. - Okay. So now I want you to just because I have to stop here in a second. But now I want you to scroll down to the part where you say, "What woman gives another woman a trip to Paris?" Am I right? And then put a pause and then say the word lesbian. - So I want you to deliver everything before you say the word lesbian one way and then when you say the word lesbian completely unexpected. - Okay. - Go ahead. - So start from do you want start from - Okay. - What woman gives another woman a trip to Paris? Am I right? - Lesbian. - Good. We're all No. Hang. That's great. Lesbian. We're all thinking it. That's all. So that we're all just go from lesbian cuz we're all thinking it is a different section. Do it again but say lesbian another way. - Okay. What woman gives another woman a trip to Paris? - Smile. - It's okay. It's okay. You're funnier when you're not. - Okay. - Look, the reality is this. - If you look at a smiley face with a smile and two polka dots, that's not funny. That's cute. Yeah. - If you look at that with a bullet in its head, people laugh. - Okay. So, what I'm saying is you're adorable, but that's not necessarily going to get a laugh. - Yeah. Okay. - May sometimes depending on the scenario, but I think it's funnier here when you're clearly suffering. One more time. - Okay. Okay. - What woman? - What woman gives another woman a trip to Paris? Am I right? lesbian. - Very good. That was awesome. That was the way to do it. Now, what I want you to do is How'd it feel? - It felt better. Yeah, - it was a thousand times funnier. One more time. Just like that. Do not smile. Relax your face. It also relaxes you, too. - Relax. Relax. And talk from your lower register. Don't talk from up in your head. - Okay. - Open up. One more time. What woman? - What woman gives another woman a trip to Paris? Am I right? Lesbian. - Good. That was not the way you said lesbian. That was funny. You said it big. - Lesbian like that. - Again, like that. Like you punched her with it. One more time. Just like that. - What woman gives another woman a trip to Paris? Am I right? Lesbian. - Good. That's it. There you go. Now, I want you to do that whole speech and let it rip. - Okay. So, I'm going to give you the line, Annie, calm down. - Okay. Now, don't worry about pauses. Don't worry about punchlines. The only thing I just don't want you to do is smile. Okay, - just relax your face, relax your muscles, and talk from your diaphragm, your lower register. - Okay? - You know what I mean? Like from down here, it relaxes you. - All right? So, I'm going to give you the cue here, and I'm going to say, "Annie, calm down." We're going to go from there. - All right? Now, just have fun with it. This is when you just play play off of me. Here we go. Ready? We in We're in the middle of an argument. Action, Annie, just calm down. - No. Lillian, what are you gonna Paris with Helena now? You guys gonna ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes in the basket in front of your bike? - You didn't pause. You didn't pause. - It's okay. It's okay. - Okay. - One more time. Make sure you - You got the pauses right before ride. - Okay. - One more time. - Uh Annie, calm down. - No, Lillian, what are you guys going to ride around on bikes with the grays and - No, no, no, no. - All right. - Now, this is just part of the training. Okay. So what you do is you run it like that at home 10 times in a row. So you iron it in. - Okay. - So no, Lillian, what are you going to do? You're going to go to Paris with Helen. What are you going to pause ride around? So go from - Okay. - What are you going to you guys going to What What are you Maybe that's not a good place to pause. Do you like it somewhere else? It doesn't have to be there. Where do you feel like you want to pause? - I I don't I think that's a Do you see - a good place? - Yeah. - Okay. So then just try that line five times in a row and to put a pause before ride. Just do that now. - Okay. - What are you going to ride around? You guys going to pause? - What are you What are you guys What are you going to You going to go to Paris with Hell now? You guys going to ride around on bikes with berets and - again - [ __ ] - again? Longer pause. - Okay. What are you going to ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes - again? What are you doing on? Okay. What are you going to ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes? - All right, that's fine. One more time. - Yeah. Okay. What are YOU GOING TO RIDE AROUND ON BIKES WITH berets and [ __ ] baguettes? - Good. One more time. - Okay. What are YOU GOING TO RIDE AROUND ON BIKES WITH berets and [ __ ] baguettes? - One more time. - What are you going to RIDE AROUND ON BIKES with berets and [ __ ] baguettes? This is just like playing the guitar and I'm having trouble on a particular measure or area. I just run it over and over again. - Yeah. - Now your body's learning it one more time. - Yeah. - What are you going to ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes? - Bigger on ride around. Funnier, broader. - Okay. Okay. What are you going to ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes? - Good. Again, just like that's great. One more time. - Okay. What are you going to ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes? - Go from the top. Here we go. Annie, just calm down. - No, Lillian. You going to go to Paris with Helen now? You guys going to ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes in the back in the front of your bikes? - Keep going. That was great. - Oh my gosh, that was perfect. - That was perfect. Do it again, but just see if you can get to lesbian. - Okay, - that was perfect again. Here we go. Annie, just calm down. No. Lillian, what are you going to Paris with Helena now? You guys going to ride around on bikes with berets and [ __ ] baguettes in the bathroom IN FRONT OF YOUR BIKES? OH, HOW ROMANTIC. What woman gives another WOMAN A TRIP TO PARIS? AM I RIGHT? LESBIAN. We're all thinking. - That was fun. Yeah. - How'd it feel? - I feel a lot better in the scene. - Oh my gosh, it was so much better. One of the things that we're learning is again that you have a tendency to smile and I think that's just tension. But I do know that when I asked you to stop smiling and you opened up, you became much more human. - Yeah. - I mean, you just became more of a person rather than just sort of acting from your neck up. You're still a person even when you're smiling, but there's something - more vulnerable and powerful about what you just did. I just connected more. - But there are reasons people are going to laugh there. One is they're connecting to your plight which you did really good. Two you also were funny to look at and three you were suffering and then four you also put the pauses and the punchlines correctly. - So that's kind of how we do it - you know and then you would do that through the entire scene. So I just kind of wanted to give a slice of how it works in our class. You would do that at home and then you would bring it back and do that for the whole scene. Then we would run it and run it and run it and and get it right. And then once it's done, we're going to tape it. And then you're going to have a little chunk of scene that you can use on your demo reel to sort of show people that you can act. - Yes. - Sound good? - Yes. - Okay. - And I think my phone just died. - Okay. All right. It's all good, but we're done. Anyway, - it died right at the right at the perfect time. - All right. Perfect. But I I so appreciate you doing this and coming in and and and giving me your take and hopefully we improved your scene a little bit. So - yes, I think so. I - I think it's so much better. I mean, I can tell you it was a thousand% funnier. - Okay. So, whatever we did, I think probably one of the most important things is relaxing your face. - Yes. - You just became a whole woman. It was amazing like to watch the difference. - So, thank you so much. Y