Few updates & Interesting Article about "7 Habits of Highly Effective Actors"     Mar. 09 2010

 Hello friends :)

First of all, I wish you all a (very very) belated Happy New Year. I thank you very much for all the support and patience you have given me over the last few years. I haven't been writing on this blog because I was waiting to finish all the updates I planned on doing back in 2009 but as the work is happening slowly but surely, I decided to say a little hello and update you all on my 2010 activities. So here we go

My year started up very nicely. On January 7th, I was on Set for SmallVille. It was for an actor role and It was great!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE being on set. Later on, in February, I filmed a commercial segment for a weekly national show called "Get Connected" it was directed by Jeremy Spruston at Blink Media Works. The segment was on local photographer Shimon Karmel and the new HP Envy line of laptops. The segment will air repeatedly on Air Canada inflight entertainment this spring as well as BNN and Sun TV in Toronto so it is very exciting. It was a lot of fun because we were filming the Commercial while shooting a Fashion Shoot at the same time. Whenever I get it I will post a link so you can view it.

As most of you know, I've been accepted in a school in New York (Michael Howard Studios). I went to visit and audit few classes back in October 2009 (Complete Blog: New York City Insights), then chose the schools that better fit what I was looking for. As I could not afford a second trip to the States to audition, I put 2 contrasting monologues on tape and sent the link. They loved it and I got in. I was originally going to go for a 2 year Conservatory but I finally decided to go for the summer 2010 Conservatory! I am so excited because one of my role models, Kerry Washington, studied there.

Next, I did some Voice Over work to tie Up MARS TO JUPITER a wonderful short film directed by a very hardworking up and coming Director : Sterling Pache. Please check out the completed film and feel free to distribute it to anyone you want While I was there, Sterling made me work on the Voice Over of another one of his stylized short films called CODEPENDENCE I love doing voice work, it feels so much like live theatre... withough the audience of course.

Additionally, I got multiple photo shoot opportunities that allowed me to re-fresh my modeling portfolio and to meet wonderful talented people. Many shots can be found on my Facebook Fan Page. I created this page to keep track of everything and for quick updates, feel free to join. I am still expecting some of the photos but some of them can not be published yet.

Finally, I've decided to get back to my writing so I purchased a new laptop and Final Draft v8. I also bought a lot of art supplies so I could start drawing again. Shortly after, I created the charcoal drawing I paste at the top of this blog. This has been a lot of fun (and a huge mess in my tiny appartment ). I will post some more here as I go along my creative journey.

On a final note I wanted to urge you to support local Theater and local Artists. There are a lot of wonderful stories being told by wonderful talented Vancouverites and they need your support :) Maybe your first stop could be Spectral Theater ... Theater for people that don't like Theater or beautiful Granville Island.

I thank you again for all your continuous support and I wish you all a Fantastic 2010!!
Sincerely,
Mireille
I found the very interesing article below on www.alchemyofacting.com and I thought I should share it. I hope you enjoy it :)

7 Habits of Highly Effective Actors

While sitting at my desk, staring off into space and contemplating what I’d like to write about today, my eyes settled on a copy of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. To be perfectly honest, I’ve never thought Covey’s book was anything all that special or innovative, but its ideas are good ones. Despite not being a huge fan of Covey’s work, it got me thinking about the habits of effective actors and whether or not I could adapt Covey’s ideas to fit a profession outside the business world.

I started thinking about the actors I most admire and the most effective lessons I’ve learned over the years. Pretty soon I had a list of seven and was itching to write more. So here are the top 7 Habits of Highly Effective Actors and I’m sure there will soon follow a second list of 7 MORE Habits.

Habit #1 – An Unquenchable Thirst for Knowledge
The effective actor must possess an almost ridiculously intense desire to learn more than he already knows. He reads more books than most of his friends and family. The range of his reading interests is vast, spanning non-fiction and fiction alike through many varied topics. He reads plays and scripts, knowing that they are the bread and butter of his career. The actor always feels that there is something more to find; one more morsel of information lingering in some unread book or unmet teacher. He seeks out teachers without bias or fear because he strives to learn what they know, not for their approval.

This search for knowledge must move beyond the ego and into the higher consciousness. Strive to find out as much about everything as you can. The usefulness of the information is practically irrelevant considering it is everything you know that makes you who you are. The more knowledge you have, the more growth you can achieve.

Habit #2 – Love of Language
The effective actor must get drunk off words. Her first love must be language before anything else. The effective actor is a great lover of poetry; she drinks in words like they were her life blood. The actor may even write her own works in the hopes of creating the same beauty. The actor understands that her passion for the stage stems from a love of language and that she would be rendered obsolete without words.

Language is the basis of the actor, it is the foundation upon which all of your endeavors begin and the note upon which they will all end. Embrace words and learn all of the words you can. A strong vocabulary and a passion for great communication will serve you far better than anything else.

Habit #3 – Playfulness
The effective actors knows that his craft is a serious endeavor that cannot come to fruition with a certain amount of playfulness. He knows that what he does is work, but that work involves times of fun and play. He understands that to find the depth of character he strives for he must be willing to be foolish and goofy and put aside his pride and ego. He must be willing to find his child-like side and experiment, no matter how stupid he may look, or how many times his choices may fail. He knows that his endeavors will be rewarded in the resulting performance.

Our art is a serious matter to us, but the discovery of character must be done playfully. Playing is the only way to tap into every aspect of your character and their transformation. Remember as you work that your willingness to laugh at yourself and your own foolish antics will be rewarded by your effortless performance and the fun you will have giving it.

Habit #4 – Unwavering Attention Span
The effective actor knows that she must resist distraction at all costs. She knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that her dedication is the only way to create what she knows to be possible. To be distracted from her tasks would be too detrimental to be allowed and she will go to great lengths to avoid these distractions. While working she allows nothing to get in her way. Her phone is off and she is alone in a quiet and serene place, free from the distractions that others might wish to bring to her.

Staying with one task until completion is the only means of creating greatness and the effective actor must have the patience and strength to do so. They understand that when they work, they work well and when they play they play well and ne’er the twain shall meet. Which brings us to:

Habit #5 – Knowing When to Stop
The effective actor must know when his work is done. He knows when he is prepared enough to perform and when one more minute of work will do nothing but hurt that performance. He understands that there is only so much preparation he can do and the rest is up to the skills he has honed. He is comfortable stepping back and washing his hands of his work, ready to call it complete.

Too much work is as bad as too little. The effective actor knows that there must come a point at which you cut yourself off because anymore work will only make you second guess your original choices. You must be strong in your commitment and courageous in your knowledge that you have done well and are able to Let Go.

Habit #6 – All-For-One Mentality
The effective actor knows that there is no separation between actors and audience, or actors and crew. She knows that an “us-and-them” mentality only serves to stand in the way of the greatness she seeks. She understands the synergy with which the theatre must function: with audience, crew and actor working together toward one common goal and sharing the experiences along the way. Her profession is one of celebration and sharing, not of self-promotion.

The audience, crew and actors are like travelers all going to the same destination. Any segregation of those travelers will destroy the magic of the stage. The profession of the actor is on of cooperation and connection.

Habit #7 – Celebrate Humanity
The effective actor knows that his work celebrates the human experience. He does not perform to celebrate the audience, the crew, himself, or even the playwright; his performance must transcend the celebration of the physical. He knows for certain that he celebrates humanity at its most basic and beautiful levels. He celebrates the archetypes that reside in all of us and the emotions that create the complexity of man.

The actor must celebrate all that is beyond the physical realm. You must glorify everything that humans are without bias or regret. Celebrate the wonder and tragedy; the glory and the failures; the obscene and the beautiful; the devious and the divine.

The only thing I can say to sum up this list is that as actors we must remember that what we always work for a higher good than ourselves. To please ourselves is always good, to please an audience is better, but to please a universal good is our ultimate goal. I’m sure in the future there’ll be a second list of habits, but for now I can think of no better way to sum up this list than by saying: Sin Boldly!

More Coverage for D+C     Nov. 20 2009

 Yvonne Chew (Photographer), Sara Goins (Make up Artist), Dana Lyseng (Hair) and Morgan Mallett (Designer and Art Director)

Morgan Mallett's Designs have now Conquered the Calgary Fashion. Her collection has skyrocketed at Toronto Fashion week and will most definitely Conquer the rest of the world in 2010.

You can view the latest article HERE

Psssttt ... Those unique pieces are a perfect Holiday gifts :) and they are available on Etsy

Enjoy,

M

PS: Find More on D+C's Blog

New York City InSIGHTS ;)     Nov. 14 2009

New York at Night

 Since I came back from my New York trip (which was FAR too short) I've been trying to think of a way to incorporate everything I have seen, heard, smelled (lots of smells in the Big Apple) and tasted in one blog. In the end, I remembered that "A picture is worth a thousand words".
I was too busy enjoying this wonderful City and taking in everything that I forgot take pictures of everything BUT here are the ones my paparazzi skills managed to snap - Taken with my SUPER iPhone 1st Generation -

Leaving Vancouver - Taking off for the City that Never Sleeps

Scripts on the Plane - I had scheduled auditions on my return date...Got to keep on working...

On top of JFK International Airport - The customs were super fast, they even told me to have a great time in NY

We grabbed a cab right after landing because we had to be a Juilliard 2 hours later and we first had to go drop off our bags

Screens in the cabs wit some advertising, maps, news...

We dropped off our bags at Michaels Miller's house in Tuckahoe (just North of Manhattan, it reminded me a bit of Portland, Oregon). I met Mike on a Kit-Kat Commercial set in August, when he heard I was going to visit New York in October, he kindly offered me to stay at his place with whoever I was taking this trip with (Aiden came with me). As you can see it is a gorgeous house. It is currently on the market if you are interested in buying or renting, please contact him More info on the house HERE
Michael's House


To go from Mike's house to Manhattan, we had to catch a Train to Grand Central

Here is the train when it arrives at Grand Central

I wish I would have taken a photo of the ceiling...it was incredible... I am pretty sure you can see the stars in my eyes here The photo is a little Blurry but hey... it's Grand Central!!!!

After this photo we immediately jumped in a cab to rushed to Juilliard. It was pouring, felt like Vancouver followed us in New York. I like that they advertise Shows on top of their cabs...

Juilliard - We arrived right on time (They don't allow people to take photos inside the building)

After Juilliard, we made our way to Central Park in order to get some food. We saw the Trump Tower on the way

At the entrance of Central Park we saw this boot that sold food. I was starving and when I saw those Canolis I fell in love...

And we got the chance to see the Statue of Liberty (that saved us a trip to Staten Island) and the Golden statue on corner of Central Park


We had to rush because I had an appointment at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) right after. So we ate our Canolis on the way
Me pointing the direction of the AADA with Jose de San Martin's statue's help

For some reasons, this street corner made me realize I was not in Vancouver anymore

American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA)

With no other appointments that day, we went straight to the Apple Store The building itself is beautiful, inside was crazy busy! And it was the only place we found a Wifi connection.

The next day we went to the West Village and took the Subway for the first time :) some New Yorkers told us where to go and where to stop ... they were really helpful.

Here are some photos of the streets there...very "Sex and the City"

A New Yorker opened the gate of his backyard so I could take photos


I completely fell in LOVE with BLEECKER STREET!!!! And there, I found the BEST cheesecake in the Galaxy!! So I thought you'd want to see what it looks like:

Inside Rocco's

We then Walked around and passed in front of the Impressive NYU

Some beautiful buildings that reminded me of Old Montreal

Washington Square Park Arc

That night we went out with some of my friends who came from Montreal to hang out I haven't seen them in 2 years!!! It was great! (Image super Blurry)

The next day we went for a huge walk and saw the Empire State Building

And we ended up on Broadway. But the shows were too expansive so we didn't see one For some reasons I have no photos of any billboards in Time Square. But it was Breathtaking.

The next morning I had an appointment at Circle in the Square Theatre School and it turned out to be on Broadway. So I got to see Time Square at night then really early on Monday morning when it looks more a business district than a Tourist attraction. We went to eat at Ellen's Stardust Diner. The waiter there are all actors and they sing while working. In a sense... I did see a Broadway show. It was absolutely fantastic.

Circle in the Square Theatre School was in a glass building right in front of Stardust

My last appointment for that day was at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. On the Way we saw
Rockefeller Center
                                         I wish

Ice Rink

Ice Rink's Entrance

We also saw the Collegiate Church of St.Nicholas, there was a vintage car race right in front but they flew before I could snap a shot

We went to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. And here is what the ladies room looks like.... it's quiet impressive...

We finally arrived at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. My favorite room was this studio

In order to get to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, our next destination, we had to take the subway again. That is where I saw the most disgusting add I have ever seen. But it has a lot of impact and I am sure it is effective. I liked it a lot, so I decided to share it with you I have to say, this photo made me want to buy a HD camera just so I could show you the details of this add

I don't have any photos of Williamsburg but it is very similar to Bleecker Street but in a "Bohemian" kind of way :) Afterwards we made our way to Aiden's friend's work : MakerBot Industries. They manufacture the "Maker Bot" which is a 3D Printer... When I saw the machine I thought :"The Future is here" Below you will find a photo of Bre Pettis (co-founder) and Aiden.

The next day we had an early appointment at HB Studio

It was our last day in the Big Apple and I had my last appointment at Michael Howard Studios later in the afternoon so we decided to go checkout Chelsea and the Highline Park. The Highline Project converts an 1.5 mile [2.41 k] stretch of an elevated railway and coverts it into a public access park and walkway. It runs through three of Manhattan's neighborhoods: South Hell's Kitchen, Hudson Yards, West Chelsea, and the Gansevoort Market Historic District .






I decided that I wanted to live in the building below so we went to visit an apartment inside... GORGEOUS... but it was priced at $8000USD/month. Just when I thought Vancouver to be the most expansive city in the world I told the owner I would be back after my first Oscar

We finally arrived at my last rendez-vous : Michael Howard Studios I fell in Love with the School and I think I might eventually make my way there... sometime next year


This trip was absolutely amazing and I think New York is a vibrant City filled with opportunities. I have met many great people and I can't wait to go back. I feel like I haven't seen enough but, I am pretty sure that even if I'd lived there for the past 20 years I would feel the same way. Thank you for reading my blog.

Talk soon

Mireille

PS: Going to New York and checking out the schools in person is great because you meet the people and you get the feeling of the school by talking to few students. If you are planning on doing the same and have a few questions, do not hesitate to contact me at mimi@mireilleurumuri.com (I generally reply to my e-mail very quickly)

MARS TO JUPITER Teaser     Oct. 23 2009

Hello people,
So I came back from New York and I'll be writing a blog about my experience and my thoughts shortly. But I'll tell you this : It was VIBRANT and REFRESHING
Meanwhile, I thought I’d share with you a glimpse into a highly stylized and unique short film I worked on this summer. It was filmed by Romantic Child Studios and directed by the ever so fantastic Sterling Pache. The whole idea was envisioned by his mind and the production crew was professional and fun to work with! It was my first night shoot and frankly I’m happy it was for this project.

We’re still working on finalizing the narration. But in the meantime you can view the teaser HERE

The final cut of the film should be done by the end of the month, however it will be submitted to festivals so we can't release it. As my mom always sais:
"La patience est une virtue"
I’ll post the completed project here whenever I get the go ahead.

Enjoy

(Sterling Pache)
Romantic Child Studios is a Vancouver based renegade film production company. Our primary focus is on creating an exciting, intelligent and artistically stimulating media environment. A place where profits come second to passion.

Timeless fables by Nina Pak     Oct. 07 2009

In Mid August I had the opportunity to work with Natasha Lazarovic designer of Temna Fialka. It was a great photo shoot filled with Creativity!! Lauren Marler (Make up & Hair), even flew here all the way from Arizona specifically for this occasion. It was my first time working with Nina Pak and she brought us to the most beautiful locations. She recently wrote a beautiful Fable and used that shoot to create the characters of her beautiful story. Here, you will find the ones of me she posted but I strongly suggest you take a little break from your eventful day, grab a hot chocolate mug (or anything that warms your heart) and read the complete epic tale at :

Dreamloka Daydreams by Nina Pak!

Enjoy,
Mireille

D+ C S/S 2010 Now Online     Sep. 28 2009

Huge thanks to Yvonne Chew (Photographer), Sara Goins (Make up Artist), Dana Lyseng (Hair) and Morgan Mallett (Designer and Art Director)

Design + Conquer has just launched their Spring Summer 2010 Collection  You can now view the entire collection online HERE
All new Designs will be available on their online store on October 1st 2009.

Designer Morgan Mallett’s background is as varied as the materials she uses in her works. Born and raised in Vancouver and currently working out of Calgary, Alberta, the 28-year-old earned her B.Des in Graphic Design from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and her BFA in Painting from the University of Calgary. She has been designing jewellery and experimenting with different materials since she was little. As a complement to her career as a graphic designer and illustrator, she has frequently been commissioned to design jewellery. DESIGN + CONQUER was founded in 2008, after Morgan consistently received enquiries about her unusual jewellery designs. Her pieces have been featured on the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week, at US designer Joseph Domingo’s 10-year retrospective (she created custom designs for his show), and in the National Post. Morgan and DESIGN + CONQUER were recently profiled in ELLE Canada’s ‘Ones to Watch’ feature [October 2009]. With eclectic inspirations including the futuristic geometry of the 1960s, cell biology, electronic music, and quotes like: ‘Pants: the shirt for your legs,’ this quirky designer is set to DESIGN + CONQUER whatever comes her way.

DESIGN + CONQUER in the Calgary Herald     Sep. 26 2009

Once Again Morgan Mallet and her fabulous creations make the News this time she is on the FRONT PAGE of the Real Life section in the Calgary Herald. Find the whole article here
Just last week she was featured in Sweet Spot. Read about it here. 2 thumbs up to this creative Local Designer

Later,
Mireille

!!! New Videos !!!     Sep. 26 2009

As promised, I added 2 video clips to show you what I've been up to 

The Kit Kat commercial came out this week and it has been added to the Commercial Reel Yeee!!!
AAAaaaannnndddd we also put together some work I did in class during my summer Intensive at Second Avenue Studios with Andrew McIlroy.
You can check them out here

Let me know what you think  I'm collecting my work and I'll keep working hard to build a wicked Demo Reel to show you guys.

Cheers,
Mireille

New York City in 15 DAYS =D     Sep. 23 2009

FRINGE = My 1st time on a TV set     Sep. 21 2009

  

As some of you may already know, last Friday, I was on set for: FRINGE . The whole process went very smoothly and fast: I auditioned on Wednesday, Thursday my agent called to tell me I booked it then we were shooting on Friday. !! WOW !! No need to tell you how excited I was. Not only was I going to be on set for FRINGE but I was going to be working on a project created by J.J. Abrams. Here is a little back story for you:

When I was about 16 years old, I saw an episode of ALIAS on Ztélé . Obviously I was unable to understand most of what was going on because it was the third season and I had never watched any other episodes before that. However, it intrigued me enough to make me go rent the first disk of the first season. At that time, I could barely speak and understand English and the DVDs were only available in English. Fortunately for me there was a subtitle option (English only) so armed with my French/English dictionary I started watching them. I was instantly hooked. I practically locked myself in my room until I was done watching Season 1 and 2 and while waiting for the 3rd season to be available on DVD I purchased the 2 first seasons and watched and re-watched them. At first my friends and family thought I was a little obsessive but once I showed them an episode the became immediately as hooked as I was. My bedroom became very crowded. Plus, every time I would see an episode for the umpteenth time, I would discover and understand something new. Anyhow, from  that moment on, I watched pretty much everything J.J.Abrams was involved in, from FELICITY to LOST to CLOVERFIELD to STAR TREK... And I always wished that a day would come where I would get the chance to work on one of his amazing projects.

Well, last Friday September 18th 2009... was that day... I felt like I was the luckiest girl in the Universe. Now I can say that my very first time on a big production's set was for a project created by J.J. Abrams. Everyone on the set was Fantastic and very friendly. Joshua Jackson was very helpful and funny, Anna Torv is even more beautiful in real life than on screen, John Noble (who I met very briefly) was very amicable and Dennis Smith the director was delightful. I also met Ryan McDonald who had just flew in from the Toronto Film Festival and he was very kind and explained few things to me. Additionally I was lucky enough to meet a familiar face, the great Linda Darlow who helped me breathe and relax. Ian Ballard (Key Hair Stylist) and Calla Dreyer (MUA) made me look and feel beautiful and I am thankful for that.

I learned a lot on that set from the people that were there and I don't think I will ever forget that day. I am really grateful.

Now... I don't know about you guys, but I consider this a sign... it means that I am on a good path and that if I keep working as hard as I do, eventually I will get to my destination.

Thanks for passing by,

Mimi
PS: The first Season of Fringe just came out on DVD and you can purchase it at The Online Store of Warner Bros. Studios if you are not already a fan of the show, trust me when I say : "you will not be disappointed"

Extra features
-Roberto Orci's Production Diary : Focuses on the assembly behind the premiere episode
-Visual Effects : Covers the digital imagery the series uses on a limited budget
-Unusual Side Effects : Gags and a featurette on Gene the cow
"Fringe" Pattern Analysis:
Experts dissect the science behind the radical elements at play in the central element : The Pattern. It utilizes a creatively-designed interface that plays interview footage with experts next to alternate footage, usually clips from the show. They Utilize six episodes from the series:  "The Ghost Network" , "Power Hungry", "The Equation", "Safe", "The Transformation", and "Unleashed". Sketches from Walter's journal come into play, as well as a rundown of the credentials behind each of the interviewed doctors featured.
Music:
By Michael Giachino, You'll get a hint in the Pilot when Walter comes out of St. Claire's Mental Institution. It's a direct Flashback from Alias when the ambiguous characters appear (Jack Bristow, Irina Derevko, McKenas Cole...)