Hi Everyone, I’ve been on Stage 32 for quite a while now and I’m thrilled with the multitude of like professional minds that have connected with me since then. I am a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, veteran of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada, a former swordsman, trained by Paddy Crean, (Errol Flynn's trainer and fight double) and starred as Det. Dave Quinn in the Canadian Police series “The Collaborators” for two years, which has aired around the world and in which, I did my own precision driving. I co-owned Angus Lake Productions in Los Angeles, with my former wife, Susan, and cut Disney Trailers for two years. I have made my living solely in show business all my life, loved every job I have ever performed, and am a published author on show reels, having cut reels for thousands of actors and specialize in reels for Directors of Photography. I am currently a judge for the Open World Toronto Film Festival, - winners for this year have just been announced and Awards Night is Oct. 26th, 2015 at the historical Fox Theatre in Toronto. owtff.com I belong to Joy Theatre’s adult Improv Group, "The Playground” which, besides creating nights of uproarious laughter for audiences, helps stunt people develop their “acting chops." For this fall, I am focusing on three aspects of the business, cutting show reels and trailers, training anyone who wants to learn to edit, (anywhere in the world). I'm an Apple Certified Final Cut Pro Trainer. And, as a B-job, I'm returning to the acting career I have long since left behind :-) I have also shot and uploaded hundreds of “Self-Tape auditions, from here in Hollywood, and am focusing on helping actors shoot their own audition with an iPhone 6 Plus video camera (or equivalent) and sending requested submissions directly to casting. I am also offering free advice on the following subjects - cutting your own reel, (I have lectured at SAG), formatting the title page of your screenplay (very important) and offering acting tips from the world-class training I received at National Theatre School of Canada, as well as The American Academy of Dramatic Art, with twenty years of professional (paid!) acting to prove they work :-) While I charge for my hands-on editing and formal instruction, I am thrilled to share, for free, whatever I might know with anyone who would like to know it. My log line is “Ask a question, get an answer.” Beyond my Stage 32 page, you can find a little more about Lawrence Benedict at https://www.facebook.com/lawrence.benedict.3 Check out my production photos and videos. - Rediscover the power of hieroglyphics - Make a movie! - Hoping to hear from anyone who wants to connect!
Introduce Yourself : Actor, Producer, Film Festival Judge, Apple Certified Editor/Trainer, Screenwriter, General Dogsbody by Lawrence Charles Benedict
Other topics in Introduce Yourself:
Check out Trending Discussions
Register / Log In
It's so great to have you and your talents in this community Lawrence! Love your giving spirit and I hope everyone reading this takes you up on your offer for advice!
Hi Shannon, Thanks so much! Here's my Halloween contribution... Tips from Lawrence Benedict, a film festival judge, to keep your budget horror film from becoming horrible, (while saving money). Do not shoot scenes in daylight. Do not shoot wide or establishing shots. Exception: your final shot can be a crane shot filled with flashing emergency lights that blur and confuse the scene. Reverse the rule of thirds. Sound and music should be your biggest budget item. Run with the steadycam. Build in silence, to the STARTLE REFLEX! Your actors should laugh until they cry. Noise can almost mask a scream. What is not seen should be more important than what is. Put the camera on the floor. Dutch your close ups. Test the effect of lenses before you shoot. People believe animals have a sixth sense. Use the Pleasantville/Sin City effect but don’t make the audience aware you’re doing it. Cut before the audience is ready. Animate inanimate objects. Chaos, chaos, chaos. Shoot reflections in water, even if it’s water in a sink. No water? Shoot reflections in a mirror or a broken window pane. Make the camera a voyeur. People believe authority figures. Have them lie. Blood can be red or black. Dead bodies should look like they might be alive. People believe video does not lie. Use it. If it doesn’t scare you, it won’t scare us. Happy Halloweeeeeen!
Welcome!