'The Hunger Games' Exclusive Character Poster: Gale

For 'Hunger Games' fans on Team Gale, the options certainly in your favor. Moviefone is content to debut a brand name-new character poster highlighting your chosen non-Katniss District 12 hunter, Gale Hawthorne. Carried out inside the adaptation of Suzanne Collins' worldwide phenomenon by Liam Hemsworth, Gale is Katniss Everdeen's (Jennifer Lawrence) nearest friend, confidant and hunting partner. See the poster ahead. [Click for your full-size image] Gale isn't the main 'Hunger Games' character acquiring the poster treatment Katniss (via Yahoo!), Peeta (via MTV), Rue (via Teen.com), Cato (via MSN Movies), Haymitch (via IGN), Effie (via EW) and Cinna (via Fandango) have one too. Starring Lawrence, Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Woodsy Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Jesse Sutherland and Stanley Tucci, 'The Hunger Games' involves theaters on March 23, 2012. In the event you haven't marked that inside your calendar yet, you're clearly carrying out a problem. [Photo: Lionsgate] 'Hunger Games' Photos See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Redbox to Raise DVD Rental Price 20% Per Day

No doubt hoping a fee hike won't engender a Netflix-like revolt among its users, Redbox said Tuesday it will increase the price of renting standard DVDs by 20 percent beginning Monday. The announcement came via a press release that disclosed strong earnings and revenue for Redbox parent Coinstar, but investors didn't seem happy. In after-hours trading, Coinstar shares were sinking more than 12 percent after dropping 2 percent to $52.95 during the regular session. Investors might be selling shares because they remember that when Netflix raised their prices it lost 800,000 subscribers and its stock tanked. Coinstar CEO Paul Davis said the new price -- $1.20 a day for DVD rentals, up from $1 previously -- reflects costs associated with rising operating expenses, including government mandates brought about by the so-called Durbin Amendment that was supposed to benefit consumers through lower debit-card fees. Redbox said prices for Blu-ray movies and video games will remain at $1.50 and $2 per day, respectively. "This marks the first price increase for a Redbox standard definition DVD rental in eight years," Davis said. "The change is primarily due to the increase in operating expenses, including the recent increase in debit card interchange fees as a result of the Durbin Amendment." Coinstar said Thursday its profit in the third quarter soared 90 percent to $37 million on revenue that rose 23 percent to $466 million. On a per-share basis, Coinstar earned $1.18, way past the 88 cents Wall Street was expecting. Coinstar ended the quarter with 34,400 Redbox DVD kiosks and 19,500 coin-counting kiosks. Redbox accounted for $390 million in revenue in the quarter while the coin business accounted for $76 million. Related Topics Netflix

Clooney goes Hawaiian

Producer Jim Burke, George Clooney, Shailene Woodley and Alexander Payne bring "The Descendants" for the London Film Festival. The BFI London Film Fest situated the eu preem of "The Descendants" Thursday evening, and George Clooney was clearly familiar with the expansion-fueled labyrinth of Leicester Square, following his "Ides of March" bow there the last evening. The star shown he's the power to produce back-to-back crowds.Regarding his second preem that week, Clooney revealed why he mentioned yes to playing a less-than-suave family guy inside the Fox Searchlight pic. "The chance to use Hawaiian t t shirts with over the top attracted-up khakis," he mentioned.

Call The Kevin Smith Hotline Today!

Do you have a question? Need some advice and you just don't know where to turn? Have a shameful fiction-based sexual fantasy that needs satisfying? Well, my friend, you no longer need to fear. Kevin Smith is here with a brand new advice help line. Call him any time you have a question about writing, directing, or are just a little lonely and need a "Star Wars" referencing freaky encounter. "I want to slit you open like a tauntaun, slip inside and get all so, so warm like Han Solo did for Luke," Smith says in a special free preview. What would you ask Kevin Smith? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

'Twilight' Star Is definitely an Worldwide Spy in New Series 'Aim High'

Most senior high school boys are involved about homework and crushes. Nick Eco-friendly, however, is anxious about homework, crushes and the job like a secret government agent. In 'Aim High,' Jackson Rathbone (most widely known for his role as Jasper Hale within the 'Twilight' series) plays Eco-friendly, students who stays his spare time going through the Mission Impossible fantasy every boy has already established at some point or any other. Eco-friendly is a component of the team of 64 experienced teenage assassins. Then when he isn't worrying over Amanda Miles (Aimee Teegarden), typically the most popular girl in class, he's out fighting the criminals and keeping the nation safe. 'Aim High' is going to be broadcast on Moviefone's sister website Cambio. The show has been charged because the first "social series," offering a brand new twist on viewer participation. Individuals who register via Facebook can get to determine photos of themselves as well as their buddies appear inside the episodes. Adding action cred to 'Aim High' may be the show's producer Micrograms ('Terminator Salvation' and 'Charlie's Angels' director), who's excited to obtain things happening that one-of-a-kind web show, mentioning that "it's competitive with whatever you see on network television or perhaps a cable series." Mind on to Cambio to look into the first episode. [Photo: Warner Bros.] 'Aim High' Red-colored Carpet See All Moviefone Art galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Oscar-Nominated Screenwriter, Radio Titan Norman Corwin Dies at 101

LOS ANGELES - Norman Corwin, a creative giant of the Golden Age of Radio whose programs chronicling World War II are milestones in broadcasting, has died. He was 101. Corwin died Tuesday at his Los Angeles home of natural causes, according to the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. During a career that spanned more than 70 years, Corwin wrote, produced and directed for radio, television, film and the stage. His insightful writing earned Emmy and Golden Globe awards. He received an Academy Award nomination for his script for the 1956 film Lust for Life, the biography of Vincent van Gogh starring Kirk Douglas. But radio was Corwin's true passion. "I find it difficult to turn down an offer to be heard," he said in a 2001 interview on public radio. "Whether it's an anniversary, whether it's on the ending of a war, whatever the subject, I am ham enough to enjoy communicating to people, to an audience." Actor William Shatner, who narrated several of Corwin's later radio programs, called him a legend and his hero. He is "the poetic soul of discretion and a monument to artistry in America," Shatner once said. Throughout the 1940s, Corwin was well known to millions of Americans who depended on radio for their link to the world. His work during that so-called Golden Age of Radio ran the gamut of creative offerings, from variety shows to dramas, comedies to documentaries. Some of his most acclaimed programs dealt with World War II and provided perspective about a war being fought thousands of miles away. His writing brought the country together, inspiring patriotism, hope and optimism. He joined CBS in 1938 at the height of the radio network's glory, working with such broadcasting greats as Edward R. Murrow and Howard K. Smith. While his early work was behind the microphone, Corwin eventually turned his focus to writing, producing and directing. In 1941, he wrote "We Hold These Truths," a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Bill of Rights featuring the voices of Lionel Barrymore, Walter Brennan and Orson Welles. It was broadcast simultaneously on all four radio networks days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. "We Hold These Truths" was added in 2005 to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry, formed to honor sound recordings of unusual historical merit. In 1945, he penned "On a Note of Triumph," considered by many to be Corwin's masterpiece. It was broadcast nationwide on May 8, 1945, the day of the allied victory in Europe. In an introduction to the program, Corwin wrote: "I thought to consider what had been wrought, and why - what the victory had cost, what, if anything, we had learned - and what lay ahead in the way of global obligations and responsibilities." A film about that broadcast, A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin, won the Oscar in 2006 for best short documentary. In the mid-1950s, Corwin turned to television and film. He wrote the first and final programs of a 26-part portrait of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, titled FDR, that aired on the ABC television network in 1963. A year later, he scripted a 90-minute examination of Hollywood for NBC titled Insidethe Movie Kingdom. Corwin wrote at least 19 books and several stage plays, including "The Odyssey of Runyan Jones." He received numerous awards in media and the humanities, including two Peabody medals. In 1993, he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. Corwin joined the USC faculty in the late 1970s and remained a writer-in-residence at the time of his death. He often bemoaned the current state of commercial radio broadcasting. "Today there is a plethora of a kind of radio that is very inexpensive to produce, talking heads," he said in a 2001 interview with Atlantic Public Media. "We are not commemorating and celebrating the great events." Corwin's innovative work was introduced to a new generation in the mid-1990s on National Public Radio. A series titled "13 by Corwin," a selection of his programs from the 1940s, was digitally remastered and distributed in 1996 as part of the NPR Playhouse series. Corwin greeted the new century with "Memos to a New Millennium," narrated by Walter Cronkite and broadcast on public radio. In a January 2000 interview, Corwin spoke of his optimism for the next 1,000 years. "As long as there is room for compassion in this world, we need not despair," he said. Born May 3, 1910, in Boston, Corwin began his career immediately after high school as a reporter for The Greenfield Daily Recorder newspaper in Massachusetts before turning to radio. Related Topics

Nuit #1

A K Films Amerique relieve a Metafilms production. (Worldwide sales: Metafilms, Montreal.) Produced by Nancy Grant. Directed, put together by Anne Emond.With: Catherine Le Lean, Dimitri Storoge. (French dialogue)Single-evening stand evolves into a thrilling-evening talkathon in "Nuit #1," a claustrophobically intense drama set almost entirely in the shabby apartment where two others disrobe to relish an uninhibited sexual romp, do not begin to bare their souls until installed their clothes back on. Explicit nudity and hardcore activity through the outlet minutes doubtless will elevate the pic's prestige quotient. But impressive performances by well-cast, attractive leads might help a lot more in getting fest exposure and limited theatrical play for Montreal-based filmmaker Anne Emond's debut feature. After connecting up inside a steamy rave, Clara (Catherine Le Lean) and Nikolai (Dimitri Storoge) retreat to his place for any detailed encounter. However, if he interrupts her stealthy postcoital exit, they take tentative steps toward another amount of closeness. Storoge and Le Lean command attention while offerring an assorted and constantly shifting number of feelings. Despite the fact that it every once in awhile seems that Emond has designated them monologues rather than dialogue, their interaction -- both verbal and physical -- is credibly charged with alternating energy of fear and desire, cynicism and longing. Mathieu Laverdiere's fluid lensing might be the standout tech value.Camera (color), Mathieu Laverdiere editor, Mathieu Bouchard-Malo music, Martin M. Tetrault production designer, Eric Barbeau costume designer, Yola Van Leeuwenkamp. Examined at Toronto Film Festival (Canada First!), Sept. 13, 2011. (Also in Busan Film Festival -- Costly Forward.) Running time: 91 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Threat Averted: Fox Renews Simpsons For Two Years

First Published: October 8, 2011 2:41 PM EDT Credit: Twentieth Century Fox Caption "The Simpsons Movie"NY, N.Y. -- Fans of The Simpsons can breathe a doh! of relief: The animated series was renewed Friday for two more seasons. A contract dispute with the shows voice cast had threatened to end the series, but Fox announced it will air through seasons 24 and 25. The animated series about the Simpson family, including dad Homer and his familiar Doh! is TVs longest-running scripted nighttime series. Negotiations over the future of The Simpsons, which began its 23rd season last month, spilled out into the public. Twentieth Century Fox Television, which makes the show, said it couldnt continue without cutting costs and targeted the salaries of voice actors Harry Shearer, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith and Hank Azaria. Each actor makes a reported $8 million a year for their work on The Simpsons, and Fox said the show could not continue without pay cuts. Earlier Friday, Shearer said producers demandeda 45 percent reduction. The terms of the casts new deal were not announced. The Hollywood Reporter, citing unidentified sources, said the actors accepted a 30 percent pay cut in the $440,000 theyd received for each of 22 episodes per season. Shearer said hed told producers hed be willing to accept a 70 percent pay cut, but in return the actors wanted a tiny share of the billions of dollars in profits the show has earned through syndication and marketing. The shows creators, Matt Groening and James L. Brooks, have profit participation but the actors have been rebuffed in efforts to join them. Shearer said his representatives were told that there were simply no circumstances under which the network would consider allowing me or any of the actors to share in the shows success. A spokesman for Twentieth Century Fox Television, Chris Alexander, said Friday he had no comment on Shearers statement. Weve had a great run and no one should feel sorry for any of us, said Shearer, who conceded that his salary was ridiculous by any normal standard. 'But given how much joy the show has given so many people over the years and given how many billions of dollars in profits News Corp. has earned and will earn from it I find it hard to believe that this is Foxs final word on the subject. News Corp. owns both the television studio and Fox network. Questions were raised about whether Fox and the studio wanted the series to continue. The Daily Beast, which first reported the salary impasse, noted that the studio is locked into its current syndication deals while new episodes continue to be made. If the show were to be canceled, the studio could potentially make much more lucrative deals for use of the reruns. (Copyright 2011 by Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed) Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Working Both Sides of the Table (or Camera) (or Freeway)

Take Five Working Both Sides of the Table (or Camera) (or Freeway) October 6, 2011 Judy Chen Judy Chen, NY City Whenever my friends ask me for advice on making important decisions, I always say there will never be an ideal time to pull the trigger. Risk-taking does not come nicely gift-wrapped with a security blanket and bow on top. So in the month of September, I finally practiced what I preached and set out to do what I have wanted to for the past few months: produce a play on my own. After reaching out to my contacts, and doing intensive research and legwork on the entire process, I have achieved what I thought was beyond my reach and will be producing and acting in a play in a Tribeca theater space in March 2012. An actor friend of mine with numerous film and television credits who has wanted to do theater in NY for quite some time will be flying in from Los Angeles for the duration of our show. From applying for performance rights of the play to budgeting to marketing, this is both extremely exciting and a huge learning curve. Anyone who has ever auditioned can certainly relate to the frustrations of being at the mercy of a director/producer/casting director's whims as to whether or not we look "just right" for the part. Although going to school to continue honing one's craft is very important, I also realized that the best way to get myself out there and have artistic control over the work I want to be a part of is to not rely on others. In addition to tuition spent that would help me grow as an actor, investing in projects that can guarantee exposure for me is equally important. With a minimal budget, my goal is to show that great artistic work can be done for a reasonable sum of money if all involved are willing to pitch in, roll up their sleeves, check their egos at the door, and learn about all the different facets that go into producing a play. The months ahead will be daunting and humbling, but I'm confident it will be a rewarding experience unlike any other, especially when the lights are about to go on during opening night. My social life and hours of sleep will be sacrificed, but rarely are goals achieved otherwise. Though I am enjoying the process so much, sacrifice is not even the right word to use. The physical preparation for this project thus far has already given me the confidence to branch out to creating my own film work afterwardanother venture I am excited about. My nightstand is stacked with books I recently purchased on producing plays and movies. My highlighters and Post-Its have not been used this much since I was in school, but as I continue assembling all the pieces, I can officially add to my closet a newly acquired item of clothing: a producer's hat!Jenna Lamia, Los Angeles This month I've been thinking a lot about casting. First of all, good luck to any actor auditioning for TV pilots, as it seems a healthy percentage are cast by modeling scouts, not people who appreciate skill and experience. That aside, I have begun to notice a trend among the actors who audition for the show I write, and among my actor friends. Some people are just very "castable," and it's not because they are the most skilled actors. Some people just fit nicely into an easily recognizable type: the sullen Goth girl, the nerdy bookworm, the jock.... When it comes to guest-starring roles on television, these people have an advantage. TV shows often employ generic, identifiable archetypes in their supporting characters. These roles don't have an emotional arc. They are there to move the plot along and not to pull focus. They are the villain, the sexy librarian, or the bookish attorney, and the more easily they can communicate who they are with the least amount of dialogue, the more likely they are to get cast. If they are too noticeable or unique, they will distract from the story at hand, which is not theirs. This is frustrating for the more asymmetrical, layered performers, who may be attractive but not drop-dead gorgeous, athletic but not super jocks, or blonde but not the ultimate dingbat. Of course, we all employ makeup and wardrobe to suggest the characters we audition for, but when the showrunners are looking for a "dumb blonde," the girl with the platinum curls and breast implants is going to book the job over the dishwater blonde who wears a Wonderbra to the audition. It is frustrating for the more middle-of-the-road physical types to watch (sometimes lesser) performers working constantly, when they always give great readings but can't seem to book a job. Their agents are calling them, not to tell them they need to work harder but rather that someone else was just "more right." But, as a friend recently pointed out, these less-generic, more-original actors may not book guest-stars left and right, but they are the ones who eventually get their big breaks and book series leads and film work. Can you imagine Tony Shalhoub easily booking guest-star roles when he started out? I can't. He'd stand out too much. He'd pull focus from the series regular because he is so unique and interesting. And it's precisely because he's so unique that he went on to "Monk" success. So you originals out there, take heart. You don't have to look like you stepped off the pages of a magazine to work. It will take you longer to get there, but once you're there, you'll stay awhile.Ed Stelz, NY City Are you a left-brained or a right-brained individual? If you said right-brained, you and I have something in common. If you said neither, you're probably dead, and I don't know how you're reading this article.I have been blessed with many acting gigs over the last few weeks: a pilot shoot, two commercial shoots (one of which is the currently running zombie ad for MyEducation.com, so keep an eye out for it or check it out on my website), and one shootof hopefully manyof a scene for my very empty legit reel. With each, my connection to the writer, director, or producer gave me power during the creative process. I commonly tossed on a headset, viewed playbacks of my performance, and collaboratively changed my choices according to what the director and I saw. This is not the norm, so I advise you to be careful of stepping on people's feet to get this opportunity. I solely knew, and had worked with, these artists before. Having this freedom allowed me to see the successes and failures of each of my choices. And that is advantageous to a person with right-brained dominance. Since I can remember, I've always learned best by doing, whether it was tediously repeating individualized goalkeeping techniques on the soccer field or using a whiteboard to repeatedly write out information and equations for an organic chemistry test. I had to trust my body to feel and to see so as to soak in information to better my performances. Any other way was like trying to understand Shia LaBeouf's highly successful career.Feeling and seeing my performance during takes has taught me so much more about my acting faults and strengths than any class ever has. Not to say my education wasn't highly beneficial, but it just served a completely different purpose. And we, as actors, are lucky to be living during the technological boom, in which the access to hundreds of thousands of movies and TV shows is only a couple convenient clicks away; in which we can compare amazing performances with our own performances in a matter of minutes; in which we can see why what we did wasn't as good as what they did and where we will be able to adjust it accordingly so that one day it is as good, if not better. So I challenge you, my friends: Take out your HD phones/cameras, and film scenes with your friends. Then compare your takes, your performances, with those on your favorite shows. See how they compare, and openly discuss the differences. It may be an eye-opening experience for you. And it may mean you and I have just one more thing in common. Deborah Strang, Los Angeles Each day for 19 years, up to seven days a week and sometimes twice a day, I have made my way over the Hyperion bridge that spans the freeway between Silverlake and Atwater Village. The Angeles and the San Gabriel mountains spread out before me as I drive up Brand Boulevardknown in Los Angeles as the Boulevard of Carsto the old Masonic Temple at Colorado Boulevard (of Rose Parade fame). It is early fall, and for the past month, the crape myrtle trees have put on the best show yet along the way. I first took this route in 1993 to see the love of my life, Joel Swetow, in a production of "The Way of the World" at A Noise Within. It was the first time I had driven through Silverlake as well, a place that enchanted me then and to which we moved in 1997.Any day now, my route will change. After 19 years of dreaming, three years of a capital campaign in the midst of a recession, sweat and tears over permits and contractors and politics and mind and body, and backbreaking labor, A Noise Within is coming home to our permanent residence in east Pasadena.I find the new drive very beautiful. I take the 2 freeway, one of my favorites. I sail toward the mountains, then east to Pasadena, and pull into the Metro station just north of the 210 freeway at Sierra Madre Villa Avenue. I walk to Foothill, turn toward the beautifully landscaped fountains and Edward Durell Stone's 1958 filigree screen wall, enter the lobby, and walk down the grand staircase to the theater, which sans seats feels at this stage like a Greek temple. Last weekend I met up with brave, generous volunteers and Henry, our new production manager, and together we unloaded one of the first trucks to arrive. The elevators were not yet in operation, but we still managed to maneuver the heavy sewing machines down the stairs to the new costume shop. We stored the lighting equipment in a terraced section beside the state-of-the-art production booth. We roped cable around our shoulders and carried it loop by loop to pile beside the lights.In the next few weeks the seats will go in, the painting will be completed, the server and computers and phones will be hooked up. Plans are under way for a free public open house on Oct. 23 and a Gala Opening Night on Oct. 29.This week I begin rehearsals for "Twelfth Night," our first production in our new home in our 20th season in our inaugural year in Pasadena. It has been a long time coming. KC Wright, Los Angeles This month has been all about planting seeds. I started a fantastic actors' marketing course, booked a lead in a short thriller, and continued a trend that I started before my big vacation: attending casting workshops and showcases at least once a week. Let's start with the workshops. I held some reservations about in essence paying to meet casting directors; I was afraid I'd seem amateur, that it would belittle the craft, and that I'd feel like an outsider looking in on the profession. It honestly didn't occur to me that these workshops aren't really about networking but rather learning. There's a lot to be said for getting up in front of people, be it a theater full of patrons or a classroom full of actors, and performing once or twice a week in a workshop format has kept me sharp in a way that rehearsing on my own cannot. It has simultaneously demystified the casting process, made me more engaged with projects in production, and given me a place to focus my creative energy. The networking aspect of workshops is great as well, but there's really no point in meeting casting professionals if I don't have the confidence to follow through with that connection. That's where Dallas Travers' marketing course comes in. The class consists of weekly call-in lectures, question-and-answer sessions, an extremely active online forum, a binder full of tools to help establish goals, and an overall "can-do" attitude from everyone involved. It's a safe way of engaging with the business side of my career, and it has motivated me to really stretch myself. I have always been an extremely hard worker, and it's unendingly frustrating when my hard work doesn't turn into shiny new acting gigs or amazing agents. But, over the last couple of weeks, I've realized that I have a skewed perception of "hard work," especially when it comes to show business. It's not always about how many hours I put in, how far I drive, how quickly I memorize. Success in this job is much more driven by courage than stamina; I have to be willing to risk asking for what I want. I can't be afraid to follow up with industry contacts. I can't avoid making goals just because I'm afraid I will fail. It helps that I'm already starting to see results. I booked this short film with a combination of luck, preparation, and follow-through. I loved the script right off the bat, connected with the character, and felt great about my work in the audition room. But it wasn't until I followed upI sent a very uncharacteristic note to the director and producer about a week after my callbackthat I was offered the part. Of course it's not a course I would always take, depending on the project and the people involved, but in this case I truly believe that being unafraid to name what I wanted got me the job. Working Both Sides of the Table (or Camera) (or Freeway) October 6, 2011 Judy Chen Judy Chen, NY City Whenever my friends ask me for advice on making important decisions, I always say there will never be an ideal time to pull the trigger. Risk-taking does not come nicely gift-wrapped with a security blanket and bow on top. So in the month of September, I finally practiced what I preached and set out to do what I have wanted to for the past few months: produce a play on my own. After reaching out to my contacts, and doing intensive research and legwork on the entire process, I have achieved what I thought was beyond my reach and will be producing and acting in a play in a Tribeca theater space in March 2012. An actor friend of mine with numerous film and television credits who has wanted to do theater in NY for quite some time will be flying in from Los Angeles for the duration of our show. From applying for performance rights of the play to budgeting to marketing, this is both extremely exciting and a huge learning curve. Anyone who has ever auditioned can certainly relate to the frustrations of being at the mercy of a director/producer/casting director's whims as to whether or not we look "just right" for the part. Although going to school to continue honing one's craft is very important, I also realized that the best way to get myself out there and have artistic control over the work I want to be a part of is to not rely on others. In addition to tuition spent that would help me grow as an actor, investing in projects that can guarantee exposure for me is equally important. With a minimal budget, my goal is to show that great artistic work can be done for a reasonable sum of money if all involved are willing to pitch in, roll up their sleeves, check their egos at the door, and learn about all the different facets that go into producing a play. The months ahead will be daunting and humbling, but I'm confident it will be a rewarding experience unlike any other, especially when the lights are about to go on during opening night. My social life and hours of sleep will be sacrificed, but rarely are goals achieved otherwise. Though I am enjoying the process so much, sacrifice is not even the right word to use. The physical preparation for this project thus far has already given me the confidence to branch out to creating my own film work afterwardanother venture I am excited about. My nightstand is stacked with books I recently purchased on producing plays and movies. My highlighters and Post-Its have not been used this much since I was in school, but as I continue assembling all the pieces, I can officially add to my closet a newly acquired item of clothing: a producer's hat!Jenna Lamia, Los Angeles This month I've been thinking a lot about casting. First of all, good luck to any actor auditioning for TV pilots, as it seems a healthy percentage are cast by modeling scouts, not people who appreciate skill and experience. That aside, I have begun to notice a trend among the actors who audition for the show I write, and among my actor friends. Some people are just very "castable," and it's not because they are the most skilled actors. Some people just fit nicely into an easily recognizable type: the sullen Goth girl, the nerdy bookworm, the jock.... When it comes to guest-starring roles on television, these people have an advantage. TV shows often employ generic, identifiable archetypes in their supporting characters. These roles don't have an emotional arc. They are there to move the plot along and not to pull focus. They are the villain, the sexy librarian, or the bookish attorney, and the more easily they can communicate who they are with the least amount of dialogue, the more likely they are to get cast. If they are too noticeable or unique, they will distract from the story at hand, which is not theirs. This is frustrating for the more asymmetrical, layered performers, who may be attractive but not drop-dead gorgeous, athletic but not super jocks, or blonde but not the ultimate dingbat. Of course, we all employ makeup and wardrobe to suggest the characters we audition for, but when the showrunners are looking for a "dumb blonde," the girl with the platinum curls and breast implants is going to book the job over the dishwater blonde who wears a Wonderbra to the audition. It is frustrating for the more middle-of-the-road physical types to watch (sometimes lesser) performers working constantly, when they always give great readings but can't seem to book a job. Their agents are calling them, not to tell them they need to work harder but rather that someone else was just "more right." But, as a friend recently pointed out, these less-generic, more-original actors may not book guest-stars left and right, but they are the ones who eventually get their big breaks and book series leads and film work. Can you imagine Tony Shalhoub easily booking guest-star roles when he started out? I can't. He'd stand out too much. He'd pull focus from the series regular because he is so unique and interesting. And it's precisely because he's so unique that he went on to "Monk" success. So you originals out there, take heart. You don't have to look like you stepped off the pages of a magazine to work. It will take you longer to get there, but once you're there, you'll stay awhile.Ed Stelz, NY City Are you a left-brained or a right-brained individual? If you said right-brained, you and I have something in common. If you said neither, you're probably dead, and I don't know how you're reading this article.I have been blessed with many acting gigs over the last few weeks: a pilot shoot, two commercial shoots (one of which is the currently running zombie ad for MyEducation.com, so keep an eye out for it or check it out on my website), and one shootof hopefully manyof a scene for my very empty legit reel. With each, my connection to the writer, director, or producer gave me power during the creative process. I commonly tossed on a headset, viewed playbacks of my performance, and collaboratively changed my choices according to what the director and I saw. This is not the norm, so I advise you to be careful of stepping on people's feet to get this opportunity. I solely knew, and had worked with, these artists before. Having this freedom allowed me to see the successes and failures of each of my choices. And that is advantageous to a person with right-brained dominance. Since I can remember, I've always learned best by doing, whether it was tediously repeating individualized goalkeeping techniques on the soccer field or using a whiteboard to repeatedly write out information and equations for an organic chemistry test. I had to trust my body to feel and to see so as to soak in information to better my performances. Any other way was like trying to understand Shia LaBeouf's highly successful career.Feeling and seeing my performance during takes has taught me so much more about my acting faults and strengths than any class ever has. Not to say my education wasn't highly beneficial, but it just served a completely different purpose. And we, as actors, are lucky to be living during the technological boom, in which the access to hundreds of thousands of movies and TV shows is only a couple convenient clicks away; in which we can compare amazing performances with our own performances in a matter of minutes; in which we can see why what we did wasn't as good as what they did and where we will be able to adjust it accordingly so that one day it is as good, if not better. So I challenge you, my friends: Take out your HD phones/cameras, and film scenes with your friends. Then compare your takes, your performances, with those on your favorite shows. See how they compare, and openly discuss the differences. It may be an eye-opening experience for you. And it may mean you and I have just one more thing in common. Deborah Strang, Los Angeles Each day for 19 years, up to seven days a week and sometimes twice a day, I have made my way over the Hyperion bridge that spans the freeway between Silverlake and Atwater Village. The Angeles and the San Gabriel mountains spread out before me as I drive up Brand Boulevardknown in Los Angeles as the Boulevard of Carsto the old Masonic Temple at Colorado Boulevard (of Rose Parade fame). It is early fall, and for the past month, the crape myrtle trees have put on the best show yet along the way. I first took this route in 1993 to see the love of my life, Joel Swetow, in a production of "The Way of the World" at A Noise Within. It was the first time I had driven through Silverlake as well, a place that enchanted me then and to which we moved in 1997.Any day now, my route will change. After 19 years of dreaming, three years of a capital campaign in the midst of a recession, sweat and tears over permits and contractors and politics and mind and body, and backbreaking labor, A Noise Within is coming home to our permanent residence in east Pasadena.I find the new drive very beautiful. I take the 2 freeway, one of my favorites. I sail toward the mountains, then east to Pasadena, and pull into the Metro station just north of the 210 freeway at Sierra Madre Villa Avenue. I walk to Foothill, turn toward the beautifully landscaped fountains and Edward Durell Stone's 1958 filigree screen wall, enter the lobby, and walk down the grand staircase to the theater, which sans seats feels at this stage like a Greek temple. Last weekend I met up with brave, generous volunteers and Henry, our new production manager, and together we unloaded one of the first trucks to arrive. The elevators were not yet in operation, but we still managed to maneuver the heavy sewing machines down the stairs to the new costume shop. We stored the lighting equipment in a terraced section beside the state-of-the-art production booth. We roped cable around our shoulders and carried it loop by loop to pile beside the lights.In the next few weeks the seats will go in, the painting will be completed, the server and computers and phones will be hooked up. Plans are under way for a free public open house on Oct. 23 and a Gala Opening Night on Oct. 29.This week I begin rehearsals for "Twelfth Night," our first production in our new home in our 20th season in our inaugural year in Pasadena. It has been a long time coming. KC Wright, Los Angeles This month has been all about planting seeds. I started a fantastic actors' marketing course, booked a lead in a short thriller, and continued a trend that I started before my big vacation: attending casting workshops and showcases at least once a week. Let's start with the workshops. I held some reservations about in essence paying to meet casting directors; I was afraid I'd seem amateur, that it would belittle the craft, and that I'd feel like an outsider looking in on the profession. It honestly didn't occur to me that these workshops aren't really about networking but rather learning. There's a lot to be said for getting up in front of people, be it a theater full of patrons or a classroom full of actors, and performing once or twice a week in a workshop format has kept me sharp in a way that rehearsing on my own cannot. It has simultaneously demystified the casting process, made me more engaged with projects in production, and given me a place to focus my creative energy. The networking aspect of workshops is great as well, but there's really no point in meeting casting professionals if I don't have the confidence to follow through with that connection. That's where Dallas Travers' marketing course comes in. The class consists of weekly call-in lectures, question-and-answer sessions, an extremely active online forum, a binder full of tools to help establish goals, and an overall "can-do" attitude from everyone involved. It's a safe way of engaging with the business side of my career, and it has motivated me to really stretch myself. I have always been an extremely hard worker, and it's unendingly frustrating when my hard work doesn't turn into shiny new acting gigs or amazing agents. But, over the last couple of weeks, I've realized that I have a skewed perception of "hard work," especially when it comes to show business. It's not always about how many hours I put in, how far I drive, how quickly I memorize. Success in this job is much more driven by courage than stamina; I have to be willing to risk asking for what I want. I can't be afraid to follow up with industry contacts. I can't avoid making goals just because I'm afraid I will fail. It helps that I'm already starting to see results. I booked this short film with a combination of luck, preparation, and follow-through. I loved the script right off the bat, connected with the character, and felt great about my work in the audition room. But it wasn't until I followed upI sent a very uncharacteristic note to the director and producer about a week after my callbackthat I was offered the part. Of course it's not a course I would always take, depending on the project and the people involved, but in this case I truly believe that being unafraid to name what I wanted got me the job.

John Calley memorial set for Oct. 19

A memorial to celebrate John Calley's life and career will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 19 at Sony Pictures Studios. Longtime studio exec and producer Calley died Sept. 13 at 81. RSVPs are required by Oct. 14 to 310-244-4142. Parking will be accommodated in the Overland Parking structure. All guests should enter through the Overland gate for directions to the celebration. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

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