Going up some of those hills about 20 miles into that first ride, the mental picture I had of myself was as Tim Conway riding a tricycle, struggling up a hill, just getting to the top and then toppling over like a stump. It was at that moment I knew one could feel like their [...]

With only two rehearsals, the SAG / AFTRA sponsored, Austin Conservatory presented a live presentation of RETURNING CHAMPION, by Michele Gendelman and Ursula Ziegler at St. Edwards University this past weekend. Director Heather Scobie and a large cast of SAG and AFTRA actors presented a blocked for the state, live reading of the script with [...]

I’ll be serving as the narrator for the latest SAG AFTRA Script to Screen presentation this weekend by the Austin Conservatory. Here’s an announcement from Conservatory Chair, Pamela Weaver: We could use your support in attending our next script to screen this Sunday. As an experiment this time around, we are using audio and visual [...]

All actors have lives away from the stage, outside the view of the camera. Like everybody else, actors have to deal with challenges that have nothing to do with show business. If you search back through the archives of this site, – SEARCH “breast cancer” on the front page – you’ll find some posts about [...]

Here’s a graphic I ran across on the web. Each thought is a title chaper from a book entitled IGNORE EVERYBODY by Hugh MacLeod. I’m going to pick up the book and give it a read. If the chapters are as good as the titles, it should be a good read. After I read the [...]

Early signs that the recently improved Texas tax incentive program may be working are quite positive. Below is a list of POSSIBLE productions coming to Texas and for contrast, Louisiana. The productions listed may not all work out but all have inquired about becoming SAG signatory productions. The volume of production in Texas is up [...]

As you may know the newer DSLR cameras can now shoot video. While this capability has long been available on lower cost pocket type digital still cameras, the high end DSLRs, until recently, had no video capability. For a good overview of the challenges faced by camera manufacturers in unleashing HD video in the DSLR [...]

Actor scams. When will they end? They’ll end when actors, wannabe actors and wannabe actors’ parents wise up and get educated to how the business works. What prompts this little rant? I received an email yesterday from an acting related blog I’m apparently subscribed to that led me to a link to a message board [...]

AUSTIN CONSERVATORY PRESENTS a free seminar featuring Texas Film Commission head, Bob Hudgins and friends. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to hear first hand what Hudgins has to say about the new law, about the positive impact on Texas film production and maybe even yet another explanation of the ‘Waco’ brouhaha. TEXAS INCENTIVES—HOW TO [...]

TXMPA would like to thank everyone who participated in our Regional Caucuses, and a very special thanks to all the candidates who stepped up to run for the open positions in each Region! Below is the list of candidates for the six (6) open At-Large positions on TXMPA’s Board. Please take some time before voting [...]