Actor Talk guest Geoff Mark (VFX Artist on Supah Ninjas)

Having known Mark and what he does for a living for a couple of years now I thought he could provide some useful information for actors that get the chance to work with a green screen. Go ahead and watch the interview.

In August, Mark finished 8 months of being Visual Effects Supervisor on "Supah Ninjas" for Nickelodeon.  The show is live action with 15-year old stars.  Mark worked with main actors and guest stars, including George Takei (Star Trek,) Danny Masterson (That 70's Show) and Brandon Soo Hoo (Tropic Thunder).

Currently Mark is working on "Triggers" for Discovery Military channel.  The show is about the history of mechanical weapons and it's not on the air yet.  He is creating, animating and delivering 100% CGI guns and their inner workings. Mark is working from home (lucky dog) on this project and is not working with any actors.

If you'd like to see all projects Mark has worked on over the years just click here to see his IMDb page.

Actor Talk guest Clark Perry

Well, I've procrastinated about as long as I could. I am finally writing the blog entry that goes with Clark's interview recorded over a month ago. I am watching the interview again now to be sure I remember what I want to say. Standby...OK, I'm done.

Aah, the life of an actor. In the year that Clark has been in LA he has pretty much experienced the whole roller coaster ride. Frustration, disappointment, roommate problems, elation, satisfaction, and success. Then the cycle repeats. Well, hopefully, the roommate problems won't. The rest of those emotional states will cycle though. Some of the frustration can be mitigated, as Clark talks about, by simply appreciating the each of the small accomplishments. Just landing an audition is an accomplishment considering all the competition out there. Treating the audition like a performance instead of a job interview really helps too. Sometimes, though, it's hard not to get disappointed. Coming out of an auditions that went really, I mean really, well and not getting that callback will eventually affect everybody. Satisfaction is felt when the notice of a callback arrives. Elation is felt when the call comes in that the role is yours and success comes when the shooting is over (hopefully accompanied with a paycheck).

In the time since the interview I followed up with Clark to see how the shoot in Idaho went. He tells an inspirational story of his experience shooting scenes on a boat floating on a lake. It was the type of acting job that I hope all actors get a chance to experience. Clark then says auditions have slowed to a trickle. Thus the cycle is complete. He's back to the frustration point that actors deal with.

Clark has been, well I was going to say lucky, and that does factor in, but Clark has also been working it. He's got a means to support himself while he pursues the acting career and he's got the drive to achieve his goal. Clark knows that it takes more than desire to become a "success" in Hollywood. It takes time, money, a lot of hard work and patients.

I for one will keep an eye on this young man's career. You can too by checking out Clark's IMDb page.