NOLA Film Scene with Tj & Plaideau
A podcast about acting, filmmaking, and the improv scene in New Orleans.
NOLA Film Scene with Tj & Plaideau
Jess Packard: The Art and Heart of Acting
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Jessica Packard, known to many as Jess, takes us on a thrilling journey through the world of stunt work and acting in our latest episode of NOLA Film Scene. Jess opens up about her work on "The Last of Us: Immunity" and the physical and emotional demands of performing stunts. She shares her personal story of finding solace and purpose in acting after a heartbreaking loss. Jess is making her mark and has become integral part of the Austin film community. Tune in to hear how Jess transformed her initial interest into a passion and how she navigated her way through student and short films.
Follow us on IG @nolafilmscene, @kodaksbykojack, and @tjsebastianofficial. Check out our 48 Hour Film Project short film Waiting for Gateaux: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5pFvn4cd1U
Hi, I'm Jessica Packard. I go by Jess, I'm in the Austin, Texas area and I'm really excited to be a part of NOLA Film Scene and talk with you guys.
Speaker 2:Hello, welcome to NOLA Film Scene with TJ and Plato. I'm TJ and, as always, I'm Plato.
Speaker 3:All right. Jessica, my castmate from the Last of Us Immunity, so happy to have you on NOLA Film Scene with us. How are you doing?
Speaker 1:Good, good, thanks for having me. Yeah, that was a really fun set.
Speaker 2:Hi, jessica, nice to meet you.
Speaker 1:Oh, hi, yeah, hi.
Speaker 3:Brian. So, if memory serves, you had some stunts, you had to go, you had to do some extra work and do some stunt work for your scenes, right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, those were a challenge in themselves, but it was fun and a great learning experience. I had worked with a great stunt trainer, stunt coordinator, and I got beaten up, got bruised a little bit, but it still was a lot of fun.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that was a fun shoot. I saw just a little bit of the footage when y'all were talking about it. I don't know if I really had stunts. We had a little bit of kerfuffle, but not to the extent of what you had. I think you had to do some falls, didn't you?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I had a side tackle, so learning how to fall properly and safely was the big thing that we worked on. And then I did have some choreographed fighting with a rifle, which was fun. It was interesting, keeping everybody safe, of course. So we had a few training and like rehearsals to go over the choreography and that was fun. And then it's a whole different beast when you're on set filming. But I felt prepared and safe and it was just a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:Was that your first time doing stunt work?
Speaker 1:It was for like combat. I had some stunt training in a previous film doing more close up. I don't know if it's considered hand to hand. Anyway, I like need someone. So I had a little bit of training for that and it was in close proximity to a car so we had the door and everything to kind of choreograph along with the fight. So that was a little different. But this was my first training with a weapon.
Speaker 3:I guess Cool, that was a little different, but this was my first training with a weapon, I guess.
Speaker 1:Cool, nice yeah, and the fall itself too. I had a really hard time walking for the next week after doing the rehearsal and the training for that because I was bruised. But it was good to go over and over and over, so that way when I was on set it was just second nature, I didn't have to think about it, it was good yeah.
Speaker 3:Nice, I know we talked a little bit on set. What was your inspiration to get into the industry to entertaining?
Speaker 1:For me it kind of came about. This may sound kind of cliche because people are like it just came about, but it was mid COVID and I was kind of in a grieving period. I don't mind sharing. We went through a loss I lost a son, and I was not in a very good place mentally and so I was looking for something to do, something to take my mind off of that, to kind of just try and get out of that funk that I was in.
Speaker 1:And I literally Googled new hobbies for adults to try, and on that list was taking acting class and I was like that's interesting. So I kind of did some research in the area and I found some online classes and I took a be-inning class and I was like I can do this in the comfort of my living room. Who cares? Like if I hate it, I'll move on. But I fell in love with it and at that time it was kind of an outlet along with you know, kind of to help me through that grieving process. But soon after that I kind of turned into somewhat of an obsession.
Speaker 1:I don't know that's the best way to put it, but I you know, yeah, I wanted to learn everything I could about the film industry, the business side of things, classes, acting, the different techniques and it just kind of blossomed into that and I love it. It's so much fun and the community that comes along with acting is just amazing. I've made some great friends so far and it's just I don't know.
Speaker 3:It's like my thing now. Yeah, first, sorry for your loss. Sorry to hear that. Agreed, yes, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so that's the only time. That film is the only time I've filmed in Texas. I don't have a lot of experience, I'm still pretty new to the industry but like New Orleans, the people there were great. Everybody was just so nice and welcoming and warm and I made some friends out of that project. I make friends along the way on every project, but so far Texas, louisiana and Atlanta where I've worked everybody's been really really nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's great.
Speaker 3:There's a lot happening in Austin too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Now I feel like things are picking up and it's been fun. I'm more in the student film short film scene right now. I mean, I'm slowly hoping to work my way into some other stuff, but for now it's been a lot of fun and it's pretty busy.
Speaker 2:So are you in Austin or you just that's where you film, like you're close to?
Speaker 1:it. I'm close to Austin. I'm technically like an hour north of it, but I drive into Austin weekly. That's where I do all my training, my classes. I've done a few things up in Dallas and one down in Houston, but mostly the Austin area I gotcha.
Speaker 2:I used to live in San Antonio, so I have some Texas experience. But I tease Austin and Portland because they say keep it. Weird. Austin and New Orleans were like keep it, it's on the porch. You want to come see it? We walking it down the street in the parade. We are where y'all strive to be.
Speaker 1:That's funny, yeah, and I'm from Oregon, so I totally get the whole Portland thing too.
Speaker 2:Oh, I got you. Yeah, and I in 2020, my first film just a friend. We were friends of us and we were filming something called Toxic America and we actually at the old naval base where some of Twisted Metal was filmed.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But we were, you know, just not bootleg. What's the word? Not pirate. You do it without permission. Oh, it doesn't matter, you do it without permission, oh.
Speaker 1:It doesn't matter, I was like uh.
Speaker 3:You're talking about filming without permission?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's the old brain, ladies and gentlemen. When you get past 50, it just falls out of your head. But anyway, I played three different super cannibals in different times and at one of the scenes I came up and I was supposed to be a guy who just says get them boss, or something like that. And they went naval base. Not only was it glass, homeless people, someone had been murdered a few days before you know it's. It was that wild.
Speaker 2:So when the the, the bad guy I'm facing and I was a bad guy too quote unquote throws me down, I took a step and twisted, and right behind my thigh, that muscle just locked up, didn't pop or anything, you know what I mean and I went down and I was struggling to get up the whole time. And then the next day at work I'm a janitor and someone thought it would be funny because I was out sweeping by the street and as they were coming up with the car, they honked their horn and blew like they were going to run me over and I didn't see it. I was like, oh, I, I was hobbling every day.
Speaker 2:I made it to work, but it was like real funny, yeah. So the proper way to do stunts is essential, ladies and gentlemen, and I didn't have it that day, so I'm glad that you had some training.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the coordinators are great. They're great at working with you to find what works for your body and what keeps you and everyone safe and, of course, what works for the camera it's needed for sure it's also really important to communicate with a stunt coordinator or whoever's organizing the stunts.
Speaker 3:I've got some limitations. I'm older and I've got a lot of bumps and bangs and you just have to talk to them and tell them what you can and can't do. Yeah, it is what it is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, keeping the open communication out was important. I had a little bit of that with that fall, that side tackle that I did for whatever reason. Reason, falling properly on my left side was a lot easier than falling properly on my right side and it probably has something to do with my dominant and not dominant side. But I really kept hurting myself when I would fall on my right side. But as soon as I did it on my left side it was like, oh, it didn't even hurt, but I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't have been like this is really not feeling right and then just kind of playing around with it and trying different things.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you posted recently. You've had another project or two since the Last of Us. Do you want to speak to those?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I know probably not detailed.
Speaker 1:No, yeah, it's all right. Like I said, the short film and student film area is pretty open. The last film that I did was a short film filmed in a coffee shop in Georgetown, which is a little bit north of Boston as well, and it was a lead role. It was fun, but again, it was just a quick short, so it was, I believe, three minutes long, but it was fun and it's neat filming in public places like that, because we didn't reserve the coffee shop by any means, so there were just people coming and going while we were filming, which kind of gave a natural feel to the whole scene.
Speaker 1:But it had its challenges because, you know, we had to be, of course, courteous of people and patrons around us and it was more of a conversational type scene, intimate, you know, at a coffee table, a lot different than Last of Us, but still fun. Of course. That was my most recent one and I've had a couple for that. I'm just trying to remember, because I filmed my part of Last of Us a few months later than the rest of the film, because we had issues with one of the crew members, had COVID and anyway, so we postponed it for a while, that's right.
Speaker 1:So I'm just trying to reorganize my timeline, but small projects like that have been keeping me busy recently.
Speaker 3:I forgot about that. That came out like right after I made it home, because I was only there for a short time, and right after I got home they said that one of the crew members had gotten sick and I think I had been around him, but I wasn't exposed.
Speaker 1:Oh good, yeah, Rather be safe, you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:It worked out and my schedule is fairly flexible for the most part, so it was easy to kind of get it rescheduled. It was mostly, I think, finding a new location.
Speaker 3:That was the struggle but we made it when you have stuff booked and planned out and permission and permits and all that, and then you have to redo all that legwork.
Speaker 2:Yeah, when you mentioned the coffee shop, it hit me Gorilla filmmaking, okay. Okay, this happened to me this past week and I was with a friend and if I don't say someone's name every week, it starts slipping. There's just so much I'm trying to do. And I turned to him to introduce me and I was like, uh, and? And I turned to him to introduce me and I was like, uh, and it's like if you're going down the highway and you hit a speed bump, but that speed bump gets all four of your wheels off the ground, that's me Cause I feel bad that I can't remember. It starts spinning and then it's like got to walk away from and come back. So I remembered.
Speaker 1:But the important thing is, it came back.
Speaker 2:Yes, it did. I started training in 2019, very similar to you, or at least similar Starting and I'm probably a little bit older than you. Never ask a lady her age, but let's pretend we're talking to someone who isn't. I always say, on our side of the camera, and you were trying to tell them about your journey, I can picture spots where I saw my skill grow, where it's like oh I, finally I'm able to call myself an actor because I settled into this, I'm not nervous anymore. Just a few weeks ago, I got a piece of footage. It made me feel confident in my ability and then I watched myself in class grow. So, not just where you felt like an actor, but can you describe something where you hit a new plateau and how that made you feel and something towards those lines?
Speaker 1:Yeah, thinking back to when I started to now, training has been a big thing for me. I love being in classes and working with new teachers, even other actors. I mean, you can learn something from everybody. And I want to say one of the things that really made me feel like wow, I'm really in it and I'm an actor is one of the classes that I've been a part of.
Speaker 1:It's just an ongoing scene study class and we pick pretty hefty scenes. At the end of the class we perform them. So it has a little bit of stage training in there, because we have to build our own sets and create our own costumes just for these short scenes, which was valuable in itself because I am working towards film acting, but it's also good I feel like to be well-rounded and learn stage as well. So this class kind of helped with that. But going back to that, when we performed the scene that I was doing, which is probably pretty well known scene, streetcar Named Desire it's pretty much the conflict at the end between Blanche and oh my gosh, his name is Stanley.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's in New Orleans that one sticks with me. Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1:Anyway, we performed it and we were using breakaway bottle and I was just at the end of that performance. I was just amazed at what we accomplished and I think that really solidified it for me, like I'm really doing this, like we just did this performance, we planned it, we did the costume, the set design, and that was kind of a big moment because it was really my first in-person performance. And then I think, just continuing and being on set for films since then, it's a different energy, you know, through the camera versus like on stage, but it's an amazing feeling.
Speaker 3:Perfect, thank you. So when you get to perform at the end, are you doing it as a public showcase where friends and family and the public can come see it?
Speaker 1:Yep, and it's really intimate. It's nothing too crazy. You know it's free. I have posted about it on like my Instagram, inviting people who are in the area of course, my family's back in Oregon so I record it and send it, you know that way. But it's just a fun way to learn that, just that feeling of performing and the nervousness that goes with it. You know feeling nervous and finding a way to channel and use that energy. It's a good way to learn.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure. Do you have a dream role, a type of character or a dream type of role that you would just absolutely love to play?
Speaker 1:So I don't know if I have anything specific. And it's funny. I get that question a lot and I'm like you know I should have an answer by now, but I really enjoy I still can't answer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really enjoy villain type characters. I would say like 90% of my resume are villain characters. I've done a serial killer no-transcript. But it's a challenge to find the human in their behavior, like the human nature, because the audience wants to relate in some way, and I find it a fun challenge to find reasons for the behavior or whatever they're doing within the role, finding the human reasons behind it. Whether they've been, I can't think of the term, but you know. Whether it's revenge or grief, you know there's some reason why they're doing it.
Speaker 2:And that's for me a fun challenge. Right, I try to be quiet, but I twirled my mustache. I think I distracted a little bit. So it's rare, you know, maybe cartoons and stuff you got the mustache twirling villain, but no villain thinks they're a villain. Inside the story. Lex Luthor thinks he's the hero fighting to keep humans number one against Superman, who just nobody can top. That's his motivation. At least that's one of the interpretations I've heard. So, yeah, totally understand finding and people don't like to hear this, but every human being can be as evil as anything you've ever seen but we have our guards and we live different ways. So not that you are going to become a serial killer, but, like Anthony Hopkins, you find something that brings that out of that you can convey whatever emotion that is. I totally understand what you're talking about. I don't know if I've gotten there all the time but I totally understand.
Speaker 3:We asked that question week after week to different guests and I still, honestly, can't answer it. I get the question too, like, what do I want to do? And I knew and I've said this before, I knew, coming in with my look, that I was going to have certain limitations. There's certain roles I'm just not going to be booked for. You know anything, clean cut business professional responder I'm just not, and I'm okay with that. And I know I'm not going to book leading man roles and I'm okay with that too. So I'm trying to lean into the other stuff and just recently we were talking about it and I said I would love to play either a serial killer or a hit man, just the crafting part of that, trying to, like you just said, get inside their head and try to figure out the motivations. And I just had the opportunity this past weekend to film and play a hit man and it was a fun role to get into.
Speaker 3:And I did an audition a while back. It was a voiceover audition for an audio drama podcast. And I auditioned for the role of a police officer. I've done police officers in class, you know, for different scenes, for self-tape scenes. And I've done other professionals lawyers and things like that for class, where the look doesn't really matter.
Speaker 3:But I've never done, until that one, a live audition or I say live, a self-tape audition for someone that was outside of what I can physically look like I can portray, and it was such a fun audition to do to just kind of, I say, my comfort zone, step out of my comfort zone because it's not a role that I'm used to preparing for. So it was kind of a challenge and fun at the same time. And I still, week after week, I think about it. What do I want to do? Brian can tell you right now he wants to be in a cartoon, he wants to do Star Wars type stuff. I would love to do Star Wars, for sure, but I know my look doesn't lend itself to some of that. But that's okay. I find other roles that are fun to try to get into, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I think that's also important to keep in mind as an actor. If you can know your types and know your limitations in a way, I think you can find yourself in better. Luck is not the term I'm looking for, but you can just help streamline your process of looking if you're catering kind of your submissions to roles that you know fit your type. I mean not to say that you shouldn't try for others that are outside of your look, but it's important to kind of keep that in mind when you are going through the process, especially in the beginning.
Speaker 2:I feel like sure, putting your best foot forward. This is what I'm kind of known for. I'm going to try to be. You know the other guy one of my acting teachers. We explored everybody's type like you're talking about. You know the other guy one of my acting teachers. We explored everybody's type like you're talking about, and I'm the goofy guy next door. I'm a little bit older, so I'm kind of like the friendly dad, but it'd be really cool if that friendly dad is a mafia guy. So at the barbecue he's like, yeah, but then somebody comes up and like what the hell are you talking about?
Speaker 2:And the role that I got the footage for I can of the head chef not a guy with the hat, just more closer to fast food, let's say but he's misogynistic, he's a jerk, he's a loud mouth, which is pretty much like me, and so I didn't have to delve too deep to be an asshole. It doesn't say much about me, but it's not hard to just let it fly. It was very cool to find that side of my personality. I'm like wait, am I telling people I'm an asshole? Most people know that I'm an asshole, but in the nicest way.
Speaker 3:No, no, you're not. No, no, Most people do not in fact know that. Thank, you.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's sweet. I can say the same thing to you, tj, and it's the truth. But I can say the same thing to you I want to be an action figure. That's my goal. Keep your Oscars. That'd be great if I could do it. I'd love to make a million, but I just want to support my family and quit my day job, even though I work tonight. But I want to walk into a Toys R Us, walk down the Star Wars aisle, superhero, whatever, and there's either my face or something I voiced in a cartoon and it's the dream of the selfie. Hey guys, look at this. Bam, that's me. Little me would be like I was thinking of a question for you, jessica.
Speaker 2:We've talked about how you felt good in acting. What was one of the most difficult things for you to overcome? For me it was. I was nervous and fidgety and I really wanted to be an actor. So the scene I wasn't about what I was in and then we mellowed out and then I became ultra still. So we you had to overcome in acting. Yeah, it's pretty easy for me to think of.
Speaker 1:I as a person am pretty reserved. I spend a lot of time in my head and so tapping into the vulnerability that comes with acting essentially required you have to show these emotions that people can relate to and do justice to these characters and what they're going through. And for me that was a challenge at first because naturally I was like I hold this in, I'm not supposed to cry, you know, I'm not supposed to show that I'm angry and, you know, in society I just feel like everyone kind of feels a little bit of that. But for me it was just this constant anxiety. It was one of the things that got me interested in Meisner and TJ and I have talked about that on set when we were on set for the Last of Us.
Speaker 1:Meisner has helped me a lot in just accessing those emotions A when needed, you know, so you can be on set and do the job that you need to do in the time that is needed. But also it's helped me overcome that anxiety of letting it out, just going through the motions of like emotionally preparing and doing it week after week in front of people. I mean, the class that I take is online, so it's just like this setting, but still crying in front of people and getting over that self-conscious feeling and the anxiety of letting it show in front of people was big and I no longer have that anxiety. It was a great, great thing to overcome for me, yeah.
Speaker 3:That's a tough one. That's definitely one that I struggled with was showing that vulnerability. I think we talked about it a little bit on set. I came from a military background and you don't you? Just in most settings you don't show your emotion and for so long whether it's practice for class or for the real thing and getting on set it started to become a little more second nature. Now I worked with a young actor recently and we were talking about this very thing and I said one of the things that I do now weekly I'll sit down and I'll think of an emotion that before I would never show in public, you would never see me.
Speaker 3:My kids didn't see me cry until they were close to teenagers, you know. But I'll sit down and I'll think of something and bring myself to tears just to start developing that muscle memory to be able to call up that. Help me visualize the scene. My coach tells me pretty regularly see it before you say it. It took a while before that clicked and once it finally clicked I'm like oh okay, that's what he means by that See it before you say it. All of that started lending itself to a more grounded approach to it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I totally get what you're saying Totally.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it is kind of muscle memory the more you do it, the easier it is to tap into that. And then for me it's been finding the things that bring up those emotions. You know, in Meisner a lot of it, a lot of the emotional preparation is daydreaming and creating these scenarios in your mind. Just over time, I've found the few topics that can bring those emotions up quickly. You know, I can think about a certain topic and I'll be in tears within 30 seconds, you know. So it's like just over time, doing it over and over again. I think is important to help with that, which is why training, of course, is really important, always learning.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 2:You said something that I think about occasionally when I remember to think about it, daydreaming, because, living our lives, you start thinking about a process or whatever you're thinking about, I've got to do this, and all of a sudden in your head you're there, and then if in that scenario you're not saying well, this person would say to me you just, at least for me, you know, if this was a daydream, tj would say something to me and I'd respond back. And it's not like I'm saying well, tj would say this. And it seems to me like that would be the ultimate state to strive for in acting. When they say action, if you can hit that, I've never done that.
Speaker 1:Do you feel like that's ever happened to you? Am I just crazy? I know we strive for it, anything like that. I mean, I feel like I've had moments where you're just in it and it's no longer acting, it's just living, and I think that definitely is the goal for every actor, and I can't think of anything specific. But I just feel like there have been moments where I've done a scene, whether it's in class or on set, where you just hit it and then you just get that sense of like wow, or having a hard time coming out of it. That's something that I've also struggled with sometimes. But just being in that emotion, so deep and so surrounded by the circumstances that is the scene, you know, the circumstances, the environment, that it's hard to come out of sometimes, you know, and I feel like if you reach that point, then you're really doing it, you're in it, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've got another question, if you want me to go ahead. Yeah, yeah, we've talked about the role. And another question we have asked people which star, which actor would you I keep wanting to say kill to work with? Let's not say that, like TJ said, which actor or actress would you love to work with If you got to work with? I'll just throw out a name Bryan Krantz, and you did a scene with him and you know you feel like you've made it. So which one is your goal? Which person do you want to meet?
Speaker 1:That I would love to meet. There's a few, so it's kind of hard to pick just one, you know, and of course all the greats, but I think if I could work with one and just try to soak up as much knowledge as I could, it would have to be Meryl Streep because she and she's, of course, got that stage training I guess is the way I'll put it and then she's also, of course, been in film after film.
Speaker 1:I just feel like her knowledge of just the process of acting and living truthfully within those circumstances would just be so valuable and just amazing to work with. Because it's like you know, you work with other people and you connect with other people when you're acting. But to have someone like her just be right in it and so connected, I just feel like it would be a really powerful moment. That would be just interesting.
Speaker 2:Cool. Yeah, we don't limit to one. So if there's a few others you want to throw out, feel free, but you don't have to.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I mean Viola Davis is kind of in that same boat. I feel like they're the type of actors that when you watch you forget that's Viola Davis or you forget that's Meryl Streep. They become that person and you forget that they're who they are. So those types of actors I just am totally inspired by and, of course, and just wanting to achieve that process of just being so engrossed in a character and an environment and the circumstances of the scene that people forget that it's me, it's just this is this character know?
Speaker 3:yeah, yes. What about directors? Do you have a particular director that you would like to work with? That's you find inspirational?
Speaker 1:I don't think I have a specific director in mind and I'm still learning a lot as far as like the crew and that side of filming. I think at this point I've been so focused on finding my process within acting that I haven't quite branched out into researching. You know directors and that sort of thing, so none come to mind quite yet.
Speaker 3:No, that's okay. I mean, there are a lot that I would love and I may never have the opportunity to work with, but would love to work with. Yeah, that's a, that's a perfectly good answer. All of them.
Speaker 1:Right Any of them, anybody who has to act.
Speaker 2:Take me. Take me please, mr Director or Mrs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, as long as I get to act, I'm happy to get to work.
Speaker 2:So, jessica, I know we're peppering you with a lot of questions, but you didn't start as late as me, but we didn't start as teens doing this acting thing. I in a lot of ways regret not starting then, but at the same time I really feel comfortable starting now. At my age, it took me a long time to find who I was, if you can believe that. So, if you could talk to your younger self in whatever age self you want to talk to, and say something not that it would get them started on the journey, but hey, this is what you have to look forward to. You know, encourage them, tell them don't do something. What would you tell your younger self?
Speaker 1:I would definitely say don't be afraid to try. I held myself back a lot as a younger version of myself and I'm not exactly sure why. I think it may have just been lack of self-confidence or something, but I also I feel like everyone carries that pressure to follow a certain path in their life that society kind of presses out. So it may have been a little bit of that, but I think you are who you are and be proud of it and just try. And that's ultimately what I did when I started taking a class in mid COVID and I was mentally not in a great state of mind, and so I think part of that helped me get out of my own head to just be like just do it, why not? Just try it? That's something I wouldn't have done as a younger version of myself because I would have made excuse after excuse of well, so-and-so may think this and so-and-so may think this and just internalize all this outside pressure which is just not needed. Like just live your life, have fun, try it, why not?
Speaker 2:That's great advice.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I agree with that wholeheartedly. They're going back to my look and knowing there's certain roles that I won't play. I got an audition for something that I thought there's no way. There's no way they would take me with my unkempt look and I thought, well, at least do the audition, it's experience right. So I submitted for it and ended up getting a booking out of it. It wasn't for that project, but it was for another similar one, and it was surprising. So you never know, what do you have to lose? Try it.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:If it doesn't work, at least you got some experience out of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's important. I feel like to just take every opportunity you can, whether it's student film or non-paid, I mean with the reason of course you want to stay safe. But if you have that opportunity, why not Just try it? And there is value in just making friends and connections in the business. So even if it is unpaid or if it's just a quick three minute video, you just never know that could be someone you work with years down the road again or a recommendation from someone. So I don't know. There's just value in trying.
Speaker 3:That's right. Yes, that's. Another really good point is the connections and the networking. Yes skill and training and experience plays a big factor, but also being in the right place at the right time there's a certain amount of luck that's involved too. I think of being in the right place at the right time. But also networking is so incredibly important, all the connections that you make along the way. You just never know, down the road somebody may come back to you hey, you interested in doing this? Yeah, of course.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was a really good point and a few of my projects have been booked through word of mouth. You know just so and so and so and so recommended and or reached out because they remember me. So yeah, if you get the chance, just do it just act determination to never stop.
Speaker 2:Take your attempt, maybe like if I tried to draw something, I don't have that skill to be an artist that way, fine, and then maybe I had a little bit of skill. So then keep trying, despite what people say. Same thing with acting or improv or whatever it is. But also your reputation. We've talked about that before. It's real easy to get a bad reputation anywhere, but in the biz you're a diva on set or a jerk. You treat people bad or you're late. Once you get there it's like I don't want to do this, you're not prepared, all that stuff. The word of mouth will spread, and fast. But if, when you do the things right, it may not spread as fast, it does spread, but it spreads deeper. You know what I mean? Oh, I heard he was a jerk. No, no, no, no, no. That guy works his butt off that lady.
Speaker 1:You know he's the one, I Right, and it's a collaborative thing, especially in film, from the makeup artist to the stunt coordinators, of course the director and everybody is involved and you know it's just a team thing and you've got to be a part of that team and positive, it's how it's going to work.
Speaker 2:You're having a bad day, don't yell at the crew, don't you?
Speaker 3:know, just hey, I need a second. You don't have to be a jerk, or you know, I won't tell about my past.
Speaker 1:No, I've never been a joke that I know of or will admit to. Do you have any questions for us? Yeah, I always like to ask to other actors and people who are getting into acting what has been the most memorable audition and or time on set that you've had, that you've learned the most from Like is there a situation that you've taken away and just would love to share with new actors or actors around you?
Speaker 2:it away and just would love to share with new actors or actors around you. Wow, great question, tj, and you've caught me flat footed, jessica. So, tj, if you're ready, jump ahead and I'll think about it.
Speaker 1:And it can be positive or negative.
Speaker 3:I don't have negative experiences that are coming to mind, a lot of positive. I've got an audition right now that there are several scenes and it's kind of a range of emotions. Now that there are several scenes and it's kind of a range of emotions, some of it is memory, some of it is at that present time and then it's hard to explain, but there's a range of emotions that I'm having to play Now. That's not really a good example.
Speaker 1:It's a loaded question, oh it's awesome.
Speaker 2:It's fantastic to turn it around on us. Yeah, it is. I talk a lot about. I was death's photo double on Bill and Ted Face of Music and William Sadler. We've had him on as a guest and he's such a great man. I got to talk to Keanu for a second Meeting.
Speaker 2:The stars was cool and then that led me to want to be more than just background and background's great. As I always say, I love doing it. I just couldn't support myself and at some point if you want to become a principal, have speaking parts that you have to say I'm stepping away from background. That was monumental in the decision of this can be something I want to do. It's so great. There's a couple of short films and I've done some student films too. I can picture one. They wanted me very still and I was, but I wasn't internally active, so I hate what I saw. I did one. It's called the laundromat. That's been used many times, so I told my friend to call it AKA brainwashed, because there's a psychic in there and I'm in the car with a fellow detective and it was very natural, very smooth, and then I was supposed to get angry and I got really loud to be angry and it's pushing the anger.
Speaker 2:That's all I see. And I shared that because it's already on YouTube. And a friend went oh wow, you're so natural and I'm like, thanks, but inside I'm going yeah, I suck. Oh, you know what I mean. We're our harshest critic. I keep talking about this footage I just got and TJ seen it and I am extremely satisfied with it and kind of kicking myself that I just got it now, but it's okay, because I've been talking to some people and good things are about to happen. So a good, powerful piece of footage to show people what I can do I have now in my hands.
Speaker 2:At one point I felt only like a student. Then I did the Wheel of Heaven, where I got lines as death and some things happened in classes. I was no longer afraid to say I'm an actor, not just a student, and I feel like I've gone from. Well, I'm trying to be an actor too. I'm an artist. I have a lot more to learn, but I'm evolving. I'm growing into what I want to be. I feel like I'm on the cusp of it's not like I'm going to be the lead in a Mission Impossible movie, but I feel like I'm almost a SAG, I'm almost a professional. I feel like I'm so close and now the doors are opening and inside and in the industry it's more of that determination because I had my first line in a movie and then the pandemic started. I finally got to where I was ready to start auditioning and the strike happened.
Speaker 2:So, no matter what in your personal life, maybe you have to struggle and take a break. Keep going. Life, or even the industry or whatever puts a roadblock in your way, keep going. That's what I would tell my younger self, anybody I ever met. And the other part is I try to be a positive person and I like posting quotes of it's like little sayings, like you have to choose to be happy, and then sometimes on social media someone would come and be like well, I have a real problem.
Speaker 2:You know, I have been injured for a long time and I can't do that. I understand that. I'm not degrading that. You still have to make a choice. You have to suffer through whatever you're suffering through and strive and work harder. But at the same time, for those and you sound like me, jessica, you're a worry ward, you've got that anxiety it's to not let that ruin a chance for happiness in the moment, feel it and then decide I'm just going to strive to be one step better. I'm going to keep working, but I will get to my goal, no matter what. I kind of went off on that.
Speaker 1:Now it's an important topic, especially in the acting world, because you deal with so much rejection and that harsh critic. You know you are your harshest critic and I think it's easy to get in that spiral of negativity, and so I think it's just important to always keep that positive mindset throughout, you know, home life, acting life, finding up that balance so you can be your best self to achieve what you want. So yeah, ride that roller coaster yeah.
Speaker 3:I'd like to repeat something that my coach says pretty regularly. He says he's never been rejected for a role, he just wasn't selected. That is something that really helps me. I mean, sure, there are roles that I would like to book, but I don't beat myself up if I don't get it, because I know there are a lot of factors outside of my control. If I turn out the best audition I can, if I know I left everything that I could on that tape, I'm good with it.
Speaker 3:And he also says that the audition is the job and other actors have also said this that that's an opportunity for us to showcase our experiences or showcase what we can do the scene side by side, to show the comparison of the eye lines that he used in the self-tape and the eye lines that he used during the actual filming and how similar they are. And to answer your question that kind of an aha moment for me, the first time I got to experience that. Back in October I had my first opportunity to be a lead on a film and from my self-tape to my callback to set the stuff the director had me do, the only thing that was a little bit different my character is pacing at one part. But aside from that, the eye lines, seeing that come to life on set from the self-tape, from crafting that character cradle to grave, that was kind of the the realization for me. Aha, that's what he meant by that. That's what he meant by that. So, yeah, nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:That was an experience that stands out in my mind was finally being able to see from my own perspective what he shows in class, the comparison.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and seeing it in real time and that's what's fun about auditions too is you get to create these worlds wherever you're self-taping. For me it's my bedroom. I've got this in the corner of my room, Creating that environment in your mind and the space, and then to see it on set and on film come to life is just really cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:We've kind of come to our time here.
Speaker 2:It's been an honor, jessica. It's been great meeting you. I loved our conversation. I'm sorry our time is up, but is there anything you'd like to promote, or your social media?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I am pretty active on my Instagram. I do reels, funny skits, just a way to be artistic here at home. I'm busy on there and my handle is it called handle my Instagram? It's just Jay Packard, it's just my name. It's just a fun way for me. It's another creative outlet for me.
Speaker 3:So yeah, I agree, I watch your clips and you do put some pretty funny stuff up there.
Speaker 2:Thanks, I will be following you today. Keep it weird.
