Days since graduation: Had lost count, but it's 262.
Hello friends,
Long time no talk. I suppose I will start at what will serve at the beginning. I originally started this blog as a way to catalog my journey from random college graduate to wherever I ended up. I had defined myself as an actor for years, and saw no reason to stop. A bad show experience and a couple months of unemployment followed, and when I finally got a job it was the same thing I had done for a chunk of college, delivering food. I still planned on moving to New York City, but each part of the plan continually fell through. Eventually I began to re-think certain parts of my plans. One fateful day, I was enjoying a constant and yet un-stressful day of deliveries at work when all of a sudden a thought hit:
What if I wasn't an actor? What else would I have left?
I stripped away everything that I did/thought/said "as an actor", and was left with...
And I was left with just that, an ellipsis. I had created an entire life based off of what I did, and then had suddenly become aware of that fact. Many people fear the day machines become self-aware, but I've come to discover that we could all use a nice dose of it every now and again.
That was November, and since then, well, not too much has happened really. I was recently promoted "off the road" to being the Assistant Manager of the store. I know for a fact that this is not my long term path, however, and I refuse (and am probably not allowed) to fill a blog space with the tedious details of my job. I have also begun a film company MUNDANE! Media, with Josh Cole, my best friend of many years. We have been met with a modicum of success, and will hopefully be able to build on it a bit more. This blog will probably chronicle that. And other things. I have less of a definite idea of "what belongs in the blog" or not than when I started.
The new title of the blog comes from the working title for a TV pilot dreamed up by one Ms. Corinna Rezzelle (who will probably hate me for using it) that I began working on right before the whole identity crisis kicked in. It originally meant her and I's friendship, but at this point it accurately describes what's going on in my head. I know who "Darwin Hull" is: He's got an e-mail account, a website, a Facebook Fan Page, a Publicity Twitter, and a Business Card to help people find them all along with a snappy headshot photo on the front. "Darwin Hull" has his shit figured out, his head on straight, and is gonna go somewhere one of these days.
One of my favorite episodes of any show is the first episode of the second season of the new Doctor Who series "The Christmas" invasion.. The Doctor (played by David Tennant) has just awakened from regenerating (changing bodies. It's Sci-Fi, work with me here.) and is struggling to discover just who he is now. Throughout he asks things like "Is that the sort of man I am now? Am I rude?". After losing his hand in a sword fight with an alien (SCI-FI), it regenerates and he declares "This new hand, it's a fightin' hand!" and defeats the alien. The episode ends with the Doctor feeling comfortable in his new skin, and the Earth has been saved once more.
Using TV as a metaphor for life (something I encourage only in short bursts), I find myself at the climax of the story. My old life is gone. I'm not in Savannah anymore, and I'm know damn well that the road ahead in my career (whether I return to performance or not) isn't going to be easy. My hand has been cut off, and now I need to rebuild. I don't know how the parts are going to arrange themselves, but deep down I believe that things will absolutely work out for the best. I represent myself as a sarcastic pessimist, but in the end, I think the good will come out ahead of the bad.
What's coming next? I don't know. But I invite you to watch.
Thanks for reading, and being there.
-Darwin
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Phew!
Days Since Graduation: 17
Sorry for the lack of updates, but as I'm sure you can imagine life got pretty crazy as graduation came and went, immediately followed by the big move back to Pennsylvania. It is all a very fun and exciting time, although I can't say that it is all good news.
Unfortunately, I am no longer a part of the Fishing Creek Playhouse's production of 1776. When I finally sat down and ran the numbers in my head, I was not being paid enough to be a part of the show, and doing it would impede my ultimate goal of moving to New York City. I wish them the best of luck in their production, which opens this Friday, and I encourage you to go see it if you're in the area.
But, with the release of the old plans come the new plans! I have moved my timeline for moving to New York up to July 1st, making all kinds of adjustments to my life in the mean time. I'm currently trying to find a job up there, and will crash with some different people until I find an apartment if necessary. It's scary, but very exciting.
Last Wednesday I visited the city. I spent most of the day alone, lost, in the cold and rain. I loved every single minute of it. I basically wandered around all of Manhattan for the day, hitting a lot of the entertainment landmarks in the burrough and finding a lot of cool opportunities all the while. Then I met up with Alisyn from college, who was quite upset with me for making her run around in the rain. A couple hours later and I was back home, exhausted but exhilarated at the same time.
That's all the news I have for right now, but there is some really cool stuff coming down the pipes soon!
See you in 15,
Darwin
Sorry for the lack of updates, but as I'm sure you can imagine life got pretty crazy as graduation came and went, immediately followed by the big move back to Pennsylvania. It is all a very fun and exciting time, although I can't say that it is all good news.
Unfortunately, I am no longer a part of the Fishing Creek Playhouse's production of 1776. When I finally sat down and ran the numbers in my head, I was not being paid enough to be a part of the show, and doing it would impede my ultimate goal of moving to New York City. I wish them the best of luck in their production, which opens this Friday, and I encourage you to go see it if you're in the area.
But, with the release of the old plans come the new plans! I have moved my timeline for moving to New York up to July 1st, making all kinds of adjustments to my life in the mean time. I'm currently trying to find a job up there, and will crash with some different people until I find an apartment if necessary. It's scary, but very exciting.
Last Wednesday I visited the city. I spent most of the day alone, lost, in the cold and rain. I loved every single minute of it. I basically wandered around all of Manhattan for the day, hitting a lot of the entertainment landmarks in the burrough and finding a lot of cool opportunities all the while. Then I met up with Alisyn from college, who was quite upset with me for making her run around in the rain. A couple hours later and I was back home, exhausted but exhilarated at the same time.
That's all the news I have for right now, but there is some really cool stuff coming down the pipes soon!
See you in 15,
Darwin
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Harvey Trailer
Days Until Graduation: 9
Apparently I posted that film shoot review a few days early, because Josh put out the teaser trailer for Harvey a few days later. Check it out!
Sorry for the lack of updates this week. I've been doing tech for One, as well as working on sound for the rest of the senior shows.
Senior Show schedule
Cohort 1: Tiffany Oglesby, Josh Nunn, Rachel Herrick, Shereene Lee
Cohort 2: Tara Leissner, Chris Jameson, Jo Arellanes, Ciara Montalbo
Thursday, 8 PM: Cohort 1
Friday, 8 PM: Cohort 2
Saturday, 8 PM: Cohort 1
Sunday, 3 PM: Cohort 2
Hope to see you there!
Back in 15,
Darwin
Apparently I posted that film shoot review a few days early, because Josh put out the teaser trailer for Harvey a few days later. Check it out!
Sorry for the lack of updates this week. I've been doing tech for One, as well as working on sound for the rest of the senior shows.
Senior Show schedule
Cohort 1: Tiffany Oglesby, Josh Nunn, Rachel Herrick, Shereene Lee
Cohort 2: Tara Leissner, Chris Jameson, Jo Arellanes, Ciara Montalbo
Thursday, 8 PM: Cohort 1
Friday, 8 PM: Cohort 2
Saturday, 8 PM: Cohort 1
Sunday, 3 PM: Cohort 2
Hope to see you there!
Back in 15,
Darwin
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The first big "last"
Days to Graduation: 16
On Tuesday, I performed in my last student film at SCAD. It's an adaptation of a scene from "Babylon Returns" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was only 5 pages long, and I was actually the smallest role in it, but it was still an enjoyable experience. Of course, now I'm sitting here thinking about all of the student films that I've done...the most significant of which I'll list here. Most of the missing quarters are due to me doing a stage show and being unable to perform in many films. I know for a fact that I am forgetting a lot, as I have done several dozen.
Freshman Year
Fall Quarter- My first film set was for a project by a guy named Bruce Bohman, I believe the name of it was "Life is Beautiful". I only appeared in the background, but getting to hang out on set was really helpful, and the connections I got from that set kept me working for a quite some time.
Winter and Spring Quarter- I did a smattering of different projects, none that really stand out as significant.
Sophomore Year
Fall Quarter- Church Security, directed by Matt Friestch. This was the first project that I actually got a copy of, so the furthest I can look back and cringe at how bad I was on camera.
Winter Quarter- Performing in my best friend Josh's first film at SCAD. It was a silent black and white bolex film of me as a homeless man flipping out on a bench in the middle of Forsyth park. If memory serves, it was overexposed, like most bolex projects.
Also that quarter was Handsome Herb, directed by Jim Hobby, the second project I got a copy of, and when I really started to come into my own on camera.
Junior Year-
Spring Quarter- After 6 straight months of going from show to show I took a quarter off to work and do film work. 3 major projects came out of this.
Wild Thing- Another Josh Cole film, based off a song of the same name. I played the father keeping her daughter away from the Wild Thing. There's a very rough cut available on YouTube, if you care to go track it down.
Wing of Death- My first major project with a group of Grad Students. I played a Spring Breaker in Mexico who is forced into a deadly Hot Wing eating contest. It's as ridiculous as it sounds, and is still in post from what I understand.
NightCide- A film by David Wardell, in which I play- well, I'll let you check this one out for yourself, here's the link.
NightCide and Wing of Death were the first films where I was ever really happy with my performance.
Summer Quarter:
COOL COW: The Musical. Directed by Britt Faulkner, who I met on Wing of Death, this was my first musical film. It was also the most intense shoot I had been on until that point, shooting 30 minutes of footage in 4 days and recording all the music in 2. I have a rough cut on DVD, but here's a photo from the final number. Cool Cow was the first project I did that generated a lot of buzz (pun intended) around the film department, and I've gotten a lot of work from it.
Senior Year
Winter Quarter:
This quarter found me taking an Intro to Film class as well as helping Josh out on his senior set.
Underneath the Robe- This was my final for Intro to Film, which I obviously helped produce and acted in as well. It received rave reviews, and we're still deciding whether it would be better as a viral video online or if we should submit it to some festivals.
Harvey- Josh's senior project. I was his casting director and played one of Harvey's victims. I also helped out on all over the set, using what I'd learned in class. It was an awesome experience.
Spring Quarter
The Sun's Legging's, Britt Faulkner's Thesis Film. This was the mother of all film projects, at least as I was concerned. I'll do a dedicated post to this when the film is finished production and released, but here is the rough trailer, created off just 11 hours of filming.
Well, there's the rough list of my film work here in Savannah. If anyone wants more detail about any of them, just leave a comment and I'll do it.
Back in 15,
Darwin
On Tuesday, I performed in my last student film at SCAD. It's an adaptation of a scene from "Babylon Returns" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was only 5 pages long, and I was actually the smallest role in it, but it was still an enjoyable experience. Of course, now I'm sitting here thinking about all of the student films that I've done...the most significant of which I'll list here. Most of the missing quarters are due to me doing a stage show and being unable to perform in many films. I know for a fact that I am forgetting a lot, as I have done several dozen.
Freshman Year
Fall Quarter- My first film set was for a project by a guy named Bruce Bohman, I believe the name of it was "Life is Beautiful". I only appeared in the background, but getting to hang out on set was really helpful, and the connections I got from that set kept me working for a quite some time.
Winter and Spring Quarter- I did a smattering of different projects, none that really stand out as significant.
Sophomore Year
Fall Quarter- Church Security, directed by Matt Friestch. This was the first project that I actually got a copy of, so the furthest I can look back and cringe at how bad I was on camera.
Winter Quarter- Performing in my best friend Josh's first film at SCAD. It was a silent black and white bolex film of me as a homeless man flipping out on a bench in the middle of Forsyth park. If memory serves, it was overexposed, like most bolex projects.
Also that quarter was Handsome Herb, directed by Jim Hobby, the second project I got a copy of, and when I really started to come into my own on camera.
Junior Year-
Spring Quarter- After 6 straight months of going from show to show I took a quarter off to work and do film work. 3 major projects came out of this.
Wild Thing- Another Josh Cole film, based off a song of the same name. I played the father keeping her daughter away from the Wild Thing. There's a very rough cut available on YouTube, if you care to go track it down.
Wing of Death- My first major project with a group of Grad Students. I played a Spring Breaker in Mexico who is forced into a deadly Hot Wing eating contest. It's as ridiculous as it sounds, and is still in post from what I understand.
NightCide- A film by David Wardell, in which I play- well, I'll let you check this one out for yourself, here's the link.
NightCide and Wing of Death were the first films where I was ever really happy with my performance.
Summer Quarter:
COOL COW: The Musical. Directed by Britt Faulkner, who I met on Wing of Death, this was my first musical film. It was also the most intense shoot I had been on until that point, shooting 30 minutes of footage in 4 days and recording all the music in 2. I have a rough cut on DVD, but here's a photo from the final number. Cool Cow was the first project I did that generated a lot of buzz (pun intended) around the film department, and I've gotten a lot of work from it.
Senior Year
Winter Quarter:
This quarter found me taking an Intro to Film class as well as helping Josh out on his senior set.
Underneath the Robe- This was my final for Intro to Film, which I obviously helped produce and acted in as well. It received rave reviews, and we're still deciding whether it would be better as a viral video online or if we should submit it to some festivals.
Harvey- Josh's senior project. I was his casting director and played one of Harvey's victims. I also helped out on all over the set, using what I'd learned in class. It was an awesome experience.
Spring Quarter
The Sun's Legging's, Britt Faulkner's Thesis Film. This was the mother of all film projects, at least as I was concerned. I'll do a dedicated post to this when the film is finished production and released, but here is the rough trailer, created off just 11 hours of filming.
Well, there's the rough list of my film work here in Savannah. If anyone wants more detail about any of them, just leave a comment and I'll do it.
Back in 15,
Darwin
Monday, May 10, 2010
And so it begins
It's May 11th at 2:16 AM.
Days to Graduation: 18
This is where I will begin logging my journey as I graduate college and venture out into the world of 2010. I'll be graduating with a BFA in Performing Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Which basically means that I'll be graduating with a piece of paper and a few dozen thousand dollars in student loans with absolutely no guarantee of a job. I've actually already booked a gig, but there will be more on that later. My life for the next few months is pretty much set.
For the past few weeks I have been working on a show called One. It is my friend Chris Jameson's senior show, and also my directorial debut. "One" invites audience members to follow the activities of an individual named Eric, as he battles his conflicting emotions during a routine psychiatry session. The show will alternate between the present and the past by interspersing scenes depicting events from Eric’s earlier life throughout the discussions with his psychiatrist. Over the course of the play, his moral codes will be put to the test as he is forced to answer questions regarding his sexuality, religious beliefs and his relationships with those whom he holds dearest. The show will act as a compilation piece, and will offer scenes from "Angels in America," "Dog Sees God" and "Dare." The show will run on May 21st at 8 PM, and May 23rd at 3 PM, in conjunction with the other senior shows this quarter.
A week later, I finish classes, walk at Graduation, and in just under 3 weeks I will pack up and leave Savannah for the foreseeable future. Savannah has been my home for the last 4 years, and I'm actually rather sad to go so soon after I graduate. I would have considered hanging out, but:
This summer, I will be appearing in the Fishing Creek Dinner Theatre's production of 1776. I will be a swing, playing multiple roles including Rutledge and Lee. The company began rehearsals 2 weeks ago, and the show opens on June 18th. I already know that I will be playing Lee on opening night, so the fact that I will join rehearsals on June 1st ups the pressure significantly. But, I've been in tighter situations before, and I will rise above.
After the show closes, I will be moving to New York City to try my luck at being a working actor. I know it'll be a struggle, but I'm actually pretty excited for the challenge. I didn't go to college to study acting to sit around and not take any more risks, now did I?
Anyway, I'll be back to report as time goes on. I don't actually know how often or what all will go into this blog.
Back in 15,
Darwin
Days to Graduation: 18
This is where I will begin logging my journey as I graduate college and venture out into the world of 2010. I'll be graduating with a BFA in Performing Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Which basically means that I'll be graduating with a piece of paper and a few dozen thousand dollars in student loans with absolutely no guarantee of a job. I've actually already booked a gig, but there will be more on that later. My life for the next few months is pretty much set.
For the past few weeks I have been working on a show called One. It is my friend Chris Jameson's senior show, and also my directorial debut. "One" invites audience members to follow the activities of an individual named Eric, as he battles his conflicting emotions during a routine psychiatry session. The show will alternate between the present and the past by interspersing scenes depicting events from Eric’s earlier life throughout the discussions with his psychiatrist. Over the course of the play, his moral codes will be put to the test as he is forced to answer questions regarding his sexuality, religious beliefs and his relationships with those whom he holds dearest. The show will act as a compilation piece, and will offer scenes from "Angels in America," "Dog Sees God" and "Dare." The show will run on May 21st at 8 PM, and May 23rd at 3 PM, in conjunction with the other senior shows this quarter.
A week later, I finish classes, walk at Graduation, and in just under 3 weeks I will pack up and leave Savannah for the foreseeable future. Savannah has been my home for the last 4 years, and I'm actually rather sad to go so soon after I graduate. I would have considered hanging out, but:
This summer, I will be appearing in the Fishing Creek Dinner Theatre's production of 1776. I will be a swing, playing multiple roles including Rutledge and Lee. The company began rehearsals 2 weeks ago, and the show opens on June 18th. I already know that I will be playing Lee on opening night, so the fact that I will join rehearsals on June 1st ups the pressure significantly. But, I've been in tighter situations before, and I will rise above.
After the show closes, I will be moving to New York City to try my luck at being a working actor. I know it'll be a struggle, but I'm actually pretty excited for the challenge. I didn't go to college to study acting to sit around and not take any more risks, now did I?
Anyway, I'll be back to report as time goes on. I don't actually know how often or what all will go into this blog.
Back in 15,
Darwin
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