The upsurge of a American actor : Franklin Livingston: Franklin Livingston received training in filmmaking and directing from New York University, and Yale University. Franklin then went on to study at a world-renowned institution, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, where he was trained in Shakespeare and contemporary acting. In addition to studying at institutions, Franklin got trained for 3 years in classical and modern singing by Melania Maldonado, Speech and Voice by Shane Ann Younts and Lenore Harris, and Acting for American Sitcoms by David Ross. Franklin is a trained dancer, he learned Latin and Ball Room Dances at various studios in NYC and Chicago, as well as Bollywood dances by Pooja Narang in New York City. Legendary dance teacher Saroj Khan trained Pooja. Discover more info at Franklin Livingston actor.
Where does Franklin Livingston’s possibility personality come in? It is after a long unfruitful wait that Franklin has decided enough is enough! Franklin is now producing content intending to provide grass-root level casts and crew members opportunities to work making films. In the past five years or so, through his Theatre and Film production companies in New York and Los Angeles, Franklin has shown hope in the Hollywood industry by giving out jobs and chances to thousands of upcoming American actors and crew members in major cities to showcase their work to the global audience.
Franklin has always been in love with cinema and has been making films since the age of 16. He has evolved as technology and style have progressed over the years, and he deeply enjoys the craft in every aspect. Despite excruciating long hours of creative thinking, planning, and executing, and typically being the first to and the last person to walk out of the film sets after sleepless nights, Franklin Livingston never falls out of love with expressing human emotion and capturing stories that need to be told. He believes that a good story must constantly be educating, entertaining and engaging. And that’s what he aims for in his productions.
For our readers that may be interested in acting, filmmaking, and producing, what advice can you give entrepreneurs just starting out in the industry? Be sure to get the right educational foundation. Research acting schools that you are considering. When you have completed your education there, be sure you never stop self-training. In what ways has the Covid-19 pandemic had an effect your career in the movie industry?Speaking as both an actor that has auditioned with other actors, that turned out to not be so great when we got on set, and as a producer, auditions that are done mostly via zoom now, are awful for picking up on so many of the meaningful but more subtle details that you notice when auditioning in person. In audition rooms, you can see the person enter, you see how they walk and stand. Were their hip sockets relaxed, shoulders relaxed, jaw relaxed? Do they look the part?
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that? Al Qually has been a tremendous help on my journey in New York. When I first arrived in the Big Apple, I was angry and depressed because I had so many negative experiences. I believe that it was my growing and learning phase, but I met Al in 2016 who collaborated with me on numerous projects. He always went out of his way to help me with scripts, filmmaking, and much more without any expectations or hidden agendas. We have shot several short films in and outside of his apartment in Queens (including “Down-Range”) where he would be making coffee and running around trying to make sure all actors and crew were taken care of. Since our initial encounter and through Al’s network, I have met many great professionals who have helped me become a better human being and a compelling storyteller.
I am a trained actor, filmmaker, and producer. I received extensive training from Atlantic Acting School, Moscow Art Theatre, New York Film Academy, and the Meisner Studio of Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. I received training in filmmaking and directing from New York University, and Yale University. I also trained at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. I prefer the more serious, dramatic roles that push and challenge my abilities. Please tell us how you make sure people will be fans of your work? I not only work very hard at everything I do, but I am a very genuine person. People often equate acting with pretending, but it is so much deeper than that. When I am acting, I am portraying a character that I have taken a very long time to get to know. You find a way to connect with the role you are playing so that there is personal truth in there too and when you get very good at doing this, your audience won’t be able to tell where you have blurred the line. It will feel very sincere instead, which is what viewers appreciate and deserve.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories? The most interesting people I have ever met are through random encounters. It was awkward in the beginning because I knew I did not have much time to talk to them in the subway, at a coffee shop, or at an intersection. I have made several friends worldwide through these kinds of chance meetings. Once I was paying for my sandwich at a deli near my acting school in NYC and I noticed that the cashier was wearing a fancy watch. I couldn’t help, but comment on it, and she responded by telling me her story. It turns out that she was an engineer from Venezuela, but her education was not recognized in the U.S., so she was forced to work service and retail jobs instead of in her field. We became friends on social media and after a few years we are still are very close friends.
Taking possibilities to the next level: Recent updates on Franklin reveal that he started another company in the state of Connecticut, Oculus Films LLC. The company will also serve as an academy that empathizes with the aspiring actors’ busy schedules. Oculus is a unique acting technique that Franklin has developed. Unlike other training techniques that make American actors feel drained, exhausted, depressed, and in some cases become mentally ill, Oculus Acting Technique makes actors enjoy their presence with other actors and crew members. It also helps the actors create content in the moment in the light of the screenwriter’s content, develop a sincere connection with community members and leave the set happy, rejuvenated, and relaxed having a sense of being heard, respected, and encouraged.