MAKING OF

I read and watch a lot of interviews and articles; with actors primarily, but also with directors and sometimes other crew-types (casting directors, script writers, etc).

I do this for several reasons. One, it's fun. Two, it's my way of staying connected with the acting world. I don't know or talk to a ton of people who are head-over-heels passionate about this business, and this is my way of getting re-inspired . . . like listening in to a conversation. Third, it's a fabulous learning tool. I'm not attending a school for the arts and I'm not going to classes every week. I have learned so much about filmmaking and acting just from watching and reading interviews. Different directors' techniques, how different actors approach roles or choose roles, and on and on. It's fascinating stuff.

I'm subscribed to Entertainment Weekly and Dramatics, I visit IMDb a lot, I'm subscribed to a bunch of website feeds (Buzzine and Interview are just a couple of examples) that provide this sort of thing.

And now, I've got a new addiction. Basically, if you could make a dream web site tailored specifically for me . . . this is it. It's got interviews with people from every area of film--actors, costume designers, producers, stuntmen, to list only a few. It's called Making Of, and it's founded and run by actress Natalie Portman, who says, "The goal is really to be a comprehensive, centralized place for people who want to learn about film if it's specific aspects like how they got that cool explosion in the Bond movie or the serious film student wondering what lens they used when they shot that midnight scene or whatever," she explains to E! News. "We want to have that range and also cover departments that aren't typically covered in entertainment news."

I'm in heaven, pretty much. Check it out.