MY experience - and you nailed it - was that you were only as good as your castmates; you wanted them to be wonderful so that you could be wonderful too! Nice to know that idea has survived 50 years! And when someone ULTIMATELY succeeded, no one had a bigger louder cheering section.
i love hearing you talk about how much you love drama school. as someone about to finish my BA and is absolutely terrified of the future your videos are nice reminder that 1) life doesn't end after graduation and 2) that just because something is a risk doesn't mean it isn't worth doing. thanks for documenting your journey, dan. it's such a breath of fresh air for an anxious mind.
the "fame or nothing" ideal that's been pushed forward by both the x-factor/reality shows era and now shoved in our faces with the rise of influencers and getting "DIY" fame "overnight" through platforms like tiktok and youtube is something i can talk about forever, because it's just so interesting. i would love your perspective on it since you came up through that youtube boom era, and how you've seen that impact people
blinking at the structure in your life disappearing is so relatable. I'm a full time carer for my partner and it's SO easy to lose all rhythm with the housework and chores. Even if I only stay up late once , it fucks my whole week
I only rediscovered your channel and found out about the whole drama school thing this week and you would not believe HOW FAST I clicked on this video! As someone who also went back to uni in her thirties, I am just SO SO happy for you :)
I love this series so much, despite not having much interest in drama school. Your perspectives on what it's like to push your boundaries, try something you've always wanted to do - I just love the perspective. And it's fun to watch someone succeed (I know you haven't succeeded in the industry but in my view you're succeeding every day you go make your younger self fulfilled!) I'm a smidge older than you, and finally in the "right" job for me but in an unstable industry (broadcast journalism). This series has given me some food for thought about second (or in my case..fifteenth) acts if Things Fall Apart.
I’ve always hoped that whatever your interest, you can find a bit of comfort and relatability in my videos! So even if you’re so far removed from performing arts, if you’re chasing your dream of opening a shop or teaching or being a physicist, or whatever, I think a dream is something beautiful to have and knowing other people are giving it a go too is comforting! Second acts are a joyous thing and I’m grateful to be in mine. (But also…Shakespeare uses 5 Acts, so if it goes wrong…)
i think it’s so valuable that you have the perspective of ‘i tried to let go of my passion for this for 12 years, and i couldn’t, so i’m here fighting for it’🙏🏻 thank you so much for sharing your experience! wishing all the best for the future😊
"A level of tenacity is important but confidence? Pfft" I really needed to hear this, I think. I've called myself an artist for like 15 years but all I ever seem to do is start and stop things. I just need to "do the darn thing" but I never seem to. And FWIW your hair looks FANTASTIC
Something I’ve thought about a lot is the idea that DOING brings answers and those answers can be scary. If you COULD do something it has potential. If you DO it, the question of that potential is answered. This is the mindset that stopped me auditioning for years. Because if I didn’t audition, I could still go one day, and if I DID audition they might say no. But I suppose…look what happened when i just DID the darn thing!
As someone who is in a circus arts school (yeah it’s a thing 😊) it’s very interesting to listen to this! So many relatable experiences and I wanted to share my thoughts about this ‘you are friends with people you want to work together with’ thing. Because I think there is also an aspect of going to performing arts school where you come to really trust and know the people you are in the class with and so it’s gonna be easier to work together later on. Particularly in circus where sometimes your life literally depends on the people that you work with it’s important that you trust them and have good communication, which is something you build up over time through friendship! Wondering if there is a similar feeling in theatre??
Thank you so much for this series! I've just started my MA in Museum Studies and this has become my weekly check in to remind myself how grateful I am to have this opportunity to study what I love
The thing about confidence being needed to succeed is so interesting makes my brain go all tingly so I'm gonna go on a bit of a ramble! In my experience, tall poppy syndrome and imposter syndrome are incredibly common in basically any postgraduate course (or really in any work where you are working to get better and succeed in that way!). Everyone has doubts, and moments where you are unsure if what you are putting forward is good enough. BUT! there does also come a point where you have to be able to stand up and say, "yes, I am good at what I do, and I do have something of value to offer the world." It can take practice and faking it til you make it to be able to say it and mean it with your whole chest and heart, but eventually you do make it, and you do have confidence in your work. That's not to say you never have doubts again-- confidence and self doubt aren't mutually exclusive! But in order to be able to put yourself and your work and your art into the world, I think you do need to have confidence that it is worth other people seeing it. For me, my cohort and my community help me so much with this, and their belief in me helps me believe in myself when my worries start to climb out of the box in the corner that I usually try to keep them in. Very long comment, TL;DR confidence and self doubt aren't mutually exclusive, and if you want to do work in the world you need to believe on some level that your work has value. Great video as always! 💙🌱
unrelated to the theme of the video but the phrase "five or so years ago when i watched it during lockdown" just threwwww me like "five years ago" and "lockdown" should not exist in the same sentence
i always think it's funny when you mention you're not a triple threat-dance being your weaker skill, in your opinion- because i distinctly remember you giving dodie tips on how to dance for a music video back in the day. so in my eyes you are a triple threat lol
as someone currently studying their Masters of Psychology in Australia, im surprised at how much I’ve related to your experience in terms of the vulnerability of doing something new, the busy-ness of such an intensive course and the excitement that comes with diving in! so while i would never be able to do drama school, theres a universal experience in doing Masters thats comforting to watch.
I absolutely love hearing about your experience at drama school. I've been watching you for around 8 or 9 years now and it's just wonderful to see that after different eras and things you tried you ended up at this place and you're thriving. Nobody said it would be easy but your determination and the passion you have for it - it's just wonderful to see. Go Dan!!!
Drama school is fascinating to me, it's so different to any other education most people get. The amount of work you guys put in is second to none, as a BA Geology student now I can tell you I am not doing nearly as much work 😂
As the owner of the 'Fame' comment, it's a fair cop guv. I own my era. Lovely cuppatea chat as always, Dan. I'm loving watching your journey - best of luck for the rest of it.
This is so interesting! It's such a different academic world than the one I spent my time in during my academic career (USAmerican, BFA in History, MFA in Museum Studies), but there was a point in my life where I considered getting a BFA in Theatre Performance, so it's fun to get a little peek into what could have been if I'd gone that route too. All that's to say, thanks for sharing!
so interesting to hear ur perspective!!! im considering doing an MA in acting even though i graduated with a BA in history, and while ur talking about a different course, it’s helpful to hear ur perspective :)!
I’ve gone down some really weird rabbit hole from revisiting becoming TH-cam and idk how I got there but it’s really cool to see this, chasing dreams is a difficult thing but it’s about the journey not the destination. Spoken from someone who has no idea what to do with my life lol
Knowing what you want to do is overrated!! Chase your bliss and follow whatever path it takes you on! Mine took a winding road and I ended up back here. Who knows where it’ll go next!
Obviously it's up to them but I would love a video of either a q&a or just an effortless chat with your classmates cos I'm curious about how all your experiences vary (and obviously I'm also curious about what they really think of you 😅)
@DanLayton as soon as I started typing my thought, I knew the wording it would elicit a sarcastic response out of you 😂. Ofc they would be down for it, they're theatre students. I look forward to it then! 💜
Daniel, I would be very interested in what you and your school have to say about current musicals popular in the West End based on films? Doubtfire, Prada, Back to the Future... That do not have audiences exiting humming a tune from the show, at least that I've experienced. Is that not important any more? The only exception has been Moulin Rouge with the Can-Can (and Book of Mormon which isn't based on a film). These shows were spectacles and I did enjoy them AND I missed the memorable songs. Am I old fashioned to believe that when you leave a good musical you and everybody else should be humming a tune?
reading week is the biggest lie of university ever. i have said to myself every year of my degree that i will use reading week to catch up and be productive and every time the complete opposite has happened. Anything productive achieved in reading week should be worn like a badge of honour also big yes on reality tv and celebrity culture. as a sociology student, it's impact as a whole is really interesting and i actually did end up analysing 'im a celebrity' and its societal impact on the audience regarding politics and the idealisation of celebrities for my media studies essay last year
of course I can’t speak from experience of accessibility needs, BUT. What I will say is there does seem to be the clear and active intention from Mountview to be an accessible place. They’re very open about their expectations but also very clear that they want to meet you at your needs. I can’t speak for other institutions, but it sounds to me like drama training and the reputable schools is making leaps and bounds to try and correct previous issues in that regard. So I would encourage you to investigate further, if you’re curious!!
So happy to see you THRIVING Dan! I hope your looking forward to SS 🩸 ☝️ In life you have to fake it till you make it. Confidence is a muscle you practice! Good luck for the rest of term
MY experience - and you nailed it - was that you were only as good as your castmates; you wanted them to be wonderful so that you could be wonderful too! Nice to know that idea has survived 50 years! And when someone ULTIMATELY succeeded, no one had a bigger louder cheering section.
i love hearing you talk about how much you love drama school. as someone about to finish my BA and is absolutely terrified of the future your videos are nice reminder that 1) life doesn't end after graduation and 2) that just because something is a risk doesn't mean it isn't worth doing. thanks for documenting your journey, dan. it's such a breath of fresh air for an anxious mind.
the "fame or nothing" ideal that's been pushed forward by both the x-factor/reality shows era and now shoved in our faces with the rise of influencers and getting "DIY" fame "overnight" through platforms like tiktok and youtube is something i can talk about forever, because it's just so interesting. i would love your perspective on it since you came up through that youtube boom era, and how you've seen that impact people
blinking at the structure in your life disappearing is so relatable. I'm a full time carer for my partner and it's SO easy to lose all rhythm with the housework and chores. Even if I only stay up late once , it fucks my whole week
I only rediscovered your channel and found out about the whole drama school thing this week and you would not believe HOW FAST I clicked on this video! As someone who also went back to uni in her thirties, I am just SO SO happy for you :)
Thank you so much! And I’m glad the algorithm brought you back this way!!
I love this series so much, despite not having much interest in drama school. Your perspectives on what it's like to push your boundaries, try something you've always wanted to do - I just love the perspective. And it's fun to watch someone succeed (I know you haven't succeeded in the industry but in my view you're succeeding every day you go make your younger self fulfilled!)
I'm a smidge older than you, and finally in the "right" job for me but in an unstable industry (broadcast journalism). This series has given me some food for thought about second (or in my case..fifteenth) acts if Things Fall Apart.
I’ve always hoped that whatever your interest, you can find a bit of comfort and relatability in my videos! So even if you’re so far removed from performing arts, if you’re chasing your dream of opening a shop or teaching or being a physicist, or whatever, I think a dream is something beautiful to have and knowing other people are giving it a go too is comforting!
Second acts are a joyous thing and I’m grateful to be in mine. (But also…Shakespeare uses 5
Acts, so if it goes wrong…)
@@DanLaytonCurrently training as a teacher and I relate to a lot of your experience! Also as I keep being told, half of teaching is acting anyway.
I feel like this video series is just so immensely healing for anyone doing anything creative. thanks for taking us with you ❤
i think it’s so valuable that you have the perspective of ‘i tried to let go of my passion for this for 12 years, and i couldn’t, so i’m here fighting for it’🙏🏻 thank you so much for sharing your experience! wishing all the best for the future😊
"A level of tenacity is important but confidence? Pfft" I really needed to hear this, I think. I've called myself an artist for like 15 years but all I ever seem to do is start and stop things. I just need to "do the darn thing" but I never seem to.
And FWIW your hair looks FANTASTIC
Something I’ve thought about a lot is the idea that DOING brings answers and those answers can be scary. If you COULD do something it has potential. If you DO it, the question of that potential is answered.
This is the mindset that stopped me auditioning for years. Because if I didn’t audition, I could still go one day, and if I DID audition they might say no.
But I suppose…look what happened when i just DID the darn thing!
Nah started the video just straight up lying to us. Your hair looked amazing.
really appreciated your response on introverted people in drama school as an introverted person in drama school :) Much love
As someone who is in a circus arts school (yeah it’s a thing 😊) it’s very interesting to listen to this! So many relatable experiences and I wanted to share my thoughts about this ‘you are friends with people you want to work together with’ thing. Because I think there is also an aspect of going to performing arts school where you come to really trust and know the people you are in the class with and so it’s gonna be easier to work together later on.
Particularly in circus where sometimes your life literally depends on the people that you work with it’s important that you trust them and have good communication, which is something you build up over time through friendship!
Wondering if there is a similar feeling in theatre??
Thank you so much for this series! I've just started my MA in Museum Studies and this has become my weekly check in to remind myself how grateful I am to have this opportunity to study what I love
The thing about confidence being needed to succeed is so interesting makes my brain go all tingly so I'm gonna go on a bit of a ramble!
In my experience, tall poppy syndrome and imposter syndrome are incredibly common in basically any postgraduate course (or really in any work where you are working to get better and succeed in that way!). Everyone has doubts, and moments where you are unsure if what you are putting forward is good enough. BUT! there does also come a point where you have to be able to stand up and say, "yes, I am good at what I do, and I do have something of value to offer the world." It can take practice and faking it til you make it to be able to say it and mean it with your whole chest and heart, but eventually you do make it, and you do have confidence in your work. That's not to say you never have doubts again-- confidence and self doubt aren't mutually exclusive! But in order to be able to put yourself and your work and your art into the world, I think you do need to have confidence that it is worth other people seeing it. For me, my cohort and my community help me so much with this, and their belief in me helps me believe in myself when my worries start to climb out of the box in the corner that I usually try to keep them in.
Very long comment, TL;DR confidence and self doubt aren't mutually exclusive, and if you want to do work in the world you need to believe on some level that your work has value.
Great video as always! 💙🌱
unrelated to the theme of the video but the phrase "five or so years ago when i watched it during lockdown" just threwwww me like "five years ago" and "lockdown" should not exist in the same sentence
i always think it's funny when you mention you're not a triple threat-dance being your weaker skill, in your opinion- because i distinctly remember you giving dodie tips on how to dance for a music video back in the day. so in my eyes you are a triple threat lol
as someone currently studying their Masters of Psychology in Australia, im surprised at how much I’ve related to your experience in terms of the vulnerability of doing something new, the busy-ness of such an intensive course and the excitement that comes with diving in! so while i would never be able to do drama school, theres a universal experience in doing Masters thats comforting to watch.
I absolutely love hearing about your experience at drama school. I've been watching you for around 8 or 9 years now and it's just wonderful to see that after different eras and things you tried you ended up at this place and you're thriving. Nobody said it would be easy but your determination and the passion you have for it - it's just wonderful to see. Go Dan!!!
Love that my Rachel and Kurt question was used. It's actually surprised me that some of it is accurate?!
Drama school is fascinating to me, it's so different to any other education most people get. The amount of work you guys put in is second to none, as a BA Geology student now I can tell you I am not doing nearly as much work 😂
Rooting for you DJL ⭐️
As the owner of the 'Fame' comment, it's a fair cop guv. I own my era. Lovely cuppatea chat as always, Dan. I'm loving watching your journey - best of luck for the rest of it.
Two months already, bloody hell. Proud of you!
This is so interesting! It's such a different academic world than the one I spent my time in during my academic career (USAmerican, BFA in History, MFA in Museum Studies), but there was a point in my life where I considered getting a BFA in Theatre Performance, so it's fun to get a little peek into what could have been if I'd gone that route too. All that's to say, thanks for sharing!
so interesting to hear ur perspective!!! im considering doing an MA in acting even though i graduated with a BA in history, and while ur talking about a different course, it’s helpful to hear ur perspective :)!
The fact that we're doing Glee comparisons in 2024 is such a mood.
So cool to hear more about all of this!
okay but the audacity to say that "dance again" ist a JLO reference when A Very Potter Musical is right there
Never seen it 😬😬 but I have seen the Danxe Again performance on American Idol COUNTLESS fimes
Oh my God Dan, please watch the very potter musicals!! They are amazing and like a love letter to theatre kids doing what they love!
Just started the video and i'm excited to know about your experiences. 🙂
I’ve gone down some really weird rabbit hole from revisiting becoming TH-cam and idk how I got there but it’s really cool to see this, chasing dreams is a difficult thing but it’s about the journey not the destination. Spoken from someone who has no idea what to do with my life lol
Knowing what you want to do is overrated!! Chase your bliss and follow whatever path it takes you on! Mine took a winding road and I ended up back here. Who knows where it’ll go next!
@ it’s the journey!!! ☺️
Obviously it's up to them but I would love a video of either a q&a or just an effortless chat with your classmates cos I'm curious about how all your experiences vary (and obviously I'm also curious about what they really think of you 😅)
They’re all so shy and retiring I wonder if any of them would even go near a camera…
(I absolutely have a plan for precisely this!)
@DanLayton as soon as I started typing my thought, I knew the wording it would elicit a sarcastic response out of you 😂. Ofc they would be down for it, they're theatre students. I look forward to it then! 💜
Can’t wait to see what scenes you are in?!?!?!
i graduated from Mountview this summer and can confirm all of these things are so true ahahah the "arguments" in the hallways 😂
Between arguments in the hallways and people napping outside the studios it’s a constant state of “what happened here…”
Stayed all the way to the end of the video to see if the "in training" was gone from the end card. I can't wait until it disappears :)
Loved this video! Great insights :)
Daniel, I would be very interested in what you and your school have to say about current musicals popular in the West End based on films?
Doubtfire, Prada, Back to the Future... That do not have audiences exiting humming a tune from the show, at least that I've experienced.
Is that not important any more?
The only exception has been Moulin Rouge with the Can-Can (and Book of Mormon which isn't based on a film).
These shows were spectacles and I did enjoy them AND I missed the memorable songs.
Am I old fashioned to believe that when you leave a good musical you and everybody else should be humming a tune?
reading week is the biggest lie of university ever. i have said to myself every year of my degree that i will use reading week to catch up and be productive and every time the complete opposite has happened. Anything productive achieved in reading week should be worn like a badge of honour
also big yes on reality tv and celebrity culture. as a sociology student, it's impact as a whole is really interesting and i actually did end up analysing 'im a celebrity' and its societal impact on the audience regarding politics and the idealisation of celebrities for my media studies essay last year
I've thought about drama school but I'm unsure of how accessible these things would be as I'm visually impaired and how that would work on stage.
of course I can’t speak from experience of accessibility needs, BUT. What I will say is there does seem to be the clear and active intention from Mountview to be an accessible place. They’re very open about their expectations but also very clear that they want to meet you at your needs. I can’t speak for other institutions, but it sounds to me like drama training and the reputable schools is making leaps and bounds to try and correct previous issues in that regard. So I would encourage you to investigate further, if you’re curious!!
@DanLayton aw thank you for your reply. That does sound interesting..I'll have a look into it.
Currently watching this to procrastinate my Nosferatu essay that I haven't even started yet 💀
Ooh what course is that for?
@@alissa6380 Its called 'German Cinema from Expressionism to the Present' rly interesting :P
@@Luc.Hewett cool. good luck with your essay! you can do it!
hell yeah brother 🤘
I did an ma in fine art it swallowed up my life in the best way!
Extroversion amd outgoing are two separate metrics!!!
💕
Missing the blonde
So happy to see you THRIVING Dan! I hope your looking forward to SS 🩸 ☝️ In life you have to fake it till you make it. Confidence is a muscle you practice! Good luck for the rest of term