So, it's been some time since my last entry into this blog. It's been crazy busy for me these last several months - and not really from an acting standpoint. Things are really good with me and I'm trying to get back into gear from an acting perspective.
So, I have a new website. If you get a chance, check it out: www.RajSuriActor.com . For those of you who remember my last website, it kind of had that 1995-when-the-internet-first-came-out feel to it. Well, that's because that's when I learned HTML and it was the best I could do. And, for the most part, the old website served it's purpose. It had my headshots, my reels and my resume. All the info you needed to know on how to cast me was there but it failed in two aspects. 1) Even though it was quite functional, it looked kind of lame and somewhat unprofessional. 2) There was nothing on the site in terms of branding. Branding is so key as an actor - what makes you unique in the sea of thousands of talented actors. If you don't know the answer to that question, it's in your best interest to figure it out. As actors, we all like to believe that we can play anything and do it superbly. And for some actors (not myself), this is a true statement. But, in taking an honest look at yourself and your abilities, if you can market a certain brand that is organically YOU and create that image among agents, casting directors, producers, etc, it will provide that extra leverage in getting you through the door for certain types of jobs. Of course, I'm talking from the stand point from booking professional jobs. Anyhow, in an effort to make my site pretty and portray a brand, I enlisted the help of my good friends J and Anita. Feel free to drop them a note if you'd like to have them help you on your site.
In other news, over the summer, I had the pleasure of working on a short film called Xtraction which was produced by SunCast Entertainment. The AZ film community is very fortunate to have the team on SunCast working in the valley. It's not too often you have a team of filmmakers who have the know-how and resources to make a Hollywood caliber product with the dedication to utilizing the AZ film community - both crew AND talent. And I'm not just talking 5-and-unders for the AZ talent. I, for one, hope they stick around for the long run!
My part in Xtraction required formal training in Krav Maga by the good folks over at Total Submission Fighting Systems. Be sure to check them out. It's first time I've ever had to do any fight choreography for a film so it was big time thrill for me - even though I spent most of my time getting my ass kicked.
Check out the two videos below. One is a clip of some of a Krav Maga training/choreography practice session. The other is a brief taste of Xtraction. It looks pretty awesome. Enjoy!
Taste of Xtraction on YouTube
