Eric Sheffer Stevens’s Emmy-Worthy Performances?
Originally published at LoveLure's Luke and Reid Blog. Please leave any comments there.
To jump straight to the clips from fan-suggested episodes, click here. I took the “short list” from threads I started at LRO, ESS.com, the Reid Oliver FB, and atwt_lure community, I have seen a bunch of suggestions, which I’ll post here for your viewing pleasure and you can vote for in the poll that’s pinned in the sidebar (top right of each page).
ETA, 4th March 2011, 6.54pm GMT: Added some observations based on last year’s Supporting Actor reels.
In the meantime, I admit, I’ve been thinking about this for awhile - ever since it occurred to me that Eric and Van were BOTH seriously Emmy contenders (though no longer, sigh) and that nominees are only allowed to submit ONE episode for consideration (due March 11th).
The shortcomings of the single-episode format
I can hypothesize two rationales:
- the level the playing field, so that great actors with fewer episodes filmed can compete against lesser performers with more airtime
- to reduce the length of the Emmy reels
Both of these are lame excuses, IMNSHO. Even two episodes would be (duh) obviously, twice as good, allowing an actor to choose two different scenes to complete a story or show their range. If there is someone knowledgeable who can tell me the real reason, I’m happy to retract my insult. Lengthy rambling on the problems with the one-episode system follow, but I’ll collapse them for those of you who’d prefer to get on with the episodes.
shortcomings
I realize that before they went to the one-episode rule, that reels ranged in length from about 8 minutes to over 40 minutes. If that were the problem, they should set a time limit on the length of the reel (15-20 minutes sounds about right, since just about everyone was under 15 minutes to start with - and we know that Luke and Reid rarely got more airtime than that based on the YouTube clips). ETA - though after a closer reading of the rules, this may be even more complicated if they HAVE to submit all scenes from the episode they select, which would explain the dramatic variation in duration of reels.
OTOH, one episode rewards both happenstance (anyone can have a good day) and favors actors who happen to be given stellar material and hit it out of the ballpark. I think this unfairly discriminates against actors who are very good day to day (like Eric) vs those who have the ultra-soapy episodes (Van’s scenes on the day of Reid’s death, Crystal Chappell’s graveyard scene, Jonathan Jackson’s confrontation scene). But then again, Crystal Chappell lost, so what do I know.
At any rate, Reid was a character who grew on many people. For many, it was love at first sight, but part of that love was knowing the ATWT context and seeing how wildly funny and odd Reid was in that environment (telling off Lily! and Bob Hughes! and Kim! calling OPD on their incompetence!). And much of his acting was incredibly subtle and spread in moments across episodes (I think I timed one facial response in Dallas that I thought was particularly telling at 0.19). These are “unless you watch these scenes carefully, if you blink, you’ll miss them moments.”
Most of the Emmy screeners will be unfamiliar with their peers’ shows. At the Vermont Shakespeare meet & greet, Jenny Sheffer Stevens mentioned that they had started watching the show and were following a few storylines (I think they liked Benry, as both Eric and Jenny had worked with Trent previously) but I don’t get the sense that they watched their OWN show regularly. Van, I’m pretty sure has alluded to the same in the past. So if they don’t watch their own shows, it’s hard to believe that they watch the rest of their peers’ shows the way the fans do. This creates the “unrepresentative episode” and small sample size problem that contributed to ATWT winning this year’s WGA award for writing.
As I’ve said in my WGA post, it’s obviously impossible to subject daytime award judges to 200+ episodes of 6-10 soaps as that would be truly cruel and inhumane punishment, but surely there must be some middle ground between one episode and 200? Though any one actor won’t be in 200 episodes, with six acting categories, it’s likely that between all a show’s nominees would easily have performed in hundreds of episodes.
So, for this year, we are still stuck with this single-episode format. Keep in mind that with a 10-15-minute reel, 14 pre-nominees per category (not just the 5 eventual nominees), 6 categories, that’s still 840 minutes (14 hours) of footage. If judges only judge their own category (e.g., Supporting Actor), that’s a lot more reasonable (140 minutes). I’m not sure who gets to vote on what, so I’m trying to get confirmation on that.
So given that the Emmy voters won’t be familiar with the show, in this single-episode format, there are two possible scenarios:
- The judges take their responsibility seriously, watch all 6+ hours with equal attention and vote for the best acting they see!
- They give the videos a superficial viewing and vote for their favorites based on any of a number of set of rules (bloc-voting actors from their own soap, voting for their best friends, you name it).
The paring of the pre-pre-nomination list (everyone who submitted) to the current pre-nom list was done without viewing any footage from the current year. But comments from by TV Guide Canada’s Nelson Branco, Daytime Confidential’s Jamey Giddens, and even generally non-sensationalist Michael Fairman, it sounds like there will inevitably be some questionable votes cast.
So, given that we’re stuck with the single-episode format this season, what ONE episode should Eric submit? The challenge is finding one episode that best shows range and quality. Historically, pundits have argued that the really soapy stuff tends to win (one reason so many thought Van Hansis was a shoo-in, and many in the soap press have named Jonathan Jackson as the frontrunner in the Best Supporting Actor category) - deaths, confrontations, professions of love, etc.
Daytime Emmy Reel Submission Guidelines
Basically, Eric will have to submit a DVD containing scenes from at most ONE episode that aired in calendar year 2010. I believe, but am not sure, that he must include all of his scenes with dialogue from that episode. This is due March 11th and will be accompanied by a 200-word synopsis of the context around the clips selected. More detail below on the official rules.
guidelines
From the official Daytime Emmy site submission guide,
Series and Specials (depending on the category), and their related craft achievements must have originally aired or been made available for viewing, downloading or streaming by more than 50% of the US national market between the dates of January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010 within the hours of 2:00am and 6:00pm.
For performers who make the official pre-nomination list (like Eric), they then are required to submit:
DVD Submission for Performer Pre-Nominees Only - due by or before March 11, 2011
DVD Submission Detail: For both One Hour and Half Hour Programs: You may submit a clip reel with an unlimited number of scenes from One Episode. You may exclude scenes with no speaking role. No internal editing. No more than 25% of submission may be from material prior to 2010.
I am not sure what the “25% of the submission may be from material prior to 2010” part means, since the award covers episodes that aired only 2010, and all scenes must be from one episode (how can you air 1/4 of an episode prior to 2010)? The only exception I can think of is that they’re trying to avoid flashback-heavy episodes?
The other clause that’s interesting is “no internal editing” (especially after they specify that you can exclude scenes with no lines). This suggests that whatever episode you pick, you must submit ALL your scenes from that episode. There’s a really thoughtful post on the ESS.com forum thread I started on this topic that makes a really good point about this - that is, with Trent also in the running, it doesn’t make sense for Eric to submit scenes with Trent because it just gives the judges more of Trent to see (and he and Eric are great playing against each other).
The other thing the rulebook specifies, is that in addition to the scenes on DVD, each nominee must submit a:
SYNOPSIS (for Pre-Nominees Only): Due by or before March 11, 2011. You must submit a “Plot Summary” Word Document attachment for each pre-nominated performer that includes the following:
- Category Number and Name (23. Supporting Actor in a Drama Series)
- Performer Name, Character Name, Episode Number, Air Date.
- A synopsis of events/plot summary, defined as a description of contextual character placement and story arc within the season and series, limited to 200 words per episode. Synopses will appear on the ballot as typed by entrant. Please remember to proof read and spell check. Any submitted material that aired in a year previous to 2010, must be acknowledged in this document as well.
Incidentally, I believe the part about things appearing “on the ballot as typed by entrant” applies to the submission process, so I think it’s interesting that, at least on the official press release, Julie Pinson’s character’s name is misspelled as Janet Ciconne (not Ciccone).
How are Emmy reels judged?
As you’re thinking about best episodes to select, it might be helpful to take into consideration how these clips will be judged. It used to be that category submissions were judged in mass viewing sessions, but that procedure changed a few years ago so now and are now done at home by judges via DVD. The good news is that means judges can break up the viewing. The bad news is, unless they’re really dedicated, they could be distracted by kids, phone calls, or you-name-it.
I almost forgot this myself. It’s important to remember that they’re screening on average, at a minimum, 14 clips. I say on average because there are 7 shows x 2 nominees per show per category, though some shows have 3 in some categories due to ties, or fewer than 2 if there weren’t enough submissions. I say “at a minimum” because I’m not sure if NATAS considers peers to be “supporting actors” (14), “actors” (14×3), “performers” (14×6), or some other combination thereof.
I’m also not sure exactly how drama performers are judged, but it’s either on a 1-10 scale for “Creativity and Execution” or ranked in order of preference where 1 is best and 2 is second best, etc. Either way, the top 5 cumulative scores are the nominees, of which the top 1 is also the ultimate winner. There is no second round of judging, so the whole “nominees” part is purely ceremonial and pragmatic (they can’t very well name all 14 pre-noms during the awards ceremony - it both sounds ridiculous, and would take DAYS to complete!).
judging
According to the Daytime Emmy rulebook:
All entries of all genres are viewed and voted upon in a single round of at-home DVD
Final judging….Performers and Crafts will be evaluated using a 1-10 scale for Creativity and Execution. All Drama categories will employ a 1-5 preferential scoring system (wherein all DVD submissions are evaluated in order of preference ie. “1” for the best, “2” for 2nd best, etc.).
Where a category is found to have a large number of entries which would result in
screening sessions that would exceed what is deemed a reasonable viewing length, a
Preliminary round, utilizing split panels may be employed. The Daytime Online system
randomizes all entries in a particular category and creates a split panel based on the
criteria of total viewing hours contained in that category. Daytime Administrators
quantify a) the total viewing hours within each split panel, b) the number of individual
entries contained in each panel, c) like networks and subject material and d) judges not
having direct conflict with the material they are viewing, in order to create a balance of
entries and panelists. Each entry is scored via a ratings system (where each entry is
judged on its own merit) and a generous raw score-based evaluation and review by the
Awards Committee will determine advancement of entries to a Final judging round.
Drama Performer Category Judging (Pre-Nominations): For Drama Performer categories preliminary ballots will be assigned to registered, eligible peer judges. Only registered Judges may participate in this process. Two performers per show, per category, receiving the most votes advance to the Final Round at-home screening. (There is no viewing of clips, so this is exclusively based on advanced knowledge of the actors, favoritism, or any research the peers choose to employ).
Final Judging Round: This round contains any….Drama Performers who advanced from the “pre-nomination” vote. In this round, entries receiving the highest tabulated score will determine both the official Nominees AND the Winner (or winners in the case of a tie). At the time of the Nomination Announcement and until the winner announcement
I’m not sure if the Performer categories count as big enough to warrant splitting, but it’s an interesting question.
Some observations on good reels
The Gold Derby forum has a particularly interesting discussion thread analyzing all five of last year’s Supporting Actor Emmy reels. They give the lengths of the reels as:
Bradford Anderson 8:13
Ricky Paull Goldin 6:51
Jonathan Jackson 9:04
Brian Kerwin 10:12
Billy Miller 32:03
Plus, they have some interesting commentary on the reels that are interesting to take into consideration when thinking about episodes for Eric. Said one reviewer (who was spot on in the outcomes, if not their causality):
Ricky is fantastic in his submission, but I feel like the lack of screen time is gonna hurt him in the end, his reel end just when it really should be beginning and I think that in the end, it is gonna make voters not want to check off his name.
First off, let me just say, welcome back Jonathan Jackson! So happy to see him back on General Hospital. This isn’t your normal Emmy submission, when I say that I mean there is not BIG moment. So far out of the tapes that I have watched you have had two men dealing with the women in their lives betraying them, but with Jonathan’s tape it is the complete opposite. It is a very quiet tape and it allows Jonathan moments to just be a great actor. The moments with Luke on the Haunted Star are pretty fantastic. In the hands of a lesser actor, those moments could have been lost, but Jonathan has the chops to portray every moment perfectly.
Brian is a brilliant actor that can convey so much with his eyes. The pain he is feeling for the lost of his son, the urge of his character wanting to take a drink and the feeling that he is the reason his son is dead. Its [sic] all there and Brian takes all this material and runs with it. Overall, this reel is an actors dream except for the ending, I feel like it is just missing that final moment that would put the cherry on the top of his Emmy sundae. That ending could make or break his chance at winning this category.
Can I just say how much I hate these stand alone episodes! They just scream GIVE ME THE EMMY and normally it works. This tape is just terrible. Billy Miller is a great actor, but for some reason most of the time during this tape he is so over the top, s [sic] laughable. This could be something that the voters fall all over, but I hope not. For 24 minutes, Billy is horrible, for the last 6 minutes of his tape he is amazing. If I was a voter, I would probably turn off his tape by the 15 minute mark, but even if I made it all the way to the end, I dunno if the last part could overcome the horrible ¾ of the tape.
Jonathan Jackson’s confrontation scene
Last, not to be a downer, but I think we all need to keep everything in perspective. I am above all a Van and Eric fan, but I am also a realist. And I spent enough time buried in the basement of my college newspaper to have some journalistic instincts that make me ask, “So what is he up against?”
Yes, we all think Eric is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I’m not sure we’re the most objective observers! Nor do I think the soap press or judges are necessarily, either - and that’s part of the problem - they could just as easily be biased for someone else. And if there’s anyone else to look out for, to me, the obvious benchmark is Jonathan Jackson. (His most talked-about scene of the year is embedded below inside the collapsed section).
Jonathan
For starters, I’m sure GH fans can probably match our Eric/Van gushing, word-for-word, tweet-for-tweet. But what really got me interested/concerned was when the year-end “Best in Soaps” lists started to come out. In addition to noting Eric’s omnipresence, and Van’s glaring omission, what caught my eye was the and the near-universal and superlative accolades for Jonathan Jackson, whom I didn’t know him from Adam. Notably, Michael Fairman’s list included: “BEST SINGLE PERFORMANCE MALE: Jonathan Jackson - Lucky rips into Nik and Liz for their affair - GH.” And Nelson Branco’s included: “BEST PERFORMANCE IN A STORYLINE - MALE: Jonathan Jackson, General Hospital” (though not sure what a performance not in a storyline would be?).
So, when Van conspicuously left himself out of the running, I decided to take a look myself. For starters, the fact that Jonathan has THREE clips in one episode is telling. Why? Because YouTube puts an arbitrary time/file size limit on clip size (I think it’s been 10 minutes/2 GB, though I know that’s constantly changing), so most fan channels split the clips before posting. Jonathan’s clips total more than 22 minutes and the camera is on him for virtually all of it.
It is one MASSIVE soapy monologue. I found myself jealously wishing that ATWT had given Eric the chance to tackle something like this (I think Van’s equivalent were the scenes on the day of Reid’s death). I don’t think Eric or Van has any episodes that had to be split into three clips. The other thing that Jonathan has working to his advantage is the fact that this episode stands alone. The writers did him (and the judges) a huge favor by including references to the storyline and timeline, so we know exactly why he’s pissed, and his motivations.
LuRe’s storylines unfortunately, were so choppy, with serious continuity problems (remember “I quit”/”Then I quit” again, in back to back episodes?!) that often there is serious explication required to really “get” what’s going on in the clip - and that’s hoping the judges are paying attention to their written synopses at all.
Apparently I can’t embed YouTube videos inside this spoiler tag, so they’ll follow Eric’s clips at the bottom of this post.
If I ever finish this post (and two other Emmy-related ones in process) I’ll add my best guesses for Trent Dawson as well.
Scenes with Trent Dawson, and what it might have meant for Van Hansis
There is a really good post on the ESS.com thread I started on this subject that argues that it’s not a good idea to include your competition in your reel. Unless he chooses an episode where Trent looks bad (and I don’t think that exists - Trent and Eric were great playing off each other), then it won’t hurt Trent and can only help.
But this raised an interesting thought: can you imagine how hard it would have been for Van AND Eric to choose scenes if they had both submitted? As I thought about this, I realised that theirs might be the only time ever, that performers might have to contemplate whether or not to submit scenes including their competition?
Think about it, for this situation to apply, all the following conditions would have to be met:
- Both performers would have to be the same gender! (that already narrows the list down to….well, not much!); yes, it’s possible to submit scenes with family conflicts or other storylines (e.g. Lucky’s brother features in Jonathan Jackson’s scenes and I just watched one with Jerry Ver Dorn and his on-screen brother), but these are soap operas, and it’s a fair bet that on-screen pairings feature prominently in many submissions
- Both performers would have to submit in the same category (Lead/Supporting/Younger)
- Both performers would have to be good enough to receive pre-nominations
Prior to Reid’s death, I would have said the top candidate for BOTH actors was the post-surgery scene. Wouldn’t that have made for interesting viewing (twice!) for the judges?!
Speaking of Trent, clips of his most talked-about episode (where he learns about Vienna’s fake baby and fake miscarriage) also follow at the bottom of this post.
ESS Emmy Episode Poll
The awesome Trent Dawson (ATWT’s Henry), known for his comedic chops has three nominations already - and no wins. And one forum poster mentioned other actors and actresses in the past have regretted submitting humorous episodes. Much of Eric’s stuff is funny, subtle, or much better understood in the context of his character and the show. No knock on Eric’s abilities - he did amazing things with what he was given. But it makes the task of finding a single standout episode harder.
As soon as I finish this post, I’ll post a poll with these options to choose from. I’ve since posted a poll of the episodes suggested and linked to below. As a reminder, this is a poll of the episode that best shows off Eric’s acting abilities, not a “favorite” episode poll. While there’s obviously a lot of overlap between the two, there is a difference.
The poll is definitely spammable (not that I would have thought anybody would bother spamming polls on this site, but I actually read that Nuke fans spammed the Best Episode poll by voting for the train episode and Best Kiss by voting for the one Bob interrupted; yeah, I know, the numbers aren’t all that large, but don’t get me started). So, while I’d ask you not to vote for your preferred episode twice, if you just cant’ decide and want to vote for more than one, do so with my blessing. In the meantime, comments encouraged! Thanks for visiting!
Clips from the episodes suggested so far follow the jump. I’ll add to the list as more credible options are proposed. I will do my best to add episodes to the poll as well, but the poll widget I use restricts the number of options, so at some point, we may have to go with “write-ins.”
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