Why is it that some actors – actors like Patricia Arquette, Harvey Keitel and Lou Ferrigno appear so real when they perform? Okay, okay, maybe not Lou :) When we watch some actors, it’s like they are really there. In the moment. Is it an awareness of the camera? Is it the way they hold themselves? Or . . . were they simply born with an amazing ability? . . .

No. It’s none of these internal things if Sanford Meisner’s book, “On Acting” is anything to go by. It’s his theory that an actor’s focus should be on the other person or task at hand, rather than themselves. And I agree. An actor’s ego can spoil a performance.

Here are a few things you might like to do to improve your acting.

10 ways to a better performance

1. Get the lines down

They’re not important. You really need to commit them to memory so that they just fall out. You should be so used to your lines that there’s no memory of them. You’ve seen actors saying phrases like “I mean…” and “ummm…” or just plain freezing. The audience isn’t stupid. We know that this is a form of buying time. The actor is trying to remember a line. By doing this – you’re taking us out of the story. Get the lines down!

2. Forget the subtext

“Whhhhaaat?” I hear you say. Forget it. Your director will look after this in the form of actions. She is in control of story. Your job is to find character. And you do that by being in the moment – not by trying to second guess how this relates back to your character. Subtext is not your concern. Don’t tell anyone I said that. Reality is. I know this is controversial, but bear with me . . .

3. Examine a physical element of the other actor during a scene.

Eyes, clothes, hair. How do they carry themselves?

4. Choose one thing the other actor is doing and physically copy it.

Copy a different thing each time. See how the director likes it.

5. Listen carefully to the other actor.

Not only their lines. Always listen to the other actor. On and off camera.

6. Pick something about the other actor’s costume.

A necklace, a ring, a charm, tie or cufflink and admire or loathe it. Don’t indicate. Think the thoughts.

7. Repeat the other actor’s line in your head

On a significant line, really think about what the other actor said. Say it again in your head. Was it meant to hurt / praise / teach you? (your character) How do you feel now? Feeling comes before action. Repeat the line, then Feel the effect.

8. Ignore the camera.

Obviously. Don’t be too concerned with the frame. It’s always a close-up, Darling. Let the camera find you (it’s the Cinematographer and Director’s job to sort this stuff out). If the Director wants you to point your head a certain way, or hit a mark – find a character reason to get there. Discuss this with the director. Or invent your own reason. If it’s an ad you’re doing – direct yourself. The camera wants to see you thinking. We can feel your thoughts – there’s no need to project them.

9. Let yourself feel the environment

When you walk on, feel the air, the heat. Listen to environmental noises around you. The wind, birds, the hum of traffic. Smell the grass. Get into a place where even a loud noise might make you jump. Really tuck yourself in to the given circumstances that surround you. You might allow yourself to feel giddy during a scene.

10. This scene is his / hers

Even if the scene is actually your scene storywise, convince yourself that it really belongs to the other actor and really help them get it right.

All of the above will make you look good on screen. These “tricks” will take the emphasis of you and your “performance”. Acting in a scene should finsih with the feeling that you’ve been awoken from a dream. If you can remember all of these things, your ego will be so distracted that it won’t start chewing up the furniture during a take (ie. you won’t be accused of over-acting because, really, you weren’t acting in the first place).

When the camera is up your nose, all you have to do is think and it will be faithfully recorded to a hard drive. Not very romantic, I know – but we’re living in a technical age.

Let us know other things that aren’t on this list.
I’ll come back here to modify, delete bits or append this from time to time.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 28th, 2009 at 9:20 am and is filed under Acting, Directing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.