The Art of Film Acting: a Guide for Actors and Directors
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The Art of Film Acting This Page Intentionally Left Blank The Art of Film Acting: A Guide for Actors and Directors Jeremiah Comey Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier Science. Copyright © 2002 by Elsevier Science (USA) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Recognizing the importance of preserving what has been written, Elsevier Science prints its books on acid-free paper whenever possible. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Comey, Jeremiah. The art of film acting : a guide for actors and directors / Jeremiah Comey. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-240-80507-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Motion picture acting. I. Title. PN1995.9A26 C65 2002 791.43'028--dc21 2001058628 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. The publisher offers special discounts on bulk orders of this book. For information, please contact: Manager of Special Sales Elsevier Science 225 Wildwood Avenue Woburn, MA 01801-2041 Tel: 781-904-2500 Fax: 781-904-2620 For information on all Focal Press publications available, contact our World Wide Web home page at: www.focalpress.com 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America To my wife, Janet, who taught me what love really means, and my daughters, Jessica and Megan, who have allowed me to experience a second childhood. This Page Intentionally Left Blank Contents Preface xi Acknowledgments xiii 1. The Exercise 1 Transcript of two actors doing a scene in class. Jeremiah interacts with them and guides them through the scene using the Five Arts 1. Summary 9. Actor Practice 9. 2. Stage versus Film Acting 10 Preparing for a Role 11. The Demands of Performance 12. One Good Performance 13. Projecting 13. Film and Theater Close-Ups 14. Emotions and Feelings 14. Subtext 15. Camera and Proscenium Arch 18. Personality and Character 19. Dialogue 22. Monologues 22. Film Experience versus Stage Experience 24. Reacting 25. Summary 26. Actor Practice 27. 3. Becoming a Great Actor 28 The Actor’s Responsibility 28. Casablanca 28. Acting Is Being and Awareness 29. The Five Arts of Film Acting 30. The Power of Relating 36. Acting “On the Nose” 37. Listen to the Other Actor 37. Acting Is a Profession 38. Summary 38. Actor Practice 38. 4. Sight Reading 42 How Sight Reading Works 42. How to Sight Read 43. Importance of Sight Reading 45. Second-Guessing the vii viii CONTENTS Director 45. Multiple Auditions 46. Helpful Hints 46. Summary 46. Actor Practice 47. 5. The Art of Concentration 48 Concentration 48. Internal Rap 48. Interest Is the Focal Point of Concentration 49. Feedback 50. Emotions 50. Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Love 52. Differentiating between the Emotions 59. Laughter and Sadness 60. Focused Concentration 63. How to Increase Your Concentration 63. Summary 66. Actor Practice 67. 6. The Art of Not Knowing 68 Everything Happens As If for the First Time 68. Being Intimate without Taking It Personally 74. Beginner’s Mind and Logical Mind 74. After the Scene, Forget It 74. Opinions and Beliefs Will Destroy You 75. Play the Character, Not the Stereotype 75. Judgment Is a Trap 78. Leave Your Feelings on the Set 78. Self-Criticism 79. Use Your Beginner’s Mind to Not Know 80. Summary 80. Actor Practice 80. 7. More on the Art of Not Knowing 81 The First Time 81. Bad Acting on Film Is the Triumph of Logic 88. Don’t Be Safe 89. The Power of Not Knowing 92. Memorizing and Not Knowing 93. Repeating an Emotional Experience 94. Discover Facts by Concentrating on the Other Actor 94. Judgments Ruin Your Acting 97. A Genuine Experience 97. Summary 98. Actor Practice 99. 8. Still More on the Art of Not Knowing 100 The Director’s Ideas 100. Ideas and the Actors 101. The Director’s Vision 101. Good Actors Make Things Happen 106. Directors Use Blocking to Elicit Responses 110. A Director’s Scene Preparation 111. Importance of the Art of Not Knowing 114. Summary 115. Actor Practice 115. 9. The Art of Acceptance 117 Acceptance 117. Play the Game 120. Trust the Roller Coaster 124.Having Fun 125.Sets and Locations Are Real 128. Summary 128. Actor Practice 129. Contents ix 10. The Art of Giving and Receiving 131 Giving and Receiving 131. Giving, Receiving, and Subtext 137. Accepting Responsibility 138. The Relating Exercise 141. Different Emotional Levels 141. There Are No Officially Sanctioned Responses 146. Summary 147. Actor Practice 147. 11. The Senses 148 See through Untainted Eyes 148. The Abilities 151. The Maestro’s Ears 153. The Sense of Touch 158. Touching to Relax 158. Touching to Stimulate Love 160. Touching to Provoke Anger 160. Touching to Stimulate Laughter 163. Smell and Taste 164. Summary 164. Actor Practice 165. 12. Intimacy, Empathy, and Intuition 167 You Are What You Are: The First Ingredient of Intimacy 167. Intimacy: The Quality of Good Actors 168. Memory and Fear: The Enemies of Intimacy 168. Empathy 171. Intimacy and Empathy 172. Scenes “Not Worthy” of an Actor 174. Physical Actions 176. Intuition: Your Sixth Sense 177. The Creative Inner Child 179. Words That Prevent Good Acting 183. Act, Don’t Think 185. Summary 185. Actor Practice 186. 13. The Audition 187 Getting Ready to Audition 187. Casting for Type.188. Film and Stage Casting 189. Auditioning 190. Film Audition 191. Acting in Plays 192. Approaches to Acting 192. Physical and Emotional Aspects of Characterization 195. Imagination 202. Subtext 202. Types of Actors 205. The Message You Send 206. Summary 207. Actor Practice 207. 14. More on the Audition 209 The Casting Director 209. The Job 210. Acting Is a Business 210. Why Actors Don’t Get Cast 213. The Differences between the Relating Exercise and the Audition 215. The Art of Not Knowing 216. The “Where.” 218. Sides 219. Fear 219. Relaxing 220. Benefit of the Relating Exercise in Audition 220. Skills for the Audition 220. Preparation for Audition 225. x CONTENTS The Audition 226. Commercial Improvisation 228. Comedic Improvisation 229. Dramatic Improvisation 229. Summary 230. Actor Practice 231. 15. The Comedy Audition 233 Comedy and Exposition 233. Characterization 238. Absurd Situations 239. Environment 241. Comedy Patterns 241. Auditioning for Comedy 242. Find the Humor 243. The Elements of Comedy 243. Comic Actors 254. Physical Comedy or Farce 255. Punching and Undercutting 257. Rhythm, Tempo, and Pacing 258. Rehearsal 260. Emotional Ideas 261. Preparing for the Comedy Audition 265. In the Audition 265. Summary 266. Actor Practice 267. 16. Conclusion 268 How It Happens 268. Summary 272. Afterword 273 How to Get in Touch with Jeremiah 275. Bibliography 276 Videography 278 Index 282 Preface Film acting, like all art, is a form of communication, a relation- ship with another human being on an emotional level. Vincent van Gogh’s art is an inspiration because he put the most meaningful of ingredients into his paintings—himself. Just as great artists define themselves by their art, so do brilliant film actors communicate through their quality, which is personality combined with talent. Acting is probably the most competitive business in the world because, for one thing, everyone thinks they can act. If you want to paint, sculpt, or com- pose music, everyone accepts the necessity for talent and training. No one in their right mind would think of being a professional concert pianist without having started practice at age four or five. But almost everyone thinks acting is easy. It is not; but we all can act if we first get out of our own way and forget all the social and personal inhibitions that have been laid upon us by our parents, our peers, and society. If you want to be a film actor, don’t let anyone discour- age you from your dream; but don’t assume that it is quick and easy. Acting is an art, and like the other arts, it demands that you study and mas- ter the craft. You also need to be able to expose your true feelings. It is easy to cry when you fight with a lover or watch a tearjerker. But it is another matter to cry in an audition or in a scene. In front of the camera, it can be a nightmare for an untrained actor simply to be believable and emotionally honest in a scene as simple as a quiet talk over a cup of coffee. In your everyday life it’s hard to forget your inhibitions and, like a child, be your natural self. To become a good actor, you have to let the world see your emotions. Sir Laurence Olivier, one of the greatest actors, said, “This is not an occupation for adults.” Yet it is possible for a fifty-year-old woman who is inhibited to come into my class with no previous training and within weeks be giving a good film per- formance. She will have relapses and will have to keep working hard, but through the “Relating Exercise” she is learning how to override her intellect and show her emotions. It’s not easy to take off your emotional clothing and xi xii PREFACE show your real self, but this is what has to happen when you are in a film close- up. Experiences, family, friends, and everyone we have ever met have made a personal and permanent impact on our inner lives.