Acting Is... » Notes on Acting

We’ve heard a lot about borders in the last couple of years.  But what no one has mentioned is that acting is really a border study. The character the audiences see falls somewhere between you and what the writer has written.  In other words, you and the character-as-written live on a borderline.  You are separated by a short distance and like all border crossings, the move from you to the character or the character to you is challenging.  But by studying the character and your own personality at the same time, you will find it easier to cross the border and play your character. For this approach, as you study the script and explore the character, you need to keep two lists going side by side in your acting notebook.  Label one side of the page with your character’s name and the other with your name.  The space between them is the border you’ll be crossing. As you study the script, note character elements on one side of the page and your own personal characteristics on the other.  You are looking to discover the similarities and differences between you and the character.  Soon you will see that the borderline between the two of you is not a straight line.  You will see that there are places where you and your character respond in the same way and have similarities and that there are other places where you and the character are very different.  Those are the places you will have to work harder to move toward the character or move the character toward you. As Daniel Day Lewis says, “You think you’re traveling a vast distance to understand another life, but it maybe that you’re bringing that life toward you at the same time.  What allows that work to live is the common experience, the bond between the two of you.” Understanding that you and the character have many similarities, will make crossing the border and becoming the character easier and more exciting for you and the audience.      

Kaiji Tang, this week’s Notes on Acting guest, is a working voice actor based in Los Angeles, California. In this podcast, Kaiji shares his thoughts on voice acting and based on his experience, he explains what he thinks actors need to know about the profession and how to get into it. Kaiji Tang specializes in voice acting for video games and has been involved with such titles as Resident Evil 6, Dynasty Warriors 7, Tales of Graces f, Blazeblue, Soulcalibur V, Dead or Alive 5 and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 among many others. He loves his profession and is proud to contribute to the gaming industry, believing video games to be wonderful story telling vehicles. A couple of his projects have even made it as tattoos on his body. Kaiji’s acting is heavily based on his theatrical experience, some of which he had with Eric Barr, and he believes this firm foundation can help any actor, aspiring and veteran alike. Links:       Kaiji Tang                              Voice Specialist Bill Holmes

Everyone grows older.  But for actors the changes that happen to our faces and bodies have career implications.  They change the way we look and that changes the roles we’re considered for.  Even though you may not feel any different, the aging process has an impact on your career. Dealing with these changes is a challenge for every actor.  The roles we get used to playing in our 20’s are not the ones we’ll be playing in our 30’s or 40’s. And if we aren’t aware of how we’re changing, we will always be auditioning for the wrong roles and we won’t get cast. One thing you can do that will help you understand how others see you is to watch TV or go to a show with friends.  Afterwards, ask them how they would cast you in the show.  This will give you an idea of how others perceive you and what type of characters they see you playing. Another thing to do is have a friend make a video of you at work, play, or at home. Watch the video over and over again until you are able to look at it objectively.  After a while you will begin to see how you look and move.  Really seeing ourselves is difficult.  But it is essential skill for an acting career.

As you read and work your way through a script, you must be a relentless explorer willing to do library work and to jump into the unknown. When you start reading a script, it is useful to give yourself some assistance by looking for support information.  If the script has been performed, seek out reviews to hear what others say about it.  If the script is new, do some research about the writer and read the other things they have written. In some cases, to understand the world of the script you might need to do some research into a historical period, a particular profession, or a political movement.  As you examine the script, keep asking yourself questions.  These will guide your research and tell you how to approach the script. As you read, pay attention to the information the writer gives you about the given circumstances, the locations, and settings.  Read the stage directions.  They might provide clues into a character’s actions or intentions.   Pay close attention to your character’s language and be sure to figure out what your character wants in each scene and throughout the entire script. The more clearly you understand how a character speaks and acts, the easier it will be to figure out what they want. To get the most out of a script, you must be an active reader who is willing to search for clues, do outside research, and use your imagination.  Invest in the script and you will receive acting dividends.

Every script has dialogue, characters, and a plot.  But of equal importance is the structure and writing style. To get the most out of a script, you must understand the underlying structure that is the foundation for the plot and your character.  So as you read a script, pay close attention to the dramatic units that shape the material. Pay attention to each French scene.  A French scene is defined as a change in the number of characters on stage because of an entrance or exit. When a character enters or leaves the scene, the dynamics of the group and situation automatically change.  So as you read, notice each French scene and try to define what dramatic shifts occur when a character enters or leaves. The next units to examine are the scenes, as defined by the writer.  What happens in each scene?  How does the scene start?  How does each scene end?  How long is each scene? To help you understand the purpose of each scene and its connection the ones before and after, give each one a title that you think captures the essence or intent of the scene. The final structural level to look at is the act.  What happens in each act?  What causes one to end and where does the action pick up in the next one? To understand a script and your character’s place in it, it is essential to pay attention to the structure that the writer used in creating the work.  This structure was not accidental and is a key element in telling the story. Dramatic structure is something that every actor must be aware of and understand.      

In last week’s podcast, I suggested that every actor needs to be a reader.  Reading opens your eyes and broadens your horizons.  It gives you new information and helps you to understand history and complex ideas.  Moreover, regardless of what you are reading, every book will help you to be better at reading and understanding the scripts that define your career. Reading a script is different than reading other types of books because in the script all the information is in the dialogue.  This means you have to read the lines carefully and hear what the characters are saying between the lines. Read a script in one sitting.  To understand plot and characters, you must have a clear sense of the whole and that is best done by reading the entire work in one sitting. Read actively. This means that as you read, you must use your imagination to create images of the world and characters. Have an open mind and be non-judgmental as you read the script so you can get what the writer is doing stylistically rather than rejecting it before you even know what you have in front of you. Don’t judge the characters; just pay attention to what they do and how they do it.  Also pay close attention to the way each character speaks.  Their language and tempo-rhythms provide a wealth of information but if you skim over the lines, you’ll miss the specifics that define each character. Finally, to make a script your own, you need to read it many times.  Each successive reading will tell you more about the characters and the world of the script  

Reading is an essential activity for actors and different kinds of books help sharpen and work our brains in different and important ways. So what are you reading right now and what is on your reading list? First and foremost, actors should be reading scripts. In a script everything we need to know about the character and his attitudes is buried in the dialogue. So when we read a script we have to get inside the dialogue to understand character, intention, and action. The more scripts we read, the more accustomed we become to seeing beneath the surface of the dialogue, and this is an essential skill for actors. We should be reading memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies of actors, directors, and writers. These books give us insights into these artists’ work that often lead to new understandings about our own work. They also explain how events or world-views influence these artists and lead to their work, which helps us to better understand the influences on our own work. How-to books about acting, writing, and directing inspire us to think about our craft.  We might not agree with everything that the writer says but reading and thinking about a topic helps us to clarify our own work.  It forces us to question what we do and how we do it. Finally, novels are fun and great to read. Equally important, is that the way that novelists create detailed moments can be inspirational for actors. Instead of creating moments in words, our task is to create the moments in action, to find the details and make them visible on our bodies and in our voices.  So reading a well-written novel can give us insights into understanding and creating richly textured characters. Reading will broaden your horizons, get you thinking, and is a great way to learn new things.  So get out your books and start reading.  

Actors have three things to work with, their minds, bodies and spirits.  But it is our bodies that the audience sees.  It is our bodies that communicate what is going on inside of us.  Of course, our words are important and how we speak them is essential in defining who we are.  But our bodies reveal a lot about us and consequently they reveal much about the characters we play.  With that it mind it is essential for us as actors to have supple, communicative bodies because even if we are doing close-ups, what our bodies are doing has a profound impact on what our faces reveal. Audiences will know your character by the way you sit, stand, move, and handle objects.  More important is that how you do these things will actually have an impact on you. Tightening up, slouching, standing up straight, and other adjustments you make to your posture and movement affect your inner life. So as an actor, you can define your character physically and by making adjustments you will actually be able to feel the inner life of that character. Remember, the way the character moves, sits, stands, and handles objects, says as much about you to the audience as your dialogue.  Why?  Because under the words, sentences, and sounds you make, your body says who that character is, was, and will be.  

While the politics of the presidential race can be dispiriting, they do remind us that we are citizens of the country and part of a world that is bigger than our own careers and lives.  With that in mind, it is important for us to be actors in that real world and not just in dramas and comedies written by talented writers. We have the power to participate and the power to make a difference. So, I urge you to get involved in the world beyond your career.  It will give you perspective about life and work.  Volunteering is healthy for our minds, bodies, and spirits and I suspect that the perspective it provides might even help our acting. So think about what matters to you and see if you can’t find an organization to participate in.  If politics are your thing, then assist the candidates that you think represent your ideas and interests.  If politics are not for you, there are such worthy groups as Habitat for Humanity, Make A Wish Foundation, Red Cross, and the Sierra Club.  There are local organizations, such as food banks and animal shelters that need your help.  It doesn’t matter what you care about, there is a group that can use your help to make good things happen. If time is an issue there are short-term events and activities that want your participation.  There are Heart Walks, Alzheimer Walks, Walks for the Animals, Races against Cancer, Races Against Domestic Violence, and Races Against Crime.  If you are for it or against it, you can probably find a walk or a run that fits your schedule. By giving of your time and energy you’ll be doing a valuable service to others and becoming an actor in a much bigger and more important drama than the one you might play in, in a theater or movie.

Notes on Acting guest, Jeff Torres, is an actor who has been working in Los Angeles for the past four years.  In this week’s podcast, Jeff shares his thoughts on what actors need to do when they arrive in the city to find work and to stay sane and on-task.  He deals with such issues as the business of acting, the meaning of success, dealing with the word ‘no’, and taking responsibility for your choices.  Jeff’s advice comes from his personal experience and from the experiences of his friends. Jeff Torres has appeared in numerous films, TV shows, commercials, web series, and music videos.  He was nominated for an Ovation Award in 2010.  Before heading to Los Angeles, Jeff studied at UC Riverside with Eric Barr and then in Mexico City.  In LA, he has studied at the Playhouse West and at the Ivana Chubbuck Studio  Jeff’s latest film venture, The Crumbles, is currently screening around the country.  Check out the website and trailer at The Crumbles website. Links:  Jeff Torres      

Frank Langella’s 1989 essay, The Demon Seesaw Actors Ride, on the up-and – down existence of actors, has been making the rounds again.  It is a frightening article because it lets you into the lives of actors and allows you to see how uncertain their careers can be. While the article is frightening, the situation is even worse than Langella depicted it.  You see, his article is about successful actors; actors who have careers and then find themselves out of the limelight with no work and no prospects.  The truth is, most actors never even get any meaningful acting work and are never able to support themselves with their acting. The worlds of theatre and film are not a meritocracies.  Having a career takes talent, luck, and timing and they all have to come together in a unique harmonic convergence for you.  Having a career also means creating opportunities for yourself and not just waiting for someone to discover you and give you your break. The point of this podcast is to remind you that unless you have an undying passion for acting, you should find another career path.  The field can be hurtful and unsatisfying…and it isn’t personal.  It isn’t even about you.  So during the last few weeks of  summer, take time to evaluate what you want from your acting career and what you are willing to do to make it happen and to sustain it.  And if you decide to tough it out and follow your passion, maybe you’ll be lucky enough to get into the playground so you can get on that demon seesaw called acting.   Links:  The Demon Seesaw Actors Ride             Frank Langella  

I think oral hygiene is important. You should brush your teeth twice a day and floss every day. You should have dental examines yearly and have your teeth cleaned every six months. Braces, veneers, and teeth whitening are solutions to different problems and they can make you teeth look great. But as an actor your teeth become the character’s teeth. Your looks determine the character’s looks. So if your teeth are perfect and shining, they might not be the best look for a character that has no access to a dentist. While you might want to do everything you can to make your smile perfect for auditions and headshots, you also have to do everything you can when you are playing a role to insure that your look fits the character. If you don’t recognize the inconsistency in the way your teeth look and the way the character’s teeth should look, every time you open your mouth to speak you’ll undermine your performance.  

Every actor has setbacks; one day in rehearsal the work is fine and the next nothing works.   By understanding that these setbacks are a natural part of the creative process, you won’t give up in discouragement and you’ll be better able to work your way through them. Setbacks can be devastating.  The rehearsal process is moving along, opening is approaching, and everything is on track.  And then suddenly you find yourself in rehearsal struggling to make anything work.  When it goes on for more than a day, the doubts set in and you begin to wonder if you even know how to act or if you’re just faking it. Setbacks happen in every endeavor.  They happen when we are recovering from illnesses or surgery.  They happen in the market place with big gains wiped out in one fell swoop.  You can see them happen to incredible sports figures that are playing at the top of their game one day and can’t seem to make a single shot the next. The key is to learn from the athletes.  They teach us that just because you have a setback, you don’t stop working. You have to stay in the game, or in the rehearsal, so you can work your way through the impasse or simply be ready and available when the roadblocks come down. When you hit a setback, go back to the basics.  Begin by really listening to your acting partner.  Then, reconnect to the given circumstances and play with one element that impacts what you do and how you do.  The most important fundamental principle that will help restart your work and reconnect you to your creative nature is to work your body.  Instead of trying to figure out the character with your brain, figure it out with your body.  You will be amazed at what your body knows and how it will re-ignite you and bring your mind, body, and spirit back into the work. Creative setbacks are a natural part of the acting process.  But by working through them, you will get your work back on track and might even discover that the setback has inspired new options and ideas that will invigorate your work.

It’s Summer Olympics time and I love the Olympics.  I’m amazed at what the athletes are capable of both physically and mentally.  Plus, I know that they can teach us great acting lessons; lessons about training, living in the moment, performing under pressure, and dealing with setbacks. The most important lesson they have for us is that to be great we must train regularly and prepare our minds, bodies, and spirits for our acting.  It seems obvious to say that practice makes you better at the things you do but it does.  Just like athletes, training every day will enable you to get ‘into the zone’ when you act, so that living in the moment and responding to what is going on around you becomes natural and instinctive. Only through regular training, will you feel comfortable taking the risks needed to make your acting interesting and compelling.  Only by training regularly will your work become instinctive and adaptable to every script and acting situation that you find yourself in. Research shows that the biggest difference between elite performers and lesser performers is the amount of practice they have accumulated.  In other words, hard work is more important than innate talent and what top performers really have is a talent for practicing even when they don’t feel like it. Therefore, you have to make the effort everyday to work on some aspect of your acting and gradually a disciplined approach to your acting will become a way of life.  A day won’t feel right if you don’t spend some time doing your own work. So for the next couple of weeks, watch the Olympic athletes and think about the work that went into their training.  Then heed the words of the Olympic coach who said, “You don’t win an Olympic medal by being gifted.  You win it by working your ass off.” Link:          Becoming an Act-lete

Crying on cue is a problem that every actor will face at some time.  But if you resort to fake crying, your audience will know it is not real and it will make it hard for them to believe anything else you do in your performance. The most important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t play the emotion; that is emoting not acting. The problem, of course, is that writers give us very specific instructions as to when our characters laugh or cry.  Wanting to serve the script, we struggle to make those moments come to life. So as tempting as it is, don’t start by trying to figure out how to play your character’s emotional states.  Begin with the given circumstances and determine how they impact what you do and how you do it.  Having done that, work out what your character is trying to achieve moment to moment.  Ask yourself, for every line you speak and every action you do, what do I want?  Now determine the obstacles are that are blocking you from reaching those goals and what you are doing to overcome them.  All of the answers to these questions are action-based and give you things to do and ways to do them. Once you have worked through these moments, you have to forget your preparation and just live in the moment and off of your acting partner.  Acting is like sports in that you can no more think about your batting swing as a pitch comes toward you than you can think about your intentions as you listen to your acting partner.  You must simply look, listen, and respond. I’m not saying that you will always cry because you do these things.  You might discover that tears are not even needed to create an intense interaction.  But you will be playing honestly in the imaginary circumstances and living in the moment and off your partner.  That will create a compelling performance that will work for you, your acting partner, and the audience.   Links:           I Want She Wants