What Not to Say to an Actor

What are three key things that you shouldn't say or do to your actors? Whats a better way to director your actors that you took away from this video?

Direction towards actors should not be vague. Instructions such as "give me more" and " bring it up" is unhelpful to the audience. Throwing a mixture of emotions to the actor is also ineffective as well. Simply naming an emotion is already ineffective, and combining contradicting emotions can be even more confusing to the audience. Bringing up another actor's name is rude towards the actor. Talking insensitively about other actors is unappealing as well. Having a positive environment and creating that as a director is important for the audience to freely express themselves.

The Acting Method P.4

After watching this entire video, what are 3 key things that you've learned about acting from this lesson? What changed your understanding about the importance of acting in film?

Acting originated from the stage acting that was meant to be obvious in order to convey an emotion from one side of the stage to the other. the development of naturalistic acting came from the idea that emotions can be conveyed in a better fashion if it is relatable to the audience. This comes from life experiences and replicating the physical and emotional movement of that feeling. The words are nothing without the emotion behind it. I now know that acting is more than saying words and moving on the stage, but being the character and living in their situation.

The Method P.3

What is method acting? How was it different from the Stanislavski System? How did Brando, James Dean and Monroe change acting in the 50's?

Method acting, or the Strasberg method, focused on the emotional memory of the actor in order to create a realistic act.  The Stanislaski system focused more on imagination rather than an emotional memory. Thus, it did not emphasize specifically the pains of life but the entire expeirence of life. Brando's film helped spread the success of Method acting. James Dean, as well as Monroe had a great impact to the acting styles in the mid 1900s. Their naturalistic acting proved to be effective on screen, increasing its popularity to this day. As a result, Method acting was cemented as the way to prepare acting for the screen.

Acting and the Method P.2

What was traditional acting for the stage like in the 19th century? How did Stanislavski change acting? What was the Stanislavski System?

Theatre in the 19th century was often exaggerated because it was thought that theatre cannot be real without the over exaggerated emotions. Not only was this practical because there were not microphones, but it was also thought to be an art form. Stanislavski was sick of the set poses that were specifically set aside for certain emotions. Accompanied by another man, Stanislavski created the Moscow Art Theatre where they were given the opportunity to practice natural acting. Stanislavski System emphasized the importance of preparation, immersion into the role, and truth.

Acting and Method

How did Greek and Roman theatre create the art form of acting? What was commedia del' arte's influence on the development of acting?

The Greeks and the Romans introduced the concept of acting in order to tell the stories of Greek mythologies. Since these stories were not written down, they were most commonly passed on my word of mouth. this eventually became what is to be known as theater. Commedia del' arte was a form of professional Greek theatre. Due to the emphasis on improvisation, the actors often took an authorship in their roles. Also during this time period, women also started to take the stage.

Nolan on Directing

What are three key important pieces of advice that Nolan has to say about directing? How do you think you could incorporate this advice into your work going forward?

1. The more you create, the more you learn

Narrative structure can be learned from doing short films. Short films are created in a shorter amount of time, and so therefore it requires less money to make mistakes. Student films can make these mistakes and learn from them.

2. Play to your strengths

If you have a certain strength, consistently practicing the craft will make something that is unique to the individual. Incorporating the desire to pursue their strength may not seem valuable immediately, but it will pay off in the end.

3. Study other's films

There is much to learn from other's films. By looking through the structure of the narrative, geography of the setting, these points can be incorporated into one's own films.

How David Fincher Hijacks Your Eyes

What does this video teach you about the importance of camera movement? How can camera movement tell the story of the characters that the actors play in the story?

 

David Fincher's camera movement follows the actor's movement exactly at the exact velocity. In other words, if the actor stops, the camera stops. Once the actor moves again, the camera moves with them. Such camera movements lock the audience into the behavior of the actor. When a person moves, their perspective moves. In a similar way, the camera moves with the actor. This connection between the actor's movements and the camera allows for the audience to connect emotionally with the character. The physical movement in a shot is a great way for the director to communicate the emotion of the character. Camera movement that captures this motion is significant in his films.