Welcome back! This is the
second post for this new series, the first took in consideration the
role of a Director and attempt to cover certain vital aspects which
form this particular character.
This month’s post
will highlight what make a good and/or bad actor! I will draw upon
two particular articles which I found interesting and provide an
overall insight to the world of what may make a great actor!
“What we
don’t wanna do, is to be caught acting.”
- Morgan Freeman
If
you want the
audience to engage with your character you need to make it come to
life, live it as if you were that person! Its no always easy to
impersonate someone, whether it is a historical figure or ‘made-up’
character. It’s not an easy road either, it take a lot of practice
and dedication, passion to want to initiate this career a long side
more specific requirements.
I’ve
always wanted to be an actress.. since I was a kid playing dress up
with friends or Jurassic park at the playground ahah. However, to
be someone you are not isn’t a piece of cake! And it doesn’t
matter whether your character is a ‘good or bad guy’, if you
manage to deliver that figure as someone real, as if you were that
person then the play, TV series or film may be a success.
The
first article will draw upon Dee Cannon’s 10 questions which
provide the basis of an actor’s ‘acting technique’. First of
all he states that an actor needs to become a three-dimensional
character with a rich background and play that role as truthful as
possible, we will begin from who
am I?
Cannon refers to our everyday life experiences which through time we
live and treasure as part of who we are, what shapes the person we
are in the present “allowing us just to be, to exist”. The
character you have to play must be as real as possible therefore you
must make it own as if you were to be that figure, knowing him/her as
you know yourself, so when reading the script you can point out every
little aspects that may give an insight to who you (your character)
is and does. Subsequently, you need to do your research! How many
times do we hear this? Well believe it or not research is so
essential in many things we undertake everyday and as for acting,
researching different elements that effect in any way your character
are vital to making him/her come to life. One alternative ingredient
is imagination! Such a powerful tool.
We
then move onto where
am I?
which Cannon discusses that even surroundings or the geography
influence the character’s being. When
is it?
Brings up the actor’s interest to know when his/her character is in
action, from the stone age to nowadays. In terms of where
have I just come from?
we must always bare in mind what our character has being doing before
entering the scene and not just simply step out and being to play the
part. What do I want then refers to the character’s motivation,
what he/she needs, “you should always have and objective”.
Consequently to this question, following are why
do I want it?,
why
do I want it now?,
what
will happen if I don’t get it now.
“ You
must have a life on stage, you must have a purpose for walking and
talking, otherwise you are in danger of ‘just acting’, which is
fake”.
- Dee Cannon
Freeman and Cannon
seem to have the same opinion! When acting you really need to be that
person, forget who you are and enter another body. The final two
questions are divided into how will I
get what I want by doing what?, which
is the point where Cannon suggests actioning
your
text, meaning that your script will be broke down into different
parts according to a specific action; while also scoring
your text in order to produce that given action as well as possible.
The final question to consider what
must I overcome? examines
those inner and outer obstacles which affect the character in any
way by making that role even more interesting, begin in constant
collision with inner “demons”.
To
conclude with Dee Cannon's ideas, he state correctly state that hard
work, technique and good direction make a good actor but the audience
mustn't see any of this, all we need to see is the great performance
the actor has delivered, making his/her character real.
However,
Jason Bennett also stresses that it is “wrong” to learn acting on
the job and that acting classes would be the best path to take! Yes,
you may possess enough talent but two- three lessons won't hurt ahah.
I personally liked when he referred to, as well as having a vivid
imagination, actors undertaking also voice and body training. Full
gym of how to act!
“ Great
actors of the last generation knew better. They knew that the
advanced lessons can only be explored in great acting classes, not on
the job”.
- Jason
Bennett
AG
See you next time with what makes a good and/or bad Producer!
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