Making Choices as an Actor

Let's start the week off right with some acting knowledge from USC professors:

As an audience, we think nothing of doing different renditions and productions of Shakespearean plays or those of other great playwrights. Naturally, the fundamentals of plot, characters, and text remain consistent, yet each show remains intrinsically unique depending on the actors and the directors. As such, a concerted effort to make a theatrical show “new” does not have to be explicitly made; the show will be inherently original with a different cast and location.

Acting on camera is similar in that the cast and director will dramatically alter the film. However, as mentioned in previous newsletters,

simply replicating another actor’s performance in an acclaimed film does little to exhibit your own personal skills as an actor.

It instead only proves to casting directors that you can be a worse version of another actor, which is neither impressive nor aids in securing the role.

Dialogue alone will not carry the role.

You must make your own choices that are true to who you are and find yourself in the character.?

On film, the camera always knows what you are thinking.

It is very good at revealing where your true motives lie. It is sometimes difficult to articulate without extensive study of acting techniques, but all moviegoers can recognize the slight yet almost indistinguishable difference between “good” and “great” in an actor.

Stay tuned for my next newsletter on Wednesday:)