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Film Acting Tips
Art Imitates Life
School for Film and Television Tip: Want to keep your acting from getting stale? Make sure your life is interesting!
Your most crucial dramatic lessons won't come from film acting class but from your own life. Sure, it's important to go to movies and plays, read scripts, and study the great directors. But if your only reference point is other movies, your performances will come across as flat and derivative.
Snoresville.
An actor has to continually fill his well of creativity to stay inspired. The broader your experiences and your studies, the more resources you'll have to draw from during a performance. Follow these tips to spice up your acting:
Read. Learn all you can about art, music, science, psychology, history, and theology. Each field in its own way examines what it means to be human.
Become a first-class people-watcher. Keep a notebook with you and jot down dialogue, mannerisms, and interesting situations.
Travel to experience other cultures. How do people greet each other in France? What does it feel like to ride a camel in the desert?
Follow current events for insights into the best and worst of human theater.
Seek novelty. Do something you've never done before, such as learn belly-dancing, repair a car's engine, or pet-sit a snake.
Take risks. Bungee jump. Travel solo. Love and lose. Love and win.
Live with your mind and senses fully engaged, and you'll perform the same way. Not to mention you'll have fantastic stories to tell your grandkids someday!
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Hurry up and Wait
School for Film and Television Tip: If you got into film acting for the glamour, you're in for a shock once you hit a movie set. You may be required to do night shoots, act like you're freezing in 90-degree weather, or jump over that thingamambob over there a million times. Your days will start early and usually end quite late. For most of those long hours you'll be just sitting around. Unless you're a mega star, your chair probably won't be that comfy, either.
Setting up a shot takes time. LOTS of time. As the actor, you'll be twiddling your thumbs while the technicians do their jobs. That can get to be draining. How on earth will you be able to deliver your emotional scene when your energy levels are depleted?
You may not have a lot of control over the filming schedule, but you'll be a much happier camper if you learn to spend your "waiting around" time in a constructive manner. What's constructive for you will depend on your personality and on the demands of the film. If goofing off with the other actors will lead to greater freedom in front of the camera, then go for it. On the other hand, if being around people leaves you feeling dispersed, spend the time alone in quiet meditation. Or you may need some physical activity, to chill out with some music, or to run through your scene one more time. Each role, each film, will be a new experience and may require a new approach. But if you remain tuned into your own deepest needs, you'll find the time spent on set less tedious. Both you and your performance will be better off.
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Applying to a Film Acting School
School for Film and Television Tip: You've decided to follow your dream and apply to acting school. Congratulations! Whether you move to a different part of the country or stay closer to home, there are many film acting schools to choose from. These tips will help you find the right program for you.
Visit the campus. Check out the facilities. Talk to the other students. What's the atmosphere like? Do students and faculty alike seem jazzed and happy to be there? If you can, catch a student performance.
Ask about the faculty: Are the drama teachers experienced actors? Are they well-respected? Do they have connections in the industry? Try to meet with first-year instructors during your campus visit.
Ask about the curriculum: Besides acting technique, what else will you learn? Does the school offer courses in film and drama history? How about dance, movement, and voice classes? Will you also learn practical skills for making your dream happen, such as how to approach agents, put together your resume and headshot, plan your career, and keep your books?
Good luck! Here's hoping you find a program you love.
