Been gone for a while

What satisfies you?  What you have you sacrificed to get what you want? Are you aware of how you affect others and others affect you? Who don't you want to be?

You must understand in order to convince.  And when you are convinced you will be inspired to be unsure, and take leaps of faith, and not need to know everything as a security crutch.

What is it that we must understand?

When a stranger calls

How funny are voice mail greetings and or messages?  Particularly evident when it is someone you know well..."Hi this is so and so...", they/we either go out of the way to be super natural, maybe funny, or present a voice which represents this message persona, but is it you, or them? Of course it is you.  Why do we do that?

How about your behavior within your profession? Step back and listen to yourself dealing with people in your daily bread gig; what character are you creating for that specific interaction?  Think about that.  Here's a secret, one that will unlock the essence/objective of a scene or your relationship to the other characters in it... "that character" you create and are constantly creating will ALWAYS be based on what you want.  Let me make a clear example.  If you make a living at sales (we are all salespeople, by the way, children being the best), internally go through your pitch.  How is it different from client to client, to feedback, to obstacles, and yet, it is a life and death (drama of course) situation, because if you don't sell, you don't eat.  Your actions (offer coffee, sit down be comfortable), tone, words, EVERYTHING surrounds that end, buy the car, the perfume, the house, etc. Within the range of life filters you possess, your personality will adjust to the assumptions you have made in any given situation.

Talk Show Radio: Brenda and Miguel

The Actors House "Talk Show Radio" Exercise


One actor (the caller) speaks about a subject they feel passionate about, (it can be anything); the other repeats the words of the caller.   No method, no bullshit brainy process, no sense memory mumbo jumbo, no existential experience for and from the intelligentsia. No time to think for either actor - only truth - and you will believe them both.

Talk Show Radio: Caro and Brenda

The Actors House "Talk Show Radio" Exercise


One actor (the caller) speaks about a subject they feel passionate about, (it can be anything); the other repeats the words of the caller.   No method, no bullshit brainy process, no sense memory mumbo jumbo, no existential experience for and from the intelligentsia. No time to think for either actor - only truth - and you will believe them both.

Talk Show Radio: Jorg and Nyree

The Actors House "Talk Show Radio" Exercise


One actor (the caller) speaks about a subject they feel passionate about, (it can be anything); the other repeats the words of the caller.   No method, no bullshit brainy process, no sense memory mumbo jumbo, no existential experience for and from the intelligentsia. No time to think for either actor - only truth - and you will believe them both.

Talk Show Radio: Eddie and Joseph

The Actors House "Talk Show Radio" Exercise


One actor (the caller) speaks about a subject they feel passionate about, (it can be anything); the other repeats the words of the caller.   No method, no bullshit brainy process, no sense memory mumbo jumbo, no existential experience for and from the intelligentsia. No time to think for either actor - only truth - and you will believe them both.

The Actors House "Talk Show Radio" Exercise


One actor (the caller) speaks about a subject they feel passionate about, (it can be anything); the other repeats the words of the caller.   No method, no bullshit brainy process, no sense memory mumbo jumbo, no existential experience for and from the intelligentsia. No time to think for either actor - only truth - and you will believe them both.

Talk Show Radio: Marcell and Christine

The Actors House "Talk Show Radio" Exercise


One actor (the caller) speaks about a subject they feel passionate about, (it can be anything); the other repeats the words of the caller.   No method, no bullshit brainy process, no sense memory mumbo jumbo, no existential experience for and from the intelligentsia. No time to think for either actor - only truth - and you will believe them both.

I can see clearly now the ______ has gone

One of our difficulties in portraying truthfully as actors is our child defense mechanism of protecting the ego.  No one wants to be wrong, the other kid is the dummy, I know all the answers, and I will let you know that I know what I know. These are all opinion based judges in your own head, nonetheless, a reality of how our brains work.  If we were able to "detach" ourselves in the process of creating, quieting this voice, (not to a total silence, as you will later see in your growth, that this voice is a truthsayer - for all my Dune fans) it will allow you as an actor the freedom to be wrong and receive the precious gifts of artistic accidents, which is your mind in hyper speed giving you the answers.  A mental and physical exercise to jump start any scene work and to assist through this process is to imagine someone else doing the scene.  This is particularly fun to do if you see in your mind's eye perhaps one of your favorite actors; how would they do the scene? Listen to their voice, see them getting what they want. This allows you not to be personal, it is not you putting your heart on the line, but someone else, and you can observe that, almost like a scientist.  Did you like what you saw, would you direct them in any particular direction? Another exercise is to switch characters with your scene partner. It can be male, female, does not matter.  Once you have rehearsed a scene for a while, switch parts with your fellow actors.  They will show you things you have not seen about yourself - eye opening to discover how they see your character.

SMB - Sadistic Mothers Blow

Sadistic Mothers Blow.  No, no, no calm down, I'm sure they do, but that was just to get your attention.  You've heard of Subject Matter Experts, (SME'S) people who get paid a lot of money to impart their knowledge onto us, and yes acting teachers are included in that lot. We've added a little twist to that, and we've called it the Subject Matter Bull exercise. This exercise is to help the actor not be a character but be truly himself, (the key words here are truly as I am not interested in your accomplishments as an "artiste" and bull because I can even care less about your expertise). Whether you are a successful actor making a living at your craft or like the rest of us, working for a living and pursuing your passion for this noble art, prepare, not a monologue, but some talking points on something that you are an "expert," i.e., training someone new at your job, selling me whatever it is you sell for a living (that is what we all do, by the way), changing a tire, putting on make-up, preparing a grill cheese, WHATEVER. Pick a partner and do your thing.  Your partner explains their expertise, and then comes the FUN part.  Repeat to each other what you've just heard.  Film all of it, and watch it!!  Who was more believable?

Play to an image

One of the realities that I have struggled understanding is how do I "bring my game" to a scene, monologue, audition, or actual shoot.  Like a sprinter, waiting for the gun shot to go off, as actors how can we insure that we bolt forth like lighting.  This heightened sense of awareness which to the bad actor becomes a forced or planned emotion, are simply triggers; all the way up to the top of the first drop of the roller coaster, or like pulling back the rubber of a sling shot, and you (or the audience) are the rock.  Now "don't go all method on me", this is not what I am advocating here. But "what if" (the most powerful combination of words in the universe) you were to put an image in your mind and it can BE anything...from the most banal to the most sublime: a famous actor, a dog taking care of business, something sexy, ANYTHING and BANG! play the scene, monologue, etc. If you have someone tape your performance you will see something wonderful happen and you will see it in your eyes.
In moments of struggle, see it and watch what happens.


In workshop we call this exercise, "Act me a picture" 

Much Ado about Nothing

Typecast yourself into whatever role you are reading for.  That's it. That simple. 


Think like a casting director - visualize roles for those around you. Practice this all day.  Can I see this guy play a crook? Do I see her as a nun?  Leading man? Etc.  This will open your eyes to the role of the casting agent and casting director as well as looking at yourself with the same scrutiny.


Be ridiculous. Be yourself. Be humble. Be irreverent.

It's not personal - train your brain

The older I get the less I believe, and the smaller my beliefs, the freer my performance.   I remember to the smallest details the morning my father died, the day my children were born, my first kiss, excruciating bodily pain and you get the idea.  To save my life I could not recreate those moments truthfully by simply remembering them for a performance.  Stanislavsky admitted that his method was not static and it is in our generation's task to lift his and all master teachings which revolutionized performance arts in the 20th century.  They are triggers and not representations for the actor.  Spare me the crocodile tears and the flared angry nostrils. Work hard at understanding the truths of any situation - train your brain to create on demand - i'm waiting for the feeling is for the birds. Heresy, God yes!  Be a master at your craft, behave like you already are, you will be amazed at the responses from your bountiful - mind 

Metamorphosis

La transformacion tiene su proceso.
Con que lente ves al mundo?
Pretende que todos son tus maestros,
reyes y reinas en un mundo bendecido...
con regalos que vienen del cielo, solo para ti.


There are no shortcuts to being transformed.
With what lens are you filtering the world?
Pretend that they are all your teachers,
kings and queens in a world full of blessings...
with gifts from a heaven, that bare only your name.

The power of improv

I've been out for the last month shooting two shorts...must walk the walk and talk the talk.  Ran across this cool link on-line preparing for next Saturday's workshop at the Actors House.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/30-famous-movie-scenes-you-didnt-know-were-improv

Is your character acting?

Shakespeare opened our eyes to this.  Before him, the Greeks, and before them all scriptures ever written by any culture, and before them, the drawings on cave walls.  This is not "playing to your audience," rather, is there an inner audience in your character, listening to your character? The answer will always be yes.  The beautiful soliloquies directed at the gods, at the characters in the play not present in the scene, and in some cases the "out-loud" thinking which reveal intent and purpose are all beautiful examples found in the classics of how people in everyday life do this. Think in your own life; how many times you've been involved in a conversation or argument and your desire to win is not grounded in the present but some unseen mission being carried within you, or a need to assert a self image projected out into a desire? Many times this "inner" audience is a parent, friend, child, imaginary hero or foe and it is part of your character's humanity.  Is the character aware? Yes, and are they acting, yes to that also. In your studies you will find people in transition aware of how their past and this audience is influencing their decisions and  many themes are written around the concept of individuality, sort of "breaking free" from this.  Even in those circumstances where the character is "free," the inner audience might become a personal goal or even God for those that are spiritually inclined.  It might help to think, who is keeping score for your character?

La transformacion

Who first: The chicken or the chicken

Last night I attended an actor friend birthday party.  Nothing like a little alcohol and a bunch of actors to turn on the "theory" conversations. Two very talented friends were having an interesting clash of views distilled into two camps: method and for lack of a better word, "non-method."  I left the party and had an opportunity to think as I was up all night. I went over the ideas that I had heard such as: the creation of new memories through exercises for future usage to what is the actor really thinking when the camera is on them for that 15 second close-up/fade out?   

I kept asking questions of myself: what is it that we do? Are we just story tellers? Yes.  Do we represent life? Yes. Do we create? Yeee......ss.  And here's where my brain starting firing.  I thought about the"humanity" of being human.  Is crying now over the loss of a loved one, any different than it was 2,000 years ago or 10,000 years ago? (or any number of conflicts or emotions.) I don't think so, but if you watch movies, starting with silent films all the way to the most progressive indie films being produced today, you will notice a MARKED difference in the way actors, directors and writers have shared their stories with their audiences since the beginning of the art (applies to theater as well), almost like we have made conscious decisions on which colors and sounds we are able to see, thus convey.  Aaahhhhh, said the  little voice inside my head. What we are able to see as people is what we are able to feel. What we are able to believe as artists is what we are able to convey. Think of breakthrough films which have changed genres, attitudes, even the art itself and it is more than simply pushing the envelope.  

The chicken, my friend came first - from another chicken.

Water

Think about this:


What is the secret of being centered? Taming the animal,or being the animal?


Practice having nothing,
left with nothing,
not even life.
How precious simple
becomes - 
hope anew
hope powerful

Believe like a child

Remember being a kid and how easy it was to believe? As we grow older we develop filters and "depth" to try and catch anything being thrown our way which is deceitful or not true. And isn't it funny that even as adults we are still prone to deceit and lies, no matter how smart we think we have become? We've learned very little other than destroy our child like creativity and intuition, replacing it with intellectual jargon which produces nothing original. 


Here's the exercise.  You are to behave like kids, (no kiddie mimics please),a group of actors will create a universe and play act a story and go with it....we are in mars, our spaceship broke down, my puppy is dying and we have to get back to earth to save him and we can't find the tool...the more outrageous, the better.  DO NOT STOP TO THINK - go with it.  If you have trouble, spend some time in a park where children play and watch how these games develop. Curious enough, even if not spoken, they determine rules of winning.

A championship game

I have always compared acting to sports, and on many levels. From a discipline which requires practice I believe you must work on your art on a DAILY basis.  Observe and journal, work on a monologue, take a class, WORK on plays or short films, write...EVERYDAY.  When your head finally rests on your pillow and you have enough energy left to think, remember for each day you leave your art, your art will leave you for three times the amount of time. Practice, work, practice, watch great films, listen to music which inspires you (that counts), just like a gymnast practices for the Olympics. Have you seen those documentaries when they show the kids waking up at 4AM for 4 years for a few minutes of greatness.  Believe me, becoming a great actor is no different. 


Now for the audience part, and only those who have watched and enjoyed any championship game of any sport will relate to this.  Your performance must have the audience rooting for you. You can be the villain and they are rooting for the hero, in essence rooting for you to fail.  It must have the energy of a three pointer at the buzzer or goal or touchdown with no time left on the clock, or in my case, a birdie needed to win the US Open.  You the actor, must be aware of this process and your character needs to fight for this objective.  This is not self serving or calling focus or upstaging, as that is the most deplorable style of actor, but of exposing your "self" to the fact that you want to win at all costs.  How many Monday morning conversations do we have, something like this,"ah, their heart wasn't in the game...", or "they didn't want it enough.." etc. The audience must see ALL OR NOTHING from your character, which is ultimately you.


I love to do an exercise where two actors try to outdo each other inventing a silly game (be a kid, remember how we were able to come up with games on the spot?) with clear rules on how to win.  Your fellow actors will be the spectators. Part of the purpose of the exercise is to create the game on the spot and then going for it until we have a clear winner.


Example:
The first to count from 0 to one million wins... Go...
The first to hypnotize the other wins...Go... 
The first to make the other laugh wins...Go (remember that in history class - this one is great to break thespian egos)...Go..

Scene Objectives

Yesterday I was having dinner with my 15 year old daughter on our way to see an independent short shot in Miami. We spoke about music and school, renovations to her school, etc., and I decided to be very quiet and just observe her.  So many beautiful movements on her face, I don't think I had ever studied her this minutely. 


If this would have been a scene in a play or a movie, what would have been the character's objectives, and I have to confess, objectives were more than often, a mystery to me, because I failed to see that objectives have more than one level.  There is the objective that the audience sees and the objective the character pursues. 


As I listened to my daughter, I knew she wasn't thinking I want this or that from my Dad, aside from the normal father-daughter relationship give and take, she simply was speaking with me.  A pair of actors  would have massacred that scene over-thinking it and I imagined it being written down and as a director what would have been the way to bring life to it.  Objectives are tied intimately to relationships and to the purpose your character plays at this particular point in the play or movie. By purpose I do not mean playing a verb, but the simple question of what is happening in this scene, which of course is not enough unless we establish a relationship. We were relating to each other, traveling across years of age difference to tell each other, this is how it is for me, and for the other, things haven't changed so much.

Make your commitment specific

I was describing to an actor friend a scene in 127 Hours where the main character finds the will to survive through the vision of his son in the future who is telling him not to give up. I remember being deeply moved in this sequence of the film but I almost started balling my eyes out as I explained to my friend how beautiful and touching that had been for me.  As always, when I have a powerful emotional experience like that, unplanned and overwhelming like a giant sea wave standing 100 feet over me, I think and think, now how did that happen? The answer was simple, I had been specific to my commitment in this "scene" (conversation with my friend) and my "character" (me) had exposed something very private and revealing about him, and that fact of self discovery made him cry. 


Your life is your best acting teacher.  Pay attention.

You are so dramatic

In life we rarely question the reality of a situation.  There have been times where perhaps you have been so overwhelmed by either joy or despair that the emotions associated with the event are inescapable; the reality is occurring right in front of you, whether you are actively involved or not, and no amount of bad acting on your part will question the life or truth of the situation. It is simply happening. As an actor, think about that. How does that affect your approach to the work?


The difficulty for us follows the emotional scripting that we often do when working.  Sometimes it is written, sometimes it is not.  And it helps to understand and ask questions of our own emotions and the infinite depth of their manifestations in our daily life.  Emotions are not cerebral. They are physical. Sexual energy is a powerful example of this. We might have a mental image that triggers the chemicals in our brain, (more on images in a later post) and after that, the thinking goes out the door. Emotions are a product of fulfilled or unfulfilled desires, hopes, dreams...as simple as the idiot who just cut you off in traffic and made you yell at the top of your lungs, or as complex as the questioning of your place in life, particularly if what you want is not matching what you are "getting."


How does your character "go there" emotionally as we all must do?  What are the differences between an emotional and a non-emotional character?  You might have a character that feels life passionately and shows nothing (and those are fantastic and difficult to play) and then you will have characters who have insulated themselves from feeling and yet the whole world knows how they "feel."    

What do I deserve?

Whenever I am out I play this internal game. You have probably heard variations of this game and I will add my own twist.  If you are able to observe people walking about in a mall, outdoors, etc, (and you must be able to observe one individual for more than a minute), you will notice something fascinating, and that is, the image that they think or wish to portray to the world.  Waiters and bartenders (no wonder so many good actors have gone that way for money) are at an advantage for this game but anyone can play it.  It is without question a reality of human interaction.  Even a non-image is an image.  Your imagination will take over and write story lines for you without fail.  Why is that? It will flow easily from you and without effort. Again, why is that less complicated than a script right in front of you. Try and answer that question.  (I remember in 1986 while taking  a master class with Uta Hagen she told me that in her mind she thought she looked like a butterfly floating about in loose dreamy clothing and then she would see this older creature reflected back on a store window and it would shock her.  That simple statement from her blew my mind away. How beautiful this concept of "self" creation and it is part of every single character you will ever play)


Could you play one of those people you just saw walking around on a leisure Sunday?  I challenge myself continuously with that question, making a mental inventory of the people I meet and see.  The cool stuff then becomes:  who does your character (or that person you are watching) thinks he deserves to be? Deserve to have? Deserve to achieve? Deserve to dream?  There are no wrong answers.  Have fun and make little stories describing as much as you can of the individual.

How deep is your love

I used this title because it reminds me of Saturday Night Fever and that wonderful sountrack, and music is such a powerful emotional catalyst.  What I really wanted to say is how "deep are your thoughts."  I don't mean intellectually, i.e. the beginning of time or whether or not there is a God or are we just animals with vocal chords...those are subjects for masters and doctorate thesis. 


Are your thoughts the purest expression of who we are or what is happening in a scene, or is there a more primordial, basic element(s) in our personalities which guides us through life?  Are your "word" thoughts really able to reach deep inside your core and explain away actions or emotions? 


Don't limit the interpretation of your character.  There are no good guys, bad guys, it is only people justifying and affirming through out their life the IMAGE of who they think or want to be.  


What shaped you?  Write down today as many songs as possible from as far back as you remember...listen to "oldies," (songs that were relevant at any particular stage of your life) and sit back and enjoy the flood of emotions, whether nostalgia, even euphoria when you listen to something forgotten in your past through music.  What songs might your character have listened? There are many more factors in that answer, but we'll stick to music as a reminder of those moments.  Of course, pain, happiness and fear play a special role in that answer.   


I am a firm believer that we can only bring ourselves to a role, but we are fantastic creatures and we can be trained to understand different perspectives other than our own, wearing ourselves as a costume on the words of the author.

A couple of exercises in listening

Rehearse a scene and pretend your words have been taken out, or that you are suffering from a throat issue and on top of that you can't write your responses to the other character. (you can also experiment with writing the responses) The scene still needs to happen. You must still try to respond and communicate, speaking without words. DO NOT SOAP OPERA YOUR EXPRESSIONS. It is easier if we improvise, rather than a written piece (but in a written piece, if I feel lost, I sometimes think of the million other things my character could have said or done and yet the character said what is on the page. Why?) It can be an exercise in comedy as the most phenomenal actions will happen, but the main purpose is to rid you of the face value intentions of the words.


A flip to the above exercise is to learn a scene or do an improv with a scene partner and do it blindfolded as if you were both not able to see.  It is an exercise on listening and reacting naturally because it will take the performance pressure of doing a simple scene.  After a few times you will start seeing images in your mind directly associated with what your scene partner is saying.

How green is green

If I were to ask you what is the color of grass, or leaves, limes, and so on, you will say green, right?  Now go outside and look at each hue of green.  It will amaze you how different from each other they all are.  Our idea of "green" is a range in the spectrum of light that falls within a parameter we accept as green.  If it can be this beautiful with one color, imagine perspectives and emotions in a character.  


A much needed pause here.  You the actor must be aware, that does not mean your character necessarily is.  I don't want to see you acting.


Okay, and here is the exercise (as this art form is a sport which must be practiced daily). How does your character listen?  How does she interpret?  Is life a threat or an opportunity? Which part of daily life does that character let in, intentional or unintentional which affects their moods? How aware are they of that process?  How well do they know this? What are they protecting? (If you just burned your hand or something similar, think at the lengths you would go to make sure nothing touches that area.  Play an exercise where you are a worker doing a specific task and you are avoiding anything touching your hurt hand.  Think of how as people we do this all day long with our entire beings)


Imagine a colored gel over your eyes, a blue one as an example and look at the world, and see how it distorts.  Your characters area all holding gels like that over their eyes, and so are you. 

More Questions

Did I do something wrong?


When I am expecting an answer or reaction, will it be unexpected because I fucked up?


Does your character think he or she is always right?


Was your character delivering an authentic or influenced line?


Communicate the beautiful.  What is the mood of the scene, moment, or line? Your purpose.  There's a moment in "Contact" when John Hurts tells Jodie Foster, "wanna play?", that is an example of this concept.


Does your character hide his feelings?  The old cliche, it's all in the details.  Christopher Walken in the "Dead Zone" accepts a beer from the rich and powerful businessman.  It is a two second moment, and yet so much went into it. William Hurt, in the "Accidental Tourist," quickly smells his soup before tasting it. Meryl Streep and all the beautiful sighs in "Sophie's Choice..." Look for these in your favorite performers.


This is one of my favorites - one that helped me understand objectives. (how many times has a director or teacher shouted at you, "what is the objective of the scene" and you look dumbfounded) Ask yourself this: What are the dreams of your character.  What are the "ifs", that if they come true their dreams are realized?  What are the nightmares of your character.  What are the fears that ultimately create the struggle in their lives? Bring that down to the scene. I guarantee you will never look like a deer caught in headlights when the objective question is asked by your director or teacher.


Does your character "pick" words to communicate something about their feelings? A writer to his wife: "Have you read my little script?" How is that writer concerned or manipulating a reaction?


Here's a another famous teacher and director question. What is the subtext of this line or that line.  Once again, headlight straight into our eyes. I think the classic mistake has been to put the attention into ourselves and not into our scene partner.  Here's another rescue piece of advice: The subtext of your line is often a defense of your character's position in response to what he or she thinks was said to them. 

Questions anyone

When you are familiar with the script, down to every word on each page, you are then  free to be yourself in the role.  How do we get there? Ask questions. Lots of them. Your answers will change all the time. That's ok. Nothing is written in stone in this art. Don't be discouraged or confused by this.  There is no right nor wrong in an interpretation. It simply is and for all my "truth" and "reality" brothers and sisters, this is not about turning a performance into a brainy proposal.  I promise you that once you break every barrier from your illogical mind, the purest and simplest will flow forth.  What is the shortest path between "a" and "b"? A straight line.


Here are some of the many questions to ask yourself and I'll expand on these on a later post.  Think about the answers and think about the questions continuously while working on a role.  Sort of like a background software running in your mind. You will be surprised at answers popping up. Write it all down.  They are all precious gifts from your inner voice, coming from the artist within.


What is the tension of the scene?


What is the character hiding?


What is the author hiding?


What is the tension in the audience?


Are your answers in anticipation of something the character said, or based on something you think is on their minds?


How can the

 character hurt you?


What are the secrets of the story?


What is the history of the statement made by your character?


What weakness or blemish is your character hiding?

Who would play you?

Today you are to be a writer and a director.


You have been given a budget, crew, and actors. You are to film your life.  You auditioned the actors and found one that caught your attention. What would you tell this actor? How would he or she play you? Think of all of the generalities which you are certain are part of you.  Write them down.  (I love dramatic films, cry at the movies, get inspired by music, I am shy...) Think of all the details which you are also certain  belong to you. (no sugar in coffee, beer must be cold, like the smell of clean clothes....) Be specific and catalogue your day.  Every single activity. What were you thinking when you walked through the mall, drank coffee, spoke to your parents...how did you walk though the mall, drank coffee and spoke to your parents? Pick one of those moments and shoot it with your imaginary actor.  A simple task.  You walked out of the mall and went to your car.  Did you avoid looking at others? Did you smile at strangers? Were you thinking of your bills? Only you know - now, explain it to the other actor, in detail.  Look at how simple and yet how empty it can be, as so much has gone into who you are.


Your entire life has gone through you and your visions of the  future create or destroy your hopes and dreams.


This is the exercise.  Pick a sequence from you day, one in which you remember clearly everything you did, felt, thought, EVERYTHING,  and perhaps others around you.  Write a verbatim scene or sequence, script it.  Pick the actor or actors that will perform your scene.  It is not about an Oscar performance. Observe how they fall short or nail it.  Maybe one will surprise you  and elevate the performance.  This will  teach you to seek truth in characterization because you know the truth this time, unequivocally, as you are shooting a scene that no one knows better than you.

It's not about me, it's about you.

For any given day, write down as much as you can remember, every single word or statement you have told those around you, whether family, friends or strangers.  It is important to be detailed in your notes, but its okay if you paraphrase a little. At the end of the day, go through your notes. (you might find it easier to write everything down before going to bed, or be a maniac and write it right after the conversation or incident).  Now here's the hard part. Imagine how the other person heard you? It is hard, because it is not how you intended them to hear you (more often than not), but if you were the other person, what did they hear?  When you said "good morning" to your spouse, lover, child, co-worker...what did they hear?  Be THEM and imagine your voice tone, attitude, EVERYTHING they might have interpreted from your message.  The longer your relationship, the more precise or interesting your analysis will be. 


In short: take a moment to think how your words are heard by others. What signals did you really send, unintentional or intentional.  Go over entire day conversations where you are the other person and you are listening to yourself.

This exercise I recommend as a daily routine to be kept in a journal. It will teach you to play out of yourself into your scene partner(s).  It will teach you to breakdown scenes, entire scripts, and re-focus the manner in which you prepare for a role.  So many times I see very talented actors and not so talented actors, scripting reactions, deliveries, and emotions which are so illogical to the scene, but important to their artistic self-indulgence.  This exercise will help you break those habits.

Between great and brilliant

It's a small step, really. But first:


Our art combines pictures and sound.  We are musicians and painters and poets.  And yet, those respective art forms seem more unique than ours to make an individual statement to the world. Why is that? Answer that question to yourself before reading on.


How do we cultivate ourselves? What breaks your heart? What makes you angry? If you could really truly change that which makes you unhappy, whether it is child abuse, prejudice, or something simple and close to you, what would it be?  As an artist, it isn't that we feel some things uniquely, it is perhaps that we feel them deeply or none at all.  Am I able to see this humanity in your roles?


This is where all masters have agreed: you are a million times more interesting than any character you will ever play, but if there is no "you," your interpretations will lack the spark which propels you from great, to brilliant.

Try being someone else

Here is an exercise I love to do to let go of my fear of lack of truth in my characterizations.


Listen to talk radio and imitate the caller as soon as you hear them.  I don't mean after the show is done, I mean live on the call.  If the caller says, "I think so and so is an idiot", I want you to say it to yourself outloud as if you are the caller, and yes IMITATE the caller, (woe to all ye method actors....) Imitate the tone, attitude, everything and anything that sticks out to you. You see, that is a real person on that call.  You can do the same on a newscast but that's more edited.  


In class and with two other students, improvise the same exercise, one is the caller, the other the radio show host, the third the actor.  Pick a subject and go!  You can also have four or five students being callers, your job is to imitate them.  I like doing the exercise with live radio to avoid actors, well being actors, but its a great stage warm-up or exercise nonetheless.  It also works watching movies.  I hate to tell you what you will discover, but here it is, you can never imitate no matter how hard you try, because it is always you.  Roll that and smoke it.


Mind you, I am not speaking of becoming mime or impersonators.

Why do we call it magic?

Have you ever felt a sense of wonder as you watch a magician perform? No matter how hard you have tried to understand the trick, if it was done correctly, you are spellbound through the illusion. Simple, right? It is an exchange of reality; we allow ourselves this belief, for one moment - someone has performed a visual miracle for us.

You hear this word over and over again after a great rehearsal, or take, watching dailies... you say, wow that was magic. What do we mean by that? Do we mean that it is non repeatable? Is it that somehow we arrived at this place of truth in a scene, a character, directing idea, plot change in our writing as a miraculous "appear and disappear" act? I have felt this, I know you have also.

What if we were to humbly view ourselves as magicians, creators of illusions. Our job is to entertain, regardless of our genre and or content. You the artist, your job is to make me catch my breath as I see a character speak through you, a story told through you, a vision shared through you.


Your job is to entertain me. I the audience, am not interested in what a great artist you think you might be, I can care less of your personal life or ambitions - tell me a story and make me believe it. How different is that from the classic magician?