It’s easy to fall into an unrealistic rhythm with other actors, losing your character’s unique personal rhythm. In real life, we don’t tend to do this tho. Matthew describes a technique he uses to avoid this pitfall.
Category: Videos
Early in 2011, Matthew Harrison hosted a series of seminars, “The Craft of Acting” over the course of 3 days. These videos are from that series. They are live, uncensored, and edited only for time limitations. Perspectives are challenged, myths about acting are debunked, and The Craft of Acting is made practical.
Hiding Behind Character
‘Character’ can often become a hiding place. A distraction from the actual task at hand. Everything you need to know about the character is in the text. Do the work to discover it.
The Jack Sparrow Effect
Audiences confuse and reward “Characterization” for “Character”. We often to realize that the highest compliment an actor can get is “but I only ever see him/her doing it”. It’s the humanity behind the characterization that makes Johnny Depp’s “Jack Sparrow” the best loved “Character” in recent history.
Character is ACTION
We can tend to confuse and complicate the creation of character. Things like ‘back story’ are only relevant as they serve to clarify the actions. The are NOT THE POINT. Character is ACTION.
Play the Actions
We’re so tempted to over complicate things. Once you’ve done all the homework, it really boils down to simply playing the actions of the character. Don’t worry about what the audience does/doesn’t know, don’t be tempted to layer in information that the story and audience itself will take care of. just play the actions!
I Would Never Do That
Most of what you do as an actor should be out of your personal comfort zone. when it’s not, the work is boring. early actors use ‘i would never do that’ as an excuse, veteran actors use ‘i would never do that’ as a rally cry!
Images & Self Knowledge
You better know what everything in the script means to the character and know what it means to you or the audience will know that you don’t. Find your IMAGES. They’re both the process and the path to self knowledge.
Memorization Technique
Line Memorization is focus exercise. Not to treat it as such is to ‘memorize your way into a line read’ which is to ‘work your way out of the scene and into a predetermined choice’.
Speak Before You Think
Thinking gets in the way of doing. you must get your thinking out of the way. here’s a review on how your brain actually functions, and where the ego actually comes from. the way to get the ‘I’ out of the way is through process and work work work work work.
Gut Reactions
Your center is your guts and your crotch. we literally have GUT reactions to people and events. In North America, tho we are disconnected from the neck down. Actors must get connected to that CENTRE.
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