Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television

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Practice is the only way to gain experience, and experience is necessary in the complicated and difficult field of directing. “Do not have your first directing experience be on a set where someone has put up a million dollars. Don’t do it,” she says. Practice is essential, and it’s not a burden on others; in fact, it’s useful to anyone interested in honing their craft. “Practicing with people who are not going to be in your movie is fantastically useful. You don’t have to worry about making a mistake. You don’t have to worry about saying something and losing their trust and the whole project going up in flames because you’ve lost their trust,” she says. “If you make it clear that it is all just people helping each other and practicing connection, that is practice for everybody,” Weston explains. Begin Investing in Your Actors During Casting When I started transitioning from theater into film, I saw this firsthand. Filmmakers would work so hard to get everything together for their films, and then it would come to the moment when they had to direct the actor on set, and it wouldn’t work out. There was a serious problem there. For many filmmakers, collaborating with actors is the last frontier—the scariest part and the part they long for—the human part, the place where connection happens. Judith’s new book, Directing Actors: 25th Anniversary Edition, covers the challenges of the actor-director relationship—the pitfalls of “result direction”; breaking down a script; how to prepare for casting sessions; when, how and whether to rehearse—but with updated references, expanded ideas, more detailed chapters on rehearsal and script analysis (using a scene from The Matrix)—and a whole new chapter on directing children.For twenty-five years the industry standard for instilling confidence in filmmakers, Directing Actors perseveres in its mission—to bring directors, actors and writers deeper into the exhilarating task of creating characters the world will not forget. Thorough guide to preparation of scenes and scripts – so you are armed with ideas and thoughts that will elevate all your performances.

Fall in love with your characters. When you judge or categorize a character, you are inviting stereotype and cliché. Impactful Storytelling: Ultimately, the goal is to tell a story that is impactful and engaging. By being economical, writers can create a narrative that maintains the audience's interest and delivers a powerful message or experience in a concise manner. It worked. One of the things I realized when I started practicing meditation and studying Buddhism was that a lot of the motivation behind my artistic endeavors was ego-driven. I wanted to prove I was great and I could do great things. For a time I wondered if I needed to stop creating. But what I learned was that I just needed to change my intentions. Now my intention has become, What can I give to other people through this film? What can I give them that will be helpful or valuable or enjoyable? Rather than giving an actor the effect you desire, create a cause to achieve this effect. This cause can be achieved through another actor. For example, if an actor must be surprised in a scene, direct another actor to do something spontaneous that elicits surprise. How can they hit their marks if they haven’t been defined? Of course, this is not to say that you must impose a stringent approach to directing actors.

BE A LEADER

Whether it’s the telling of stories, or the working with great people, or the alluring power of the position: you’re likely to want to direct again after your first try. And you should. It’s a lot of fun! Each time you direct something, challenge yourself with a more difficult task. Find other scenes from unfamiliar work, or a scene from something you’ve always hated. If you’ve worked with a larger number of actors, consider a two-hander or even a monologue. If you’re very courageous: direct yourself (of course, that is its own article and then some…) Ask your actor to think of a real-life scenario where they experienced sadness. Let them channel that into this scene. As you gain more experience directing actors, you’ll realize that you can’t micromanage their performance. Respect aside, here is the practical advice Wu shared in the video that you can use to become a better director:

First and foremost, you as a director must understand the craft of acting if you ever hope to direct others to act in your film. One Way to do this is to get to know actors. Take acting classes, ask other actors about their experiences and get to know them as human beings. “Ask them how they have studied, not because it has to change the way you give direction, [but because] it can be helpful to ask. They usually like to talk about it,” Weston says. “You’d be surprised by how many actors are never asked any questions at all by directors. Actors seem surprised when directors express any interest at all in who they are as an artist or who they are as a person.” First and foremost, let the actor know exactly how they should feel with every direction that you give them. If the scene is supposed to be funny, then make sure they know it’s supposed to be funny. If it’s supposed to be sad, make sure they know that too. If it’s supposed to be dramatic…you get the picture. At the end of the day, it is important to remember that both you and the actor share the same goal of telling a story to the best of your abilities. Together, you are simply trying to figure out the best way a film, scene, or even take should play out. Even an auteur director like Quentin Tarantino understands the importance of an actor and director being on the same level.

The third critical element is what Meisner called “Pinch and Ouch.” If I were to pinch you right now, you’d probably say, “Ow.” But if I pinched you harder, you’d be more like, “Ouch!” That’s an honest reaction. Great performances are all about honest reactions. It’s not that you need one actor to say her lines this way and the other actor to say his lines that way. You need to set up an interactive system, and then you need to set that system in motion. Then the scene becomes spontaneous on its own. Pinch and Ouch. Not only does this experimentation produce something spontaneous, but it produces something authentic which ultimately connects with an audience. Actor’s often experiment and play off of one another which leads us to our next directing tip. How to Direct Actors for Film 9. Utilize other actors for real reactions Honesty is so counterintuitive in daily life,” she says. “People ask how you are and what do you do? You say ‘I’m fine.’ Day after day of this makes honesty counterintuitive. You have permission in the creative world and in the imagined world to go beyond that and to create a purity of expression.” There is no right or wrong way to direct actors, but some techniques are more effective than others. Telling vs. Showing Directors who tell rather than show often talk through the entire performance with the actor, explaining how each line should be delivered. Do you want to make your actors feel comfortable on set? Hire a great producer that knows how to run a steady ship. Rehearsals are Essential

Balancing Detail and Brevity: While brevity is key, it's also important to provide enough detail to create a rich, immersive world. Economy in storytelling is about finding that balance.Get in the pool." Don't make your actors feel like they're performing for you. Instead, take part in the creative process together. One of the most important aspects of directing actors is listening to them. This is a hard thing for many people, directors especially, to do. They get caught up in their own ideas and lose focus on what the actor needs. Timing: Hire a great first AD to make sure you don’t go overtime. Working longer hours results in tired performances. It’s not a concern if your runner starts to tire but trust me, you don’t want your main actors yawning between takes. Directors often don’t know how to direct actors, because they are not actors. Sometimes they don’t know what questions to ask an actor or they try to direct the actor with their own experiences.

It can be easy to get lost in thought while they are talking to you, but make sure you are paying attention and not just half listening. The best way is actually just turn off all distractions. Here’s the thing, though. There are a lot of actors in the world who want to practice their craft too. Try getting some actors together and putting together a few scenes. Practice directing. Always feel empowered to practice. What assignment would you give a director? I learned a lot from doing something called a “neutral scene.” The scene is neutral because you don’t know who these people are or what their relationship is. The script is just dialogue. So it might be something like: All you have to do is be able to answer questions; that's what the job is -- You're always kind of open to suggestions, so really the direction job solely comes down to your ability to answer questions at a moment's notice and turn the ship on a dime if you have to.

VOLUME 9-10: CASTING

I’ve been directing for over a decade and I was wondering how actors like to be directed. Do you have any tips? I have found that actors who don’t care for direction are usually resistant to change and insecure about their abilities. Actors who don’t like to be directed typically have one of two main issues (or both). It’s the relationship. Good actors connect to the other actor(s) in the scene; for a good actor, the scene is about the relationship of the characters, not about their own performances. Directors who understand this can confidently create scenes of dramatic conflict. Dramatic (or comedic) conflict builds from the emotional events in the scene, that is, the ways the characters affect each other that makes their relationship different at the end of a scene than it was at the beginning. Even while casting, if you think of yourself as casting relationships rather than casting performances, you will gain confidence in your work with actors. Conciseness and Precision: Using the fewest words to convey an idea. This doesn't mean the story is rushed or details are omitted; rather, every element included serves a purpose and contributes to the overall narrative. Wrapping up, I hope these ten tips will help you effectively direct actors and models so they can give strong performances and contribute to your vision.