Acting for Camera

The difference between acting on camera and on stage

Acting on camera and on the stage are different. Not completely different because it is still acting, but there are different techniques.

When an actor acts on the stage all emotions, body language, make up, costumes are exaggerated. Actors talks louder, so everyone could hear (now on big productions the lead actors are miced, so they sound more realistic). As well as, the performance is live every evening and the audience is there. If something unpredictable happens, such as someone forgot the line or mixed up props an actor should think and improvise quickly to change the situation. The preparation for a show is different. Director puts a lot of effort to polish actors skill for the performance. During the performance actors perform all show from the start to the end, they live together with their character for whole play. As well, as they always interact with another actor or the audience.

When actors act on camera, they use different technique. First of all, everything what actors do on the camera are seen. So, they do not need to exaggerate anything, if only it is not a director’s approach or movie genre. If someone forgets the line or something goes unexpectable there is always a re-take, but often actor’s improvisation is used in the movie. The preparation might be different too. Actors are preparing for the movie separately from the director and often when they come on set this is when they see their location for the first time. Of course, skills like playing piano or speaking different language have learnt days before the set. Anyway, a director does not spend time to teach an actor how to act. The director more interested in a picture overall and can approach to the actor with a suggestion for the scene. During the shooting actors do not have an audience and in some shots a partner too. For example, in dialogues often actors are talking to the camera without a partner. Therefore, the important quality for the film actor is ability to concentrate. Often, the actors see their movie partner just before the take. There is no way to build loving relationship in 10 minutes. Therefore, this is actors job to imagine and create a world without the partner. As well as, being fresh with each take, show the emotion like for the first time. And at the same time to hit marks correctly, bear in mind black zones and camera man. If the actor is moving towards the camera and the camera man is moving at the same time as an actor, then their actions should be combined. Another important part of acting on camera is continuity. Because scenes are not shot in chronological order it is important for the actor to check with the crew what was previous scene, re-watch it to understand the mood and tempo for the next scene. Also, the actor must remember the movements of their head or hands in a scene with different angles. So, post-production team montage it correctly. Even, when actors are off the camera they still continue acting and responding to another characters.

Acting styles in film industry

Stanislavsky Technique (Classical Acting)

The main idea of the technique is acting naturally, like in real life. The character is built on actor’s personal experience, through physical memory. The technique built on different psychological exercise.

Actors: Stella Adler, Marlon Brando, Sanford Meisner, Lee Strasberg, Harold Clurman, and Gregory Peck

Chekhov Acting Technique

The most famous technique from this style is Psychological Gesture. Where actor express feelings and emotions through gestures. The main idea of acting in this technique is being spontaneously. Let yourself go and let your body, and mind react to situation naturally.

Actors: Clint Eastwood, Marilyn Monroe, and Yul Brynner

Method Acting

Based on Stanislavsky technique this style of acting is one of the most popular in Hollywood. Actors using Method Acting are not playing their character, they transforming into them. For instance, changing accent, losing or gain weight. Often, actors close themselves outdoors or live in property where they think their character might live. The result of this transformation is brilliant on the screen, but for the person it might bring unexpectable outcomes.

Actors: Jared Leto, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Angelina Jolie

Meisner Acting

Based on Method Acting, actors performing in this style concentrating not on themselves, but on their acting partner. The most famous exercise, when participants repeating one question or one phrase to each other, but intonation is changing, so another person should respond on it in different way. It helps to stop actors to think what they are doing at the moment and let them be more spontaneously.

Actors: James Franco, Alec Baldwin, and Naomi Watts

Practical Aesthetics Acting Technique

Based on Stanislavsky, Meisner and stoic philosopher Epictetus techniques. Actors in this style using their experience for acting, instead of the character’s personality. Each scene should be look at with this view points:

• Literal – The most basic description of what is happening

• Want – What does one character ultimately want the other actor to say or do

• Essential Action – What the actor wants within the scene. It is necessary to understand that what the character is doing and what the actor is doing are separate.

• As If – As if relates to the “essential action” to the actor’s own life. For instance:

• “Essential Action” – To retrieve what is mine. “As If” – It’s as if my mom has taken away my favourite piece of candy that I was going to give as a gift. I need to retrieve it because it is mine. This step is a memory device, a spark to involve the actor in the scene. It helps the actor escape the fiction, find the truth, and apply it elsewhere.

Actors: William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Scott Parker (actor), Rose Byrne, Jessica Alba, Camryn Manheim, and Clark Gregg

https://www.projectcasting.com/tips-and-advice/acting-techniques/

Crime/Drama

Our first scene what we have decided to recreate was scene from movie Joker. The scene is about Joker who is coming on a TV Show with his favorite TV presenter and after few lines of dialogue Joker shoots TV presenter.

I had a part of Murray, the presenter of the show.

This is actual scene, we took a part from 3.32-till the end of the clip.

Sam gave us the part of the script and we have started to prepare.

The style of acting is realistic, so I have tried to understand my character who is confident TV presenter, having a guest who is dangerous. We did not have enough time to go deeply in our characters, because our goal was to understand and recreate a movie set.

Matt was a director, Keiran and Jamie camera operator, Catherine and Fi were goffers, Adam played Joker and I was playing Murray.

This video shows our preparation for recording, me and Adam rehearsing for our roles, trying to remember lines.

This video shows how Matt direct everyone on their position and also how we rehearsing.

This video shows the actual take of this scene.

After watching it at home, I would improve my acting with looking more at the audience, because as a TV presenter you work for your audience, not for your guest.

This is second take of this scene:

After doing this practical exercise I understood what is the roles of different people on movie set and how it is to be in front of cameras and other people, while you are doing your job.

Horror/Thriller

For the second movie we have decided to recreate a scene from Psycho (Lila Crane is coming to motel for the first time). I was playing Lila Crane, my co-actor was Jamie, camera operator was Kieran and Matt was a director.

Psycho was made in 1960, so it was very little chance to recreate the costume, make up or hairstyle. Instead we focused on light, camera angles and funny moments we could do.

After watching this scene and rehearsing script we started recording it. We were going to do a spoof on this scene. So we did not want it to be serious. It should have looked funny with over acting.

In the start of the scene, I was eating like a bird what means eating without hands, then when Jamie started to talk I was on purpose distract him. Eating and drinking, because in real movie she ate very carefully, I have decided to be very messy. After re watching it, I would probably rid off some eating on camera (but in the final version it should've been cut away and leave only sound, or bringing it up sometime). I did not mean to look unprofessional, in my other videos I am not eating crisps so freely!)

Drama/Biography

For this genre we have decided to recreate a scene from the end of movie Rush. I was going to direct it. It was a spoof, so acting style should be a bit exaggerated. Before the day of recording I made a plan for our group so we knew what to do on the day.

I could not find exact sentences in the script for actual talk between mechanic and Hunt from the movie we have chosen. It seems this dialogue was not included in the original script. But we actually needed just few lines between Kieran (Hunt) and Jamie (Cardwell). For example: "Look after yourself, kid. It will be dangerous." (says Cardwell to Hunt).

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/RUSH%5B2013%5D-PETER%20MORGAN.pdf

this is a link with the script The scene starts at page 93 and finishes on page 97 "You did it! You won!". I think on Monday we can decide which exact moments we are going to record. But we agreed last Monday about - racing scene (with 2 toy cars made by Sam and Matt), dialog between Cardwell and Hunt, scene with comentator, flashcuts, Hunt's wife watching a TV and saying a line of Hesketh and MAYBE winning scene. Roles Kieran Thomas - James Hunt Jamie Lewis - Cardwel Fi Cruickshank - Hunt's wife Adam Warner - comentator Matt Winter - director of scene with racing cars (with Sam) Catherine Brunsdon - video operator

Blue Velvet

Mystery/Drama

Next 2 scenes I picked from the movie Blue Velvet, to create a homage

First scene where main character is finding an ear and he is going to detective to talk about it.

ROLES

Jeffrey - lead role, young male and has a little bit crazy look at his eyes

Detective - male/female serious, friendly

Police officer at the reception - male/female, welcoming

Directing - me

Recording - we need 2 operators

Locations:

1. in front of the college finding an ear

2. reception for scene with police officer

3. c214 scene in the detective office

For human ear we used a photocopy of human ear.

These videos below show how our group work on the set:

The result:

This day it was very comfortable to work on the set. The actors and crew were very professional. Especially, Catherine who asked questions, gave feedback every time when it needed (about camera angle or actors).

After directing 2 different videos I would change some things slightly:

- go steady, because I was thinking we are limited on time, I did not try to do the best, I tried to cover everything in 2 hours

- share responsibilities, as inexperienced director I tried to cover everything with myself. I had a lot of stress to organize everyone. While in the future I can ask one of us be a Production Manager who would take some responsibilities, such as checking actors/locations/equipment are ready, we are on time

- I would think more which exact images I want and what I need for it (camera angles, light)

For the second scene, I picked the scene with officer's daughter and main character:

My character is young woman. I can describe her as a good girl (wearing pink, nice hairstyle, holding hands in front, smiling), who is hungry to adventure. And also she might find the lead character attractive.

On the day of shooting it was windy, so the very beginning of the dialogue is missing.

For playing my character I tried to act as I would act in real life. What was really difficult is to remember lines..or their order. Because all our dialogue was one long shot, if one of us forgot something we would go from the start again. We took about 10 takes before we were pleased with the result.

During the lock down I continue to make videos. My first video was a short story about girl trying to be friends with a fish. This video made of short different activities and actions. I made it that way to show how desperate I am for having someone around.

I used different angles to show different situations. In the last scene with domino I tried to create a dangerous mood with extreme close up to mu face and my actions.

My next video was trying to recreate videos I saw in the internet, where 1 actor plays multiple characters.

For this video I wrote a short script, then after recording I edited it. For showing different between 2 characters I used different make up, hairstyle, clothes.

The next videos I made was a self taping with classical and contemporary monologues:

To record monologues I would follow the next steps:

1. I would read a play or watch performance in Russian or English

2. Pick a character who is close to my age and gender

3. Find particular scene or monologue I am interested in

4. Translate words, I do not understand, think about what was before, what was after, what is the mood of the scene, what I am trying to prove to the other character, what is the rhythm of the scene and etc

5. Learn monologue by heart

6. Perform it few times on camera, re-watch it and re-record if it is needed.

Next project was a short video with my classmates and leader of the course. The idea is to look at the audition for new Twilight movie. But because of the lock down it is impossible to have offline, so it is online.

The main idea of this video was to try improvisation genre. In my free time I watch TV show Curb your Enthusiasm, which is built on improvisation. Every shooting day Larry David (screen writer and the leading actor) would go to actors and talk to them about the particular scene. Actors did not know what would come next, that made this TV show funny and their reactions real.

Before proposing this idea to my classmates, I made a list with things what might happen during the video call:

Also, I posted 2 pieces for audition and plan with it.

On the morning when we suppose to shoot, we discovered that Sam and Catherine could not shout, because someone is sleeping in their house. So we decided to mute them and just show their conflict in faces.

To conclude with, it was a very interesting experience, because it was completely improvised. I think in the next time I would encourage people more with adding their ideas to it. And before start I would ask how they understand my script and ideas. The extra challenge was to make video using web-camera. As a director you can't control camera angles or lighting. But it gives sense of reality.