A couple of weeks back we talked about finding an acting coach... What I have fonnd is that I will always need classes to improve. We are an ever evolving being. Once we start thinking we are perfect then we stop growing as a person and as a creative person as well. Here is a sample of what I am talking about:
(https://dlive.io/video/paulcaraway/dceaea00-6a9e-11e8-8d90-9784636a8b12)
As you can tell I was given direction to improve my role. Your acting coach will do that with you. My coach might sound stern, but, she wants you to be the best actor you possibly can be!
What all can you learn from an acting coach?
Now it varies from coach to coach. In my sample above you will notice that I am not really barking out the words. The current trend to appear edgy is to smudge up or make your words harder to understand. My coach will work on different themes for 6 weeks. Some of those themes include using different voices, getting in your body, facial expressions, and acting like an animal to name a few.
A different voice could be a slow methodical voice.
If you are in your body when you are cold you should be shivering.
If you chin is slightly down you look more authoritative... but a further dip of your chin and you could look evil!
Walking like a human is different than walking like a cat. So visualize a cat walking and walk that way.
So what do I keep going back to take classes?
For me it keeps me in practice. As my acting coach puts it... people do not want to see a person acting like they are doing something, they want to see them really doing it. This all might seem silly... let me give you an example. I mentioned earlier you should be in your body and feel the cold. So stop and think about this... when you were last cold how did you feel? Did you shiver? Did you speech change? Were you more pale or more flush? Did you clinch your arms close to your body? You may have done only 1 of these in acting... but, would it look like you were really cold? Probably not.. :) Several weeks ago I was in class where we had to be really cold. I had a light jacket and put it on. Now remember, I am indoors with the heat on. I had to really feel like I was cold! Movies / TV shows are not always shot in the season of the weather they are set in. So you have to feel the weather according to your scene.
I hope you enjoyed "An Actors Minute" this week... if you have anything you would like me to share feel free to message me and I will be glad to share. Until next time... My Name is Paul Caraway... More Power To You!
