Well, I truly liked this. I am not associated with anything thespian but it is the second time today I have read some interesting stuff on acting and both you and the actor were able to share a piece of yourself that I could relate to. I must ponder this because i value such sincerity even when I share no personal experience with you.
This is actually really nice to hear, because I was really wondering whether this would be interesting for people outside of the 'circle' so to speak. Thanks!
"To help actors with nerves, you want to stand in the bubble of vulnerability with them. This creates this vertigo feeling where you must be able to switch from one second to the other from ‘crew mode’ to ‘actors mode’." That is beautifully stated. I have the same approach when editing my clients' books. I try to be honest but fair and also understand that they may be feeling vulnerable letting me edit their work. Everything you wrote is insightful and may apply to other aspects of someone's life or career.
No, just an example of a small budget film, not aware how a film sells or makes money, hence the direction towards Ted Hope and all connected to his group. Shine on. The best - Phoeagdor.
My man doesn’t smile for a photo. His mouth shapes into smile, but it looks to me to be a smile-like shape rather than a smile. One day I was taking a picture of him and I really wanted him to relax and feel good, having that feeling appear in a photo, but telling him what I wanted was doing no good. I thought, what does he always enjoy, as though it were a reward every time? I said, “Think about ice cream.” And he relaxed and smiled. This directing stuff is tricky, I thought.
Thanks for the rundown on your actor playing methods.
Brilliant piece - love to read about the various dynamics and how they unconsciously/consciously impacts behavior (on both ends). It’s really a fascinating topic
Yes, definitely this was interesting. And while it felt like stating the obvious to me, it was, for me a window. And I much enjoyed the view. The notion of tuning actors in like different instruments is such a cool concept. Standing in a bubble of vulnerability, eye rolls from crew, giving way to improvisation or breaks for giggles, lest they be contagious! I could see it all. Thanks for sharing.
Ooh, I gobbled this up — I love behind-the scenes stuff. And I’m definitely down for reading your excruciating mistake essay because I’ve made so many mistakes and I’m intimidated by publishing them in essay form!
Former actor here...who used to struggle...number of lessons learned the hard very painful way.
Well I appreciated direction in all its forms.
"No direction" felt to me like the director wasn't quite invested in this.
And I remember the 1-10 scale. I quite liked that. And yeah different people respond to different things.
However, the actor who can coast along competently enough without having to push themselves or be pushed hard (I wasn't this kind sadly) will always have certain advantages.
I've always thought that cerebrality (I don't mean intelligence by this) but thinking too much was detrimental to the job of acting. Some people have a gift to just get out of their 'heads' so to speak. In that sense, writing & directing was definitely a much better position for me to be in.
Yes. If you're the kind of person who overthinks everything, who needs to sift through multiple thoughts and feelings internally all the time, acting is a lot harder, no question, because you have to put that away. And that's a lot for some people and may not be doable. Indeed the actors brain vs the directors brain!
Great read! Certainly resonates with my (far more limited! haha) experience on set, and adds a lot of great insight not only for directors, but for group management/team leadership in general. And that Rochefort quote is savage lol
My favorite related quote is likely Olivier responding to Hoffman's boasts about his grueling devotion to Method Acting by saying: "My dear boy, why don't you just try acting!" I know this is somewhat disputed, but I don't care I love it anyway haha
I work in the medical field, but have spent my free hours with artists all my life, and dabbled in amateur theater. I love this essay; it has wisdom for mentoring and coaching across disciplines. To effectively get the best work out of students and staff, to connect with patients or clients, one does have to employ psychology. So, in answer to your doubts, your essay is brilliant.
I've acted in theater, TV, and a LOT of commercials. I've also directed a bit in theater. What you say about the director needing to command respect is 100% true: in most actors, it creates the kind of security that a compassionate but firm parent does. I know that sounds like I'm infantalizing actors, but their vulnerability and level of emotional risk is pretty hard to overstate. Some directors don't understand that at all. Some seem to think actors are performance machines. Others expect actors to mind read. The worst will actually belittle actors in front of their colleagues. I've worked with examples of all of those, and they're truly destructive. Give me your non-sugar-coated, honest-but-in-my-corner approach and I'll work my tail off for you.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11366674/ Scotch tape and some cardboard, is it the new way forward? Crowd sourcing vs corporate vs grants. Some Music Artists put up a small prize, hold a competition and pick the best entry to be the video for their new song. A.I. might even take this job away if money wins. I wrote in my 11th post how Dax got rappers throughout the world, writing add on lyrics to his song, sung by podcast, netted together as a 20 montage, all followers of these local podcasters, added up to 80 million views on Spotify. A.I.'s couldn't replicate that........well yet. How much could you do, a scotch tape and cardboard production for and any ideas in the pipeline. Who knows what '24 could bring? Maybe these are questions and this is a paragraph for a marketer or producer. Hello Ted entonces. A Director is a jack of all trades. Fiddle away Holmes, you never know where the fiddling may take you.
Oh geez, wonder no more! This was a fascinating read. As a lifelong actress: can confirm. Most of my performance career has been spent doing acting without using my voice (the kind of dance I do is allll about the story), so having feedback from a director is almost a never-time occurrence. Usually we hit the door, get a tour of the facility and check out the floor if we’re lucky, slap on our crap and hit the stage. Dress rehearsals are a luxury, actually WITH Tech Crew are a rare heaven, and we almost never get feedback because we’re assumed to have gotten that from our teachers. So having a teacher (being a teacher) who can communicate the scene’s needs with the huge range of tools you’re talking about??? Sooooo valuable.
Speaking these different languages and intuiting who takes to what is a make or break. I got a crash course in steering cerebral vs artsy performers when I choreographed a dance for a polar opposite duo. It really was like having to speak two different languages. (Yes, sometimes with some eye rolling from the other side. Heeee...) To be capable of combining those communication acrobatics with a direct, firm delivery that doesn’t actually bruise the ego and certainly never harms the spirit? That’s a gift. Bringing a hint of play to telling somebody “that sucked” has always been my saving grace. (Yes, unless you’re dealing with troublemakers. Those do NOT last long in my classes or shows.) As “the talent” side (seriously?!) I soooo value directors, producers, instructors, coaches who do NOT sugar coat, but who can convey that intimacy and mutual vulnerability you’re talking about.
But then, I was that weirdo headliner who could always be hunted down in the bay, shooting the shit with Techies instead of navigating the shark pool of my own kind. 🤣🤣🤣
Such a great read! You really brought me into your fascinating world. Familiar, and yet completely foreign. I’m super-duper looking forward to knowing what you can only laugh about now.
Hey Alex! Thanks a lot for this. I remember doing dancing classes in drama school in another life. I sort of liked it, but I remember my dance teacher saying we looked like constipated dragons a lot (we were all actors not dancers). These are good memories though
Well, I truly liked this. I am not associated with anything thespian but it is the second time today I have read some interesting stuff on acting and both you and the actor were able to share a piece of yourself that I could relate to. I must ponder this because i value such sincerity even when I share no personal experience with you.
This is actually really nice to hear, because I was really wondering whether this would be interesting for people outside of the 'circle' so to speak. Thanks!
Excellent! Thank you! I
I've always been on the acting side, so it's good to read about directing from a director’s viewpoint.
Thanks for the feedback!
"To help actors with nerves, you want to stand in the bubble of vulnerability with them. This creates this vertigo feeling where you must be able to switch from one second to the other from ‘crew mode’ to ‘actors mode’." That is beautifully stated. I have the same approach when editing my clients' books. I try to be honest but fair and also understand that they may be feeling vulnerable letting me edit their work. Everything you wrote is insightful and may apply to other aspects of someone's life or career.
No, just an example of a small budget film, not aware how a film sells or makes money, hence the direction towards Ted Hope and all connected to his group. Shine on. The best - Phoeagdor.
great piece. How funny how working with actors is like teaching creative writing to students, and some of your strategies are very much transferable.
Thx Peter
My man doesn’t smile for a photo. His mouth shapes into smile, but it looks to me to be a smile-like shape rather than a smile. One day I was taking a picture of him and I really wanted him to relax and feel good, having that feeling appear in a photo, but telling him what I wanted was doing no good. I thought, what does he always enjoy, as though it were a reward every time? I said, “Think about ice cream.” And he relaxed and smiled. This directing stuff is tricky, I thought.
Thanks for the rundown on your actor playing methods.
Thanks to you for reading :)
Fascinating!
Thanks Katrin!
Brilliant piece - love to read about the various dynamics and how they unconsciously/consciously impacts behavior (on both ends). It’s really a fascinating topic
Yes, definitely this was interesting. And while it felt like stating the obvious to me, it was, for me a window. And I much enjoyed the view. The notion of tuning actors in like different instruments is such a cool concept. Standing in a bubble of vulnerability, eye rolls from crew, giving way to improvisation or breaks for giggles, lest they be contagious! I could see it all. Thanks for sharing.
🙌
Ooh, I gobbled this up — I love behind-the scenes stuff. And I’m definitely down for reading your excruciating mistake essay because I’ve made so many mistakes and I’m intimidated by publishing them in essay form!
Thanks Maureen.
This is a good read.
Former actor here...who used to struggle...number of lessons learned the hard very painful way.
Well I appreciated direction in all its forms.
"No direction" felt to me like the director wasn't quite invested in this.
And I remember the 1-10 scale. I quite liked that. And yeah different people respond to different things.
However, the actor who can coast along competently enough without having to push themselves or be pushed hard (I wasn't this kind sadly) will always have certain advantages.
I've always thought that cerebrality (I don't mean intelligence by this) but thinking too much was detrimental to the job of acting. Some people have a gift to just get out of their 'heads' so to speak. In that sense, writing & directing was definitely a much better position for me to be in.
Yes. If you're the kind of person who overthinks everything, who needs to sift through multiple thoughts and feelings internally all the time, acting is a lot harder, no question, because you have to put that away. And that's a lot for some people and may not be doable. Indeed the actors brain vs the directors brain!
Great read! Certainly resonates with my (far more limited! haha) experience on set, and adds a lot of great insight not only for directors, but for group management/team leadership in general. And that Rochefort quote is savage lol
My favorite related quote is likely Olivier responding to Hoffman's boasts about his grueling devotion to Method Acting by saying: "My dear boy, why don't you just try acting!" I know this is somewhat disputed, but I don't care I love it anyway haha
I work in the medical field, but have spent my free hours with artists all my life, and dabbled in amateur theater. I love this essay; it has wisdom for mentoring and coaching across disciplines. To effectively get the best work out of students and staff, to connect with patients or clients, one does have to employ psychology. So, in answer to your doubts, your essay is brilliant.
I've acted in theater, TV, and a LOT of commercials. I've also directed a bit in theater. What you say about the director needing to command respect is 100% true: in most actors, it creates the kind of security that a compassionate but firm parent does. I know that sounds like I'm infantalizing actors, but their vulnerability and level of emotional risk is pretty hard to overstate. Some directors don't understand that at all. Some seem to think actors are performance machines. Others expect actors to mind read. The worst will actually belittle actors in front of their colleagues. I've worked with examples of all of those, and they're truly destructive. Give me your non-sugar-coated, honest-but-in-my-corner approach and I'll work my tail off for you.
https://tedhope.substack.com/?utm_medium=web&utm_medium=reader2
Best Regards, Phoeagdor
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11366674/ Scotch tape and some cardboard, is it the new way forward? Crowd sourcing vs corporate vs grants. Some Music Artists put up a small prize, hold a competition and pick the best entry to be the video for their new song. A.I. might even take this job away if money wins. I wrote in my 11th post how Dax got rappers throughout the world, writing add on lyrics to his song, sung by podcast, netted together as a 20 montage, all followers of these local podcasters, added up to 80 million views on Spotify. A.I.'s couldn't replicate that........well yet. How much could you do, a scotch tape and cardboard production for and any ideas in the pipeline. Who knows what '24 could bring? Maybe these are questions and this is a paragraph for a marketer or producer. Hello Ted entonces. A Director is a jack of all trades. Fiddle away Holmes, you never know where the fiddling may take you.
Did you work on Lola?
Oh geez, wonder no more! This was a fascinating read. As a lifelong actress: can confirm. Most of my performance career has been spent doing acting without using my voice (the kind of dance I do is allll about the story), so having feedback from a director is almost a never-time occurrence. Usually we hit the door, get a tour of the facility and check out the floor if we’re lucky, slap on our crap and hit the stage. Dress rehearsals are a luxury, actually WITH Tech Crew are a rare heaven, and we almost never get feedback because we’re assumed to have gotten that from our teachers. So having a teacher (being a teacher) who can communicate the scene’s needs with the huge range of tools you’re talking about??? Sooooo valuable.
Speaking these different languages and intuiting who takes to what is a make or break. I got a crash course in steering cerebral vs artsy performers when I choreographed a dance for a polar opposite duo. It really was like having to speak two different languages. (Yes, sometimes with some eye rolling from the other side. Heeee...) To be capable of combining those communication acrobatics with a direct, firm delivery that doesn’t actually bruise the ego and certainly never harms the spirit? That’s a gift. Bringing a hint of play to telling somebody “that sucked” has always been my saving grace. (Yes, unless you’re dealing with troublemakers. Those do NOT last long in my classes or shows.) As “the talent” side (seriously?!) I soooo value directors, producers, instructors, coaches who do NOT sugar coat, but who can convey that intimacy and mutual vulnerability you’re talking about.
But then, I was that weirdo headliner who could always be hunted down in the bay, shooting the shit with Techies instead of navigating the shark pool of my own kind. 🤣🤣🤣
Such a great read! You really brought me into your fascinating world. Familiar, and yet completely foreign. I’m super-duper looking forward to knowing what you can only laugh about now.
Hey Alex! Thanks a lot for this. I remember doing dancing classes in drama school in another life. I sort of liked it, but I remember my dance teacher saying we looked like constipated dragons a lot (we were all actors not dancers). These are good memories though
🤣🤣🤣 constipated dragons. I’ll have to remember that one.