Major Project: Acting Exercises & Rehearsals Research
What are Acting Exercises?
Acting Exercises are common within film, theater or any performance required art form. It is a space in which directors are able to see, usually improvised, performance along the lines of a character they are playing.
Acting exercises are usually seen within casting, rehearsals or practice. The consist of a variety of different methods of testing actors, allowing the director, in some cases, to see the range and ability of the performer in a 'safe' environment.
An example of this could be to put the actor in the 'hotseat'. In this high pressure exercise the director will ask the actor quick first questions to do with their character while they themselves are in character. In this pressured scenario the actor is tested on the character they are playing by making them tap into the mindset of the character eliminating a 'my character would say' thought and instead changing the mind set to 'their thoughts/reactions' as the character.
While this is not the only example of acting exercises, these methods can bring out inner performances or interesting perspectives of the character for the director to see. Naturally, these exercises should be used if agreed upon, depending on the actor and also depending on the desired reaction of the director.
What are Rehearsals?
Rehearsals can be defined as "a session of exercise, drill or practice, usually private, in preparation for a public performance, ceremony, etc". Within film they can be an area sometimes overlooked, especially during early work or student films. However, these can be the most important areas as it allows the director to understand the actor's interpretation of the character and situation they find themselves in as the character within the script.
One of the most/the most important rehearsals is the table read. Usually an the first rehearsal with the cast and director together, the table read provides context and understanding for the cast and director for the tone and style of the film.
The table read is essentially painting with broad brush strokes. It is the basic and initial reading before feedback and discussion to understand and discuss the script. More specifically performance, character and action. The actors are able to read from the script with fresh perspective, bringing their interpretation and performance.
Following the table read this is the opportunity for tweaking performance and discussion. Ultimately the performance must fit within the director's vision and tone, also with the cinematic style of the film. The director can detail factors about the character that the actor may have missed or overlooked, such as whether the conflict the character is having is internal or external.
Following the table read further rehearsals are possible however, the risk after this point is of over rehearsal. Sometimes the first attempt of performance is the best due to the freshness of the material. It is important for this to be taken into consideration by filming rehearsals on set and being aware of the risk of over rehearsing.
Dos and Don'ts
Dos
One of our lectures at university was a masterclass with director Farren Blackburn (Luther, Daredevil and The Fades). He spoke to us about his start in the industry, the projects he worked on and some interesting tips on working in film and television within the UK and abroad.
His perception and experience of the industry was very interesting to absorb. As a director it is always hugely beneficial to understand the paths and vision of others to enhance my own knowledge. After concluding his talk with questions and general chats after, I was fortunate enough to be able to ask some questions and get his perspective on a few areas which I was able to take on into my own production of Double Exposure.
I asked about his use of rehearsals, to understand whether, from his perspective they are something he chooses to use heavily or very little. His response was that other than a table read, he would rarely conduct rehearsals. He stated that, he relies on his actors to learn the lines and bring the performance discussed during a table read, the freshness of performance is something that is key in filming and the risk of over rehearsing can make a scene lose its power. He did state however, that scenes such as fight scenes, deaths or heavily choreographed moments require rehearsal as they need to be to avoid wasting time. When filming with a huge production budget, time is money and an effective director will do well to not run over or cost the production any more money. He stated this in reference to working on shows such as Daredevil working for companies such as Marvel.
His advice and approach influenced me greatly and it was a great conversation to have, as it provided me extra feedback on the subject of rehearsals for my own production.
Rehearsals - Yes or No?
Yes, but limited.
This is down to my research and discussions with Farren Blackburn. To make a film with actors completely unrehearsed, runs a huge risk of wasting time in the production phase. The pre-production phase is a phase because of its required attention to detail and its focus on areas such as rehearsals, collaboration and discussion, not just with cast but the entire production team.
For Double Exposure we conducted rehearsals but limited to essentials as to not over rehearse but still understand the script, tone and required performance.
A table read is vital as it acts as an initial understanding for the cast but also it allows the director to hear it aloud. At this point changes can be made, the script can be discussed and the performances can begin to be molded and come to life. For Double Exposure, this allowed the cast and I to discuss and make any necessary changes to the script, understanding delivery of lines and any moments that were not clearly described in the script. This table read proved very beneficial as it allowed for minor dialogue changes that went on to have powerful moments within the film, something that if we didn't collaborate or work on, may have been missed.
We also conducted rehearsals during blocking for the 'death of Dan' scene. This had to be carefully choreographed as to not cause harm to the actor and also allow us to cover the action in the most visually effective way. We also filmed these rehearsals as this way we could ensure we were capturing potential golden moments.
Overall, rehearsals were a success, the initial filming of the death scene was stalled by technical issues so we had to move on to filming the next scene as daylight was against us and with help from our editor during dailies, she was able to highlight what shots we still needed. This meant that the next day as we re-shot the scene we knew what else extra we needed, how the scene was to be blocked with an good amount of time to do so.
References
Acting Exercises are common within film, theater or any performance required art form. It is a space in which directors are able to see, usually improvised, performance along the lines of a character they are playing.
Acting exercises are usually seen within casting, rehearsals or practice. The consist of a variety of different methods of testing actors, allowing the director, in some cases, to see the range and ability of the performer in a 'safe' environment.
An example of this could be to put the actor in the 'hotseat'. In this high pressure exercise the director will ask the actor quick first questions to do with their character while they themselves are in character. In this pressured scenario the actor is tested on the character they are playing by making them tap into the mindset of the character eliminating a 'my character would say' thought and instead changing the mind set to 'their thoughts/reactions' as the character.
While this is not the only example of acting exercises, these methods can bring out inner performances or interesting perspectives of the character for the director to see. Naturally, these exercises should be used if agreed upon, depending on the actor and also depending on the desired reaction of the director.
What are Rehearsals?
Rehearsals can be defined as "a session of exercise, drill or practice, usually private, in preparation for a public performance, ceremony, etc". Within film they can be an area sometimes overlooked, especially during early work or student films. However, these can be the most important areas as it allows the director to understand the actor's interpretation of the character and situation they find themselves in as the character within the script.
One of the most/the most important rehearsals is the table read. Usually an the first rehearsal with the cast and director together, the table read provides context and understanding for the cast and director for the tone and style of the film.
The table read is essentially painting with broad brush strokes. It is the basic and initial reading before feedback and discussion to understand and discuss the script. More specifically performance, character and action. The actors are able to read from the script with fresh perspective, bringing their interpretation and performance.
Following the table read this is the opportunity for tweaking performance and discussion. Ultimately the performance must fit within the director's vision and tone, also with the cinematic style of the film. The director can detail factors about the character that the actor may have missed or overlooked, such as whether the conflict the character is having is internal or external.
Following the table read further rehearsals are possible however, the risk after this point is of over rehearsal. Sometimes the first attempt of performance is the best due to the freshness of the material. It is important for this to be taken into consideration by filming rehearsals on set and being aware of the risk of over rehearsing.
Dos and Don'ts
Dos
- Prepare in advance of casting and meeting actors. Understand the creative vision, the story, script and characters before hand. Understand the directors vision before trying to explain it to the cast. If you don't know then how can they?
- Spend time with the actors. Make sure they are not neglected during pre-production as otherwise they could turn up on set with little idea for the story or character. Wasting vital production time. If they are collaborated with well in pre-production, half the battle is over.
- Spend time working on the script, especially on dialogue. Keep it simple and understand what the character is trying to say. Sometimes a character's action can mean or be more powerful than words. Working with the actor during this can enhance the performance
- Plan rehearsal time well. It's important to have a goal for each rehearsal as it will feel more rewarding for the director and cast to know progress is being made
- Be clouded by preconceived ideas on characters. Actors may bring a new angle on characters that a director might not have realized. The vision and performance are a collaboration between actor and director, one that both should agree on and be excited for.
- Talking too much. It is important to listen rather than talk when problems should arise and take the time to formulate a clear and concise answer, not dictating but instead posing questions to the actor, such as, 'How would your character feel if?'.
- Don't get stuck to the script at a table. Allow the script to be improvised during dialogue and sections so the fluidity and sense of the scene comes through.
- Overdo it. Don't over rehearse simple scenes. Save rehearsals for key action or choreographed scenes, otherwise dialogue or moments can lose their energy.
One of our lectures at university was a masterclass with director Farren Blackburn (Luther, Daredevil and The Fades). He spoke to us about his start in the industry, the projects he worked on and some interesting tips on working in film and television within the UK and abroad.
His perception and experience of the industry was very interesting to absorb. As a director it is always hugely beneficial to understand the paths and vision of others to enhance my own knowledge. After concluding his talk with questions and general chats after, I was fortunate enough to be able to ask some questions and get his perspective on a few areas which I was able to take on into my own production of Double Exposure.
I asked about his use of rehearsals, to understand whether, from his perspective they are something he chooses to use heavily or very little. His response was that other than a table read, he would rarely conduct rehearsals. He stated that, he relies on his actors to learn the lines and bring the performance discussed during a table read, the freshness of performance is something that is key in filming and the risk of over rehearsing can make a scene lose its power. He did state however, that scenes such as fight scenes, deaths or heavily choreographed moments require rehearsal as they need to be to avoid wasting time. When filming with a huge production budget, time is money and an effective director will do well to not run over or cost the production any more money. He stated this in reference to working on shows such as Daredevil working for companies such as Marvel.
His advice and approach influenced me greatly and it was a great conversation to have, as it provided me extra feedback on the subject of rehearsals for my own production.
Rehearsals - Yes or No?
Yes, but limited.
This is down to my research and discussions with Farren Blackburn. To make a film with actors completely unrehearsed, runs a huge risk of wasting time in the production phase. The pre-production phase is a phase because of its required attention to detail and its focus on areas such as rehearsals, collaboration and discussion, not just with cast but the entire production team.
For Double Exposure we conducted rehearsals but limited to essentials as to not over rehearse but still understand the script, tone and required performance.
A table read is vital as it acts as an initial understanding for the cast but also it allows the director to hear it aloud. At this point changes can be made, the script can be discussed and the performances can begin to be molded and come to life. For Double Exposure, this allowed the cast and I to discuss and make any necessary changes to the script, understanding delivery of lines and any moments that were not clearly described in the script. This table read proved very beneficial as it allowed for minor dialogue changes that went on to have powerful moments within the film, something that if we didn't collaborate or work on, may have been missed.
We also conducted rehearsals during blocking for the 'death of Dan' scene. This had to be carefully choreographed as to not cause harm to the actor and also allow us to cover the action in the most visually effective way. We also filmed these rehearsals as this way we could ensure we were capturing potential golden moments.
Overall, rehearsals were a success, the initial filming of the death scene was stalled by technical issues so we had to move on to filming the next scene as daylight was against us and with help from our editor during dailies, she was able to highlight what shots we still needed. This meant that the next day as we re-shot the scene we knew what else extra we needed, how the scene was to be blocked with an good amount of time to do so.
References
- http://www.thetakes.com/blog/directors_techniques_when_working_with_actors
- https://actorsandperformers.com/actors/advice/74/professional-life/directing
- http://www.raindance.org/rehearsing-actors-dos-and-donts/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JevThnO92_c
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul_wE953yPQ
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRnf-qQ3nRk
- http://www.dictionary.com/browse/rehearsal
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