3 Ways to Be a Good Actor or a Good Actress

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3 Ways to Be a Good Actor or a Good Actress
3 Ways to Be a Good Actor or a Good Actress

Video: 3 Ways to Be a Good Actor or a Good Actress

Video: 3 Ways to Be a Good Actor or a Good Actress
Video: My Story Part 3-How I become a Medium 2024, March
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There's always that person who can get on stage and steal everyone's attention, leaving the audience on the edge of the seat wanting more. Read on to find out how to become a great actor/actress and demonstrate strong emotions to captivate audiences.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Preparing for the Role

Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 1
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 1

Step 1. Read the script at least twice

It is very important to know the movie or play in its entirety, not just its lines and actions. The role of the actors is to follow up the plot and your performance will not be adequate if you don't understand the themes and general ideas of the script. As you read, try to find out what the main theme of the work is and how your character fits into the story.

After reading the entire story, reread your scenes a few more times, focusing on the role and the character's lines

Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 2
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 2

Step 2. Develop key questions and answers about the character

It is necessary to go deeper than what is written, thinking about what makes the character work. It's likely that this work won't be evident during the presentation or filming, but these seemingly simple facts will help you to compose the character and figure out how to play. Trust your gut or ask the director or screenwriter as you come up with answers.

  • Who am I?
  • Where did I come from?
  • Why am I here?
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 3
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 3

Step 3. Know the desire that defines the character

In virtually every story, every character wants something, whether the desire is to save the world or buy a snack. The actor needs to know the desire and its origin to represent it accurately. All of the character's actions will depend on this desire.

  • The character's desires can change and you must capture that. Such changes almost always occur at an important moment or scene.
  • Practice trying to find out what your favorite characters want. In Black Blood, for example, the protagonist is driven by the desire to find more oil. All his actions and looks arise because of this endless greed and this is noticeable on the actor's face in every scene.
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 4
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 4

Step 4. Practice the lines until they sound natural

Never stop and think about what you are going to say, your focus must be on the way you are going to speak. To do this, you should practice repeating lines several times without consulting the script. Ask a friend to play the other characters so you can speak the conversations more naturally.

  • Play with the lines as you read them. Repeat them in different ways, with different intonations, and see how it affects the character.
  • Recording these rehearsals for later viewing can help you catch small errors or discover new ways to recite lines.
  • Before trying to perfect the lines, try to understand them. The ideal is to know how to recite the words before trying to improve them.
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 5
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 5

Step 5. Ask the director's vision of the character

If the role is already yours, try talking to the director to find out if he has any particular vision for the character. Explain what your ideas are and how they contribute to the project and listen to what he has to say. Remember that you are a part of the project and that the idea is to complement the whole. It is necessary to receive constructive criticism without any problems.

If you haven't gotten the part yet and are going to audition, choose a direction for the character and stick to it. Don't try to say what people want to hear: read your notes and prepare naturally

Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 6
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 6

Step 6. Put yourself in the character's shoes

You can only represent someone if you can get inside that person's head. As much as the words are already written, the character's actions are not always immutable. Knowing the character will help you improvise if you forget a phrase. Get into the character's mind and represent him as best you can.

  • The "Method" is an acting school in which the actor refuses to step out of character during filming. Between takes, they remain in the role, living inside the character, so that they can always act in front of the cameras.
  • Find the parts of the paper that connect with you. Have you ever been through the situation the character is going through? Do you know a little bit about this problem? Find some way to channel this into the dialogues.

Method 2 of 3: Playing Credible Characters

Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 7
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 7

Step 1. Commit to the role

An actor shouldn't rewrite the script to make the character "nicer," modify the lines, or turn the character into a version of himself. You were hired to play a character that is real within the world of the play or movie. You need to act as part of a team, which is made up of many other professionals, for the end result to be good.

  • Don't be embarrassed about something the character is doing: remember that you are acting. Not showing reality in difficult, disgusting or violent scenes will make the audience not believe what they are seeing.
  • The best actors commit to roles. Ever wondered why Tom Cruise is an action movie star to this day? He is always committed to the roles and shows energy when playing them, no matter if the situation is bizarre or comical. Never neglect reading the script, it is very important.
  • Commitment means doing whatever it takes to represent the character realistically, not in the way you think looks best.
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 8
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 8

Step 2. Learn to react

As much as many people don't agree that acting is a way of reacting, reactions are important while learning about acting. You need to focus on the other character's speech, listening to them as if you were talking to a real-life friend. You need to be ready to respond to any situation honestly and in the character's voice, even if you're not the main attraction of the scene.

  • Don't get out of the moment! Stop thinking about the next scene or the fact that you missed a line in the previous scene.
  • A great example of this is actor Charlie Day in the series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Even when he doesn't have lines, the character doesn't stop expressing himself facially and bodily. He commits to the character's unpredictable energy.
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 9
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 9

Step 3. Try to maintain a consistent posture

The posture not only makes the character look more confident, it allows you to step into his life. Your posture makes a big difference: a weak character tends to walk more stooped and away from others, while a heroic character keeps his head up and his spine straight, for example.

Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 10
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 10

Step 4. Dictate the energy of the scene with its rhythm and volume

Sometimes it can be tempting to drop all the lines at once, without thinking too much, but that compromises every nuance of the role. Allow yourself to rhythm and add volume to the character's internal state.

  • Nervous and frightened characters often speak hastily.
  • Angry characters raise their voices and speak slower (when they want to clarify something) or faster (when they're exploding).
  • Happy characters tend to speak quickly and with an even or increasing volume.
  • Varying the tempo and tone of voice according to the scene is a great way to demonstrate changes and reactions to the events in the plot.
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 11
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 11

Step 5. Try emphasizing some lines

Consider the entire subtext of the dialogue and emphasize it accordingly. Think of the most important word in the sentence to make it stand out. As important as it may not seem, emphasis can transform the things you say. say "I master you" has a different connotation than "I love you", for example.

This is another point where you can be inspired by famous actors. Look for scripts for movies you've never seen, pick a character and read some of his lines. When watching the movie, compare the way the actor said these lines: remember that there is no wrong way to say the character's lines, but you may notice some nuances of emphasis

Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 12
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 12

Step 6. Respect the script

It's okay to improvise a few words, but you should stick to the script as much as possible, unless, of course, you're instructed by the director to improvise everything. You never know if any words will make a connection between scenes or if the director wants the phrase to be said exactly in the script, for example. When in doubt, follow the script. If the idea is to improvise or change the speech, someone from the team will instruct you on this.

Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 13
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 13

Step 7. Maintain consistent positioning and movement in the scene

After deciding what the moves will be in the scene with the director, don't change them. Repeat the movement during rehearsal and recording to help other teams plan their work.

This is even more important in filming, as identical movement between takes allows the film editor to use different takes without the audience noticing

Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 14
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 14

Step 8. Forget the camera and the audience

Reacting or even acknowledging the presence of the audience will cause you to step out of character, as they usually don't have to know they're part of a play. You'll catch this in time, but one way to prepare is simply to get in front of the camera: the moment you notice or feel you're being watched, don't react.

  • More experienced teams will avoid eye contact with you during a scene, no matter how natural that contact is. Try to help your scenemates by doing the same when you're not acting.
  • Notice the things you do during nervousness. Avoid touching your hair or tapping your feet, for example. Control yourself by taking a deep breath and taking a sip of water.

Method 3 of 3: Perfecting Techniques

Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 15
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 15

Step 1. Research human behavior

To play different types of people, you need to be able to differentiate between people. When meeting someone new, make an effort to hear them completely. Ask about the person's past and notice the way they talk, taking it all in. In addition, reading also helps put these concepts to work by activating the same part of the brain activated by acting.

Do specific research for the role. If the character lives in a specific period or is based on an existing person, research as much as possible about it. These details will be part of the performance, even if subconsciously

Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 16
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 16

Step 2. Watch the actors you admire over and over again

During the first watch, act as you normally would with any movie. Then review the scene, paying attention to each of the actors separately. How do they act when they're not talking? How do they talk? What are their postures and what gestures do they use when speaking?

  • Would you say something differently? Like?
  • A good way to observe actors is through the internet and classic plays. It is possible to find countless actors reciting the same monologues from some plays by Shakespeare, for example. Note the differences between them: what choices do actors make to make the characters unique?
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 17
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 17

Step 3. Attend acting classes

Drama classes usually result in a play or performance and are great environments to practice without too much pressure. Pay attention to the teacher and other students: what can you learn? How would you recite their lines? What changes would you make to their performances? Become friends with other actors and talk to them about your work.

You never know when an actor can help you get a role. Be kind to everyone

Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 18
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 18

Step 4. Take an improv course

In improvisation, you let the character act in the moment, reacting according to what's happening. These lessons should help you act more naturally and without feeling like you're reading something memorized. There are several of these courses across the country, including within theater schools.

Try acting out short scenes with friends and strange props to practice acting and improvising

Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 19
Be a Good Actor or Actress Step 19

Step 5. Practice acting on the spot

In some tests, the evaluators will hand out a script and ask you to act there, right away. Some pros let you look at the script for a few minutes, while others prefer you to jump right into the fun. As scary as it sounds, it's easy to practice. Read a newspaper aloud, search for a short story on the internet, or buy a monologue book. An alternative is to read the text silently and, in at most a minute, choose a direction to act.

This is also a great warm-up to prepare you for the actual performance

Tips

  • Imagine the character's script and emotions as being real. Try to associate them with yourself and/or someone else you know.
  • Read the lines in front of the mirror. Observe yourself and try to make changes that improve the scene.
  • Be passionate about what you are doing. Don't be afraid to show that you like something.
  • Read all the books you can. When reading a story, you are forced to imagine how the character would react.
  • Remember that you need all your body language to convey your feelings. Voice is not enough.

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