Acting home > Acting Schools Info Center > Acting Technique

Acting Technique

Even though you already have acting talent, do not be insulted at the suggestion of taking acting classes to improve your acting technique. Classes will enhance your acting technique, explain the casting process to you, and prepare you for what to expect at auditions and interviews.

Acting technique is always something to refine—even for the most successful Hollywood actors. Many celebrities don’t take acting classes simply because experience will teach you a lot—and so can the talented directors they work with.

Try to find classes with more experienced and well-known teachers, who can better mold your acting technique. Simply put: the better the teacher the better the results—try to find a class where whole scenes are rehearsed and acted out—a class where the pace of the class gives you time to become intimate with your character.

Whether you are in a class or perfecting your character for a role or monologue—get to know your character as well as possible to actually become that character on screen or on stage.

For established actors, advanced classes will polish your acting technique to help you manage your career. It may seem unnecessary and may even be humbling for you, but it will keep your acting abilities polished and refined both during and between jobs—plus, you may very well be the best in the class.

Some acting classes that are offered will not only provide you with acting technique you can use on the set—but can give you advice for developing the other tools needed to succeed in your career. Some classes or guidance counselors at acting schools will help recommend talent agencies, and may even be able to provide access to exclusive casting calls. If your progress is substantial ands your abilities are strong, the “big” auditions you weren’t sure you were ready for may be just around the corner. And fortunately, there are acting classes out there who can find those auditions for you.

Acting classes can help you fine-tune your acting technique and there are even classes that will help polish your prepared monologues. If you have never taken acting classes before, but have been in many plays such as high school plays, community theatre, extras in minor films or TV shows etc, you may not want to take the time to enroll in an acting class—but regardless, it may be the best thing for you to do.

Acting technique is very detailed and there are several kinds of techniques. On stage, emotions, reactions etc are much more pronounced—this is because much of the audience cannot see any small changes in your facial expressions. Whereas in film acting smaller movements and subtle facial expressions, i.e. a contained energy, will be more effective.