Home > Learning Center > Film Acting

Film Acting

Film acting has a whole different array of skills and practices than does the stage. Film acting covers a wide range of situations. From a spaceship traveling through space, to microscopic people traveling through a blood vein, the camera and movie techniques can extend to farther regions that a written play for the stage.

One of the first things you will need to know and apply to film acting, which is not involved in theater, is how to play to play or act to the camera. In order to do so effectively, you should keep the following ideas in mind:
· Know where the camera (or cameras) are at all times. You can give the best performance of your life, but it will go unappreciated if the camera cannot see your face.

· Know what the camera is trying to capture. If the camera is filming a long shot of you off in the distance, concentrating on arching your eyebrow to convey emotion will just be a waste of time since the camera cannot see such close detailing.
· Know where the other actors and props are located in relation to the camera. If you step too far forward or back, your body or a simple gesture, such as waving your hand, can block the cameras view of another actor.
While filming, you will not have the luxury of an audience feedback to guide you. But rather, the director, camera operator and other technicians will be some of the few people present during your scene. Thus, you need to use your imagination to a wider extent, and project emotions to the unblinking eye of the camera.

And undoubtedly, you will also face the unique challenge of acting scenes out of order. Most directors will shoot their show or movie in the order that is most financially convenient. For example, if the first and last scene of a film is on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, then the director will most likely have both scene shot during one trip to the location. There is little sense in dragging the whole crew of makeup artists, actors, technicians, etc, to California twice. So, consequently, you may be performing the last scene of the movie on your first day of filming.

To ensure consistency and make the story communicable to an audience who is viewing the scenes in order, many actors will highlight and include notes throughout the script to remind them of the emotions and characteristics that should be evoked in that particular scene. This can help you to create the right feel that the scene requires, no matter what point you perform it!

Acting Agent | Acting Classes | Learning Center | Site Map | Links | Contact | Home

Copyright © 2010