I am constantly looking to make the craft of acting as I have come to know it and experience it more accessible, understandable and applicable to any and all persons and any and all forms of expression. For the last several years I have had wonderful interactions with students in all majors and hope that through the course of our time together the acting principles I coach have had a positive influence on their life and work.
I recently took a look at a segment on titled "Acting It Out" provided by Eric Scheur of the "11 Second Club." Click here to view the article. (http://www.11secondclub.com/helpful_hints/acting_it_out/) I thought I'd share with you my impressions of the advice they give on how to develop "performance." So, cutting to the chase..
The approach taken in this “how to” offering by the 11 Second Club exposes one of the fundamental omissions all too often made when creating a performance. At no time during the countless takes, line readings, script analysis etc., were questions raised or investigated regarding the actual circumstances of the event. I will let you in on a “not-so-secret” secret of great performances—it’s all about “the other” and the given circumstances. Unfortunately this “not-so-secret” secret is absent from the approach and tool kit of even seasoned practitioners of the craft.
What makes for a more compelling drama: witnessing an archer taking aim with a single arrow in an attempt to shoot this lone arrow into the heart of a specific target, or watching an archer grab and shoot an entire quiver of arrows at once into the sky with no target and without reason? My money is on the first scenario.
Here's why: As human beings we are hard-wired to sense and give our attention to behavior that has purposefulness, drive and a specific action (archer number 1), and to treat with indifference that which is banal, unspecific and haphazard (archer number 2). The great news is there is a definable, doable way to ensure the former and avoid the latter. Plus, you'll save tons of precious time to actually do your animation. I swear!
In the same way that Eric suggested animators use real props and set pieces when creating reference material I would HIGHLY recommend taking it even further, and if not physically present, have a very clear "other" in mind that the character is engaging in addition to a "clear action" that the character is trying to get the "other" to do.
Trust me when I tell you that the only way to get the acting results you want will be by employing actual actor tools and actor sensibilities. Shortcuts, cleverness, and generalities inevitably lead to cliche, hackneyed, derivative, forced and uninspired performances. And who wants that?
By working the tools offered below, you create a necessary and vital "point-of-view." Without developing a "point-of-view" the whole thing is a crap shoot, a stringing together of bits, a hodge-podge of clever flecks of behavior that, while maybe creating some interesting “moments,” will more than likely lack a compelling sound and look of nature--and as a result the viewer has little reason to care--even in an 11 second clip.
In Acting Studio we will actually employ the tools actors use to create compelling, full and engaging performances. The tools ("The 4 Essential Questions" and "Essential and Literal Meaning") are laid out in the pages of this blog and we’ll use them extensively in our sessions together.
An example of how I would go about building the scene offered in the 11 Second Club clip would begin by using the 4 Essential Questions to create specific circumstances in which the character is living. Here’s just one of an infinite number of possible scenarios:
While defining the "Literal" aspects of the circumstances can be helpful, when it comes to creating a worthwhile performance it is the "Essential" answers that put the works into dramatic motion. See the "Pages" for more detail on each of the 4 Questions and the significant difference between "Literal" and "Essential" meaning:
The Where (where the action takes place):
Literally--break room of a small account services firm
Essentially--the arena where social standing is made or destroyed
The Moment Before (what is the inciting moment or what causes the first action):
Literally--the female co worker just said "hi" to some of the guys at the other table
Essentially--SHIT! The trophy girl showed interest in the competition
The Other (who the main character is engaging):
Literally--a female co-worker
Essentially--the trophy girl of the office, the one everyone else wants, needs, must have.
The Action or Doing:
Literally--talking about how people live
Essentially--getting the trophy girl to see that he is a superior choice over everyone else in the room and she should choose him--NOW.
That took about 2 minutes to figure out and sets a wonderful stage for an actor. Plus it gives you oodles of tangibles to play with and tweak--within the stated scenario. The actor/character has a clear target, a clear objective and most importantly a clear object of his intention in the "trophy" girl. Without a point-of-view the action is internally driven, conceptual and contrived. With an outwardly-directed "point-of-view" the action is alive, genuine, spontaneous, consequential and engaging.
I am certain that if you give an actor and animator these specifics to work with you wouldn't need 40 takes to find interesting gestures, line readings, and facial expressions in an attempt to create great reference material. My head nearly exploded as I imagined scouring all that reference work picking a gesture here, a line reading there in order to cobble together a story out of fragments of behavior. It's not how great actor's work is created so why attempt to do it with animation? Oh, and did I mention that by taking a few minutes to prep like an actor and establish a "point-of-view," you'll save tons of time down the line?
While I see some merit in the process employed by the 11 Second Club, the resulting animation/voice performance lacked any sense of the specifics that are essential to great performances and by extension compelling drama--even 11 seconds worth.
I welcome any follow up thoughts, comments or smart remarks to this.
