Monday Film Class Recap 10/7/13

This week we focused on acting in a close up. This, in many ways, is the most important aspect of film acting, and also the most different from theater acting. No one in a theater will ever see you as close up as they will on film, and this sort of acting demands a different set of skills.

We practiced with a video camera connected to the projector, so that we could see how our classmates' expressions came across on the big screen.

Some tips:

-The only thing that exists once "action" is called is the other actor. Tune all the rest out. Its not there. (this goes for all of film acting)

-The camera is not there. Do not look at it. If you must remember that it is there, remember that ot loves you and will only make you look good. Relax. (this also goes for all of film acting)

-The most important tool you have is your eyes. Focus on the emotions of the scene, and trust that your eyes will communicate it to the audience. In this sense, you don't have to "do" anything; you have to "feel." (This is, of course, easier said than done, s don't worry. It gets easier with practice.)

-Move your head and body as little as possible unless directed otherwise. It may feel unnatural, but a small movement looks big in a close up. The camera amplifies everything.

-When it comes to facial expressions. less is more.

-Always know your eyeline. The most important thing in the scene is the eyes of the other actor.

-Blinking: Characters that are strong/confident/trustworthy/powerful/intense blink very little and maintain eye contact. Characters that are weak/nervous/untrustworthy/deceitful blink a lot and avoid eye contact.

As an example of close-up acting, I showed a brief snippet of Carl Theodor Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc (La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc), made in 1928. It is significant in that it is one of the first films to be made using almost entirely close ups. This, and the fact that it is a silent movie, required the actors to base almost their whole performance around relatively subtle facial expressions. Here is the clip I showed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEjAQb0F8Sk 

Next week, we will break into two groups ad practice doing a scene.

Monday Film Class Recap 9/30/13

We started by reviewing our terms from last week, specifically Master Scene Technique (wide shot, two shot, singles, inserts). We then practiced storyboarding a scene.

A sample storyboard from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

We finished editing our magic trick film. To see it, follow this link (best played with sound muted).

We did some acting exercises focusing on non-verbal facial expressions. I talked a little bit about Stanislavski, which is a name you will encounter again and again if you continue to pursue acting. In short, he was a Russian actor, director and theater teacher who helped define modern acting. His acting methods emphasized naturalism; in other words, the goal is to appear natural and realistic. We'll talk more about him and his methods as we go forward, especially how Stanislavski's acting tools can apply to film.

We did an acting exercise in which one actor was a student (who doesn't talk) being told why they are being expelled by a principal (who does talk). We'll do more with this exercisenext week.

For next time, our focus will be acting in Close-Up. See you then!