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Posted by: Peggy (65.66.211.45) on September 27, 2002 at 17:11:19
Location: Texas
Hi everyone,
I know I have heard modeling is acting many times over the years...but what is acting?
I received a great explaination that was forwarded by Houston Film Casting today that I would like to share with y'all :-)
"WHAT IS ACTING?
This is a question I ask each new acting student at the
beginning of class. I get every type of answer one can imagine;
from "Being someone else", Playing a character," to "Being
real". So far no one yet has gotten it right. I ask them next;
"WHAT IS A NOVEL?"
After a few hints they eventually say; "A story?" Then I ask; "If a
novel is a story, then what is a stage play?" They hesitatingly
answer; "A story."
"WHAT IS A SCREEN PLAY?"
They answer; "A story." And what is a commercial? They
answer; "A mini story." "If all these things are stories, then who
is telling the story?" "The actor?" "Wrong." "The writer?" "Wrong."
(he writes the story) "The characters?" "Bingo". The story is told
by the characters and since we, as actors, are portraying (acting
as, not like) the characters, could we not say that acting is
storytelling? The look that comes over their faces when they
figure out what acting really is, is classic, it should be
photographed. (I’ll do that one day)
ACTING IS STORYTELLING:
Is, always has been and always will be. That bears repeating:
ACTING IS STORYTELLING; is, always has been and always
will be.
THE DEFINITION:
When actors realize what acting really is and what it’s all about,
I can see the light come on in their eyes at the simplicity of it.
Acting is Storytelling. Storytelling is the oldest form of
communication/education/healing in the history of mankind,
dating back to the "storyteller" (the shaman) around the
campfires of prehistoric or primitive villages. The stories
painted or drawn on the walls of caves in petroglyphs, on
animal skins and in the oral tradition, were man’s first form of
education, communication, entertainment and healing, far
predating the written word.
THE "ORAL TRADITION":
The Twelve Tribes of Israel used the "oral tradition" for centuries
in passing down the parables of the Creation and Noah's
Flood. It was not until King Solomon decreed that these stories
be written down, that we had any records from which much of
the "Old Testament" was taken. We, as actors, have a
responsibility to carry on this tradition, yes, in fact, mankind has
a "need" for "storytellers" that is almost as great as his need for
love.
HOW DO YOU TELL THE STORY?
The actor must first know the story; in fact, under The
Millennium System©, knowing the story is the New Age Actor's
first responsibility. [Notice I did not say "plot"; there is a great
difference between story and plot.] He must know each event
down to the tiniest detail in proper sequence (all stories have a
sequence of events; one thing happenend first, one thing
happened second, etc.). He then must create his character.
Stories are told by and through the characters by visualization
and by coloring the events with emotions.
AN ART FORM:
Acting, (Storytelling) as an art form, is evolving and freeing itself
from the dogmas, rituals, routines and authorities of the past.
Stanislaviski’s Method, Meisner’s Technique, Chekhov's
Approach and the other psycho-intellectual forms of acting have
become antiquated, limiting, cumbersome, ponderous, clumsy,
stiff, dangerous to the actor, confusing, basically ineffectual and
stifling to creativity. (Other than these problems, the old
methods are probably all right.)
OLD METHODS:
In these old methods, (which were based on audience tastes
and preferences at the time; theater has always been an
extension of a culture's attempt at self analysis) things were
done according to formula, the "guideposts", or "gote sheet"
(gag... puke), even to the archaic planning of gestures or
movements and the choreographing of emotions.
Choreographing of actions, gestures and/or emotions is like
painting a picture "by the numbers", it is not "creating" and
playing the moment. I was originally trained in the "Method", in
college, but soon abandoned it for Meisner and eventually trying
or experimenting with most of the other so-called
psyco-intellectual forms that evolved from the "Method" in my
thirty year career (so far) as a professional actor; I like to say,
"been there, done that, got the 'T' shirt and now I wash my horse
with it."
PATTERNS of __EXPRESSION:
Today, the actor or creative artist, must work out his own
uninhibited patterns of __expression, get out of his head, create
his character, play and stay in the moment. He should never
negate or resist an impulse of the character; all lines (or the
emotional content thereof) of dialogue will cause the character
to (a) stand still; (b) move back; or (c) move toward. The
movements (toward or back) may be half an inch or half a mile;
even if it is infinitesimal, especially on film, it is a byproduct of
listening and responding to the other character's
dialogue/action or your own character's. "Listening is the single
most important thing an actor can do during a performance." -
(Meryl Streep) "Don't listen to the words, listen to! the person." -
(Ja! ck Lemmon)
DIRECTORS:
Directors are learning (at least some are) that they get better
performances "when they set actors free, to give them
openendedness (freedom to explore); create a space, or
perimeter, where actors feel empowered and have room to let
go and enjoy letting their creative juices flow." (James
Cameron) Every major actor I know or seen interviewed, has
stated that they preferred a director who understands the acting
process and allows them the freedom to create. A Director
should tell the actor what he wants from the character, supply
the vision, not how to do it. He is not there to give acting
lessons; film making can cost twenty thousand dollars an hour
and up (way up), he does not have the time. "I don’t look for a
puppet or someone to recite the lines when I cast, I look for
actors who can bring something special to the story, hopefully
something no one has thought of yet. I l! ook for creativity." (Ron
Howa! rd) The professional actor must commit his creative
responsibility to the story and to the character.
"Once the Casting is Done, the Art Belongs to the Actor."
-Robert Altman-
The above is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of my book , 'Acting is
Storytelling ©'. If you don't already own a copy, you may order
one direct from Ken Farmer.
(http://acting.freeservers.com/Order.htm)"
Hope it helps,
Peggy
http://home.swbell.net/peggys29/index.htm
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