Acting in Film

you're swinging a punch past the other guy's head, you may find your fist going right through the castle wall that's supposed to be centuries old and three feet thick.
    Just the opposite applies to sets that aren't supposed to be your own home or office (or your mother's home or girlfriend's office)-that is, somewhere you supposedly have never been before. Let it surprise you. In the event of retakes, try to remember that initial sense of disorientation and recreate it. Anticipation is the enemy of all actors. It wreaks particularly savage havoc in films because the camera sees everything, especially lack of spontaneity.

    01966 Universal Pictures, a Division of Universal City Studios, Inc. Courtesy of MCA Publishing Rights, A Division of MCA Inc.
    GAMBIT
    Directed by Ronald Neame. Universal, 1966.

     

"In film, other actors' performances really are not your concern. If the other actor isn't giving you what you want, act as though he were."

    Always tell everyone your first name when you're at the studio or location, because if you insist on being called Mister, Miss, or Ms., you might find hammers and lamps falling off the catwalk perilously close to your head. The sooner you establish a friendly relationship with the technical people, the sooner they'll go out of their way to help you. No one despises inexperience, only toffee-nosed inexperience. Don't establish friendliness by moving your own props or being helpful in a technical vein, however, or you'll run into union problems; each technician has a clearly defined job that he alone is supposed to do. And always, especially if you're concerned with looking beautiful on screen, be nice to the cameraman because he can make or break you. Most of them wouldn't do anything too detrimental because they want their work to be respected. And of course when I say "be nice" I mean be cordial, say good morning nicely; I'm not advising you to bribe him or throw your clothes off and hurl yourself at him. But if you want to look really handsome or beautiful, good manners do help.

    SLEU'T'H
    Directed by Joseph L. Manldewicz 20th Century-Fox, 1972.
    Pictured with Laurence Olivier.

    In movies, the form of rehearsals depends entirely on the director. But since the director's mind is on all aspects of the film, don't expect any particular accolade or sign of approval during rehearsals. If your director isn't saying anything to you, that means your work is probably fine. In theatre, actors and director use rehearsals to explore character and relationships. In film, at this point in the process, there isn't time for dissection of your role. You use rehearsals to show the director and other actors what you're proposing to do physically and more or less how you're going to say the lines; you use rehearsals to show the thorough preparation that you've been hired for.

    Usually rehearsals are used to set blocking, which is the process of working out the moves for each scene. Don't be cowed by technical considerations here; the actor's instinct is vital to this process. Move where and how you feel it is comfortable and right for the role, because they can put the camera on top of St. Paul's Cathedral, if necessary, to suit your moves. Of course, if the director says, "I want you to end up on that spot, no matter how you feel about it," then you had better follow his instructions and get there.
PRACTICE WITH DANGER AND YOU LOSE IT
    Do not use rehearsals to give your all as an actor. In theatre, a director will often encourage you to get to performance level well before opening night. In film, it's no good hitting those high notes before the take because film acting is about danger. If you practice with danger, you lose it. If you rehearse a risk, it is no longer a risk. You also deprive the other actor of his spontaneous response to that extra something you are going to zing in there when the camera rolls. You should only take that ultimate risk, provide that real surprise, when someone says "action." Then, by all means, push yourself a little further than you want to go.
    In theatre, it's natural to worry about what the other actors are giving you on stage because an important part of live theatre is that immediate give and take. But in film, other actors' performances really are not your concern. If the other actor isn't giving you what you want, act as though he were. If you feel the wrong actor has been cast in the part, recast him in your mind. Other actors may feel the same about