Acting in Film

say the same line twice, first blinking and then not blinking. I practiced not blinking to excess when I first made this discovery, went around not blinking all the time and probably disconcerted a lot of people. But by not blinking you will appear strong on screen. Remember: on film that eye can be eight feet across.
    I emphasize the eyes because that's where it all happens, especially in a close-up. Don't make faces. What I call "pulling faces" happens when an actor is insecure and starts signaling to the audience. He sends messages, facial twitches, that indicate "This is what you're supposed to feel," or "This is where you're supposed to laugh." An audience picks up on that and will resent it. They don't want to be nudged into a reaction: they want to react spontaneously to what appears to be spontaneous. Just rely on your character's thought processes and your face will behave normally. It's no good practicing in front of a mirror because in the mirror is you-someone you've been seeing all your life-someone who's got nothing to do with who you are in the movie. You are someone else.

The Set-Up
    During a take, the camera does not necessarily physically move closer to or away from you, so it's important to ask beforehand what kind of shot is being set up. Ask so that you'll know how to gauge the scale of your performance. Here's a rough guide: in the master shot (or long shot) you can afford to be broad; in the medium shot, cut the size of the action to half; and in the close shot, cut the size to half again. Also, you need to know what kind of shot is being set up so you'll know what will be included in the frame. You may be fiddling with your glasses in your lap during a long shot, but if you're still fiddling during the medium shot, when you're not visible below the waist, everyone will say, "What's going on down there below the frame?" You can fling your arms about in a long shot, but not in a close-up, and some directors go in for really massive close-ups. If you think you're in that kind of situation, ask, "How much freedom do I have here?" If the director says you can't move an inch, then you can't move an inch. In the old days you could tell what kind of shot was being set up by the kind of lens on the camera; they used to put a small device on the camera that said "40mm" so you were clued in. Now they've got these great zoom lenses, so I might still be fiddling with my glasses and not know they've changed into a close-up. When in doubt, ask!

    THE ITALIAN JOB
    Directed by Peter Collinson. Paramount, 1969.

    The camera doesn't necessarily move toward you during a shot; but if they put the camera unusually close, I suggest you get worried-especially if it's a small, hand-held camera. These cameras are very mobile and are, therefore, useful in confined spaces; but if you get too close to them, you move into the curve of the lens. The lens pulls your face back around the curve, so that on the screen you've got a great big nose and your ears go back as though you're riding a motor bike into a strong wind. They used to use lenses like that in topless photography. Unless the director has that effect in mind, I suggest you don't move any closer to the camera at such times.

Off-Camera
    Of course, you're not always the center of attention. Sometimes you're the off-camera actor. Then it's important to know how to cooperate in the other actor's close-up, when you'll be feeding him his cues off-camera. Some actors let up on their performances when they are safely out of shot, but that approach doesn't do them any service because it will affect the scene as a whole. Acting is not a competition; everything must be done for the good of the film or else everybody loses-it is not about making yourself seem better than the other guy. When you're the off-camera actor, play with the same intensity as when you are visible. To help the on-camera actor, stand close to the cameraman and get your head as near the lens as possible. This brings the other actor to the most advantageous position for him, which is with his face angled well toward the lens while looking at you. If you were acting with Orson Welles, you could have gone home during his close-up. Orson never wanted anyone in his sight line, never even wanted anyone reading him cues. He did his scenes alone, allowing exactly the right pauses for the other actor's lines. Another actor would have disturbed Orson's concentration. He preferred to imagine that other actor and