Acting : Acting question?? by Joshua C. Allen

The scene sets the stage, so if a monologue I'm doing is sad, I think of me being there in that situation and place myself and people I know in that scene. That does it. The tears flow when needed. They also need to stop and be angry, happy and then back to sad in some scenes. Sounds easy.........., but it isn't. Good luck!!! I'm still trying to land my first part in a major network project, but hope this helps anyway!

Personally I think about what does make me sad or angry to help fit the emotion.

Adam, well said!! Thank you to Jessica and Ian as well. Appreciate the response guys!

I like the Sanford Meiser technique. The funny thing about this is, I have been doing that the whole time thinking I did something but it is really his technique but yeah.

Sanford Meisner technique is awesome. I am still learning that. A lot to learn but I love his saying..."Acting is living truthfully through imaginary circumstances." Great stuff. Thanks for the reply Antonio!

Completely agree Floyd! Good point!!

I use the "whatever works in the moment" technique. :) Sometimes, I can use emotional recall; other times, sitting down and writing what's in my head during the show/script (as the character) unearths a lot. I also visualize who they are, where they are, what they think about those they meet. I've never had just one technique work for me every time - so, whatever brings the character alive to me is what I use.

I've always had a childhood obsession to control people (mainly because I was abused and abandoned as a child). Anyway, to get that out of the way, I have grown out of the "wanting to control people" phase, as I've learned to forgive and let go of the trauma I have faced in m past. BUT I love to control my character when I am playing him. I will make him do what I want him to do when acting a role, and I will hold no limits to the amount of control I have over him. He is my control slave! It fills an empty void I was missing when I have this control over my character, and it so freeing, liberating, and in the moment peacefully powerful. This is when m best acting work comes out. No harm, no foul. Right? Because it's a fictional character. Plus it's very therapeutic....lol

Thanks Shondra. More great info! Appreciate the response Ryan!

I second the folks who suggest Meisner. He's awesome. Working with "key facts and phrases" and "free-associative writing" really help add to the emotional depth of the character. I have always found it important to not make an emotion like "sad" or "angry" the end goal. If you strive to really "live truthfully" as Meisner suggests, the emotion comes easier than you think. It's when we try to create an emotion with out first understanding what is underneath, that our acting becomes forced, indicated, and false. One way I find truth in my character's life is by exploring the psychological development of my character. By looking at and gaining an understanding for a character's psychological development you can get close to creating a real person. For example, how were they raised? How did they learn right from wrong? What current issues does the character have and what sort of thing happened in the character's past that realistically/truthfully caused those issues? Again, if the goal is to create and truthful, living, breathing and emoting human being on stage or in front of a camera, we should look at what makes us truthful, living, breath and emoting human beings. We all have experiences that dictate how we respond, moment to moment. Use the text and your imagination to create those same experiences for your character. Sorry this is long. I kind of love this stuff. :) Good luck!

Hello, I feel that whatever I am studying at the time, be it an audition monologue, sides, or a script, I feel that so long as I am in character, and in the moment of that given situation I am free to open up to the emotion.

I agree with Jeff. I've just finish my meisner training. It have some "tools" to bring you emotional freedom.

Thanks fellas for the comments. I am definitely looking forward to diving a little deeper into Meisner!

Whatever technique you choose, it had better work the same way 27 times because that is likely how many takes will be required to cover all the camera set-ups for an involved scene. How many times have you heard of an actor who was hired on a film only to have his scenes end up on the cutting room floor? I would wager that happens because his takes wouldn't cut together--he or she was in a different 'moment' on each of the takes. I, for one, don't hire an actor and go to the trouble of shooting his or her scenes just to throw them away. The question I would ask you is what do you want to make the audience feel? Like a stripper or a ballerina on stage, the job is to make the audience feel and resonate to you.

There are, as you know, many ways of finding the character in yourself and living in that skin. I can only suggest what NOT to do. Take, for example, a scene in which your cop partner, who also happens to be your brother, is shot and killed. Don't just try to be angry or sad or whatever. That will only result in a generalized emotion and generalized acting is bad acting. We don't buy it. I hope your life has not offered you anything like that situation, but you must have experienced an incident in which someone one you love has disappointed you ,maybe even made made you angry Use it. If you're still dealing with it and you can handle that - all the better. If this very brief comment isn't helpful, not to worry. I thought I'd give it a shot.

Be truthful , know everything about your character so you'll understand his emotions and reactions. Listen to orhers characters and react to their reactions. Don't come with a preconceived idea of the way you want to act in life we don't!

Just what J.Louis and Sylvia said is on the money. Be in the moment which brings an honesty and reality to the emotion but to draw some of that raw emotion out on command.. you can use recall of some life experience(s)

WOW!! Some amazing responses from all of you. Stephen, J.Louis, Sylvie and Talus....Thank you all!

www.facebook.com/joshuaCallen82 Feel free to like my Actor page and I will do the same!

Hey Joshua, Your question tells me where you are right now with your acting. I was there once and what helped me and taught me was the Meisner Technique. This is a cumulative process that allows you to do what needs to be done in the moment. Acting is behaving truthfully in imaginary circumstances. Start at the beginning and discover what you have inside so you can take the writer's words and sour.

Joshua this is a very good question I have formal training in Meisner and agree with Jerry I also now teach acting and I am an acting coach her in Los Angeles. I would be happy to help you out by coaching on Skype and guiding you to a good class in your area.

Thanks Jerry. Have had a good amount of acting classes but i'm always trying to find out more on how others approach it. Tom Proctor, message me when you can and we can chat dude! :)