Acting for TV

1. Acting for Television Module 5A (Realism)

2. Television Acting VS Theater Acting Brainstorm the difference between television acting and theater acting “Lyts, Camera, ACTING!” Choose a scene from a favorite drama and show how it was presented on television. Afterwards, the scene will be redone in theater style. Comment on the acting styles adapted by each group.

3. Television Acting VS Theater Acting Performed in front of cameras Performed in a theater, in front of a live audience Aim is to make acting lifelike (smaller) Very little movements Aim is to portray a role larger than life No room for mistakes The camera and the director do much of the work Jobs different from those in theater The director is the boss No need for long rehearsals to develop the roles Rehearsals give the actors a chance to develop their roles

4. Television Acting VS Theater Acting Making a TV drama is more complex The producer is the boss Scene shots are not in proper order Performance done from first scene to the last Acting may only take a few minutes The rest of the time spent waiting for crew to setup the shot A good director can make a terrible actor look brilliant. A bad director can make a brilliant actor look terrible.

5. Constantine Stanislavski 1863 - 1938

6. Realism Acting book incomplete without mentioning Constantine Stanislavski Born in Moscow January 17 , 1863 as Constantine Alexeiev Stanislavski is a stage name from a Polish actor Formed the Moscow Art Theater (MAT) – most important 20th Century Theater “Russian Revolution” Before him acting was rhetoric, stiff and dcelamatory Age of Realism: birth of truth in acting Naturalism

7. Realism: A style of Acting Focus was the actor’s inner life Realism was the way to act. – Stanislavski “Method” actors: James Dean, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman, Johnny Delgado, Christopher de Leon, Gina Alajar, Nora Aunor Reputation of Realism Actors: being “inwardly” concerned that they have lost sight of the external importance of the craft. Other actors rebelled against Realism – creating a generation of self indulgent actors who couldn’t do other styles

8. Realism: A style of Acting Realism – acting which looks for truth and believability. Focus: own character’s “inner life” Awareness of objectives, motivations – hidden objectives – of character. External & Psychological stimuli Actors seem they are the characters they play. Events seem real; time is real Rebelled against external, declamatory theatric Called “system” not “method” Many styles sprung from the system.

10. Stanislavski believes that: Movement and thought cannot be separated. The system is not a guarantee to make great actors. Acting cannot be taught. The system is a means (process), not an end. The system prepares an actor for the elusive gift – Inspiration!!

11. Methods of Realistic Acting / Specific Manifestations: 1. Relaxation An actor’s greatest enemy is tension First step to acting is to RELAX Does not mean lifeless, dull, lazy energy Meant to be the heightened readiness an actor has to spring into action Acting becomes tiring, wooden and predictable when tense. Relaxation allows actors to release their movements, thoughts, emotions FREELY & ORGANICALLY.

12. Relaxation Exercises

13. 2. Relating “Live the part.” – Stanislavski “Be alive in the part” Relate to real, given & imaginary circumstances

14. Real Circumstances Everything in the physical world of the actor Costumes, sets, sounds The five senses

15. Given Circumstances Given by the playwright to actor These are the who, what, when, where of the paywright Actor has the ability to believe in this reality.

16. Imaginary Circumstances Believing in all imaginary aspects of the play and allows them to affect his actions through imagination

17. Relating Exercises Travelogue

18. Imagination exercise

19. 3. Action An actor must always be doing something with a purpose. “Acting is doing & doing with a purpose” – Stanislavski Your objective should lead to some action to play.

20. Doing Something with a clear purpose

21. 4. Objective Give actor’s action some purpose / scene-by-scene “object of desire”

22. Clarify your objectives Actor stands

23. 5. Super-objective An over-all object of desire – throughout the play Like the theme or main idea Ex. Hamlet’s SO is to avenge his father’s death

24. 6. Subtext What is going on underneath the words The hidden meaning behind what the character is saying.

25. Subtext exercises

26. 7. Concentration Embarrassment, awkwardness & self-conscious surfaces when an actor lacks concentration.

27. Concentration Exercises Actor closes eyes – focus on one sound I read you tell a story Distractions I talk, you talk Public solitude