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Getting Good Performances ...Or At Least Avoiding Bad Ones
By Staff
posted Oct 11, 2009, 15:09
There�s no simple �magic bullet� fix that can guarantee good acting � if there were, good actors would not be such a sought-after rarity.
Check out this article in the print edition of StudentFilmmakers Magazine, Nov., 2006. Click here to get a copy and to subscribe >>
Getting Good Performances
… Or At Least Avoiding Bad Ones
by Mark Kerins
At one point or another, we�ve all been to a movie or play
where one of the actors gave a performance so laughably terrible
that it completely took us out of the story � which just goes to
show that bad acting is not the exclusive province of student film.
Nevertheless, student film as a genre has a well-earned reputation
for showcasing more than its fair share of bad performances. Any
number of factors contribute to this � the lack of experience of
many student filmmakers, the rushed schedules and low (or nonexistent)
budgets on their films, and the frequent recruitment (by
necessity or not) of filmmakers� friends as cast all make it more
difficult to get brilliant performances on set. Moreover, there�s no
simple �magic bullet� fix that can guarantee good acting � if there
were, good actors would not be such a sought-after rarity.
But this doesn�t mean you should simply cross your fingers and
hope the fates grant you good performances � rather, it means that
you need to be aware of common pitfalls and make a conscious
effort to avoid them. What I�ve included here is a guide of tips and
tricks that anyone � from the greenest novice picking up a camera
for the first time to an experienced professional � can use. If you
follow these guidelines, the acting in your film still may not be
Oscar-caliber, but at least it shouldn�t be Razzie-worthy.
The single most important thing you can remember is that
performances are often made or broken before the cameras even
start rolling. Remember:
1. It all starts with the script. The script can and will change
in all phases of production, but it�s the starting point on which
everything else builds, and it�s near impossible to make a
great film from a terrible script. This is perhaps nowhere as
true as it is in the realm of acting; if the characters don�t have
much life on the page, then even the best actors can�t give
them much life onscreen. Take the time to write, rewrite, and
rewrite again. Where possible, write a first draft of a script
and put it away for awhile, then come back to revise it after
you�ve gained some emotional distance from it. And if you�re
not a great writer, find a collaborator who is. Many bad
student films can be traced back to filmmakers who insist on
doing every job on their own, regardless of where their own
talents lie. Collaborative work is a huge part of filmmaking
on every level � if you can find someone whose strengths
complement your weaknesses (and vice-versa) you�re already
a step ahead of the game.
2. Your friends are probably not great actors. Okay, maybe
you�re lucky enough to have a friend who�s been acting since
birth, won the lead role in every school play since middle
school, and so on � go ahead and cast that person if he or
she is right for a part in your film. But for the most part,
filmmakers� friends end up in student films simply because
they�re easily accessible, and students don�t know how else to get actors. In reality, it�s easier than you think, and the
single biggest thing you can do (aside from starting with
a good script) to improve the acting in your film is to use
people who can actually act. Most larger cities have listings
of professional actors, and many of these are willing to work
with students for little or no fee if they like the script and if
you act professionally (see #3 below). Even if you can�t find
professionals, don�t give up. Is there a community theater
group with people who may have had some training as
actors? What about aspiring actors at the local high schools
and colleges? The point is that many actors are willing to
take roles solely for the experience and credit. Just remember
to make sure that everyone in your cast (professional or not)
gets a copy of the finished movie. Professionals and aspiring
professionals need clips for their reels, and your roommates
(if it comes to that) will want something to show their friends
and family.
3a. Professionals expect YOU to be professional on set. If
you want to work with professional actors (or crew for that
matter) they will expect you to behave as a professional as
well. This doesn�t mean they expect you to be exactly like
a seasoned filmmaker with lots of credits under the belt
� actors understand that a student probably hasn�t made
many films, and hence may not be as adept at directing
them as someone more experienced would be. But they
will expect (and they have every right to do so) that you will
run a professional-style set. This means that you will treat
them with respect, will provide them with accurate call
times, will have meals provided on set as necessary, and so
on. It also means that you won�t do things like shooting in
a location you don�t have permission to shoot, or having
actors perform stunts or dangerous activities for which they
haven�t been trained, and so on. The more you plan things in
pre-production, the more smoothly everything will go during
production, and the better your actors will feel about working
with you.
3b. Professionals expect YOU to be professional BEFORE
you get on set. Where do actors form their first impressions
of how your set will be run? During casting, of course.
So while a whole article could be devoted to the casting
process, it seems appropriate to provide a few tips here lest
you scare away potential talent with a less-than-professional
casting call. First, your call for actors should be specific
about what you need, what the project is, and what the job
will entail. If your entire cast is high school students, for
instance, don�t put out a call for �all ages.� If you�re planning
a feature, don�t say that it will be a three day shoot just to avoid scaring people off. And while character descriptions
should be succinct, they should still provide enough
information for an actor to decide what role might be right
for him. Second, don�t be afraid to show potential actors the
script � they want to know how �good� a project or character
might be, and the best barometer for this (at the student level,
at least) is the script. So unless the strength of your script is
its surprise ending, be open to sharing it. Finally, the casting
session will be the actors� first chance to see how you run
things, so create a positive first impression as possible. Have
an assistant to check actors in as they arrive and make sure
the session stays on schedule. If they�ll be doing parts of
scenes, have those script pages copied and ready for them
to peruse (obviously, have fresh copies for each actor so that
they can write on their copies). Have water and other drinks
available, and snacks make things go more smoothly as well.
Remember, her impression of your casting session may make
the difference between whether the actress you want for a
part chooses to work on your project or not.
4. It�s YOUR job to know the characters inside and out. As
a director, you need to have a vision for the movie. Vision
isn�t just about what�s onscreen and in the soundtrack, but
about being able to guide your actors because you�ve put
in the work to think about who these characters are, their
backstories, and so on. This doesn�t mean those ideas have
to be fixed in stone � go ahead and develop the characters in
consultation with your actors, just make sure you stay true to
your vision for the overall movie with any changes you make.
Good actors appreciate having the chance to contribute their
own ideas, but also want a director who knows which ideas
will work with his/her vision.
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