Film Acting

Today, Wednesday, was my ten hour schedule at school. First class was Mesiner Technique, which went until 1:00. After an hour long break, we had Voice and Speech. For the past couple of weeks, we have been working on speaking on our breath. To test our new knowledge of this technique, we rehearsed and performed, individually, the poem by Earnest Hemingway about Paris.

"Paris was a very old city

And we were young

And nothing was simple then

Not even poverty

Nor sudden money

Nor right

Nor wrong

Nor the moonlight

Nor the breathing of someone who lay beside me

In the moonlight"

Everyone's performance was outstanding and Eileen was very pleased with our work. Apparently my performance had at least three of my buddies close to tears!

After another hour long break, we came to the last class of the day--Intro to the Camera. Up to this point in the learning process, the class has been fairly simple and easy-going. However, today showed me (as well as the others) a different perspective of the filming process. As I performed my scene (only a page in length), I couldn't help but feel just like a robot on a set. So many thoughts were going through my head, and all of them were fueled by the need to "hit my mark." Walk to the couch. Look at her. Stay in frame. Sit on the couch. She creeps you out. Lines. Get up and walk to your next mark. Don't move too fast. Lines. She creeps you out. Exit.

Acting in film is about turning a robotic series of rehearsed movements into something organic... something human. I have a newfound respect for film actors.