On this video, I discuss my controversial view on why I believe the Stanislavski System is dead.

The Truth About Choosing The Right Acting Classes

If you want to avoid wasting years of your life and thousands of pounds on the wrong acting classes, then read on.

When I first considered attending acting classes, I didn’t think through what kind of actor I wanted to be. I knew I wanted to act, and I knew I wanted to go to drama school to train, but I didn’t think in detail about what kind of material I wanted to be involved in at the end of it.

This is not uncommon, and thirty years later, the acting training landscape has changed considerably. There are now a lot more options. You don’t have to attend a traditional drama school for three years; there are now plenty of credible part-time options. There are also many hobby acting classes that provide fun and entertainment for the attendees, but they are not serious acting training.

This makes it vital that you have a criteria that you have in mind that will allow you to choose the correct acting classes.

What kind of actor do you want to be?

Do you want to be in musical theatre? Do you want to do serious drama? Do you want to do comedy? Do you want to do classical stage work like Shakespeare? Do you want to do physical theatre? Do you want to do TV and film?

Now, you might say you want to do all of it, which is fine, but which one is the one that you are happiest doing? And which is the one you think you are best suited to? Usually, the answer to both those questions is the same.

What kind of acting technique suits that aspiration?

Now that you are clear on which type of material interests you the most, you can then research which techniques would best suit you.

If you want to do serious film dramas, then the techniques you need to learn are different from musical theatre, as an example. There may be cross overs in techniques used, but there is a massive difference in how they are applied.

In the end, I realised that I wanted to do gritty drama, so I researched the technique used by actors who were doing this sort of work which lead me to method acting classes. 

How much are you willing to invest?

Some people go for cheap and cheerful as opposed to expensive. All I will say about this is that you get what you pay for. There is a reason why cheap acting classes are cheap.

Personally, when buying anything, I found that in general expensive means higher quality. If quality is important to you (and it should be because this is your career we are talking about), then invest as much as you can afford. Go for high quality rather than cheap.

What kind of acting teacher would suit you?

There are all kinds of acting teachers out there, providing acting classes. Some are pro actors teaching on the side; some are professional teachers, some are brutal, some are nurturing, some are knowledgable, and some are not.

So how do you know which one is right?

Well, you need to get a sense of the person and what their teaching style is like. If you don’t resonate with a teacher, it can be hard work for both of you.

If there is an option to do an introduction, then it’s a good test to see if you are compatible. That’s why I provide online acting classes that can be provided at a lower cost so people can test-drive me. If it works out, and they want more, then they can then think about investing (and applying) for my in-person acting classes, which are reassuringly expensive.

If you follow my criteria that I have laid out above, it will help you to choose the correct acting classes and save you a lot of time, money and heartache in the long run.

Before Al Pacino made it as an actor, he was a shy, introverted superintendent.

Hard to believe now, but that’s what he was like back then.

Then one day, something inside him clicked, and he knew he had to commit everything to become an actor.

It’s was a big decision riddled with risk.

If you are an artistic and creative person and follow that path, you are entering a high-risk profession.

It can mean a roller coaster life that doesn’t have the safety net that other careers paths offer.

Some aspiring actors, who lack the risk-taking gene create shadow careers.

Over the decades, I have spent quite a bit of time in Los Angeles and what struck me was how many people there who are not actors but want to be.

For example, there are thousands of lawyers who specialise in the entertainment industry in LA and all the ones I met wanted to be either an actor, writer, director or producer.

But, highlighted by the profession they choose, they lacked that risk-taking gene, so they created a shadow career. This is a job that is in contact with the one they really want but does not have any of the associated risks.

For true artists, they know they have no choice. Their lives would be miserable in a shadow career, so they risk it all and go down the path they were born to take.

A career in acting should not be taken lightly. You need to be sure that you could never be happy in a shadow career, because let’s face it, it would be a lot easier.

Al Pacino once said:

“You’re only as good as the chances you take.”

He is right. A great actor has to get used to taking chances in their life and work. It’s the inevitable fate of a true artist.

Of course, there is an upside to being a risk-taker. It’s exciting and unpredictable, and you certainly know you are alive. Plus, by taking risks in your work, you have the chance to create something unique and authentic to you that profoundly impacts others.

Now that sounds like the risk is worth it to me.

David Kerr completed the Ultimate Acting Programme and has since appeared in the Netflix original production The Crown.

“It’s been absolutely fantastic. Brian’s a really great teacher. He’s great at understanding what makes you tick and freeing you up to be both authentic and expressive. He’s got a great gift for observing people and unlocking them and freeing them to express themselves on the stage or in front of the camera.” – David Kerr

At the moment, due to the joys of lockdown, we are restricted in what we can do.

When I started my online Lockdown Acting intensive, I wasn’t sure how much could be achieved online, from an acting training point of view.

A lot can be done as it turned out, but there is no replacement for live and in-person coaching.

My teaching’s full power happens when I’m in the studio live with students watching their every move. I can see their whole body and watch their unconscious impulses and how they are expressing themselves.

You see, training an actor is not only about getting someone to think differently, it’s also about how they express themselves and move. It’s a massive part of training an actor.

If you can only see them from the chest up, which is often the case on Zoom, you can only get half the picture.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I do a lot of successful online teaching, but it needs to go to the next level at a certain point.

That next level is me analysing and dissecting your every thought and move, and coaching you to enter into the eyes of the character and transform.

That’s precisely what I do on my Étude Xpress.

It lasts five days, and there are only ten people on it, and we go deep into my approach – Timoney Method.

If you think you learned a lot on the Lockdown Acting Intensive, wait until you have experienced five full, immersive, acting packed day’s under the watchful eye of The Master, live and in person.

This is what Sarah said after completing the last Étude Xpress:

“If you have completed one of Brian’s Lockdown Acting Intensives and want to take your learning to the next level then you should apply for the Etude Xpress.

I had completed a number of Brian’s Lockdown Intensives before the opportunity arose to apply for the Etude Xpress. And quite honestly it was the best decision I made. Putting into practice some of the techniques learnt during the Zoom sessions, having others in the room and being able to interact with them, react to them, and experience them helped me solidify what I had been leaning and improve on it.

Things that may seem simple and foundational are not overlooked because they are as important as any other aspect. And Brian knows that. His knowledge is second to none and I would take every opportunity I could to learn more from him. Now I can’t wait to take my learning even further and take his Ultimate Course.” Sarah Walker

But, I don’t take everyone who applies; there is an application and selection process to gain entry and I only take ten students.

All the details are here:

https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/etude-xpress/

Brian Timoney

The Master Of The Method

Timoney Method® – Creating Unconscious Acting

This an interview with Marc Happel, who isn’t an acting teacher but Director of Costumes at the New York City Ballet.

Daniel Day-Lewis spent a year with him, nearly every day, learning how to be a dress maker to prepare for the film Phantom Thread.

It’s a fascinating interview which I highly recommend that you watch, as you will learn a great deal about how far Daniel goes in his prep.

Brian Timoney

 
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As a kid, I loved the TV series Kung Fu.

If you have never seen it, it’s a bit like Karate Kid but better.

Master Po, who is an old blind wise Kung Fu Master, instructs his young student, Caine, on how to become a Kung Fu expert.

In his first lesson, Master Po easily defeats him in combat and they have the following conversation:

Master Po: Ha, ha, never assume because a man has no eyes he cannot see. Close your eyes. What do you hear?

Young Caine: I hear the water, I hear the birds.

Master Po: Do you hear your own heartbeat?

Young Caine: No.

Master Po: Do you hear the grasshopper that is at your feet?

Young Caine: [looking down and seeing the insect] Old man, how is it that you hear these things?

Master Po: Young man, how is it that you do not?

Master Po overtime teaches Caine to hear the grasshopper, which becomes his nickname.

I often experience something similar when I start teaching someone. To begin with, they can’t see or hear the acting grasshoppers at their feet, but with my guidance and their commitment, they start to see and hear. The development of these two senses along with the other three others, and of course, the sixth sense (which is another story for another day) allows them to heighten their powers of perception.

Heightened perception is key to being present, in the moment, which allows for deep and authentic acting.

Just like Young Caine, you need someone to coach you. Someone who is watching you, helping you develop the right skills and eliminate any bad acting habits. If you are ready to get to work with The Master, then walk this way.

The next  Lockdown Acting Intensive starts Monday 25th January, the deadline to join is Sunday midnight.

All the details are here:

https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/lockdown-acting-intensive/

Brian Timoney

The Master Of The Method

Timoney Method® – Creating Unconscious Acting

 
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Gwyneth revealed in an interview this week the reason she stepped away from acting.

She was lonely.

I know this may be hard to believe because she is a highly successful actor, and the temptation is to think that life must be peachy. The reality can be somewhat different.

Gwyneth went onto explain:

“I don’t want to be in a hotel in Budapest by myself, away from my family, for six weeks anymore.”

Believe it or not, loneliness can be quite an issue for an actor. You have to travel from one job to the next, sometimes being away from family and friends for long periods.

You also have to deal with the adrenaline rush. You may have to go on stage each night or onset during the day and your adrenaline spikes due to performance excitement. Then once you are done, you are alone in a hotel room.

I’ve experienced this myself. It can be hard at times to deal with this but having a strong support network of friends and family certainly helps. Plus, you have the camaraderie of your fellow actors and crew. It’s essential to make friends with them and socialise. It keeps you sane.

That’s not all of the downsides of being a successful actor, here is another one that actor, Ian Bartholomew, who has been playing an abusive husband in Coronation Street has been affected by.

Psychological association.

He has spent so long in the mind of the character that it began to affect his real life and he asked the producers if they could bring in a psychologist to help, which they did.

Personally, I think learning method acting is the way to deal with this. He did the right thing if he was feeling overwhelmed, which he was, but it needn’t get to that stage if you are method trained. You become familiar with the state of being them (the character) for long periods and being able to come out of them at will. It’s part of the daily practice of method actors. The constant practice of going into an imagined character and circumstance and out again.

So there we have it, being a successful actor isn’t all a bed of roses but then again neither is anything else usually. There is always some sort of downside to anything you do but the upside…well, it’s quite an upside. The thrill of acting and performing is an irreplaceable feeling.

Something to think about!

Brian Timoney

The Master Of The Method

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– Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron at the premiere of the film The Devil’s Advocate –

In the film The Devil’s Advocate, Al Pacino plays a wealthy hotshot New York lawyer called John Milton.

John is actually Satan, the Devil who has come in the form of man to cause havoc.

The story centres on a young lawyer, Kevin Lomax (played by Keanu Reeves) who wants to get to the top of his profession.

John, the Devil, has his eye on him because unbeknown to Kevin he is his son.

So he tempts him away from his small town where he is a successful small-time lawyer earning a decent income with a loving wife.

He wants to bring Kevin over to the dark side and starts to trap him into betraying all his beliefs and principles. He offers him huge amounts of money to work for him, gives him a massive New York apartment, gets women to seduce him and tempts him with power, fame and all sorts.

In the end, Kevin sees through all this an manages to overcome him…or so it seems.

At the end of the film, we see Kevin magically rewound to his life in the small town where he is in court defending someone guilty, and he knows it. This time instead of getting the guy off, he does the right thing and says he can’t represent him despite the chance of him being disbarred.

All is well with the world again.

The Kevin goes to the loo at the courthouse, and there is a journalist in there too. He says how he admires him for doing what he did and would he agree to an interview that would reveal to the world how principled and brave he was.

Kevin agrees and leaves.

Then the journalist magically turns into John Milton, the Devil, and says to the camera:

“Vanity, definitely my favourite sin.”

So the moral of the story is that vanity is ultimately very destructive, and people fall for it over and over again.

Now, this is very applicable to the acting process.

Some actors are admittedly vain and will fess up to it and even wear it as a badge of honour.

Others fall into the trap unwittingly.

They become self-aware and control their expressions and delivery so they can come across in a good light, or so they think.

Some need constant propping up, asking people if they thought they were in a scene.

Others try and control their fellow actors by getting them to do deliver their lines and actions in a certain way, so they can try to control the outcome.

All of this is pure vanity and very destructive to achieving high acting art.

Eugene Vakhtangov, a director, actor and teacher at the Moscow Arts Theatre in the early 1900s, used to carry little cards around with him and when he saw any such behaviour would give the student in question a card which read:

“The muses do not tolerate vanity.”

Which was a very clever observation that focused on the self-interest of the actor. What he was saying is that the more you allow vanity to be present, the less inspired you will become. The word ‘muses’ in the quote really means inspiration.

Inspiration does not tolerate vanity.

Of course, if a student received one of these cards, they fell into line. If they didn’t and repeated this behaviour, they were asked to leave for good. This ensured the right environment for the actors to allow creativity to flow.

Great work will never occur in an atmosphere of vanity or conflict.

Something to think about!

Brian Timoney

The Master Of The Method

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Now you may have recently seen that the singer Adele has created a new image for herself predominately by losing 7st in weight.

Rumour has it (see what I did there?) that the real reason for this dramatic weight loss is that she has her sights set on becoming an actor in Hollyweird.

Nothing wrong with that, plenty have gone before her, but I have two words of caution for her – Jennifer Lopez.

Jennifer, back in the day, was the biggest name in the music industry and then decided to become an actor in Hollywood films. The result was acting so bad that it would make your toes curl.

There was one particular beauty which was the film U-Turn, where she starred opposite one of the best method actors in the world, Sean Penn. Now, I’m not sure where her agent and/or manager were when she accepted this because they should have sat her down and said, “Are you absolutely sure you want your acting to be seen side by side with Sean’s?”

Still to this day (I saw the film in 1997) I have PSTD type symptoms around that film. I get flashbacks now and again of acting that is likely to haunt me to the grave.

Now, you may think I’m hard on her, but at the end of the day, there is no reason why the acting has to be that bad. If you are about to work with one of the worlds best actors, and you have barely acted a day in your life, then you should engage in substantial acting training with excellent teachers. She may have taken lessons, I don’t know, but whatever she did, it wasn’t enough by a long-shot.

My fear is that Adele may fall into the same trap.

She has an immense talent as a singer and who knows maybe she has a talent for acting too, but the danger is that she approaches acting the same way she has her singing career. That’s what Jennifer did. She thought I’m a legend at that, so acting should be a walk in the park.

Writing and signing your own songs is very different from becoming another person, i.e. a character, and living their life and seeing the world through their eyes and being able to express that. I’m not saying one is harder than the other I’m saying they are different. Different skills and abilities are required and in my experience no-one is a born actor. You have to work hard to get brilliant at it.

Al Pacino studied method acting for decades. I’m not joking. He embraced the method acting credo that the learning never stops. He was coached by Lee Strasberg and later mentored by Charles Laughton even while he was recognised as one of the best actors in the world.

Now, there is one singer that Adele should be looking at very closely because there does exist an excellent example of being able to make the transition she is looking to make – Lady Gaga.

No one could quite believe how brilliant her performance was in A Star is Born opposite Bradley Cooper (who btw, is a method actor who studied for years, probably still does).

What many don’t know is that Lady Gaga studied method acting for five years before she became a singer. Hence the level of her performance.

There is no short cut if you look at the best actors in the world they all studied and dedicated themselves to the art and craft of acting.

Something to think about!

Brian Timoney

The Master Of The Method

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