“Method acting is what all actors have always done whenever they acted well.”
Lee Strasberg
To train in method acting is to really get to the foundations of acting. As the founding father of the modern method, Lee Strasberg, put so beautifully, “method acting is at the heart of every convincing performance.”
Method acting cuts straight to the heart of character.
Putting All Your Eggs In One Basket?
While many acting schools will teach the method as one element of a comprehensive acting portfolio, we concentrate exclusively on teaching the method.
Why?
The method approach asks performers to draw on their own experiences and emotions for an interior understanding of the part. Rather than becoming inspired on cue, or summoning an emotion, the method teaches you to channel your own experiences to add more authenticity to the character.
Critics, however, have written that training exclusively in the method is a hindrance, and is equivalent to putting all your eggs in one basket.
However, when 80% of all Best Actor Academy Awards have been awarded to method actors, and the only person to win three Best Actor Oscars is devoted method actor Daniel Day Lewis, we think it’s a pretty good basket to be in.
“When the imagination frees itself, you have no goddamn idea what’s going to happen. So it’s not a constrictive or restrictive way of working – quite the opposite.”
Daniel Day-Lewis
Proven Record
“The difference between a movie star and a movie actor is this – a movie star will say ‘How can I change the script to suit me?’ and a movie actor will say ‘How can I change me to suit the script?’”
The method is used to some degree by most successful actors. It allows them to achieve the intensity and emotion required in emotional scenes. While the method has been ridiculed for extreme examples of actors living in the woods or walking on broken glass, it is at the heart of most great performances.
We are not implying that only actors who studied the method are good actors, but rather that method acting should be recognised as a solid foundation of training. It will serve you well in any role, and in understanding any character that you may play in the future.
It does not shackle or hinder actors in the way some critics have argued. It is as good a foundation for a career in acting as any classical training.
In fact, actors who have come to us off the back of classical drama school have found that the method unlocked new, untapped areas of their performance.
Our method acting classes are comprehensive and affordable, held predominantly on weekends to allow you to work around your studies. As well as teaching method techniques, we also cover more practical elements of the industry such as auditions, marketing and promotion.
We offer training in the method that is relevant to the modern industry and is a solid foundation for any accomplished performance. If you are interested in our method acting courses, but aren’t sure if they’re right for you, why not take a look at some of our testimonials from past students?
Want to know more about our method acting classes?
When someone watches you, you change.
Research conducted in the personal training industry has discovered that when someone is simply watched while they work out, they greatly increase their efforts.
This is bad news for actors.
How to Avoid ‘Overacting’
I say ‘bad news’ because an unjustified increase in effort leads an actor to FORCE their performance.
This is also called overacting. It doesn’t have to be real ham acting to be considered ‘overacting’. It can simply mean giving too much energy to the task in hand.
In The Method, we have a special exercise to combat this.
It’s called ‘A Private Moment’. In this exercise the actor carries out an activity he/she normally does in private but would stop doing if someone walked into the room.
This activity can vary depending on your personality and interests. It could be writing a letter, dancing to music, reading a book or even…playing an instrument.
The idea is that the actor does something they do in private in exactly the same way – but this time they will be watched.
Recently, my one-year Ultimate Acting Students were doing this exercise and one of my student’s (Victoria) private moment was playing the piano.
Now, you may think, ‘No big deal.’
Well, as you have to bring in the objects that you use in the private moment, this was a big deal.
She actually brought a piano into the studio.
Victoria carrying out her piano private moment.
Now, that is dedication for you!
I’m not entirely surprised as I handpick and audition heavily to find the right students for my method acting course and they are all dedicated and committed individuals.
The reason we use this exercise is to develop stage presence. Stage presence is not something that you are born with; it’s something you develop. Sure, some actors have a natural inclination towards it, but most have to work on it. Many actors are not even aware that you can develop stage presence through such exercises.
Part of developing stage presence is allowing the actor to let go of the outcome; they need to stop worrying what the audience may be thinking about them during their performance. If the actor starts to concentrate on how their performance is coming across, he/she will start to overdo it. If they push and force they will deliver a distorted performance. This happens a lot in professional sport. Athletes are trained to relax, to reduce anxiety in order to achieve peak performance.
Another aspect of achieving stage presence is relaxation. When an actor is tense, he/she can’t think or feel properly and will often overcompensate by forcing the performance.
In order to avoid this, you need to carry out basic relaxation, which allows you to mentally and physically relax in order to carry out the tasks in hand.
Here is a short impromptu video we shot at the studio after completing a Private Moment session.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can’t develop stage presence. Work hard at these exercises and you will improve.
If you’d like to know more about method acting or my acting courses, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Last night my wife Natalie and I decided to watch a movie. It was called ‘Killing Them Softly’. It’s a very good film but what was outstanding was James Gandolfini’s performance. It’s a masterclass in great screen acting.
The next day I hear the sad news that he has passed away.
He was an amazing method character actor, who could convey so much through those big sad eyes of his.
Of course, he will be most remembered for his role in the Soprano’s.
When he was interviewed about being cast in that role, he said he was shocked when he got the job. He thought they would go for a handsome leading man type.
Thank god they didn’t. He changed the face of American TV with that role.
RIP James Gandolfini.
This post raises a very important point within acting that you need to know, so I would recommend reading it the whole way through.
At the weekend I went to see the critically acclaimed film ‘Black Swan’.
It was a very interesting film and I recommend you see it. Not only is it a great film but it also highlights a particular acting challenge all actors face.
If you haven’t seen it yet, let me fill you in. It centers on a ballet dancer (Natalie Portman) who has worked very hard at her craft but has failed to land a leading role. Why? Well, she is technically brilliant but lacks artistic flare.
An opportunity arises when the Artistic Director (Vincent Cassel) decides to stage ‘Swan Lake’ and needs someone who can play the white and black swan. As you would imagine the white swan character is angelic and fragile while the black swan is, well, a bit naughty. A bit of a simplification but you get the picture.
Portman’s character is great at the white swan. Her character type fits the white swan. But when she dances the part of the black swan she just can’t crack it. It’s too controlled and analytical. Her character hasn’t fully lived yet and is a goody two shoes who struggles to relate to the darkness of the black swan. (It’s worth noting how her real life affected her dancing life, which is very often the case with actors too.)
There is however another dancer in the troop of ballet dancers (Mila Kunis) who is very good at doing the black swan. She comes across as a mischievous and sensual person who can identify with the black swan.
But here is the Directors problem he needs someone who can play both. In ‘Swan Lake’ one dancer plays both roles.
He opts for Portman and tries to educate her on how to play the black swan.
I won’t ruin the film for you so I will stop there, but this raises a crucial acting issue.
Sometimes actors are not aware of how they come across and how much they need to change in order to play a role.
The casting of the film itself highlights this. Portman plays the ‘nice’ girl beautifully and manages to pull off the bad girl routine as well, but not quite as well as Kunis who was cast as the bad girl of the film. You can see that she is very comfortable with that kind of role.
In order to play a range of roles you need to transform because if you don’t someone will walk into the casting room who is exactly like the character.
Here is my pivotal question.
Can you do that now?
Do you have the skill and technique to pull off a performance at the highest level and completely transform?
If you can’t then there is someone out there who can, I can assure you.
If you want to develop this sort of skill and achieve this sort of level of performance then you need to start training.
Natalie Portman employed some hallmark method acting techniques. She also trained in ballet dancing for 10 months before the acting process began showing true commitment to the role.
I predict an Oscar for her performance. Bravo!
Well the results of the 2011 Academy Awards are in and I guess there were no great surprises.
Colin Firth won Best Actor. Although Colin puts in a great performance I would argue that method actor Javier Bardem’s performance in ‘Biutiful’ was far superior. His performance was in another league. He brought great emotional depth and range to the role. The film is very gritty and in Spanish which is probably not as appealing to UK and US audiences as the ‘The King’s Speech’ which is all about the British royalty.
Personally, although ‘The King’s Speech’ is an enjoyable film, I’m a little tired of seeing British films about the monarchy and the old British stiff upper lip. Give me a gritty, real and emotional moving film any day.
Talking of which the film ‘The Fighter’ did well at the Awards. Method actors Christian Bale and Melissa Leo won Best Supporting Actors and Actress Awards and well deserved too.
Also Natalie Portman won Best Actress for her role in ‘Black Swan’. The 10 months of ballet dance training before shooting the film paid off!
I read an article about Denzel Washington’s Method approach to acting on his new movie with Ryan Reynolds and thought you would like to read it.
I keep telling people all the best actors use The Method – and here is the proof.
Ryan is being given a masterclass by Denzel on The Method, whilst actually filming. In my experience, you don’t want to leave it that late before learning it!
Here is the article: http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_ryan-reynolds-finds-denzel-washington-s-method-acting-endearing_1617306
Method actress Meryl Streep has just won a Best Actress Award from the New York Film Critics Circle. I think this is a sign of what is to come with the Oscars.
In case you haven’t heard, Meryl has been filming a film about the life of Margaret Thatcher. It is due to be released soon.
The thing about Meryl is that she is a complete chameleon, and when she develops a character she goes the whole nine yards. Apparently, when they were filming, the other actors said it was really like Margaret Thatcher was in the room.
This is what I love about Method actors. They only settle for outstanding. They go the extra mile and they use every tool in their Method toolbox. Well, I guess you need to if you are being paid £15m a movie!
I suggest you watch her performance and dissect it. Look at her emotional range and truthfulness; look at her physicality; listen to her voice. I tell you, she has the whole package going on – which you can learn a lot from.
Best wishes
Brian
It’s no secret that Robert De Niro and Sigourney Weaver are both acting heavyweights. They have proved themselves over and over and are now entering the mature end of their careers.
They both appear in a new film called Red Lights. The film is okay, but their performances were excellent.
It struck me that Sigourney must be going head to head with Meryl Streep a lot of the time for roles. It’s easy to imagine Sigourney being the hard-nosed diva in The Devil Wears Prada or Meryl playing the lead in Red Lights. This happens to actors at all levels. When you are going for auditions as a professional actor, you often see the same old faces in the audition room. Ultimately, you represent a type and when it comes audition time for that type, you see your competition in the waiting room.
If you manage to see the film, watch out for De Niro’s scene in the room alone with Cillian Murphy. It’s virtuoso Method Acting. It’s understated but filled with subtext. De Niro plays a man who pretends to be blind but wields a lot of power. He manages to make us feel that power without the use of his eyes. To do this, he uses his whole body and excellent vocal intonation to express the character.
It’s that time of year again.
It won’t be long before we are watching a top actor blubbing about how they would never have made it without Mum, Dad and Mimi the family cat!
But I have to say, I love the Oscars.
Tears and tantrums to boot!
So, who are the movers and shakers this year?
What I can tell you is that 4 out of the 5 Best Actor nominations are method actors. Coincidence? I think not.
It looks like the statistic of 80% of Best Actor Oscar Winners won by method actors from the year 2000 is set to continue.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Rewind.
Over the coming weeks I will be sending you my views and predictions. Do with them what you will.
So, lets start with an outsider for Best Actor.
Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook.
Firstly, great film. A quirky, brilliantly acted, little gem.
Bradley is a one of the new wave of method actors. It was great to see him acting along side De Niro who put in a great performance himself. In fact he looks set to pick up Best Supporting Actor.
Watching these two method boys slug it out is great fun. Bradley recently told how in one scene the emotion was so strong they couldn’t use the take.
Why?
Well, in this particular scene De Niro has a right go at Bradley who is his son. Bradley was so shaken by the ferocity of De Niro’s rage that he started to cry and wail. The wailing was so loud that they couldn’t use the take.
This is testament not just to De Niro, who without doubt has enough rage to shake the bones of the hardest of men, but also to Bradley who has a very sensitive instrument and is willing to let himself be vulnerable and then to express it.
Long story short, they used a different take which was equally as powerful.
My prediction is that this year is not Bradley’s year. Why? Well, he is up against some very stiff competition… more on that soon.
My long-term prediction is that he will most certainly win an Oscar in his career. He is one of the most promising actors to come on the scene for a long time. He has a marvellous capacity to be vulnerable and to be real.
His time will come, but not this year.
More crystal ball Oscar predictions coming soon.
This email was going to be about another one of the Best Actor nominees but something happened the other day that takes precedence over that for the time being.
De Niro broke down in tears during an interview the other day.
You can watch it here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2273674/Robert-De-Niro-breaks-tears-discusses-plight-bi-polar-illness-portrayed-Silver-Linings-Playbook.html#axzz2K2AeNHRt
We are used to seeing him playing the hard man, so thinking about him breaking down in tears may shock you.
It didn’t shock me at all.
What many don’t realise is that when you train to become a Method actor, you become more sensitive to the touch. In some cases hypersensitive.
This is a good thing. In fact, it is what you should be striving towards as an actor.
De Niro was talking about his Silver Linings Playbook character’s struggle to deal with his bipolar condition. This touched him so much he cried.
You see, your vulnerability is a strength. So many people think it is a weakness – but that vulnerability connects you to people in a deep way.
The funny thing about this interview is that he was with co-star Bradley Cooper who, as you may recall from my last email, wailed during a scene and they consequently couldn’t use it.
These men have worked hard at making themselves sensitive. This makes them sensitive not just in their acting but in their own lives. In fact, maybe a better word than ‘sensitive’ is ‘connected’: connected to their feelings and emotions.
This is one of the most powerful abilities you can develop as an actor.