As an actor, being able to create authentic acting and a believable portrayal of any character you play is one of the most important skills you must master. And shrugging off your own personality and history to embody the life, thoughts and feelings of a character may seem like the most effective way to achieve a realistic performance. However, as Stanislavski said: “the person you are is a hundred times more interesting than the best actor you could ever become”. In other words, the best way to create a believable character is to bring your own life into the process. And in using your own history to bring your character to life, you will allow yourself to give your most believable performance to date.

 

Getting to know the real YOU

Being able to be your authentic self is a crucial and useful part of becoming a great actor, but it is by no means easy to achieve. Being the ‘real you’ means opening up completely, making you vulnerable. And in our society, being open and therefore vulnerable to others is viewed as a negative, weak attribute. But in the world of performance, it is a brave and necessary step to take if you are serious about your craft.

The truth is, everyone is different, and has had a unique set of experiences. The emotions that are stirred up organically in life are little less than weapons to the talented actor that knows how to use them. Your personal experiences and the emotions and feelings that come along with them are some of the most valuable attributes you have as an actor. Tapping into them by being open and regressive isn’t weak or strange, it’s the only sensible thing to do!

 

Authentic acting: how to get there

So it’s all very well understanding that one of the best ways to improve your performance is to bring yourself into the character, but how do you actually achieve that and deliver truly authentic acting? Being able to be as honest and authentic with yourself is key. Bringing your own life into a character designed to be performed- and watched, can be a frightening thing, but the authenticity of your performance will shine through.

However getting in touch with your authentic self needn’t be a strained and difficult process, requiring a therapist and countless hours on the couch. Instead you can use some key techniques to get in touch with the aspects of yourself that will be useful to you in performance. So although keeping your mind open and taking time to think about your own behaviour and emotions will be useful, some method acting techniques will allow you a much more ‘targeted’ recall.

 

Affective Memory

Your best friend in this endeavour will be one of the most beloved techniques of The Method – affective memory.

Affective memory is a term to describe the process of using your own memories to bring a little humanity and a lot of truth to a performance. But it is important to remember that delving into your personal history may dig up emotions and repressed memories that may be distressing to re-experience. While it can be extremely effective, it is not an exercise to engage in lightly and is always best done in a secure environment, such as one that can be found in a method acting class.

 

How it is done:

First, explore all aspects of the character you are working on. What have they been through? How would that affect them? Have there been any similar experiences in their life to your own?

Once you have an idea of a few experiences that may be worth exploring, find a comfortable place where you can relax and not be disturbed. Think about the experience or event- don’t try to relive it step by step. Instead focus on remembering as many details as possible: the location, how long ago it was, what you were wearing, etc.

Then you should focus on the sensory elements: what could you smell? How did the place look? Were you eating anything? What did it taste like? How was the weather? Did you feel warm or cold? Exploring all the sense memories you have is key to this technique.

Focusing on these details, in particular the sensory elements, should naturally trigger the emotions you felt at the time. Not only will you be able to bring that full experience to a character portrayal, but you should be able to fully recreate those authentic emotions at will.

 

Authenticity is an art-form

Most people conceal their thoughts, feelings and emotions without even intending to, and unconsciously bury painful or distressing memories. It is unlikely that anyone in your life (including yourself) is being their true, authentic self, which makes exposing it and using it to your advantage a true art-form.

Delving deeper into yourself than you ever thought possible is something that serves to define The Method, and it is a large part of what has made it one of the most famous (and talked about) acting techniques in the world. With over 80% of ‘Best Actor’ Academy Awards going to Method Actors since the year 2000, there’s no denying it works, and has arguably helped to create a higher standard in the world of performance.

Unlocking your authentic self is something that takes time, and it is also best done in a professional Method Acting class. From perfecting your Affective Memory recall, to other performance techniques, it is your best bet to becoming the authentic actor you were always meant to become.

If this is something you want to explore further as part of your quest to becoming a professional actor, my Ultimate Acting Programme will help you learn these techniques and how to put them into practice.

 

If you want to make it as professional actor you’re going to have to audition. A lot. Most actors will have to go to dozens of auditions for every one that they win, so the more auditions you can get, the better your chances of finding success. Finding auditions is crucial.

If you have an agent, they should be finding auditions for you. However, there is no harm in finding others for yourself as long as they are appropriate and you discuss them with your agent to make sure you are not stepping on their toes.

If you don’t have an agent, you will need to really get out there and hustle if you want to start getting in front of casting directors and other industry gatekeepers. Showing you are already getting auditions and winning roles is also a great way to impress an agent, so as well as hopefully getting you some paid work, it could also help boost your chances of finding representation.

Master the art of finding auditions and you can kickstart your professional acting career without having to wait around hoping someone will just “discover” you (which virtually never happens).

 

Get focused

There are a lot of opportunities out there for actors if you know where to look (more on that later). To use your time and energy most efficiently, you need to focus on exactly what kind of work you are looking for. Acting in commercials offers a potentially lucrative line of work that can be easier to get into than other types of acting work. Make the right connections and you could soon have a solid base of regular work to pay the bills while you pursue other, more creative, projects.

Alternately, you might absolutely love theatre or only want to do screen work. Wherever you want to end up, the sooner you make that decision the better you can plan your strategy. Know where you want to be in five years’ time and work out which roles you need to be getting now to set you on the right path. The more specific your goals, the less time you’ll waste on pursuing auditions that aren’t right for your career.

You also need to be realistic about yourself. What sort of roles do your acting skills, age and look best suit you for? This doesn’t mean you need to run yourself down or tell yourself you’re destined to spend the rest of your life playing “Man” in “Background 3”. However, you do need to know your type and make sure you apply for auditions appropriately. Sometimes you may be able to play “against type” but generally you will have much more success if you stick to auditioning for parts that match your existing look.

 

Do your research

So where do you go looking for auditions? Casting websites are an obvious place to start and there are plenty which are worth checking out. Different sites carry different types of work and have specific joining criteria, so you will have to be selective about which to sign-up with. Look at which companies use the sites and try to get a sense of what sorts of actors are using them to see where you fit. Most casting sites do require you to pay a fee, so the more selective you can be the less money you will have to find each month to support your search.

There are a number of trade publications and websites that list acting jobs, including The Stage and Media Volt. Spend some time searching online and in magazine shops for publications offering the kinds of work you are interested in. Make sure to bookmark any particularly useful sites and consider getting a subscription to relevant magazines so the information you need will always be at your fingertips.

It’s also worth staying active on social media, following local theatre companies, casting directors and actors’ groups as these can often give you a heads up about any potential opportunities. Social media is also a great way to keep in touch with any contacts you make and remind them that you still exist and are looking for work.

 

Put yourself out there

One of the best ways to find your own auditions is to get out there and meet people who can help you. Go to plays, actors groups, industry events, clubs and bars where industry people hang out and start networking. Let people know who you are and what your career goals are, but don’t start demanding favours the second you meet people or you’ll quickly annoy them or scare them off.

Ask more successful actors where they find auditions and ask casting directors, directors and producers where they go looking for talent. The more people you get to know, the better your chances of one of them remembering you next time they see a relevant opportunity.

 

Earn referrals

Most small businesses rely heavily on referrals from current and previous clients to get more work. Acting is no different. It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that casting directors, directors, producers and other actors all love to talk shop with each other. That means if you make a good impression, whether in an audition or on a job, word is likely to get around. Of course, the same is true if you make a bad impression, so don’t do that.

Make sure you always work hard, stay professional and give it your all in every audition and each day on stage or on set and people will take notice. You also shouldn’t be afraid to mention your career aspirations or people you would like to work with while on a job as you never know who might be able to put a good word in for you. The flipside of this is to be careful who you badmouth as it does have a way of getting back to people!

This point is especially worth bearing in mind when going to auditions. Even though most actors don’t get the majority of auditions they go for, if you do a good job it could well lead to another audition for a different part you’re better suited for. Stay polite and professional and even a failed audition can turn into a great opportunity.

 

Learn how to succeed as a professional actor

To make it as a professional actor you need to have more than just acting ability, you need to understand the business side of acting. Whether it’s finding acting auditions, knowing how to get the right agent or understanding how to make a good impression, getting to grips with the business side of the industry is vital for developing a successful acting career.

The Brian Timoney Actors’ Studio One-Year Ultimate Acting Programme offers an industry-leading combination of top method acting tuition and industry insight. We aim for each of our students to graduate with the skills needed to go out and begin getting paid acting work right away. Our many alumni success stories over the years are the best proof of the effectiveness of our holistic approach to acting tuition.

To find out more, please take a look around the rest of the website and, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

 

There’s no getting away from it: the majority of people who want to be professional actors never will be. Why? Not because of lack of talent, but rather because they don’t have the right attitude.

You see, there are plenty of people out there with the raw talent to become successful actors (with the right teachers and plenty of hard work). But far too many of them think talent is all it takes.

The truth is, to succeed as a professional actor, you need to view it as a career. That means you need to develop the mindset of a working actor, just as much as your other skills. But what exactly does it take to think like a professional working actor?

 

Be easy to work with

The writer Neil Gaiman once gave some really useful advice on the key to being a successful freelancer (which is ultimately what most actors are):

 

“The work is good, they’re easy to get along with, and they deliver the work on time.”

 

These three pillars of freelancing apply perfectly to acting. If you can do good work, are pleasant to the people around you and are reliable, people will want to work with you again and again. This is the key to building a career: not just getting opportunities, but convincing people who give them to you to do so again in future.

 

Always, always, always listen

If you want to work successfully with directors and other actors, you have to get into the habit of listening. As important as it is to have your own ideas about your character, acting is an act of collaboration: you have to be able to take on board other people’s ideas.

This doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything your director and co-stars say, but you do have to take in their opinions and give them consideration. Remember, the director is the ultimate authority, so although it’s usually okay to suggest alternatives, never forget that their decision is final. Nothing will get you blacklisted from working with a director again faster than a failure to listen to their instructions.

 

Accept that you have to work at it

Too many people think making it as an actor is all about getting that “one big break” and then you’re set for life. This pretty much never happens. Instead, building an acting career is about landing a series of small breaks, working really hard to impress the people who give you a chance, then some of these will lead to slightly bigger breaks and so on.

It takes most people years of hard work and incremental steps up the acting ladder to get to the point where acting can be a secure source of income. If you’re not prepared to keep believing in yourself and working at your craft and chasing down opportunities year after year, then this really isn’t the industry for you.

 

Get comfortable with rejection

There’s no getting away from it, as an actor you are going to get rejected – a lot. Most actors spend far more time auditioning for roles than they do actually acting, it’s just the nature of the business. No matter how good you are, or how perfect you think a part is for you, you can’t control what is in the casting director’s head.

Learning how to deal with rejection as an actor means you won’t be crushed every time you fail to get a role and you won’t have some kind of embarrassing meltdown which will put agents and casting directors off working with you in future. You have to develop a thick skin and understand that it’s not personal.

Take rejection well and there’s every chance the same person saying no now will remember you for the future when they have a role they think you’ll be perfect for.

 

Keep a grip on your ego

For actors, it is absolutely vital to achieve the right balance of confidence and humility. Without a healthy dose of confidence, you’re never going to be able to put yourself forwards for auditions or get up and perform. However, it’s equally important not to get carried away with yourself and develop a huge ego.

Nothing puts other people off from working with an actor faster than the realisation that they’re dealing with a diva. The key is to remember that you’re not indispensable. No matter how good you are, if you make life miserable for people around you, they will find someone else to replace you or, at the very least, be extremely unlikely to work with you again in future.

Always be polite and respectful and remember that, even if you’re the star, you’re still just one cog in the machine and everyone else involved in the production deserves your respect.

 

Never stop learning

Perhaps the most important lesson you need to absorb is that you will never know everything about acting. If you want to build a sustainable career, you always need to remain open to learning new things. Now, that may mean continuing to take acting classes to learn new skills or polish your existing ones, but as often as not, you’ll be learning from the people you work with.

Every single audition you attend and job you work is an opportunity to learn something new. Approach your career with that attitude and you will become a better actor and better professional all the time. Listen to the advice people give you, take on board feedback and never underestimate the power of simply watching how other people work. The best way to learn to succeed is to emulate those who already have, so whenever you are around other actors, make sure to watch how they behave and see what you can learn from them.

The more open you are to learning new things, the quicker you will develop as an actor and the faster you will learn how to fit in in this industry. Keep that in mind and you will be well on your way to long-term success as a professional actor.

 

Learn how to make it as a working actor

If you want to succeed as a working actor you need to put just as much effort into learning the right attitude and business skills as you do into learning how to act to a professional standard.

The Brian Timoney Actors’ Studio’s 1-Year Ultimate Acting Programme offers more than just world-class method acting tuition, we also have a heavy focus on the business of acting. What this means is we teach you how to get yourself out there and find regular paid acting work so you can build a real career as an actor. You will also learn exactly what directors, agents, casting directors and other industry insiders expect from a professional actor, so you can make the right impression from day one.

Ready to turn your acting dreams into a reality? Apply today for the Ultimate Acting Programme and you’ll never look back. To find out more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

 

You might not recognise Viola Spolin’s name, but you’ll definitely recognise her techniques: Spolin invented theatrical improvisation.

To improvise is to perform spontaneously, or to create with what surrounds you in the moment; essentially, it’s the art of being unprepared.

Born in Chicago in 1906, Viola Spolin is internationally recognised for her “games” techniques, which still bring spontaneity and fun to the actor’s classroom along with valuable stage skills.

She initially trained as a settlement worker, which exposed her to teaching methods that related to group leadership and social work; she quickly saw how useful these games could be in a dramatic environment.

“Theatre games” were easy to learn, cross-cultural, and highly effective for training groups of actors. Much work has been done since on the value of learning through play, but Spolin didn’t have this to draw on; she just knew improvisation had to be done this way.

 

The games emerged out of necessity… When I had a problem [directing], I made up a game. When another problem came up, I just made up a new game. – Spolin, 1974.

 

In 1946 Spolin founded the Young Actors Company, a school for children aged six and older. This was her testing ground for theatre games, and when she quit teaching children to move back to Chicago she took these lessons with her. The Playwrights Theatre Club, Compass, and Second City Company would all learn from her and keep her lessons for future generations.

 

Why Teach Through Games?

The reason theatre games are so effective is that they don’t require prior reading or contextual knowledge. Any student can pick them up, even with language or cultural barriers. The games have a liberating effect, allowing for spontaneous performance within a group; there is no shame and no focus on the individual.

Because the games work the same way for everyone, they can work as a way to relieve tension in actors; in fact, many classes use improvisation exercises as a warm-up to class, in the same way many method actors use relaxation.

Playing the games increases these skills while also increasing the sensitivity of actors to their own creativity and others. If you form a bond with your scene partners through exercises like Spolins, you need never worry about forgetting your lines on stage again; you will be able to read each other and continue spontaneously, as though there’s no problem at all.

Improvisation is still one of the most popular forms of theatre, and it isn’t just actors who take lessons: politicians, comedians, or just shy folk all turn to improvisation as a way to improve their presence and coherence in public.

We’re not here to talk about improv classes for your stutter, though – how do Spolin’s techniques help you – a method actor?

 

Improvising On Stage

For all actors, but more particularly method actors, preparation is the biggest part of delivering an authentic acting performance. We spend weeks learning lines, probing our emotional memories, and picking up character habits.

Spolin’s techniques help method actors with spontaneity and creativity on stage without disrupting months of rehearsal. Her techniques take the form of games, which stimulate actors to unlock creativity and attain a high degree of “presence” in the moment. Spolin calls the moment you become present a point of concentration.

In terms of acting ability, lessons using Spolin’s techniques can help you to develop the following skills:

• Physicalisation
• Spontaneity
• Intuition
• Audience awareness
• Transformation

 

Techniques

Group Counting

Sitting in a circle, actors count aloud, one by one, as high as possible. Instead of going around the circle, however, the actors simply count out loud when they feel the need. If two people speak at once, it’s game over.

This helps actors working in a group to tune into each others’ physical signals, and teaches subtle communication; these are very valuable understandings to have with a scene partner.

 

Tug of War

Played, of course, without a real rope. The actors should imagine the rope in their minds, and truly fight for possession of it as a team. This form of improvisation teaches actors to build on each other, and work as a team to create an authentic world.

 

Gibberish

This exercise is a demonstration, which is common for one of Spolin’s exercises. An actor tries to communicate with their audience while speaking in complete gibberish. This encourages actors to forge a personal connection with the audience; to try to honestly impart a part of their emotional reality. Many beginning actors have a tendency to look out over the heads of people, as though they’re not there – but they are.

After communicating in gibberish, the actor then repeats the same thing, but using real words. A close relationship with the audience should develop as a result.

 

Who Started the Motion?

An actor leaves the room while the rest pick a leader. The leader will initiate a motion, which everyone in the group must copy; motions such as nodding their head or clicking their fingers. They will change the motion now and then. When the first actor returns to the room, they have to determine who the leader is.

This exercise teaches the group at large the importance of taking cues and practicing uniformity as a group, but also helps the guessing actor to rapidly identify scene leaders.

More than 200 games are detailed in Spolin’s book Improvisation for the Theatre, and acting courses around the world still teach them. Her games originated outside of the theatre, and although improvisation theatre is here to stay the games are open-source; corporate retreats, primary schools, and therapeutic classes all use her theatre games to develop self-awareness and build teams.

Although we focus on Strasberg’s method here at Brian Timoney, our Ultimate Acting Programme covers the techniques of major acting coaches like Viola Spolin, too. If you have an insatiable curiosity for all acting techniques, then ask us if we can help fill you in!

 

When you begin to act on your creativity, what you find inside may be more valuable than what you produce for the external world. – Eileen M. Clegg

 

When we spark creativity, we’re sparking a moment of self-exploration and inner understanding. This is important to understand from the outset: many people mistakenly think that “creativity” and “productivity” are synonyms.

The problem is that creativity isn’t necessarily about producing work. A creative mindset can help you to produce more inspired work, but putting pressure on a moment of self-exploration might actually harm your creative process.

As an actor, you are obviously concerned with the creative process and having art to show for your mental work. This is very possible, but your first forays into creativity should focus on understanding your process instead of enacting it.

Seeing your creativity in terms of output can ruin your sense of self and prevent further creativity. Author C Diane Ealy, Ph.D, writes that she has witnessed women describe fantastic creative experiences and then immediately discount them because there was no immediate material gain:

 

These women dismiss, discount, and rob themselves of their most powerful aspect, the characteristic which defines who they uniquely are as individuals – their creativity. – The Women’s Book of Creativity

So Why “On Demand”?

Sparking creativity on demand seems like it would ruin the moment; but for an actor, it could actually make the moment. This is because during a performance, a good method actor will be tapping into their own inner life and memories to enhance the character. Creating a moment of self-exploration will deepen this connection to the character and enhance an emotional performance.

 

Techniques

Daily Training

 

The creativity we invest in our day-to-day lives is often the most extraordinary since… it can give far more meaning, and even sanctity, to our lives. – Riane Eisler

 

Attempting a creative mindset once a day will make attaining it easier over time. It also gives you the chance to delve into your own psyche regularly, understanding what motivates your creativity and inspiring you for, at least, the rest of the day.

There are habits you can form, which if done daily will improve your creativity at all times and help you to induce the right mindset on demand.

• Exercise: this improves blood flow to the brain, giving it a power boost. It can also induce a meditative state, freeing your mind to explore itself while your body is preoccupied with a physical rhythm.
• Mimicry: find a piece of art, writing, or film that strikes a chord with you, and try to mimic the style. It sounds counter-intuitive, but attempting a creative process that isn’t your own can actually help you understand your own style and inspiration much better.
• Socialise: with other creatives, of course. Bounce ideas around and accustom your mind to on-the-spot group brainstorming. You will learn to create in a team, but also train your brain to respond to ideas with more ideas, instead of just passively receiving them.
• Take notes: any idea you have should be written down immediately. Small witticisms, inventions, or ways to deliver a speech – everything is valuable. This will not only teach you to value your creativity, it will also provide you with starting points for later creative moments.

In the Moment

If you’re in the middle of a rehearsal, you might find yourself needing to find a new angle for the scene, or a new way to approach your delivery. This is when you need to spark your creativity immediately – “on demand”

 

Sense Memory

Because we teach method acting here at Brian Timoney, we make frequent mention of sense memory: this is using your senses to delve into an emotional memory that triggers an emotional performance. You can similarly use your senses to trigger a creative mindset.

When you do organised, daily exercises – such as mimicking someone’s art or exercising – play music, perhaps one particular album. Something without too many lyrics is a good idea. Now, during rehearsal, you can play a song from that album and enter a creative mindset much more quickly.

 

Visualisation

One more trick to enhancing your creative powers in the moment is, very simply, to look up. This is because your mind and your body are very closely connected, and can influence each other’s behaviour. Try looking down at your feet and feeling ecstatically happy – it’s hard, isn’t it?

When you look up, you not only lift your head but also your spirits. You feel happier, and a broad ceiling or sky to look at gives your brain – very literally – room to visualise. You will think of a new psychological gesture or tone of delivery in next to no time.

 

Change Your Perspective

If you’re in the middle of a scene you can’t exactly socialise and bounce ideas. However, you can change your perspective by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.

If you’re struggling to answer the question, “how would my character enter the room?” instead try asking, “how will other characters react when I enter the room?” You can then work backwards to answer your original question.

If the script says people are shocked to see you in the room, you might take from that a bold entrance, or a sinister one. Instead of struggling over the same question for hours, you can spark a creative train of thought by asking questions from different perspectives, just like this.

 

The greatest scientific discoveries were all made by young people, who were able to say ‘Well you know, damn it, two plus two equals five because why not?’ They are at that time in their lives where they want to risk. – Jodie Foster

 

Ms Foster is talking about scientific discovery, but as an actor she relates to this mindset because she knows that creatives must take risks. When you’re sparking creativity on demand, or in the moment, it is always a risk. However, it’s a risk that’s worth taking; understanding yourself, your potential, and how to act with authenticity is a gift.

If you’re passionate, creative, and willing to push yourself to increase your acting creativity then why not apply for our Ultimate Acting Programme?

 

For a professional musician, knowing their instrument is second-nature. They know just how hard to blow into a mouth piece, caress a string or stroke a key in order to get exactly the sound they need.

You might think actors have little in common with musicians when it comes to this, but for an actor, you and your acting ability are you instrument. Learn to play that instrument, to control exactly how you use yourself and your abilities and you can create far more subtle, nuanced and real performances that are ultimately much more powerful. But how do actors learn how to play their instruments?

 

Freeing your instrument

In our everyday lives we all tend to learn from a young age to hide how we are feeling a lot of the time. We are told that being too loud or too happy or too upset is “annoying” or “attention seeking” and we learn to hold in our emotions and downplay them to fit in.

Actors need to unlearn this social conditioning in order to be able to start expressing their emotions more freely. This does not mean that actors need to be hugely overemotional about everything all the time. Rather, they need to stop being afraid to show emotion and learn to consciously control exactly how much emotion is appropriate in any given scene.

One of the key techniques method actors use to overcome this societal pressure is private moment exercise. This revolves around taking an activity you would normally do in private and doing it in public instead. This starts to get you used to the idea of acting in public in the same way you would if nobody was watching, meaning you can start to express yourself more freely without worrying about the judgement of others.

Another important element of freeing your instrument is letting go of the learned behaviours and tensions we all carry with us. The founder of method acting, Lee Strasberg, invented relaxation exercises to help his students let go of their normal ways of holding themselves and their personal emotional states to create a blank slate on which to start building a performance.

 

“The idea is to get the physical body, the emotional body and the mental body into neutral. Then you should be able to hear through the voice what’s actually happening inside.” Jack Nicholson

 

Training your instrument

Once you have your instrument in neutral and have let go of your need to behave in a “socially acceptable” way, you can begin to focus on actually training your instrument. Effectively you need to recondition yourself, honing and tuning your acting abilities to give you the best possibly range of acting “notes” that you can hit during a performance.

Method acting involves a number of different techniques which can help to shape your instrument. A lot of method acting revolves around using your memory to stimulate your emotions by recalling moments of strong emotion from your past. As such it makes sense to focus on improving your memory so you can remember key memories more accurately and vividly.

You also need to practice the core method acting techniques such as affective memory and sense memory so that using them becomes second nature to you when the time comes to perform. These allow you to produce real emotions on cue, an absolutely fundamental part of being a top-level actor.

You should also not overlook training your analytical skills as being able to analyse and interpret scripts is an absolutely key part of your acting skill set. Think of this as being like a musician knowing how to read music. You have to know how to read a script as an actor in order to know how to play your instrument.

 

Playing your instrument

Of course, ultimately all the preparation and fine tuning of your instrument is for nothing unless you can play it effectively. This is where method acting really comes into its own.

Techniques such as affective memory and sense memory don’t just allow you to produce great performances that feel totally real and engaging, they allow you to do this consistently and with minimum fuss. Other method acting techniques such as living moment-to-moment and the objects exercise mean you can keep performing convincingly under any circumstances.

This is the key to playing your instrument at a professional level. It’s not enough to be able to pull out a good performance when you happen to be in the right mood or feeling particularly inspired. You need to know how to inspire yourself every time you are called on to perform and deal with any problems in a professional manner without disruption to your performance.

The high level of training involved in method acting means you can rely on your instrument to work for you every time you need it and thus others can always rely on you to deliver a great performance.

This ability to reliably produce the goods on demand is what separates professionals from talented amateurs and is the real crux of learning your instrument as an actor. Once you have mastered the art of method acting, you can have confidence that you have a process in place that produces exactly the same exceptional results every time.

 

Learn to master your acting instrument in just one year

If you are serious about becoming a professional actor, you need to get the hang of acting as an instrument. At the Brian Timoney Actors’ Studio we provide world-leading method acting tuition to help our students master their instruments and take their acting to the next level.

Our 1-Year Ultimate Acting Programme is a complete guide to the art of method acting, giving you a thorough understanding of the various techniques involved, both in theory and practice. We also take our students through the business side of the industry so they come away with all the knowledge needed to go out and start finding work straightaway.

If you are tired of waiting for your professional acting dream to take off, then stop waiting. Apply for the 1-Year Ultimate Acting Programme today! To find out more or for general enquiries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

 

Method actors use a number of different method acting techniques to create performances with a depth and believability most other actors simply cannot match. Learning these techniques allows actors to find inspiration on cue, meaning they can always deliver the goods when required.

This is why method actors are so often praised, not just for the quality of their acting, but also for their high levels of professionalism. By mastering the core techniques of method acting used by the likes of Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep you can become a truly elite actor.

 

Relaxation

The founder of method acting, Lee Strasberg, believed that “tension” was one of the main issues that could get in the way of an actor’s performance. Strasberg worked out that by getting his students to relax effectively, they were more open physically and mentally.

3 time Oscar-winner Jack Nicholson is a keen student of method acting. According to Nicholson:

 

“The idea is to get the physical body, the emotional body and the mental body into neutral. Then you should be able to hear through the voice what’s actually happening inside.”

 

When in “neutral”, method actors put aside all of their natural expressions and mannerisms, turning themselves into a blank slate. This allows them to build their character from the tiniest movements up to create a complete physicality for their role.

Strasberg created relaxation exercises that actors like Jack Nicholson still use to this day. Nicholson explains:

 

“It’s a way of locating the tensions, the tiny tensions, the problems with your instrument that get in the way of getting into a role.”

 

Learning to properly relax, identify any issues with your instrument and give yourself a neutral canvas on which to work is the absolute foundation of method acting.

 

Affective Memory

The job of an actor is sometimes described as the ability to “feel on cue”. This means being able to walk into an audition, onto a stage or in front of a camera and produce believable emotion at the drop of a clapperboard.

Affective memory means using our own, real life experiences as a source for generating those emotions we need for our acting. This is based around something we have all experienced – when we think of a particularly happy, sad, embarrassing or otherwise emotionally charged moment and feel a surge of that same memory all over again.

Christopher Walken famously used this technique for the Russian roulette scene in The Deer Hunter. Needing to produce a feeling of being betrayed, ostracised and alone, Walken recalled how he had felt upon being sent away to summer camp as a child. The result was a standout performance that helped to secure Walken’s reputation as a young actor to watch, giving a significant boost to his acting credentials and career.

As method actors, we learn to harness and refine this process allowing us to instantly and naturally produce the emotions required for a performance. Learning to control this process gives you a high level of control over your own feelings meaning you really can “feel on cue”.

 

Sense Memory/Emotional Memory

Sense memory is one the most important method acting techniques for using affective memory. The theory of sense memory is based around the realisation that our emotions are often tied to our memories through our five main senses. For example, the smell of a freshly baked cake may remind us of our last birthday and the happiness we felt. Or the sound of a song might remind us of an ex-partner and the sadness we felt when the relationship ended.

Our senses have a way of cutting past our logical brain and connecting directly with our emotions. This is why deliberately evoking a sensory memory connected to a powerful emotional memory can allow us to produce real emotions when needed for a performance.

Learning to use sense memory involves recalling moments of strong emotion in high sensory detail, pulling up a version of the memory so rich and real that the associated emotions are instantly triggered. When done correctly this method is highly effective and completely safe, unlike some myths you may have heard in the press!

 

Private Moment

This is one of the most powerful method acting techniques we teach. One of the signs of a good actor is that they never appear to be performing for an audience. Instead, they give the impression that they are behaving as they naturally would in the situation they are acting out. This is what we call “public solitude” or being “private in public” i.e. an actor is able to be exactly as they would in private while performing for an audience.

The first step to achieving this sense of public privacy for method actors is to carry out a private moment exercise. This involves taking an activity that you would normally do in private and then doing it in public in order to get comfortable with the feeling of sharing private moments with multiple people.

Perhaps one of the more extreme examples of this was when Jack Nicholson once spent the best part off a year being naked almost all of the time when at home, even when people came around. This was to help him get used to the idea of being naked in front of lots of people so it wouldn’t faze him when required to do so in front of a camera.

The goal is to overcome our natural sense of self-consciousness so we can learn not be affected by the knowledge that what we are doing is being observed. This is absolutely crucial and is something many actors take years to master, if they ever do. The private moment exercise speeds up this process significantly allowing you to have the confidence of a professional within months rather than years.

 

Animal Exercise

Creating a unique physical presence for your characters is a key part of bringing them to life. Giving a character a distinctive way of moving, including the way they walk, hold themselves and any particular ticks or habitual actions they have gives real depth to a performance.

One of the key ways method actors come up with a coherent, naturalistic physical performances is to base them on members of the animal kingdom. For the film Taxi Driver, Robert De Niro envisioned his character, Travis Bickle, as a crab. He saw the methodical, side-to-side motion of a crab as fitting the way of Travis’ indirect way of approaching people.

For his Oscar-winning performance in A Streetcar Named Desire, Marlon Brando imagined himself as a gorilla. This helped him create a sense of his character, Stanley Kowalski, as powerful, confident and intensely masculine.

These animal exercises allow method actors to explore the connection between the physical and psychological aspects of a character – how the way we think and feel affects the way we move and vice versa. By understanding this, we can help to create a rich and believable psychology for our characters by finding the appropriate way for them to move.

 

Improvisation

“You talkin’ to me?” Robert De Niro’s line from Taxi Driver is arguably the most famous line in the history of cinema, but did you know it was improvised?

Being able to improvise effectively is really important for actors, especially during auditions and the rehearsal process. One thing people often misunderstand, however, is that improvisation is not all about tearing up the script and coming up with your own lines.

Improvising as a method actor is as much about developing your character and learning to follow your instincts about how they would say their lines as it is about the actual words you are saying.

De Niro is a big believer in following your instincts as an actor. He once explained:

 

“I always tell actors when they go in for an audition: Don’t be afraid to do what your instincts tell you.”

 

One of the key improvisation techniques method actors use is sensory improvisation, which relates back to sense memory. This is where an actor tries out different sensory exercises to stimulate different internal emotions to see which is most effective for the scene. In this way, even though the words the actor is speaking are the same, the way they are said can be very different. This allows other actors and the director to try out different versions of a scene to find which is most impactful.

 

Speaking Out

Even the best method actors will experience moments during rehearsals when what they are doing isn’t quite working. This might be a particular line that they can’t figure out how to deliver, or perhaps not being able to decide on the best action to take during a key moment.

This sort of confusion and tension can ruin a performance, making it very hard for everyone involved to move forward. “Speaking out” is a method acting technique that resolves these issues. An actor who is speaking out will break from the scene they are rehearsing and articulate exactly what problems they are experiencing and then return to the scene.

By vocalising the problem in this way, the actor brings it to the attention of their co-stars and the director and saying the problem out loud can often be enough to help the actor figure out a way around it.

Learning to identify these moments of difficulty and being able to recognise and articulate the reasons behind them allows actors to quickly resolve problems and move forward with rehearsals in a productive way.

 

Learn the core method acting techniques in just one year

If you want to become the best actor you can be, learning method acting techniques is an absolute must. Over 80% of Oscar-winning actors this century have used the Method and you could learn to act just like them in just a single year.

At the Brian Timoney Actors’ Studio, we offer world-leading method acting techniques tuition to actors from all around the globe. Our 1-Year Ultimate Acting Programme is a comprehensive programme of study which gives in-depth training in all aspects of method acting. What’s more, we give a strong practical grounding in the business side of acting, meaning not only will you have the skills, you will also know just how to get out there and get paid work using them.

If your dream is to become a professional actor, then stop dreaming and get in touch now so we can make your dreams a reality.

 

To err is human, but to acknowledge it on your CV is an even bigger mistake. Whether it’s a personal demon or a small gap in your training, acting weaknesses don’t need to ruin your career. We’ve found the three biggest weaknesses that actors starting out their careers face, and how best to deal with them.

 

Nerves

Stage fright and nervousness are considered weaknesses by many actors. However, they’re not only universal experiences; they’re also vital ones. A “rush” before performing can spike adrenaline and keep an actor alert and emotionally vulnerable during the performance.

We have previously covered the importance of emotional vulnerability for a good method actor.

However, sometimes “nerves” can become overwhelming. This is when it starts being called fear. The amount of stress an actor has during an opening night is equivalent to what someone in a car crash experiences. If you don’t realise that this is common and normal, your fear could incapacitate you.

 

Relaxation

How do you cope with the fear of failure? Simple – just relax.

No, really. Lee Strasberg’s method acting includes the technique “relaxation,” which all actors use before a class, rehearsal, or performance. Even film greats like Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep use relaxation. Relaxation recognises that the physical and mental are closely linked, and so by ridding your body of tension you help your mind to become calm; and vice versa.

1. Begin by sitting in an armless chair, all your limbs hanging loosely at your sides. You head, too, should be limp and lolling.
2. Move each limb – one by one and head to toe – in a circle. Flail each joint and appendage until there is no tension remaining.
3. Let your jaw go slack, and release a steady noise from your throat: “ahhhh”. If you feel lingering tension inside your body, feel free to grunt, scream, or yell. Relaxation is primal. While you do this, roll your head one way and then the other.

Go slowly, taking about 20 minutes to fully loosen yourself inside and out. Afterward, you will feel relaxed; but keep in mind that a little residual tension isn’t a bad thing.

If stage fright is something you struggle with, this video on nerves might help.

 

Giving Up

There will come a point in every actor’s career where they consider giving up. Maybe an audition went badly, or you were dropped by an agent. When you’re a performer, knocks to your confidence will come nearly constantly.

Even the most famous actors feel like giving up – sometimes very dramatically. When Ewan McGregor saw Daniel Day-Lewis perform for the first time, he set his equity card on fire.

 

Re-Gain Confidence

Giving up is one way that low self-esteem can manifest, so the best way to combat it is to build your confidence. It might seem contrary, but stepping out of your comfort zone can be the best way to pump your ego.

Try taking a course in a new style of performance, for example in dance or clowning. Not only does this build your repertoire of skills, but you might find that you have a natural talent you’ve never explored before. Even if you don’t, you’ll make new friends – and that’s sometimes all the boost you need.

 

Under-preparation

Talent is one thing, but honing it is another. A huge weakness for many actors is underpreparedness; they think that they will land roles based purely on their “X factor”. This is far from true.

No matter how skilled an actor you are, you need a reality check: your “X factor” doesn’t matter if it’s not on paper. Here’s how you can make sure your acting CV is as strong as your acting.

 

Train

You might be a natural, but casting agents won’t know this until you get in the room; and you won’t get in the room without training. This could be a tertiary degree in drama, a certificate of completion for a course, or a line stating that you’re currently seeing an acting coach. If you don’t have experience, you need some kind of qualification.

More than that, casting directors want to know that you’re open to further training. Even internationally famous pop stars still have voice coaches; and star athletes, too. Keeping up a training regime or doing the odd course will make your CV shine.

 

Look the Part

Headshots are a weakness that many actors don’t realise they have. Often, young actors are tempted to take the picture themselves, slap an Instagram filter on it, and go – this isn’t good enough.

Headshots should be taken from the shoulders up, and in black and white. They need to be high quality and unedited, and require direction to get the best depiction of your face’s potential.

Hire a professional photographer. Often drama schools will know of someone who takes them at a discount. When choosing a headshot from the selection, get the opinions of several others; often we have a distorted view of ourselves, and will be unable to objectively choose the best picture.

 

Acting in Motion

A committed actor might have a showreel – because some people just look better in video. You should have film from performances you’ve been in, or footage of yourself performing a monologue, dance, or song – showcase any skill you have.

As with headshots, quality is important. Unlike headshots, a professional showreel is likely to be expensive; it can cost anywhere from £300 to £850. If you have the funds or the tapes then make it, but otherwise leave this section blank! No showreel is better than a poorly-made one.

Even if you don’t fully overcome your weakness, just facing it can improve your career. Acknowledging our flaws allows us to develop strengths that combat or even compliment it; for example, if you’re a particularly nervous actor then why not be a character actor, and use that trait?

Whether there’s a gap in your CV or you have a general fear of failure, you can rest assured that your acting weaknesses can be overcome. If you want to boost your CV, your confidence and your connections then consider the Ultimate Acting Programme – one of the best Strasberg method schools in the UK.

 

At first glance, practical aesthetics might seem to be the same as method acting. They both come from the theories of our favourite, Konstantin Stanislavski; and like all acting techniques they both have the goal of evoking “truth” in an acting performance.

The difference is how these two techniques were shaped after being sparked by Stanislavski. We’ve covered the rise of the Lee Strasberg method before, as well as Stanislavski himself. The “method” and the way we teach here is based on the work of Lee Strasberg.

Practical aesthetics, on the other hand, arises from the work of Sanford Meisner. Like Strasberg, Meisner was a huge fan of Stanislavski. The two of them studied together with others to expand his system before going different ways in interpreting truthfulness in acting; Strasberg preferred psychology and Meisner preferred physiology.

 

The Actor versus The Writer

The Meisner Technique involves a more fantastic approach to imagination; the “scenic truth” comes from an actor’s total belief in the fictional world they’re performing. In the Strasberg Method, actors’ reactions are more grounded in reality. Practical aesthetics ties into Meisner’s version of a performance by being writer-centred.

Focus on the writing and the creation of the world means that a practical aesthetics actor isn’t given a character to interpret, but instead a creative moment. The actor takes their lines and scripted actions and creates their own persona using imagination. Words, context, and the actor’s own actions combine to create a “character” that varies with each iteration of the play.

This means that an actor trained in practical aesthetics is not as focused on emotional truthfulness as a method actor. There is no looking for parallel experiences, or ways to trigger genuine emotional empathy with the character. Instead, the practical aesthetics actor is focused on physically embodying the script; the actor’s body is a vessel for a plot, not a person.

Don’t mistake practical aesthetics for an emotion-free style of performance; each action is still carried out with intent and truthfulness, often in a much more vulnerable way because the actor has freedom to feel whatever comes naturally.

 

Developing a Character

The method is all about the actor; there is little differentiation between the actor and the character. It’s all about truly living the life of the scene. However, in practical aesthetics the actor is defined by everything around their “character”; other actors, the text, and the scene that’s set.

Because of this external focus, practical aesthetics is often a creative playground of sorts; there is constant contextual feedback. The questions the actor asks of themselves are focused externally, and often not on the minor details a method actor would obsess over.

 

As-If versus Emotional Memory

Emotional memory is something we talk a lot about on our blog. In a nutshell, it’s the use of personal memories to evoke genuine emotion during a scene. The practical aesthetics As-If exercise is often taken to mean the same thing, but it is different.

In As-If, your memories are used to understand your behaviour in a scene; but your emotions don’t factor into it. Instead, the focus is on your physical embodiment of the action. Past memories help you to form a personal connection to the actions you carry out; similar to muscle memory, this exercise makes physical movement on the stage seem natural and realistic.

As-If is an improvisation exercise. There is an action scripted for the actor, and so they run through every possible way of doing this action: with a heavy sadness or with an ecstatic joy; facing the back wall or facing the audience. It’s termed “As-If” because by creating as-if phrases the actor can verbalise these actions. For example, the action is a physical expression of “seizing an opportunity”. The as-if might be “it’s as if I got a job in New York but I’m afraid to take it up”.

The difference in what is achieved is straightforward: emotional memory produces an honest depiction of emotion; and As-If produces an honest series of actions, without excess drama or pomp.

 

Practicing Practical Aesthetics

An exercise many actors trained in practical aesthetics will do is script analysis; this is very different to method actors, who try not to over-analyse their performances. Practical aesthetics, however, is so built on fitting into a context that the actors who do it have script analysis down to a fine art.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how you might analyse like a practical aestheticist:

1. On first reading of the script, make a note of every literal action your character takes. A step to the left, a friendly wave, etc.
2. Next, determine your character’s “goal” in the scene – this will inform the manner in which you carry out those actions described in step one.
3. Find one action – your “essential action”- that encapsulates your character’s goal and personality. It may not be scripted, and is very similar in nature to Meisner’s psychological gesture.

Actions are vital to analysis because practical aesthetics is so focused on physical interpretation of a script. Each action you take carries the weight of emotion a method actor would carry in their face or voice; practical aesthetics uses the actor’s whole body.

You should now be able to see that, despite their common ancestry, method acting and practical aesthetics couldn’t be more different. Where Strasberg’s method acting is built on inward reflection and psychoanalysis, practical aesthetics is focused on getting the actor out of their head and into the physical realm.

However, the two styles of acting don’t have to be exclusive of each other. Because method acting is such a mental endeavour, it can help to have physical techniques in your toolbox to ground you. On our Ultimate Acting Programme we largely teach Strasberg’s method, but we appreciate techniques from all acting schools; after all, the more technical acting knowledge you have under your belt, the better.

If you consider yourself capable of the tough mental and physical work of acting, why not apply for one of our courses?

 

 

‘How do I find an acting agent?’ is one of the questions I get asked most by my students. As an aspiring actor, you probably know that it takes more than just talent, skills and determination to succeed in the industry. Once you’ve built up your career, finding an acting agent is the next step towards your success. Although it’s true that not every actor has an agent, representation makes the life of an actor much easier. Not only do they do a lot of the the leg-work in finding you suitable auditions, but casting directors and industry-insiders will take you much more seriously if you have an agent. But how exactly do you find an agent that is right for you, and are they worth the cost?

 

What an acting agent does for an actor

An acting agent is a crucial part of the business-side of the acting industry. They’ll know the industry inside and out and have key contacts with casting directors that you otherwise may not be able to reach. As well as connecting you with the right people, they’ll be able to advise you throughout your career and steer you on the road to success.

Having an agent also enables you to demonstrate your professionalism and show industry leaders that you have someone willing to represent you – someone who is convinced of your skill set and confident of your acting ability. Directors and casting directors rely on credible agents to provide them with the right candidates for auditions. A good agent will also be able to secure the best payment deal for the actor.

 

How to find an acting agent

Finding the best agent for you can be challenging, but the following steps will help you along the way.

 

Research

First thing’s first. There’s a lot of different acting agencies out there. These range from the large and prestigious, representing a lot of the big names, to the smaller agencies who only have a handful of clients. Finding the right type of agency for you is key to kicking off the whole process.

So how do you do it?

The first step is to visit a prospective agents’ website and browse their client portfolio to see who they represent. If they don’t have many actors similar to you and your skills, chances are they’ll be more interested in you. Agents love to have a variety of actors on their books. Try to put yourself in the agent’s shoes and envision what they might be looking for and whether you fit into that description.

 

How To Approach Acting Agents

Contacting an agent for the first time requires a thorough approach on your part. Remember, the agent is most probably being approached by actors constantly, so you need to think what you can do to get their attention. When agents look at taking on new clients, they’ll need to think about whether they can market you to the industry. It’s up to you to tell them why they need you and what you can do for them.

Find out what the agent’s preferred method of contact is and make initial contact. Remember to keep your letter brief and interesting – your role history, your availability, your ‘castability’, how marketable you are and what you’re currently working on. Always include a professional and up to date headshot – and make sure it’s a good one!

In order to get noticed by an agent, you need to grab and hold their attention. This is the time to get creative – invite them to one of your performances, send them a clip of your work, include a link to a Youtube video, send them your showreel or if you’re just starting out, think of another way to showcase your creative side and what you’re capable of. This will make you stand out from the crowd and show the agent how committed to the trade you really are.

 

Responses

You’ll increase your chances of a response if you contact as many agencies as possible. Leave about two weeks of breathing space before sending another email. You don’t want to seem too pushy, so a brief follow-up to your submission needs to be short, concise and charming. The more time you spend interacting with the agent, the more likely you’ll establish a rapport, so keep the dialogue going.

If you don’t hear back from the agent you had your heart set on, or you didn’t get the response you were hoping for, don’t take it personally. It won’t be because they don’t like you, it’s more likely that they have a lot of actors similar to you that they already represent. Don’t get disheartened and don’t give up.

The same goes if it’s taking a while to arrange the initial meeting. Acting agents are very busy people, so take the in-between time as an opportunity to work hard, focus on the positives and better yourself – it’ll work in your favour when you do eventually land the right agent.

 

The Interview

The hardest part of finding an acting agent is getting an initial interview. So once you’ve got to this point, preparation is key. Think about your personal presentation – dress with confidence and impress your future agent. Prepare some answers for questions that an agent is likely to ask you and be sure to have some questions of your own. As much as you want the agent to take you on, you have to be sure that the agency is trusted and reputable, and will work in your favour.

This is another opportunity to get creative and really showcase your talent. Invite the agent to a show you’re performing in, if you’ve not got enough material for a complete showreel yet, take a DVD of a performance you’re proud of or tell them about a future performance you’ve landed.

Last but not least, remember to be yourself and let your personality come through.

 

What happens next?

When you’ve found an acting agent, you’re in a prime position to find roles that suit you as an actor. However, as with everything, this may take some time. With new clients, the agent will generally start to set up meetings with directors and producers to start to introduce you to their contacts. When suitable roles come up you’ll then be sent to auditions. The time it takes is unpredictable, but within the year you should see the process progressing and be getting regular auditions.

The process of finding an acting agent isn’t easy, but with commitment, creativity and hard work you’re certainly on the right path. If you really want to be in with the best possible chance of finding an acting agent then you need to make sure your acting ability is as good as it possibly can be. Here at the Brian Timoney Actors’ Studio we offer a range of courses to help you on your way to achieving acting excellence, including our 3 day Introduction to Method Acting Bootcamp and our Ultimate Acting Programme.