Acting

The 5 Biggest Mistakes Actors Make On Set
Being on set is always exciting. But for young actors and stage actors who are new to working on camera, expectations and ideas about how to work on a television set can collide with reality in a bad way. Here are five biggest mistakes actors make on set that you’ll want to avoid on your next shoot… . Acting like you’re “one of the guys.” There’s a hierarchy. In most cases, everyone else will have been working together for awhile and you’re the new kid in town. If it’s your first day, you’re not near the top of the food chain. Be yourself, but fly under the radar and don’t spend your energy trying to be liked. It seems obvious, but everyone on set is a working professional.They’re trying to do their best work in the short time they have. Don’t try to make friends with everyone. It’s a distraction […]

The 5 Biggest Mistakes Actors Make On Set

5 Tips for Performing Under Pressure
If you think back to times you’ve choked in the past—(and we all have)—you were probably worried before your performance. The fear of failure (or success), fear that you’ll look foolish or you won’t be up to the task make it difficult to perform even under low-pressure conditions. Much of the pressure we perceive is self-imposed. Consistently performing under pressure is largely a mental game. Understanding the rules can release that pressure so you can be your best when it counts the most. To perform well under pressure you must focus squarely on your task. When you’re worrying about how you’re performing, your attention is on yourself instead of on your task. With less focus on what you’re doing, you’re going to be less effective. Getting your body to respond positively under pressure requires a shift in how you think about pressure. Thinking, Don’t screw up, right before you go […]

5 Tips for Performing Under Pressure

How to Learn Your Lines Without Memorizing
Originally in Backstage Have you ever wondered why young actors often sound like they’re speaking lines instead of expressing their own thoughts and feelings? One reason, of course, is inexperience. But another lies within the most basic of actor tasks: learning lines. How actors memorize lines can negatively impact the quality of their performance. In school we memorize dates, facts, and equations by rote. The result is we retain the information without understanding the subject matter and we forget what we “learned” soon after the test is over. Rote memorization is a perilous strategy for a young actor learning their lines because, unlike facts, lines aren’t static. Lines in plays and scripts are living expressions of a character’s thoughts as they respond to their circumstances and try to convey their ideas in a way that makes sense to them. People don’t speak in mindless streams. One line connects to the next […]

How to Learn Your Lines Without Memorizing

6 keys to nailing your on-camera audition
For many actors, auditioning on camera is a bit of a mystery. If that’s you, there’s good news! You can learn how. Here are 6 keys to help you nail your next on-camera audition! . . 1. Know what you look like on camera! Be sure what you think you’re doing in front of the camera is actually reading on the monitor. Rehearse with a video camera and watch the playback. The camera often magnifies small physical movements you have naturally in everyday life. Unfortunately, arching eyebrows or a bobbing head draw attention to themselves on camera and distract us from watching what you’re thinking and feeling. Lose them. This does not mean you don’t move at all. You don’t have to be still to be effective on camera. Your physical life should look natural and full within the frame. It’s like the difference between cats and dogs. If you […]

6 Keys to Nailing Your On-Camera Audition

10 Attitudes that keep actors from working
Originally published in Backstage Imagine you’re in a hot air balloon that’s losing altitude. As the ground gets closer, you realize the only way to slow your descent is to lighten your load by throwing off the things on board that are weighing you down. You have to choose what stays and what goes or you won’t get where you’re going. Likewise, actors must “throw off” thoughts and habits that keep them from reaching their career goals. Acting issues are often life issues. Here are 10 things to consider tossing overboard on your way to acting success! 1. The need to please. Seeking approval from others is a way of seeking attention. Don’t give up your power. Trying to please weakens your self-confidence and keeps you from being your authentic self—two things a working actor cannot be without.   2. Limiting beliefs. Life is limitless. We impose limits on ourselves by […]

10 Attitudes That Keep Actors From Working

what do i do with my hands when I'm acting?
Monique recently asked this interesting question: Here’s my answer: Without seeing you work it’s hard to know where the feedback you’re getting is coming from.  Nevertheless, your choices are not limited to “stop gesturing” or “being yourself.” In theory, doing what feels natural to you is fine.  What feels natural to you, however, may not be what the script calls for.  Listening more closely to the text (what you say, what’s said about you,the time, place, etc.) will lead you to physical choices that are appropriate.  Knowing what your emotional condition in the scene is and what’s at stake will also help you zero in on what’s not stated in the text and guide you to a better understanding of the physical life it needs.  Being authentic and passionate doesn’t necessarily result in expressive hand motions. If asked to simplify your gestures, even if they ‘feel natural” it may be they are distracting from what you are […]

What do I do with my hands when I’m acting?

An Actor's job is auditioning
I often hear actors say “I hate auditions.” This logic completely baffles me.  How can you expect to get into a rehearsal with any regularity if you hate auditions?  To get any job you will, almost certainly, have to go through an audition first.  The way to be successful in this business is to be good at auditioning.  Yes, the audition process is an unnatural, imperfect system where the best people don’t always get the jobs.  And you can’t assess the true depth of someone’s talent, professionalism and relative degree of mental health in a five minute appointment slot.  But until someone suggests a better system it’s the one we all have to work with. If you secretly harbor self-defeating attitudes like the ones above, I suggest you put them aside.  They are guaranteed to keep you in your survival job.   I hated auditions.  I knew I would be good […]

An Actor’s Job is Auditioning

The secret to musical theatre success
Success in the musical theatre actually has less to do with music than you might think.  It’s not even required that you be a great singer.  Harvey Fierstein, Elaine Stritch and Rex Harrison are notable examples.  What they have in common, besides the fact they would never get past the first audition for “The Voice” is, they’re very good actors.  The beauty of their tone isn’t enough to win our hearts but they succeed with their ability to communicate and the strength of their personality. Though acting ability is paramount, a good singing voice rules the number two spot for what you need to succeed as a musical theatre performer.  The roles you can play without serious singing chops are few. The goal of combining great acting with great singing is the reason I fell in love with this craft.  For me, there was no greater goal and I worked […]

The Secret To Musical Theatre Success