From Stage to Screen: A Theatre Actor's Guide to Working on Camera

Description

The camera enables us to see right into a character’s soul, revealing their innermost thoughts and emotions. Screen acting requires a more rigorously truthful and spontaneous performance than the stage, as well as very different technical expertise. From Stage to Screen is a handbook for the professional actor packed with advice on how to make the transition and fully prepare for a TV or film role. The book is divided into four sections: the first examines the actors’ internal resources – the skills and abilities the actor must cultivate to be able to transfer their talent to the screen; the second section addresses the external resources – the relationship between the performer and the camera and how it differs from that of the actor and the stage audience; the third section lays bare what actually happens during the process of filming and details both the absolute professionalism required of screen actors and the massive preparation they must do before setting foot on set; while the final section features interviews with stars who have successfully made the transition from stage to screen, and who share their own personal approach and technique. Title Page Copyright Page CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FOREWORD INTRODUCTION Chapter 1 LET’S PRETEND Acting is easy Acting is difficult The intellectual actor Developing yourself Emotional intelligence Chapter 2 THE BIG DIFFERENCES The similarities The differences Section 1 - SHOWING, SHARING AND THE INNER WORLD Chapter 3 SHOWING AND SHARING The act of observing changes the thing that’s being observed Showing Where’s your attention? Don’t just do something, stand there Chapter 4 THE INNER WORLD The close-up and the inner monologue Chapter 5 LISTENING Listening and the inner world Point of attention Spontaneity Chapter 6 COMMITMENT Creating the imaginary world Commitment Section 2 - MAKE THE SHOT WORK Chapter 7 FILMING – THE BIG PICTURE Development (and pre-pre-production) Three phases of production Pre-production Post-production Production Meeting the schedule Collaboration Practice Chapter 8 UNDERSTANDING THE SHOTS Single versus multi-camera shooting What do I need to know about the shots and camera terminology? Chapter 9 GLOSSARY OF SHOTS Master Wide/Mid/Close Single Dirty/Clean 2 Shot Tracking shot Coverage Set-ups Reverse Slate Working with technophile/geek actors Chapter 10 HITTING MARKS Marks Focus Putting down marks How to hit your marks The soft bag The real challenge Practice Chapter 11 OVERLAPS Why overlaps matter Chapter 12 CONTINUITY Why continuity matters Movement drives the cut How to manage your continuity Emotional continuity Practice Chapter 13 POSITIONING YOURSELF FOR THE CAMERA Opposing singles Finding the camera Reverses Standing up and sitting down Chapter 14 THE VOICE Projection Mumbling Chapter 15 FACIAL AWARENESS Facial awareness Eye movement Blinking Around the eyes Eye contact The mouth and the jaw Swallowing Using this awareness Chapter 16 PLAYING THE CAMERA The doughnut Eye movement Knowing and not-knowing Looking down Lateral eye movement Repeated eye movements Chapter 17 LOVING THE CAMERA Loving the camera Section 3 - DOING IT Chapter 18 GETTING THE JOB Castings Improving the odds In the room Filming yourself for castings Chapter 19 PREPARATION Creating a character Chapter 20 BODY HEAT – PLOT SYNOPSIS Chapter 21 PREPARING TEDDY Start with the facts Assumptions Creating a past Make it relevant Shared history What happened today? What do you want? Chapter 22 PREPARING THE TEXT Learning the lines Delivering the lines Parentheses Subtext and inter-text Subtext and inter-text in Body Heat Out there to in here and back again Teddy’s second scene Chapter 23 MAPPING Larger parts Summarize the scenes Asking the right questions Chapter 24 THE READTHROUGH Chapter 25 AT THE SHOOT Getting there The call sheet Arriving at the set or location Your scene partner(s) Waiting, waiting, waiting Preparing yourself Phones Chapter 26 WHO’S WHO IN THE CREW Who do you need to know in the crew? Other people you may occasionally interact with Chapter 27 THE PROCESS OF SHOOTING On set Chapter 28 REHEARSAL The purpose of rehearsal Making the blocking work Camera rehearsal Chapter 29 THE TAKE Surrounded by people but all alone The 30 seconds before ‘action’ Your job is to be brilliant Recovering Take two Working with the director Concentration Managing your energy Control your own mood Sound Wildtracks Chapter 30 Additional Dialogue Recording (ADR) ADR Chapter 31 THE FINISHED PRODUCT Screening or broadcast Chapter 32 PROFESSIONALISM Punctuality Continue to train ABOUT THE AUTHOR INDEX