Thursday, April 21, 2011.
It's been some time since I have last posted about class and the studio in general that I am uncertain how to proceed. So much has happened in class that I wanted to write about but due to an unrelenting schedule and other needs that required some priority I have to my regret dropped the ball sort of speak. But, I'm back, and rather than try to make up for lost time and try to rework my thoughts and impressions from past classes I going to get straight into today's class and talk about I feel made the work today dynamic and alive.
Let me first begin by saying how impressed I am by the growth in class over the course of the past several weeks and months. The readiness with which you are approaching your work right off the bat allows us to have the discussions that are vital to deepening our exploration of what makes these characters tick and the scenes work. It is very exciting and validating to see how well this class gels. The support you have for one another is palpable.
Now, the difference between going over the motions of how we think the scene reads and actually backing it up with how we feel, with our emotional life, couldn't have been more clear than with Anne and Deb who got class started today. In Anne's first take she quickly took to understanding the parameters of the shot and moved in it quite well. The relationship with her sister was clear and her intentions were clear as well. It was a good take. When we reexamined how she got to where she was and what it cost her and what was at risk her emotional life kicked it up a notch and what seemed obvious in the first take was no longer the thrust of what was really at the heart of this scene. The scene came alive and opened Anne up into a new plane of reality that allowed her to move within the composition of the shot without any forethought and yet with a fluidity and confidence that was grounded and connected to every moment. It was brilliant.
With Deb it was the other way around. She began the scene fully loaded. She was on fire, in pain, vulnerable and everything else. She was connected, in the moment, grounded in her character. With Deb we worked a "mid-shot" that allowed her to explore the emotional life she was living in a very physically expressive manner. The first time around she did great but it was in some ways limited because she would get to a place and stay there and become married to that spot. And though she was alive emotionally but because of the size of the shot and because it was a "follow shot" the transitions that she was going through were a little too subtle. If we were close-up I would have yelled "Perfect, Cut, Print, Let's Move On". So we made some adjustments and she took on the technical direction without a second thought and nailed it.
This is a wonderful example of how preparation serves us and allows us to take direction without having it become a mind-fuck because we feel inadequate or manipulated. Deb and Anne brought the goods and we molded a performance that made sense to the camera and elevated the performance to meet the circumstances of the scene.
I want to talk about everybody's work but at the risk of sounding redundant I'm going point out what worked for me.
Scott and Lauren having fun serves you both in this particular scene. Continue to push the envelope with one another and don't shy away from expressing the more nuanced feelings you're experiencing. Lauren own it! You are a vibrant, sexy, strong woman. Scott give in to your fears, especially in a scene like this, it serves you in ways that are very creative because of your unique take on things.
Aleah and Ryan you both blew me and the class away today. The tenderness and vulnerability was beautiful to watch and served you both in the most amazing way. When working with the camera explore how your body assumes certain attitudes and postures and allow that to inform you in the moment rather than deciding beforehand what it means.
Marissa and Jonny another great example of being prepared and emotionally available. Move through the moments honestly and make sure you are expressing everything you need to get out. Marissa, when you allowed yourself to express the rage you were feeling it added to the pain without taking anything away from the scene. Jonny, live the moments and give way to how you feel because of what is actually happening, it's magic when that happens.
Catie it is not "if" this were happening to me, IT IS HAPPENING TO YOU! in the second take you dropped a lot of what you hide behind and really engaged Natalie because of the way she was treating you. That is the scene. You can go so much further. I'm excited to see where this takes you next week. Natalie, you brought it the first take and it was alive. The second take we explored what was actually behind a lot of what you were reacting to and it opened some wounds. You can express it all. Brilliant.
Paul and Alex engaged, entertaining, impulsive and compulsive. When it resonates with you it resonates with us. The second time around it was much more grounded and having more at stake made it more entertaining.
Lastly, what I want to say, and this goes to the heart of the work, and was part of an extended discussion after class with Alex and Marissa is that it is my firm belief that if there is nothing risked there is nothing gained. Example: After Catie's scene with Natalie I asked how she felt and she said something along these line "if this was actually happening to me I would rip her apart", (forgive the paraphrasing Catie) to which I responded "what's stopping you?" It is this kind of exploration that makes our craft dynamic and creative. Pushing yourself to take it a little further each class, seeing just how far you can explore a moment, a feeling, an emotion etc., risking it and then dealing with the outcome. This is what we do here. Acting is similar to other art forms in the sense that we need to keep exploring who we are and how to express ourselves.
Once we decide we have all the answers and the world all sussed up then we are dead. Acting is a living and continuously evolving process. Respect it. It is you.
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