Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television

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Not only does this experimentation produce something spontaneous, but it produces something authentic which ultimately connects with an audience. Tessa really gives filmmakers the necessary tools to feel confident when embarking on a new project. She started acting in 1970, when she moved from New York City to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she studied with Jean Shelton and became a working actor in theater, television and film. After all the preparation and pre-production, the day will finally arrive that you and your actors step on set to finally shoot.

Directing film or television is a high-stakes occupation - the white water rafting of entertainment jobs. When production began, I cribbed a set of Weston reminders on to a 3-by-5 index card, and kept it in my shirt pocket every single day of shooting. Judith Weston, author of Directing Actors, outlines four qualities a director should keep in mind when casting.

I think that if Judith's book were mandatory reading for all directors, the quality of the director-actor process would be transformed, and better drama would result. It is important to be a resource for an actor and allow them to ask whatever questions they need to properly prepare for the role. This leads us to our next tip which is effective at creating authentic performance — building the circumstances around them. If that’s too intimidating, I suggest getting your hands on a copy of the book ‘ Directing Actors - 25th Anniversary Edition: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television’ by Judith Weston. This helps to create a sense of trust and collaboration, making it easier for them to open up in front of the camera, leading to better performances.

My only negative was that some of the practices presented in the book don't really happen in my country but that's not the fault of the book that's mainly for an american film maker.in solving every problem that comes up, like nervous actors, or pulling the scene back from a bad place. Dramatic (or comedic) conflict builds from the emotional events in the scene, that is, the ways the characters affect each other that makes their relationship different at the end of a scene than it was at the beginning. If the following filmmakers weren't open to improvisation and spontaneity, we wouldn't get these iconic moments. A director will note these shifts until she has a comprehensive understanding of the emotional structure of a script. This also helps actors be more receptive to criticism or feedback because their efforts are acknowledged.