hamlet_1

To Breakdown or Not to Breakdown… is that the question?

In a word, no.  Think of the script like a treasure map.  You’ve got to study it, tear it apart and put it back together to find all the hidden meanings, clues, subtext and motivations that drive your character from one end of the story arc to the other.  Books have been written on this.  It can be a very complex process but it can also be as simple as reading the script over and over and over again until it becomes a part of you.  My own process is somewhere in between.

I read the script at least five times and try not to judge the character I’m playing.  When you go through a script for the first time a lot of things will jump out at you.  You’ll get impulses and feelings that may or may not be based on who the character is but rather on who you are.  That’s why its so important to read the script all the way through, several times.  The first time is just to get to know the story.  The second time you read it, you should begin to make notes about your feelings.  The third time, you’ll want to write down anything your character says about themselves.  The fourth read should be about taking notes on anything another character says about your character.  And the fifth read through, should be about understanding why your character is saying and doing what’s written.  This is a line by line analysis that will help you discover how that particular thing that you’re saying affects you as the character, the other person or people you’re talking to, and the story.

If you skip any of these steps before you begin to work on your subtext and motivations, you won’t really have a full understanding of who your character is which can lead to some very bland and predictable choices.

I found a great article and video explaining how to analysis a script from well respected acting coach in L. A., Kimberly Jentzen.   The article will take you about 10 minutes to read and the video is about 20 minutes long.  If you don’t already know about breaking down a script and you’d like to learn about some ideas for where to start, this is a great place.  If you already do this, I’d love to know what methods work best for you.  Who knows, they might be just what someone else is looking for, too.

Forget Predictable

*Don’t watch the clip until you’ve read the below side.*  There are a couple of techniques you can use so that you end up with interesting, as opposed to predictable choices when working on a script.  The first method is to go through your script line and line and  think of 5 different ways you can say each line (meaning 5 different subtexts and or motivations).  Its a challenge but I bet you’ll be surprised with what you can come up with.  If you find yourself totally stuck and unable to come up with anything innovative, then think of three ways that are “wrong” and work on those.  Even if you end up throwing them out, they will spark your imagination.

If any of you have ever seen David Lynch’s Mullholland Drive, the character of Betty, played by Naomi Watts, is absolutely spellbinding in her audition scene.  If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend it.  Betty makes a very, very unusual choice that ends up being absolutely unforgettable.  If you know the scene that I’m referring to then you know what I mean, but if you don’t, read through these lines once or twice and see what you come up with, then watch the below scene.

Betty
		You're still here?

				JIMMY
		I came back. I thought that's what you
		wanted.

				BETTY
		Nobody wants you here.

				JIMMY
		Really?

				BETTY
		My parents are right upstairs! They
		think you've left.

				JIMMY
		So ... surprise!

				BETTY
		I can call them... I can call my dad.

				JIMMY
		But you won't.

				BETTY
		You're playing a dangerous game here. if
		you're trying to blackmail me... it's not
		going to work.

				JIMMY
		You know what I want...it's not that
		difficult.

				BETTY
		Get out... Get out before I call my dad.
		He trusts you... you're his best friend.
		This will be the end of everything.

				JIMMY
		What about you? What will your dad think
		about you?

				BETTY
		Stop... just stop! That's what you said
		from the beginning. If I tell what
		happened... they'll arrest you and put
		you in jail, so get out of here before...

				JIMMY
		Before what?

				BETTY
		Before I kill you.

				JIMMY
		Then they'd put you in jail.

    				BETTY
		I hate you... I hate us both!

The scene ends.

In the above scene, aspiring movie actress Betty Elms goes to her first audition. And nails it beyond all belief. Up to this point, Naomi Watts has been playing Betty a little overeagerly, a little overcheerfully, and a little, well, badly. In addition, we’ve seen Betty practice the audition script with her friend Rita and perform it like a particularly bad telenovela. This audition has every potential of being disastrous, if we take the character of Betty and the so-far-exhibited acting ability of Watts at face value.

But when she steps into the audition room and begins the scene, something happens. She takes the scene, as melodramatic and soap opera-ish as it is, and goes somewhere with it that the lines themselves don’t even seem to suggest. She adds layers of complexity to her character and subtext to her brief set of lines. – Jandy Hardesty

 

Shame & Vulnerability

Vulnerability is not comfortable but it is necessary.  This is wonderful video about how our vulnerability connects, not separates us from other people and expands on the theme of yesterday’s post.

jack-nicholson-hd_160307-1920x1080

A Quote from Jack Nicholson

[blockquote indent=”yes” ]You have to be very honest with yourself to do my job well.  And you’re not going to like everything about yourself.  if you start hiding what you don’t like, you’re not going to be in the best position to do your job.  – Jack Nicholson [/blockquote]

Why did I choose this quote?  Well, besides the fact that I think its really good advice its also something that I personally struggle with… letting the ugly out.  Wait.  No, let me re-phrase that.  First, admitting its even inside me, THEN letting it out.   The Japanese think that our flaws make us more beautiful.  They believe that when something has suffered damage, it has a history and its even more lovely not in spite of, but because of it’s flaws.  That’s why they fill the cracks of their artifices with gold.

Beautiful Flaws

 

As actors, I think we need to do that same – metaphorically speaking, of course.  Find the cracks in your facade and bring them out into the light.  Fill them with gold, so they stand out and shine.  They are your battle wounds and they make you unique and compelling and infinitely watchable.  Ultimately, we all have flaws and when we can identify them in another human being it makes them accessible and real.  And isn’t that what we strive for?  What do you think?

Voice for Actors

As actors there are two ways we can form a character.  The first is with your voice and the second is with your body.  Your own voice and vocal patterns are as distinct as a fingerprint.  The pitch, intonation, accent, cadence, resonance and inflections are all products of you.  They come from your self image, your upbringing, the length of your vocal chords (though of course, they can be trained), how you shape your breath and  how you project your voice.  Its part of your instrument and you can “tune” it according to how you’d like to be perceived both for yourself and for the characters that you create.   Try using a tape recorder when you practice a monologue so you can hear how you sound.  Only when you are aware of yourself can you begin to change it.

Here is the first is wonderful series of 12 videos by the National Theatre in London for breath, vocal warm ups and vocal techniques for actors.  Enjoy!