Many directors find it easier to manage cameras than actors due to the complexity of human emotions. However, connecting with actors is crucial for creating emotional resonance in films.
A common directorial mistake is becoming overly technical and neglecting actor communication, leading to emotional flatness.
Believable acting and genuine emotions, not special effects, elevate a film. Achieving this requires effective director-actor communication and understanding of the actor’s craft.
Let us take an example of Mark Murphy director who has been directing films for more than 20 years, and how he handles his actors.
By looking at him, we can say a good film director must know these techniques as mentioned below.
Table of Contents
1. Spend some time with actors alone.
Earn actors’ trust with encouragement and dedicated time. Prioritize their needs, establish scene moods, and enhance connection with eye-to-eye readings.
2. Use action verbs.
Avoid “result direction” using adjectives. Instead, employ action verbs like “convince” or “discourage” to guide actors through a genuine emotional process for better performances.
3. Set personal goals.
Assign secret goals to individual actors during rehearsals, creating spontaneity and authenticity. Extreme goals, such as “hug someone while resisting,” can enhance performance.
4. Do exactly the opposite of what you want the situation to be like.
Challenge actors to sing lines or speak with speech impediments for fresh perspectives and inner freedom, even if initially met with resistance.
5. Keep the actors distracted with an action.
Engage subjects in purposeful actions during filming, like stirring a drink or discussing experiences, to ease performance pressure and enhance authenticity.
6. Offer your actors a goal, not an emotion.
Directors should provide goals, not emotions, to actors, allowing natural emotions to emerge for authentic performances. This approach fosters better attitudes and results.
7. Shoot in slow motion when in doubt.
Slow motion amplifies moments, emphasizing intricate details and transforming neutral scenes into dynamic and emotional experiences for the audience.
8. Ask the actor to treat the camera as a person.
Build subject comfort with the camera by engaging them without it, fostering rapport, and reducing awareness for more natural interactions.
9. Interview the actor as a character.
To give a convincing performance, you can interview the actors and ask questions as if they are the characters, and the actors must respond in the way the characters should.
10. Offer an object and ask actors to play with it.
Engage actors by incorporating relevant props and actions, like smoking a pipe or sipping whiskey, fostering a deeper character connection.
11. Invoke their memories.
Encourage actors to tap into personal memories to establish a stronger connection to their character’s emotions and experiences. This enhances authenticity and depth in their performances.
12. Concentrate more on the intensity of voice instead of volume.
Instead of criticizing theatrics, suggest adjusting the volume. Shouting does not necessarily convey intense emotion effectively; refinement can be more impactful.
13. Let the actors remain in character till you say cut.
Tell the actors to enter into the character the moment you say ‘Action’ and remain in character till you say ‘Cut’.
We hope this is enough for a director to know how to extract the best outcome from their actors.