Major Project Production Unit - Researching Techniques For Directing Actors

I feel a strong performance in film is something that really can make something stand out and is vital to the telling of its narrative. Actors may have the ability to deliver a good performance but I wanted to see how a director can really push them to make it even better. I decided to look into some research focusing on how I can improve my focus in this area.

First of all I came across an artical called '5 Techniques For Directing Actors' on a website called Amy Clarke Films. This article was really intersting as I could break down exactly what I needed to do in order to help my cast deliver a great performance. The first tip was to write some background on each character. I did this for the characters Sophie and Lorna so that when I have a meeting with my cast I am able to explain exactly what the character is like and has been through and why they are like they are. You can see extracts below:

The second tip was to remember the scene previously. This explained that as a director on a shoot, remember where you are in the script and make sure the cast know where they are emotionally. Sometimes shooting out of order can effect what the character has just gone through and where they are in the scene. This is a good tipe to remember and I will make sure to put this into practice when shooting.

The third tip explains that its really important to have time alone with the actors. This is something I will definatly ensure I do. I want to make sure that on shoot I find a quiet room so that I can sit with them individually and go through exactly what I want from them. This way they can ask me any questions they have about what is expected from them in terms of performance and blocking. 

The Fouth tip says to block out all of the action before filming. This is something I will ensure I do as its important that I rehearse with them and they know where they are and what they are doing. I will make plans to reflect the rooms of the locations and what the movement is in each scene. 

The fifth and final tip is to stay focused. When on set it can be very easy to get lost concerntrating on the actors performances. You can be thinking about the lights, the set, the shot. Although these are important things, its also important when the camera is rolling to watch the actors and ensure the performance is being delivered. I will make sure I do this on set as I really want these performances to be the best that they can be. 

I next found a website called No Film School that also gave a few extra tips on an article called 'Dircting 101'. They explained that sometimes having an emotional beat map can really help the characters to know how to feel by a piece of music. This is something I will consider as this can be an alternative way in making them feel something rather than just telling them how to. For example on a tense scene, I could play some music I have in mind so they really understand the pace and flow of how I am expecting it to be. Alternativly on a dreamy scene I can play serene like music to convey its beauty.

Moving away from articles, I decided to have a read of a book called 'Changing Direction: A Practical Approach To Directing Actors In Film And Theatre'. By Lenore DeKoven, she explains first hand experience working with actors and how to ensure great performance out them. Something very interesting she says is "One of the directors biggest jobs, which also goes beyond acting, is that of creating a world for the characters to live in - the costumes, the physical setting, the historical details. The process of filmmaking involves the directors 'aura', the personality he or she projects when on set. Actors are not made of clay, but flesh and blood with tempers and wills of their own. You cant simply manipulate them; you must be able to invite them into your world, and they must feel inspired working within it". This quote really stood out for me. It really made me think about how I am going to approach the whole situation. Rather than just tell them what there character is and how I want them to act, I have to make sure I am selling my vision and reflecting it onto them so they are aware of the world they live in. 

She also speaks in the book about language and how that can change things. People are trained from birth to speak a certain way. When acting as a character, its imporant for a director to step actors out of that comfort zone and get them speaking in a way that the character would. Changing language can make an actor really feel like they are a different person and delivers a fresh performance. This is something I would never have thought of. I will make sure in the voice over that I experiment with this to reflect how the character speaks but also on set so they understand who they are and where they have come from. 

All these tips I have found really useful and I will ensure I use them when it comes to delivering a great performance from the actors helping them play their characters well.