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Hi Mark

This is very useful. Somebody I know made a good reference to that too, he said ‘You don’t just work out on the days you might be wearing a Bikini, so why should you not hone your acting skills every day?’

also, I am stuck with something now that you might be able to help me with. What is your advice on talking with directors about their lack of directing. How do you react to a director that gives you no directions at all and then gets angry at you for not following their directions? also, what does ‘bigger’ mean?

Hi Samira
I like the quote, that’s exactly what I’m talking about! I’m afraid some directors don’t understand actors very much, they can’t help it, most weren’t taught or didn’t learn on the job how to work with actors. Don’t concern yourself with their anger, that’s frustration that they can’t ‘make you do it’, they sometimes forget that you’re only human and need their help, not their wrath. Bigger means MORE. It’s a common problem that actors try to hold back, because they’re afraid of looking like a ham, so the director says ‘bigger’ but what they mean is ‘do more of that thing you’re doing there’. During a break speak with them privately and personally, say, I can sense your frustration with me, and I want to deliver what you’re aiming for, tell it to me in basic physical terms, what you want and let me go away and help you to get what you want. That’s what I’d do, let me know how it goes.

Hi Mark

Thanks a lot for your advice. It went pretty well. The director was a bit angry at first but then it turned into a very good conversation. We rehearsed for 2 hours and went step by step and I actually got direction this time. ant the director was very pleased that things started to look better…

It’s definately sound advice, and I would agree on every point except in one case. Involving yourself in temporary acting classes is expensive. I mean lets face it, acting classes arent started by people who desperately want to give back to the industry and encourage actors to reach their individual goals. In most cases they are being constructed merely as an avenue for out of work actors/singers/performers to subsidise their own income while looking for their own acting work because they are simply suffering from the same lack of employment that we all are. How many times have I been sent an email by my agent offered a limited time offer for a actors workshop directed by (insert out of work actor/director) for the one time small price of $400 dollars! Ok so once I’ve paid that money and I’m not able to afford my rent and I’ve lost my crappy part-time job because I was at the workshop and I have nothing to buy food with, I’m sure the so called ‘connections’ and ‘experience’ I’ve accumulated from the workshop will console me.

Then you find out that your agent was on a small subsidised payment from the workshop director for every actor he was able to herd into it and the director has moved on to the next city to run another workshop.

I’m all for meeting new people and increasing my experience, I love acting and creating new and exciting work and I think alot of people can agree with that sentiment. But I cant help but feel like someone is trying to pinch my pocket with alot of the workshops out there.

I agree with you a lot of coaching and classes are a waste of time, but you have to let your own discretion be your tutor in this matter. Then again Charlize Theron takes classes, before, during and after filming. I don’t think you’ll make connections or particular gain experience, but you may learn somethign new. I can see why you’ve become cynical, sounds like you’ve had a lot of bad experiences. Personally, when professional actors come to me, they’re looking for additional training, they want help with audition speeches, or they want to find a new/better way to do what they do.

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