Welcome to the Acting Blog

How Can I Help?

I set this blog up around 3.5 years ago, because I wanted to help. I recognised that I might have some resources, some knowledge and experience I could bring to bear or apply to help the community of actors out there on the internet. I might not always have the answer but I would like to help..

I may have got distracted recently, but I still have the same remit. To help actors do it better if I can.

So, how can I help? Do you have an acting problem? Do you need some advice? It can be anything, I am only too glad to help. Whether you take my classes and you want greater clarity on something I teach or you’ve read my eBook and want to ask a question or you struggle with some aspect of your training or current rehearsals.

Just a word of caution, if you do message me about it, I am planning to answer it with a blog, so nothing too personal, it ain’t that kind of blog!!

So go ahead, fire away. I’m looking forwards to it!

My Top Ten Tips for Actors

To You, The Best!

Mark Westbrook
Senior Acting Coach
ACTING COACH SCOTLAND


Like What You Read? Want to Read More? Mark's eBook is available here
Looking for Acting Classes in Glasgow? Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach and runs Acting Coach Scotland, a private acting studio offering acting classes in Glasgow, masterclasses, workshops and audition coaching for actors at all levels. His acting studio is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although he teaches all across the United Kingdom. All Blog Posts © Mark Westbrook 2011

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Tags: Advice for Actors, mark westbrook video tips, top tips for acting

My Romantic History

I’m going to tell you a story, stick with me, there is a point!

Once upon a time, I fell in love with a lovely Belgian girl named Cathie. She sat next to me in two classes per week, and although her English, we would smile, help each other and flirt a little bit, but always laughing. But Cathie was stunningly beautiful and way out of my league.

So I never acted upon it and we continued to take class together. One day near Christmas, we were at the lockers getting our things after class when Cathie turned to me and said “I’m going back to Belgium tomorrow, why didn’t you ever ask me to go for coffee?”

I mumbled something about British reserve and she just looked puzzled, like maybe I was saying I didn’t want to.

Well, me and Cathie were never to be, and 15 years on, I know it, but I was thinking about her recently, well actually, more specifically, I was thinking about why I hadn’t asked her for coffee. I has convinced myself of what was possible and what was not possible and I acted upon that as if it was law.

But it was not law, it was a decision I had made.

And I want you to think about it. How often do we as artists, tell ourselves something, developing a fixed mindset to something that simply isn’t true.

And how self limiting are these beliefs? Exceptionally. I lost my shot with the beautiful Cathie, but what opportunities are you letting pass you by because you’ve limited yourself?

People call it ‘being realistic’ but no one ever created anything of worth by being conservative, because we cannot grow if we decide our own boundaries, we simply never allow ourselves to grow beyond it.

And we develop stoical phrases like ‘what’s for you, won’t go by you’ and it’s a way of copping out on taking the plunge, taking a risk, showing a willingness to grow beyond our self imposed limits.

So today, and for the rest of the week, don’t be like me, embrace things outside your comfort zone, outside the parameters you’ve set for yourself, embrace opportunities, you never know where it might take you.

And Daniel Jackson’s play My Romantic History is currently at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow until the end of the month.

Some of my favourite acting performances…

Just for fun, I’m coming back from holiday stasis with some of my favourite performances

1) Jim Carey (in The Majestic)

2) Bill Nighy (in The Girl in the Cafe)

3) Sorcha Ronan (anything)

4) Ingrid Bergmann (Casablanca)

5) Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)

6) Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar Little in The Wire)

7) John Goodman (in Treme)
Kenneth Branagh (anything)

9) Hugh Laurie (House)

10) Sean Penn (My Name is Sam)

11) Jennifer Lawrence(Winter’s Bone) thanks for the reminder Alison!

Feel free to join in and tell me who should be on the list.

To You, The Best!

Mark Westbrook
Senior Acting Coach
ACTING COACH SCOTLAND


Like What You Read? Want to Read More? Mark's eBook is available here
Looking for Acting Classes in Glasgow? Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach and runs Acting Coach Scotland, a private acting studio offering acting classes in Glasgow, masterclasses, workshops and audition coaching for actors at all levels. His acting studio is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although he teaches all across the United Kingdom. All Blog Posts © Mark Westbrook 2011

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Why Acting is Ping Pong not Chess

Yesterday we spoke about why textual analysis is a busy but fruitless endeavour, today I want to explain why I believe so many people have the wrong idea about acting, and by people, I mean actors, directors and (cringe) acting teachers too.

The standard model of acting practice is wrong. It propounds that acting is like playing chess.

Chess is a game to be studies, considered over, every move is calculated for it’s pros and cons. Years and decades after, chess players can study famous moves and positions and pit themselves against the same situation and cogitate over the right and wrong moves.

In the chess model of acting, everything is prepared in advance, the lines are gleaned for their meaning – textual and subtextual and strong creative, artistic, academic and intellectual reasons are given for the choices.

All the choices are made up front, so that no decision is made without serious contemplation. We still imagine that we play the game in the moment, but really, nothing is left to the moment.

Character work, emotional preparation, textual analysis, it all belongs to the chess model of acting, where decisions can be pondered over in advance and then trotted out later.

To my mind, acting is not chess at all, it is ping pong or table tennis if you prefer.

In table tennis, years of practise come to fruition in an instinctive, moment to moment, action-reaction game, in which to be out of the present moment is to lose the point or even the game.

In table tennis, you still attempt to out manoeuvre your opponent, but there is no time to think about it, it’s simply a matter of reacting to what is happening now. Ping players don’t watch the ball, they instinctively respond to what the other player is doing in the present moment, if they were to wait to see what the ball is doing, they would be too late.

All their cues are taken from what the other player is doing in the moment, their reaction is unprepared, they instinctively allow years at the table influence their reaction. They bring years of expertise, training and honing their reactions to the moment, so that in the moment – thought is second to action.

In the chess model, thought is primary. In the ping pong model, action primary.

In ping pong, everything is secondary to the moment. Nothing can be prepared for, practice has taught them how to improvise in the moment. As they say in military strategy: No plan ever outlives first contact with the enemy.

In other words, in the heat of the moment, our planning goes out the window as we respond to the here and now.

In the heat of the moment. The actor will inevitably drop all their intelligent preparation, their textual analysis, the character work, it all goes out the window. The trouble is… The chess model actor spends so much time in contemplation that when all that flies out their ears in the heat of the moment, they’re improvising in panic mode.

The ping pong actor is also improvising in the moment, they’re also a little scared, but they live in that place, and so it’s exhilarating to deal with what Mamet calls ‘the terrifying unknown’.

The chess actor is left staring at the pieces, studying, trying to figure out where it all went wrong.

Tags: Acting in the Moment

WANT: A Reminder

WHAT DOES YOUR CHARACTER WANT THE OTHER CHARACTER TO DO AS A RESULT OF THEIR ACTIONS?

Characters want things for themselves, but they usually want them from other people.  David Mamet says ‘The character’s got to want something specific’.

No matter what they say, they’re after something, they’re seeking a goal, they’ve got an objective.  As Mamet says:
‘People may or may not say what they mean, but they always say something designed to get what they want.’

The essential part of this question is ‘DO’. Your character wants the other character to do something. Your actions on stage must aim to glean a response from the other actor.   This can range from ‘pay me attention’ to ‘lend me money’ to ‘murder the King’.  It’s important to keep it very simple and write it in physically achievable terms.  See how I was able to write the WANT in THREE words each time.  Try to keep it minimal.‘

The WANT compels the character to action. Having a strong WANT will give you a very big clue as to how to construct an effective TASK.  Using a strong want to create a strong TASK will compel YOU to action.

By answer this question with the ‘DO’, it makes the WANT something tangible.  However, remember that the WANT is something that the fictional character desires, something that drives them, their motivating force.

The reason that the ‘Method’ actor looks silly asking ‘What’s my motivation for this scene’ is that the motivation is provided by the playwright for the character alone.  You will never have the same desire as the character in the play.  The WANT is not yours, it is a target for the character and although the audience may be aware of it through the writing of the script, your job is to find a strong and fun TASK that  aims to capture it.

Your character’s desire is the reason that they are in the scene in the first place.
All character’s have a WANT.  Your job is to discover the most practical WANT for the scene.

To You, The Best!

Mark Westbrook
Senior Acting Coach
ACTING COACH SCOTLAND


Like What You Read? Want to Read More? Mark's eBook is available here
Looking for Acting Classes in Glasgow? Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach and runs Acting Coach Scotland, a private acting studio offering acting classes in Glasgow, masterclasses, workshops and audition coaching for actors at all levels. His acting studio is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although he teaches all across the United Kingdom. All Blog Posts © Mark Westbrook 2011

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100 Tips on Acting – Part 6

51)THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH TRAINING
52)WORK SMARTER AND HARDER What can you do to go the extra mile?
53)MAKE FRIENDS WITH STAGE MANAGEMENT
54)DON’T GOSSIP ABOUT YOUR FELLOW ACTORS
55)DON’T SLEEP WITH YOUR CO-STAR
56)TOURS ARE BORING – LEARN A LANGUAGE, READ, WRITE, PRACTICE YOGA
57)ASK QUESTIONS
58)BE THE FIRST TO VOLUNTEER FOR EVERYTHING
59)LEARN TO ACT BEFORE YOU THINK
60)YOU CANNOT ACT IN-SPITE OF THE PLAY, WORK WITH WHAT YOU ARE GIVEN

Tags: Acting Advice, Acting Coach Scotland, Acting Tips, Advice for Actors, Mark Westbrook

100 Tips on Acting – Part 5

41) CHARACTER IS WHAT YOU DO, WHAT ACTIONS YOU TAKE You are what you do
42) THE BADDIE RARELY CONSIDERS THEMSELVES A BADDIE
43) DO NOTHING UNTIL SOMETHING MAKES YOU DO IT Avoid contrivance
44) MONOLOGUES ARE THE HARDEST AND MOST DEMANDING PERFORMANCE AND REQUIRE THE MOST WORK
45)WHEN YOU CHANGE A HABIT OR LEARN SOMETHING NEW – IT ALWAYS FEELS AWKWARD AND WRONG It’s always that way
46)DO NOT LISTEN TO THE CRITICS They exist to sell newspapers
47)BE KIND, BE COURTEOUS AND BE WILLING TO DO MORE THAN REQUIRED
48)NOBODY LIKES A SHOW OFF But don’t be afraid to shine
49)NOBODY LIKES A KISS ASS But do more than you are asked.
50)STOP TRYING SO HARD IN THE SCENE/AUDITION

Tags: Acting Coach, Mark Westbrook, tips for actors, Tips on Acting

100 Tips on Acting – Part 4

Part 4:
31) BREATHE Or you will die and so will your performance.
32) BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR CHOICES AND DECISIONS Generality is the enemy of art
33) TALENT WON’T HELP YOU WHEN YOU’RE STUCK Get technique
34) THEY ALWAYS WANT STAFF AT SAINSBURY’S You don’t HAVE to do this
35) YOU ARE YOUR INSTRUMENT, IF YOU’RE NOT IN TOP FORM, THERE’S ONLY ONE PERSON TO BLAME
36) BE IN THE MOMENT
37) HOLD THE MOMENT Leave a moment or two at the end of the scene
38) DON’T JUDGE YOUR CHARACTER
39) TENSION WILL KILL YOUR PERFORMANCE Learn to perform at your ease
40) HOLD SOMETHING BACK Don’t give everything, hold a little in reserve

Tags: Acting Coach, Acting Teacher Glasgow, Best Amazon Deals, Mark Westbrook

100 Tips on Acting Part 3

If you’re planning to jump start your acting career in 2009, why not check out the third part of my 100 Tips on Acting.

21)STOP LEANING/STOOP FORWARD – STAND UP STRAIGHTIt’s a habitual mannerism
22)WHAT YOU PRACTICE YOU WILL PERFORM
23)STOP FLAPPING YOUR ARMS LIKE A PENGUIN It’s a habitual mannerism
24)LISTEN TO THE DIRECTOR Whether right or wrong, they’re paying your rent
25)LEARN THE LINES AS THEY ARE WRITTEN
26)STAY LATE It buys you Brownie points
27)DON’T ADD YOUR OWN WORDS The playwright is an artist
28)DON’T TELL OTHER ACTORS WHAT DO IN THE SCENE It’s the height of rudeness, get on with your own job
29)WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERS NOT SAYING TO EACH OTHER? Seek the subtext
30)LEAVE YOURSELF SOMEWHERE TO GO Don’t start the scene at the end

Tags: 100 Tips on Acting, Mark Westbrook

100 Tips on Acting Part 2

This is the latest part (2) in my series 100 Tips on Acting

11) ACTING IS MOVING THE AUDIENCE, NOT THE ACTOR
12) SHOUTING ISN’T ACTING When you shout, you become weaker
13) LOOK FOR OPPOSITES If the character is brave show the fear too
14) WHAT DOES YOUR CHARACTER WANT THE OTHER CHARACTER TO DO?
15) EXPRESS THE POSITIVE Not what they don’t want, but what they do
16) EMOTION CANNOT BE FAKED They look fake because they are fake
17) EMOTION IS A BYPRODUCT OF THE PURSUIT OF ACTION
18) THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE PREPARATION
19) DO NOT PUT YOUR HANDS IN YOUR POCKETS If you are thinking about your hands, you are not trying to get your Essential Action.
20) STOP SWAYING It’s a habitual mannerism

Tags: Acting Coach Scotland, Mark Westbrook, Tips on Acting

100 Tips on Acting – Part 1

1)BE AUDIBLE If you cannot be heard, you may as well not be there.
2)LEARN YOUR LINES This is the minimum you can do for your wages.
3)LEARN THE LINES UNINFLECTED Don’t become a robot
4)SHOW UP EARLY Courtesy costs nothing
5)BE STILL Unintentional movement blurs the stage picture.
6)THE AUDIENCE DO THE PRETENDING Actors do not pretend.
7)ACTING IS ACTION OR DOING Not thinking, Not pretending to do or be.
8 TALKING ABOUT REHEARSING IS TO ACTING AS FISH ARE TO BOXING
9)GET COMFORTABLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE Get used to it being uncomfortable.
10)THE AUDIENCE CAN’T SEE WHAT YOU’RE THINKING Get out of your head

Tags: Acting, acting is doing, line learning