Studying Charlie Chaplin helped me to understand physical acting. How to embody a character. But it was the realization that for the most part good acting comes down to a certain level of twitchiness... tensing the eyes at the right time, the fraction of a second snarl, subtle tiny movements that people don't usually think about because they occur naturally. Go back and watch some of your favorite actors, odds are you notice those twitchy micro expessions, really study the actors subtle little twitches. Then watch bad acting and note the lack of such subtle nuances.
In my acting experience (lots, but no big movie roles, but a lot of masterclasses and lessons etc), it’s about becoming the character.
“Method acting” is really the main kind of acting. Setting aside all the flashy “I’m the joker even off set” stuff, it’s about understanding the character, their background, their motivations, their temperament. You have to set aside “You”, and become the kind of character/person who would do X thing.
Why would a mother be willing to risk her life and even her values for her child? 🤔 what would such a character be capable of?
Or a cowardly character, what is their main driving force? Self preservation? Even at the cost of betraying your friends? How would they think? How would they move?
It’s all about exploring different roles and temperaments. :) playing pretend, like with imaginary objects and places that aren’t visually there, but emotionally there. An actor shouldn’t need the flashy car explosions to express the true fear of dying—so it’s paramount that they get into the scene mentally and emotionally.
“In the zone”, “flowstate”. When doing certain scenes, even if im just in front of a camera or class in an otherwise empty room, if you did it right, an emotionally charged scene should leave you moved. Fearful, tearful, shaky, anxious, whatever emotions you’re trying to convey. It’s best if you really can BECOME that character. You cant just decide “oh i know this character is stupid but that’s dumb so im going to do whatever i want”. You have to be willing to understand your character, even if they do things you never would.
This is what lets an actor get into their character to the point that you’re not rehearsing your movements and “lip quivers”, it’s real. It’s not about timing an eye twitch.
It’s about feeling so driven with emotion that the twitch happens because of it.
I hope that explains it a bit! 😁 there’s always more to it but that’s how actors do it.
Ive seen scene partners be too preoccupied about whether the camera gets their “good side” or if they look pretty as they cry, and it’s obvious, every time.
Sure, but again good actors achieve the twitchiness. Acting is emoting, emotions express themselves as subtle twitches, an involuntary catch in the throat as you speak. If you ain't twitching nobody cares.
There are many bad actors who think that conveying intensity just requires them to look rapidly from one eye to the other (of the person they’re talking to) repeatedly. It’s so vampire diaries.
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u/False_Cookie8226 1d ago
Studying Charlie Chaplin helped me to understand physical acting. How to embody a character. But it was the realization that for the most part good acting comes down to a certain level of twitchiness... tensing the eyes at the right time, the fraction of a second snarl, subtle tiny movements that people don't usually think about because they occur naturally. Go back and watch some of your favorite actors, odds are you notice those twitchy micro expessions, really study the actors subtle little twitches. Then watch bad acting and note the lack of such subtle nuances.