The Fastest Way to Learn Lines is Slow
Imagine this: you’ve just been given a script for a self-tape by your agent. Hallelujah! It’s been ages! God I hope I get it! It’s six pages long. It’s full of big words you don’t ever use in normal conversation. And, among your other jobs, you have to learn the script and produce the self-tape […]
One key to make your acting more realistic
Let’s have some fun: I want to pass on to you a simple technical tool for preparing a scene that I learned at grad school – if you add this to your work I bet it will: make your acting sound better make your acting feel better make you more intimidating if you need to […]
Self-taping secret: reveal your character with this simple technique
I was inspired to throw this simple assignment at you after working with a young actor. Work with me on this, and if you put these concepts into your work, I’m pretty sure your self-tapes will be more effective. I’m an actor who also coaches actors, and I recently worked with a very talented young […]
JUST TALK TO ME: An actor’s breakthrough
I must share a breakthrough last night while coaching a very talented young actor, because I think it will help actors of ANY age. It has to do with authenticity in acting. If that’s what you aspire to, read on. First a snippet from the book, Cassavetes on Cassavetes, where the actor and director John […]
The One Thing to Forget About During a TV Commercial Audition
Here’s what I learned myself about one thing to leave out of the audition room. It was an accident! But I was ready for it to happen. And if you find auditions challenging, I think it might help you too. Just came away from a commercial audition in London (that’s a TV advert for my […]
The One Most Important Thing to Bring into the Audition Room
It’s audition day. You’ve scored your scene, you’ve learned your lines, you’ve developed the muscle memory of the performance. Still, you’re nervous. The one inescapable fact is that you’re about to go into a room seeking something from someone else – whether it’s an acting job or a place in a performing arts school. At […]
OWN THE PROCESS: Lessons learned from an inspiring English football manager
On this Independence Day, celebrated in my native country, I’m joining everyone all over my adopted island as we celebrate England’s football victory last night over Colombia. And no…I ain’t calling it soccer anymore. Last night was the UK’s Day of Independence from the bondage of fear, self-doubt and pessimism. It all came down to […]
What are you fighting for? Hacking a flat scene.
As an actor, have you ever wondered why a scene that you’re working on seems flat? And what to do about it? Read on, because Neuro Acting might have a remedy. My students (aged 11-16) are in their final weeks of rehearsing scenes before we turn them into short films, and they’re doing terrific work […]
Audition Pep Talk 1: ALTERED ATTITUDES
SCENE: You climb the stairs and reach the top. You open the door on the right. And there they sit – like 26 identical Agent Smiths, all staring at you – willing you to die. And in a chorus, they say, “Welcome Neo, to the Audition Matrix.” BLACKOUT. I’ve often wanted to write a ‘pep […]