Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television

Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television Features

Additional Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television Information

Directing Actors is a method for establishing creative, collaborative relationships with actors, getting the most out of rehearsals, troubleshooting poor performances, and giving directions that are briefer and easier to follow.

The following issues are discussed:
* what constitutes a good performance
* what actors want from a director
* what directors do wrong
* script analysis and preparation
* how actors work
* the director/actor relationship

Directing Actors is the first book of its kind. Judith investigates in detail the sometimes painful, often frustrating, but potentially exhilarating relationship between actor and director. It provides simple, practical tools that directors and actors can use immediately - and takes the reader on a journey through the complexities of the creative process itself.

Although one chapter is entitled 'Result Direction and Quick Fixes', the tools and suggestions of the book are now superficial band-aids or facile jargon; they are radical excursions into the perhaps most misunderstood artistic collaboration - that of director with actor.

Judith Weston brings to this book twenty years of professional acting and nine years of teaching Acting for Directors. Her students include academy Awards and Emmy winning directors, writers and producers of studio and independent feature films, television episodics and MOWs.

KEY FEATURES:
* The first book to directly address directors about working with actors
* Offers practical techniques in managing the director/actor relationship

What Customers Say About Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television:

It was an engrossing, fun read for me. Directing is psychology.

Even before you get into all the technical stuff, this is what you need to be reading because directing is a relationship.not a means of authority, which a couple reviewers seem to think it may be. In short, this is the first text someone interested in directing should read.

This books gives practical advice and insight on being a good DIRECTOR. What this book goes over, very well, is the relationship between director and actor and how best to cultivate a creative and productive working relationship.

If a director doesn't know how to give and take, when to speak, when to shut up, how to approach, etc.they're not really directing, they're just being a dictator. This books helps you understand how to use insight into yourself, the actors, people and life in general, and translate that to direction that is far from directing for a result and instead is directing for a communion between you and the actors, actor and actor, actor and story.

I'd pick it up.

Writers can even benefit from this book by understanding how theirs scripts are broken down, analyzed, and delivered and how a stumble in acting may truly fall back on the words on the page. Any examples given serve the case-in-point directly.

YOU WILL BE HAPPY YOU DID.If you are involved with film or television production, you MUST read this book. BUY THIS BOOK.

There is virtually no filler. I have been studying acting and directing for over two years now and this book is such a solid, thorough explanation of how actors work and how best to communicate with them as a director.

Chapter by chapter I can recall how we touched on this or that in class or in my other studies and it has amounted to quite an impressive collection of technique, advice, anecdotes and examples, indeed. Some pitfalls are addressed in most areas and explanations are given as to why they occur and why and how they are best avoided.

This book will equip you with a knowledge of most ubiquitous technique and terminology such that you can fashion your own approach to each new role as either an actor or as a director who will help your actors deliver the best they can.Five Stars, hands-down.I am seriously considering purchasing a backup copy, this book is THAT GOOD.

The book offered a few good concepts regarding the interaction between directors and actors.It seemed to be a little heavy on the philosophy. It gave many great examples and explanations on how to talk to actors with certain type words. I would have to say that was the heart of the book, developing a certain way to talk with actors.

This is pretty much the gold standard in performance directing books. If you have other books you're contemplating , end the struggle here. This is your guide. Always strive to learn from someone who's been in the trenches.Learn how not to give result based direction, which will end the majority of your strugglesin your relationships with actors.

The best primer on process-driven communication between directors and actors that gets results. Weston conducts class and workshops in the US and Europe. Highly recommended.