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Question:
Dear Judith, I am very young to the world of film directing and I read your book ( directing actors), and it was exactly the information I was looking for. Unfortunately film school left me dissatisfied with education and it left me with the hunger for more practice working with actors and understanding what the directors role more. What are some good ways to practice these things on a very regular basis, as someone at the very beginning of the journeyI find myself stuck in a loop of doing more production work if I want to direct more than anything. Thank you for reading!
- William Sims ( )
Reply:
Question:
Dear Judith,I have an idea I'd like to ask your opinion on. In the case of a love story in which the actor can't work well off his love interest leading lady, what if we brought in his wife or loved one to stand beside the camera so he could deliver his lines with sincere affection?
Thanks so much!
- Robert ( )
Reply:
Hello Robert. Thanks for your question. Usually actors do this kind of work -- it's often called "substitution" -- via their own imaginations. You could ask the actor if he thinks this tactic might be worth trying. But, to be honest, the most helpful thing would be to have cast actors who are responsive to each other. If it's too late for that, I would take each actor aside and tell them frankly there is a problem in their connection, and that it needs to be resolved in order for the story to work. I don't quite understand an actor who say he "can't work well off his love interest leading lady" -- if he took the role, that's his job. You may need to tell him, tactfully but firmly, that you need him to step up. Best wishes, JudithQuestion:
Hey Judith, Paul Tamasy here. You and I used to teach children at UCLA's Bruin Kids together. Congrats on all of your success. I went on to write movies, including one that earned some Oscars and I'm now directing my first feature in August in Thailand. The script was originally written by Dennis Lehane. I was hired to rewrite it. I'm presently reading your book. Can I arrange a consultation with you before I depart? I tried going through your Contact page but it was only allowing me to use my son's email address.- Paul Tamasy ( )
Reply:
Dear Paul -- I'm so sorry that I didn't see this post from you until today! The best way to contact me about a consultation is via email at john@judithweston.com. In the meanwhile, I'm sending you an email to the address you included. And -- I'm so thrilled to hear of your successes! I send you big hugs and very best wishes, JudithQuestion:
Hello Judith. My name is Natalia (I'm from Poland) and acting has been my passion since I can remember. From kindergarten through high school, I took part in school theater, often getting lead roles in plays. At home I dress up for my family and friends, and performed in front of them, I loved reciting poetry, I won awards for the best actress in the school theater. Unfortunately, then disaster hit, I fell ill with severe bipolar depression, which I have been struggling with since childhood, but the biggest crisis came at the age of 18, just when every young person plans the future. And it destroyed me. Took me many years to fight this illness and that's why I didn't realize my dream of becoming an actress.Today I am 35 years old and finally, I have my depression under control. And I still have a big dream of becoming an actress, I can't live without it. I read/ heard from a lot of people to never give up. I know that show business, especially for women, is very hard, especially when someone starts so late. However, I want to consult a specialist on this matter, someone who knows the movie/film environment inside out. Therefore, could you please offer any advice on how to start acting at this age, do I still have a chance for success as an actress, is it possible at 35 ? I mean a career in television or movies. Is it too late at this age? I will be very grateful for your advice. Thank you very much!
- Natalia ( )
Reply:
Hello Natalia. I believe that taking acting classes is a wonderful thing for anyone to do. Acting class, with a good teacher, opens your heart and your imagination. Learning to act is worth doing at any age and I hope you will pursue it. But it seems as though you may be asking a different question. If you are asking whether you will have a successful career in television or movies, I'm afraid I can't answer that. I wish you all the best, JudithQuestion:
Dear JudithThank you so much for this opportunity to ask you questions.
How do you direct or guide actors in scenes when they are the only character in the scene?
I feel a lot of the instructions are around actors affecting each other - but what happens when the actor is there in the scene by themselves?
You write "A moment means the actors stop each other, and affect each other." (p-134)
How does an actor affect themselves?
What does a director say to guide an actor though these scenes?
In an interview you also relate how Meryl Streep is asked, "How much of your performance do you get from the other actor?" Meryl Streep replies, "All of it".
https://youtu.be/luA6mGAXw2s?t=1991
So what happens when there's no other actor? Where does her performance come from?
Thank you
P.S.
May I suggest a couple of examples of scenes where the character is by themselves:
Someone on a bench overlooking the sea, thinking about their son who has committed suicide a few days earlier?
Or someone who is sitting online in a café waiting for their date who is late and eventually never turns up.
Of course, please use any other example you may like to use.
- Walter Lee ( )
Reply:
Hi Walter! Thanks for your question. You actually answer your question yourself by the examples you suggest of an actor who is playing the only character in a scene. In those scenes, even though there is no other actor, the lone character is still in a relationship. The parent staring out to sea whose son has committed suicide a few days earlier, is still in a relationship with that son. She may be having a silent dialogue with him, begging him for answers; she may be replaying in her mind memories of events from the past. Those memories might produce waves of guilt; or they might produce feelings of comfort and the beginning of healing. The person waiting for their date is of course imagining all the reasons the date might be late -- all the way from in a car accident to having changed their mind about coming. In other words, the actor uses their imagination. In the chapter on Listening in the new edition of my book (Directing Actors 25th Anniversary Edition, which came out in April 2021), I talk in more detail about this. But to reply to your question about "how to direct or guide actors in scenes where they are the only character" I would say -- always start by asking them what they need from you, or what ideas they already have. Or better yet, let them first try the scene without any direction. Best wishes, JudithQuestion:
Dear JudithThank you for sharing your insights in your books, it’s truly uplifting and inspiring from beginning to end.
Do you have a recommendation for reading about script writing techniques?
Best wishes
/André
- André Gustafson ( )
Reply:
Thank you, Andre, for your kind words! There are so many books on screenplay writing techniques! My publisher, mwp.com, has published a great many very good ones, so I'd suggest you go to their website. But I also always recommend to new screenwriters that you devote yourself at the same time to revisiting fundamentals of storytelling -- and for that I recommend these two books: "If You Want to Write" by Brenda Ueland, and "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg. Best wishes, JudithQuestion:
Thank you so much Judith for this opportunity to ask you questions.On page 135 of Directing Actors, you write, "Emotional events for characters can be wins or losses, discoveries, choices or mistakes - not realisations or reactions, which are not playable."
Can you please help me understand why "realisations or reactions" are not playable?
I would have thought that a reaction is playable?
For example, the character reacts to the other character pushing her or telling her their mother has died, for example.
- Walter Lee ( )
Reply:
Hello Walter! Thank you for your question. I agree that the sentence you are quoting -- from the original edition of Directing Actors, which was published in 1996 -- was unclear. Over the years, the subject of "emotional event" has been the one I get the most questions about. And there isn't one quick answer! That's one of the main reasons why I wrote the 25th Anniversary Edition, which came out in April 2021. There are revisions to the whole book, but especially the chapters on Tools/Choices, Emotional Event, Script Analysis, and Rehearsal. Plus a new chapter added about Directing Children. I believe Emotional Event is the most important tool of the director, so I put a major effort into approaching the topic from as many different angles as I could, using many new examples. Best wishes, JudithQuestion:
Dear Judith,Thanks so much for your teaching! I've read your first "Directing Actors" many times over and learned so much!
Could you please offer any advice on how to convince a professional actor to work opposite a non-actor? I've heard that professionals often resent being cast together with non-actors or even with talented but inexperienced newbies.
- ROBERT ( )
Reply:
Thank you, Robert. First I need to tell you that there are legitimate reasons why a professional actor might not want to work opposite an inexperienced one! The first and foremost being that the non-professional actor might not even show up to set! Acting involves a craft, and a work ethic. I invite you to reframe your question - instead of asking how can I convince a professional actor to do something they don't want to do, why not explain to them your reasons why you think this non-professional actor is the best casting for the role? and ask the professional actor how he/she feels about it? And whether the professional actor has any thoughts about how to make the scene work with the non-professional actor you have cast? Good actors are focused on *making the scene work*. Best wishes, Robert. JudithQuestion:
Hi Judith!Hope you're doing well! I'd like to ask your opinion on this idea. Since we can't expect an actor to re-create a moment we loved in rehearsal by simply requesting a re-do of the result, what if we ask the actor what she was thinking of in that moment, writing it down so as to be able later to re-enact the effect by re-enacting it's inner cause (the thought or feeling that originally inspired her)?
- ROBERT ( )
Reply:
Thank you Robert. One of the skills that I think is so helpful for directors is to be able to "mirror back" to the actor what they were doing - but in playable terms instead of result terms. The thing is that when actors do their very best work - the work that directors want them to replicate on the set - they often have NO IDEA what they were thinking - because they were in the moment! So it can be helpful if the *director* can make a note, during a rehearsal or casting session, of what they liked. For example, perhaps that the actor was *demanding* instead of *begging*. Or maybe the actor was playing the scene "as if" it was an intimate moment even though it takes place during a business meeting. It takes a lot of experience (and trial and error!) to be able to develop this skill. That's why I strongly believe that directors should develop their craft with "practice rehearsals" before they use any of the techniques that I suggest in my book - or they come up with themselves - on a professional set. Best wishes, JudithQuestion:
Hello Judith. My name is Iván I'm a Mexican film student is a honor to meet you. I start reading the Directing Actors and changed my life. And I just got the Directing Actors 25th anniversary and I'm about to start reading. I start writing about a woman finds a child from the street. What is the best advice to direct a kid?- Iván Palacios ( )
Reply:
Hello Iván. Thank you for reaching out and for your kind words. I hope you are finding the 25th Anniversary Edition helpful. Have you gotten yet to Chapter Eleven, on Directing Children? One of the things I'm proudest of about this new edition is that it contains a brand-new chapter on Directing Children. After you read that chapter, please write again and let me know what questions you still have. Warmest wishes, JudithQuestion:
Hi Judith!I had an idea on how a director could encourage listening. I'd like to ask your opinion on it. I would ask each scene partner to tell me between takes if the other actor was listening or not. No one would be in a better position to see the subtleties a distant director might not catch! And this would be not just another pair of eyes for the director, but also a strong motivation for every actor to listen, knowing he's being watched at close range. There's even a third benefit: the "observer" will be concentrating on his partner's face with the "task" of detecting signs of listening, signs of his affecting him. Wouldn't that be great? What do you think?
- Robert ( )
Reply:
Thank you, Robert. This idea reminds me of something I sometimes do in rehearsal. I sometimes give the actors permission to say to the other actor, "I don't believe you," or "Why did you say that," during rehearsal, anytime they have that impulse. But I only do an exercise like that if I know that the actors trust me. Actors are often protective of each other and I think you need to be aware that they might have a negative reaction to your idea - because they might feel that you are asking them to "rat each other out." Actually the actors should not be evaluating each other's performance - they should be absorbing and reverberating to their character's emotional situation, and responding to whatever they are receiving from their partner. I suggest that you only try your idea if you first ask the actors how they feel about trying it. I also think you should *practice* with this idea in "practice rehearsals" before you try it in a professional situation. I also suggest that you take an acting class yourself, in order to deepen your understanding of actors' vulnerabilities. Take care, Robert, and best wishes, JudithQuestion:
Hello,I was inquiring about taking acting lessons?
I was on Clubhouse and someone mentioned you,
That you were a great coach.
Just wanted to know if you do? :)
Thank you
- Emanda Acevedo ( )
Reply:
Dear Emanda, Thank you so much for your question and your kind words. I'm afraid I am no longer teaching classes for actors. I ran a studio for 30 years and taught several different kinds of acting workshops. But I closed my studio in 2015. I have continued doing one-on-one consultations. But - since the pandemic the only coaching I do is via Zoom - and I discovered the only way I could be effective in Zoom consultations was with directors or writer-directors. The search for the right acting coach can take a while. I do believe that the amount you can learn in a Zoom acting class is very limited - some acting studios are opening up for in-person classes and you should visit as many as you can so you can find the one that's right for you. My impression is that the reputable acting studios are requiring students to be vaccinated. In the meanwhile, I suggest you read my book - Directing Actors 25th Anniversary Edition - it's intended for actors as well as directors. The new 25th Anniversary Edition came out in April and has information and encouragement for actors that I hope you will find helpful. All my best, JudithQuestion:
Hi Judith,I'm working through your "Directing Actors" book at the moment, and you recommend directors to take an acting class. I am quite keen but wondering what "style" or "method" of class to take? Also, I imagine you would recommend doing courses in the flesh rather than over the internet? If you have any recommendations for particular teachers in the Melbourne, Australia region, that would be helpful too.
Thanks, really enjoying the Audible narration by yourself as well.
Regards,
Chris
- Chris Michaelides ( )
Reply:
Dear Chris. Thank you so much for your question. Yes, I do believe that directors can benefit tremendously from taking an acting class. I'm afraid I don't have any recommendations for particular teachers in Melbourne - but I am sure there are good ones there. You must do the "leg-work" to seek them out. I do feel that anyone who is beginning acting training, whether as an actor or as a director, can benefit from the Meisner Technique - because it prioritizes "listening," that is, the connection between an actor and their scene partner. Listening/connection/responsiveness to one's acting partner is the most important foundation of acting that feels real and believable to an audience. In response to your question about acting courses "in the flesh" versus over the internet - I have to say that it is very difficult to teach anything important about acting over the internet. I know Australia is under lockdown again right now, so we have to do the best we can! As it happens, I will be doing a free webinar for Australian actors and filmmakers later this month. The organizer is Serhat Caradee. He can be reached at serhat@bonafidepictures.com.au. Sending you all my best, JudithQuestion:
Hi Judith,I was part of the zoom meeting today. I thought of some questions...
1. What do you mean by "'Emotional' event'? Do you just mean the event of the scene? The 'what happens in the scene? The scene's raison d'etre? The discovery? The revelation? The change in status between two characters? The climax of the scene? The outcome of the scene?
2. Why is perfectly acceptable to rehearse a play as an ensemble for a month for a weekend run on a $10 show.... yet, the expected working conditions for a multi-million dollar film are for the actors to show up on the day with lines memorized, expected to repeat the exact same thing that happened in an audition weeks earlier, but perhaps now they have been coached by some overpriced acting guru who knows nothing about the story... go to makeup and then sit and wait all morning by themselves in a trailor, then to suddently rehearse the scene as quickly as possible for blocking purposes, then to shoot the scene one shot at a time like it is part of a factory assembly line, while usually staring a piece of tape on the camera matte box for an eyeline because the star doens't want to be there, and hope it all works out in the edit?
Why hasn't it become common sense for a director to rehearse film actors one small step at a time weeks or months prior to filming, like on a retreat atmosphere... where actors get a feel for each other.... where they can collaboratively work on the role with the director and build trust, to gradually learn lines through improvisation, to develop a sense of play through trial and error with the scenes, to explore the emotional events, and to develop a grounded sense of what the story is about and how to execute it?
To even bring in the DP and explore shooting plans on an iPhone in a tension free exploratory shoot instead of trying to figure it all out while a huge crew on payroll twiddles their thumbs and rental trucks line city streets burning money by the minute?
Not a question by my two cents:
For the directors who wanted to know how to deal with onset arguments... it seems they were basically wanting to know how to get an actor to do what they want instead of what the actor wants. Unless the director can immediately say, we can't do that becuase there is going to be a CGI monster standing in the doorway or something practical like that.... It feels like a control issue on their part (unless the actor is literally changing the story). The underlying issue with most creative arguments are the actor doesn't trust the director, and without trust, there is choas. The best thing to do is to collaborate and capitalize on the creative input and say 'Wait, don't tell me, show me (or even just film it). Then see how it plays out, and then make adjustments and try different things. See where it takes you. Maybe the actor will prove it to himself that his or her idea sucks and needs help, and will look to the director for guidance. If the director takes the argumenat approach, by the time they have finished arguing, and everyone has calmed down and gotten back to working, they could have shot the scene five different ways and broke for lunch...it's probably video anyway so why not?
Matt
- Matt Pulliam ( )
Reply:
Dear Matt. Thank you for coming to the Zoom event. I love doing Zoom Q&As - but of course there are always many questions we don't get to... As for your question #1 - what is emotional event? - all of your proposals are valid! The term "emotional event" is one that I invented but that other people refer to by different terms. I did everything I could think of to describe it - from every angle - in my new book Directing Actors 25th Anniversary Edition. It's a challenging concept but one that, when absorbed, will change a person who *wants to be* a director into one who is able to "think like a director." Your topic #2 sounds a bit more like a rant than a question - but I think I understand where you are coming from. "Conventional wisdom" can be depressing and even dangerous if one is committed to create something of artistry and purpose. Of course I support rehearsal and exploration rather than shallow expedience! I am sending you all my best wishes, JudithQuestion:
Congratulations on the 25th Anniversary Edition of Directing Actors. What did you notice differently writing this edition?- Dave Watson ( )
Reply:
Thanks for asking this—because I followed an unusual process writing this book! In April 2019 I was approached to make an audiobook of the original Directing Actors, which came out in 1996. I’d always wanted to do an audio version and voice it myself—but at this point, so many years after the book had been written, it felt like it needed updating. So the audiobook, which came out in September 2019, is different from the original paperback. Then Michael said, let’s do a new print edition—it’s perfect timing for a 25th anniversary edition. At first I thought it would be a matter of sprucing up the punctuation from the audiobook text—but then I decided to work with an editor (E. Amato—she is great!) and go all out on a complete revision and updating of the original book. I’d been teaching throughout the 25 years since the original book was written and had so much more to say. The 25th Anniversary Edition expands and deepens the central concepts of the original, with many more, completely updated examples and references. And it contains a lot of new material—a totally reworked chapter on Emotional Event; a scene from The Matrix used for a Script Analysis demonstration; a more detailed Rehearsal chapter, to guide directors in learning how to rehearse; a brand new chapter on Directing Children. I hope it will be clarifying for readers of the original and helpful to a whole new generation of directors, actors, and writers.Question:
Dear Judith,Thanks so much for your teaching and your availability here! Could you please offer any advice on how a director could help an actor overcome ingrained mannerisms like raising a shoulder after every phrase or flashing telegraphic smiles?
Robert
- Robert ( )
Reply:
Hello Robert! Thank you for your question. I am wondering -- does this person do this in real life or only while "acting"? Because if they don't do it in real life, it seems to me you could take them aside (out of earshot of everyone else!) and mention it to them in a kindly way. Like saying that you've noticed certain behaviors that they don't do in real life. Then you could ask them whether the shoulder movements and smiles are a choice for the character, or whether perhaps they get nervous when the camera is rolling? If it's nervousness, then you can assure them that you are very happy you've cast them and you want them to be as much life their real self when the camera is rolling as they are when the camera is off. If, on the other hand, they also have these mannerisms in real life, then I suggest you not mention anything to the actor. Sending all my best wishes, JudithQuestion:
Hi Judith, I am an actress, I am almost finished reading your book 'Directing Actors' and started 'The Film Directors Intuition' both are great and so helpful. I am wondering if you still offer acting classes online at all?Thanks so much,
A
- arden ( )
Reply:
Hi Arden! Thanks for your question. I'm so glad you are finding my books helpful—they are meant for actors as well as directors. I'm afraid I no longer offer acting classes. I stopped in 2015 when I closed my studio. Deciding who to study with is a very personal choice. I suggest that you do lots of research—talk to actor friends and visit as many websites and studios as you can, to find the one that’s best for you. I've been told that online acting classes can be useful—and hopefully acting classes will soon be able to meet in personal. I will not be teaching classes for actors either online or in person, but I am currently giving Zoom Q&As with no paywall—the way to find out about them is to follow me on one of my social media platforms. I hope to meet you (virtually) and I wish you all the best! JudithQuestion:
Hi Judith! My name is Zacil Canales. I am a Mexican film student and I recently started listening to your audiobook. I am a huge fan of it. I had previously read the paperback version but as i'm about to direct my first shortfilm I wanted to refresh my memory and relive the experience. I admire you so much, I haven’t found anything more clarifying than your words.I would like to ask you if you had any advice for directing a horror film. Fear is a sensation that, in my opinion, is very difficult to act upon. How can I make an actor have that adrenaline rush that fear generates? What verbs or actions can be given? How can I help my actors?
Thank you so much in advance! I’ll never stop recommending your work, I’m a huge fan✨
- Zacil Canales ( )
Reply:
Hello Zacil,Thank you for your kind words about the audiobook! It makes me very happy to know that you find it helpful. And thank you for your question.
I think this is a casting issue. I don't think it's the director's job to be able to make an actor have that adrenaline rush. At least not if you are working with trained, experienced actors. Professional actors have their ways of getting to these difficult emotional places. You can ask them if they have concerns about the role or about the scene to be shot and work with them as collaborators.
If you have cast someone who does not have training or experience in acting, that's a different story. So, really, my best recommendation is that you cast experienced actors. If there is an important reason why you want to cast an inexperienced person, make sure there is something special about them, that they have emotional intelligence and maturity, and then try different strategies and work something out together.
I send you all my best wishes,
Judith