The Great Acting Blog: "Poetic Acting In Noirish Project"

As many of you probably already know, filming began on Noirish Project recently, and, generally, it went very smoothly. We all had worked together before, and we all wanted to work on this material, which created, despite the early start on a cold February morning, a very happy, productive camp. It was also my first opportunity to try out my notion of “poetic acting” (which I outlined here). In a nut shell, poetic acting requires austerity on the part of the actor, aswell as simplicity and discipline, rather than forcing things, he simply allows moments and expressions to “pop out” of his performance, as a by-product of his attempt to do his action. Poetic acting also requires pared-back camera work, and minimal editing,  as this clears the way for those organic moments and expressions to become significant – such subtleties would be lost without this minimalism. The object of poetic acting is to offer the viewer the chance to interpret the behaviour of the characters they see upon the screen, using those momentary expressions created by the actor as signs.  This invites the viewer to engage more intensely with the scene, and witness hidden truths, witness that which is not manifest in the script. This does require  the viewer to pay acute attention to what he is watching, and clearly the minimalist filmmaking helps by offering the minimum of distraction.

The script is very gentle and slight, which requires the acting to be likewise, and again, this is in order to  give precedence to small moments. Ironically however, I find this gentle form of acting enormously challenging, it’s more natural for me to play high drama or (sometimes) high comedy. If I don’t feel as though I’m hurling my very soul at a brick wall as forcefully as I can, then I don’t think I’m doing any work. However, when I reviewed the scenes we had done, the little moments, which are so important to the film, were certainly present, and shockingly so at times. This has certainly re-enforced my belief in the aesthetic we are employing, and hopefully, we will see it strengthen and produce even more vivid results as the production progresses.

 

Next up, Billy and Jimmy get lost in the woods, which should be a lot of fun to do. We will be taking a slightly different approach this time, as the scenes are only sketched out in the script, and we will, on the day, improvise specific tragi-comic events, and then, the week after, we will be back to fully scripted scenes.

Tests For Noirish Project

"Re-Rehearsals"

Production on my new feature film, Noirish Project, will continue through March and April.

Meanwhile, a free download of short film, Prelude (To Noirish Project), can be got here.

 

We fully rehearsed scenes last month, only for the shooting of those scenes to be postponed due to snow. This week, we are in the odd position of having to re-rehearse those scenes, as we are shooting those same scenes next week. It’s odd because our original rehearsals had been rigorous, and we had reached the point where we were ready to do the performance proper. Now, all actors have a creative metabolism, which is to say that each actor has his own rhythm of work and knows how to time his development in rehearsals so that he peaks when the scenes are to be done for real. So when you reach that peak but the performance doesn’t happen, it creates an odd feeling when you have to come back to re-rehearse those scenes. Usually, once I’ve performed a scene and it’s done, I can let it go, and put it behind me, but these recent unperformed scenes still linger at the back of my mind, as I haven’t been able to go through the process of discharging them. As I approach this week’s rehearsals, there is a feeling of history in the air, there are ghosts, and they need to be exorcised.

How to approach these new re-rehearsals of old scenes then? Well, we do not need to go through the script analysis process, as that has already been done, and it will be just a question of re-focusing and reminding. After that, I think it is a question of forgetting about how we did it before, not re-heating that old work, but instead, just create afresh, using the same analysis to support and enable that. My feeling is, that once we’ve broken the seal as it were, the creative energy within us will be unlocked, and something new will emerge. Cobwebs will be blown away, then that sense of the old work still hanging around will dissipate.

Well, that’s the theory. Either way, we’ll find out soon enough.

Filming Resumes On Noirish Project Very Soon ....

The Great Acting Blog: "The Creative Process by Alfie Black"

Noirish Project was always going to be a different experience for me. This is my third film Collaboration with writer/director James Devereaux. For me, having the back story prepared for my role is always a necessity. It is this part of the creative process I enjoy the most, thinking like my character and working out his personality, right down to what he would wear. It may sound strange but I have always given less thought to the actual script. Obviously I would read and memorise the dialogue, but I would approach it with less energy. So when James told me our first rehearsal would consist of a script analysis, I was eager to become the student. Breaking down the scenes gave me a different understanding of what was happening to both the character and the story. We began with the obligatory first few rusty line readings. It always takes a few times to adapt to another actor saying the dialogue that you have only been hearing in your head. Once we were comfortable with the words, we filmed the scenes and watched them back. This was something I’d never really done before, working mainly in theatre I do not get to see my performance at any stage, so I was intrigued to see how this would influence my execution. Watching the playback it became evident I had given my safe, maybe lazy soap opera style acting. It was still honest and had some nice moments and maybe any other Director would have been satisfied with it, but Devereaux wanted to take me out of my comfort zone and delve deeper. To help me realise an action choice for the scene we used improvisations from my own past experiences to create a truth I could mirror within the character. I was confused by this new method at first and tried to fight it going in and out of my safety net, but once I relaxed and didn’t over think, Devereaux’s wax on wax off style training proved to deliver the goods. When we recommenced with the scenes I had a new confidence and began to enjoy saying the dialogue which also enhanced my performance. Why had I not been taught this way before? The difference on screen was incredible, I was already so proud of the film and this was only the rehearsals we were filming, roll on the shoot. Unfortunately due to severe weather conditions the filming had to be postponed. I was so disappointed, never before had I ever felt this ready and prepared for a role. As we were not filming James asked me if I would still like to shoot some footage and make use of our hard work. My first instinct was to play it safe and go back to bed, it was cold outside and I was feeling let down. This moment passed and I began to like the idea, I wanted to learn more about these characters. The first scene was an interior and it involved Billy arranging to meet Jimmy on the phone. The improvisation was a success, we shot it in one take. I was very comfortable with the character of Billy, the words oozed out with ease. I felt I knew everything about him and this was of course due to the intense rehearsal period. We continued to film throughout the day and I enjoyed every minute of it, sometimes with the pressures in the acting world you forget it can be fun. I was glad it snowed that weekend because we would have never created Prelude To Noirish Project. I am so pleased with the result and proud of what we have accomplished so far. I’m looking forward to filming Noirish Project, learning more and developing my craft even further.

The Great Acting Blog: "The Creative Process by Alfie Black"

 

Noirish Project was always going to be a different experience for me. This is my third film Collaboration with writer/director James Devereaux. For me, having the back story prepared for my role is always a necessity. It is this part of the creative process I enjoy the most, thinking like my character and working out his personality, right down to what he would wear. It may sound strange but I have always given less thought to the actual script. Obviously I would read and memorise the dialogue, but I would approach it with less energy. So when James told me our first rehearsal would consist of a script analysis, I was eager to become the student. Breaking down the scenes gave me a different understanding of what was happening to both the character and the story. We began with the obligatory first few rusty line readings. It always takes a few times to adapt to another actor saying the dialogue that you have only been hearing in your head. Once we were comfortable with the words, we filmed the scenes and watched them back. This was something I’d never really done before, working mainly in theatre I do not get to see my performance at any stage, so I was intrigued to see how this would influence my execution. Watching the playback it became evident I had given my safe, maybe lazy soap opera style acting. It was still honest and had some nice moments and maybe any other Director would have been satisfied with it, but Devereaux wanted to take me out of my comfort zone and delve deeper. To help me realise an action choice for the scene we used improvisations from my own past experiences to create a truth I could mirror within the character. I was confused by this new method at first and tried to fight it going in and out of my safety net, but once I relaxed and didn’t over think, Devereaux’s wax on wax off style training proved to deliver the goods. When we recommenced with the scenes I had a new confidence and began to enjoy saying the dialogue which also enhanced my performance. Why had I not been taught this way before? The difference on screen was incredible, I was already so proud of the film and this was only the rehearsals we were filming, roll on the shoot. Unfortunately due to severe weather conditions the filming had to be postponed. I was so disappointed, never before had I ever felt this ready and prepared for a role. As we were not filming James asked me if I would still like to shoot some footage and make use of our hard work. My first instinct was to play it safe and go back to bed, it was cold outside and I was feeling let down. This moment passed and I began to like the idea, I wanted to learn more about these characters. The first scene was an interior and it involved Billy arranging to meet Jimmy on the phone.  The improvisation was a success, we shot it in one take. I was very comfortable with the character of Billy, the words oozed out with ease. I felt I knew everything about him and this was of course due to the intense rehearsal period. We continued to film throughout the day and I enjoyed every minute of it, sometimes with the pressures in the acting world you forget it can be fun. I was glad it snowed that weekend because we would have never created Prelude To Noirish Project. I am so pleased with the result and proud of what we have accomplished so far. I’m looking forward to filming Noirish Project, learning more and developing my craft even further.

The Great Acting Blog: "The Short Film Before The Feature Film"

 

 

Prelude is now complete, and I am delighted to be sharing the film with you here. Some of you will already know that this is the short film we made when work on our feature film,Noirish Project, was snowed off. Noirish Project is a noir about Billy, who steals the family jewels and gives them to low-life Jimmy to sell to a Fence. But their problems begin when the jewels turn out to be fake. Prelude, takes place before the robbery, and Billy is trying to convince Jimmy to help him out. I do hope you enjoy the film, and please feel free to leave any feedback in the comments section below.

As of last week, there has been no change in the situation for the feature film shoot: we are awaiting confirmation (or not) of more snowfall. Either way, we will get the production up and running over the next month or so. I have posted all of the blog-posts we have so far, which relate to the film.

 

Improvising

Prelude To Noirish Project [Stills]

Noirish Project Rehearsals

 

Poetic Acting

 

Noirish Project Swings Into Motion

 

Noirish Project - Feature Film Announcement

 

 

Prelude To Noirish Project Is Now Complete. Delighted to share the film with you here...

 

 

We made this short film when the shoot for our feature film, Noirish Project, was snowed off. Noirish Project is a noir about Billy, who steals the family jewels and gives them to low-life Jimmy to sell to a Fence. But their problems begin when the jewels turn out to be fake. Prelude, takes place before the robbery, and Billy is trying to convince Jimmy to help him out.

 

Check-out notes about the film...here 

 

The Great Acting Blog: "Improvising"

Check out this quick teaser I put together. We've still some work to do on the sound, but the film will be completed in the next week or so.

I had planned to shoot Noirish Project in two chunks: the first last week, and the second later in the year.  Unfortunately, I had to postpone shooting the first chunk last week because of the snow, obviously this wouldn't have matched with anything we would have shot in the second chunk when in all likelihood there wouldn't have been snow. However, seeing as everything was set up anyway, I thought it would be a waste to not do anything, and so decided to go out and make a short, using the landscape as a snowy backdrop. I wanted the short to still be connected to Noirish Project in some way, and hit upon the idea of the short film being a sort of "backstory" for the feature, where we would learn a little bit more about the characters and how the events in the feature came about, calling the short; Prelude To Noirish Project. 

In the feature film, Billy has stolen his families' heirloom, some pearls, which they have owned "since before the War", and he gives the pearls to the only person he knows who has even a vague connection with the world of crime, Jimmy, to sell to a fence. Prelude takes place before Billy has stolen the pearls, and is structured around a telephone call, i.e. - Billy ringing-up Jimmy to see if he'd be interested in the pearls. The telephone call is then intercut with imagery of Jimmy on his way to meet Billy in the park. This structure lends the film a sort of fantasy quality, where we are not sure whether Billy is imagining the events we are seeing or not. I'm starting to think that the telephone is perhaps my favourite dramatic device of all - it's just so economical, and it creates plenty of scope for the acting, it's always fun to watch actors trying to express themselves through a phone. Also, I think telephones are very strange indeed (far stranger than email or text message, which seem far more natural), and therefore they possess a mystery which is intrinsically dramatic. It also opens up structural possibilities, and in Prelude, often I use the telephone conversation as a voice-over: we hear the characters talking, but we see imagery from another time and place.

There wasn't time to write a script, so I just decided on subject matter and the overall structure of the film, and we improvised the specific dialogue. We had, however, during the preceding weeks, been rehearsing the scripted scenes  we had already scheduled to shoot, and had arrived at performance level. This work had a strong impact on the improvisation, especially in terms of style and rhythm of dialogue. The actual script has repetitive, punchy dialogue, and we found that to be true of the improvisation aswell, as if the rhythms of the script had lodged themselves in our minds. I also found it easy to access my character's (Jimmy) sardonic intent toward the other character (Billy). The net result is that Prelude feels very much a part of the full Noirish Project feature film, it seems part of the universe of the full film, which is a very pleasant result.

I am currently in the process of re-scheduling the scenes we were unable to do, probably for mid- February. Snowfall has been rumoured, but we'll have to wait and see. 

The Great Acting Blog: "Improvising"

Check out this quick teaser I put together. We've still some work to do on the sound, but the film will be completed in the next week or so.

I had planned to shoot Noirish Project in two chunks: the first last week, and the second later in the year.  Unfortunately, I had to postpone shooting the first chunk last week because of the snow, obviously this wouldn't have matched with anything we would have shot in the second chunk when in all likelihood there wouldn't have been snow. However, seeing as everything was set up anyway, I thought it would be a waste to not do anything, and so decided to go out and make a short, using the landscape as a snowy backdrop. I wanted the short to still be connected to Noirish Project in some way, and hit upon the idea of the short film being a sort of "backstory" for the feature, where we would learn a little bit more about the characters and how the events in the feature came about, calling the short; Prelude To Noirish Project. 

In the feature film, Billy has stolen his families' heirloom, some pearls, which they have owned "since before the War", and he gives the pearls to the only person he knows who has even a vague connection with the world of crime, Jimmy, to sell to a fence. Prelude takes place before Billy has stolen the pearls, and is structured around a telephone call, i.e. - Billy ringing-up Jimmy to see if he'd be interested in the pearls. The telephone call is then intercut with imagery of Jimmy on his way to meet Billy in the park. This structure lends the film a sort of fantasy quality, where we are not sure whether Billy is imagining the events we are seeing or not. I'm starting to think that the telephone is perhaps my favourite dramatic device of all - it's just so economical, and it creates plenty of scope for the acting, it's always fun to watch actors trying to express themselves through a phone. Also, I think telephones are very strange indeed (far stranger than email or text message, which seem far more natural), and therefore they possess a mystery which is intrinsically dramatic. It also opens up structural possibilities, and in Prelude, often I use the telephone conversation as a voice-over: we hear the characters talking, but we see imagery from another time and place.

There wasn't time to write a script, so I just decided on subject matter and the overall structure of the film, and we improvised the specific dialogue. We had, however, during the preceding weeks, been rehearsing the scripted scenes  we had already scheduled to shoot, and had arrived at performance level. This work had a strong impact on the improvisation, especially in terms of style and rhythm of dialogue. The actual script has repetitive, punchy dialogue, and we found that to be true of the improvisation aswell, as if the rhythms of the script had lodged themselves in our minds. I also found it easy to access my character's (Jimmy) sardonic intent toward the other character (Billy). The net result is that Prelude feels very much a part of the full Noirish Project feature film, it seems part of the universe of the full film, which is a very pleasant result.

I am currently in the process of re-scheduling the scenes we were unable to do, probably for mid- February. Snowfall has been rumoured, but we'll have to wait and see. 

Prelude To Noirish Project [Stills]

We had to postpone some of the filming for Noirish Project proper, due to the snow. So, we went out and made "Prelude To Noirish Project", using the snowy landscape as a backdrop. We created scenes around the original script, scenes which take place before the original script starts, but which are still very much related to the main action. I hope to re-schedule the Noirish Project shoot over the next week or so, and complete post-production for Prelude.

Prelude To Noirish Project [Stills]

We had to postpone some of the filming for Noirish Project proper, due to the snow. So, we went out and made "Prelude To Noirish Project", using the snowy landscape as a backdrop. We created scenes around the original script, scenes which take place before the original script starts, but which are still very much related to the main action. I hope to re-schedule the Noirish Project shoot over the next week or so, and complete post-production for Prelude.

The Great Acting Blog: "Noirish Project Rehearsals"

Billy: What if he, y'know, tries to glass us or something?

Jimmy: Glass us? Dickie? Dickie wouldn't glass us. You don't know him. He's actually a really nice guy.

Billy: I thought you said he was dangerous.

Jimmy: I said he was POTENTIALLY dangerous. 

Billy: That's dangerous enough.

- Some dialogue from the script for Noirish Project.

 

Rehearsals continue apace. The ground-work has been done. The script analysis process which I discussed last week has been gone through, followed by the next stage, which is to find a concrete, exciting action to play for each scene. Then the fun starts, which is to actually start doing the scene with the chosen action. This is where the scene starts to take shape, and the acting begins to fizz because we now have the confidence to commit fully to playing the scene, and working off eachother in the scene, creating afresh each time (rather than deciding in advance how to do the scene, and doing it that way regardless of what the other actor in the scene is doing). I have decided to record the rehearsals this time, and replay the recording each time we do the scene. I have found this to be immensely useful (especially since I am directing aswell as acting in this production), because obviously I can see exactly what we've done and respond accordingly, but it also gives credence to my notes: I can literally point on the monitor to what I am talking about.  Also, as a bonus, I can review all the wonderful, unplanned moments which spin out of doing the action, and which we are not conscious of whilst playing the scene, little physical "tells" emerge, especially when the character is lying. As always, it is important to forget about these moments the next time I do the scene, because if I consciously try to jimmy them in, then they will no longer be organically created with that vital energy, but inferior reproductions.

In my blog, Poetic Acting, I expanded more fully on the style of acting the film will employ. The script is very gentle and slight in places, and so the performances will be mostly made up of small but meaningful moments, with the occasional bouts of drama and comedy. Despite the minimalism, the acting challenge posed by the script is a considerable one. High drama and comedy create an energy, a  momentum, which the actor may "surf" and carry him through the scene, however, this will not really be the case in Noirish Project, where the actor will have to remain focussed through some quiet moments, but then, from a standing start (so to speak), snap-up some energy for other, more intense moments. Absolute attention will have to be paid at all times.

 

 

I will certainly let you know how it goes.

 

 

RELATED

 

Poetic Acting

 

Noirish Project Swings Into Motion

 

Noirish Project - Feature Film Announcement

The Great Acting Blog: "Noirish Project Rehearsals"

Billy: What if he, y'know, tries to glass us or something?

Jimmy: Glass us? Dickie? Dickie wouldn't glass us. You don't know him. He's actually a really nice guy.

Billy: I thought you said he was dangerous.

Jimmy: I said he was POTENTIALLY dangerous. 

Billy: That's dangerous enough.

- Some dialogue from the script for Noirish Project.

 

Rehearsals continue apace. The ground-work has been done. The script analysis process which I discussed last week has been gone through, followed by the next stage, which is to find a concrete, exciting action to play for each scene. Then the fun starts, which is to actually start doing the scene with the chosen action. This is where the scene starts to take shape, and the acting begins to fizz because we now have the confidence to commit fully to playing the scene, and working off eachother in the scene, creating afresh each time (rather than deciding in advance how to do the scene, and doing it that way regardless of what the other actor in the scene is doing). I have decided to record the rehearsals this time, and replay the recording each time we do the scene. I have found this to be immensely useful (especially since I am directing aswell as acting in this production), because obviously I can see exactly what we've done and respond accordingly, but it also gives credence to my notes: I can literally point on the monitor to what I am talking about.  Also, as a bonus, I can review all the wonderful, unplanned moments which spin out of doing the action, and which we are not conscious of whilst playing the scene, little physical "tells" emerge, especially when the character is lying. As always, it is important to forgot about these moments the next time I do the scene, because if I consciously try to jimmy them in, then they will no longer be organically created and possess that vital energy, but inferior reproductions.

in my blog, Poetic Acting, I expanded more fully on the style of acting the film will employ. The script is very gentle and slight in places, and so the performances will be mostly made up of small but meaningful moments, with the occasional bouts of drama and comedy. Despite the minimalism, the acting challenge posed by the script is a considerable one. High drama and comedy create an energy, a  momentum, which the actor may "surf" and carry him through the scene, however, this will not really be the case in Noirish Project, where the actor will have to remain focussed through some quiet moments, but then, from a standing start (so to speak), snap-up some energy for other, more intense moments. Absolute attention will have to be maintained at all times.

I will certainly let you know how it goes.

 

RELATED

 

Poetic Acting

 

Noirish Project Swings Into Motion

 

Noirish Project - Feature Film Announcement

The Great Acting Blog: "Noirish Project Swings Into Action"

Rehearsals for Noirish Project have begun. The film itself is a slice neo-realism masquerading as a film noir: Billy robs some precious pearls from his own family, and gives them to local scheister, Jimmy, to off-load to the local fence. The trouble starts however, when it emerges that the pearls are fake and Jimmy barely escapes from the fence with his life, let alone the pearls. The film effectively functions as a road-movie, as the protagonists set about reclaiming the pearls from the fence, who has suddenly become very elusive. Filming begins next week, and I'm delighted to announce that the super-talented Rouzbeh Rashidi will shoot it for us, as he will be in town working on the next stage of his latest film, There Is No Escape From The Terrors Of The Mind. 

First rehearsals involved script analysis, a process I especially love, not because of any intellectual predilection, or wanting to know "what do oranges symbolise", but because it helps to give a wonderful clarity of thought, and enables me to state in simple, actable terms what is happening in the scene. This eliminates the weird, potentially neurotic elements which can arise, and serve as barriers to work, or excuses not to act - a state I'm sure all actors recognise, if not everyone in the world. Instead, a simple analysis of the scene helps to decide on a simple, concrete action, which I can commit to doing in the scene, freeing me up to create and go for it.  

It goes something like this....

1. What does the character literally do in the scene?

2. What am I going to do in the scene?

Note that what the character is doing in the scene, is not the same thing as what the actor who is playing the character is doing in the scene. That's because the actor can never believe the fiction of the scene, and so he needs take something into the scene which will ground him in truth and make him active: an action, in short. But the action the actor chooses for himself must be in line with the writer's intentions (or as the actor discerns his intentions, if the writer is not present at rehearsals).

Below is a very simple scene from Noirish Project: - 

BILLY

I’m sorry, Jimmy.

JIMMY What for?

BILLY Putting you in jeopardy like that.

JIMMY Don’t be silly.

BILLY I’ve really made a mess of this.

JIMMY Hey, never put yourself down in public.

BILLY

I’ve wasted your time.

JIMMY It happens.

BILLY I’m sorry.

JIMMY Don’t apologise.

BILLY I’m stupid and weak.

It is fairly obvious that what Billy is literally doing is apologising to Jimmy.

But an actor might choose the action; "to beg a friend's forgiveness", to do in the scene. This is do-able, in line with the writer's intentions, and would certainly get me up and working (note; the choice of action, and the wording of an action may vary from actor to actor - each actor needs to find an action which is exciting to himself). 

Rehearsals will continue for the rest of this week and the beginning of next week, then filming will start. I'll post regular updates here.

Some stills from location scouting for Noirish Project

Finalising locations for the scenes where Jimmy & Billy get lost in the woods, searching for the elusive fence, Dickie Thomas.

 

The Great Acting Blog: "Poetic Acting"

Poetic acting is expressive but not expository, it is intense but with a sense of ease, it's minimal, but most importantly, it seeks to express something in-the-moment, but which cannot always be explained away. On a practical level, the actor commits to doing the actions of the scene, and does not worry about the outcomes. This approach can lead to facialexpressions, small movements, bits of emotion, which the actor may not even realise he was doing until after he has seen his performance on screen (he may never realise them on stage). These unconscious, unfettered, unplanned expressions are the poetry of acting. Poetic acting is very different to expository acting, or “doing a character”, whereby the actor consciously and rationally designs his performance, explaining the character with thought-out detail, and detail which may not even be germane to the scene at hand. Designing a performance is not necessarily the same as including those things which are essential to creating the illusion of character – for example; if one were to play a hunchback, a prosthetic hunch may be employed.

 

Poetic acting gives expression to human experience which cannot be dealt with in any other way - for example; if, in the scene, the actor tries to conceal a difficult emotion (perhaps has to tell a lie in the scene), the repressed energy may express itself, for example, as a displacement, such as the actor handling an object or adjusting an item of his clothing. These small actions may not necessarily “mean” something in terms of the literal plot of the scene, but are the symptom of some deeper movement within the actor. These wonderful, subtle expressions may never happen for the by-design actor, because he is controlling everything to the extent that he doesn't allow deeper movements to occur within himself, and so there is no poetic spin-off during his performance.

The full implications of a poetic performance may not be fully understood by an audience on an immediate, conscious level, but the performance does create a sense of harmony (even when the action is tumultuous). That's why the poetic actor produces richer results than the by-design actor. The by-design actor may produce a performance which is more immediately impressive, may at first appear to be “natural”, but it is usually generalised and superficial, and the effect dissipates fairly quickly, whereas the poetic actor's performance may at first give the impression that nothing is really happening, and his effect may creep up on the audience almost imperceptibly, but all of those organically created moments of his performance add-up to something deeply affecting, they leave us unsure, they hang in our minds long after the action has finished,lodging themselves there (even if it is only certain moments of the performance which do this). 

I intend to use the poetic form of acting for my feature film, Noirish Project, and I do not mean my own perfromance only, but the performances of all the actors in the film. The camera-work and editing will be pared back, and the script is flat and minimal, with scenes where the characters are hanging around and waiting. It is out of these seemingly empty situations that I hope this poetic form of acting will emerge to create wonderful, unplanned expressions, with the minimalism of the film giving them centre stage.

The Great Acting Blog: "Directing Actors"

Noirish Project continues apace, and I will very soon begin rehearsals with the actors. I've not directed actors within a rehearsal context for awhile, although, as an actor myself, I like to think I have an idea about what is useful direction for an actor, and what really gets actors' goats.

 

The director is in a privileged position among a company of actors, because effectively the director is the actor's boss, and so the actor is obliged to defer to the director, and listen to what the director says in service of doing a good job. However, the director's directions should not be accepted merely because of the fact of the director's exalted position, the director's directions should only be accepted when they are effective at helping the actor do his job. I have often found that a gentle, constructive questioning of the director's direction is very healthy, or, as David Mamet said; if the director cannot explain himself to the satisfaction of the actor, then the director does not know what he is talking about. So, the happy position that I want to be in as a director, is to say nothing that isn't helping the actor in practical terms, and to be able to back-up everything I say. Preparation is the key - afterall, would any actor with any semblance of self-respect, trust or accept the authority of a director who was poorly prepared?

 

Here are some thoughts: -

 

1. Director's vanity is a crime.

2. Director's “cool ideas” will not help the actor do the scene.

3. Explain the literal action of the scene in simple terms.

4. Don't give notes merely because “that's what directors do”. If the scene is fine, let it be.

5. If you are going to give a note, make sure you know what you're talking about, and are able to communicate it properly. If not, go away, think about it, and come back when you can communicate it properly.

6. Stop talking as soon as the actor is ready to do the scene (generally demarcated by the actor nodding his head repetitively, or some such), anything beyond this point, becomes an obstacle to the actor's creativity.

7. Assist the actor in finding a concrete, do-able action for the scene, but the final choice of an action must rest with the actor, because the action needs to be interesting to the actor, who, afterall, is going to have to do it.

8. Directors do not “draw” performances from actors. Actors draw performances from themselves. Get out of the way director!

9. The director is there to serve the actor.

10. The actor's trust is hard won, but can be lost in the blink of an eye. Tread carefully.

11. The actor's dignity should be protected at all times.

The Great Acting Blog: "Directing Actors"

Noirish Project continues apace, and I will very soon begin rehearsals with the actors. I've not directed actors within a rehearsal context for awhile, although, as an actor myself, I like to think I have an idea about what is useful direction for an actor, and what really gets actors' goats.

 

The director is in a privileged position among a company of actors, because effectively the director is the actor's boss, and so the actor is obliged to defer to the director, and listen to what the director says in service of doing a good job. However, the director's directions should not be accepted merely because of the fact of the director's exalted position, the director's directions should only be accepted when they are effective at helping the actor do his job. I have often found that a gentle, constructive questioning of the director's direction is very healthy, or, as David Mamet said; if the director cannot explain himself to the satisfaction of the actor, then the director does not know what he is talking about. So, the happy position that I want to be in as a director, is to say nothing that isn't helping the actor in practical terms, and to be able to back-up everything I say. Preparation is the key - afterall, would any actor with any semblance of self-respect, trust or accept the authority of a director who was poorly prepared?

 

Here are some thoughts: -

 

1. Director's vanity is a crime.

2. Director's “cool ideas” will not help the actor do the scene.

3. Explain the literal action of the scene in simple terms.

4. Don't give notes merely because “that's what directors do”. If the scene is fine, let it be.

5. If you are going to give a note, make sure you know what you're talking about, and are able to communicate it properly. If not, go away, think about it, and come back when you can communicate it properly.

6. Stop talking as soon as the actor is ready to do the scene (generally demarcated by the actor nodding his head repetitively, or some such), anything beyond this point, becomes an obstacle to the actor's creativity.

7. Assist the actor in finding a concrete, do-able action for the scene, but the final choice of an action must rest with the actor, because the action needs to be interesting to the actor, who, afterall, is going to play the scene.

8. Directors do not “draw” performances from actors. Actors draw perfromances from themselves. Get out of the way director!

9. The director is there to serve the actor.

10. The actor's trust is hard won, but can be lost in the blink of an eye. Tread carefully.

11. The actor's dignity should be protected at all times.

 

The Great Acting Blog: "Noirish Project - Feature Film Announcement"

Noirish Project is the working title for a film noir feature film, which begins shooting next month. We will start off with a scripted premise, or a scripted Act One, and discover the rest of the film while we're making it, so that the journey of the characters becomes the journey of the filmmakers.

The film itself is about the nature of perception, how we interpret the signs which confront us, and how that interpretation changes as our desires change. At the heart of the film is an ambiguity of action, which I have coded as a film noir:

Naive, small-town boy Billy, has stolen the family jewels, and handed them over to small-time scheister, Jimmy, who in turn takes them to the local Fence to sell them for cash. When the jewels turn out to be fake, Jimmy barely escapes with his life, and returns to Billy empty-handed. Billy thinks Jimmy is screwing him over, and gets Jimmy to take him to the Fence to get the jewels back. However, when they discover the Fence has gone missing, they realise their journey has only just begun ….

The character Billy is totally dependent on Jimmy, because Jimmy is his only connection to the Fence, and therefore, must interpret everything Jimmy says or does in relation to his goal of getting the jewels back, and this interpretation is viewed through the prism of whatever context the character happens to find himself in.

The film will be dense with intricate, repetitive, formalised dialogue, which will serve to describe events, meaning that much of the action will take place “off-screen”,  so in the minds eye of the beholder. We'll be using static shots, of long duration, to let the intricate dialogue unfold in real-time. The general universe of the film, will again be low-grade, hopeless and listless, with scenes of intense expository dialogue intercut with scenes of inertia, and loss of focus on the central thrust of action. We will be shooting in black and white, on the streets of London, and structurally the film will encompass a road movie element, which will take us outside the city, and to various parts of the UK.

Once again, I will be producing aswell as acting in the film, a multitasking challenge which I have explored previously on this blog. This dual role can distract from performing the scene, and this distraction can lead to a loss of commitment, which in turn may result in a loss of energy. We're only talking about 1 or 2 percentage points, but still.... Anyway, in terms of the general performance style, we will be flipping between bravura, and something more disciplined, but always simple, forceful, and true. Overall, we will be paring back the performances to include only the essentials, which will lead to minimal, direct style.

This is very much the starting point for Noirish Project, and I'm sure it will expand and contract, simplify and complicate as work on it evolves, and may even change radically over time. Either way, I look forward to documentating the project here, over the coming months.

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