The Great Acting Blog: "Keeping Your Independence"

Gielgud as Hamlet

 

"To be, or not to be, that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Ot take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them..."

 

Actors are idealist types functioning in a pragmatic world, they are dreamers in a real world. So, for the actor, life is about balancing off the dreams which fuel him, against dealing frankly with the reality placed before him. Not easy to do in the lifestyle of an actor, where fortunes may fluctuate dramatically – one minute sat home alone, ignored and underemployed, the next, a phone call or meeting which could literally change the actor's game, and when that meeting or phone call doesn't change the game, then it's back to being at home, until the next thing comes along which may not change the game but may offer an exciting opportunity, and so on and so forth …. you catch my drift.

So how to survive this emotional roller coaster? Of course, learning to adapt one's mindset would be a useful but not infallible system to use, and not infallible because we cannot always control what we think. No, the way to handle the situation is to acknowledge that the effect certain events may have upon us is superficial, the effect quickly vanishes, the effect is not real, we need not give it too much meaning. Instead of letting the rollercoaster throw us into a state of flux, or cause us to behave rashly, we should recourse to those things which are permament in our lives, which are profound, which never desert us no matter the situation, but which improve us and make us stronger – we should recourse to aesthetics, ie – to the system of art we have chosen to operate by, to the technique of acting which has become a way of life. Commitment to this technique, means that every single moment of the actor's life is contributing to his growth as an artist, because eveything he does becomes a practice of the technique, thus refining, thus strengthening and improving the technique, which naturally impacts performance – and the improvement itself, aswell as the act of improving will provide the actor with an endless source of joy, and a healthy self-respect to boot. This commitment will help the actor to endure, over the long term, the slings and arrows which may come his way.

So the next time an almost certain victory is usurped by defeat, or you get demoralised by an unforced error, or you receive an outrageously good piece of news, rather than allowing yourself to be ravished by the feeling created in the moment, gently place your mind onto those things which are important to you, and will still remain with you regardless of the situation you find yourself in, and all will be placed in healthy perspective, and you will keep your independence.

 

The Great Acting Blog: "Flipping Between Mindsets"

Before I head back to Ireland to complete filming on Rouzbeh Rashidi's HE (which is going to be an utterly sublime feature, by the way), I intend to squeeze in a quickie short film, called Phone Box Gun. It'll be a Kaurismakian film noir, about a jewellery heist, where I'll finally get the chance to wave a Beretta about and wear a false beard, and further, just because I enjoy making life difficult, I'll also be directing the film aswell as acting in it.

Whenever I've tried my hand at filmmaking in the past, I've gone into it with too aggressive a mindset, which I think is inappropriate. An aggressive mindset is very good for acting (or, indeed, writing) because acting requires short bursts of heightened intensity, which are generated in the moment of performance. Filmmaking, I believe, requires a slow burn kind of energy – a filmmaker needs to be able to function consistently well over the period of time of the shoot, making many decisions, being alive to mishaps. The filmmaker is required to manage other people, which means he needs to ensure he is available for them, and create conditions whereby they can work happily.The filmmaker is at the centre of everything, all eyes are on him. The actor need only concern himself with himself, and the singular act of his performance, and all of his attention is dedicated to that, he need not multi-task – and that's just the way most actors like it,  because most actors are minimalists, it's the philosopher aspect of their work, favouring clarity and simplicity (this becomes very evident when actors move behind the camera), however, this is not a pre-requisite for the job, but certainly a common trait I have witnessed. It's also worth noting that a relaxed body and mind is crucial to the actor's work, and so another reason why they don't want to be pre-occupied with anything else. The poor filmmaker is often under stress, as he skits around, trying to keep all the plates spinning. The life of the actor sounds positively leisurely in comparison to that of the filmmaker, which of course it is, apart from that battle with the awesome which takes place during the performance (I've met more than one director who started out as an actor, but switched because they could not cope with the pressure of the performance). Acting requires a laser-like in-the-moment precision, and to deliver that requires immense discipline, mental strength, and self-control, all difficult, improved only over a long period of practice. Directors need a certain kind of generosity, a magnanimity, because they are handling different personalities, with differing talents – a director needs, to a certain extent, a big tent, whereas actors needs only a sleeping bag. 

To be a filmmaker requires a certain kind of humility: he is responsible for everything, yet much of the production is out of his control. Setting up the shot may take time, it may not go according to plan, but the key is to accept this state of affairs, not grind against it, which will only lead to fatigue and a diminishment in the quality of the work. It's also being aware that everybody else is doing their best, and it is upto the filmmaker to be able to articulate what he wants in a way that is useful and practical to the person he is speaking too. Much of this then, is a preparation issue, being ready to explain yourself, being ready to communicate – if the filmmaker cannot articulate himself properly, he should refrain altogether, and let cast and crew go about their work. I think this is the  aspect I need to work on most. I find managing people to be tedious, which is why I prefer to work with independent types, who think for themselves and take their work seriously, just getting on with it. Also, so much of acting is about energy conservation, and articulating what you want is energy draining. Therefore, directing and acting in the same production, requires compartmentalisation,  flipping between the two mindsets as and when. The point is, committing totally to the scene when acting in it, then, when the scene is over, stepping out of it, and looking at it with a director's eye. 

On Phone Box Gun, I intend to be more relaxed about how the production will unfold, and flip flop more consciously between the mindsets of actor and director, as oppose to jumbling it all together, and pushing it through by force of will. Hopefully, this adjustment to my previous approach, will lead to greater productivity, and ultimately serve the film better.