Compass Theatre Company

Confidence is Gold When It Comes To the Screen

admin — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Confidence is gold when it comes to the screen. Have truer words ever been spoken? If they have, I’m not aware of them. Remember, people want to like you; they are even willing to pay for the chance to find out if they like you. Far be it for any actor to deny the masses of what they clamor for.

What other business besides show business has potential customers willing to make such a commitment. Therefore, it’s absolutely incumbent upon you to engage in a true quid pro quo. Give them everything you have to give, all your emotion, all your energy, everything that you are inside must be brought out and given to the audience. Without doing this what chance have you of making a performance real and visceral so that the audience may share in the emotions you hope to create?

Confidence, if you don’t have it naturally, then you should best attain some quickly. How is that done you ask, well, just like any other aspect of our art; practice, practice, practice. Practice not only gets you to Carnegie Hall but instills the confidence required to project out past the well lit stage, into the dark, where legions of would be fans await.

Memorization Is a Must When Reading A Script

admin — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If you are an actor, you know that you are one of the main components in bringing the writers story to life. You must look a certain way in order to be convincing of the part you are playing, and you must be able to correctly portray the emotions of the character you are acting out, but one of the most important things you must do in order to perfect your part is to memorize the script. The script is the story that you are bringing to life and in order to make the script become a believeable story, you must memorize the script.

Not only is it important for you to remember your lines, but it is also important for you to know what the other actors will be saying because this will help you develop your own character as well. There are many techniques that you can use to memorize your liines, and if you are an actor, it is important for you to research the different techniques out there so that you can find the right technique that will work for you. Whether you are on stage for that big opening night, or the camera is filming for the final take, you need to have your lines memorized so that you can fully embrace the character you are playing. You can’t take the script with you in your hands, so you need to memorize it so you can take it with you in your mind.

Steal, Steal, Steal.Its Part of The Business

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Anyone who has ever tried to become a famous actor or playwright knows that it can seem unachievable. This is simply not true. Several actors and actresses have revealed strategies they used to become successful.

The most important quality to have when trying to become an actor or playwright is to be outgoing. Networking can get a person in front of the right people. Even if an aspiring actor or playwright thinks the person they are talking to can’t get them in the door, that person may know someone who can. Being open and friendly is very important. A big break could come at any moment.

Another great tip is to remain confident. Rejection runs rampant in the entertainment industry. Keep your head up and know where to set your boundaries. A director, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/no-female-directors-hollywoods-10-44736 may want you to do something in a scene or change your script in a way you would find inappropriate. If you don’t know where those boundaries are before you start pursuing an entertainment career, more often than not, you will be taken advantage of.

No matter if your passion is to be a critically acclaimed actor or prize-winning playwright, stay focused and persistent. Dreams always come true with hard work and dedication.

Commercials: Buying In, Not Selling Out

www.compasstheatrecompany.com — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

For many aspiring actors, it can take some time to build up a name and body of work necessary to land or even get auditions for the most desirable roles/parts. Every famous actor seems to cite one specific project as his or her “big break,” prior to which he or she simply toiled in obscurity like the rest of us. As a means of not only lining pockets, improving one’s craft and getting exposure to wider audiences, many actors turn to TV commercials. Whether peddling used cars, Bud Light bottles or Direct tv deals, sometimes selling inconsequential items ultimately helps you sell yourself to a casting agent through your demonstrated ability to appeal to a target demographic. Many directors will see a person on their TV screen and make the effort to track that person down in order to read for a particular part.Though an actor is unlikely to jump directly from a commercial spot into the lead of a major Hollywood production, credited roles, albeit smaller roles, are often seeking a particular look. Commercials allow for a large selection of people to lay eyes on an actor’s uniquely attractive or distinctive features, in some instances a lack thereof, resulting in additional work for those whose look aligns with a director’s image. Having commercial credits on your resume will also exhibit a basic ability to deliver lines on time with proper blocking and give an accurate showcase as to how an actor appears on film, including his or her ability to express emotion, from subtle to hysterical, in front of the camera. If nothing else, the simple fact a commercials airs shows a level of commitment and manageability, traits often eluding individuals in the entertainment industry no matter how successful.So for any wannabe star in the making, don’t consider commercials as selling out or a setback in your acting career, rather a building block ascending your star to the sky, a rite of passage for many now household names.

Anyone can act

www.compasstheatrecompany.com — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:20:39 +0000

Acting has few barriers to entry. Sure like any other profession, one person might be more naturally predisposed towards a life on stage or in front of the camera, but that doesn’t mean someone can’t learn the skill. What’s stopping you from acting? These are the surprising responses we here most oftenI’m not good looking enough. Acting isn’t modeling. Even if it was, there’s still plus size modeling, but looks actually have little to do with the performance you are capable of on stage. Looks by play an important part in casting; however, this is merely to match you with the appropriate character, not an indictment on potential. Consider the celebrities in Hollywood, sure there are the glamor guys and gals, but in every movie there are plenty of relatable characters you would otherwise pass on the street without taking any notice. One adverse effect of not thinking you are good looking enough is a lack of confidence. To perform in front of an audience or camera takes a level of self assuredness that betrays some people, regardless of physical appearance. I’m not funny. When on stage accepting his 2008 MTV Movie Award for Favorite Comedic Performance, Johnny Depp told the crowd he wasn’t funny, which, to everyone watching, was kind of funny. Comedy isn’t always intentional. Mannerisms, inflection, personality, the funny gene hinges on a lot of things that evoke laughter sometimes unbeknownst to the performer. You don’t have to be trying to be funny to be funny within the context of your role and some roles aim for gasps rather than laughs anyway. What is commanded is a control over emotions and an ability to manifest a particular feeling to the audience. Humor is just one of many such emotions.I freeze up in front of people. Stage presence or camera presence is vital to any performer, but fortunately it is a quality than can be conditioned. Attacking your nerves little by little can help you gain composure in front of crowds. By enrolling in acting classes and learning by doing, before too long you will find yourself talking in a flowing, audible voice no matter who is in attendance. Most importantly, don’t let one bad experience haunt you, rather use each attempt as a benchmark and try to do better next time.

How to get in character

www.compasstheatrecompany.com — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:35:16 +0000

In a way you are always in character, after all, we present different sides of self depending on our social setting. There’s a work-Bob, a family-Bob a bar-Bob, all of which look eerily identical but based on behavior could pass for fraternal triplets at best. On stage, you are asked to perform a similar task, presenting a believable front that caters to a certain setting. This front must be fluid enough to adapt to a variety of situations a character may face, even within the same scene. In order to maintain a plausible course of conduct, an actor must know the character with as firm a grasp as he or she has on his or her own highest hopes and darkest fears.In order to get better acquainted with your on-stage self, try conducing a one-man interview let you the actor take a stab at the brain of you the character, video tape it if at all possible. Re-watching your interview on camera will help to pick out subtleties in body language when certain subjects are broached and determine whether or not they could be incorporated appropriately on stage. This exercise shouldn’t be a one-time appearance on Letterman or Leno, more like a weekly 60 Minutes segment. Regular interview sessions will allow you change answers as you grow into the role, maturing the character just as a real person would over time. You may be surprised to find that after weeks of constant rehearsals and script thumbing an unplanned change in perspective will emerge naturally, adding depth. After all, real people aren’t two dimensional, and even non-lead parts shouldn’t seems so to the audience.Some trivial questions may come into play, for example “Why’d you name the dog Fido,” but try to penetrate beyond the obvious answers found in the script. Ask questions you would struggle to answer immediately were an actual interviewer to hold a microphone to your mouth, big picture questions. This will help you know not only the character the playwright intended, but also your own personal version of the character and what you can bring to the role.

Things to think about before writing a play

www.compasstheatrecompany.com — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 21:03:51 +0000

All great theatre stems from great writing. Even other-worldly performance can’t turn a bland or nonsensical script into a timeless work of art. From dialogue to character development, many of the aspects of tradition writing vs. play writing remain the same, though there are important differences aspiring play-writes should note in order to produce a complete work with a logical flow.Loss of Narrative Voice An off-stage narrator be used at times in order to advance on stage movement, but hearing read-aloud thoughts isn’t what fills the seats. The theatre is a visual experience, thus must be written as one. Unlike prose in which you can explain your character’s thought patterns and explicitly offer audiences a certain level of omniscience, on-stage your character’s words and decisions must stand on their own or be clearly corroborated by another event within the visible frame of reference.Less Control As a writer, playing with words is an essential part of capturing and holding a reader’s attention. When taking your talent’s to the stage, suddenly room for word play becomes cramped at best. There is still room for clever double entendres and planned misspeak in the form of dialogue, but the descriptive epithets and literary devices that make books memorable no longer apply to the theatre, as audiences only hear words spoken aloud. Finding a character who fits what you’ve had in mind is partially in the hands of costumes and casting. Your picturesque setting is only as good as your prop makers. It is important to surround yourself with competent talent and cohesive vision in order to take your words off paper and bring them to life.Grounded in Reality While movies may be able use special effects to bring even irrational concepts to fruition and books are privy to theatre of the mind, as limitless as the imagination, the theatre itself is subject to constricted space and financial backing. A great director can help to maximize utility on both fronts, but even in writing the obvious structural and budgetary limitations must be accounted for.

Basic acting tips

www.compasstheatrecompany.com — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:20:44 +0000

Know the script Don’t just know your lines and the words that directly precede them. Know the script in its entirety, even scenes you are not in. Yes, this will obviously help you know your character, but equally important is knowing the characters on stage around you. Wouldn’t you treat someone you know intimately different than a complete stranger on the street? The same principle applies on stage. If you know each and every character’s inner-workings long before the curtain pulls back, any interaction, even the slightest unspoken nod or gesture, will come across more naturally and with more purpose.Breathe Both on stage and off it. Not only a basic tool towards survival, inhaling and exhaling at a proper pace will help words to flow with the ease of everyday life. Many actors, even veterans, suffer from stage fright to some degree; regulated breathing helps to calm nerves. Maintaining a set breath pace will help to prevent words from being rushed, making phrases seem forced, contrived or worst of all inaudible. Consider breathing practice a normal everyday occurrence, just as you would perfect your diction prior to an important soliloquy.Lie Isn’t acting just a socially acceptable version of bending the truth? Take this approach outside the theatre. Obviously don’t intentionally deceive in ways irreparably harmful to yourself or others, but in the course of mundane chores or activities simply pretend to be someone else. There is no reason you should have to be on stage or in costume just to hone your craft. Come up with a believable back story, no matter how trivial, and go from there, interacting with unsuspecting others as if this were your true identity. And spice it up a little, go for broke, anyone can conceal a little white lie, only a true thespian can make rags and riches interchangeable, depending on the day of the week.