How to direct actors?

L

lightcameraction

Hello .

So my question would be pretty newbie ofcourse but I was wondering how exactly are you directing actors ? The reason I'm asking is because I've seen people telling their actors something like '' Okey , imagine your dog got hit by a car and your mom got cancer '' and stuff like that :O .

But then some directors simply say '' Ok so walk from point A to point B and then close your eyes '' ..

Lately I visited couple of film sets and seen different kind of directors directing in different ways .

How are YOU directing and what do you think is the better way ?
 
I'm not an experienced director and as I often work with actors who have in fact been on many more professional sets than myself, I let them suggest ideas and changes, to a point that it still remains my story and doesn't affect anything.
I'll read through the script with them, or just listen to them learning it and give them advice on the emotions I want played out. Once on set I will set up the blocking (ie go from point a to point b) and thn work from there...

You pretty much just tell them your vision and try and get them to portray it as best they can. I haven't been on many sets and no big ones, so I don't have another style to compare it to except in theatre
 
Directors I work with tend to draw strongly from Meisner and Stanislavski techniques, but each Director has their own personal style.

'Go to point A, do action B, and then continue to point C' is more blocking than anything - I'd say you'd find a combination of both happening; Stanislavski and Meisner techniques of method, Magical If, Motivation etc. as well as standard 'go to point A' blocking.
It also depends who you're working with - professional actors will often go through the script with a Director in rehearsals, find the beats of the script, their underlying motivations, and per-scene and per-beat objectives, as well as overall objectives. They'll also often come up with their backstory etc.

Often, with professional actors, their training is such that they're already finding their Magical If, and their similar situation that can make them cry at the death of a loved one in the scene without being told 'your family member has a terminal illness'. It's when you're working with non-actors that your Directorial skills and techniques are really challenged.

I've also seen Directors give I guess Meisner-esque 'actions' for a certain scene, especially if it's not necessarily working - for example, you've got say a scene where a couple argues, and then one storms out. It isn't quite working so you tell one of the actors that their objective is to 'get out of the room' and then tell the other actor that their objective is to 'stop the other person from leaving the room', which can create a much more interesting dynamic, especially if you're not really rigid on the script - personally I'm of the belief that performance trumps the script, at least when it comes down to specific lines, but some writers and writer/directors feel differently ;)
 
for me as i used to do acting i simply act out how i want them to do it, it 95% of the time works, as they are not professionals it makes them feel at ease and more comfortable to perform it, we also go over it again and again and again and again, adjusting until its right.

its not hard to be honest, if it does seem near on impossible then they just arent meant to act which luckily for me hasnt happened..
 
lightcameraction said:
I've seen people telling their actors something like '' Okey , imagine your dog got hit by a car and your mom got cancer '' and stuff like that :O .

But then some directors simply say '' Ok so walk from point A to point B and then close your eyes ''
Click to expand...

I've directed hundreds of actors over the past 25 years, from trained professionals all the way down to neophytes. There is no one right way to do it. Each individual has a unique set of needs. An amateur may need something along the lines of your first example. A professional may only need something like the second example.

And everything in between. The key to good direction is knowing when to step in and when to STFU and let them do their work.
 
let me explain something I do as a director...

1 - I spent 2 years training as an ACTOR which gave me understanding of acting and getting into characters etc...

2 - if the director is good... he/she lets the actors be their characters... me personally, I give freedom, I write my script and ask actors to learn and find the characters within themselves, and then if they feel like saying or doing something different I let them and see where it goes... you are there to answer their questions and help them

3 - every actor is different no matter what... same as equipment... just because you figured out how to work small digital camera doesnt mean it you can work on Red

as you said "I visited couple of film sets and seen different kind of directors directing in different ways"

every actor and every director is different... there is no A B C...

you are the director - it is your responsibility to KNOW the characters to KNOW the story and to KNOW what YOU want... and then help actors through it - basically you are GOOGLE and WIKIPEDIA in one... lol

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Lukas
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8salacious9 said:
for me as i used to do acting i simply act out how i want them to do it, it 95% of the time works, as they are not professionals it makes them feel at ease and more comfortable to perform it, we also go over it again and again and again and again, adjusting until its right.

its not hard to be honest, if it does seem near on impossible then they just arent meant to act which luckily for me hasnt happened..
Click to expand...

I have to say that, speaking generally, this breaks one of the primary rules of directing. One of the first things I was taught about directing (and one of the few things considered 'fundamental') was to talk and explain to the actors, rather than 'showing them how it's done'.

And, having directed a few bits and pieces now, I agree with what I was taught. Sometimes an overbearing actor will try and show another actor how they ought to be doing it, and you can see that it causes friction and makes people close up. Acting is all about expression, and you have to be willing to allow your cast the freedom and security to express themselves.
 
If an actor has no/very little experience:
I meet with an actor, a day prior the shoot, break down a line by line for a scene that we're shooting. Why does the character say that line? What are his intention of the scene?
Then I ask an actor to read the scene back to me and adjust accordingly. "Ok, with this line you said 'blah blah blah'. Why did you use that tone?" or something along those lines. I make sure that the character somewhat matches new actor, so the actor doesn't have to worry too much. And I rewrite the character a bit as well, to match the actor. That's why I like to spend a bit more time with the new actors, to learn who they are to match the screenplay.

If the actor has experience:
I ask actor what do they think their intention in the scene and we skim go over the scene. Done!
 
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