This subject may have been disscused in advance so I apologize if it's a repeat, anyways, how do you get or help get an actor to the point of crying during a scene. How much help is needed from the director in order to allow the actor to get to that emotional climax. So does anyone have any tips or tricks on how you can achieve a realistic cry?
Getting An Actor to Cry
- Thread starter beamazed
- Start date
That link was great don't get me wrong, but that was only explaining physical tools to hand produce tears. What I really want to know is how can a director help an actor get into that mindset , that emotional journey that's necessary to produce real, raw emotion that can eventually translate to real tears?
There is no such answer. It depends entirely on the person you're trying to make cry. One girl I knew all you had to do was talk about dead babies and she would start crying.
I just think of sad things as well, but it does work all the time. One time I was having trouble so I mad myself throw up on camera instead. Not really crying, but upset and sick to your stomach emotion and it worked still, and i started crying after lol.
But crying on cue is a part of an actors job, it's not supposed to be the directors job to "get the actor to cry." The actor already knows from the script that s/he will have to cry in the scene (unless you changed the script on-set), and it's the actors job to get into the proper emotional mind-set.
Now, about amateur actors, I haven't got a clue.......
Now, about amateur actors, I haven't got a clue.......
I agree to a certain extent... but as the Director, you do need to help. You can't have people on set laughing about when the actor needs to use their mental tools to cry/show upset.
I tend to sit down with the actor and ask what they need to help with their performance. But every situation is different, so it's a hard thing to pin down. I guess overall, listen to your actors, and help facilitate the environment they need to perform best. If they ask you to kick them in the shins just before hand... then so be it.
When I was in high school my friend let me blow pepper in his eyes to make him cry. Can't say I recommend it.
Tell them you've recast the role with someone who's younger and better looking...
I recently did a scene where my actor needed to hysterically laugh on cue. So I told him a hilarious story so then he was in a hysterical mood. I calmed him down a little, then did the shot. He worked fairly well. I think it would work much better for a crying scene. But I agree its mainly the actors job. But in my case he was a new actor and not seasoned so I am teaching him Which you may still have to do with even better actors.