Acting for Film (Second Edition)

Book Preface

Since the first publication of Acting for Film, the entertainment industry has been galloping through the twenty-first century at alarming speed. Technology has filtered into every aspect of our lives, expanding the way we communicate and opening up our ability to watch and listen to whatever we choose, whenever we choose to do it, radically challenging filmmakers to keep up.
The simplicity of posting content online has freed up the possibilities of independent production, making it possible for almost anyone to make a movie. Advances in virtual reality (VR) promise to revolutionize the visual capabilities of the viewer, while the actor has had every fiber, movement, nuance, and sound we possess recorded, manipulated, and transformed, like never before.
With all of the excitement going on, I am still teaching relaxation and concentration as the main focus of my workshops and classes. I still put an emphasis on sense memory, and I believe more strongly than before that it should be of utmost importance to every aspect of the aspiring actor, director, and writer. Since the initial publication of the book, I have been leading intensive workshops with a mix of actors, directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and yes, even producers. I strongly believe that when everyone trains together, truly original and deep work arises—work of value, of importance, not only for the actor, but for everyone else involved, as well. The whole process can become one beautiful dance. The triumvirate of relaxation, concentration, and sense memory is still the seed of the work. Technology is just a means to find a way to express our dreams. It is propelled by the desires that come out of the deepest reaches of ourselves, to express something that has not yet been seen or heard. It is more important than ever before for actors to remain human, and by that I mean that in our work we should not hesitate to pour everything out of ourselves to breathe life into our characters.