technique Archives

The Great Acting Blog: “An Acting Manifesto In 7 David Mamet Phrases”

04.04.2019 , The Great Acting Blog , 0 Comments

David Mamet's writings on acting, film and theatre are always hugely insightful, and, more crucially, very practical. I extrapolated some key phrases containing technique and philosophy...

The Great Acting Blog: “Being A Great Actor Is A Question Of Intent”

11.08.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 0 Comments

We do what we set ourselves to do. If we set ourselves to become mediocre actors then that's what we'll we do. If we set ourselves to valiantly try to build an acting career before quitting after a few years, then that's what we'll do. If...

Literal Action Script Analysis | The Great Acting Blog

02.08.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 31 Comments

"If I had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about the solution." - Albert Einstein The point is that we cannot determine a solution until we have correctly defined the problem. And that is why...

Technique Beats Fear | The Great Acting Blog

16.05.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 1 Comment

Acting requires courage because it means dropping your guard and making yourself vulnerable, revealing aspects of your personality you may not want to reveal. You are offering something personal and it may be rejected or criticised. If it goes wrong, it does so publicly. Further,...

The Great Acting Blog: “Discover Extraordinary Riches For Your Work”

14.05.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 0 Comments

Much of the actor's career is out of his control, but plenty of it is within his control too. It's within his control to practice a concrete technique of acting so intensely that it becomes internalised, so that it can be called upon at...

The Great Acting Blog: “Knowing What You’re Doing Means True Creativity”

22.04.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 0 Comments

Fear of having your work examined, not being able to cope with questions, panicking when given a note are all signs of personal worthlessness. It is brought about when the actor* doesn't know what he is doing, and is terrified of being found out. The remedy...

The Great Acting Blog: “The Compassionate Actor – Ralph Richardson In The Fallen Idol”

11.04.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 1 Comment

In Carol Reed's 1948 film, The Fallen Idol, Ralph Richardson plays Baines, a butler charged with taking care of the French ambassador's 10 year old son. Richardson is trapped in an unhappy marriage while he carries on an illicit affair with an employee from the French embassy,...

The Great Acting Blog: “Habits Help Us Cope With Pressure”

26.03.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 0 Comments

Knowing that we can hold up under pressure enables us to seek out greater challenges and accomplish more. It empowers us to be more creative because our attention is off ourself, we're not worried about ourselves and this lack of self-consciousness enables creativity to flourish. Whether...

The Great Acting Blog: “Terry-Thomas Embodies The Qualities Of Great Acting”

23.02.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 0 Comments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyw4b8LGe9I Growing up watching old British movies on daytime television whenever I was off school ill, I became a big fan of Terry-Thomas. I always loved the daft comedy in films like Monte Carlo Or Bust and School For Scoundrels. So I was delighted when I...

The Great Acting Blog: “Disciplined Playfulness – Michel Simon In Jean Renoir’s Boudu Saved From Drowning”

12.12.2013 , The Great Acting Blog, Uncategorized , 1,272 Comments

Michel Simon plays Boudu, a Parisian tramp who attempts suicide by jumping into the Seine, only for his effort to be thwarted when a local bookseller rescues him. The bookseller brings Boudu into his household, giving him a place to stay as well as a...

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