The Great Acting Blog: “Problem Directors”

The Great Acting Blog: “Problem Directors”

What happens when you have a problem with the director?  He over-directs you , not giving you a chance to develop anything. He leaps on to anything you try and bombards you with notes. He blocks your creativity, putting you in misery, you dread even the thought of doing the scene. Admittedly I am painting an extreme picture here, but it and variants of it, do happen, and all too often.

In the end, your performance is your own. It’s you who has to step out  in front of the audience or in front of the camera, and it’s you who’ll pay the price if your performance is bad.

Your work is your own. Is it worth going against the director to protect it? I say it is. The short term cost is you lose an ally in the director (and may even be replaced), but what is the long term cost? The long term cost is the damage you do to yourself by giving a performance that is not your own. Your confidence, your belief in yourself as an artist, your joy in the work, all take a hit. And after repeated poundings, there will be no long term for your acting.

Your work is your own. Fight for it. You need to give a performance that you’re proud of, that excites you.

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