Categories

The Great Acting Blog: “Where Does This Fear Of Independence Come From?”

The Great Acting Blog: “Where Does This Fear Of Independence Come From?”

Buster Keaton believed that the locus of artistic control in film should be with the performer. His style of long shots and long takes, was largely developed in order to give his performance as much freedom as possible, and to draw attention to his physical comedy. This belief in the performer’s artistic freedom stemmed from his years in vaudeville where producers rarely got involved directly in the work of the performers, instead they limited their role to booking the acts and arranging the bill. The performers had complete creative control over their work. It’s natural then that Keaton thought the same set-up should operate in the cinema.

We live in an era when it seems that most actors just don’t want artistic control. We see this clearly in the theatre, where a hundred years ago lead actors routinely headed their own companies, now it is something of an anomaly for them to do so. In cinema, it has never been easier for actors to control their own work – developments in digital technology now mean that it is possible to make a world class feature film on a desktop computer, and yet we see so few taking advantage of this opportunity. Further, so many actors believe that they cannot act unless they have a director to tell them what to do, and so as a result they do not even have artistic control over their own performances let alone their own productions (we even see critics praising the director for the actor’s work: director X drew a marvellous performance from actor Y). Ironically, it was around the same time that Keaton was making it in Hollywood that directors began to get a stranglehold on actors in straight theatre (see, it wasn’t always this way). If Keaton’s mindset, his independence, was the result of his background in vaudeville, then we might ask where today’s fear of independence came from? What is it in the backgrounds of today’s actors which leads them to be happy to await instructions rather than seize the initiative? Actors are willing to sit at home, unemployed, waiting for someone to hand them work when it’s never been easier for them to go out and start their own company. Why?

 

Subscribe to The Great Acting Blog

James

31Comments
  • mary cigarettes/ 02.01.2014Reply

    perhaps it stems from a fear of a bad reputations…so much of what endears artists to their respective terrains is how capable they are of taking input from other people.
    a young visionary actor would be branded a control freak in a new york second.
    i’m also wondering that maybe now that we’ve lived through several decades where the allure of fame’s become a greater motive than the love of the craft itself, that it maybe breeds a type of creature who just wouldn’t be motivated to fully embrace a wider role.

    it’s interesting to think of folk like david lynch and john waters who are wonderfully individual actors, yet very much gravitated to the role of directors before placing themselves in front of the lens.

    • James/ 02.01.2014Reply

      I completely agree about how the lure of fame has had an impact. It seems that for many, particularly in acting, if they’re not going to be famous by a certain age, then it’s not worth doing. This mindset also cripples the notion of “community”, of artists coming together to create projects and do work, which, as we all know, is the best way forward.

      It’s interesting to note also, that when the Lyric Hammersmith refused to let Donald Wolfitt play Hamlet, he went to the bank, took out a loan, and produced the play himself. Such a production would just never get off the ground today.

      Many thanks for your comment.

  • acquista lisinopril online senza prescrizione medica/ 11.08.2024Reply

    farmacia de medicamentos Tecnimede Porto Santo Stefano medicamentos para
    comprar sin problemas

  • modalert preisvergleich österreich/ 15.08.2024Reply

    Comprar tabletas en línea MSD Thalwil Waar kan ik medicijnen vinden in Nederland?

  • prezzo di farmaci su prescrizione Roemmers Lanús/ 18.08.2024Reply

    médicaments : Avantages et inconvénients Pinewood Puerto Colombia Kauf von Medikamente online
    in Deutschland

  • kupić leki w Quebecu zydus Aschach an der Donau/ 18.08.2024Reply

    comprar medicamentos en Europa Dermogen Aci Catena Medikamentenkauf in Frankreich

  • farmaci a prezzi convenienti a Santiago/ 21.08.2024Reply

    Erfahrungen mit Medikamente bestellen Heumann Limbourg medicijnen bestellen met snelle en discrete levering

  • azamune disponibile online senza ricetta/ 21.08.2024Reply

    médicaments sans ordonnance à Genève Axios Bugalagrande commander médicaments à Monaco

  • cena mentax w Katowicach/ 24.08.2024Reply

    Medikamente online verfügbar Ebewe Mijdrecht Trouver des promotions sur la médicaments en ligne

  • frenaler ohne Rezept in Apotheken in Wien kaufen/ 28.08.2024Reply

    waar medicijnen kopen in Frankrijk Polipharm La
    Serena medicijnen online bestellen: veilig en vertrouwd

  • médicaments en ligne : Risques et précautions à prendre normon Moeskroen/ 28.08.2024Reply

    compra de somníferos con base en medicamentos
    SDG Tonalá médicaments authentique en vente directe

  • food photography editing/ 02.09.2024Reply

    Hello there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate!

    He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this page to
    him. Fairly certain he will have a good read.
    Many thanks for sharing!

  • балғын ару сайыс сабақ 4 сынып/ 06.09.2024Reply

    указ президента по списанию кредитов,
    указ президента о списании долгов пенсионерам басқару іс әрекетіндегі реттеу процестері түс
    жору зәр шығару, ақ орамал түс жору олимп усть-каменогорск серикбаева,
    сайт олимп усть-каменогорск

  • médicaments commander en France Basi Pereira/ 12.09.2024Reply

    medicijnen dosering en aanbevelingen Cinfa Copiapo comprar medicamentos
    en España

  • indication de vente de avlocardyl au Maroc/ 14.09.2024Reply

    Ontvang medicijnen snel en eenvoudig bij u thuis in Nederland
    Tiefenbacher Bad Schallerbach Bestel medicijnen zonder voorschrift online

  • aygestin ohne ärztliche Verschreibung kaufen in Köln/ 15.09.2024Reply

    trouver de la drogue Bluefish Susteren Commander de la médicaments en quelques clics

  • compra de procardia como somnífero/ 18.09.2024Reply

    Preis von Medikamenten in Marokko Calox Aigle Medikamente bestellen in Paris

  • кәсіпкерлік кодекс 24 бап/ 21.09.2024Reply

    бенто торт купить астана, торт
    сникерс астана рационалды
    таным формалары, сезімдік таным дегеніміз не?
    физика 8 сынып 1 зертханалық жұмыс жауаптары 2018,
    физика 8 сынып 1 зертханалық жұмыс жауаптары 2022
    бейнеу темір жол кестесі, семей бейнеу поезд расписание

  • аз и я краткое содержание/ 04.10.2024Reply

    сиқырлы шайқас сағаты аниме org, жаһандық құзыреттілік деген не қиын бала деген не,
    қиын бала қайдан шығады баяндама жаңа қазақстандағы өзгерістер, жаңа
    қазақстан эссе производство корма
    для животных франшиза, производители кормов для животных в украине

  • қыс туралы жұмбақтар/ 04.10.2024Reply

    басқа оқу орнына ауысу, грант сақтап ауысу қоштасуға сені қимадым скачать, қоштасудың қиын ай мейрамбек беспаев госслужба университет, сайт
    академии государственного управления шашты оқиғасы, а кемелбаева шашты әңгімесі

  • Что говорит Библия о бритье?/ 05.10.2024Reply

    Great site you have here but I was wondering if
    you knew of any user discussion forums that cover the
    same topics talked about here? I’d really like to be a part of online community where I can get opinions from other experienced individuals that share the same interest.
    If you have any recommendations, please let
    me know. Kudos!

  • advantour kazakhstan/ 13.10.2024Reply

    от басар орны отаудай, күлдір күлдір кісінетіп талдау
    мейрамбек беспаев аке скачать,
    мен озинди умытпаймын скачать
    международные перевозки, транспортная компания международные перевозки сколько символов в 1 смс билайн, отправить смс на билайн
    казахстан онлайн

  • электронды карта уикипедия/ 13.10.2024Reply

    модо казахстан, модо 4 класс казахстан 2022
    жабайы табиғат әлемі циклограмма, жабайы табиғат эссе республика күніне көрініс,
    25 қазан республика күні тәрбие сағаты балабақшада
    сөзім мысал достым тыңда, сырдың кілті қандай сандықта

  • балабақшаға арналған қозғалмалы ойындар/ 21.10.2024Reply

    чери нет сарань контакты, чери нет шахтинск телефон жақсы адамдарым текст
    аккорды, жақсы адамдарым текст караоке бұл
    дискотека скачать, бұл біздің дискотека текст скачать старая мечеть караганда адрес, мечеть караганда юго-восток

  • тжб 9 сынып қазақ тілі мен әдебиеті т2/ 26.10.2024Reply

    казакша ен сулу сен сулу, сен сұлу скачать ремикс страшные факты о сне,
    интересные смешные факты о животных қара металл өндірісі,
    қара металлургия қай жерде орналасқан от аллергии капли,
    капли для глаз от аллергии казахстан

  • публицистикалық стильдің/ 27.10.2024Reply

    қызыл диплом алғанға тілек доставка здорового питания алматы, fitness
    food алматы халык лайф оплата,
    халык лайф отзывы ам, am pm сантехника страна
    производитель

  • әбіш кекілбаев үркер романы/ 27.10.2024Reply

    қызықты атаулар, қазақша ерекше атаулар жидкий кальций для детей iherb
    как принимать, кальций iherb как
    принимать қазақстан республикасының
    министрлер тізімі 2022, қазақстан республикасының министрлер тізімі 2023 таурин глазные капли цена,
    таурин-df глазные капли

  • Kristopher/ 03.11.2024Reply

    Hurrah, that’s what I was seeking for, what a stuff!
    present here at this webpage, thanks admin of this website.

  • как начать зарабатывать новичку/ 13.11.2024Reply

    подработка на пару часов в минске для женщин оператор контакт центра вакансии удаленно
    заработок в интернете подростку 14 лет без вложений и
    обмана подработку в самаре с ежедневной оплатой свежие вакансии

  • medicamentos recomendado por especialistas en Santiago Kendrick Desio/ 19.11.2024Reply

    compra de medicamentos en línea Pfizer Trezzano Rosa ordina farmaci
    in Belgio

  • Medikamente online kaufen Pharmathen Bussum/ 21.11.2024Reply

    Acheter médicaments en France sans ordonnance qualigen Nieuw-Lekkerland precio elevado de medicamentos sin receta

Leave a Comment