OBSERVATION
This guide explores the vital skill of observation for actors, emphasizing the importance of becoming aware of human emotions and interactions. Discover the nuances of facial expressions, body language, gestures, and vocal elements like volume and intonation. Learn how to capture the complexities of characters through keen observation and the practice of sense memory. Utilize journaling as a tool for conscious and subconscious awareness, allowing you to visualize experiences for your audience. Transform into a perceptive observer and enhance your ability to portray authentic human relationships on stage.
OBSERVATION
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Presentation Transcript
Acting = study of human behavior • Become aware of how people feel • Facial expressions • Body language • Become aware of how people move • Gestures • Become aware of how people speak • Volume, pace, dialect/accent, intonation • Become aware of how people think vocabulary, topic of conversation
Journal Entry • Only through specifics can we reveal the universal. • As an actor you become a keen observer—a student of the world around you. • Plays are often about people’s relationships with their possessions—or their relationships with other people’s possessions.
Portraying a Character • Complex and specific human being • Hundreds of key details
Observations and Impressions • Sense memory—recapture an experience • Recall—recreate the item or experience • Visualize for the audience • Show don’t tell
How to Improve Your Sense Memory • Relax—Look at the world around you with fresh eyes. • Observe in segments—make associations, use all 5 senses • Use your journal—conscious and subconscious awareness
