Working with inexperienced actors and workshops

[raybog]

Everyone is welcome to post here, but I’d really dig Shane’s thoughts on this subject…<br>
Right, I understand different actors respond to different motivations, but are there any tried and tested processes a director *should* use when workshopping inexperienced actors?

For instance, do you, Lord Shane Meadows of Eldon, do a lot of improvisational work with your actors? If so, what type of stuff is worth doing? Comedy? Melodrama? Both?

What is a Shane Meadows actor workshop like anyway?

Hey, I don’t really know what I’m talking about, but any tips on how to pries a relaxed, believable performance from an actor (or anyone for that matter) are much appreciated.

raybog

[edmundkean]

As a theatre director i recommend two books for you to read. firstly 'true and false' by david mamet and secondly 'to the actor' by michael chekov, they're both full of advice on how to work with actors.

Personally i don't believe there needs to be, or is, a different method for working with experienced/inexperienced or professional/not paid actors. at the end of the day if you know what you performance you need to get you will work out a way of doing it. it's best to find your own methodology from reading and working with people, follow your gut reaction on stuff and be clear with what you want and actors will trust you.

i reckon shane's style probably comes from the mike Leigh school of writing and directing, so it's probably worth your while checking out some of his stuff.

[bryan]

Just throwing in my tuppence worth as it seems relevant. Judith Weston's 'Directing Actors - Creating memorable performances for film and TV' is a truly magnificent read. I use the principles in my own work as an actor and filmmaker when working with both trained and untrained actors. Everybody has their own methods i know but the basic principles of avoiding EFFECT direction should be part of every directors approach. Its really a matter of generally rephrasing the common pitfalls E.G. 'Take it down' or 'Lift it up a bit' or even 'Your character needs' to be more angry or sad or whatever' Theres nothing worse an actor can hear than this...

[Phill]

Let the actor do it from two things, the heart and the gut. Sounds generic but it's true. A bit of confrontation also doesn't go amiss.