Shane working with first time actors

[jimmy975]

I used to wonder why Shane would always state that you got the best performances with first-time actors. Then i found out why for myself when i made my first film.

I cast a few actors who had a degree in acting from the university, one of the actors i cast was a first timer who had never studied acting.

I found out that trained actors enunciate far too much and do not sound natural, you always have to keep telling them to put their own personality into it, it's as they are trying to communicate to someone that is invisible in the room instead of each other, too much 'acting' going on, if you want an actor to lie, they have to do it very well. When you tell them to be more natural they think you're insulting them cos they've studied acting at uni.

Wheras the new actors put their own personality and feelings into the characters (closer to the method style i think) and it works tremendously well, they sound more natural and realistic.

Nice one Shane well done for noticing this.

[Kezz]

Its not as simple as that jim, not by a long shot.

[jimmy975]

I know that, i'm not very experienced but it was something i noticed with this group of people. There are amazing actors out there. I just think Shane Meadows is great for getting those performances out of first time actors. I just feel that sometimes the ones that have never studied acting can bring the best performances. Shane has proved that and i don't think it's simple at all, i was just telling you what i learned when i made my first movie, not as a rule.

[Gareth]

I'm shit scared of working with actors having never done so (I've only made one short so far), I've worked on a good few short films and only one or two had watchable decent performances, the last short I worked on doing continuity was amazing, the director got the performances by starting at the opposite end of the scale to what she wanted i.e. if you want a character to be all out raging then start them out being as subtle as possible then build up to the right performance take by take

I'm sure the only way to really learn how to work with actors is through lots of practice but I'd love as much advice as anyone out there can give, also castings pretty scary aswell I'd love to know how people can spot such amazing talent and whats the best way to hold an audition

[jimmy975]

(referring to my first post). That's what i think happened with those trained actors in my film. My failing as well for not giving them the right instructions.

Garethblower, is any of the shorts you worked on viewable on this site, can i take a look?

[Gareth]

you'll see what I mean when I say I havent worked with actors, the problem being all my scripts now are pretty dialogue heavy so I'm pretty worried about the next short I make

[jimmy975]

Hey Gareth, that's a really good short haha. What did you shoot it on?

[Gareth]

cheers glad you liked it, just a handy cam Canon MVX40 and graded with FCP, dug out my old rollerblades for the tracking shots

[jimmy975]

The camera that we used for Salesman of Death was a Canon XL2, one of the most over-rated cameras in the world in my opinion.

[Gareth]

its alot easier shooting in daylight all you've got to worry about is the grade, I know feck all about lighting to be honest but with the right lighting anything can look good

[halfpint]

Don't be worried about it Gareth mate, believe in what you write and what you say when directing....and most impotantly, don't cast somebody who you think will bring a negative attitude to the shoot.

Try www.castingnetwork.co.uk, and remember, you're the boss.