Film TV 01 – Analysis / Reflection 13

Consider Sandra’s lecture “Directing Actors” and describe at least a couple of points that you took away from it (even if you’re not the director).

-Sorting out A and B scenes: Before the day of the shoot, planning out which shots are the most vital and which ones are most disposable is very important, because it allows the director, producer and A.D to really prioritise what to shoot first and what to skip if the schedule demands it. Something interesting that I found about this point was the suggestion that only a few people should have knowledge of what the A and B scenes are, so that while they are always aware of contingency plans, the rest of the crew is still going into the shoot with the intention of getting every shot that the list dictates.

-Dealing with actors and their interpretation: Actors should not be spoon fed direction about their performance. Getting them to actively interpret the script themselves can lead to more genuine and in-depth performances, as the actors will have a sense that they themselves are a part of the creative process, and not just objects for the director to move around. Even if their interpretations are completely off from what the director had in mind, this is still a useful technique, as the actors can then be coerced into thinking that their perception of the script is only slightly off. With some guidance from the director, the actors can then pull off more compelling performances because they have confidence about their knowledge of their own characters’ mindset, goals and motivations.

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