A film director is not an acting teacher. Peter Kiwitt explains what directors should know about the acting process and how to shape performances on set.
Much of what is written about directing actors for film comes from teaching acting for theater. But a director is not an acting teacher, and film is not theater. A film director only needs an intimate performance once, not a theatrical one night after night. And it is a director’s responsibility to cast qualified actors and then shape their performances—not teach them how to act. Nonetheless, a director should know the acting process and have the tools to help elevate a performance. Even great actors can be blocked, and few actors are great—especially in student and lower budget productions.
Learning the process of acting and the tools for eliciting truthful performances can seem daunting to filmmakers until familiarized through practice, since they are steeped in the language and techniques of theater. But you can aid and demystify these theater-originated techniques, and better adapt them to film by remembering these simple things: “Acting” is bad acting. That is to say pretending, putting on identifiable facades, is inherently unreal and unengaging. What is needed is behavior, life—being natural in an engaging way for the tone of a given story. A performance that comes alive invites our concern and interest, and is the basis for effective storytelling.
Actors are individuals. Some get better in repetition, some get worse. They respond differently to different modes of direction, and their needs can change depending on the circumstances. Be observant, flexible, and creative in trying to get the best from your actors.
Actors can be insecure. They must bare their souls because nothing separates them from their work. Show concern for their process and praise them to ease their insecurity. Give them confidence to work without facades, the strength to reach into themselves, and the courage to take risks.
Actors can be like children. Some desperately want to please. Some fight for independence. But on some level they all need limits, boundaries within which they can feel safe to explore without fear. A director, like a good parent, needs to be able to set limits without being limiting and, thereby, channel the creativity of the actor in the service of the story.
Actors need to respect you. They need to believe you understand your characters, story, and craft otherwise they will neither trust you nor easily respond to your direction. So do your homework. Know what you are trying to communicate with your story before you try to communicate with an actor.
Actors need to own their performance. Leading by inspiration, gently guiding, and incorporating their ideas (where appropriate) will work better than strictly dictating what you want. Even though you might get an actor to do every detail as you imagined, it might result in wooden puppetry rather than vibrant life. Within the guidelines you set, you must give the actor room to bring the character to life. Like Pinocchio, they have to be freed from their strings or they will be wooden. Keep it personal. Go to the actor when giving a note so you can speak more privately, especially during the bustle of production. Sometimes that is impractical but you want to do it enough to build a sense that you have a special relationship with him or her.
Keep it simple. Excessive direction has risks. It can be confusing. It can push an actor to think too much about a performance rather than just be. So limit long, heady discussions to preproduction. Communicate economically, and then withdraw.
Think before you speak. Try not to tell actors how to be the way you imagine them or, worse, demonstrate how you imagine them. Take the time to translate the result you want into a playable direction—such as a thought or action the actor can do that will lead to the desired result (telling an actor his objective is “to make her laugh” rather than “be funny”). That said, sometimes it can be better to “keep it simple” and concisely tell them the result you want rather than hold up production and ramble while trying to find a playable direction.
Layer direction. If you have many notes, limit yourself to those most important first. You can add more as rehearsals and shooting progress. In film you only need a performance once. To keep a performance fresh, it can be better to save notes for the shot you think you will use for a given moment, i.e. saving a note for a close up. You can also delay more specific and mechanical direction, such as how something might be said or done, until you have a good take in case it interferes with the performance.
Know your actors and what you want, and explain it simply while valuing what they bring. In short, be prepared, clear, and collaborative and all will be well!
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