Directing Book - Directing Actors

Directing Book - Directing Actors
By: Judith Weston
Michael Wiese Productions
1996

An original book on a very specific issue by a very compelling and interesting not to mention knowledgeable director/actor. It focusses solely on the task of directing actors. No script structure, no writing, no nothing. Just directing actors.

A refreshing book which deals with some pretty troubling issues present in film making that some books don't touch on. I never heard about  this stuff on my film course.

“The first thing a director should learn, and the first-last-and-always thing he should look for from his actors, is whether they are listening; that is, whether they are genuinely affecting each other in the moment”

What the book taught me:-
Oh where to begin on this one? The general consensus, at least amongst my peers is that actors show up, they're there to do a job and it's their job to deal with the problems of the film-making process. Some see them as a nuisance or an unpredictable force that can ruin a film. This book taught me the complete opposite. It taught me the vital necessity of respecting actors. It taught me about the craft of acting which gave me much respect for the craft and the many craftsmen who practice it.

Actors don't just show up and read lines, they analyse, understand and become the character experiencing their emotions, thoughts and feelings as their own. It teaches the proper way to talk to actors, giving them playable direction in many forms such as action verbs, intentions, substitutions and much more to get a desired performance. A director and actor have a collaborative partnership built on respect and joint goals, that is to bring out the uttermost human truth from their performance to make an incredible movie.


“The purpose of substitution is honesty in a performance. If at all times the actor is talking about something real, then the audience can hear that in the words.” 

Should you buy it?
Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes! It is an absolute god send! Without this book I can tell, that while preparing for The Big Game, I would have made a stupendous amount of mistakes when communicating and talking tot my actors. I've made mistakes, everyone does but this book saved me a lot of embarrassment.  

Once again, buy it. Not just for directors, but for actors too, to see how a director will approach them. Producers and cinematographers as well. Dealing with actors on a film can sometimes make you forget they aren't just an actor, they are a human being. A human being who is likely to be more emotionally honest and open than you. There is a special place on my shelf and in myself for Judith Weston and her books. 
 

“Don’t forget – characters, like people, don’t always tell the truth. They don’t always know the truth. They remember things incompletely or inaccurately. They may not admit the truth to themselves, and, of course, sometimes they lie.”  

Where to buy it:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Directing-Actors-Memorable-Performances-Television/dp/0941188248/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421176583&sr=8-1&keywords=directing+actors