There are numerous methods and techniques employed in actor training and most of them expand on Constantin Stanislavski’s teachings of The Method; commonly referred to as Method Acting.
Stanislavski’s aim when formulating his method was to move away from the stiff and affected acting of his time to a more emotionally truthful style of performance. Stella Adler a New York actor and acting teacher studied under Stanislavski and her students used The Method to great affect. Marlon Brando, one of Adler’s early students, was influential in revolutionising screen and stage acting in the 1950s, exposing the kind of raw emotion that audiences had not experienced before. It was a far cry from the stiff and stylised acting which had preceded it.
Stanislavski’s method basically teaches the actor to work toward finding common emotional experiences with the character. Once these common emotions are identified you draw on your own experiences of those emotions to fill out your character. In this way the emotions of your character become more genuine.
Stanford Meisner’s technique was designed to expand on Stanislavski’s teachings by using repetitive exercises in an effort to encourage actors to get rid of their bag of tricks and to respond truthfully to a given moment.
Eric Morris, another student of the Stanislavski method, developed his own theory which was designed to free emotional blocks and to render the actor truly organic.
The Alexander Technique is basically a way to pull the mind, body and soul together by instructing actors that they are showing a story, not telling it: essential skills for any screen actor where the physical performance carries equal weight to the dialogue.
The Liban technique, originally developed for dancers, is all about effective and meaningful movement: again essential skills for any actor.
An interesting technique called Practical Aesthetics which was originally conceived by David Mamet and actor William H. Macy and developed by the Atlantic Theatre Company, employs an interesting and user-friendly principal called GOTE. G = Goals; O = Obstacles; T = Tactics and E = Expectations. The GOTE principal is a very effective means for actors to relate to script and text and to gain a full understanding of their character’s purpose in the scene.
Obviously any one method or technique will not work for every actor; and the acting schools which incorporate the essential elements of all techniques are the institutions where the aspiring actor will receive the most well rounded education.
Acting is about making choices and the various methods assist the actor in making strong choices: The desired end result being a realistic and truthful representation of the character.
The curriculum used at the Screen Actors Workshop has been honed and updated over the school’s twenty-three year history to give our students the best and most up to the minute training possible. The film and television industry is a tough one and you need the best possible training to not only break into it, but to sustain a long term career.
Learn more by signing up for acting classes.
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