Wooden Acting

When an actor’s performance is described as “wooden,” what does that mean?

Basically it means that the performance is forced, in other words, the feelings and emotions are “acted,” not felt. Good acting is living in the moment and truthfully experiencing what the character is feeling emotionally from moment to moment.

Wooden acting can be caused by nervousness, embarrassment or insecurity, or a lack of effective screen acting training. 

The basic keys for truthful acting for the camera are…

Keep it simple (let the camera work its magic)

Keep it passionate (in other words, inject the appropriate amount of energy that the scene requires)

Keep it real (don’t act, listen and react. Don’t fake feelings and emotions – experience them as the character does)

Follow these simple rules and you’ll take your screen acting to the next level.