How to Raise the Stakes in your Acting
“Nice performance, really well acted … but any chance you can raise the stakes a little bit?” It’s a fairly common piece of feedback for an actor to get—especially from a director or casting director...
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What is Blocking?
“Hit your mark and say your lines.” So goes the world’s shortest piece of acting advice. And while it’s a little bit reductive, there’s truth to the importance of knowing where to stand and why....
Scenes for Young Actors
Speaking as a teacher of young actors, I know how ridiculously hard it can be to find good material for them to learn and perform in drama classes. You know what you’re looking for—at the...
How to Nail your Drama School Showcase
’Tis the season. Can you feel it? All over the world, intrepid young drama students are prepping for their shot at impressing the industry—landing that all-important early-career agent and kickstarting their careers. It’s a scary...
How to Write a Scene for your Showreel
It’s an all too familiar scenario. You’re missing out on auditions, your agent is harassing you and your online profile is gathering cobwebs. All because you can’t find the right scene for your showreel. “To...
Scenes for Three Actors
Three-handers are strange beasts. There’s something unusual about the energy—the dynamic between three characters when all you really need for good drama are two. Writers have to work harder to justify that pesky third person,...
Impostor Syndrome for Actors
Let’s be honest: an alternate title to this article is just “Being an Actor.” Impostor syndrome for actors is something that can permeate every part of our lives and careers: auditioning for roles, pursuing opportunities/networking, taking...
What Scenes to Put on your Showreel
Choosing scenes for your showreel is a nerve-wracking task. There’s all the pressure of putting yourself out there in the industry, showcasing your ability and your type and the roles you’re shooting for, and all...
What is an Intimacy Coordinator?
The intimacy coordinator has fast become one of film and tv’s most vital on-set roles. Initially a response to the post-Weinstein, #metoo era, intimacy coordinators entered common industry usage in 2018 following HBO’s hardline adoption...
How to Cut Down a Monologue or Scene
American author William Faulkner is generally thought to have coined the phrase “kill your darlings”: a now-popular piece of wisdom handed to writers about cutting the parts of their work they might love but don’t...