The moment before "Action"

I'll preface this post by saying what I often say in class - "Technique is like medicine.  You only use it when you need it." If you're feeling the emotions you need to feel by simply believing in the imaginary circumstances, then you don't need anything else.  It's working.  But often times (especially after 15 takes) an actor might have trouble generating the real emotion he or she needs to feel in the scene.  Typically, this is when they start "indicating" the emotions required in the scene (see my August 14th blog).

The preventative medicine to this common problem can often be found in the actor's preparation.  I suggest two phases of prep before an actor enters a scene (or the director calls "Action").  When both are used together the actor feels what he needs to feel and starts the scene anchored in the imaginary circumstances. Here's how it works:

Step 1. Get emotionally full.

Sanford Meisner

Sanford Meisner uses "Emotional Preparation".  Strasberg favored "Affective Memory".  My approach is, "Use what works!" The idea is to "fill up" emotionally and I suggest a combination of different methods. First identify a main emotion your character feels at the start of the scene. I know there may be several but you only need one for this.  Let's say "humiliation".  Next try to think of a time in your life when you felt humiliated.  If you don't have a specific memory, that's OK! Use a real memory and Tweak it.  Perhaps you recently gave a speech in front of a group of people.  It went well.  But what if you had realized while you were standing there, that your pants were unzipped, and everyone was looking! This works well because it's a real event (you really gave the speech) and you tweaked it (made up the part about your zipper being open).  This makes it easy for you to believe in and therefore easier for you to feel the imagined emotions. Be sure to imagine the incident fully.  Thinking of it isn't the same as really imagining it.  Use your senses to actually see, hear, smell, feel everything you can about the event.  Sometimes you don't even need to imagine an entire event.  You can simply remember a song that triggers an emotion in you.  Or smell a fragrance or hold an object.  Whatever you use, it's your secret.  No one needs to know.  So use anything that works for you.  This will get faster each time you do it.  When you are able to trigger the emotion and feel emotionally full within say, 30 seconds, you're ready to move on to step 2...

Lee Strasberg

...Which I'll post in a few days, so check back soon! ;)