Technique
Okay, so here’s the thing, most of Acting is bullshit. It’a\s not difficult, but it is however tricky. Working in the mines of West Virginia is difficult. Trying to remember what to say is tricky. If you want to be an actor and want to get a feel for it, try juggling, or peeling an orange, or rubbing your belly while patting your head while also lying, either making up the lie as you go (Improvised Acting) or a predetermined one, (Regular Acting). There. Did you try it?
It’s not grueling but there’s a trick to it. All technique is, is picking out whether or not you want to peel an orange or rub your tummy.
There’s a bunch of different techniques to choose from. I’m not going to go into too much detail here because frankly it’s boring and you have to try them out to see if they work.
ACTING TECHNIQUES:
Good acting: This is when an actor is very, very good. Everyone agrees so, even on Twitter.
Bad acting: This is when an actor has done something in their personal life that we don’t like so we call them untalented.
Stage Acting: Speak loudly and carry a small stick. (Given to you by the props department)
Musical Stage Acting: Sing loudly and swing from a big stick.
Film Acting: Speak softly and hit your GODDAMN MARKS.
Musical Film Acting: This should never be done.
Miesner Technique: When you try to repeat things so much that they become nonsense words and no longer matter in an attempt to try to be more emotionally available. See also: Transcendental Meditation.
Stanaslofky Technique: The GOAT. Think about what people want in life and then make logical choices based on that.
LeCoq Technique: Confuse modern acting teachers by creating a character around yourself rather than just showing up to set and saying your lines. Good for Renaissance Faires.
The Julliard Technique: Be as loud and clipped in speech as possible.
The Robin Williams and/or Oscar Isaac Technique: Grow a beard if you’re in a serious film.
The Margot Robbie Technique: Be so hot and talented that they can’t fathom it. (Very Rare)
The I gotta act to make money acting to do something else that I actually want to do Technique: Fuck You.
There are many ways to learn these techniques. I recommend finding a lot of resources online and then getting cast in short films and see if you’re any good.
All the technique in the world will not save you if you’re just no good. Luckily it’s easy to find out if you’re no good at acting! People will tell you. Or people won’t tell you. Or your family won’t encourage you. Or even worse your family will encourage you too much.
You can learn to be better though and then eventually be pretty good. If you’re truly untalented you’ll be able to tell by the fact that you are unable to or have any desire to become better. This doesn’t mean you’ll be unsuccessful, in fact, odds are you’ll be a well-regarded actor either in a small community or in comic book films.
There are also classes you can take to learn these techniques. A lot of them are scams. If the class takes place in a culvert, in an apartment, in a car, or in a building of any kind it is a scam. The only classes that aren’t scams are the ones you look back fondly on after you’re successful.
You can receive an education in acting through universities, colleges, and conservatories. Or and here’s the bitch of it, you can just do it. You can just be cast in things and it doesn’t matter if you have training. You can be really good at making one thing online then they’ll put you in a movie. It can just happen. This industry does reward hard work and ingenuity but it also rewards whatever the hell it feels like.
But, you can’t control that, what you can control is yourself and not paying someone $2,000 for headshots that you’ll have to change in six months when you get a haircut to prevent further thinning.
But, I do recommend that you take some sort of on-camera technique if you want to be in films and television shows, or vocal technique lessons for stage and musicals. Also audition technique. This is literally the only thing you need to be good at the rest you can figure out later. There are objective ways to get better at what you do. Focus on those, not “It factors” or “What’s Hot Now,” or the fact that you’re “5”7”
Thanks for reading!
Stay safe and have fun!
Love, Tristan