| September 2001 THE ACTOR'S CUT Andrew Byatt, director of the Scottish Actors’ Studio, reports on the Studio’s film acting course This June saw one of the most ambitious two week film acting workshops ever put on with £47,800 raised by Equity from the Scottish Executive’s Union Learning Fund and £10,000 from Equity, SMG TV Productions and BBC Scotland. Further generous in-kind sponsorship came from Panavision Scotland, Lee Lighting and Queen Margaret University College. Actors live with a catch-22 situation. How can we get the film job when we don’t have the experience — and how do we get the experience without getting the job? The course in June was a catch-22 buster! Actor/director Denis Lawson was workshop leader for this two-week session open to Equity members in benefit. Twenty participants and 30 observers were involved in the intensive practical event which replicated an actual film shoot. Top director of photography John Rhodes and top sound recordist Louis Kramer contributed backed up by a 16-strong professional film crew equipped with the latest digi beta camera, dolly and track, top sound recording equipment and an extensive range of professional film lighting. The Citizens Theatre’s rehearsal space was converted into a mini-film studio. Course topics included reading and deciphering movie scripts, film terminology, working in close up, how to handle directors, technicians, make up and wardrobe people, other actors’ egos, your own fears, insecurities and inexperience, the level at which to pitch a performance, retakes, re-shoots and how to maintain character and continuity in such a fragmented art form. Time was spent discussing auditions, including how to handle them, plus hints on improvisation and sight reading. The de-mystification of screen acting was invaluable, as was advice on how to handle yourself on a television or film set, choose agents, regard yourself as a one person business, and how to be able to compete in today’s competitive market. Each workshop day was devoted to recording a two-handed movie scene. The first two days concentrated on moving from stage to screen. Two actors performed stage monologues which were filmed and replayed allowing dissection of the differences between film and theatre acting. The course was aimed at empowering the actors. As in real filming situations, time was critical. Interspersed with the filming, Denis would describe his own experiences as a film actor followed by questions to Denis and the film crew. Actors left the course with knowledge they could otherwise have gained only through years of actual film experience. Being an actor and Equity member myself for over 30 years I understand the pressures and problems. I believe the course we have created, with its content, structure and intent are ideal for actors of all ages and experience. I learned a huge amount from the two weeks myself — things which will alter my attitude and approach to acting for the camera. I understand better how difficult it is for the crew and the crew also reached a new understanding of the pressures under which actors work. The main criterion for Denis was the instilling of calm and confidence before the lens. Actors were encouraged to relax — minimalism and truth were the by-words. Astonishing results were evident as we watched the rushes after each recording. Actors began to act much more naturalistically and honestly. Gone was the pressure to perform to be replaced by a new reality. In the second week a four-hander scene, based on the Woody Allen movie Manhattan, was edited in the evening at Jim Allison’s professional edit suite to allow actors to watch the editing process. An afternoon was also dedicated to viewing film clips which Denis had chosen to illustrate specific points. Not only did the participants get the course free but actors are also going to receive a sixth of an honours degree in association with Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh. On the last day guest speaker Sheila Gish gave an impassioned talk, describing how make up and costume can have a sometime devastating effect on one’s performance.The closing portion of the day was an evaluation session ending with Denis’s comments. Equity is looking at ways to raise the funding to repeat the Actor’s Cut next year. Actor Denise Borland commented: "This has changed everything for me. I now know what I want to do with my life, in a totally focussed way. I want to thank Denis Lawson for his unstinting brilliance, generosity, kindness and patience. Not once in the whole two weeks did he behave less than gentlemanly." I have investigated existing film acting courses both here and abroad, and had meetings with the highest ranking officials in the American Screen Actors Guild. To my knowledge nobody is attempting to mount such high level professional on going training events as the Actor’s Cut anywhere in the world.. For further details of Scottish Actors’ Studio events, call Andrew on 0700 022 9288 From British Equity |