New Collective Acting Studio

The Collective Spirit The Official Newsletter Of The New Collective LA Acting Studio Presence What Is Presence? In acting, presence is also referred to as star quality. It is something every actor strives for - - and, to be clear, it has nothing to do with how you look. Presence is achieved through a combination of elements: relaxation, emotional depth, and an air of mystery. Luckily, these are not just things you need to be born with. Through the process of developing your craft, every actor...

The Collective Spirit The Official Newsletter Of The New Collective LA Acting Studio Acting For Film: The Ice Cream Exercise The Reaction Shot In one of my first advanced Acting for Film classes in New York City, our instructor, the incredible Joe Paradise, introduced an exercise. Each actor had to open a freezer door, pull out a half-eaten carton of ice cream, look inside, and react to something shocking. The camera was set up for an extreme close-up. I was thrilled to try it out, thinking,...

The Collective Spirit The Official Newsletter Of The New Collective LA Acting Studio Thoughts On Process: Behavior Behavior Vs. Lines Sometimes actors forget about the importance of behavior. They focus on memorizing the lines rather than searching the lines for clues about action and for developing the character. The art of acting involves creating a character as a three dimensional human being. To help deepen their craft, every actor needs to learn the joy of observing and incorporating the...

The Collective Spirit The Official Newsletter Of The New Collective LA Acting Studio The Auditioning Mindset Empower Yourself The power dynamics of the audition process is the first thing the actor must work to overcome. Even the official definition of “audition” is synonymous with trial or test. This can immediately trigger our worst childhood memories: not feeling good enough to be picked for the team, the pressure of not getting a good grade on our report card, or the fear of being judged...

The Collective Spirit The Official Newsletter Of The New Collective LA Acting Studio Thoughts On Process: The Alchemy Of Acting Artful Chemistry Alchemy is defined as any seemingly magical process of transforming or combining elements into something new. An Alchemist is defined as someone who transforms things for the better. How does this relate to the art of acting? Imagine the craft of acting as something similar to sciences such as chemistry and cooking. The heightened reality of a...

The Collective Spirit The Official Newsletter Of The New Collective LA Acting Studio Inspiration From Other Art Forms The Seven Fine Arts A Fine Art is defined as something created mainly for its beauty and intellectual value. It’s judged based on its aesthetic appeal and the depth of its meaning. The traditional seven fine arts include music, painting, sculpture, poetry, architecture, literature, and dance. To see how acting fits into the fine arts, it's important to understand that although...

The Collective Spirit The Official Newsletter Of The New Collective LA Acting Studio Thoughts On Process: Improvisation Jazz As An Anaology Previously, I’ve mentioned jazz as a way to understand the concept of “letting go” as an actor. Jazz serves as a great analogy for structured improvisation in acting. While it may seem chaotic, jazz is actually highly structured. Musicians stay within a set framework, following the melodic line. This balance of freedom and structure is crucial to jazz—and...

The Collective Spirit The Official Newsletter Of The New Collective LA Acting Studio Rehearsal To Rehearse, Or Not To Rehearse There is a common misconception that rehearsing kills an actor’s spontaneity. Some film and television actors, especially those without theater training, tend to resist rehearsing for this very reason. Sadly, this is an unfortunate misunderstanding. When rehearsing properly and effectively, the actor is empowering themselves while also opening the door to freedom,...

The Collective Spirit The Official Newsletter Of The New Collective LA Acting Studio Thoughts On Process: Script Analysis What Is Script Analysis A very good definition of script analysis is: “Script analysis is the close reading of a text to establish its intended meaning, including a thorough understanding of the setting, the subtext, and the character’s objective.” There are many variations of script analysis techniques, many of which refer back to the teachings of Constantin Stanislavski,...

The Collective Spirit The Official Newsletter Of The New Collective LA Acting Studio Taking Risks In Your Auditions Being Artful When we talk about taking risks in auditions, we don’t mean putting yourself in physical or psychological danger. Instead, being artful with risk means embracing the joy and safety of acting while striving to stand out in a way that enhances your portrayal of the character. Use The Given Circumstances The actor must always refer to the given circumstances when...