directing question

My real training is as a director for theatre -- though the end result may be different it's a whole different ball game.

Most of what I have learned about working with actors has come from taking Camera Acting classes -- there's a big difference in this and scene study classes, which are more like rehearsing for a play.

So yeah -- see if you can get in an ON CAMERA acting class. Either as an actor or --- one thing I did -- I offered to shoot the class for a master teacher -- he was ecstatic - he didn't have to fumble withe the vide camera as he transitioned back and forth to lecture and scene work -- the camera was all set up and of course looked 10 times better than what the class was used to -- I've done it where I just shot and also where I participated in the class -- but either way, I didn't have to pay :)

But signing up for a good on camera acting class can really open up doors to the directorial process of working with actors. A good camera class should have the students working ON CAMERA almost all if not all of the time, and have the students reviewing their work on a monitor.

Things such as the actors responisbility take to take willl should be discussed and what it means to act in Master, Medium, Closeup, EX CU, etc. as each is subtley different, as well as the actors responsibility to continuity.

In a good class the actors can't help but learn a little about how a film is put together (master, medium, etc) and why continuity is important.

Conversly - a director posing as an actor in such a class will also learn about the actors process and what sort of cues or information an actor needs.

We all read and covet Barry's DVX book but working with actors is a much more ephimeral task than mastering the DVX yet this kind of training or technical ability is just not as sought for or reveared --- my feeling is that's partially due to just not knowing what's out there in terms of classes etc. and partly because acting, and the guidance of actors is underestimated as easy -- I mean it's just walking and talking -- who can't do that right :cheesy:
 
So yeah -- see if you can get in an ON CAMERA acting class. Either as an actor or --- one thing I did -- I offered to shoot the class for a master teacher -- he was ecstatic - he didn't have to fumble withe the vide camera as he transitioned back and forth to lecture and scene work -- the camera was all set up and of course looked 10 times better than what the class was used to -- I've done it where I just shot and also where I participated in the class -- but either way, I didn't have to pay
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I have also been lucky enough to land a position like this. I've learned tons of techniques for directing actors and working on continuity from master to medium to close-up. There are things that as a director i never thought of exploring with an actor before this class.

Not to mention the great stories about old hollywood and famous actors your mentor is more than happy to impart over a beer after class.
 
Yeah my guy was in Close Encounters and worked for DePalma as the Killer in obsession and then had a smaller role in Blow out and he was Bill's Dad in Bill and Ted's Escellent adventure -- the one that had the young wife -- pretty cool.

I was actually going to ask him to Cameo in my Sci Fi but you have to write a letter 30 days in advance to get permission from SAG to use someone for free and you have to have a detailed production budget.
 
TRue -- had you heard that though -- that if you send them a budget with lots of Zero's in it then you can get a waiver if you send it or if they receive it 30 days in advance or something like that.

Just wondering if that's true -- I haven't done it yet -- New Orleans is a right to work state so I work with some good actors here who avoid SAG, but Mac's credits are mostly LA and stuff so of course he's sag.

But have you heard that or do you know of anyone that's done that waiver thing?
 
I had a friend who hired a few SAG actors for a short a few months back. He did go through the waiver process. Unfortunately i didn't really ask for specifics however he did complain about waiting for a preliminary reply. And though he was doing it 2 months in advance i think he was able to get a waiver in under a month.

The guidelines are online somewhere (Sag's website is a ***** to navigate) It might be possible if you get out the requisite forms this week or ASAP. Never hurts to try.

Good luck.
 
yeah -- we have a future cop scenario -- Mac could easily cameo as the talking head big boss that yells at the cops on their little in car monitor, -- or hell he could be the badguy cop ... I should call him ...
 
**** man i'm sag aftra i still do nonunion. i'm not a big star yet, but i will be, cause you guy's are up and coming directors and i will be working on your next project, oh by the way don't turn me in
 
kimko said:
poo poo man i'm sag aftra i still do nonunion. I'm not a big star yet, but i will be, cause you guy's are up and coming directors and i will be working on your next project, oh by the way don't turn me in
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There is an unmarked vehicle departing from 5757 Wilshire right now with a Global One Rule tracking device tuned into the transponder located in your guild card. Run for the hills!

Actually, nearly every guild member still does non union work, but often they use a different name to give them a degree of deniability.
 
Yeah, kimko, DVXUser is now PG-13...
The B25 Mitchell that was carrying the
"F Bomb" has been grounded indefinitely.

Welcome back, by the way.

Oh and that's a two-way street...
Don't be forgetting us in your Oscar acceptance
speech, and we shan't forget to mention you
in ours.:beer:
 
khmuse said:
...Actually, nearly every guild member still does non union work, but often they use a different name to give them a degree of deniability.
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yeah a college pofessor of mine - Bernie Engel, appeared as Bernie Anger and Bernie Angel LOL :laugh:
 
Keep in mind, almost all "Hollywood" pictures are done with at least pseudo-professional actors. They may not have much in the way of range, but they can repeat things over and over again and be spot on each time. When you're working with novice actors, everything changes.

Your project will be difficult to cut -- I ran into problems like that early on in my start, but you learn to work around it (and to avoid such changes in the future.) Most of this stuff should be worked out in rehearsal (IMO).

I know you say you have a lot of angles, but you might consider something really radical and use only a handful of cuts (or none at all.) Sometimes you over-cover things in shooting (I've done this) and then discovered I really only needed 3 cuts in the whole scene.

If you're filmming a scene and it's just not working, it is incumbent upon you as a director to change it, even if you have to throw out your earlier footage. Of course, the producers will try to kill you, but hey, whatever.
 
Rehearsals/Blocking I think would be the first thing to do to combat this. I shoot my rehearsals and we all view it at the end of the day, plus i give them a copy so they can watch it on thier own and make thier own adjustments. Its funny to watch them watch themselves and comment. This could be a hinderance at times where you love what they did and they hated it but I always get around it by having them do it they way they liked it and the way i like it so i can have the option.
 
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