Rehearsals

Rehearsals

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ConspiracyPenguin

Nosey Penguin
I have a lot of acting friends and it is interesting to talk about this topic. Some find rehearsals before going on set to be a helpful thing, others like to just go out and do it.

Here is how it works for me: If I am going to be doing a theatre show, usually I will rehearse to confirm that I know the lines and that the other actors and I have a good blocking system together - like a well oiled machine. If I am going to be doing film work, I usually don't rehearse too much. My theory is that when I get out there the improv side of me will take over and will produce and much more realistic feel to it. That being said, if I take a script and walk in front of the camera it takes me a few takes before I "get into the mode." In fact, during the filming of my TimeFest film, I had a near mental breakdown on set when I couldn't deliver the line like I thought I should be able to. Two takes later and my friend behind the camera said something to the affect of "I would pay for that."

I just thought it was an interesting topic, what are your thoughts?
 
I feel exactly the same way you do.

Stage = Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse
Film = Spontaneity + a little rehearsal for general blocking

We're also dealing with efficiency with the time & money factor.
 
I would like to suggest you get in front of the camera knowing your lines and blocking like it is second nature. In low/no budget films we dont have the luxury of spending 4 days on a scene and often need to knock a couple out in a single day. The better you know what you need to do, the more we can accomplish. Dont rehearse it until it is stale, rehearse it until you know it. The we can get several takes with slightly different approaches as opposed to burning off time and being happy to finally get a good take.

BUT... when I was acting I was a bit averse to rehearsal. My H.S. theater director was used to it and knew I'd deliver, but I did get fired off of a pretty major stage production for not giving rehearsals 200%. That can be an eye opener.
 
As an actress, it depends on the scenes. For most scenes, I prefer not to reherse them full out, because it wears out the words and makes it less real, especially for highly emotional scenes.

However, as I am also involved with producing, and I can definitely understand the need for rehersals. For some shoots, it's also nice to get to know the other actors and to get comfortable with the scenes. It's also nice to know blocking beforehand so it comes more naturally whena actually doing the scenes, but excessive rehersals are frusterating.
 
On films I've worked on and acted in, I've heard other actors say they don't like to rehearse too much or even rehearse at all for fear it will kill that "spontaneity factor" that gives the performance life. While I believe you definitely can over-rehearse, I still firmly believe that rehearsals are incredibly valuable and most people miss their purpose.

Many people think of rehearsal as "finding how to say the line right" so they can repeat this when it comes time to film. If this is the mindset it is far better not to rehearse at all.

When I rehearse, it is to find ideas. To discover possibilities and things to try when it actually comes time to shoot.

Forgot what the ratio is, but some director said he likes to do 70 percent in rehearsal and save the last 30 for the set.

More often I've found that people who hate to rehearse usually stick to their original line readings (one set way of saying the line) and so obviously since they are saying the line the exact same way each take, it loses it's power/life since the objective is the same: "to say the line right".

Rehearsal is a powerful part of film making that I've found to be misunderstood by fellow actors and film makers.
 
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teresadecher said:
For most scenes, I prefer not to reherse them full out, because it wears out the words and makes it less real, especially for highly emotional scenes.
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While I agree to some degree, I also think it's important to learn the lines to a point where you can say them backwards and forwards and without cues from other actors. Of course, everyone's process is different. I feel the more I have it ingrained in my brain, the more room I have to explore and create.
 
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I think rehearsing for film is better spent dealing mostly with character analysis than with nailing the script...
 
I think it's better to know you lines well enough that you can play with them a little and make it sound natural. Not to where it sounds like you are reading from the script. A lot of that also has to do with the emotion, though, too...
 
Oddly enough I heard him say that when he was on the Actor's Studio. He mentioned it in regards to his role on Ally McBeal. I think it's a fascinating way to learn lines and something I've experimented with to a small degree. It's tough but I can see the potential in it.

Nice find Tom.
 
tasialabastro said:
Oddly enough I heard him say that when he was on the Actor's Studio. He mentioned it in regards to his role on Ally McBeal. I think it's a fascinating way to learn lines and something I've experimented with to a small degree. It's tough but I can see the potential in it.

Nice find Tom.
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I saw it on Actor's Studio too. I just did a Google search for it now and came up with that.

GageFX said:
I didnt hire you to write, I hired you to act.
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****ing writers... :laugh:
 
GageFX said:
I didnt hire you to write, I hired you to act.
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Tom Marshall said:
poo pooing writers... :laugh:
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:grin: Yeah, it is partly the writer in me and partly the improv maniac. I didn't mean rewrite the lines, just be able to say them casually like you are coming up with them right then and there. For example, if my line was:

"That Gage FX is a real douche bag. Sometimes I wish he would stop picking on me."

I would memorize the just of it, so I knew what point I was trying to make and it may end up like this:

"Oh, yeah, that Gage FX is a real douche bad. God I wish he would just stop picking on me all the time."

Sure I changed it a little bit, but it would have sounded more natural. If the director has a problem he can say so and he will get his line just as it was put down on the script.

Forgive me for being a writer as well as an actor. :D
 
ConspiracyPenguin said:
Sure I changed it a little bit, but it would have sounded more natural. If the director has a problem he can say so and he will get his line just as it was put down on the script.
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Yeah, you generally want to NOT do that... unless you know for a fact that the writer and director (and sometimes just the director) are ok with it.

EDIT: I'll probably take liberties with your dialog for the Twilight entry with Max... hope that's ok... :thumbsup:
 
Allways, now that doesn't mean I don't shoot my rehearsals if the shot isn't too tricky and I know my cast knows what they are doing.
 
Sure I changed it a little bit, but it would have sounded more natural. If the director has a problem he can say so and he will get his line just as it was put down on the script.
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Why do you make ME work for my lines?
 
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Tom Marshall said:
...I'll probably take liberties with your dialog for the Twilight entry with Max... hope that's ok... :thumbsup:
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I am not okay with that simply because you didn't agree with me.

:D Gage, it depends on the director. If it were you, you would get what you wanted. Some might want the actors to play around. It all depends.
 
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