You could probably fill a library with all the books on how to improve your acting! So to save you a little time I have put together a list of 10 tips, that I hope, will help you the most.
- Know your script. Read, re-read and then read again, and not just your own lines. From this foundation you can go on to identify the reason for your lines, this will help you react with the right lines and make remembering easier.
- Listen actively, you should give the impression that what your character is hearing is purely of that moment. Resist the temptation to be quick with your lines, just to prove you know them, it is a conversation after all.
- Be brave, the quickest way to improve your acting is to realize that your first choice will usually be the easiest for you to do – not the best one for the part. Look beyond your initial choice.
- Learn to breath, practice 20 minutes a day. Inhale as deeply as possible and exhale for twice the amount of time you spent inhaling (i.e. inhale 15 seconds exhale 30 seconds). This will help pre-audition stress and stage fright.
- Be professional, turning up on time, or early, will give you all the warm up time and, more importantly, the space you need.
- This one might not be so obvious, avoid bad mouthing your fellow actors. This is not only good advice because eventually they will find out what you’ve been saying, but also the actors who are quick to insult other actors are the ones who blame others for their own shortcomings. If you always blame others, you will miss out on the opportunity to accurately evaluate your own performances.
- If everyone around you is losing their heads – keep yours. If you find yourself in a situation where every piece of furniture is being chewed by your fellow cast members, hold your nerve and avoid the melodrama. Your performance will stand out like the calm at the eye of the storm.
- Act! The more you act the better you should get. Practice makes perfect after all. The more acting you do, the greater the number of actors and directors you will work with. This will help improve your acting by enabling you to find the truest way for you to develop.
- Improve your acting by making your colleagues look as good as possible. It might sound odd but getting the best from colleagues will reflect on your own performance and help you develop. It will also improve your professional reputation which, in turn, should mean you get more work.
- Finally, be thick skinned. You have to have the courage to stick to your guns when you think your right, even if you consider the criticism harsh, or are getting lots of rejections. Be honest with your self and be brave, most actors get rejected for most jobs most of the time!
Thanks for taking the time to read his article, I hope it will help a little.
Good luck.
