What the acting craft can teach writers about the writing craft: Part 4
Today is Part 4 of a 5-part series on what we as writers can learn about our craft from the craft of acting. In particular, I’m hopeful that between what gets posted here and what gets posted in comments — especially by those GITS readers who are actors or have taken acting classes — we can all learn something about the mind of an actor. How do they approach a part? What are they looking for? What do they think makes a great character? And so forth.
I’ve asked two professionals with acting backgrounds to provide their take on a series of questions, one each day. They are Joshua James and Shea Vitartis (their bios are at the end of this post).
Today’s question: What resources are available to writers to learn about the craft of acting?
Shea Vitartis:
Videos and DVD series
This is the only one I can think of:
“Sandy Meisner: Theater’s Best Kept Secret”
Uta Hagen has one, too:
“Uta Hagen Acting Class”
Give Samuel French a call for other leads/DVD series.
Books
“Building a Character”, by Constantin Stanislavski>
“On the Technique of Acting” by Michael Chekhov
For script breakdown:
“The Art of Acting” by Stella Adler
“The Power of the Actor” by Ivana Chubbuck
I have yet to read Larry Moss’s book on acting but hear great things about it:
“The Intent to Live: Achieving Your True Potential as an Actor” by Larry Moss
Acting classes
My three peices of advice are “Audit, Audit, Audit” Check out as many classes as you can in your area and auditing is free. Well, at least it is in LA and NY. If they want to charge you to audit, tell them to — — off. Doing that will give you a well-rounded look at the whole process. What works for one person accessing their craft may not work for another. After the countless hours I have spent wearing down sneakers, I found that simplicity works best.
After all if life were complex, we would all get it, right?
Josh James
You can probably take an acting class just about anywhere … you can take one at any University (usually they have a basic acting class for non-majors) or you can even audition for a part at a local theatre…
For film acting, Micheal Caine has a truly great DVD called ACTING ON FILM that is awesome … he explains how to work his moments and beats for a camera, and teaches students for the camera. It’s also a book, too.
“Acting in Film” [book]
“Acting in Film” [DVD]
There are a lot of books, but my favorite when I was an actor was AUDITION by Micheal Shurtleff … he was a casting director (just passed away a few years ago) who wrote about acting for auditions, and myself I found his insights to be extremely illuminating. It’s a short, fast read and I recommend it for everyone.
“Audition”
About Shea Vitartis:
Shea Patrick Vitartas was born and raised in Los Angeles. The son of a set designer, he got a taste of the “business” at a very young age. At the age of 18, he joined the lighting union. Not long after his first day on the job, he caught the eye of an acting manager who took Shea on as a new client. It was at this time that Shea’s journey into the craft of acting began. He trained at various studios and learned from the top acting coaches in Los Angeles. Throughout his journey, Shea has met many unforgettable people who have inspired him. Two of the biggest influences on his acting career have been Peter Haskell and William Alderson, both of whom approach the technique of teaching acting from a place of imagination and truth. While he continues to pursue his passion for acting, Shea has also recently completed the UCLA Certificate in Feature Film Writing. Never one to let his creative mind rest, he continues to write and direct projects, some of which have been shown at various festivals throughout the U.S. Shea is currently working on his third script, which he plans to shoot in the latter part of 2010. He is also assembling a web series that he will be writing, producing, directing and acting in.
About Joshua James:
Josh James adapted Peter Biskind’s book Down and Dirty Pictures (2010) into a screenplay now in pre-production as is his dark comedy The Jones Party.
He also wrote the thriller Block Island for Adler-Gray Productions and did a production polish on Roadkill (2010) directed by John Stockwell, which completed principal photography in January 2010. In addition, his scripts A Natural High and Pound of Flesh, were optioned in 2009.
Josh has a blog on writing here.
Thanks to Josh and Shea. More from them on Day 5 of this 5-part series tomorrow at 4PM EST / 1PM PST (U.S.).
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