Film and OCLD (Obsessive-Compulsive Line Disorder)

Film and OCLD (Obsessive-Compulsive Line Disorder)

Film and OCLD (Obsessive-Compulsive Line Disorder)

By Peter Frisch on Aug 22, 2018 at 10:32 PM in Acting Tidbits

Actors are always worried about their lines: How many, what inflection, what word to emphasize, picking up cues. But in film, it's not the lines that we care about, it's the transitions, the reaction shots, the moments before and after the lines. The important moments in film are all BETWEEN the lines - that's what draws us in, that's what creates suspense. Will he cry or won't she? Will he just sit there, or will he erupt? Will she say "yes," or will she say "no?" And great actors know exactly how long to milk these heightened silences. Lines? Sure, learn them, but it's how interesting you are in those silences that count – especially on camera.







Testimonials

"Most acting classes offer scene study and critique, but it is much more unusual to run into someone who is willing and able to guide the actor through several scenes from a feature-length script, with cameras, in order to create the experience of developing a character in a real film. This difference has clearly made a difference — at least if the performances I observed at Maravilla are any indications. The talent on display was noticeable, but even more impressive was the discipline, as well as the strong sense of an entire cast and crew working as a team. Come to think of it, the best analogy would be to an actual film set, which is, I suppose, the point."
Donelan
The SB Independent