Actor or Director: Who Really Drives the Story? | Secrets of Filmmaking
Actor or Director: Who Really Drives the Story? | Secrets of Filmmaking
How should a director work with an actor? Why do actors sometimes appear confused on-screen? How to set the right goals for an actor, and where is the line between empathy, freedom, and exactingness?
In the new episode of "Film Connections," Olga Ushakova and actor, director, and screenwriter Denis Mileshka discuss in detail the director's work with an actor, the acting profession, and how a powerful scene is born on set.
Denis explains why it's important for an actor to understand the director's mindset, how his training as a director changed his work as an actor, and why a director sees the film as a whole, while an actor sees their scene and character first and foremost.
We'll discuss how to set the right goals for an actor, why words alone are often not enough, and how a specific goal helps an actor reach their full potential. We'll discuss director empathy, trust between actor and director, creative dialogue, and professional boundaries on set.
A separate topic is the emotional side of acting. Why an actor has to literally "turn their soul inside out," how painful it can be to live a role, and why even a small performance can cause intense anxiety in front of an audience.
We'll also discuss directing and editing, directorial self-criticism, the need to cut favorite scenes, and why a good director must be willing to abandon their original concept for the sake of the film.
Finally, we'll discuss Dostoevsky, Chekhov, and Mark Twain, the influence of literature on an actor's thinking, and recommendations from Stanley Kubrick's film Dr. Strangelove.
In this episode:
the director's work with the actor;
how a director can understand an actor;
how an actor can understand a director;
how to set the right goals for an actor;
acting and transformation; Empathy on the set;
Actor-director dialogue;
Directing and filmmaking;
Film editing;
Script and character development;
The acting profession;
The psychology of an actor;
The director's mindset;
The filming process;
How to bring out the actor on camera;
Why an actor looks confused;
The actor's freedom and directorial control;
Dostoevsky, Chekhov, and Mark Twain;
Stanley Kubrick and Dr. Strangelove.
00:01:34 — Why is it beneficial for an actor to think like a director?
00:04:36 — Actor vs. director: what's the real difference?
00:07:06 — Why does a good role sometimes require you to "turn your soul inside out"?
00:10:02 — Why should a director be able to kill their favorite scenes?
00:18:27 — The Secret to a Good Scene: Trust Between Actor and Director
00:26:42 — How does a director help an actor become a character?
00:31:55 — Care or Pressure: How to Work with an Actor on Set?
00:36:06 — How to Give an Actor the Right Task?
00:39:02 — Who's to Blame When an Actor Gets Lost in the Frame?
00:56:49 — Why Watch Dr. Strangelove Today?
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Contact phone number: +79037926733
Olga Ushakova on Telegram: https://t.me/ushakova222
Channel "Dela Direktorskie" https://t.me/ushakovaolga222
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