Imagine landing a role in a new Paul Thomas Anderson, Spike Lee, or Martin Scorsese film (like several students I’ve known and taught). Film directors, myself included, are known for letting their actors improvise on certain takes. I cast out of my scene study classes almost exclusively now, so selfishly, I created a new way to prepare my students to make it up as they go on set. This form of improvisation is very different because the goal is feature film and television work, not live comedy.
Whether you love improv or dread it, here are six easy-to-use tips that will help filmmakers use the best of what you have to offer. Keep these concepts in mind, and more of your creative ideas will make the final cut!
If you’re wondering, “what should I say,” you’re asking the wrong question. You make up your own dialogue every day of your life, and it’s easy because you have goals as you go about your day and you choose words that move you closer to those goals. The real question is, What do you want? The less you think about the words as they come out of your mouth, the more interesting they will become. The only word you should concern yourself with is the actable verb you are
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