5
Character
The main difference in creating character for film versus stage is this: The stage actor paints broad strokes, looking for the whole physical impression. The film actor begins with small details, looking for hidden traits. The stage actor wears the character’s clothes; the film actor not only wears the clothes but also has sewn the button—the one that doesn’t quite match—on the sleeve. It doesn’t matter what condition the stage actor’s fingernails are in, but show me the well-manicured hand of a foundry worker in a film, and I’ll ask a lot of questions.
The Building Blocks
Small details accumulate, and when there are enough of them, they create a reality. In Dirk Bogarde’s wonderful book, Snakes and Ladders, he states: “I ...
Get Film and Television Acting, 2nd Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
