Secrets of Screen Acting

Secrets of Screen Acting, Fourth Edition, is a step-by-step guide to the elements of successful screen acting.

When it was first published in 1993, Secrets of Screen Acting broke new ground in explaining how acting for the camera is different from acting on stage. Reaction time is altered, physical timing and placement are reconceived, and the proportions of the digital frame itself become the measure of all things, so the director must conceptualize each image in terms of this new rectangle and actors must 'fit' into the frame. Based on a revolutionary non-Method approach to acting, this book shows what actually works: how an actor, an announcer, or anyone working in front of the cameras can maximise the effectiveness of their performances on screen. This fourth edition is completely updated to cover new techniques, film references, and insights, including:

• Updated information on vocal work outside acting, such as audiobooks and voice-overs
• Guidance on the technique of "whisper acting"
• New information about working with video games, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and other non-traditional forms of screen work
• Updated guidance on self-taping auditions
• Coverage of working with CGI and invisible acting partners on green screen
• Information on typecasting and stereotyping
• A quick history of theatre and film in 10 pictures
• A new emphasis on illustrations depicting acting techniques
• Information on and best practices for presenting oneself to the industry
• Many new illustrations, all specifically drawn for this edition

This book is perfectly suited for Acting for the Screen university courses, actors training on their own, and actors involved in all forms of screen work, including Zoom, Skype, Vox Pops, and more.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Screen versus Stage 3. The Frame 4. The Camera 5. Sound and Vocal Levels 6. Reactions and Business 7. Screen Acting 8. Casting 9. Auditions and Interviews 10. Rehearsals and technicals 11. The Shoot and 12. Post-Production 13. Presenting 14. Career Thoughts and Epilogue

Author(s)

Biography

Patrick Tucker is an accomplished director of both screen and stage. He has directed almost 200 television programmes and over 200 theatre productions, with director credits including the BBC, the Royal Shakespeare Company, a Russian sit-com in Latvia, and a feature film. He has run screen acting masterclasses for over 40 years, lectured and taught worldwide, and is the author of The Actor’s Survival Handbook , Secrets of Acting Shakespeare , and Secrets of Screen Directing .