How to Get Better at Acting

What I have learned from being in the acting business for the past two decades, is that working on your craft and putting content out there, can shine a very bright light on your creative spirit. Doing shit is what we are supposed to be doing. There is something incredibly lifting when we use our imagination and some elbow grease.

Right now, the world feels a little depressing. Broadway is open to a degree, and there are some projects filming, but we are still not at full production capacity. Covid is still an obstacle for us in 2021. So creating, writing, and keeping your craft sharp can continue to open doors for us as artists.

I have always believed that our number one job as artists is to create content and to keep putting ourselves out there. It’s what all the great artists did before they had money or fame. They focused on their art and never looked for recognition. It was true in Shakespeare's days, and it is true today. And with all the digital platforms we have at our fingertips, we have so many opportunities to create amazing content to share with the world.

For example, I reached out to a few producers who are in pre-production and shared my material with them. A few responded and one asked that I put myself on tape. I did and I was booked on the project which will shoot in Texas in 2022. BUT, it was my determination to keep practicing scenes and monologues, to NEVER fear putting myself out there, and my understanding of technology, that opened that door for me. Your job is not to judge. Your job is to do!

When I was a young actor, I had a group of friends with who I would meet once a month to work on monologues. We each set a goal to memorize twenty monologues and practice them with each other. And the work we worked on ranged from Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, and even contemporary stuff written. We all gained a huge amount of confidence from working on our craft. Confidence is such a massive attribute for an actor to have, and when you feel confident, people notice. The Acting Gods notice!

Focus on creating content, sharpening your craft, believe in yourself, and NEVER fear putting yourself out there. Never!

A few skills that I worked on here are.

Eyes
Speaking on camera without blinking is a challenging skill and something that I am always working on. Watch many of your favorite actors, and they know how to speak without blinking much through their speeches. The camera is a set of pictures, and if you're constantly blinking all the time, it distorts the pictures. It is like a black frame popping up all the time during your favorite show. It makes it hard for the audience to feel the story. Michael Cain was the best at this. Watch his work, and you will see how unbelievable he was. Study your favorite movies to see which actors can tell a story without blinking much and notice how the story feels because of it.

Editing Softwares
It's essential as actors that you learn how to use editing software to edit your material and content. You gain power and control from understanding how to handle editing software. It is not hard, but you have to NOT afraid of learning it. It's also to time expense to always be outsourcing, not to mention how much money will cost you. You gain tremendous control over your career from being able to put content out there digitally, and that is power. And today, because of Covid, putting yourself for auditions is here to stay. And those who can get their stuff out there first will have a HUGE advance.

Memory
Working on your craft keeps your skills sharp which can quickly rust, like your memory. Your memory is also an essential skill to have as an actor. The strong your memory is, the better of an actor you are. When you are not nervous about your memory, you're relaxed, and a relaxed actor is always a better actor. Always. When you work on your craft, the Acting God always looks down on you and brings you work and opportunities. That was definitely true when the world was open before COVID and true today.

Writing
Writing this blog is another skill that I am polishing and working on. The ability to express your thoughts throw words is a Vital skill as an actor. Writing is something that the more you do, like anything to be honest, the better you get at it. And having the outlet of sharing your thoughts through blog or a post will also open doors for you. Allow you how to find your press and reach out to journalists and agents, and acting directors too. And the clear you are in how you cominnicate with your works, the success you will have getting those industry people to reply back.

Change of Beats in a Scene
Knowing when the event changes in a story, a scene, and a monologue is critical for your craft. How and when does the story change? What does it mean for the character? Shakepwea is pure genius in guiding you and letting you know when the story has turned. . He uses specific words and punctuations to show you. Notice how he used the word "I," it is a huge clue what the character is thinking and feeling. I love to work on Shakespeare because Shakespeare the material is hard. When you work on the hard stuff, the easier contemporary material becomes for you.

Character work
The more you work on finding different characters, the more you can refer back to them for other performances and auditions. Character work is always a tricky subject in acting. Character work is particular to each performer who is performing. Some think you play yourself, and others believe you have to find the character from the page. For me, I love to find the character off the page and see if I can use my imagination to create the character physically. Look for elements to highlight and bring out in my performance. Discover who I think the character is and how he thinks and how he physically lives.