Tips and Insights, by John Boylan. He offers film acting classes and personal coaching for Toronto-based students.
One of the five acting questions you ask is, ‘Where am I?’
What space are you in?
How to translate location or stage directions like – ‘She crosses the room.’ ‘She gets out of the car.’ ‘She runs out the door.’ – for an audition can be confusing.
Only use what’s indicated in the script that you like and helps you act. You don’t need to show …
Read MoreIf you’re asked to bake a cake just do that.
Don’t add any icing.
Your direction is to walk across the stage. Just do that. Don’t add. DeNiro says …
Read MoreThe National Film Board of Canada was founded in 1939 ‘To produce and distribute and to promote the production and distribution of films designed to interpret Canada to Canadians and to other nations.’
John Grierson was the founding Commissioner and had a positive influence on documentary filmmaking in Canada and around the world. His first film, Drifters (1929), the silent depiction …
Read MoreDo you know any millionaires in the movie business?
Of course, we all know that Ellen Pompeo earns $20 million, Scarlett Johansson and George Clooney earn $40 million, Angelina Jolie and Dwayne Johnson earn $28 million.
And, the Presidents of Netflix, Warner Brothers, CBS, Universal Studios et al are millionaires. Multi-millionaires. That’s…
Read MoreIt’s great when you’re just going to work.
After much experience the excitement and nerves change. After you’ve acted in a lot of movies the near hysteric level can’t sustain itself.
That’s when the work turns into work.
Maybe when you've done a long run of a …
Read MoreWhile auditioning you can keep going even if you drop lines.
Especially when you’re in it.
The struggle in the moment to find words to make your point can be gold. Not sure what to say? – speak your inner monologue. That keeps …
Read MoreAn important step in your professional development is being informed.
Only with the knowledge of how the movie business works can you fully participate in it and give your voice.
The financial side is often blurry.
You know how much you get paid …
Read MoreLiteral or subconscious?
You can use your imagination to develop a like inner monologue that your character could have. That’s useful work.
You develop aspects of your character – speech, physical – and you make up an inner monologue. Sometimes you let that run while you …
Read MoreAs you speak, your mind can be aware of the beauty and clarity of the language it's creating.
With certain characters – speakers – there is an awareness that their dialogue – their speech - is good. Or, the manner in which they are delivering it sounds good.
It’s an overlapping support, praise and
Read MoreThis is tricky.
You’ve got to be professional and use that as your guide.
Meaning don’t watch it with your partner, friends, family and even most of your actor colleagues.
Cherish your work; guard it. It’s …
Read MoreAs a working actor you still want to change and grow.
At this level you’ll do it in small bits. Each tiny change you make helps give you more of an edge.
Domini Fifield writes about the footballer Harry Kane in The Guardian …
Read MoreYour character is a low-status bad guy. You’re confronted by a high-status good guy or cool bad guy.
There can be different responses from you, the loser. Here’s an iconic order.
Laugh It Off.
The cool guy demands …
Read MoreAs an actor where are you headed?
Lots of destinations are offered to the professional actor – fame, wealth, awards.
To work with ease and grace is what you do when you’re at your best. It’s one of the goals that are practiced on the …
Read MoreFind a phrase that assists you to find a key to what you’re playing.
Use words and phrases that you like and use everyday.
‘You’re stupid.’ ‘Idiot.’ ‘You’re scared.’ ‘I like you.’ ‘Nice eyes.’ ‘I’m winning.’ ‘You’re losing.’ ‘Please.’ ‘I’m sorry.’ Anything simple that you can repeat at any time during your text or your partner’s text. It’s an …
Read MoreAfter coaching an actor for a time, I often put them on the ‘Do nothing program.’
It’s very successful.
What does it mean?
It doesn’t mean to do nothing. It means …
Read MoreFor example, the TV series Suits has a confrontational style to it which is quintessentially American in the mode of Teddy Roosevelt and his Roughriders marauding through Cuba in 1898.
That style still exists from then til now …
Read MoreThe grade three teacher said, ‘You’re only fooling yourself Johnny.’
If you set out to do something – be an actor, go to an audition, act in an indy film, help a colleague do a self-tape – you have to have a clear conscience.
Think if you’re doing what you want or doing what …
Read MoreYou want to play well.
Your mind is running a checklist as you act and you’re trying to fulfil the list.
No.
It can go like this with your mind saying, ‘Now breathe. Use your diaphragm. Be in the moment. Listen. Mean it …
Read MoreHave you changed agents during your career?
It’s a common occurrence.
And a most disconcerting event. The actor/agent relationship is the most difficult one you’ll have as an actor.
Why would you want to change agents? The first reason that …
Read MoreOne way to give you confidence in an audition is to block it when you prep.
That includes how you’re sitting or standing. Can you play the scene from how you’re standing? Are you comfortable? Usually, the way you normally stand is the best way to stand.
That’s your physical support: how you’re sitting or standing. Try and get …
Read MoreJohn Boylan | Toronto Acting Coach
The best work is often the result of an intense and in-depth period of concentrated effort. This is also the way an actor makes significant gains in their overall abilities.
Over four days this October, five hours each day, you’ll work with a small handful of like-minded actors to develop your skills in working effectively – and successfully - in front of the camera.
In this class …
These are professional track acting classes with practices that meet the actor's needs to work in the film and TV industry.
This course is right for you if: you are committed to being a professional actor; you have some experience in theatre or film; you have some actor training; you recently graduated from theatre school; you have an agent or are actively seeking one …
This is a one-hour session over Zoom geared to discuss the work in your most recent class or anything relating to your acting career.
For years I’ve been frustrated that I don’t get to speak much to the actors …
Working on Zoom this method of recording all the takes while I coach you has proven successful. We keep working, hone the scene, make adjustments …
I can help you make a demo reel and we can schedule it at whatever time suits us both. Please send your photo and resume.
The first step is a one-hour consultation where we discuss who the reel is for, what types suit you, which scenes to do, your hair and wardrobe.
Second step is …
IT'S YOUR SPACE. TAKE YOUR PLACE.
All posted class times are Eastern Time Zone (EDT/EST). A photo and resume must be submitted before registration is confirmed. Scheduled classes and coachings cannot be re-scheduled. If you’re unable to attend you forfeit the time and fee. Make up classes are not held over to future sessions, there are no refunds and money cannot be used towards another class. We reserve the right to change the time, date, and price of our courses.
john@centreforthearts.com
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