4 Tips to Becoming a Better Actor
Q: I have been told this every once in a while, but recently an anoynmous person told me that when I act on stage, I have a tendency to overact and it’s very distracting. I want to stop this but can’t seem to find any good methods to practice. Does anyone else struggle with this during their performances? Are there any good methods I can use to stop? – J.J Warden
Many people run into this problem, overacting. But, what is overacting? Overacting can simply be defined as using too many actions to convey an emotion. For example, if someone was sad, an overactor would most likely throw their hands up in the air and cry to the heavens. However, overacting is a benefit for many actors performing on stage. Since it requires large movements and actions for the entire audience to see. So, here are 4 tips to becoming a better actor and prevent overacting:
#1 Plan what you are going to do.
You must likely see overacting when someone steps in front of a camera. A camera picks up everything. From blinking during certain lines, to scratching your leg. It is important that every movement and action is carefully planned and executed.
#2 Don’t Act but RE-ACT.
Michael Caine, a world famous actor, director, producer, and acting coach stated thats that at the end of the day an Actor should feel like they didn’t do any acting at all. As an actor, you should re-act to what your cast does. Act according to your cast members and feed off of their energy. This will allow you not to stand out as a sore thumb as a bad actor.
#3 Don’t Get Self-Conscious
Whatever you do, don’t get self-conscious and care about how you look on the outside. It will almost assuredly make the problem worse. Focus on what you are doing and who you are talking to. If you are able to block out the cameras, lighting, grips, producers, script supervisors, and the director and simply focus on the conversation, action, and dialogue at hand you will come across more realistic.
#4 Character Analysis
Focus on your character. Understand what motivates your character, how does your character move, is your character tough or weak? By understanding your character and implementing a focused approach to understanding your character you will learn that you do not need to focus on making extra movements to convey an emotion.
