Acting on Camera with Cora
We have exciting new courses coming to MTYP’s School this season, including Acting on Camera! In this course, Hallmark regular and MTYP teacher Cora Matheson will help you focus on acting for the camera, including learning to audition, to self-tape and transferring acting skills to the camera. We asked Cora about what actors can expect in the course, how to transfer your stage skills to the screen, and how to get comfortable in front of the camera!
Q: What are the biggest differences between stage and screen acting that actors often struggle with?
A: When acting for film, there are many technical elements that an actor has to be aware of ON TOP of continuing to act and be in the emotional world of their character. For example, they must stay on their mark, or move their head an inch to the side, or
take a step to the right on a certain word, or look at a random spot on a wall instead of their scene partner … all so that the camera operator can get the right picture in frame. It can often feel robotic to the actor, but they still have to act and appear relaxed! Whereas on stage, an actor often has much more physical freedom and they don’t have to be as precise with their physical movements. Lastly – when acting on film, you must still emote and feel BIG, but do so more internally. Whereas on stage, the emoting can often be portrayed more externally.
Q: How do you adjust your performance for the camera without losing emotional depth?
A: You take all that emotional depth and energy and you pierce it into your belly and your eyes. You do your homework and create a very powerful “why” or “need” for your character. If your internal world is burning bright, we don’t need you to flail your arms out or jump up and down to show us emotional depth. We will see it all in your eyes if it’s there and you believe it.
Q: Are there any techniques or habits that work well on stage but don’t translate to the screen?
A: Anything can work on screen, depending on the story. Some of the best performances are ones where the actor has gone “big,” if you will. In general, however, powerful vocal projection and vocal resonance is a must on stage, whereas it is much less asked for in film. Unless you are playing an upper crust member of royalty, I’d say really crisp articulation is also a theatrical skill that is not as required on film. But we still need to understand you! Oh – and learning to quick change. You won’t have to do that in film.
Q: Do you think camera work can improve someone’s overall acting, even for theatre?
A: You BET! Film work really teaches you how to get inside the head and thoughts of a character, because on film, that’s what we see. If you are practiced in doing so, that is going to expand your ability to get into the headspace of any character you play, which is going to assist you in truly transforming. Film acting also teaches you to TRUST that who you are and what you are doing is enough. That might be the greatest skill of all when it comes to acting and being an artist.
Q: What kind of actor would thrive in this course? Would they need any prior experience acting in theatre or film?
A: Any actor who loves to get inside the headspace and become different characters will thrive in this course. If you like coming up with rich, imaginative stories and creating interesting character backgrounds, this will be your playground! No prior experience is necessary, no, however I’d recommend that there be a real interest in acting on film as we are really going to dig into all the aspects, including auditioning.
Acting on Camera begins Thursday, October 9th and runs weekly until December 11th. Click here to register for this course!
