Working with Actors: Getting the Right Performance

In this intensive 5-day workshop, director Udayan Prasad (THE TUNNEL, THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF, MY SON THE FANATIC) guides participants through the fundamental techniques for working with actors. Designed for directors with some filmmaking experience, but little or no involvement in the performing arts, the course looks at how actors are trained and the methods they use in order to inhabit their characters and bring them vividly to life. What directors far too often lack is an understanding of the specific needs actors have in their efforts to help the director achieve her/his vision and a vocabulary with which to communicate effectively with their cast.

This workshop aims to address that deficiency by helping participants to develop means of communications that are both concise and effective.

In order to have as clear an understanding of what actors require from their director, participants will fulfil the roles of both actor and director during the workshop, reversing roles with their fellow participants.

This exploration of the actor/director relationship will include:

• What is ‘acting’? Participants will take part in practical acting exercises.
• The actor/director relationship. Trust, Collaboration, Delegation.
• The dangers of preconceived performance. Choreographing every single aspect of an actor’s performance versus the value of stimulating the actors’ imaginations in their efforts to bring their characters to life.
• The actor’s toolbox. What’s in it? And how do you ensure that the actor can use these tools effectively?
• Actor’s Methodologies. Participants examine some of the different methodologies that actors use when preparing to inhabit their characters.
• Giving notes to actors. The need for clarity and simplicity. How much information? When and how to give notes? Playable notes and the need for verbs.
• The importance of the story. Everything begins and ends with the story: the imperative of seeing the world through the eyes of the character. What are the character’s objectives and needs? What are the given facts about the character in the screenplay?

The third and fourth days of the course will be spent in rehearse/readings with professional actors in order to learn about their methodologies; how and to what detail they mine text for information that is essential in order to truthfully play any scene. This will be done with detailed analyses of scenes from existing feature films. On the final day participants will have the chance to put into practice all that they have learned in the course of the previous four days by directing professional actors in a substantial monologue. In addition, time will always be set aside for Q&A sessions during which participants will have the opportunity to ask actors about their individual working practices; what makes for a truly productive environment as well as discussions on casting sessions which mark the beginning of the actor/director working relationship.

By the end of the course participants should have acquired a richer, more informed understanding of how to communicate and collaborate with actors.

“The workshop was truly enlightening. As someone who comes from a nonfiction background and is currently developing a first narrative feature film, the collaboration with an actor was the biggest blindspot in my prior experience. I found that the workshop content and structure, as well as Udayan’s engaging manner and talent for teaching, opened the door to a completely new way of working with and thinking about film. The two days we spent directing each other was really illuminating with regards the type of information an actor needs to make their choices, and the few days we had working with professional actors both challenged us to apply our new knowledge and showed what is possible to achieve by doing so.” – Sasha, 2024

“Udayan was the most excellent course leader. I was nervous going into it, but Udayan started with the basics and built from there. He challenged us to ask questions, and fostered a great environment I learned a lot, which gives me great confidence.” Rian, 2024

“It surpassed my expectations. Udayan is a brilliant teacher and I feel like I’ve learned something important about acting and story. The scenes were well chosen too and the whole course has made me realise the level of detail required at the top level. I enjoyed the practical elements, there was a lot of doing. I feel like it gave me a great framework for analysing scripts going forward, both for directing actors and generally looking at story.” – Robert, 2024