Creating An Instant Riveting Authentic Acting Performance by Mark W. Travis

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Stuff we use:
CAMERA - This is the camera we have used to film 90+% of our interviews (over 200 interviews and counting) It continues to be our workhorse - amzn.to/2u66V1J
LENS - Most people ask us what camera we use, no one ever asks about the lens which filmmakers always tell us is more important. This lens was a big investment for us and one we wish we could have made sooner. Started using this lens at the end of 2013 - amzn.to/2tbtmOq
AUDIO
Rode VideoMic Pro - The Rode mic helps us capture our backup audio. It also helps us sync up our audio in post amzn.to/2t1n2hx
Audio Recorder - If we had to do it all over again, this is probably the first item we would have bought - amzn.to/2tbFlM9
LIGHTS - Although we like to use as much natural light as we can, we often enhance the lighting with this small portable light. We have two of them and they have saved us a number of times - amzn.to/2u5UnHv
COMPUTER - Our favorite computer, we each have one and have used various models since 2010 - amzn.to/2t1M67Z
EDITING - We upgraded our editing suite this year and we’re glad we did! This has improved our workflow and the quality of our work. Having new software also helps when we have a problem, it’s easy to search and find a solution - goo.gl/56LnpM
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#acting #acting101 #actingadvice

[@giovannibertoia8027]

You should write a book on this interrogation process!

[@margueritebaca3921]

I initially trained at Strasberg/L.A., then found once I was on stage, I was reacting in the moment. This was a surprise and effective. So I would say I organically developed my own hybrid of Strasberg/Meisner. I love this character interrogation process. It makes so much sense, rather than interrogating me, the actress. I can see how it gets the actor to so many rich nuances of the character. I'm so curious to experiment with self interrogation of a character. We are always talking to our selves anyways.

[@filmcourage]

Thank you for commenting and watching, Marguerite! Mark is a master at this technique. Here's another video with Film Courage where he went in-depth on the interrogation process. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5rbqGZpj698nbM

[@margueritebaca3921]

@@filmcourage Thank for so generously sharing the link. I found it very enlightening.

[@samuelotte3295]

in writing characters, I have reasoned out that the most authentic characters are not a singular voice, but an amalgam of competing voices. I think that interrogation brings out these competing voices and forces them to reconcile and drive the resulting behavior in an organic, authentic direction.

[@stevenwaege4807]

Is the amalgam of competing voices elements of the character's psyche such as the shadow, the anima etc?

[@jasminebrown3614]

This is amazing!

[@NIKONGUY1960]

This is good. Amazing.

[@goodtimes8229]

Brilliant.

[@633productions7]

Thank you Film Courage. This is one of my favorite vedeo! Very informative

[@mads5089]

This was really interesting. I'm not an actress but it seems a lot like what we would do in drama class, which was compulsory from 11 to 14, called hotseating. This is probably more involving but I will definitely use this when directing characters.

[@foxnng]

i liked this idea very much it would really help to dig deep

[@arnett.h6276]

Very profound advice for work as an actor!

[@braindamage38]

Interrogation technique sounds amazing!

[@filmcourage]

Here is a sample of it - kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5rbqGZpj698nbM

[@bestkilimanjarohike]

thanks Sir

[@RazorCatJinx]

The committee part is the best

[@belaboured]

Meisner interrogated characters. He did it with his students once they had a good grounding in listening to and focusing on the other actor, had a basic idea of what character is - a way of doing, and then needed to move on to a deeper understanding of what's going on emotionally in a scene. It seems to me this isn't so much something discovered by Travis as something remembered, and then enlarged upon.

[@skipsmagic]

I work alone, is it possible to have interrogation questions taped and then listen and answer on headphones before hitting the stage?

[@josephvanwyk2088]

Ok.... so how does one interrogate? Or what are the things you are asking? I also think this only works with DRAMA, not so sure it will hold ground with the other genres.

[@joegomez4773]

You ask the character personal questions... it would work with any genre that involves actors playing characters

[@josephvanwyk2088]

@@joegomez4773 I've used the technique in casting, and I could see 50% of the actors lit up with excitement playing along with the character's imagination. I would ask a tough persona question and they would defend the character's dignity or display their armour. --- The other 50% were so lost and made things awkward in the room, lol.

[@braindamage38]

Trap of assumption... I see that going over a scene I wrote 2 days ago. When I wrote it, I was feeling it. When I read it the next day over coffee, I realized I needed to add a LOT more detail to make my message clear. Still, yeah, everyone will see it and feel differently about it, but maybe good writers and directors know who to tell a story with more universal, desired, interpretation? Great stuff to ponder.

[@adventuresabigails]

This is one of the most draning things ever

[@ronreidjr]

Why is Travis' actor technique still effective for my interrogation scenes in my AI script? Maybe because it works! kzbin.infoN1dJeBWTXTY Thanks again Mark.

[@MEN-IN-BLACK1960]

Sounds to me like a cult 🙀

[@mattpulliam2352]

Mark has a slightly incorrect view of Stanislavsky’s beliefs. He claims Stanislavsky was looking for the “truth of the character” and for ways to stop “pretending.” This is sort of true but not really. What is true is that Stanislavsky wanted to see genuine sincerity of actions, emotional truth, and truth of behavior onstage in performance. In order to do so, Stanislavsky advised his actors (during rehearsals) to enter the given circumstances (i.e pretend) with his Magic ‘If’ prompt-to-action provision and understand that the props, stage environment, and imaginary circumstances aren't real, but if they were, this is what I would do… Stanislavsky also thought any talk of the actor "being the character" was a sign of delusion.

[@rODIUMuk]

Some of these guys are so full of it

[@Scout555]

Can you share us a link of your authentic work?

[@donavonmarshall2641]

@@Scout555 lol

[@akshayram1211]

Like natalie portman becoming the black swan in black swan.

[@ToriH]

wow so true

[@NishGurjara]

multiple problems here - 1. Interrogation will interfere with actor's own method technique.... suddenly he is going beyond it and unlearning all that has hopefully become second nature 2. interrogation right before a play would take attention away from lines he has to memorize 3. actors interrogating each other might also take away the intensity of say conflict, hatred or love they have to project as now they might be thibking from other person's point of view too. In real life you react to other person behavior and not to his thoughts and reasons.

[@MAATHOTEP]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIe2iIZ9lNKofsk