Sanford Meisner Master Class Screener

A comprehensive Master Class in acting taught by Sanford Meisner, this 8 hour instructional DVD set is the only existing video record of Meisner's teaching. Essential viewing for film, TV and theatre actors and directors, these DVDs also offer artists of all disciplines the opportunity to learn directly from a master who is now considered one of the most important acting theorists and teachers of the twentieth century. In 1980, a group of Meisner's alumni recognized the importance of preserving his teachings for future generations. They banded together and filmed a Master Class with Sandy, short clips of which were used in the 1984 PBS special Sanford Meisner: Theatre's Best Kept Secret. Until now, the rest of the 28 hours of footage remained archived and unavailable. This DVD-set finally makes the footage from this class available to the general public; for the first time since his death in 1997, students can experience the Meisner Technique as taught by Meisner himself.
The viewer should be aware however, that the audio and video quality is not up to today's standards. To make matters worse, Mr. Meisner himself is shown here after having gone through three surgeries to circumvent cancer and after having to re-teach himself how to speak. The beauty of this is that he becomes a living representation of one of his own maxims: "An ounce of behavior is worth a pound of words." Still, without the provided subtitles, he would be nearly unintelligible on this recording. Adapting your ears to Mr. Meisner does not take long and you quickly understand that it's well worth the effort. In order to facilitate this training for the viewer, the original recording of 1980 contains commentary with Martin Barter (Artistic Director of the Meisner Center and acting instructor). Anywhere its needed, Mr. Barter interjects his comments and explanations of Mr. Meisner's theories and exercises. This commentary is invaluable.

[@BruceTaylorRMS]

I meet Mr Sanford Meitner at the age of about 14 while working at the Bronx Zoo. I lived in the Bronx River Projects and my father got me a summer job their. I was working the parking lot. This is truly an amazing man that talked about his recent operation after a car accident from detail to detail and revealed that he was an acting teacher. I was so amazed that his interest of me was so profound. However at that age I did not realize who I was talking to. He even gave me information that I never use to contact him. This man can truly see and recognize the essence of a person. Thank you so much as I see you in 2023 to remember your patients talking to me. You are amazing. Bruce

[@PulpFictionized]

I'm taking a meisner class and it'd amazing how much you can really miss of what you're seeing of the person. the teacher said the same thing as Sandy did: "You missed something." To reveal the truth of what's in front of you, you must be open and you must have a heightened sense. Great stuff!

[@butlerscookies]

Throat cancer from smoking, had an operation, had to learn to speak again.....continued to smoke and he had to go through all that again........and again......

[@matthewsn2989]

talk about repetition

[@ishanp3196]

meisner technique😆😅😞

[@chrisc2477]

Tbh he's a genius, you have to really bask into this technique to grasp the concept.

[@sherilynl4038]

started from the beginning 3 times (year long studies) and every time i learned more and more. did sooo much for me and my career

[@louisekendralohmann6386]

Repetition saved me. I love this technique so much and seeing this video makes me miss my years at Esper Studio ♥️

[@shibanarayantripathy4485]

I can't watch the master teaching, i feel intense pain while he is speaking..

[@kylehoneysett]

Im learning the meisner technique. this guy that Sanford taught is my teacher

[@DH_Artist]

kylehoneysett Jim Jarrett???

[@jc2333]

This brings back memories. I did this class for 4.5 months.

[@GraduatedMoney]

Acting is behavior. Acting is behavior? Acting is behavior. You think acting is behavior? I think acting is behavior.

[@mngold9620]

Hahahaha Well that explains acting is behavior

[@liquidbraino]

@@mngold9620 That explains acting is behavior?

[@jackmckee5274]

@@liquidbraino yes, that explains acting is behaviour

[@ishanp3196]

@@jackmckee5274 why does that explain that acting is behaviour?

[@liquidbraino]

@@ishanp3196 Why?

[@johnlopiano]

The second actor to do the exercise is Matt McCoy (Lloyd Braun from Seinfeld, et al).

[@moonrice555]

He was in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, too.

[@liquidbraino]

I thought that guy looked familiar!

[@mirahmerkhanproductions]

Old memories at William Esper Studios with the repetition Game.

[@mariamusic17]

I'm so grateful for learning this technique

[@A92_]

Im way to high for this/

[@liquidbraino]

Try doing an independent activity while high.

[@sifugurusensei]

I trained in meisner for a year and now I'm learning a different technique. I was given a scene to do with my partner who probably never even hears of meisner. I think its absurd to try to teach her the repetition exercise, but I want to, just to connect to my scene partner. I'm sure that I'll run into more scene partners trained in other technique, so I wonder how to use Meisner in that situation.

[@sherilynl4038]

but you can tell when you work with an actor that has this training. i have worked on screen with actors and i had to ask...and sure enough they had meisner training. we did repetition exercises in between takes. it was awesome

[@sifugurusensei]

@@sherilynl4038 its hard to teach people not trained in meisner the repetition because they like to be in control when meisner is about going out of control. They think repetition is dumb and they don't trust it.

[@slickmashable]

@@sifugurusensei dam thanks for saying it this way. It really is an exercise of going out of control but with a razor sharp finessed emotional precision . With this in mind am now Looking forward to my next improv class!

[@beunique1688]

Method acting vs Natural acting in which acting the actor will transformed into the character and act naturally like that character.Which is best

[@liquidbraino]

WTF are you even talking about? This isn't "Method" acting and there's no style of acting called "Natural acting".

[@CARETAKER89able]

You can see Meisner acting in all woody Allen films.

[@Slashoom]

@Lily Szalay you don't get it

[@liquidbraino]

Woody Allen films? What does Woody Allen have to do with this? He didn't train with Sandy. You can see Sandy's students at work in Movies like Jurassic Park, Alien, Ghost Busters, East of Eden, The Seven Year Itch, Rebel Without a Cause, Columbo, The Fly, Avatar, The Right Stuff... I could keep going for another two hours.

[@st.stboneboner2707]

I couldn't do this without laughing.

[@liquidbraino]

Laughing is Ok. The trick is have your natural reaction.... AND repeat. Not have your reaction then repeat.

[@BrooklynBounce]

Meisner was an absolute genius

[@princec663]

Incredible

[@thanostsarbos1197]

I wouldn't be able to concentrate with Mr Meisner sounding like that...

[@sajay17]

Awesome

[@MovieswithKennyK]

I'm totally new to acting. So I understand what she does wrong at 3:09 but is she still supposed to respond with her repetition or say something else?

[@joeymoore24]

VigilantRebel87 she'd reply with something on the lines of 'that disgusted you' and he'd follow with 'that disgusted me' until something else broke the chain in which they'd continue the exercise but change what's being said. it requires an actor to be fully concentrated to the other actor!

[@MovieswithKennyK]

Joe Moore Ok that makes sense. But he was so quick to dismiss the way she said it, I didn't pick up on it right away lol

[@liquidbraino]

@@joeymoore24 That's exactly right.

[@liquidbraino]

@@MovieswithKennyK He dismissed her quickly because she didn't do it right. They're playing the three moment game. First moment is a provocative statement or question, second moment is repetition of that statement FROM your POV and the third moment is calling out what the attitude or POV behind the repetition was. She screwed up the third moment but he fixed it later. It's supposed to flow a lot more smooth than this and launch you into repetition.

[@scottsabo2982]

You think Carter's gonna win?

[@kundaliniairport]

2:22 my God is that Sigourney Weaver.. Ah, no.. for a second I really thought so..

[@smileybyronbay]

Is that Chevy Chase in the background sitting down?.

[@MrGrimlocke]

His voice scared the shit out of me

[@kellyrodriguez4889]

Same.

[@aradda555]

She is damn handsome. Love her.

[@SocciMatthew]

Love this, inspiring video :)

[@beattheodds6219]

how was he able to teach talking like that

[@billymeeks893]

like so.

[@rajeevghai7962]

He was a force to reckon with in acting. All actors follow s his techniques rigousoly today

[@liquidbraino]

@@rajeevghai7962 Not ALL actors, just the good ones. There's many different ways to approach the craft of acting, his was only one.

[@princec663]

Wow

[@balbirsinghmomi8139]

Is that blue shirt guy sitting behind ' Denzel Washington' .

[@havenmil21]

No

[@d.lhudson3875]

Proud to say I learnt this way of acting

[@louisekendralohmann6386]

I feel exactly the same.

[@liquidbraino]

Where?

[@TalkingRealMoney]

This is driving me crazy: Who is the actress in the white sweater at the beginning?

[@liquidbraino]

Probably nobody famous. I didn't recognize her.

[@sifugurusensei]

The only video you can find with the man teaching is with this voice? I cant understand what he's saying.

[@chelsea6897]

This is how he sounded he had some kind of throat cancer and later got hit by a van. The way he speaks is by inhaling air and speaking on the exhale

[@liquidbraino]

There's text at the bottom. And there's no less than eight hours of him teaching in the master class. There's also "Theaters Best Kept Secret".

[@rosskugman]

Is that Sigourney Weaver?

[@pact_nicely]

Ross Kugman yes. yes it is

[@alanelba]

reminds me of her but i dont think thats her, are you sure?

[@joncampos5551]

Nathaniel Miles-McLean She deserved better than that old coot who had to constantly belch to be able to speak. Gross.

[@liquidbraino]

@@alanelba I know for certain that she did train with Sanford Meisner but I'm not 100% if that's her. I think it is but I have the entire eight hour video and it doesn't list names of the students.

[@davidpatrickgreen5319]

Finally Meisner speaks for himself...most of the videos talking about Meisner and his technique are interpretations based on who knows what as told by who knows who. Truthfully, unless you actually studied under Meisner, you wouldn't really know what his technique was because it was constantly Morphing as he taught it as he was trying to improve upon it (as he should have been). Unfortunately, Meisner is dead and so is his technique. He would undoubtedly roll over in his grave if he knew how much people were using his old worn and not complete lessons 50 years after his passing. Strasberg, Adler and Meisner all were trying to perfect and simplify acting based on their understanding of Konstantin Stanislawski's technique and so to carry on teaching exactly what they taught years later without any attempt to improve or further simplify is just superficial plagiarism at best, and simply exploits the incomplete works of dead people based on their reputations since most of today's acting teachers are too lazy or scared to come up with their own technique.

[@neonrays28]

I think the only truthful technique is at the esper studio. Bill esper worked under sandy and so he taught the instructors who still teach at the studio.

[@chelsea6897]

There is a book of real recordings of him teaching

[@iamthewalrus3222]

@@chelsea6897 Hi! What book is that?

[@liquidbraino]

@@chelsea6897 There are eight hours of actual video of him teaching. I have all of it. And Bill Esper was not the last person Sandy worked with. The last place he taught was Playhouse West in Los Angeles which is owned by Jeff Goldblum. He taught there until he died.

[@harikrishnanchandramohan4209]

What an irony. I pray for his recovery.

[@louisekendralohmann6386]

He died year ago. But his legacy lives on in many acting schools.

[@franzifly]

what does the girl say? minute 1:32

[@ThePlur427]

franzifly he says the he "kinda shocked you" and she repeated "kinda shocked me??"

[@GaryMcCaffrey]

am i deaf?

[@annabaczkowska995]

No, you're just not listening

[@khayamthembu8526]

Where do I find the full version. I will buy it. Please.

[@liquidbraino]

You don't need to buy it, I have all of it, all eight hours of it and nobody is watching it.

[@khayamthembu8526]

@@liquidbraino how?

[@alexeykaravayev142]

😞😞😞😞😞

[@ZteveW]

I couldn't listen to the whole video because of the instructor struggling to breathe. OMG!

[@seveisaacs]

He got cancer of the larynx twice and had to have his vocal cords removed. He taught himself to "speak" again through inhaling air into his esophagus and releasing it in controlled burps. I'm reading his book with my theatre students right now and we all found that fascinating.

[@The_Chosen_One66]

Zt Weve that “instructor” is THE Sanford Meisner and you should show some god damn respect

[@liquidbraino]

@@seveisaacs Three times, actually. I think the third operation may have been after the book was written. His last performance before he died was on the show E.R.

[@liquidbraino]

Well then you would have never been among his famous students like Jeff Goldblum, Mary Steenbergen, James Dean, Sigourney Weaver, Marilyn Monroe - because on the first day of class the first thing he did was make sure there's nobody in class that has a hearing problem. If you can't hear him.... it's your problem; not his. He didn't need you as a student, you needed him as a teacher and he didn't advertise. You had to know who he was and seek him out and then HOPE you'd be accepted as a student.

[@ZteveW]

@@liquidbraino I don't give a rat's ass if he taught Keanu Reeves, Will Smith or Jesus. If I can hardly hear the guy, what's the use in going to class. Acting instructors come a dime a dozen.

[@RIFICA777]

What was wrong with his voice?

[@liquidbraino]

He had three larengectomies.

[@alexeykaravayev142]

What? WAS I SLEEPING CAUSE I DID NOT HEAR ANITHING

[@chelsea6897]

Maybe you weren’t doing the exact thing he is teaching the people in the video how to do, listen.

[@liquidbraino]

You didn't hear anything because you were sleeping.

[@The_Answer_Is_Within]

So....this a tv channel from another planet I guess... Jesus Christ those weird noises....

[@chelsea6897]

He had three larengectomies and had to learn how to speak by inhaling air each time for each word

[@joncampos5551]

I’m sorry, but that voice is too off-putting. Had to stop at 1:15.

[@liquidbraino]

So you can't read?

[@RicardoDinizPortugal]

Slim and healthy pre junk food bodies.

[@DionysianLaw]

This clown doesnt think there was junk food prior to the 1980s

[@BuckyBrown-lt4ry]

Total BS!

[@avahorn6161]

no

[@liquidbraino]

Tell that to all the famous actors he trained.