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Stillness: Acting Without Movement
by Bill Howey
What might be missing in your acting menu is stillness. Stillness is more
affecting to an audience than actions and often more than words. Many actors
do not realize the impact well placed stillness has on their performance.
This may be because stillness often happens after lines are lost or a
mistake is made and these times are best forgotten.
The stillness I'm talking about is a palpable beat, a compelling pause
absent of action or movement but filled with thought and intention. As in
the eye of a hurricane, there is stillness between periods of intense
energy. Inside the eye, there is a sense that something else is coming,
perhaps even stronger than what just preceded it.
A still character reveals intention and causes anticipation of what is to
come for the audience. Alfred Hitchcock said it's not the bang that
terrifies but the anticipation of it. And anticipation is effectively served
up during stillness. Stillness also highlights what has just happened or
what was just said.
Too many actors clog up stillness with physical actions blocking intention
and sub-text. Although the meaning of the word acting is to do, doing
things, like moving a hand, finger or foot can be distracting to an
audience.
Another meaning of the word acting is: to stir up, to set in motion. Emotion
stirs people when it's clear what the intention is. Emotion becomes clear
and affecting in stillness, not with movement or action. Stillness forewarns
something is about to happen or points out that something has just happened.
Nevertheless, actors busy themselves moving their hands, fingers or their
head; they shake their foot, or sway from side to side, pace, wiggle a
pencil with their fingers or look around. And somewhere these actors feel
that they are revealing their character's intention because of their
actions.
If you are not aware of what you do, you should be. Each of these actions,
are preventing your character's story from touching the audience, and
perhaps, preventing you from landing the job.
Some actions are very appropriate and necessary to a character. My question
is do you know the difference between actions that enhance a character
from those that detract from a character? And a follow-up question: do you
realize the power of not doing anything? You must find out the answer to
these questions to be a more effective actor.
Mark Twain said: That impressive silence, that eloquent silence, that
geometrically progressive silence which often achieves a desired effect
where no combination of words howsoever felicitous (appropriate) could
accomplish it.
There are specific times when stillness enhances your character and affects
your audience, some examples are:
- Before a decision or revelation Stillness here reveals thought or consideration about the decision.
- After a decision or revelation Stillness shows doubt or rethinking.
- During confusion Stillness tells that you are reorienting to the events.
- Before or after receiving bad or good news Shows shock or surprise.
- After a discovery See #4
- Trying to hold back emotion This takes the audience into their own emotion. The real moment of being affected is just before the emotion flows.
The above are some of the moments that connect the audience to the character
on a very personal level.
Strong character stories rise out of stillness.
"Do not the most moving moments of our lives find us without words?"
- Marcel Marceau
Be still now, and consider what you have read.
Bill Howey has taught acting since 1980. He's also written, directed, and produced three independent movies.
Bill Howey wrote "The Actor's Menu: A Character Preparation Handbook".
Acting website: www.billhowey.com Book website: www.actorsmenu.com
Copyright © Bill Howey. All rights reserved. Used with permission of the author. Not to be reproduced or distributed.
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