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Working With Actors

and we're back. And Lloyd, the joys of live TV or live broadcasting makes me wanna say, is far away from TV is possible. It's definitely live TV, but it's that's just kind of roll with the punches and it's cool. And I hope you guys just, uh, chuckle with us and move along. We figured out the issue, Jeff, if you kind of explain, insert to them what was what was going on and why rent rent this issue? Yeah, this is actually very fascinating thing that just happened. And, uh and it takes us a specific set of circumstances. Teoh end up like this, But what happened was we We got our audio. When we were editing, we took the audio and we took whatever audio was with the video files. It turns out that, um, the left Channel and the right channel of the audio, which was just dialogue. I was completely out of phase with it with each other. And so the miracle of salmon, What does it mean to Leah? So the miracle of sound is that if you take a sound wave that's traveling a certain way and you flip it...

upside down, turned completely upside down. So it's a mirror image if you play it out of two speakers such as headphones, which is what everything was mixed on last night was just headphones. By playing through headphones, I can hear the sound. No problem. If you take those two signals and pan them both to the middle or make the mono, they cancel each other out perfectly. So we got here today. We're trying to troubleshoot this, and all we're hearing was music. As soon as we played it through this computer, we couldn't figure this out because it was impossible. I had exported a mix with the music and the dialogue in Mixed in, and so we were playing on other computers. It was fine, but the issue was we hooked up to this computer. It's a mono feed that's going to you guys and to us in the building. So what ended up happening was the two sides combined together and the things that were exactly the same in both speakers. The dialogue got completely canceled out. Everything else if there was any music, some of my music was panned left and right. So when it got joined together that stuff survived. That's why we were hearing the music. Okay, so the dialogue completely canceled. So all we did is we are now playing the left the Left Channel, which has dialogue and some of the music. So that's what we're going to hear now. Let's get a try. I like to make things that are beautiful. I'm very process driven and it's, you know, when I'm there building it, it's about that piece. My process kind of is evolving. You know, photography has been my main thing. Sculpture has been going really well. I'm still, you know, figuring out the way that I like to work best. You know, some some people really like to make their money from their artwork, and other people like to to release that pressure from their artwork and have side jobs. And I kind of I kind of do a mix of the two. Most people respond really positively to my work, and I really enjoy that. But it's I do enjoy the counterpoints of of people on their reaction and industry experience in New York, a guy wanted toe like really engage me in part, speak and just like make up stuff that I didn't mean And I'm starting to work more conceptually than I used to, but I think it's funny when people wanted to find their universe based on your like, just make this convoluted story. That isn't necessarily which. Doesn't mean that it isn't for other artists, your presence to the peace effects kit, and it affects. You wouldn't sort of this. This'll My name is Miguel Edwards, and I am an artist. There you go. All right, We're gonna kind of roll right into the next segment here. Um and, um, the Internet says great editing. It was fantastic. Anything was great. Mix. You guys want to find out how that was done? We basically did all of that yesterday. Three hours in terms of shooting, so you can go back and check out. Obviously, if you purchase the workshop if you are already there and see how these pieces came together because we showed every single step of the process every single shot lighting, audio interview process, a zwelling talking about how we set everything up in terms of doing a pre interview with Miguel, having students also doing the actual interviewing and operating of the cameras on Alphago. So if we can go ahead and launch the keynote, I think the thing let's let them get what you learn is on live TV if you let them do their thing and bouncing off some questions on the interweb, the Internet, saying the smile added So much to the peace of the end. It does great music, great editing, great job. And they just loved it. Yeah, and you know, this is to me still kind of a base layer. We can now add grading, which you didn't really get to see. We can add a little special effects. We can add some text on top of it. Just add that finish polish that you would expect to see on a final peace. And I hope what you're going to see is that for a documentary, it's definitely a lot of pieces put together. But for a cinematic drama scene that we're gonna pull off today, it's even more layers and it gets more complex. So we're gonna launch into that today. Andi, talk to you about the transition into trying to work on one of your first narrative pieces on talking Teoh about some of the things that you have to take into the consideration. At one point we talk with some of the actors. They're still getting prepped and groomed, and we're gonna have little discussion for those who have never directed anyone. Some of the do's and don't coming from the advice I can share. I think the best advice second shares advice from them as well, and their experiences as well. Um, we're gonna talk about how it's important that when you're amidst all of this stuff, these lights, sets, cameras, all the technical information we need to make sure we create a comfortable environment for actors. You know how, when things all crazy around you, it's hard for you to focus on your job, whether your camera operator, whether you're a DP the same goes for actors. And ultimately, uh, the number one thing you're going to see on the screen is going to be that actor. You've got absolutely guarantee that they could be in a their conference space and that you tried eliminate every distraction possible out of their environment rehearsal. Just so you know this, this will not be the first time when we get on set here that I've met these actors, that's very important. We went ahead and we met with the actors a few days ago so that I got to talk to them about script. What? My interpretation of it. He ran for some of the lines. The only character that we didn't run fruit was not just character. So I'm actually, that's actually pretty common. And we're gonna talk about that different process when we get to that period with the actors can come out. But doing a rehearsal with the actors away from the set is pretty heat. Um, you don't want to be coming into this set with all the cameras, everyone ready, electricity, pumping all the catering, every little little bitten piece ready and realize that the actor has a completely different interpretation of what you think this piece should be. Let alone, doesn't know their lines or is uncomfortable isn't connecting with the other actor. So the two actually brought in where the two main characters they're gonna be in the scene together. There's 1/3 actor who is off out of the scene, acting solo, interacting over the phone. Um, we're also to talk a bit about non result oriented directing. This is a such a simple piece of advice. It's probably one of the most important piece of advice that I can share with you that's been shared with me. The worst thing you could tell an actor is I want you to be sad. Does that mean what kind of sad? Perhaps the absolute worst thing you can do is say more. I want more out of you a little less, and the absolute worst thing can do is say that didn't work. You get always remain positive because the only person who gets more rejection on a daily basis and a director you are always pitching stuff and getting turned down is an actor. An actor's life basically revolves around going from casting to casting, to casting, to casting and being rejected time after time after time, without a single explanation without any feedback whatsoever. So when I as a director have actors come in, I usually have to go through anywhere between 22 sometimes 70 people in one day, and I'm casting for 34567 parts. Every part has a different level of importance. Obviously, I'm gonna spend more time with my leads, whereas some people may just be extras and all they're going to do in the entire scene is pick up a box and walk out. I'm gonna spend less time with them, and there's really no time to go up and walk up and explain to the each actor why it is that you didn't pick them. So for them, it's a very disconcerting experience for me, is the director. Initially, I had a very hard time with it because I have actors that from the second they got in front of me I knew were wrong. It's not a personal thing. It has to do with what my vision of this piece is. As a director, it's there, look, it's their build. It's the way they sound. It's an accent that they have. It's the way they move. And of course, it's also the quality acting and the performance that give me, uh, I also do a bunch of little tests when I do casting sessions and trying to give instruction to people and see how they react to it. So working with Children is very difficult, and I've seen some fantastic potential actresses or actors. They're young that I think will be great for the peace. And I make sure that I give them instruction. That's they're not expecting and see if they can take it and go with it versus not understand what I'm telling them and not being able to change off. You know, the script they were given, um, what we do in the professional and is we'll go ahead and hire a casting director. I will talk that casting director, given the script, the section of the script that we're gonna be shooting if it's not the whole thing and tell him the different parts that I'm looking for. Uh, how you envision that person to be, You know, uh, the height, build the race. If there's any accent, nationality, every little detail that could possibly conceive A you know, So he wants someone to be riding on a bicycle. I'm gonna make sure I don't ask for a £500 person. You know, uh, we've got to think of, like, very basic things, and then they're going to go out to a variety of agencies and come back to me, usually with video shoots. They're gonna have a bunch of actors come in and pretty much do a pre screening are pre casting our initial casting, and I'm going to see videos of 70 actors for this one part. Look at every single one of them, take notes and invite out of the 70 the top 56 10 that I think might they might work for the part that helps save them time in terms of having 70 people come in. But remember the time they come up to you in the casting. It's already their second trip to you, at the very least, and then they're gonna go ahead and deliver live in person in a blue room with ugly lighting, random props and they have not had discussion with you at all, Usually in terms of what are we trying to do here? All they have a set of lines in the script and the interpretation it. So as a director. Personally, I tend to try and always write a short paragraph for each of the characters, so they have a starting point and they have some some sort of reference. And what's important toe learn as a director is to respect your actors. So when I first started, I would know immediately in the entire room would know because it's not just you. It's the casting director with your producer. Often it's the client. It's the agency as well. And they'll look at you immediately, and you could see them cross their name off of the piece of paper. The second the person walks in and you have to have a small amount of respect to allow them to start the delivery and that sometimes, you know, you'll know right away that they're just not right. And you have to also be professional to say no, thank you very much and be very kind and not make it personal kind of move on. I do see her actors air here. These two over actors is our third actress. Uh, available. Still coming out? No, I know, but I asked her if she could come out. Shouldn't. 10 minutes. She would should be available. Yeah, so we're gonna bring him on stage and talk about this experience. But imagine going into these, like random blue rooms all the time for castings and never hearing any feedback. And the only good feedback ever here is when you get the part, so always stay positive, always reinforce them, and we'll talk with them about this non result oriented, direct directing when they come out. All right, So, um, let's go ahead and invite the two actors that are here with us up here and kind of put him on the spot. So we have trend Miller here as well as the moan Gore. What's that? No one just stands? Uh, that's okay. It's gonna be relatively short. And then Julianne Christie will join us. How are you? Good to meet you or see you again. That is, um what are Can you explain? Perhaps give him Mike. Can you explain to me what one of the worst experiences you've had as an actor where the director is or has been You go first. I would say, in general, you know, actors and directors and everyone on setting, including the crew. If everyone lost their ego, work together as a you know, collaborative team Thio Thio, Do we all want to do you know, the best that we can put on this project and do our work inshore professionalism? Um, Asus faras directors And in, uh, having bad moments, I would say's just a director that doesn't understand. It takes time to, you know, get get yourself warmed up. It takes time, and it's not so much because I do think that some actors can be unprofessional to you know what I mean? It's, uh, situation that, you know, people need to show a professional, you know, on both sides. So I don't want to say that. You know, directors need to do this for actors and actors need to do that. But, you know, we all need to be professional and respect each other's roles, and what we do training is a director or someone on set Ever said anything to you that has completely just kind of taking you out of balance. I don't know about being taken out of balance. I've definitely had instances of working with directors, particularly ones who don't have a whole lot of experience who don't necessarily understand that when you're being an actor, those those emotions and those feelings that you're trying to portray, they're coming from somewhere you're not just, you know, you can't just turn it on and turn it off. I mean, some actors or better that than others I've worked with some amazing actors, you know, at the drop of a hat, they just cry, and it's all there. But for at other actors, it takes more time and directors, not necessarily understanding that you need to be in that emotional place order or how to help you get to that emotional place. This is Julie. And if you want to come right over here, yeah, we're just talking a little bit about your experiences. Actors, some good ones and bad ones So that people who are watching, many of whom are still photographers that have never worked with other professionals, specifically actors Um, no. Some of the main things to avoid on dso things to try to do to help you do your job better. I'm gonna go ahead and steal them like that over. Do you have anything? Definitely putting you on the spot. But I kinda prepared you a little bit in there. That that you know, you've experienced throughout your career that you'd like to share. Well, it's a little tricky in this business as to what to avoid, because depending on what city you live in, there's opportunity or or not, and so quite often I think, is the artist or the actor we want to work and and that's what I love about The idea of what you're doing here today is that it's the process of of working and behind the scenes and working and working toward it and working as a company and working and different, you know, avenues of what we do. I wish I had avoided Andrew Dice Clay Show, but it happened. You gotta learn when to say no. But you know, I had fun at the time. Um, I think the key to being a copasetic and creative, uh, is that foreign actors that you feel safe in your environment and you feel safe to explore expression and explore emotion. And quite often in some of the the bigger shows I've done, there's so much ego running around behind the scenes and there's so much we need to know. And we need you 10 minutes ago and you know and what you know. And there's anger and ego and and the actors are like, Wait a second. And you know, there's this bombastic producer going the scriptures shit. And you're like, Wait a second, I 00 pardon me. Oh, pardon me. Uh huh. I think this is good. This is work. This script is fabulous. Script, according to him, was not so great. And, um and then you think, Wow, I've, you know, I've just poured two weeks of my life and emotional recall and memorization and and and all of it for someone to walk by and try and dash that. So I think that if we are respective of everyone's creative process, that that's the way we blossom. Now let me go and try something. Just a pure example of how I should not react. You're reading. So regardless of how you read your first line, I'm gonna say something. I'd like you to talk to people. How about how that feels? So I'm sure you know your first line. But if you just want to go ahead and go ahead and read it because we have a chance to work together, the two of us have. This is the first time, uh, and no matter how well you do it, I'm gonna say something negative. Okay? Okay. Here you go. And thats is a bad time. I know, and it's going to get on. You know, that's not what I was thinking. I can't Let's make. Does that help you to just first interrupt you right in the middle of your deliveries, let alone say, it's not working at all? How does that make you feel? Yes, in Yeah, it, uh it brings some uncomfortable things like, but wait a minute. You didn't let me get there. So yes, yes. Let me And then let's talk and I'll let you. And let's make it good between us, right? Let's just, you know, maybe some positive reinforcement. And that's perfect about taking a lot of risk. Is actors How about we try this way or how we try to do a little more of this and go more in this direction? Just be more positive. Also, do you feel that a director so what you want for your entire script? If they know immediately that's on off key your place Stop your relatively early on. And just so you know what, let's talk a little bit more about you know what? I You know what we were thinking about this work together, right? I think if it comes with some respect for each other like we were talking about. I teach as well, and I have an array of students I teach just in an adult acting technique class. And I have people coming from all over, you know, divorced women looking for their voice and people that you know, we're bit by the bug early and and, you know, now they want to try it again, having up to opportunity to try it again. And so, um, I tried to look for what's really great, really working and reinforce it like you said positive reinforcement and then say Love that right, Let's try this But I think it's just like working with Children or anybody. You want to let them know that the love of what they're doing is okay, and what they're doing is OK. And here's another idea. Okay, that's perfect. Um, one thing I wanted to add to that I think one thing that really works well also is is being receptive to each other is not that you have to agree. And, for instance, if there's a line, um, we were talking about that one line that we and Celeste actually came up to me and said, What works for you, so she's basically let me still be creative. But ultimately she has to say or you have to say on what I choose. But see, that's collaborative. You're open to me Open And I think at the heart of every But again, that's lose an ego. So I think at the heart of every things when the Eagles gone and everyone's receptive, it doesn't mean that you have to moan everything you want to change. I'm gonna do. It's just that you're listening. You go. No, You know, that's a good idea where I don't want to do that because your character that it is talking communication. So I'm not saying everyone needs to just bow down. Actors and actors, you know, do the same. It's just collaborative pretty right now. Tall, tough, little what happened when we met two or three days ago and we read through the script. What's some of the feedback that I gave you? And so he quote unquote homework. But I ask you to do, um Well, you wanted me to, um you know, approach this role in a fifties style and do some research and and, um, you know, find my my art in that and my expression in that. And you were your very, uh, I would say open to to you know, where I wanted to take it in, right? I didn't since that, um, you know, I was gonna be fired, e one of things that I found out we were talking together. It's, you know, I was trying to talk about how people in the fifties tenant to comport themselves and speak in a bit of a different way. You know, when you initially delivered the dialogue, I felt it was very, very now contemporary, contemporary. And I said, You know, I started for references that you remember Casablanca come into staying. Um, remember, You know, Mr Gable, all that stuff and you hadn't seen Casablanca. I believe you'd seen the staying. That's suggested, you know. Have you seen Mad Men? Haven't seen that either. I said, you know, why don't you go ahead and see some of those period pieces to kind of work off feed on votes? So you have some sort of frame of reference because it's very difficult for me to explain. You know, that time period special moves from that time period. It's much easier for you to sit back and relax environment on your own days before the shooting. Kind of control off of that. And, you know, I'm excited to see what you came came up with you. Yeah. Yeah. And see it sometimes, though, you know, I had the luxury of doing that. You know, sometimes on the film shoot, you don't have time to me. You rarely rehearse on film, You know, mean maybe an hour before you go up. So, you know, I think as an actor, you know, you're not always gonna have that time to rehearse and have days in days and days, you know, sort of dove into it. So you need to be open to getting there quickly for the director making choices. Let me ask you what, what? The best way from for director to get you to, um, to do to kind of try to get you say supposed to may, um, if I say I need you to be you to be happy, I want you to be sad. How does that register with you? That is called results oriented. Directing it registers is confusion because happy convene. So many different things that can need ecstatic communion. Joyful can mean, you know, quietly content and the same for sad. Everyone expresses it in different ways, and it's there's there's nothing that drives that. If you just say, be happy, it's a Why, exactly where is that coming from? What what is that place? That that happiness is coming from right? And if I were telling something to the effect of you know who said doing a dating dating scene where you just you just say, You know, you can recall the first time you were done when you're a teenager and kind of recall some experience that is familiar to you and what you felt back then and you draw for that. That allows you to go back into kind of your memory and your soul and hopefully bring that emotion back out in a way that's true to who you are, you know, obviously also mixing it with the character you're trying to, uh, work with. But it draws from a much deeper and pure source than sat. Yeah, you know, I had the good fortune recently to work with a really good director who it was a really emotional scene. And I just wasn't I wasn't quite getting there. I wasn't really getting you said OK, What? What if that was your your brother, your sister right there next to you And this was happening to them, just like Oh, okay. All right, I'm there. I'm good. Let's go. One of the I think the worst things you can tell someone as I want more or just a little bit more and not quantify it as well because I find that incredibly confusing, more more of what? It is confusing. And it's delicious. If you get that opportunity that had to have a director who wants you to get to take to take the time to go into sensor recall to go into emotional recall, you know. And if you have that up front and you have rehearsal and you get the opportunity for that week or those days beforehand to get yourself and recall like anything is practiced in rehearsal. And so the more you do that, the quicker you're going to get there. And when they're, you know, 30 people running around you with a camera and dabbing your face and fix, you know, tugging on you. You're not in your moment. But if you have the time to rehearse that, then yes, you're gonna be able to get to your moment quicker. And it sounds like you are offering the freedom and the safety for us to do that. So yeah, because I'm gonna be a killer. Yes, absolutely. How do you feel about a director? Comes up to you and says, um, I really don't know. Uh, I just want you to do this the way you want to do it without saying anything more. Is that a good thing? I do. I do. I I think, uh, I think it's good because I think intuitively that's why you have the actors you have is that you're going to have some lovely improv. You're going Teoh have some stuff that they come up with that they're feeling in the moment that they didn't even know was going to happen. And if you give them that freedom thing, yeah, I think that's great. If it's if it's a runaway train, then you know you're the director. You you cut that. Maybe to modify that. How about saying something to the effect of this is what I think the character is. This is where the story is, where I'd like it to go. This is kind of some reference material that I have. So what? I feel you're coming from your characters coming from, So I think we're going with a story. So I'd like to see developed over the period. I have an idea what I'd like to get from you. I've seen your work. I really want to hear any. Any idea that you may have That might be a little better when it just I don't know what to do what you want, because I think it's important also for the director to establish that they thought through your part and where it all fits in. And then you're in a collective vision. And that's what you want with your finished pieces that we're all seeing the vision we're on. We're all their with what you want. OK, cool. So I'm gonna let you guys get ready to go. Oh, they have some questions of Web. Even better. Cool and comments. The internet is loving all of you guys really, really enjoying this whole car. John started yet really enjoyed rollers in there, but really enjoying the whole conversation. The dialogue about actors and actresses on this hole interchange has been great. They have any questions, or do you have questions? Cool. One of the questions was, and this might be kind of what you've been talking about, but from my gym was what's the opposite of results oriented direction? What we were talking about, like trying to draw from certain common references or internal reference, is a good way of looking at it. So talking about a paternity, famous movie scene that we've both are aware of and referencing referencing certain actors or scenes and saying, Remember this this scene in this movie, I think that went a little too far in this direction. Whereas that scene there's more tours. What I'm thinking of influence. I mean, a lot of filmmaking is based on reference. Whether you know you're referencing the clothes based on photographs you've seen, um, the sets based on other movies, we all go off. Or, you know, obviously famous performances on Ben is also that connection of making sure that they can connect something. It's really just like you mentioned the director saying, Don't just look at that as John the actor Think of that as being your brother. And then you kind of just like you said, kind of hits you out of left field, and you could immediately relate to it. And it brings you to an entirely different level. Um, I think that interest relatively well, you know, but also answers the next question from Canon geek, which is how did they find common ground to get good dynamics? No wonder you're one step ahead of a general. We didn't try. Okay, we're gonna move on. I'm let you get ready. Um and I'm really looking forward to, uh, what we do together, and thanks very much for coming up here, and we're gonna have fun. And I guess the last thing I would have won the last question when you have, um, distractions going on when you're on set and the crew is having difficulties. Um, and things just aren't working. Right. And you see that a director and DP perhaps aren't getting along or aren't agreeing, or producer keeps coming in and changing things. Um, what does that do for you in your environment? In terms of your where you you've kind of perhaps either just been in a dressing room or a trailer for 20 minutes or two hours getting makeup done, you put yourself in character, you've been called on to set and you arrive to a extremely chaotic set where things clearly aren't going well, How does that work? You work with your own individual focus style and try and hold on to it. I was working on a bigger show up in Canada and, uh, you know, they're big Hollywood people and big names, and they're flying in and out and they fired the director on set. And then I ended up getting my my sides, which were completely different from my you know, they give you the sides every day. It's like, Oh, I didn't get those last night. Well, you're on and you know, this is, you know, what do I do? And so in that particular situation, it did get the best of me a little bit. The work ended up OK, but I really learned from that is that I'm going to breathe. I'm going to balance, and it's like, you know, it's like getting in a car wreck. You know, you cannot let it take everything from you cannot. You can't have an upsetting situation. Take everything away from you. Are you gonna blow out all the work that you've poured into it? So just balance, I think breathing and balance and let the chaos be. You know, they can turn into preschools. Perfect. Thanks very much, guys. I appreciate we'll see a little bit looking forward to it. And to that point, if things are going terribly on set, if things are not working, it's not the good time to bring the actress. And you know the actress you only brought be brought in when you're ready. Sometimes that's why on big productions they'll have stand ins to block out scenes and pre light for big name actors, so that when everyone's ready to go, in comes, the actor delivers their lines and they knock it out because they were totally in character. It is a very emotional scene. You don't really wanna have the focus puller going. It's out of focus, you know, and you can hear the moving that can really give them their environment to flourish in on. Also, if things aren't going well, which is totally may happen today, but happens all the time for a variety of reasons. The cables not working the lights down, Um, who knows what's going on? Go ahead and say, You know what? Guys take five. You know, why don't you go back to your trailer, go back and a non chaotic environment and we'll bring you back in more already? Because it's It's a very lonely place up there to have these lenses and always crewmembers around you staring at you. Okay, any quick questions that you guys have? Yeah, I just have a quick question from the Internet from PDK rez. What are what are sides, as we're talking about, given to the actors the night before, you know it is that I haven't done says I have to ask her. I would assume that a little sets of new lines that they have to be. Oh, that's what other people are TV's. Okay, right? I see that you know what happens is, um to her point is that scenes or constant being changed based on actors availability or weather or location of elegantly that you know, you're supposed to shoot this scene tomorrow and hope it gets pulled out a new one gets put in. And you know, sometimes a producer will forget our two for that to the actor, and you're in deep trouble.