2nd Class Notes on Acting



What a 2nd session in class. We had a special guest and it was Daniel Baldwin. It was a thrill to perform a 30 second monologue in front of him. Of course it was a little more scary than not, because I am not well rehearsed at any material I am doing, hence I am taking class to learn the art of acting.

Nonetheless I did a monologue scene from "Good Will Hunting", where I know I brought a connection to it to some level of "internalization." The nerves did get to me, and I think as I study more and learn to be that person as real as I can be, as real as the character is, it will come across more natural.

Pacing myself through the many lessons and doing the activities will surely pay off, I imagine.

It was real neat to know that Daniel Baldwin did comedy standup as he first started. He answered my question about is it okay to do comedy as well as acting at the same time? His experience shared, that some actors will go to set and want to be called by their characters name throughout their shoot, however he himself can flip the switch to be the character at the scene as needed, so it depends on the person.

Now Daniel, brought a alternative personality to teaching acting compared to Jesse. Daniel is more of an extrovert person than Jesse, yet I think Jesse is one of the slickest guys I've come across. He said in his own words, "I'm a ladies man, but has retired". It's hard to not help but chuckle.

So Daniel, pointed out in class that we as actors working on film will not at all necessarily shoot in chronological timeline order. So it is crucial for us to activate our characters plot and mission accurately, being if we need, to find that one word that will click and launch us into the scene with the tone that would be most organic. The goal is to hit the zone on action.

So besides that, I have found another scene to do with a acting partner where it's comedy. A scene from 10 Things I Hate About You. My first scene partner and I had a very interesting improvisational exercise of the characters on Good Will Hunting.

Firstly, my partner was to play Mr. Lambaui, but as we were practicing outside of class, I mentioned to him how it is a big challenge for us, him to portray that character. He is around my age, but in the movie he's suppose to be my fathers age or older uncle. So I had another scene where he was more my peer and perhaps an older brother looking out for me. More accurate in seeing it as believable.

We went up there to do a cold read and boy did Jesse rip us a new one. I told my partner after trying the scene with him outside briefly, that you know you can actually find a script you see suiting your ability and likeness as Jesse's book suggests. But he insisted that we do it, so I said sure.

It became a well, intense learning moment.

Jesse got us to use personal experiences which we may have to make the moments real as possible. He asked my scene partner if he had a brother as the character of Will who he has become to the means of frustation and anger with? And also asked me to the same scenario and had us battle out or feelings into words that reached out of us.  As Jesse was using his example he was ripping me with his experiences taking whatever I gave him and came down hard. But I realize he was not ripping me personally whatsoever, but the character I was giving him. Now I notice that if I am not in character, than the scene will not work out to it's nature, so I was able to pull it together and treat him as he were my brothers who I have had a deep history in and say things as it were them and have the scene be that much more engaging.

What a learning day, to have practice a new monologue, to be put in a real learning scenario and to have made stronger connections.

Having Daniel in class brought a valuable perspective to the class and buzz.

There are many things actors perhaps can do in a scene, but what I understand is more of what do we not do, to make the scene more real.

Find a spot of realization and react.

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