Demonstrate rehearsal skills, including the technical skills of a required screen actor (Criteria 2.2)

Physical and vocal skills 

Physical skills: The use of physical skills by an actor can expression emotion and communicate meaning. This can be demonstrated through: body language, gesture, facial expression, posture, mannerisms and facial ticks/body ticks. For some actors, when portraying characters these are pivotal to keep them in role and ensure they can separate themselves from the character.

Vocal skills: The use of vocal skills by an actor can portray the internal emotion that the character may be hiding or used in exploring different quirks of a character. This can be demonstrated in various ways through an actors creativity yet more notably through: volume, vocal shaking/distortion, passion, breath control and vocal strain. 

My annotated script to prepare for testing my physical and vocal skills

Understanding physical and vocal skills:

Megan Lewis.mp4

Conclusion of the performance:

 Overall, I think my performance communicated the emotion and the narrative expressed through the script and I gave a convincing performance. I wish I concentrated more on my physical skills as I felt they weren't as apparent in my portrayal in comparison to my attention on my vocal skills. I could've successfully completed that through using more gestures and potentially fiddling with my hands more to convey my nerves and overcoming of emotion similarly to my character in the scene. Whilst rewatching my performance, I really enjoyed how I added shakiness to my voice in addition to altering my breathing to show how I'm fighting the urge to cry and stay composed so I can continue speaking. If I was given more time to explore the script, I think adding crying would've been the best finishing touch to bring the performance together.

Demonstrations of physicality: Joker 2019

• It’s not about the joker but a joker 
• Joaquin is in every single scene in the movie 
• possesses contrasting personality traits to keep the audience empathetic 
• reaction from the audience is modelled 
• layers shown from phoenix
• laughing vs crying 
• childhood vs deranged anger 
• unique walk to display how he carries himself - weighed down to show the weight of the world 
• walk makes him look wounded 
• weights in his shoes 
• battling against more gravity 
• neglected - looks as though he can’t run
• physically portraying the character as a trained victim 
• big influence - Ray Bolger 
• dancing is improvised 
• phoenix's improvisation was the finishing touches for many of the scenes 
• weighed down vs free 
• laughter is used to cover despair 
• creates a jarring feeling for the audience with contradictory reactions/actions
• uses of facial twitches to show unpredictable nature 
• masters consistent look of pain 

Analyzing Daniel Day Lewis'

• Understands the characters feelings , needs and desires
• Voice is a deep characteristic of who we are 
• The power of voice is important
• Hooks your eyes and ears
• Tone, pitch, speed and volume (all significant)
• Perfectly portrays what's happening inside a character
• Control of breath and voice
• Through breathing he can express and create depth to a character
• He can separate himself from all characters
• Use of voice - increases his power / shows power struggle through pitch, speed and volume
• Thinks through every action as his character

Additional notes:

Lost in translation (2003)

• naturalistic 
• conversational 
• less intimate as they’re both looking forward 
• good use of pause 
• rule of thirds
• character has been numbed by life  

What's eating Gilbert Grape (1994)

• altering speech 
• changing walking 
• facial twitches/ticks
• physical ticks 
• even in the background he’s playing his character

Understanding shot types

Megan Lewis.mp4

 Shot Types

• - Emphasis on the setting, makes the characters look smaller 

• - Slowly zooming in – builds tension for the viewer 

• - Birds eye shot, close up, mid shot, wide shot, Centre framing, extreme close up, extreme long shot, long shot,  

• - Long shot – full body 

• - Mid shot – up to the hip 

• - Close up – films most of the screen with face 

• - Extreme close–up – only significant parts of the faces are shown. 

• - The standard progression of shots 

• - The closer the face to the camera – intimidating viewers as well as the characters 

• - Rejecting standard progression – creates distance and disconnection between the characters and the viewers

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Experimenting with shot types

During the lesson:

To experiment with shot types we were given a monologue and time to rehearse with partners. Between the two of us we exchanged roles and were able to try different approaches to the script and practice acting for a screen rather than for an audience which is something I'm not experienced with. After rehearsing we were given the opportunity to perform the monologue in front of a camera. We were filmed through a mid - shot which gave us the chance to use our hands yet a lot of my acting was through vocal techniques, facial expressions and body language.

Meeting the mark

Meeting the mark refers to when an actor needs to meet a mark placed on the floor of the set (usually with tape) and perform their lines so that they're perfectly aligned with the camera and not out of frame or focus. Practicing this is essential for my final performance as when acting for the camera I need to take these things into account and understand continuity and how I can't keep moving position in takes as it will disturb the final edit. In the video I was practicing my lines yet also trying to incorporate meeting the mark to try and ensure I am fully prepared.

Continuity

Continuity when speaking of film refers to the smaller picture in a shot, for example: head movements, costume placements (necklaces, earrings, wigs), food (bites taken from the food need to match the shot before), eye contact (look at the same eye), mirror previous movements (shot prior ), script deliveries (in some cases) etc. Actors approaches to continuity vary as some say they're calculated with their movements and make sure to keep the same whereas some actors choose to ignore continuity as they feel it disrupts their performance. 

Lesson explanation:

To experiment with continuity, our teacher provided us with an extract of the script from Stranger Things. I played the role of Lucas in the opening scene when the boys are playing D&D. My group made sure to choreograph the performance similar to a dance and we kept rehearsing to ensure we mirror each performance exactly. We then received criticism from our peers and were able to understand what went well and how we could improve our future performances. I was given lots of positive feedback from my peers yet what I was told to improve was making sure to keep the same head movements and facial expressions as they differed at points.