| In the early 20th century, |
| when we first started to watch films instead of going to the theatre, |
| it became obvious that this new medium required a new style of acting. |
| Especially so, when they added the sound. |
| It was D W Griffith who first started to examine what type of acting style would work best on screen, |
| and that ushered in a new acting medium |
| that was very different from the thousands of years of theatre performances that had preceded it. |
| So, today we're going to look at a few of these. |
| The first difference is the idea that you act big on stage and small on screen. |
| The principle behind this is that in the theatre, some of your audience might be 100 rows back, |
| so, to ensure they get as much out of your performance as the people in front, |
| you make flamboyant gestures, over-the-top facial expressions, and exaggerated movements. |
| Conversely, on screen, with the camera up close, |
| only minute changes in facial expression are necessary to portray the character. |
| Although that's a good rule of thumb, I take issue with it to a certain extent. |
| Why? well... |
| Many contemporary plays are performed in little, independent theatres, |
| not huge auditoriums. |
| So, even within the stage, |
| you have to adapt your style between big and small, |
| and in fact these so-called small performances, |
| which are intimate and introverted, |
| can be very believable. |
| However, mixing the two styles, |
| we also see larger-than-life actors on film, like Johnny Depp, |
| whose technique, while extroverted, does produce an effective performance. |
| In addition to gestures, you have to consider your voice. |
| On stage, you have to project to the audience. |
| While on film, the microphone is right there, |
| and you can focus on making your voice more believable. |
| That's not to say you can mumble in a film. |
| Yes, you have more leeway, |
| and the soundman and editors can remove all sorts of blips and breaths to make your voice fit the setting. |
| But there's only so much they can do. |
| I don't know how many times I've listened to the Heath Ledgers last line of Brokeback Mountain |
| before I finally had to turn on the subtitles to catch a word of what he was saying. |
| My point here, is that you still have to enunciate in film. |
| Now, some people will say of film you're not acting to an audience, |
| and you can understand why. |
| In the theatre, your job is to ensure that the audience enjoy your performance. |
| And to some extent, you can adapt your style according to their reactions. |
| But to say that you are not performing to an audience in film is not strictly true. |
| There will be all manner of people watching you when you're in front of the cameras - |
| sound men, cameramen, costumers, |
| make-up artists, and assorted hangers-on. |
| As a theatre actor, the temptation is to up your voice and to act to them - for them. |
| Which of course you cannot do. |
| In film, the situation is key. |
| You need to respond to the scene, not what's around you. |
| You might think that responding naturally to a situation, is easier than all this flamboyant, larger-than-life dancing around on stage that actors have to do. |
| But there are some problems you have to bear in mind. |
| Quite often, on film, each person in a scene is shot separately, |
| which means you often have to respond to a line not yet spoken. |
| And making your responses realistic is not easy. |
| Additionally, the film will not be shot in sequence. |
| On stage, the actor can grow into his role, |
| and over a number of hours, the character develops naturally. |
| Film actors can't do that. |
| They have to go straight into a scene, |
| which might be in the middle, the end or the beginning, |
| and be that person, in that situation, right away, |
| and, obviously, that requires a certain level of skill. |
| On the subject of character, |
| there is something to be said for film actors in that they do have slightly more freedom. |
| Theater is by its very nature repetitive, and, therefore familiar. |
| Audiences often go to see a show that they know. |
| And they'll want those characters to behave in a certain way. |
| So, they'll probably notice changes to the script, or to a character, |
| and although they might appreciate the variety, they are more likely to object. |
| In television and film, the material is fresh, |
| and that actor is likely to be the only person ever to play a certain character. |
| Words are changed all the time. |
| Actors can make mistakes or change things around if they want to. |
| If it makes the character seem believable, it's acceptable. |
| Another argument about the different styles of acting is the idea that you can get away with things more in one medium than the other. |
| You can't fake it on screen, as if you can on stage. |
| You only get one take on stage, |
| while with film you keep going until you make the director happy. |
| There's a minimal rehearsal time on screen as it's impossible to get together with the other actors and rehearse beforehand. |
| What I'm saying here is that the difference between the two mediums is minuscule and really not worth arguing. |