Directing Actors: Tips for Eliciting Great Performances
Written by: The Buddi Team
The heart of any compelling film lies in the authenticity of its performances. The director-actor relationship is a creative collaboration that, when handled skillfully, transforms words on a page into powerful, human moments. Your role as a director is not to dictate, but to expertly guide your cast toward their most honest and compelling work.
Here are proven tips for cultivating a supportive environment and eliciting truly great performances.
1. Establish Trust and Collaboration First
A great performance requires vulnerability, and vulnerability requires trust. Make your set a safe space where the actor feels respected and protected from judgment.
Know Their Process: In pre-production, ask your actors how they prefer to receive notes. Do they like to talk about motivation, or do they respond better to physical instructions?
Privacy is Paramount: Never give emotionally sensitive or critical direction in front of the entire crew. Take the actor aside, keep the conversation brief, and maintain a quiet, respectful tone.
Be a Resource: Be ready to answer any questions about the script, the character’s backstory, or the world of the film. Show that you have done your homework and are dedicated to their journey.
2. Direct the Action, Not the Result (Avoid "Result-Oriented" Directing)
The fastest way to kill a performance is to tell an actor how to feel ("Be angrier," "Cry here"). This is called Result-Oriented Directing and leads to cliché, unauthentic acting.
Instead, direct the circumstance, objective, or action—something the actor can do. Use action verbs (to betray, to win, to confess, to hide) or specific metaphors to engage their imagination and bypass their intellectual filter.
3. Utilize Rehearsals for Discovery
Rehearsals shouldn't just be for blocking; they are the time to dig into the script's emotional subtext without the pressure of the clock.
Focus on the Beats: Analyze the scene together to identify the moment-to-moment emotional shifts, or "beats," where the character's objective or relationship changes.
Encourage Experimentation: Allow actors to try different readings, movements, or even improvised dialogue. The goal is to explore, not to set the performance in stone. Sometimes, the most magical take is one neither of you anticipated.
Trust Your Casting: Remember that you hired this actor for their talent and interpretation. Give them freedom to bring their unique perspective to the role, and only offer notes to guide them back to the scene's core purpose.
4. Know When to Pivot and When to Stop
Patience is your greatest virtue on set. If an actor is struggling, don't press them relentlessly for the same take; change the approach.
Change the Cause: If an actor isn't getting angry enough, instruct the other actor to slightly change their action to provoke a different reaction. By changing the cause, you allow the emotion to feel authentic.
Acknowledge and Move On: If you get a take that is technically perfect but emotionally flat, politely acknowledge their effort ("Thank you, that was great coverage") and move on to the next camera setup or scene. A fresh start later can often unlock the authentic performance you needed.
Always End on a Positive: No matter how difficult the day was, always acknowledge the actor's work before they leave. A director's final words set the tone for the next day's call sheet.
By fostering a collaborative atmosphere and providing clear, actionable direction focused on circumstance rather than emotion, you empower your actors to move past "acting" and deliver the truthful, resonant performances that elevate your entire project.
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