An introduction to acting techniques
If you have the opportunity to take an acting class or attend a university for acting, there is a good possibility that you will be taught one, or many of these techniques.
Now, this might be controversial, but I am a firm believer in finding aspects of each technique that you work well with and kind of mixing them together (I'm sure some of my former acting teachers are shaking their head in shame right now).
What I learned from taking a large variety of acting styles at the University level was that, not all styles fit me. Now if you are taking an entire class dedicated to one style, then, you may struggle if the technique isn't the right fit for you.
So today, I'm going to give a brief introduction into some of the main and most popular acting techniques.
Now, if you enjoy learning a variety of techniques, check out our Fundamentals of Acting Techniques Course
Let's Dive in and cover some of the basic principles of each:
Stanislavski: (Fun fact: Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg Style were inspired by this!) This style has 6 main parts: Given Circumstance, Objective, emotional memory, Tempo-Rhythm, Physical Action, and Subtext.
Chekov: 11 archetypal gestures (verbs) that help activate the body and mind. Actors picture these verbs as they go through the text. The Archetypes: open, close, push, pull, lift, embrace, penetrate, ring, tear, smash and throw. “no physical movement without inner movement”
Meisner: Listen, Observe, and emotionally prepare.
Method: This one is NOT Covered in the KO Consultations course but essentially it is the complete emotional pursuit to understand your character. (it takes bits and pieces of Stanislavski and Strasberg, however, it takes it to a much deeper level. Think of Marlon Brando or Jared Leto as commonly referred to Method actors)
The goal to know and understand each of these is to figure out which type works best with YOUR artistry. It is definitely NOT one size fits all.
Want to be introduced to the main acting techniques with approachable exercises and opportunities to dive into scenes and monologues with your private acting coach? Book with Kylie today!
That is all for now!
Kylie