Understanding The Actor
The actor must learn and perfect many skills before they will be successful at their profession. Whether an actor works in television, motion picture productions, or theater, these skills are necessary. They may come naturally to some of the top actors, but most have to work hard through schooling and practice. Very few can say they were born to do this job.
The skills that actors must master include speech rate, oral projection, voice clarity, physical and vocal expression, vocal pitch, physical stance and eye contact. Many performers have worked for years to perfect a technique. Some are good at one and not another. Others have a natural gift for all. Whether they intend to perform in TV drama, movie or film drama, voice acting, musicals or theater productions, knowledge of each is necessary to meet the requirements of an acting career. These techniques will enable an actor to portray him/herself as being confident and ready to do the job.
Speech rate is how slow or fast a person speaks. This rate should be determined by the character being played by the character actor. Speaking slowly can indicate some form of diminished physical or mental capacity. Speaking quickly would indicate some form of hyperactivity or hysteria. When intended, each can be effective; however, when not intended, this will be interpreted as poor talent. Projection is the loudness of ones voice. While it is not necessary to yell, good vocal projection is necessary, especially in the theater, to be heard clearly by the audience. Along with projection goes clarity. Voice clarity means that a person’s speech is easily understood and not mumbled or sloppy. The actor is often encouraged to over enunciate.
The character actor must master the arts of both vocal and physical expression. Body language is a major factor in physical expression as it is used to portray the attitude and emotion of a character at any given time. Vocal expression does the same thing, but in a different way. It uses other things like pitch ranges to show emotions and feelings. Pitch is the range of an actor’s tone of voice. Pitch ranges can be from very high to very low, depending on the emotion being portrayed. Physical stance is important because poor posture and fidgeting indicates nervousness and a lack of confidence. The actor must always be concerned with eye contact as well, not only with the audience but also with the other cast members too.
By Arts Editor
