ABSTRACT

The second edition of this elegant and accessible primer offers a helpful reference and resource for directing actors in film, television, and theatre, useful to directors, actors, and writers. Combining underlying theory with dozens of exercises designed to reveal the actor's craft, Lenore DeKoven discusses constructing the throughline; analyzing the script; character needs; the casting and rehearsal processes; as well as the actor and the camera.

Distilling difficult concepts to their simplest form, DeKoven explains how to accurately capture and portray human behavior on stage and screen, offering creative solutions to issues she has encountered or anticipated after decades of experience. Excerpts from interviews with acclaimed actors offer insight into their work with directors, what inspires them, and what they really want from the director.

This second edition incorporates the film Moonlight (2016, Barry Jenkins) for analysis of the directing concepts discussed.

chapter 1|6 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|14 pages

The Actor and Training

chapter 3|26 pages

Actors' Vocabulary

chapter 4|13 pages

The Text and the Throughline

chapter 5|7 pages

Analysis of Script

chapter 6|10 pages

The Character Outline

chapter 7|25 pages

The Casting Process

chapter 8|37 pages

The Rehearsal Process

chapter 9|11 pages

The Actor and the Camera

chapter 11|10 pages

What Do the Actors Say?

chapter 12|9 pages

Tips for the Director