Film/Acting: Basic Camera Shots and Movements

As actors, we think only about the "acting" part but when acting in film and television it is helpful to know and understand the basic types of camera shots and camera movements so that you know how to act appropriately in the frame when you are on camera.

Camera Shots
Extreme Close Up (ECU or XCU)
The actor's face fills up the screen in this shot and it can be used to make the actor appear dominant or more aggressive. It can also be romantic if there is soft lighting.

Close Up (CU)

This shot is slightly wider than an ECU shot. It shows the head and the top of the shoulders. It shows the facial expressions and eyes of the actor and is often used as a reaction shot (shows how the actor is feeling). 

Medium Close Up  (MCU)

This shot shows the actor from the middle of the chest up. It is a good shot to use when you want to make the viewers think that the actor is are talking directly to them.

Medium Shot (MS)

This shot shows the actor from approximately the waist up. It is similar to the field of view when are having a normal conversion with someone.

Medium Long Shot (MLS) or Medium Wide Shot (MWS)
This shot shows the actor from about the knees up. It is used for showing the actor's bigger movements and gestures and group shots.

Long Shot (LS) or Wide Shot (WS)
This shot shows the actor's entire body. It is mostly used for action scenes and group shots.

Extreme Long Shot (ELS or XLS)
This shot shows an overall view of the setting. It is mainly used as an establishing shot and shows the viewer the time and place.

Camera Movements
Pan
To pan means to turn the camera horizontally,  either from left to right or from right to left. You can only pan right or pan left.

Tilt
To tilt means to make the camera point up or down. You can only tilt up or tilt down.

Cant
To cant means to tilt the camera sideways,  left or right.  You can only cant right or cant left.

Pedestal (Ped)
To ped means to elevate or lower the camera on the center column or a studio pedestal or tripod. You can only ped up or down.

Dolly
To dolly means to move the camera away from or toward from an object in a some what straight line using a a moblie camera mount. You can only dolly in or dolly out.

Truck (Track)
To truck or track means to move the camera right or left with the lens of the camera at a right angle to the direction of travel using a mobile camera mount. You can only truck right or truck left.

Arc
To arc means to move the camera in a slightly curved truck ordolly movement left or right. You can only arc right or arc left.

Crane (Boom)
To crane or boom means to move the camera up or down using a camera cane or jib arm. You can only crane up or crane down.

- Aisha and Alisha

4 Ways to get some Acting Experience

When you are new to acting and just starting out it can be hard to get an agent, casting director, producer, or director to even give you a chance. It is helpful to get as much acting experience on your resume as possible.

 Here is a list of four things you can do to build your acting resume.

1) Local community theatre/school plays
This is a great way to start because it is where you can discover if acting is something that you really want to do. This is also a great way to learn some acting technique.

2) Independent/student short films
Doing these films are very good to do because they allow you to have a place where you can make your mistakes and learn from them. It is also, a great opportunity to network with upcoming film makers and other actors, it's a great opportunity to get you face out there.

3) Make your own work
As an actor it is not enough any more to just wait for your agent to call, you can make your own film and act in them. It is also a great way to get your name out there and you can also enter them in film festivals if they are good, or put together a stage play.  So, get a group of your friends and family and get acting.

4) Do background work
If you live in a film industry based city, you can register for a background agency in your area.  Doing background is a good place to start because you can get experience being on sets, you get to work along side the crew and cast,  and make some to friends (which is great for networking).

Not only will these four things help you gain some acting experience it will help you really get a little taste of what it takes to be an actor and the amount of work that it takes to be an actor in the fast-paced industry. HAVE FUN!! :)

- Aisha and Alisha

Jobs in the Film Industry

When it comes to films and television shows or even commercials actors are almost always getting all of the recognition but there are a lot of people who put in tons of work just like actors to make a production come together.

Here are some other jobs in the film industry:

1) Casting Director: Casting directors hold auditions to cast the right actors for roles in movies, television shows, theatre productions, commercials and corporate and music videos.

2) Director: Directors tell stories and have to carry out their vision while dealing with a lot of uncontrollable situations such as weather and budget demands.
   
3) Producer: Producers make sure the project is produced and supervise and package it from start to finish and the cost to make it is within the budget and completed on time.

4) Screenwriter: Screenwriters write or create the story (script) for movies and television shows.

5) Talent Agent: Talent agents represent professional actors and submit them for the right roles for movies, TV shows, music videos, and commercials. Talent agents may also represent professional athletes, musicians, performers, writers, and artists.

6) Cinematographer: Cinematographers work with the director to bring the story to life by capturing the basic story that will hold the attention of the audience.

7) Editor: Editors work with cinematographers and sound editors to put the audio and visuals together while still capturing the directors' vision by removing any unneeded footage to put together the project that tells a convincing story.

- Aisha and Alisha

Some of Our Favourite Acting Quotes

Here are some acting quotes we really like and may even help to keep you motivated considering the acting industry is full of rejection and can often get discouraging.

1)"You can be true to the character all you want, but you've got to go home with yourself" - Julia Roberts (Actress)

Source: https://www.facebook.com/Talentincfanpage

2)"Your Slate is As Important as your Script" - Scott Cooper : Founder of Talent Inc.com

Source: https://www.facebook.com/Talentincfanpage

3)"Hard Work Beats Talent When Talent Doesn't Work Hard" - Tim Notke 

Source: https://www.facebook.com/Talentincfanpage

4)"With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it's just not acting. It's lying" - Johnny Depp

Source: https://www.facebook.com/Talentincfanpage

5)"Dream. Believe. Receive." - Talent Inc.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/Talentincfanpage

6)"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work" - Stephen King
Source: https://www.facebook.com/TalentINCCanada

7)"Actors often face rejection on a daily basis. The thing to remember is that rejection doesn't define you as an actor. How you handle it will determine your success" - John Stevens : Co-Founder of Talent Inc Canada
Source: https://www.facebook.com/TalentINCCanada

8)"Attainable goals add up to unimaginable success" - John Stevens : Co-Founder of Talent Inc Canada
Source: https://www.facebook.com/TalentINCCanada

9)"Before you act, listen" - Talent Inc (US, Canada, UK)
Source: https://www.facebook.com/TalentINCCanada

10)"Every NO gets you that much closer to your next YES" - Doug Sloan : Co- Founder of Talent Inc Canada
Source: https://www.facebook.com/TalentINCCanada

- Aisha and Alisha

Acting Techniques

As an actor, it is important to know the history behind acting and have a better of understanding of the craft. Here are the three main techniques that revolutionized modern day acting.
Here is a link to a video that will tell you about the history of acting and about "The Method":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfPz1c07IsQ

Constantin Stanislavski was a Russian actor and theatre director. He was also known as "the father of modern day acting" Moreover, he came up with some ideas to help actors bring more realistic and emotional truth into their performances and taught them to a group of actors who brought, taught and developed the technique that they liked the best to North America.

1) Lee Strasberg (Strasberg Method)
He was an American actor and teacher who adopted the technique called "method acting"

Method Acting is using sense memory or what is called the 'magic as if'.

Sense Memory ---> You are using a real life memory. Ask yourself the question: How did I feel when this happened?

Magic As If ----> You are using your imagination. Ask yourself the question: How would I feel if this happened?

2) Sanford Meisner (The Meisner Technique)
He was an American actor and teacher who developed the Meisner technique.

The Meisner technique is done by doing a series of repetition exercises.

Example of a basic exercise:
Note: It must be a truth based on the other actors physical appearance.
   Actor 1: You have an orange shirt.
   Actor 2: I have an orange shirt.
You will continue to repeat until anything changes that you observe in the other person (e.g. emotion, facial expression, tone etc.)

Example of a more complicated exercise:
  Actor 1: Is given a physical action
  Actor 2: Is given a circumstance
Then they will do the scene and play off of each other.

Here is a link to a  very good video that will explain how to do this technique by New York acting coach John Windsor-Cunningham but we would also recommend you get into an acting class that focuses on this technique (Robin Kay Studio in Toronto).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgje3PtoQXg

3) Stella Alder (The Alder Technique)
She is an American actor and teacher who believes in using the power of your imagination.

Sample exercises:

Imagination: Pick an object and describe it.

Paraphrase: Pick a book and paraphrase it in your own words on a piece of paper and then present it in front of an audience.

Inner Justification: Pick a random line from a play or book that you don't know and imagine the reasons why you are saying it.

Here is an article where to get more details on these exercises and the technique:

http://www.acting-school-stop.com/stella-adler.html

Here is a link to a  youtube video that will give you a better understanding of the technique and how actors who study this technique work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOkwoIXyeFI

- Aisha and Alisha

 

3 Misconceptions about Acting

As aspiring actors who have been studying acting for a while here are some common misconceptions
about acting that we would like to shed light on for other aspiring actors who are considering acting
as a career.

1) "It's all glitz and glamour all of the time".
Acting is not all glitz and glamour all of the time. Yes, actors do go to award shows, movie premieres, walk down red carpets, sign autographs, and promote press for their upcoming projects, etc. However, actors spend majority of their time either on set working, auditioning, in acting class
or working a part time job in order to support themselves and their acting career.

2) "It's easy and there is no hard work involved".
This is in fact not true. A lot of people want to become actors for the wrong reasons whether it is to be famous, to meet other well known actors and/or for the money. Moreover, you have to have a passion for acting and it has to be something you really want to do. Overall you have to be willing to put in the time, money and work on your career everyday whether it's learning a new special skill, taking an acting class, updating your resume or head shot, etc. Majority of actors have worked really hard and have been rejected many times before getting their big break.

 

3) "I don't have to get any or a lot of training".
There is no formal set of training needed to become an actor. However, training is very important
and is what will help you improve and grow as an actor and be the best you can be. Industry
professionals such as casting directors and agents are more likely not to sign you to their roster
(agents) or bring you in for an audition (casting directors) if you have very little to no training because you have to know how to behave on set, what to do in certain situations and be able to deliver the goods when the director says "action". Furthermore, acting is a craft and has to constantly be worked on and practiced all of the time,  even the greatest actors still continue training. There is always more you can learn and add to your repertoire.  It's a never ending learning process.

- Aisha and Alisha