actingreaper: (teacher)
actingreaper ([personal profile] actingreaper) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2006-07-13 12:32 am
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Screen Acting, Thursday Afternoon

Daisy was quite unhappy with being doomed to teach. At least the school seemed to have a decent budget for it. She perched on the edge of a table at the front of the class with a glass of water, an arrangement of handheld cameras, tripods, boom mikes, and other sorts of film things behind her.

"Right. Let's get this thing going, shall we? I'm Daisy. Daisy Adair. This is Screen Acting. In case you were wondering, yes, I'm an actress. Yes, I've been in movies, and no, you probably haven't seen those movies. Moving right along. Let's do that little introduction thingy that all teachers seem to love. Tell me your name, first and last, and a middle initial, please, as well as why you're taking this workshop, and what your favorite thing about movies is. Heck, I know, grab a camera and a partner, and take a shot at filming each other's introductions. Might as well dive right in, right?"

Once that was done with, Daisy set down her glass. "So, screen acting. What is it? How is it different from acting on stage? Well, the first and most obvious thing is this: the camera is much closer than a theater audience. Sometimes so close you think it's going to whack you in the head, but I assure you that very seldom happens, and when it does, it's usually not fatal. What that means is that everything you do has to be that much more real. Think of it as lying really well, if that makes you happy.

"There are a few basic rules to screen acting. Always remember exactly what you do, and I mean exactly, when you're in a scene. Never look at the camera unless the director tells you to do so. Be prepared for long, boring hours standing around on your feet, and always make sure that you know where the food services table is. Which we don't have for this class, sorry."

Daisy picked up her glass again. "The only rule for this class is no divas. I'm the only diva allowed. We're going to be working on producing short films, with everyone working behind and in front of the camera. At the end of the course, we'll show them off, to each other or to the school or something, I don't really care. So let's get started, shall we? Let's make a scene. Don't worry about shots or angles or anything like that, just yet, let's just figure out what our movies are going to be about."

Daisy started writing things on the chalk board. "Right. First you'll need characters. Who the hell is in the scene? They're going to want something. Have some motivation. If they both want the same thing, that's boring. You need conflict. You need a setting. Are they in a park, a classroom, at war? Figure these things out in a group of two or more, then play around with it. Pick a character, and see where your scene takes you. Next week we'll start going more into the mechanics of it all."

[ooc: wait for it, OCD is up. If you want interaction from Daisy, it'd be best to ping in the evenings Eastern time, though I'll try to catch anything any time.]

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] threeweapons.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 05:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Alanna spent a quick second blinking at the two Jamie's. "A world of no. That's uh, very handy."

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 05:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Both Jamies look disappointed at the lack of socks but say nothing.

"Yeah, it's a gift and a curse. So should we just do a scene from a play or movie? Or should we just improvise?"

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] threeweapons.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 05:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Alanna frowned. "The only play I really know is Mid Summer Night's Dream."

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"Okay. I'm not playing a fairy," Jamie said with a stubborn expression on his face.

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] threeweapons.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 05:52 pm (UTC)(link)
"I hated that play." Alanna agreed. "So...improv?"

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 05:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Improvisation it is!" Jamie said waving at the other Jamie to start the Camera.

Jamie then turns to Alanna and starts talking in a Scottish Accent.

"If you open the can on these worms you must be prepared to go all the way because they're not gonna give up the fight until one of you is dead. You wanna know how you do it? Here's how, they pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's the Chicago way!"

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] threeweapons.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Alanna blinked a few dozen times. "Um...Well uh that might be the Chicago way but it sure isn't how we do things are here. Er."

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:14 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh is it now!" Jamie exclaimed still using a bad Scottish accent. "So whats do you do to handle the problem? Give them a saucer of milk every night and stroke their furry coats?"

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] threeweapons.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Alanna burst out giggling. Whether it was at Jamie's bad accent or his line, it was unclear. "We believe in order over." More giggling. "chaos."

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
"Chaos? What do you think I'm fighting against? Wee little bunnies who like to sing and dance?" Jamie cried out.

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] threeweapons.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Alanna was trying to stop giggling, really. "Perhaps fighting your own insanity first might help you out."

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
"Do ye think somethin's funny?" Jamie said waving a finger in Alanna's face and still with the bad accent. "Because if ye can't stop giggling I'm throwing ye off da case!"

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] threeweapons.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"And never have to hear your accent again? I'd only be delighted to! See if you can get even an inch ahead without me!"

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"Is that what ye want Red? Then that's what ye get!" Jamie said leaning in so that his nose would be in punchable distance "Ye're off da case!"

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] threeweapons.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
With an opening like that? "I'm not off the case, I quit!" Alanna punctured her statement with a slap to Jamie's cheek.

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ow!"

Suddenly there's another duplicate.

"CUT! THAT'S A WRAP!" The Jamie behind the camera yelled.

"But we duplicated!" One of the Jamies exclaimed.

"We'll fix it in the editing room," The director!Jamie said.

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] threeweapons.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Alanna blinked. "I made a Jamie. How did you, me, the universe do that?"

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's a special effect," Jamie joked as he absorbed his duplicates. "Don't worry about it."

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] threeweapons.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Alanna gave Jamie a look. "Uh huh, right. Keen trick though. You can be in class and watching TV at the same time."

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] multi-madrox.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:50 pm (UTC)(link)
"Or in bed still asleep if the extra me is cooperative enough," Jamie said in a slight grumbling tone. "Seriously though it's just a thing I do. I'm a mutant."

Re: Make a scene

[identity profile] threeweapons.livejournal.com 2006-07-13 06:52 pm (UTC)(link)
"...Cool."