2 answers
elizabeth
Student
Imperial, California
3
Questions
Updated
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How is being funny in tie with acting? Can having a negative outlook impact my acting?
I'm trying to be a better actor for high school next year.
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2 answers
Maria Giorgio
Entertainer Songwriter Band Manager
2
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Maria’s Answer
Having a negative outlook impacts everything you do. When attending an audition, producers and directors will be able to read your face immediately. Trust me, nobody wants to work with negative people. They bring everybody down and create difficulties. Give yourself a pep-talk every day by saying things like I am talented, I can do this, I'm good at what I do, I love acting. List things that you appreciate about yourself and your life. Yes, you can do this! Hope this helps
Harold Gross
Staff Technical Writer, Author, Actor
10
Answers
Issaquah, Washington
Updated
Harold’s Answer
Hey Elizabeth!
Negativity is something, as mentioned by Maria, that will affect all aspects of your life. Finding ways to shift your perspective will benefit all things you do. Going into auditions with energy and a positive attitude (which isn't the same as being unnaturally happy or sunny) is often the right choice. It shows your energy, commitment, and your professionalism. Being funny isn't a requirement, but not taking yourself too seriously is. Failing is a part of the acting effort. That's how you learn and get better. Don't let that drag you down. Embrace it.
And, admittedly, getting there isn't easy. Especially for performers. We're our harshest critics and it can affect all aspects of our lives.
Fear of rejection or ability is often a root cause of that sensation. Acting is one of the hardest jobs out there. It's an industry of rejection. Built on rejection, in fact. You audition for 100s (if not 1000s) of parts for every few you land...unless you are truly lucky or brilliant. And, to be fair, some people are. But all actors need to build up their armor and realize that rejections aren't typically personal. They're, for all intents, business decisions. That's true in the world or in the High School auditorium. A director is trying to build the best show they can with the folks and budget they have available. A director may love your work, but has already cast some of the roles and you may not fit in that grouping. Or a reviewer may hate your performance, but that's their personal opinion, not a general fact. They aren't speaking for everyone.
Your goal should be to build up confidence in yourself and still be open to feedback so you can grow and improve. Believe you can get better with every audition and performance (because you can!). One role, or audition, or even performance isn't the end of the world. I say this as someone who's been on stage when fires broke out, when I or others completely went up on their lines, when a reviewer has eviscerated a production the night before, and when sets have collapsed! And this was in front of paying audiences. You learn to take from these things lessons to help you down the road and to ignore the bits that don't help you. And the approach can be applied outside of performance as well.
This is probably a bit more than you were asking, but it all comes back to believing in yourself, enjoying what you do, and learning while you're doing it. Enjoy the moments and keep moving forward. The fact that you recognize the sensations you're having is actually the first step in changing and working through it all.
Best of luck!
Negativity is something, as mentioned by Maria, that will affect all aspects of your life. Finding ways to shift your perspective will benefit all things you do. Going into auditions with energy and a positive attitude (which isn't the same as being unnaturally happy or sunny) is often the right choice. It shows your energy, commitment, and your professionalism. Being funny isn't a requirement, but not taking yourself too seriously is. Failing is a part of the acting effort. That's how you learn and get better. Don't let that drag you down. Embrace it.
And, admittedly, getting there isn't easy. Especially for performers. We're our harshest critics and it can affect all aspects of our lives.
Fear of rejection or ability is often a root cause of that sensation. Acting is one of the hardest jobs out there. It's an industry of rejection. Built on rejection, in fact. You audition for 100s (if not 1000s) of parts for every few you land...unless you are truly lucky or brilliant. And, to be fair, some people are. But all actors need to build up their armor and realize that rejections aren't typically personal. They're, for all intents, business decisions. That's true in the world or in the High School auditorium. A director is trying to build the best show they can with the folks and budget they have available. A director may love your work, but has already cast some of the roles and you may not fit in that grouping. Or a reviewer may hate your performance, but that's their personal opinion, not a general fact. They aren't speaking for everyone.
Your goal should be to build up confidence in yourself and still be open to feedback so you can grow and improve. Believe you can get better with every audition and performance (because you can!). One role, or audition, or even performance isn't the end of the world. I say this as someone who's been on stage when fires broke out, when I or others completely went up on their lines, when a reviewer has eviscerated a production the night before, and when sets have collapsed! And this was in front of paying audiences. You learn to take from these things lessons to help you down the road and to ignore the bits that don't help you. And the approach can be applied outside of performance as well.
This is probably a bit more than you were asking, but it all comes back to believing in yourself, enjoying what you do, and learning while you're doing it. Enjoy the moments and keep moving forward. The fact that you recognize the sensations you're having is actually the first step in changing and working through it all.
Best of luck!