Product Description

The author uses her wide experience as an acting and voice coach an major movies to offer insights into the film acting process. She provides tasks, techniques and tips that are designed specifically for film: there's advice to make the first-time film actor feel at home on set, tips on the casting process, how to cope with auditions, on-camera techniques, schedules and shooting order, as well as specific advice from film crews to help an actor's performance. This practical workbook combines exercises and anecdotes in an informal and accessible style, making it the indispensable guide for anyone wishing to light up the silver screen.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37203 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

The Society of Teachers of Speech & Drama Journal May 2003
An extraordinary achievement. This is consummately the film actor’s bible.

Direct: The Magazine of the Directors Guild of Great Britain, Spring 2003
Mel Churcher has the distinct advantage of extensive personal experience and has produced a quarry of useful tips and resources.

London Academy of Dramatic Art
This is now on our required reading list

Customer Reviews

About time.
It is about time that someone realised the importance of film (and t.v.) specific technique in acting. In this country there has long been a belief that "of course you don't need to learn how to act for film darling, anyone can do it". So much so that only in the last few years has a film specific drama school been set up in London, the International School of Screen Acting, which is the first school of its type in England and indeed western Europe. Unbelievable. This old fashioned idea is, of course, utter rubbish. Film acting is a discipline that requires a totally different set of skills to stage acting, a fact that this book not only ably demonstrates, but also sets you on the right path to learning. I would recommend this, Patrick Tuckers book on film acting and Michael Caines book on the same subject. Also, Jean Bernadetti's 'Stanislavski and The Actor' is very, very handy. Together, the perfect beginnings of a library for the dedicated film actor.

Answer to an actor's prayer
At last. A book that actually treats film acting seriously, not just as a poor relation to acting in the theatre. Most Acting Schools devote little or no time to this branch of the acting profession. So where is a rising new professional to learn their craft? Or a wannabe? Or even a seasoned old hand?

In 'Acting for Film', that's where.

Mel Churcher brings a wealth of experience on major movie sets to bear on the problem and comes up with a book that is both a practical guide and a good read. She has worked with some of the top directors, many big stars and a host of actors, coaching them in voice and accents as well as acting. In this book she shares the secrets she's discovered in the process. Here you'll learn how to trust the camera and how to make the camera love you.

'Acting For Film' has highly practical exercises to hone film acting technique. There are pointers, hints, anecdotes and stories. But there's much, much more besides. Tips on casting and auditions to help land the part. Advice about working on camera to make sure what the actor puts in comes out on the screen. Ideas from other top members of the film crew on how to get the most from a performance. A guide through the jungle of weird language, strange equipment and stranger people that make up a film set.

If you're an actor, a director, a film professional or just someone with an interest in the craft of film acting I do urge you to try this book. 'The truth 24 times a second' is Mel's subtitle and this book really does explain how the best film actors use the concentration and energy needed to achieve that.

Inspiration backed by solid practical advice
I would say that buying and reading this book is the second most useful thing you could do if you are trying to get your acting career on track. A great book for the actor who wants to be professional about what they do. If you are serious about acting and want to give yourself a real chance in this very difficult industry, then I would not simply read this book but make it and the exercises part of your acting life.

The first most useful thing you could do is to contact Mel directly and have acting lessons with her one-on-one. Not cheap, but then you get what you pay for from one of the industries most respected coaches.