Hope you had a nice Valentine's Day. Love was definitely in the air inside our Instinctive Actors' Society, where we discussed whether or not it's possible to fake chemistry with a scene partner.
When it comes to steamy scenes, I often hear actors say it's difficult for them to be authentic in such an awkward circumstance, especially when they are not attracted by the other actor or actress.
It's natural to hesitate... Love scenes can feel forced with so many eyes on an intimate moment, or if you can get into the scene, it may feel like you are cheating on your actual relationship.
Here's the bottom line though: if you wanna play from a truthful place, in order to impact your audience, you definitely need to fall in love.
So I hosted a LIVE training session and Q&A to give us a chance to explore one very fast way to conjure up your own Cupid’s arrow and three ways to create real love and intimacy with any actor, regardless of whether or not you've met before or even like them. You can even despise them; it will still work. ;-)
The best part is that you can make this shift happen authentically. There is no need to fake it!
The recording is normally just for members of my private online community, The Instinctive Actors' Society, but today, I’m sharing it with you.
Here are a few highlights we covered:
When you're in a time crunch setting - like in the audition room or performing a short scene without a lot of time to get to know the other actor - choose just one aspect of your scene partner that you can relate to. Even if you hate everything you see before you, you can find one tiny thing to connect with, be it a freckle, a dimple, a finger, it doesn't matter. Whatever it is, this is what you'll be speaking to during your scene. You’re projecting your emotions at that freckle. It's a quick way to show up authentically when you don't have time to create a love story.
When you're booked for a part with a love scene or story, plan ahead in case you don't have time to rehearse with your scene partner during filming. Do a little research on them. Look at their IMDb page, find their picture, watch their reel, give yourself time to find at least one thing about them that you can relate to and prepare around.
If you have more time, allow your imagination to flow and crystalize the origin of your characters’ relationship in the scene. Where did you meet? When did you meet? What was that experience like? How was your first kiss? The first time you had sex? Your wedding? And make that memory 20 out of 10; you're telling a BIG LOVE story here, not a passing fling. Make it as magical and as loving as possible.
If you and your scene partner butt heads, here's a strategy to help you still show up and get your work done at a higher level. Find a space where you two can be together and improvise a scene (or the scene) with pillows between you two. This way you can really get into each other's physicality and instrument but with a barrier at first, so you can build comfort touching each other and hitting one another without damage. :-) It may seem silly at first, but you're creating a world with that other person, as a couple, that you can live in when you're shooting.
Ultimately, when you are on set, you are responsible for your work regardless of whether you like your scene partner or not. With these strategies, you now have the ball in your court to take action, move past the discomfort & dislike, and create an authentic, intimate love scene that wows the audience (and maybe the Casting Director too). ;-)
Let me know how these work out for you, and if you have any other specific questions about handling highly emotional scenes, in the comments below.
And join me every week for free LIVE training session and Q&As JUST LIKE THIS ONE. Simply click the image below to get access to the private online community!
Now you'll never miss another session, and have access to all our previous training videos. PLUS, it's the #1 place to ask me acting questions and connect with other artists.
Have a great week!
Jo
Whenever you’re ready, here are TWO ways I can help you:
1. Join my free Facebook Group, THE INSTINCTIVE ACTORS’ SOCIETY, exclusively for actors who are ready to go from good to great and become undeniable.
REQUEST TO JOIN: facebook.com/groups/instinctiveactorssociety
2. Get on the waitlist for my course, The Reset Journey From Resistance to Freedom, 1. and stop struggling to access your natural, authentic talent in the audition room or on set. You’ll learn how to reset your instrument to be 100% instinctive and free in just 33 days.
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