Information, Education, and Inspiration
Learn about the art and
business of
acting.
"An actor does not
figure out how to say the lines that are written for a character. An actor figures out why a character says the lines."
"The main goal of an audition is to prepare, execute what you
have prepared and walk away without any regrets."
"As a beginning actor, your focus should be on developing
as an artist. An artist expresses original ideas. Or he
expresses old ideas in an original way."
The Young Actor's Handbook
The way some introductory acting books are written, it seems that a literal leg break is your best option. In The Young Actor's Handbook, Jeremy Kruse, an actor, writer, producer, and director who teaches method acting, acting for camera, improvisation, and sketch comedy at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York, mends this mangled genre, distilling invaluable lessons and years of experience down to a lean, mean, intuitive hundred page primer.
Rather than bludgeoning the uninitiated with dense paragraphs, vague concepts, and opaque examples, The Young Actor's Handbook ignites the beginning actor's creative soul with inspirational acting exercises, acting theory, writing exercises, and insight into what it means to be an actor. This concise and pragmatic manual will guide and inform the young actor, beginning actor, novice acting teacher, or anyone who wants to understand acting through a broad and diverse survey of essential knowledge. The teachings of Richard Boleslavsky, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, Uta Hagen, Michael Shurtleff, Lee Strasberg, and Constantin Stanislavsky are eloquently and accessibly rendered, as are basics of script analysis, camera technique, the audition mindset, agent acquisition, and the actor’s life.
Whether you're a curious novice, veteran acting teacher, or even an interested observer, The Young Actor's Handbook will enhance your understanding of this vast and rewarding craft.
Table of contents.
Character Dynamic:
-
Normal person in a strange land.
-
Strange person in a normal land..
If you are new to acting, Jeremy can teach you what it takes to be an actor and how to bring a character to life.
Are you working on a part for a play or film and need assistance?
Do you need to prepare for an audition? Do you want to learn about the business of acting? Script analysis?
Jeremy offers on-line coaching.
Contact Jeremy with regard to in- person coaching and workshops.
Sketch Comedy
Writing Dissection
Setup
-
Establish location, relationship and what is happening.
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Establish the character's objectives.
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Establish the "funny" or the "game."
Genre
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Character driven/observational.
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Parody:
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Commercial
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Film/TV show
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Movie trailer
-
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Absurd.
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News.
Character Dynamic
-
Normal person in a strange land.
-
Strange person in a normal land.
Progression
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Heighten the "game" by creating obstacles for the characters.
Basic Comedic Tools:
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Exaggerate.
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Unexpected action/response.
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Inappropriate action/response.
Ending
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"Soft landing"
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A character gets what he wants.
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A character does not get what he wants.
-
-
Twist
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A character's need changes.
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The situation changes.
-
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Punch Line
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Verbal or physical.
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A recall.
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- Cliffhanger.
- Heighten.
NOTE: There can be a combination of the
above endings.
-
Hard Out - blackout.
-
Soft Out - fade to black..
