Friday, December 23, 2011

The Ultimate Strategy For Commercial Acting Class

By Maggie Flanigan


Through intense Meisner training, many student actors find themselves well equipped for commercial acting. Because commercials are cast so quickly, it is necessary for actors to be able to adopt the appropriate persona spontaneously.

Actors who are trained in the Meisner technique acquire necessary commercial acting techniques including the ability to spontaneously "create" their character. This ensures that students are able to provide the director with a genuine performance within minutes.

There are other commercial acting techniques that must be learned as well. One such skill is learning vital on-camera techniques. This skill is especially vital due to the fact that the actor only has a very limited amount of time to bring a character to life during a commercial. Commercial actors must also learn how to interact with a third party, the "product".

Product placement is another essential skill that actors must acquire during a commercial acting workshop. Although subtle, these skills are essential when it comes to separating you from the other aspiring commercial actors.

Everyone, from agencies to producers, put a lot on the line when they choose a commercial actor. Producers, agency executives, as well as casting agents have a huge investment in choosing the right actor for their commercials. Along with acting skills, a commercial actor should develop their interpersonal skills.

Another essential part of being a commercial actor is always being ready for the camera. The ability to improvise can also come in handy. This is even more the case with commercials and the characters they portray. Actors should be able to take the character and truly make it their own.

Being aware of the commercial's objective is essential to a genuine performance. Naive actors all too often focus on convincing other people. This "understanding" creates a fake performance. The character that the actor creates must genuinely believe in the product. The character must believe in the product so much that he or she wishes to invite others to enjoy the benefits themselves. Depending on the commercial, the actor may need to portray someone who has neglected to use the product and has consequently lost out. Actors should be prepared for this type of commercial as well.

Other skills that are required include: Using stereotypes and being knowledgeable about how to handle products. Creating storyboards, framing, product placement and highlighting, scooping, triangular technique, and how to play different types of characters. Commercial actors must also learn to treat the camera as another actor and interact with it accordingly.

The best actors know that they have never learned all there is to know. Dedicated commercial actors are the ones that will ultimately be successful.




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