You’ve been acting wrong this whole time. Stay with me, I’ll let you know what you’re doing wrong and how to fix it.

If you have ever practiced your lines in front of a mirror, you’ve fallen prey to the dreaded pre-planned line delivery.

At Studio 24, we have a scene breakdown checklist and the final step in every performance, requires this:

           LIVING IN THE MOMENT

This is when characters create chemistry and make movie magic. 

If you are preplanning your line delivery, then you can say goodbye to living presently in the moment and having chemistry with your scene partner. It’s not possible.

Being present in the moment means really listening, playing off of the other character. It’s a give and take, it’s dynamic, it’s alive. Every take fresh and new because it’s a living breathing thing. This means letting go of anything premeditated. You need to trust the breakdown work that you’ve done. You can’t force that work to happen, you’ve got to let it go and see where the scene takes you. 

If you’re a control freak like me, this is going to be especially hard for you, but it’s necessary to do your best work.

So do yourself a favor, stop rehearsing your lines in the mirror, avoid preplanning your line delivery, your facial expression, and your movements. Do the work, then let go, and live in the moment.

*Small Disclaimer: Forget everything I just said if you’re working on a comedic scene.