3. Listening and Talking

Question 1

If the Actor has problems to anchor herself to the moment. What can you do?

Answer 1

Ask her to listen. (Even explain what deep listnening means)

Question 2

What can you do if the actor is not relaxed?

Answer 2

Ask him to listen. Deep listening is relaxing.

Question 3

What can you do if actors are not engaging each other, and thus, not creating moments?

Answer 3

Ask them to listen. Deep listening help them engage each other and create moments

Question 4

Whats the resulting performance of two actors who are not listening each other? (turns)

Answer 4

It turns into “My turn to talk, your turn to talk” No relationship, only people spitting words.

Question 5

How do you create an EVENT between characters? (event like negotiation, or punishment)

Answer 5

You have to have SOMETHING HAPPENING to the characters. To achieve that, you need them to affect each other. (They need to listen each other)

Question 6

Is the scene about the words being spoken? and some blocking?

Answer 6

No. The scene is about SOMETHING HAPPENING.

Question 7

Define “anticipating”

Answer 7

When the actor reacts before stimuli, with a pre-decided reaction.

Question 8

MORGAN FREEMAN quote about Listening.

Answer 8

“I think that if you have a talent for acting, it is the talent for listening”

Question 9

One of the acting problems in Ed Wood’s movies, (about listening).

Answer 9

“Anticipating”

Question 10

Actors hear the lines, so they are listnening right?

Answer 10

No. Is not ordinary listening, is a special attention paid to the other person. Her body language, her energy, try to guess what she’s feeling, thinking. How is she going to respond?

Question 11

Define Sanislavsky’s term, “communion”

Answer 11

Deep Listening. When characters communicate with each other, rather than just saying lines.

Question 12

How is Deep Listening a SURRENDER?

Answer 12

Is not checking, evaluating, categorizing. It means the actor pays more attention to the other actor more than her own performance.

Question 13

How are the lines improved when actors listen to each other?

Answer 13

Lines come out out of her attention to the other actor, out of the interest in the response of the other actor. (Rather than the decision of how to say them)

Question 14

How can actors, when they are NOT LISTENING, get the feeling that they ARE LISTENING?

Answer 14

Because the script has lines that respond to each other, actors think than just by hearing them they are listening.

Question 15

Are they listening when they are not committing the sin of anticipating?

Answer 15

No. That’s only being cautious. They have to surrender to the other person.

Question 16

Why do most amateur actors don’t listen?

Answer 16

Because listening is underrated.

Question 17

Why don some actors are uncomfortable of making eye contact when they are listening?

Answer 17

They are affraid to stare. Or not be natural looking.

Question 18

Joan Allen quote about listening, with Anthony Hopkins.

Answer 18

“All you have to do is look at Anthony Hopkins eyes and you get so much, your job is cut in half, there’s so much in his eyes. He was lovely, generous, moving.”

Question 19

Is TRUE LISTENING accepted easily by every actor?

Answer 19

No. True listening can be frightening to actors.

Question 20

Why can TRUE LISTENING be frightening to actors?

Answer 20

Because some actors work so hard on the inner life of their character they think they can loose it. So they screen out the other actor to luster their individual performance.

Question 21

Quote by JOHN TRAVOLTA about Ensemble Acting, and good actors.

Answer 21

“An actor can only be as great as the actors around him”.

Question 22

Is there another name for listening?

Answer 22

Yes. ENSEMBLE ACTING

Question 23

What does it mean when actors are said to have chemistry together?

Answer 23

It means they listen to each other, they play each other.

Question 24

How is ensemble acting helping to tell the story?

Answer 24

Ensamble acting puts the story ahead of showy individual performances. It helps to have something happening.

Question 25

“When you surrender to listening, you are giving up something”. Why are this wrong?

Answer 25

Because by concentrating on the response of the other actor, you get a real relationship, you let something happening to you and the other actor (because you are letting yourself get affected).

Question 26

What advise can you give to young actors to help them listen?

Answer 26

“When all else fails, make the other guy look good”

Question 27

What happens when some listen and some don’t (those who think they give up something by surrendering to the other person)

Answer 27

Only those who listen get superior work, because they are affected and transformed by the other actor. (they absorb their energy and use it to give more)

Question 28

How do you get actors to listen to each other?

Answer 28

You have to ask for it, ask them to listen and explain how important it is so something can happen.

Question 29

Name the situation between director Dennis Hooper and actor Robert Duvall.

Answer 29

Dennis Hooper was terrified of asking Robert Duvall in “Colors” to do more, because he was just listening, looked boring! but let him be. YEAH! In the editing room it was all there. It was great.

Question 30

What does Judith Weston has to say about looking the performance of your actors on the screen?

Answer 30

Judith Weston says that you can’t tell if actors are listening from the screen, you have to see it live. (loc 1598)

Question 31

How important is LISTENING in master shots or two shots.

Answer 31

Is essential. Something has to happen. If not.. nothing will happen, and you will have two people spitting words.

Question 32

Why do many directors don’t understand the importance of listening,

Answer 32

Because the don’t know that the source of tiny emotional expressions, read like gangbusters on the big screen.

Question 33

How do you manage to have the audience care about your characters?

Answer 33

By having something happening to them. By having them listening to each other and affecting each other.

Question 34

Do they have to look each other when listening?

Answer 34

Not necessarily (Is best when they do, but if not…) they have to imagine each other’s response in their facial expression and get affected by it.

Question 35

What’s the main point about listening?

Answer 35

get them to put their concentration on each other, keep each one from acting “all by himself and screening the other one out”.

Question 36

What happens when everybody listens to each other?

Answer 36

You get superior work. (Because something happens, they affect each other, you form a relationship)

Question 37

What’s the mantra of actors listening to each other, surrendering to each other?

Answer 37

“Does he like me?” “Does he want me to go?” “Is he saying I’m not pretty enough?” “Is he intimidated now?”

Question 38

What does it mean: “To screen the other actor out”?

Answer 38

It means that they focus their full attention on themselves and pay no attention to the other actor. That way, they can show the audience how good they really are.

Question 39

——–how can directors tell if actors are listening?

Answer 39

No book can teach you this skill. It requires practice. But when actors are listening, performances are slight different on each take

Question 40

Say you have Actors listening each other. What if the lines come out differently from they way they said it in your head?

Answer 40

Good. Don’t freak out. Always favor characters affecting each other through listening, rather than preconcieved ideas of line readings.

Question 41

Quote from Vanessa Redgrave about listening. What she learned from her teacher.

Answer 41

“It took me years to understand fully why mu teacher was right, and never to plan how I would say a line, only to think of the situation and listen the other actors.”

Question 42

According to Vanessa Redgrave, what’s hard and really has to be worked at in acting?

Answer 42

“Is being able togo with whatever comes up from other actors or the director at each moment of a performance and not to try to force a repetition that went well the day before. The real work of acting is letting go.”

Question 43

Some actors have good listening skills by default. What about thos who don’t?

Answer 43

They have to see it as a skill and have to work on reminding themselves to listen an focus on the other actor.

Question 44

What can the director say to actors (who don’t have listening skills by default) to remind them to listen?

Answer 44

“No need to push, let’s take it easy, just connect with each other”.

Question 45

You need to monitor if they are listening. What if they aren’t?

Answer 45

Talk about it. But don’t mention the word “listen”.

Question 46

Why is it a bad idea to mention the word “listen” when you ask actors to listen each other?

Answer 46

Because the word “listen” is often misunderstood, and it can lead to FAKE LISTENING.

Question 47

What are the 2 tipes of FAKE LISTENING?

Answer 47

1. A studied casual attitude. Is not listening, is the attitude of listening.
2. Overbrought pop-eyed intense listening. It’s wrong because of it’s strain.

Question 48

What are the syntoms of FAKE LISTENING?

Answer 48

Actors are concentrating on themselves, on how they look when they are listening, using their studies and rehearsed postures. True listening has the focus on the other actor.

Question 49

How do you ask actors to listen without saying the word “listen”

Answer 49

“Give the lines to each other”. “Let yourselves connect”. “When you say the lines, look for how she is receiving them”. Pay attention to what she’s really saying”. “Whatch her eyes, figure out what’s going on with her”. “Play off each other”. “Let yourself be affected by him, relax”. “Forget everything, just look at him, and let him say something to you”. “It’s ok to engage and by affected”. Don’t say the lines until you feel like saying them”.

Question 50

Quote by Glenn Close about true listening.

Answer 50

“Remember, everything you are saying is true”.

Question 51

Deep in rehearsal. If actors are not connecting with each others. What can you say to them? (To ask them to listen)

Answer 51

This kin of scene can only work with ensamble acting. Pay attention to one another, don’t focus on what you are feeling, focus on what the other is feeling. Check out her response. It’s all inside you, now let it out to the other actor.

Question 52

CASE STUDY: Sad situation. “A” is listening and “B” isn’t. So “A” decides to pull back and save her performance. What do you do?

Answer 52

Stop her. Explain the importance of being affected. The more she connects and is affected, the more her chances are favored to get superior work.

Question 53

CASE STUDY: How easy is to spot when “A” is listening and “B” isn’t?

Answer 53

It isn’t. It’s very hard to spot, you need practice and skill. Is not something obvious for every one to see that’s way great directors get paid so much.

Question 54

CASE STUDY: what do you do after you stop “A” from pulling back to save her performance, and convince her to keep listening?

Answer 54

Something has to be done about “B” before “A” looses faith in you. Explain the importance of being affected. “B” is worried about he’s performance. Acknowledge that he is worried, and ask him to let himself be affected.

Question 55

A word about being sensitive with actors giving bad performances.

Answer 55

Mention what they are doing good first. Then ask for the adjustment, point him to the other actor. If you approach it brutally honest, they can get hurt or doubt on themselves. And the inspiration dies and starts to get worse and worse.

Question 56

Mantra of a director approaching bad performances.

Answer 56

Their resistances and acting problems are just things that are in the way of their true self. They are not part of their personality, only beliefs that serve to protect themselves. All they want is a safe ground to let themselves go through it.

Question 57

How does it help to have the “half full” rather than “half empty” attitude when approaching bad performances?

Answer 57

They feel safer to let themselves out. If you criticize, they will defend against you. If you are positive, they will let you in, and will surrender to the other actor (so they can be affected).

Question 58

LISTENING vs LINE READINGS. Which one gives you superior work? Which one will you be hunting on set? You need to give up one.

Answer 58

Always strive to get scenes where actors are listening to each other. Affecting each other. Give up they way lines sound inside your head, focus on whether they are affecting each other or not.

Question 59

Quote from Sidney Lumet about listening

Answer 59

“Talk to a person. Listen to a person. Be a person, not a character.”