If you’re thinking about becoming an actor, there are some basic things like your type, age range, and preferred medium (stage or film, or both) to which you’ve likely given some thought. But have you considered your acting technique?

Actors can train in several techniques developed by master acting instructors, including those based on the work of Constantin Stanislavski, who inspired Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, Michael Chekhov, Sanford Meisner, and Lee Strasberg.  Strasberg’s technique is commonly known as “The Method” and looks at a deep investigation of characters’ emotional lives to intensify the connection between actor and character. Using information gathered from the script, the life of the character is made multi-dimensional through investigating the actor’s own imagination and developing a fuller sense of humanity via techniques such as a detailed and rich back story that provides the actor with a deep connection to character that integrates the writer’s intentions.

And how does one do that, you ask? While no actor is the same, we’ve got you covered with four tips to help you get started on developing your own acting technique.

1. Relaxation

Relaxation or the release of muscular tension is a key skill in any technique. Muscles tense in order to block emotion and the anxious actor is often so full of that one emotion that they are incapable of feeling any others. Removing thoughts and tension that block emotional range and limit the actor’s imagination is an imperative. If you’re just starting out, find a quiet area and lie down with your arms at your side and your palms facing upward. Take several long deep breaths, preferably on a five count in and a five count out. With each inhale, imagine you are breathing in pure energy. With each exhale, allow all toxicity and negative thoughts to flow away from and out of your body. Allow your muscles to release and become pliant and available. Set a timer and do this for five minutes, beginning with breath and visualizing release and repeating the then slowly revive yourself by wiggling fingers and toes before you slowly sit up.

While there are a number of relaxation and breathing exercises, like these published on our blog, the trick is finding one or a few that work well for you, and then practice, practice, practice! This kind of training can seem very slow at first, and you may even fall asleep the first few times, but hang in there! This is the foundation of your technique. Many actors train with relaxation and breathing exercises that can be found in Stanislavski’s “An Actor Prepares.”

2. Sense Memory

Sense memory is an exercise to help actors recall objects, places, or things and allow the senses to react. For example, if someone were to ask you to recall the scent of a lemon, could you re-create in this moment the sensations you originally experienced? The first step in doing this would be to take a real lemon and sit with it. Explore in in your hands, with your fingertips. Bring it up to your nose. Memorize how it feels in your hands, and the scent of it as you bring it closer to your nose. Once you’ve explored this object with your senses – touch, sight, sound and taste (if necessary) — take it away! Now that it’s gone, try to recreate your sensory experience of this object. Recall the scent, the taste, the touch of it on your fingertips — your palms. The more you practice doing this, the easier it becomes!

3. Personal Object

Let’s say you’ve been cast to play a corrections officer. Through the information provided in the script, you know your character clocks in at work Monday through Friday from nine in the morning to five in the evening. That’s a good chunk of the day that your character in on the job. Would he or she be carrying a ring of keys on their belt buckle? Perhaps you could experiment with the sensation of wearing a heavy key ring all day. Does it affect how you walk? Do you immediately reach for them when facing a door? Do you ever mistakenly reach for them in your personal life at home?

On the other hand, what if you are playing a character who just lost their mother? Perhaps your own mother gave you a bracelet when you were young and that object holds a key to certain memories of her. Can you imagine losing your own mother, and wearing that bracelet every day in remembrance of her? Use this exercise to brainstorm ways in which an object stirs emotions.  What if you saw the bracelet every time you wash your hands? Could your character also have an object their mother gave to them that elicits feelings? In this way, using an object of personal significance is helpful in developing a template to investigate the inner life of a character.  

4. Music/Sound

Music is another very effective tool that can be used to ground a character’s inner life. If you think about a time where you were excited and very optimistic about something — a first date, a graduation, the birth of a child — you may associate those events with a particular song. And if you don’t, you can find one that calls those feelings to mind. Now, let’s say you are playing a character who just got hired for her dream job. This calls for feelings of excitement, hope, and wonder at what’s to come. It’s also a time of transition. Can you find a song that inspires the emotions you need to ground the reality of this character’s experience?

There are plenty of songs in many genres, so feel free to go outside of your comfort zone. Music has a way of calling to mind different events in our lives, the people who were there, and the feelings we experienced in those moments. You may even be triggered by simple sounds. The sound of footsteps or a door opening and closing, and the jangle of keys can bring on a sense of anticipation, or excitement, or fear. Meditating to sound or recreating it in your mind while developing the backstory of your character can help you get into a role faster, and with more ease.

While these tips are not conclusive in preparing one’s own technique, they can certainly be used as an introduction while you are honing your craft. Remember, this is training! Taking on a character is like running a marathon, and like any runner will tell you, it takes the right training to succeed.

What are some of the exercises you practice to help develop your method acting technique? Let us know in the comments.

Mae West

In the beginning, there was Mae West — sassy, sexy, and smart. West’s early career in Vaudeville helped her develop a larger-than-life persona that came across on screen as wisecracking and worldly. West famously quipped, “I believe in censorship. I’ve made a fortune out of it.” Her work pushed the limits with censors, and West went to jail in 1927 to defend her right to free speech with her play, “Sex.”

Comedy in Hollywood films has often been in dominated by men. When women got to be funny, it was usually part of a romantic comedy or in some kind of domestic situation where the male actor still got the best lines. Yet the screwball comedies of the 1930s and ‘40s did have a group of actresses who gave as good as they got — Myrna Loy, Carole Lombard, and Katharine Hepburn held their own against the likes of William Powell and Carey Grant, dishing out one-liners and snappy comebacks. But, as World War II came to a close, film comediennes were once again relegated to bit parts and setting up the jokes for the male actors.

From the mid-50s to the 1970s, Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett helped producers see that women could not only do physical comedy, but that they could be the main attraction — at least on the small screen. Their influence on film comediennes (both onscreen and behind the scenes as writers and businesswomen) for the next few decades cannot be underestimated. Without them, there would be no Tina Fey and Amy Pohler.

The 1980s and ‘90s saw actresses make the leap from television to the big screen. Lily Tomlin, Catherine O’Hara, Whoopi Goldberg, and Teri Garr were just a few of the actresses who successfully transferred original character development and comedic timing learned from years of sketch comedy and improv to quirky film roles.

The 2000s have seen actresses like Margaret Cho,  Melissa McCarthy, Uzo Aduba, and Mindy Kaling bring new perspectives to American comedy. They have used their personal lives as inspiration for character-driven comedy and, in McCarthy’s case, shown that funny women can, indeed, bring in audiences and sell tickets just as well as male stars.

Want some suggestions for great female-led films? Check out NYFA’s 5 Movies Starring Female Ensembles.

Who are your favorite funny women in Hollywood? Let us know in the comments below!

Actors, like everyone else, have found their lives and careers changed by social media. Few could have predicted the impact social media would have on the world. Whether it’s to stay in touch with friends and family or read up on the latest news, the average person uses one or more social media pages each day. But who could have imagined that social media might influence how you pursue acting jobs?

If you’re reading this, you’re probably an aspiring actor. You’re probably eager to use all the tools available to you in the pursuit of professional work. And you’re probably wondering if the power of social media can help you build recognition or bankability in an industry full of actors and actresses competing for the same roles. The short answer is: it depends.

The role that social media plays in a professional actors career is complex. When used carefully and well, social media can certainly help connect you to your network, to potential audiences, to opportunities. But like every tool in a professional actor’s toolkit, social media comes with no guarantees save one: social media alone will not book you work as an actor. However, used wisely, social media can become a very powerful tool for an actor indeed.

Having A Professional Online Presence Doesn’t Hurt…

You may have noticed that just about every actor who is serious about their career owns a social media page on the major platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Since the internet can be accessed by anyone at any time, having a page where people can see your bio, major credits, and relevant experience, is a must-have. Many casting directors and agents will give young actors in workshops the advice to invest in a high quality website, and to spend time cultivating a real social media presence and following, so that potential collaborators can “get to know you.” It’s an opportunity to create and showcase your personal brand. And it’s important to be mindful about how you do this.

You’ll notice that actors who use social media wisely have more than words on their pages. After all, acting is one of the most visual and physical arts of all! That’s why you’ll also find short videos, photos, and other media that demonstrates an actor’s abilities. Of course, the question still on your mind is if doing all this actually helps develop an acting career in a significant way.

The answer? Perhaps no.

…But It Won’t Get You There Alone.

The fact is, you shouldn’t expect your acting career to skyrocket just based on our social media presence alone. Sure, there have been instances where a famous YouTube personality was given the chance to act in an actual film, or where an unknown actors personal social media followings helped encourage a casting director to take a risk and give them a chance.

But rarely will a top agent use social media alone to find their next client. A casting director may check out your stuff online, but most likely only after you’ve already won consideration or established a promising connection.

To reiterate, contracts and starring roles are hardly ever cast through communication done via social media. And word to the wise: the last thing you want to do is pester anyone about an acting gig online by sending numerous tweets and emails, especially if they’re someone you’ve never met in person.

Social Media Pages: Still A Must-Have In Our Industry

Just because social media isn’t necessarily going to lead directly to an acting gig, again, it is an important tool in your toolkit. Social media can have great purpose and effect in the hands of a savvy professional actor. Treat your pages like a resume, tailor your online presence to reflect the type of professional image you’d like to project both to those you know, and those you don’t know. Social media is one of many tools you can use to pursue for a specific role, but again, nothing is ever guaranteed. And it is important to remember that your professional online presence is visible to everyone.

In the end, social media sites are best used to stay in touch with people you’ve worked with. Developing relationships with others, including other actors, can increase your chance of finding out about a new opportunity. Be wise, be genuine, and good luck.

Actors, what are your social media tips for each other? Do you have any success stories about how your social media presence has served your acting pursuits in a positive way? Let us know in the comments below!