This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Jeffrey Dreisbach: In case you haven't noticed, many episodes of this podcast have been about acting choices we can use to create our characters.

[0:09] Jeffrey Dreisbach: We've shared the value of vocal pitch in our last episode.

[0:14] Jeffrey Dreisbach: The beauty of pace and making moments with beats or pause.

[0:22] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Now, last of these tools in our toolkit is often overlooked and underappreciated.

[0:27] Jeffrey Dreisbach: I'm talking about the writer's emotional, the writer's technical shorthand found in every script.

[0:37] Jeffrey Dreisbach: That is punctuation.

[0:40] Jeffrey Dreisbach: The title of this episode is being punctual, but that has to do with time.

[0:46] Jeffrey Dreisbach: But you're already here, which means let's put a period on this introduction and exclaim this is Casting Actors Cast.

[1:23] Jeffrey Dreisbach: How are you? It's so nice to see you. I'm a casting partner with Pat McCorkle and have been with Pat in the company for about 14 years now.

[1:33] Jeffrey Dreisbach: I started as an actor, I made my living as an actor, and then I transitioned into being a casting director.

[1:40] Jeffrey Dreisbach: By the way, I'm not one of those casting directors who started as an actor and then became embittered by that experience.

[1:50] Jeffrey Dreisbach: No, that wasn't my story at all.

[1:52] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Someday I'll go through the entire story of how I transitioned from being an actor to being a casting director and still being a nice guy.

[2:01] Jeffrey Dreisbach: But first, this is that moment of the podcast where I get to say thank you so much for tuning in to Casting Actors Cast.

[2:07] Jeffrey Dreisbach: We're also being simulcast on YouTube.

[2:10] Jeffrey Dreisbach: In other words, I video me doing the podcast.

[2:13] Jeffrey Dreisbach: So if you haven't checked out the YouTube channel, please do so.

[2:16] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Casting Actors Cast is the name of the YouTube channel.

[2:19] Jeffrey Dreisbach: And you can check out all the episodes and see what I look like and see me doing the podcast.

[2:24] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Also, I just wanted to say I'm so grateful that you're there.

[2:28] Jeffrey Dreisbach: We're well over a hundred thousand cumulative downloads of this podcast, and I couldn't be more grateful.

[2:36] Jeffrey Dreisbach: If you haven't checked out the website, please do so, castingactorscast, all one word.com.

[2:41] Jeffrey Dreisbach: There you're gonna find all kinds of freebies, some information.

[2:45] Jeffrey Dreisbach: One of the things I'm most proud of, really, is called Jeff's Jots, and that's actual show notes from each of the corresponding episodes.

[2:53] Jeffrey Dreisbach: So you can literally follow along.

[2:55] Jeffrey Dreisbach: It's sort of like a cheat sheet, I guess, but it's also a guide to help you really understand some of the points that I'm making on whether we're talking about the business of show business or whether we're talking about acting, whether we're talking about the emotional roller coaster ride that we're all on as it comes when it comes to being an actor or being in show business.

[3:18] Jeffrey Dreisbach: But nevertheless, that Jeff's Jots are the actual show notes that I use when I do my patios, my podcast videos.

[3:27] Jeffrey Dreisbach: So that's kind of useful.

[3:29] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Also, there's a form right on the landing page.

[3:31] Jeffrey Dreisbach: It says dive into the talent pool.

[3:33] Jeffrey Dreisbach: And that asks for your name and your email.

[3:36] Jeffrey Dreisbach: I don't do anything with that, by the way.

[3:38] Jeffrey Dreisbach: I don't spam you with garbage.

[3:40] Jeffrey Dreisbach: I don't, that's not my thing.

[3:41] Jeffrey Dreisbach: But it does help me know that you're out there, which kind of keeps me going and keeps me wanting to do these podcasts.

[3:48] Jeffrey Dreisbach: So if you wouldn't mind, you could fill out that form.

[3:52] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Also, that's the place where you can ask me a question.

[3:55] Jeffrey Dreisbach: If there's an episode that you want some more information on, if you have some ideas for what you might want out of this kind of a podcast, I am so open to that.

[4:06] Jeffrey Dreisbach: I really appreciate it.

[4:07] Jeffrey Dreisbach: I've been doing it like this podcast for three or four years now.

[4:11] Jeffrey Dreisbach: And so I am open to any ideas and any suggestions that you might have.

[4:16] Jeffrey Dreisbach: My point is that when you fill out that form, it opens up some freebies for you.

[4:20] Jeffrey Dreisbach: One is a book on doing voiceover work.

[4:22] Jeffrey Dreisbach: The other is really kind of an interesting video, I think, called Casting Secrets, What They Don't Tell You.

[4:28] Jeffrey Dreisbach: It's a free 20 minute video exclusive to those of you who choose to fill out the form and let me know that you're out there.

[4:36] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Also, I just wanted to say if you're getting something out of this podcast, if you've learned something from it, if you're enjoying it, if it's done something for you, wouldn't you please consider returning the favor?

[4:50] Jeffrey Dreisbach: A review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts would be so incredibly helpful to me.

[4:57] Jeffrey Dreisbach: As I see the numbers growing, it really does reinforce that we are a like-minded community of creative people just trying to slug it out and make it all work.

[5:08] Jeffrey Dreisbach: So it would help me so much if you wouldn't mind leaving a review.

[5:12] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Please, you could also, you know, sign up.

[5:15] Jeffrey Dreisbach: You could share this with other folks.

[5:18] Jeffrey Dreisbach: And subscribe, of course.

[5:20] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Subscribing is like the big deal too.

[5:23] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Anyway, finally, my shout out to my good friends at Actors Connection, ActorsConnection.com/slash New York, all kinds of classes and seminars and workshops that you might want to check out because they're all virtual, meaning no matter where you're listening to this, no matter what state in the country or what country in the world, because I know there are a lot of people who listen in Germany and Australia and Sweden, and you know what? It's so exciting and so much fun.

[5:48] Jeffrey Dreisbach: But ActorsConnection.com/slash New York, where you can literally work with working professionals in the industry in New York through Zoom classes.

[6:01] Jeffrey Dreisbach: So that's kind of cool, kind of a lot of fun.

[6:04] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Anyway, I think that's all of the shameless promotional, the begging I think is over.

[6:12] Jeffrey Dreisbach: All of that. So let's get into the subject today.

[6:15] Jeffrey Dreisbach: And I really wanted to spend a little bit of time talking about the value of punctuation when, especially when you are working on a script.

[6:24] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Now I know it seems very rudimentary, and I understand that.

[6:28] Jeffrey Dreisbach: But let's really break it down a little bit, and then I think and I hope that you'll understand the reason why I think this is an excellent subject to talk about.

[6:37] Jeffrey Dreisbach: When you really study a new script, let's say you're being asked to do a part in a film, and that script has been sent to you.

[6:45] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Now you have to read the script.

[6:47] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Why punctuation? Why does that become a really important contributor?

[6:53] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Well, it's the writer's contribution to interpreting the character's persona.

[6:59] Jeffrey Dreisbach: So if the character speaks in very short sentences, if the character is shouting a lot, if the character is sarcastic, if the character fill in the blank, you really get some insight into the writer's intention, and that's what makes it such a valuable tool for the actor.

[7:18] Jeffrey Dreisbach: You can really kind of get into the writer's psyche when you include all of that punctuation that the writer he or she is giving you.

[7:30] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Number two, the reason it's a really the punctuation is so important.

[7:36] Jeffrey Dreisbach: It's really a guide to understanding how the dialogue fits the context of the scene.

[7:42] Jeffrey Dreisbach: And you can figure out the emotional atmosphere of what's going on in the scene, sometimes just simply by the punctuation, is that these people are shouting, or these people are being understated or sarcastic, or they're very short clipped sentences.

[7:59] Jeffrey Dreisbach: All of that really contributes to the overall mood and effect that the writer is trying to give you.

[8:05] Jeffrey Dreisbach: So it does fit the context of the scene.

[8:09] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Also, it demonstrates the rhythm of the story.

[8:13] Jeffrey Dreisbach: It demonstrates the rhythm of the character.

[8:16] Jeffrey Dreisbach: You can get a lot of character insight by just seeing how that character speaks.

[8:22] Jeffrey Dreisbach: And punctuation, like I mentioned earlier, is the shorthand version of what the writer thinks the character should be about.

[8:30] Jeffrey Dreisbach: So that's why punctuation matters.

[8:34] Jeffrey Dreisbach: And punctuation matters for the following reasons.

[8:38] Jeffrey Dreisbach: For example, let's take a few thoughts about some of the punctuation that I think sometimes is overlooked and not really paid attention to.

[8:45] Jeffrey Dreisbach: One is the period.

[8:48] Jeffrey Dreisbach: I know, sounds crazy, right? But think of the period as a complete beat, a new thought or gear change.

[8:56] Jeffrey Dreisbach: And if you've been listening to the podcast, you know what I think about gear changes, pitch, pace, pause, punctuation.

[9:03] Jeffrey Dreisbach: The gear change literally is how you go from one thought to another.

[9:08] Jeffrey Dreisbach: And the writer is helping you establish those gear changes by providing you a period.

[9:15] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Here's another punctuation that I think oftentimes is sort of ignored, even sometimes. And I know this especially in auditions that I've seen, whether they're live auditions, we're doing live auditions now, or whether it's on a self-tape that's been submitted. But you know what? The comma is often overlooked. The comma is a thought shift, and the shift is not a complete transition to another thought. It really is an add-on to the main point. So think of the comma as sort of an interim and yet not quite finished part of the through line of what the character is saying. And so don't ignore those commas. They really can give you and provide you with the rhythm of the character, but also help you clarify the point that you're trying to make in your dialogue.

[10:15] You know, when you see an exclamation point, that's an emotional and an energy demonstration. And so when you need to exclaim something, you know inherently, and most importantly, organically, what that character is feeling and experiencing. So make sure that the exclamation is within the choice that you would make as an actor, but it's also the character's intention to demonstrate a level of energy and a level of importance when that exclamation point is written.

[10:55] Now, of course, there's the ellipse, the ellipse being the dot dot dot. The ellipse is really kind of an unspoken expectation, or it's a pause in the thought. And this is an excellent gear change opportunity as well. But when you see a dot dot dot, it really is that the character hasn't just simply stopped talking, right? The character is still in thought and still sort of leaving what is unspoken to live in that moment, to live in that space. So if you see in the writing an ellipse, don't ignore it. Really do your best interpretive work to figure out what is being thought at the moment that you see that ellipse.

[11:40] Now it's interesting that sometimes the writer will help you in the following way. Sometimes you'll see italics. Sometimes the writer will give you italics in the dialogue. And that really simply is a unique interpretation, or you can think of it as a heightened focus. Or the other thing is a parentheses. Now, the parentheses occasionally is used to show the completed thought, but it's not being said. So does that make sense? So sometimes you're thinking the writer's giving you something that you should be thinking, but you're not saying.

[12:21] So when you the, I'm just gonna off the top of my head, I'm just gonna give you the line. Um, so I'm not doing anything later on tonight. Would you like to do something? Okay, so that's the line. But now if I phrase it in such a way of trying to make some sort of sexual innuendo, I'm not doing anything later tonight. Uh, would you like to uh do something? Did you hear the dot dot dot? Did you hear the parentheses saying, like, go to my place? See what I'm saying? So that's what sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes the writer is giving you the parentheses and giving you that nonverbal expression of what the character should be thinking. Subtext, if you will.

[13:07] So there are some methods to work with punctuation. Some methods that can really help you not get overwhelmed by this, but really kind of just embrace this unique and interesting way to approach a script. One is to read the dialogue and the punctuation out loud. Does this make sense? So it's not just you saying the line, but it's you also out loud saying the punctuation. Hi, exclamation point. How are you? Question mark. I'm fine. I'm thinking of going to the store, but dot dot dot. So as you're reading the dialogue, include verbally the punctuation. Why? You will be amazed, I'm telling you, you're gonna be amazed at how many interesting ways you can interpret that line and your own sensibilities of interpretation become. I mean, it's amazing. It's almost like shorthand. It's almost like you don't need to have to spend a lot of time figuring it out once you know what that intention is all about.

[14:19] So the other thing that can help you is to simply think in terms of the gear changes that we're talking about. Whenever the punctuation is seen, for example, there's a gear change at the end of a period. I mentioned this earlier. But the period is the end of one thought and then the beginning of another thought. So make sure there's clarity in that. So whenever you see punctuation, analyze it as a potential place for a gear change. It can be emotional, it can be physical, it can be the pitch of your voice, the pace, the pause, all of those things that we've been talking about. And so don't omit opportunities of interpreting. Use punctuation as an emotional guidepost.

[15:05] Um, issues with being overly focused with punctuation include number one, becomes about the dialogue and not about the character. So what I'm saying here is that just because I've given you these ideas and exercises, that does not mean you live in that place. In other words, don't live in the fact that you have to do a gear change here. But that's a great way for you to explore. That's a great way for you to try out some ideas to see what feels more appropriate for you in the character. So many times when I make these suggestions, it becomes about the suggestion and not about finding the truth of what the character is driving for or going for. So don't make it about the dialogue and not about the gear change or not about the punctuation. Make sure that you incorporate it, you play with it, and then you do your very best acting. That's what I'm trying to talk about.

[16:10] Now, sometimes the punctuation actually can get in the way of the character. I've worked with some really amazing actors who oftentimes will ignore the punctuation completely just because their interpretation is just a unique and interesting way to approach the part. And it's not making it sound like it's a manipulation or I'm making it sound like it's a falsehood. It's not. It's just that sometimes the punctuation doesn't really help. Now, the writer wrote it, and do you how much of an obligation do you have to honor what the writer wrote? Well, that's going to be your choice. But just be aware that sometimes that punctuation can get in the way. And what I'm trying to say overall is once the writer's intention is understood, it's important that you move into your own creative choices. Make sense?

[17:06] I'm good. I mean, good. I'm good. Are you good? I'm good. So listen, no matter what you are working on, be it an audition, a classwork, or I don't know, just reading a new script, make sure you really invest in the technical shorthand the writer is providing you. Punctuation can offer valuable insight and meaningful understanding to the story being told. You're gonna save yourself a lot of frustration by including these little symbols with your already creative process.

[17:44] Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Jeffrey Dreisbach. This is the patio called Casting Actors Cast. Bye bye. Please don't forget to review, like, and share Casting Actors Cast wherever you get your patio's podcast videos. Thanks. I'm Megan Grace Martinez.