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I want you to imagine something.

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You've just recorded a self tape,

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and it felt pretty good.

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You work connected, you listened, you

made some discoveries.

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Maybe there was even one of those

wonderful moments when you stopped

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thinking about acting

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and just acted.

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That's great.

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Then

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you watch it,

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and suddenly,

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what am I doing with my mouth?

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Why is my head tilted like that?

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Do I always blink that much?

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Why does my voice sound like that?

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And what's happening with my hair?

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Congratulations,

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you have stopped being an actor.

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And now you've become a critic,

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a very mean critic, with unlimited

access to the replay button.

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But here's the problem,

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actors need to watch themselves.

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Especially now,

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self tapes make reviewing your own work

part of the job.

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And sometimes onset

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playback can give you valuable

information before another take.

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So the answer isn't don't watch

yourself.

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It's learn how to watch yourself

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without judging yourself.

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Because those are two completely

different things.

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Here's the distinction we're going to

explore today.

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When you're acting, you cannot be your

audience.

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But after you're acting,

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you need to learn how to become one.

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That's a skill.

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And like almost everything else in

acting,

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it's something you can practice.

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So let's talk about how to watch

yourself without allowing that little

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critic sitting on your shoulder

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to become the director.

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Welcome to casting actor's cast.

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I'm Jeff drivesbach, casting director,

teacher, author, former actor and

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somebody who has watched a lot of

actors on camera, including myself,

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sometimes voluntarily.

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If you're new to the podcast, welcome.

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And if you've been with me for a while,

I'm so delighted your back,

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you can find everything we're doing at

casting actor's cast, all one word dot com

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that's where you'll find the podcast,

information about my book, booked it,

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the actor's play book for getting cast

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and my online course.

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Next level auditions prepare smarter

perform, better, book more.

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And while you're there, think about

filling out that form that says, dive

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into the talent pool.

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It gives me your name and your email

address.

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I don't do anything with that.

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But that does open up some free

materials I've created for you,

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including a voice over book and a video

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about casting

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casting directors.

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What they don't tell you that's the

name of the twenty minute videos,

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absolutely free.

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Ok, let's get back to that self tape,

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because your eyebrow is probably fine.

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Yeah, I used to pay attention to my

cheek bones for some strange reasons.

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And I've talked about this before.

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One of the most destructive things an

actor can do while performing is simultaneously

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evaluate the performance.

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Was that good?

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Did that moment work?

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Was I emotional enough?

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Did I look natural?

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Was that too much?

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The moment you're asking those

questions,

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part of you has left the scene.

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You're no longer completely involved

with the other character.

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You've become an observer

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of yourself.

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And acting requires something very

different.

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It requires participation,

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listening, responding, thinking,

wanting, kneading

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behaviour.

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You have to live through what's

happening, rather than provide

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commentary about what's happening.

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You can't stand outside the swimming

pool evaluating your stroke.

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You know what?

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That's pretty good.

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You know, when you go swimming,

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you can't stand outside the swimming

pool when you're evaluating the stroke.

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Ok, well, technically you can,

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but you're going to have a very

confusing afternoon.

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Let's just say that

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this is why I've always been very

cautious about the question.

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How did that feel,

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particularly when it's used as a way of

determining whether a take was good?

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Because actors can begin associating a

particular internal feeling with a

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successful performance.

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That felt wonderful,

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maybe,

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but did it communicate?

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Or that felt terrible?

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Maybe,

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but perhaps

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it was really good.

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Your internal experience and the

audience's experience are not

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necessarily the same thing.

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Now listen.

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There are perfectly legitimate reasons

a director might ask how something felt.

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Was the adjustment playable?

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Was the physical action comfortable?

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Did something interfere with your

concentration?

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Now, listen that's useful communication.

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The problem begins when the actor

starts using feeling as a monitor for quality.

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Because then, during the next take, you

are trying to reproduce

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the feeling.

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And now you're watching yourself again.

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I suggest you experience first and

observe later.

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So this is what I call the separation.

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This is the separation I want you to

make

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during a take.

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Experience,

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after the take.

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Observe.

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Those are two different jobs.

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And actors need both skills.

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This is where watching yourself becomes

incredibly valuable, because camera

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work gives you something stage.

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Actors don't always get

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evidence.

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There it is,

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you can actually see what happened,

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not what you thought happened and not

what you intended to happen.

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What happened.

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And that can be very, very useful,

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provided you know what you're looking

for.

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Why do actors hate watching themselves?

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Most actors don't naturally watch

themselves objectively.

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They watch personally.

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There's a difference.

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You don't see.

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The actor seems disconnected from the

other person.

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You don't see that.

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But you say,

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I look awful.

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You don't see my eye line seems

slightly too far away from the reader.

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You see

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my nose looks enormous.

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You don't see the pace.

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Could use more variation,

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you see, I hate my voice.

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That's not an evaluation that's self

judgment.

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And self judgment doesn't give you

anything actionable.

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What exactly are you supposed to do

with it?

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I hate my face.

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That's the face we're working with.

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We're going to have to find another

solution.

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Useful evaluation gives you information

you can actually apply,

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because the camera isn't asking you to

be perfect

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actor.

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Sometimes, forget this, the camera

isn't demanding perfection.

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It isn't

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it's recording behavior.

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Little imperfections can actually make

something fascinating.

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To watch

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a hesitation,

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an unexpected breath,

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the moment when the eyes changed change,

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a thought that arrives before the words

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the camera loves behavior.

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What it doesn't particularly love

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is an actor trying to look like they're

behaving.

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That's different.

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And when actors become overly self

conscious,

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they often begin correcting the very

things that make them interesting.

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They become careful, they become

controlled, presentational.

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They start editing themselves while

they're acting.

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And suddenly the performance becomes

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tidy

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and dead.

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Right?

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This is what casting is actually

wanting.

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And this is something from the casting

side of things.

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And I know this area pretty well.

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I hope you'll remember when you're

watching your audition.

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Remember,

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you're probably watching, you

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guess what casting is, watching the

scene.

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Now, listen that's a significant

difference.

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You may be thinking, oh, my hair looks

strange.

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I'm thinking, do I believe this

relationship?

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You may be thinking, I don't like my

voice.

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I'm thinking, is this person listening?

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You may notice some tiny facial

movement that bothers you.

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I'm wondering,

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do I want to know what happens next?

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We're watching behavior,

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you're watching connection?

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We're watching whether you belong in

the world of the project.

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We're watching whether the scene lives.

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That doesn't mean presentation doesn't

matter.

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Of course, it does

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your framing matters your sound

matters, your lighting matters, your

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eyeline matters.

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But once those things are

professionally acceptable,

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we're not conducting a forensic

investigation of your left eyebrow.

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So maybe, I guess you shouldn't either.

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Self tapes have changed the job.

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And this becomes especially important

because self tapes have given actors

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tremendous control over what gets

submitted.

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And that's good,

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but control

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has a dangerous cousin

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it's called perfectionism.

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You record one, take pretty good.

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Take two, better.

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Take three, interesting.

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Take four,

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m.

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Maybe take five, something feels wrong.

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Take six.

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Now you're trying to recreate.

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Take two.

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Take seven.

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You no longer remember what the scene

is about.

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Take eight, your reader is reconsidering

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the friendship.

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At some point, reviewing stops being

useful,

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you're no longer improving the work.

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You're trying to eliminate every

imperfection.

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And acting isn't about eliminating

imperfection, it's about creating

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believable behavior.

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So

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I want to give you a very specific way

to watch yourself.

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Three takes

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that's it.

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And each viewing of each take has a

different job you understand.

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So the first time you record yourself

and you play back,

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pass one that's what we'll call it.

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That's

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the story.

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The first time you watch, don't watch

yourself.

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Watch the scene.

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No stopping, no rewinding, no examining

individual moments.

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Just watch.

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Then ask,

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did I understand what was happening?

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Was something at stake?

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Did the scene go somewhere?

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Was there behavior?

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Rather than simply dialogue?

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Did something change?

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Most importantly?

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Did I believe it?

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Now that's your first past.

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Now you want to take it again?

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00:12:03,390 --> 00:12:04,791

Fine, you can take it again.

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00:12:05,625 --> 00:12:07,694

But the second time

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00:12:08,194 --> 00:12:09,596

you watch it again,

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I want you to think about

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00:12:12,799 --> 00:12:13,767

connection.

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This time I want you to pay attention

to the relationship.

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00:12:19,773 --> 00:12:23,209

Are you actually receiving information

from the other character?

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Do the words affect you?

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00:12:26,680 --> 00:12:30,83

Does your behavior change because of

what you're hearing?

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00:12:30,583 --> 00:12:34,187

Are you listening, or are you waiting

for your next line?

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This is huge, because

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an actor gives a perfectly polished

reading

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that has absolutely nothing to do with

the other person?

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In other words, the lines are correct,

the choices are clear, the emotion is appropriate,

269

00:12:48,201 --> 00:12:49,269

and nobody's home

270

00:12:50,170 --> 00:12:52,472

connection is what makes the scene

breathe.

271

00:12:53,473 --> 00:12:55,375

So on the second pass,

272

00:12:55,875 --> 00:12:58,244

stop asking, how am I doing?

273

00:12:58,978 --> 00:13:01,448

Ask, what is happening between us?

274

00:13:02,349 --> 00:13:04,651

But I want to clear up some confusion.

275

00:13:05,51 --> 00:13:07,187

I believe, in the three take rule.

276

00:13:08,121 --> 00:13:13,126

So what I'm asking you to do is to

watch each of those takes three times,

277

00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:15,195

using this method.

278

00:13:15,929 --> 00:13:18,431

In other words, don't do a new take

after every

279

00:13:19,466 --> 00:13:21,1

time you do a past.

280

00:13:21,234 --> 00:13:22,235

Does that make sense?

281

00:13:22,335 --> 00:13:24,270

I hope it does a hope about confusing

you.

282

00:13:24,504 --> 00:13:28,641

But let's just talk about the third

pass, not the third take.

283

00:13:29,776 --> 00:13:30,877

And at that, 0

284

00:13:31,311 --> 00:13:32,479

and only now

285

00:13:33,213 --> 00:13:36,16

you get to look at the mechanics, the

machinery.

286

00:13:36,416 --> 00:13:40,787

In other words, the high line, the

framing, vocal clarity, pacing

287

00:13:41,388 --> 00:13:43,690

unnecessary movement, physical tension,

288

00:13:44,357 --> 00:13:45,759

repeating gestures,

289

00:13:46,393 --> 00:13:47,527

continuity.

290

00:13:48,328 --> 00:13:50,597

Maybe you're dropping the ends of

sentences.

291

00:13:50,997 --> 00:13:52,499

Maybe your eye line keeps shifting.

292

00:13:52,999 --> 00:13:56,636

Maybe every time you make an important

point, you nod your head.

293

00:13:57,704 --> 00:14:01,641

I work with an actor last week who,

every time they had a line and it was

294

00:14:01,641 --> 00:14:05,311

on zoom, they moved forward, as if they

really needed to make the connection.

295

00:14:05,879 --> 00:14:06,513

It was very disconcerting.

296

00:14:08,281 --> 00:14:11,51

Actors love moving forward and nodding.

297

00:14:12,185 --> 00:14:13,787

Apparently we just don't trust words.

298

00:14:13,953 --> 00:14:14,387

I guess

299

00:14:16,423 --> 00:14:18,925

it's the, what I call the, this is

extremely important.

300

00:14:19,292 --> 00:14:19,826

Nod.

301

00:14:21,928 --> 00:14:24,798

I've never loved any one, but you nod.

302

00:14:26,433 --> 00:14:27,467

The building is on fire.

303

00:14:28,568 --> 00:14:29,569

Nod,

304

00:14:30,570 --> 00:14:33,239

you may discover a physical habit you

weren't aware of.

305

00:14:33,239 --> 00:14:36,910

Well, that's great cause that's useful

information, because now you can do

306

00:14:36,976 --> 00:14:37,911

something about it.

307

00:14:39,546 --> 00:14:43,717

And after you do those three passes,

and you've done only three takes, I

308

00:14:43,783 --> 00:14:45,618

don't want you to watch it to death.

309

00:14:45,852 --> 00:14:47,53

I want you to stop.

310

00:14:47,620 --> 00:14:51,958

Now, this, I know, may be the hardest

part, stop watching, because there's a

311

00:14:51,958 --> 00:14:53,593

point of diminishing returns.

312

00:14:54,594 --> 00:14:55,995

After enough viewings,

313

00:14:56,730 --> 00:14:58,31

you will find something wrong.

314

00:14:58,264 --> 00:14:58,865

I promise

315

00:15:00,33 --> 00:15:02,969

you could watch merle street fourteen

times and eventually think,

316

00:15:04,104 --> 00:15:04,838

no, no.

317

00:15:05,372 --> 00:15:08,475

That thing she does at one minute, 37

seconds.

318

00:15:09,75 --> 00:15:10,410

Ah, my gosh enough.

319

00:15:11,211 --> 00:15:15,382

The purpose of reviewing your work is

not to achieve complete satisfaction

320

00:15:16,16 --> 00:15:16,783

with yourself.

321

00:15:17,617 --> 00:15:18,718

You probably probably, probably,

probably probably won't.

322

00:15:19,152 --> 00:15:21,488

The purpose is to determine whether the

work communicates.

323

00:15:22,255 --> 00:15:23,990

If it does, submit it.

324

00:15:26,259 --> 00:15:29,129

Now let's move on from self tapes to

the set.

325

00:15:30,30 --> 00:15:31,965

Sometimes a director may show you

playback.

326

00:15:32,432 --> 00:15:35,201

Not always different directors work

differently.

327

00:15:35,869 --> 00:15:41,775

But when it happens, the same principle

applies don't suddenly become of a film critic.

328

00:15:42,409 --> 00:15:44,944

You don't need to decide whether you

like yourself.

329

00:15:45,879 --> 00:15:46,880

You need to ask,

330

00:15:47,380 --> 00:15:51,685

what information does this give me for

the next take?

331

00:15:53,219 --> 00:15:56,656

Maybe the director asked for more

stillness

332

00:15:57,791 --> 00:16:00,160

and you thought you were completely

still.

333

00:16:01,461 --> 00:16:03,196

Then you watch playback and realize

334

00:16:03,697 --> 00:16:08,1

you're moving like you're standing on a

subway platform.

335

00:16:08,568 --> 00:16:09,69

That's useful.

336

00:16:09,703 --> 00:16:12,172

Maybe you thought a moment was enormous.

337

00:16:13,306 --> 00:16:15,375

On camera it's barely registering.

338

00:16:16,9 --> 00:16:17,110

Oh, that's useful.

339

00:16:18,11 --> 00:16:20,947

Or maybe you thought you were doing

nothing,

340

00:16:22,15 --> 00:16:24,484

and the camera caught everything.

341

00:16:25,385 --> 00:16:28,355

Also, very, very useful playback isn't

a grade

342

00:16:29,556 --> 00:16:30,724

it's information.

343

00:16:32,25 --> 00:16:33,426

Now we're going to take a quick break,

344

00:16:34,27 --> 00:16:38,198

but when we come back, I want to show

you how to turn what you see on camera

345

00:16:38,498 --> 00:16:39,833

into an adjustment

346

00:16:40,333 --> 00:16:41,134

without the observation,

347

00:16:42,168 --> 00:16:46,72

back to the scene and becoming self

conscious all over again.

348

00:16:47,73 --> 00:16:48,808

More on stopping the judgment

349

00:16:49,709 --> 00:16:50,543

right after this.

350

00:16:55,315 --> 00:16:58,251

Ok, here's the cycle I want you to

remember.

351

00:16:59,52 --> 00:17:01,588

Perform, observe, adjust,

352

00:17:01,921 --> 00:17:02,555

forget,

353

00:17:03,857 --> 00:17:06,559

you perform the scene without

monitoring yourself.

354

00:17:07,961 --> 00:17:10,63

Then you observe what actually happened.

355

00:17:11,131 --> 00:17:12,966

You identify something specific,

356

00:17:14,34 --> 00:17:15,368

then you make an adjustment,

357

00:17:16,102 --> 00:17:18,571

and finally you forget the observation.

358

00:17:19,472 --> 00:17:19,873

That's critical,

359

00:17:20,907 --> 00:17:23,510

because if the adjustment was, be more

still,

360

00:17:24,577 --> 00:17:26,346

you don't want the next take to become,

361

00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:28,448

I'm being still.

362

00:17:28,915 --> 00:17:30,83

Look how still I am.

363

00:17:31,951 --> 00:17:33,319

Now we're watching ourselves again.

364

00:17:33,553 --> 00:17:33,753

Right?

365

00:17:34,821 --> 00:17:38,224

Instead, translate the technical note

into something playable.

366

00:17:38,591 --> 00:17:41,294

Maybe instead of don't move so much,

you give yourself

367

00:17:42,328 --> 00:17:45,131

don't let them know how much this

affects you

368

00:17:46,99 --> 00:17:47,400

see what we did just there?

369

00:17:47,934 --> 00:17:49,436

Suddenly the stillness

370

00:17:49,936 --> 00:17:50,870

has a reason.

371

00:17:52,272 --> 00:17:53,273

That's acting.

372

00:17:54,40 --> 00:17:56,810

The technical observation becomes

behavior.

373

00:17:58,745 --> 00:18:00,947

And I want you to fix everything.

374

00:18:01,314 --> 00:18:02,415

This is an important rule.

375

00:18:02,649 --> 00:18:05,118

I think, one adjustment at a time.

376

00:18:05,852 --> 00:18:10,123

You watch the tape and discover my

eyeline as off, I'm rushing, I'm moving

377

00:18:10,256 --> 00:18:11,324

too much, I'm not listening.

378

00:18:11,558 --> 00:18:13,393

My voice is tight, my shirt is weird.

379

00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:14,427

The lighting is bad.

380

00:18:14,661 --> 00:18:15,362

My hair

381

00:18:16,96 --> 00:18:16,629

stop.

382

00:18:18,98 --> 00:18:19,966

What is the most important thing?

383

00:18:20,266 --> 00:18:21,768

Affecting the scene

384

00:18:22,569 --> 00:18:23,670

address that

385

00:18:24,571 --> 00:18:31,11

actors sometimes destroy perfectly good

work by trying to fix seven things simultaneously.

386

00:18:32,412 --> 00:18:34,114

The goal isn't to correct yourself.

387

00:18:34,347 --> 00:18:36,783

The gold is to free the scene.

388

00:18:39,452 --> 00:18:41,488

Here's an exercise that I particularly

like.

389

00:18:41,621 --> 00:18:45,225

If you've been a long time listener of

the show, you know that this is really,

390

00:18:45,392 --> 00:18:45,859

really helpful.

391

00:18:46,259 --> 00:18:48,161

I want you to watch yourself tape

392

00:18:48,595 --> 00:18:51,398

once, with the sound completely turn

off.

393

00:18:51,798 --> 00:18:53,166

I don't want you to listen to the

dialogue.

394

00:18:53,867 --> 00:18:56,2

I just want you to watch the behavior.

395

00:18:57,370 --> 00:18:58,571

Can you see thinking?

396

00:18:59,773 --> 00:19:00,607

Can you see listening?

397

00:19:01,141 --> 00:19:02,976

Does the relationship seem alive?

398

00:19:03,476 --> 00:19:06,79

Do your eyes receive information,

399

00:19:07,147 --> 00:19:10,517

or do you look like you're waiting for

your mouth to start talking again?

400

00:19:11,718 --> 00:19:12,786

That's fascinating,

401

00:19:13,219 --> 00:19:16,790

because without the words, you begin

seeing behavior differently

402

00:19:17,957 --> 00:19:19,526

and here's another variation.

403

00:19:20,427 --> 00:19:22,228

Listen once without watching.

404

00:19:23,29 --> 00:19:23,530

Yeah,

405

00:19:24,264 --> 00:19:25,131

just hear it.

406

00:19:25,865 --> 00:19:28,1

Does everything have the same rhythm?

407

00:19:29,235 --> 00:19:29,703

Are you rushing?

408

00:19:30,337 --> 00:19:32,172

Are you actually responding?

409

00:19:32,739 --> 00:19:36,9

Does your voice change as your thinking

changes?

410

00:19:36,976 --> 00:19:38,978

These are not judgments, their

observation.

411

00:19:39,779 --> 00:19:43,49

And that's the distinction we're

absolutely after.

412

00:19:44,818 --> 00:19:47,187

And here's one final psychological trick

413

00:19:47,620 --> 00:19:51,458

to change the language you use when

reviewing yourself.

414

00:19:51,858 --> 00:19:54,394

Instead of saying, ah, that was

horrible.

415

00:19:55,528 --> 00:19:58,64

Try that moment wasn't clear.

416

00:19:59,65 --> 00:20:01,101

Instead of, I look uncomfortable.

417

00:20:01,701 --> 00:20:03,536

Try there's physical tension.

418

00:20:03,770 --> 00:20:04,804

I'm noticing

419

00:20:05,772 --> 00:20:07,674

instead of I'm boring.

420

00:20:08,675 --> 00:20:11,678

Try the stakes aren't showing up yet.

421

00:20:12,912 --> 00:20:14,714

Instead of, I can't act.

422

00:20:15,949 --> 00:20:18,84

How about I don't believe this take yet.

423

00:20:19,52 --> 00:20:20,487

Do you hear the difference?

424

00:20:21,221 --> 00:20:25,425

One language attacks the actor, the

other evaluates the work.

425

00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:27,994

You are not the problem.

426

00:20:28,661 --> 00:20:30,563

You're examining the work.

427

00:20:31,464 --> 00:20:33,600

And work can be adjusted.

428

00:20:35,235 --> 00:20:36,803

So here's your reset.

429

00:20:37,237 --> 00:20:37,804

When you're acting.

430

00:20:38,38 --> 00:20:39,205

Don't want yourself act.

431

00:20:39,472 --> 00:20:41,875

I want you to experience, listen,

respond.

432

00:20:42,509 --> 00:20:44,310

Let the other person affect you.

433

00:20:45,78 --> 00:20:47,213

Then, when the work is finished,

434

00:20:47,881 --> 00:20:51,184

become the observer, not the critic,

the observer.

435

00:20:51,851 --> 00:20:52,419

Look for story,

436

00:20:53,453 --> 00:20:54,421

look for connection,

437

00:20:55,622 --> 00:20:56,956

look for technique,

438

00:20:57,857 --> 00:20:59,693

find useful information,

439

00:21:00,193 --> 00:21:01,594

make the adjustment

440

00:21:02,95 --> 00:21:02,896

and then let it go.

441

00:21:04,30 --> 00:21:04,330

Perform

442

00:21:04,664 --> 00:21:06,566

observe a just forget.

443

00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:09,769

Because watching yourself isn't the

problem.

444

00:21:10,570 --> 00:21:12,105

Judging yourself is.

445

00:21:12,572 --> 00:21:16,643

And maybe the goal isn't to learn to

love everything you see on camera

446

00:21:18,178 --> 00:21:19,479

that's asking quite a lot.

447

00:21:19,612 --> 00:21:20,146

I think

448

00:21:21,147 --> 00:21:23,350

maybe the goal is something much

simpler.

449

00:21:24,250 --> 00:21:27,153

Learn to see what's actually there, not

your insecurity,

450

00:21:28,188 --> 00:21:28,655

not your expectation,

451

00:21:29,689 --> 00:21:32,158

not the performance you hoped you would

give

452

00:21:33,860 --> 00:21:34,194

the work.

453

00:21:35,795 --> 00:21:38,231

Because once you can see the work

objectively,

454

00:21:39,466 --> 00:21:40,467

you can change it.

455

00:21:41,67 --> 00:21:44,637

And once you change it, you can stop

thinking about it

456

00:21:44,904 --> 00:21:46,239

and go back to acting.

457

00:21:48,341 --> 00:21:49,609

I'm Jeff dries back.

458

00:21:50,276 --> 00:21:51,711

Thank you for spending this time with

me.

459

00:21:51,778 --> 00:21:53,146

This is casting actor's cast.

460

00:21:54,414 --> 00:21:55,715

ooh, that was good.

461

00:21:55,849 --> 00:21:56,583

I'll see you next time.