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Have you ever heard someone say film

acting is all about the eyes?

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I certainly have.

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In fact, I've probably heard that

sentence hundreds of times over the years.

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Teachers say it, actors repeated

directors mention it.

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Casting directors occasionally say it.

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And every time I hear it, I quietly

think

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that's only half the story,

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because your eyes don't act.

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Your brain does.

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The eyes simply reveal what the brain

is doing.

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So let's think about that for just a

moment.

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Imagine meeting someone for the very

first time.

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You shake hands.

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They tell you their name

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without realizing it.

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Your eyes aren't doing their work.

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Your mind is

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you're recognizing,

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observing, evaluating, wondering,

listening,

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making sense of another human being.

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Your eyes simply allow us to witness

that process.

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That's what the camera photographs,

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not your eyes

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you're thinking.

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I think we've misunderstood this for

years.

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When someone says the actor has

incredibly expressive eyes,

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what they usually are responding to

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is thought,

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they're seeing a mind at work.

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They're watching someone receive

information,

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process it and allow that thinking to

change them.

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Well, that's why great film acting

feels so alive.

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Not because someone's eyes are

beautiful,

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because they're connected.

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This is casting actor's gasp.

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Well, hello, and welcome to today's

episode of casting actors cast.

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I'm Jeff drysbach.

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I'm a casting director with mccorkl

casting in New York.

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How are you hope you're having a good

day?

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Yeah, we're going to talk about the

eyes today, the Windows to the zoal,

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because I think it's worth exploring,

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because there are so many times when we

are confused by what the camera is

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actually seeing

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when we're acting.

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And so I hope that this

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little area of interest is something

that will help you

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down the line, whether you're doing a

self taper, whether you're onset.

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But first, this is that moment of the

conversation where I get to say, thank

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you so much for tuning in to casting

actor's cast.

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Please check out the website, casting

actor's camp.

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All one word, dot com there's a form

that says, dive into the talent pool.

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If you do that it's going to open up a

whole bunch of freebies for you.

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When is a book?

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I'm doing voice over work.

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The other is a free video.

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It's called casting secrets.

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What they don't tell you it's a twenty

minute video that I think is really,

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really informative.

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And I think you'll find it very, very

useful.

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Also, on the website, you're going to

see jeff's jots, which are

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corresponding show notes in the form of

a blog that you'll see on that website

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as well.

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All of this is an attempt to help you

feel more confident and more prepared

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for the acting industry.

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So hearing information from a working

casting director, hopefully

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will help you stay inspired and

interested

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in pursuing

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this career.

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Also, finally, my shout out to my good

friends and actors, connection actor's

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connectiondot com, slash, New York.

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Finally, finally, I, I just want to

say, if you wouldn't mind if you enjoy

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what you hear on my podcast episodes,

would you mind

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consider leaving a review?

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Give me a thumbs up.

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Let me know you're out there.

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Maybe you might want to write a review,

subscribe or do any of those things

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that will help you come back to this

podcast, absolutely free of charge.

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I really am doing this for the love of

doing it.

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So it would really help me stay

motivated if you reach out to me and

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let me know that you're out there.

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That would help a lot.

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Thank you so much.

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All right, let's jump into this.

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Shall we?

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One of the remarkable things I think

about the camera

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is that it sees something.

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The stage never can.

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It sees thinking.

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You see, the theater asked actors to

communicate to the back row.

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Film asks actors to communicate to one

lens

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sometimes only inches away.

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That camera isn't waiting for you to

show an emotion.

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It's waiting to see whether something

is actually happening.

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Now that's an enormous distinction.

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Actors sometimes ask me, what should my

face be doing?

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My answer is usually nothing.

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Think receive,

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allow yourself to be changed by what

you've heard.

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Your face will take care of itself.

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Your eyes will take care of themselves.

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Behaviour follows thought

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not the other way around.

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Make sense.

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I've had the privilege of watching

thousands and thousands of auditions,

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and after a while, I have to say, you

begin to notice patterns.

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One pattern appears again and again.

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And some actors are trying to look

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emotional.

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Other actors are simply thinking.

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The difference is unmistakable.

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One actor is presenting emotion,

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the other is experiencing a moment.

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The camera always knows it's remarkably

honest.

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It cannot be fooled.

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It doesn't reward effort.

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It rewards.

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Truth and truth almost always begins

with receiving information.

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Here's something fascinating.

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The eyes don't create behavior.

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They reveal behavior.

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Think about your own day.

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Someone gives you wonderful news

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before you say a word.

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Something changes.

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Someone disappoints you before you

respond,

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something changes.

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Someone tells you a secret before you

speak,

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something changes.

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Those tiny moments are incredibly

interesting.

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They're also incredibly human.

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And that's exactly

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what the camera loves.

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Not performance.

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Reaction.

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I've often said class acting isn't

about showing the audience what you're

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feeling.

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It's about allowing the audience to

witness what you are discovering.

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There's a world of difference there.

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Discovery happens in real time.

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Pretending happens in advance.

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That's why discovery always feels alive.

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So let's explore another misconception.

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I think actors sometimes become

fascinated with eye contact, as though

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maintaining eye contact automatically

creates intensity.

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Oh, not necessarily

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real humanity.

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Human beings don't stare continuously.

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Sometimes they look away,

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sometimes they search for words,

sometimes they remember something,

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sometimes they avoid another person's

eyes.

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Altogether,

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those behaviors aren't mistakes.

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They're information

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where someone looks often tells us what

they're thinking.

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That's why I.

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Behavior is so very interesting.

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I think not because it's choreographed,

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because it's motivated.

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So I'd like you to try a little

experiment.

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I want you to think about someone that

you love very deeply.

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Ok?

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Someone you love very deeply,

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you have it.

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Now I don't say anything.

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Just think.

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Notice what happened.

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Now think about someone who

disappointed you

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again.

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Don't perform simply.

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Remember,

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do your eyes change?

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Do you consciously move them?

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Probably not.

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Your thoughts change your eyes followed.

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That's exactly how human beings work.

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And that's exactly what film acting

asks us

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to trust.

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Now, one of the most common notes I

give actors is surprisingly simple.

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Stop trying to look interesting.

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Now I know that sounds kind of strange,

but the moment we begin trying to

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manufacture an interesting face, we've

stopped paying attention to the other person.

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We've become self conscious.

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The camera immediately notices that the

audience has noticed that too.

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Maybe not consciously.

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They feel it

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because we've shifted our attention

away from the moment

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and back onto ourselves.

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Trust.

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Disappears.

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The instant self consciousness becomes

the scene.

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Partner.

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Okay.

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Somebody write that down that was

really good.

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Let's continue.

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Perhaps film acting has never been

about expressive eyes.

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Really.

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Perhaps it's always been about

expressive thinking.

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And once that thinking becomes honest,

eyes quietly do what they've always done,

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they tell the truth.

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There's something else I'd like you to

consider.

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The eyes don't just reveal emotion,

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they reveal attention.

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And attention is one of the most

overlooked skills in acting.

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I want you to think about two people

having a conversation.

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One person is speaking, the other is

listening,

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at least

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that's what it looks like.

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But are they really listening,

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or are they simply waiting for their

turn to talk?

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There's a tremendous difference.

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I've seen it all the time.

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And we've all had that experience of

speaking with someone and realizing

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half way through the conversation,

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they aren't really with us.

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Their eyes may be looking at us, but

their attention is somewhere else.

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They're rehearsing their response,

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thinking about themselves,

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planning what they'll say next.

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We've all felt that, and we've all

recognized it instantly, right?

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You see, the camera recognizes it too.

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Attention

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has a look,

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so does distraction.

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I've often said something in class that

surprises, actors.

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Listening is visible,

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not because your face changes,

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because your thinking changes.

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Real listening is active.

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You're receiving, comparing,

questioning, agreeing, disagreeing,

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wondering, remembering,

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actually just processing.

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All of that happens before you speak.

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These silent moments are often the most

compelling moments in the scene.

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One of my favorite close ups in film.

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Isn't someone delivering a brilliant

speech?

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It's someone hearing something that

changes them?

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Think about your favorite films.

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Some of the greatest performances

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contain very few words.

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Yet you can't stop watching.

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Why?

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Because thought is unfolding

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right in front of you.

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The camera loves discovery.

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It loves uncertainty.

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It loves the moment

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before someone knows what to do.

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That's real life.

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And audiences recognize it immediately.

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Now I need to talk about something very

practical.

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One of the exercises I teach often

surprises actors.

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It sounds almost too simple.

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I ask them to move only their eyes,

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up,

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down, left, right,

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upright,

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center,

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up left, center,

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all without moving the head.

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That's interesting, very simple,

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but it feels awkward.

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It feels almost just too mechanical.

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But something fascinating begins to

happen.

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Actors discover their eyes have been

riding along with their heads for

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years.

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They never develop independence.

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00:12:48,568 --> 00:12:51,671

The eyes being separate from where your

head is,

268

00:12:52,505 --> 00:12:54,974

suddenly their visual awareness expands.

269

00:12:56,9 --> 00:12:59,45

Their eyes become more responsive, more

available,

270

00:12:59,546 --> 00:13:00,46

more curious.

271

00:13:00,513 --> 00:13:01,548

Not because they're acting differently,

272

00:13:02,816 --> 00:13:03,550

because they're observing

273

00:13:04,584 --> 00:13:05,285

differently.

274

00:13:06,586 --> 00:13:08,655

The exercise isn't really about eye

muscles.

275

00:13:08,988 --> 00:13:10,724

Honestly, it's about awareness.

276

00:13:11,624 --> 00:13:13,927

The more independent your eyes become,

277

00:13:14,494 --> 00:13:17,797

the more freedom you have to receive

information

278

00:13:19,65 --> 00:13:19,666

naturally.

279

00:13:21,67 --> 00:13:23,370

And freedom always photographs

280

00:13:23,703 --> 00:13:24,804

better than control.

281

00:13:26,740 --> 00:13:28,441

I've also noticed something else.

282

00:13:28,675 --> 00:13:32,312

Actors sometimes move their heads only

when their thoughts

283

00:13:32,512 --> 00:13:33,446

have changed.

284

00:13:35,215 --> 00:13:36,16

It's kind of weird.

285

00:13:36,182 --> 00:13:36,950

If you think about it,

286

00:13:37,951 --> 00:13:41,921

a thought doesn't always require a

physical adjustment.

287

00:13:42,756 --> 00:13:45,291

Sometimes the smallest shift is enough.

288

00:13:46,426 --> 00:13:47,394

Film acting lives.

289

00:13:47,627 --> 00:13:49,763

In those tiny adjustments,

290

00:13:50,597 --> 00:13:53,867

the camera doesn't need you to

underline every thought.

291

00:13:54,334 --> 00:13:56,636

It simply needs access to it.

292

00:13:58,104 --> 00:14:02,575

Now I want to address one of the

strangest pieces of acting advice I've

293

00:14:02,742 --> 00:14:04,310

heard in recent years.

294

00:14:05,779 --> 00:14:08,148

Apparently some actors are being taught

295

00:14:09,215 --> 00:14:10,83

not to blink.

296

00:14:12,252 --> 00:14:13,119

I'm serious.

297

00:14:13,620 --> 00:14:19,192

The idea is, if you don't blink, you'll

stay connected, you'll appear more intense,

298

00:14:20,593 --> 00:14:21,928

you'll never lose focus.

299

00:14:23,697 --> 00:14:26,566

I would like to respectfully disagree.

300

00:14:27,467 --> 00:14:29,2

Actually, I'd like to strongly

disagree.

301

00:14:29,469 --> 00:14:31,37

Human beings blink.

302

00:14:31,471 --> 00:14:33,139

We blink when we think.

303

00:14:33,373 --> 00:14:34,741

We blink when we listen.

304

00:14:35,308 --> 00:14:37,444

We blink when we're frightened.

305

00:14:37,877 --> 00:14:40,146

We blink when we're tired.

306

00:14:40,914 --> 00:14:41,614

The blink

307

00:14:42,349 --> 00:14:43,216

is there

308

00:14:43,616 --> 00:14:44,784

because we're human

309

00:14:46,353 --> 00:14:47,187

here's the problem.

310

00:14:47,854 --> 00:14:50,390

The moment an actor starts thinking

don't blink,

311

00:14:51,291 --> 00:14:52,625

they're no longer acting.

312

00:14:53,226 --> 00:14:55,829

They're managing a biological function.

313

00:14:56,429 --> 00:14:59,199

They're paying attention to the wrong

thing.

314

00:15:00,433 --> 00:15:05,271

Their concentration has shifted, not

toward the other person, not toward the story,

315

00:15:06,39 --> 00:15:07,374

toward themselves.

316

00:15:08,908 --> 00:15:10,543

We've already talked about that

317

00:15:11,211 --> 00:15:15,215

self consciousness is the enemy of

truthful behavior.

318

00:15:17,450 --> 00:15:18,885

Trying not to blink

319

00:15:19,786 --> 00:15:22,555

is one more way of becoming self

conscious.

320

00:15:23,556 --> 00:15:27,394

Ironically, the actor who appears not

to blink during an intense scene, they

321

00:15:27,394 --> 00:15:28,762

aren't trying to not blink.

322

00:15:29,462 --> 00:15:31,664

They're simply so engaged,

323

00:15:32,265 --> 00:15:33,833

what they're experiencing,

324

00:15:34,434 --> 00:15:37,237

that blinking naturally just becomes

less frequent.

325

00:15:37,637 --> 00:15:40,440

It's a natural extension of what's

taking place.

326

00:15:41,74 --> 00:15:42,409

Now that's very different,

327

00:15:43,376 --> 00:15:46,79

but teaching someone to never blink

328

00:15:48,281 --> 00:15:48,448

listen.

329

00:15:48,648 --> 00:15:50,417

One is the result, the other is the

technique.

330

00:15:51,151 --> 00:15:54,554

Never confuse the result with the cause

331

00:15:56,256 --> 00:15:57,57

here's another misunderstanding.

332

00:15:57,691 --> 00:15:58,892

And I'd like to clear up,

333

00:15:59,826 --> 00:16:00,493

stillness

334

00:16:02,195 --> 00:16:03,363

is not staring

335

00:16:04,330 --> 00:16:07,200

those two things are worlds apart.

336

00:16:08,34 --> 00:16:09,436

Stillness is alive,

337

00:16:10,36 --> 00:16:11,838

thoughtful, responsive.

338

00:16:12,972 --> 00:16:13,773

Staring

339

00:16:14,274 --> 00:16:15,208

is frozen.

340

00:16:16,176 --> 00:16:17,944

Nothing is changing, nothing is

arriving.

341

00:16:18,278 --> 00:16:19,245

Nothing is being processed.

342

00:16:19,946 --> 00:16:21,481

The camera knows the difference.

343

00:16:21,848 --> 00:16:22,716

Immediately.

344

00:16:23,149 --> 00:16:24,784

Stillness contains movement,

345

00:16:25,318 --> 00:16:27,987

not physical movement, mental movement

346

00:16:28,755 --> 00:16:29,923

that's what we're watching.

347

00:16:31,558 --> 00:16:32,826

Now I'd like to give you another

exercise.

348

00:16:33,393 --> 00:16:34,661

This one is incredibly revealing.

349

00:16:35,862 --> 00:16:37,597

Watch one of your favorite films

350

00:16:38,198 --> 00:16:39,833

with the sound turned off.

351

00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:41,601

No dialogue,

352

00:16:42,102 --> 00:16:43,503

no music, no sound effects.

353

00:16:44,738 --> 00:16:46,72

Just watch the close ups.

354

00:16:47,140 --> 00:16:48,8

Ask yourself,

355

00:16:48,575 --> 00:16:50,543

when did they understand something?

356

00:16:51,378 --> 00:16:53,747

When did they change their mind?

357

00:16:54,581 --> 00:16:56,316

When did hope appear?

358

00:16:57,384 --> 00:16:59,352

When did disappointment arrive?

359

00:17:00,186 --> 00:17:02,889

You'll begin to notice something

remarkable.

360

00:17:03,289 --> 00:17:08,161

You can often follow the entire story

without hearing a single word.

361

00:17:09,396 --> 00:17:11,831

That's the power of truthful thinking.

362

00:17:13,533 --> 00:17:16,636

Now here's another exercise I'd

encourage you to try

363

00:17:17,237 --> 00:17:18,738

record yourself in a close up.

364

00:17:19,72 --> 00:17:22,108

Don't perform, don't memorize, don't

create emotion.

365

00:17:22,509 --> 00:17:24,744

Simply read a page from a novel.

366

00:17:25,378 --> 00:17:26,246

Silently

367

00:17:27,213 --> 00:17:28,948

allow yourself to imagine it,

368

00:17:29,616 --> 00:17:31,184

think it, picture it,

369

00:17:31,985 --> 00:17:32,485

then

370

00:17:33,219 --> 00:17:34,354

watch the recording on.

371

00:17:34,421 --> 00:17:35,55

Play back.

372

00:17:36,256 --> 00:17:37,557

Yeah, you may be surprised.

373

00:17:38,91 --> 00:17:41,628

You may discover there's far more

happening than you realize,

374

00:17:42,896 --> 00:17:43,363

or

375

00:17:43,930 --> 00:17:44,631

far less.

376

00:17:45,932 --> 00:17:49,602

Either way, you've learned something

valuable.

377

00:17:50,670 --> 00:17:53,440

The camera is an extraordinary teacher.

378

00:17:54,107 --> 00:17:56,643

If we're willing to watch ourselves

honestly,

379

00:17:57,377 --> 00:17:58,878

that's what's extraordinary.

380

00:18:01,314 --> 00:18:03,383

So here's another thought I'd like to

share with you.

381

00:18:03,450 --> 00:18:07,520

The audience isn't watching whether

your eyes move correctly.

382

00:18:08,21 --> 00:18:08,421

They're not.

383

00:18:08,655 --> 00:18:11,191

They're watching whether your thoughts

are alive.

384

00:18:11,958 --> 00:18:15,528

Everything else is simply a reflection

of that truth.

385

00:18:16,663 --> 00:18:18,398

We're going to have more right after

this.

386

00:18:20,500 --> 00:18:21,267

Welcome back,

387

00:18:21,701 --> 00:18:24,904

talking about the eyes, the Windows to

the soul.

388

00:18:25,138 --> 00:18:29,142

And there's one more idea I'd like to

explore with you before we finish to

389

00:18:29,142 --> 00:18:29,309

day.

390

00:18:29,876 --> 00:18:33,446

We've all heard people describe certain

actors the same way

391

00:18:34,114 --> 00:18:35,515

they have beautiful eyes.

392

00:18:36,516 --> 00:18:37,283

Have you heard that?

393

00:18:37,784 --> 00:18:38,585

What maybe they do?

394

00:18:38,918 --> 00:18:40,487

Maybe someone said that about you.

395

00:18:41,621 --> 00:18:45,558

And some people are naturally blessed

with those striking features.

396

00:18:46,259 --> 00:18:47,27

Bright eyes,

397

00:18:47,861 --> 00:18:48,628

dark eyes,

398

00:18:49,629 --> 00:18:51,531

kind eyes, intense eyes.

399

00:18:52,265 --> 00:18:54,234

I've often told actors,

400

00:18:54,601 --> 00:18:58,571

when they have that physical attribute,

that they should thank their parents,

401

00:18:59,939 --> 00:19:02,709

because, honestly there's nothing wrong

with noticing beauty.

402

00:19:03,610 --> 00:19:07,147

But I have to say, I've also watched

performances where someone had

403

00:19:07,614 --> 00:19:11,51

extraordinary eyes, and yet I wasn't

moved

404

00:19:11,518 --> 00:19:12,152

why.

405

00:19:12,819 --> 00:19:14,921

Because beautiful eyes don't

automatically

406

00:19:16,89 --> 00:19:18,91

reveal beautiful thinking.

407

00:19:18,658 --> 00:19:20,794

The audience isn't responding to

408

00:19:21,161 --> 00:19:23,663

color or shape or eyelashes.

409

00:19:24,831 --> 00:19:26,566

They're responding to life.

410

00:19:27,300 --> 00:19:28,501

They're responding to curiosity.

411

00:19:29,636 --> 00:19:31,371

They're responding to intelligence.

412

00:19:32,439 --> 00:19:35,842

They're responding to a human being,

thinking,

413

00:19:36,509 --> 00:19:38,745

changing, discovering, moment by

moment.

414

00:19:39,546 --> 00:19:41,81

That's what makes eyes unforgettable,

415

00:19:42,182 --> 00:19:43,350

not their appearance.

416

00:19:44,184 --> 00:19:45,118

They're honesty.

417

00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:49,155

Now, I've learned something over the

years that still fascinates me, in some

418

00:19:49,155 --> 00:19:53,126

of the greatest close ups in film

history, aren't emotional Scenes

419

00:19:53,693 --> 00:19:54,27

at all.

420

00:19:54,427 --> 00:19:55,829

They're listening Scenes.

421

00:19:56,996 --> 00:19:57,931

Think about that.

422

00:19:58,498 --> 00:20:01,167

No speeches, no tears, no dramatic

gestures.

423

00:20:01,701 --> 00:20:03,670

Someone is simply listening,

424

00:20:04,4 --> 00:20:05,105

receiving,

425

00:20:05,305 --> 00:20:09,376

trying to understand, trying to decide,

trying to forgive, trying to believe,

426

00:20:09,876 --> 00:20:10,877

trying to hide

427

00:20:11,511 --> 00:20:12,312

something.

428

00:20:13,213 --> 00:20:14,414

Those moments can be mesmerizing.

429

00:20:16,116 --> 00:20:18,84

Because listening is never passive.

430

00:20:18,818 --> 00:20:19,619

Listening is active.

431

00:20:19,953 --> 00:20:21,454

Listening changes us.

432

00:20:22,422 --> 00:20:25,291

Every sentence another person speaks

433

00:20:26,92 --> 00:20:28,495

creates a new thought for you.

434

00:20:29,129 --> 00:20:31,664

Every new thought creates a new behavior

435

00:20:32,198 --> 00:20:32,799

for you.

436

00:20:33,466 --> 00:20:35,535

That's why listening actors

437

00:20:36,269 --> 00:20:38,38

are the most interesting actors.

438

00:20:38,338 --> 00:20:39,205

I have to say,

439

00:20:40,907 --> 00:20:42,842

let me talk about a casting room

observation.

440

00:20:43,543 --> 00:20:46,913

One of the very first things I noticed

during an audition, isn't whether an

441

00:20:46,913 --> 00:20:48,481

actor has expressive eyes,

442

00:20:49,382 --> 00:20:51,718

it's if I believe they've actually

received

443

00:20:52,752 --> 00:20:55,188

what the other character just said,

444

00:20:56,823 --> 00:20:57,223

did it?

445

00:20:57,223 --> 00:20:57,757

Land

446

00:20:58,658 --> 00:20:59,526

didn't matter.

447

00:21:00,427 --> 00:21:01,761

Did it change them?

448

00:21:02,896 --> 00:21:05,432

Sometimes the most truthful acting

happens

449

00:21:05,865 --> 00:21:06,733

between the lines.

450

00:21:07,467 --> 00:21:10,403

The audience doesn't need another

expression.

451

00:21:11,871 --> 00:21:13,440

No, they need another thought.

452

00:21:15,141 --> 00:21:17,77

Now there's a wonderful saying in

acting.

453

00:21:17,877 --> 00:21:18,912

I really love this.

454

00:21:19,145 --> 00:21:21,281

Don't play the result.

455

00:21:21,948 --> 00:21:24,150

Now, I would like to borrow that idea,

456

00:21:24,984 --> 00:21:26,419

don't play your eyes.

457

00:21:26,820 --> 00:21:27,987

Play the thought.

458

00:21:28,488 --> 00:21:30,890

Your eyes already know what to do.

459

00:21:32,192 --> 00:21:36,496

I think actors occasionally become

fascinated with controlling themselves.

460

00:21:37,464 --> 00:21:40,633

You know, the control thing is very,

very important.

461

00:21:41,67 --> 00:21:45,472

Controlling your breathing, control

your gestures, control your blinking,

462

00:21:45,872 --> 00:21:48,641

control your eyes, control your voice.

463

00:21:49,609 --> 00:21:50,110

Listen eventually.

464

00:21:51,144 --> 00:21:52,946

You're controlling so much

465

00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,316

there isn't much room left for living.

466

00:21:58,351 --> 00:22:00,520

I've never believed acting was about

control.

467

00:22:01,321 --> 00:22:04,491

I think it's always about preparation,

followed by permission,

468

00:22:05,291 --> 00:22:09,162

permission to receive, permission to

imagine, permission to listen,

469

00:22:09,629 --> 00:22:11,664

permission to be surprised,

470

00:22:12,665 --> 00:22:13,933

permission to change.

471

00:22:15,135 --> 00:22:19,673

When those things happen, the camera

records something wonderful,

472

00:22:20,740 --> 00:22:22,75

a human being.

473

00:22:23,376 --> 00:22:26,546

Now let me offer a practical challenge

for this week.

474

00:22:26,980 --> 00:22:28,815

I want you to watch three Scenes

475

00:22:29,449 --> 00:22:30,684

from three different films.

476

00:22:31,51 --> 00:22:34,187

Turn the sound off, choose actors you

admire.

477

00:22:34,587 --> 00:22:36,823

Don't ask, what are they doing with

their eyes.

478

00:22:37,157 --> 00:22:39,25

Ask, what are they thinking?

479

00:22:39,459 --> 00:22:43,530

Watch carefully, see if you can

identify the exact moment their understanding

480

00:22:44,831 --> 00:22:45,432

changes.

481

00:22:46,499 --> 00:22:49,602

The exact moment they decide something.

482

00:22:50,737 --> 00:22:54,708

The exact moment, hope disappears or

returns.

483

00:22:55,308 --> 00:22:57,744

You'll begin noticing that thought was

rhythm.

484

00:22:58,511 --> 00:22:59,479

Thought has direction.

485

00:23:00,180 --> 00:23:00,914

Thought has weight.

486

00:23:01,81 --> 00:23:02,82

And remarkably,

487

00:23:02,515 --> 00:23:03,850

you can often see

488

00:23:04,184 --> 00:23:07,187

all of it without hearing a single word.

489

00:23:08,355 --> 00:23:09,456

Isn't that interesting?

490

00:23:10,490 --> 00:23:11,624

So let me give you another challenge.

491

00:23:11,958 --> 00:23:13,460

Ask a friend to read with you.

492

00:23:13,693 --> 00:23:14,661

Don't worry about the performance.

493

00:23:15,128 --> 00:23:16,29

Don't worry about emotion.

494

00:23:16,730 --> 00:23:19,32

Don't even worry about memorization.

495

00:23:19,466 --> 00:23:20,467

Simply listen.

496

00:23:22,102 --> 00:23:23,503

Make one commitment.

497

00:23:24,270 --> 00:23:26,573

Every line your partner speaks

498

00:23:27,307 --> 00:23:27,774

must genuinely

499

00:23:28,808 --> 00:23:30,877

affect your next thought.

500

00:23:32,12 --> 00:23:33,279

Nothing more, nothing less.

501

00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,149

And you'll discover something

fascinating.

502

00:23:36,983 --> 00:23:39,986

Your performance begins becoming less

predictable

503

00:23:40,987 --> 00:23:43,356

because your partner is changing you,

504

00:23:44,90 --> 00:23:45,925

just as people do in real life.

505

00:23:47,293 --> 00:23:50,196

And there's another misconception I'd

like to leave behind to day.

506

00:23:50,330 --> 00:23:53,433

Actors often ask, how do I become more

cinematic?

507

00:23:54,501 --> 00:23:56,169

And I think that's an interesting

question.

508

00:23:57,470 --> 00:23:59,639

I don't think the answer is smaller

acting.

509

00:24:01,307 --> 00:24:04,477

I think the answer is clearer thinking.

510

00:24:05,211 --> 00:24:07,881

Because the camera doesn't magnify

performance.

511

00:24:08,581 --> 00:24:09,716

It magnifies truth.

512

00:24:10,16 --> 00:24:13,453

And truth begins long before emotion

appears.

513

00:24:14,521 --> 00:24:16,790

Truth begins with attention.

514

00:24:18,91 --> 00:24:19,793

So here's your reset this week?

515

00:24:19,859 --> 00:24:23,196

Stop asking yourself, what are my eyes

doing?

516

00:24:23,630 --> 00:24:26,66

Instead, ask, what am I thinking?

517

00:24:26,499 --> 00:24:27,667

What have I just learned?

518

00:24:28,101 --> 00:24:29,269

What surprised me?

519

00:24:29,936 --> 00:24:31,671

What do I want now?

520

00:24:32,339 --> 00:24:33,907

What just changed?

521

00:24:34,507 --> 00:24:39,212

If those questions are alive, your eyes

will already be telling me the story.

522

00:24:39,779 --> 00:24:40,814

Without your help.

523

00:24:42,15 --> 00:24:44,17

I'd like to leave you with one final

thought.

524

00:24:44,417 --> 00:24:45,618

The camera has no imagination.

525

00:24:46,820 --> 00:24:49,589

It doesn't invent, it doesn't assume,

it doesn't

526

00:24:51,291 --> 00:24:52,25

do any of those.

527

00:24:52,92 --> 00:24:54,561

It simply records what's there.

528

00:24:55,628 --> 00:24:57,630

That's why film acting feels so

personal.

529

00:24:58,264 --> 00:25:00,633

The camera quietly asks one question,

530

00:25:01,301 --> 00:25:02,402

are you really here?

531

00:25:03,670 --> 00:25:04,304

Not?

532

00:25:05,238 --> 00:25:06,239

Are you emotional?

533

00:25:07,73 --> 00:25:07,240

Not?

534

00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:08,808

Are you interesting?

535

00:25:09,609 --> 00:25:10,410

Simply,

536

00:25:11,77 --> 00:25:12,145

are you present?

537

00:25:13,213 --> 00:25:14,180

When the answer is yes.

538

00:25:14,347 --> 00:25:17,450

The audience feels it every single time.

539

00:25:18,985 --> 00:25:22,889

So the next time someone tells you,

film acting is all about the eyes.

540

00:25:23,223 --> 00:25:24,758

I hope you're going to quietly smile.

541

00:25:25,58 --> 00:25:27,694

Because now you know something more

important.

542

00:25:28,428 --> 00:25:31,364

The eyes have never been the star of

the performance.

543

00:25:31,865 --> 00:25:33,933

They've simply been the window.

544

00:25:34,834 --> 00:25:37,103

The real performance has always been

happening

545

00:25:37,771 --> 00:25:39,39

just behind them.

546

00:25:41,641 --> 00:25:43,543

Thank you so much for this time.

547

00:25:43,710 --> 00:25:44,844

Spent with me to day.

548

00:25:45,378 --> 00:25:49,149

If your episode helped you think

differently about film acting, I would

549

00:25:49,215 --> 00:25:51,851

love for you to share it with another

actor,

550

00:25:52,652 --> 00:25:58,224

because I have a feeling many actors

have spent years worrying about their eyes

551

00:25:58,591 --> 00:26:01,594

when they should have been trusting

their thoughts.

552

00:26:02,328 --> 00:26:03,296

I'm Jeff dries back.

553

00:26:03,463 --> 00:26:04,431

Thank you for listening to casting.

554

00:26:04,664 --> 00:26:06,666

Actors cast until next time.

555

00:26:06,833 --> 00:26:07,834

Stay curious.

556

00:26:08,268 --> 00:26:08,902

Trust your preparation.

557

00:26:09,936 --> 00:26:11,204

Listen deeply,

558

00:26:11,471 --> 00:26:14,741

think truthfully and keep telling

stories that matter.

559

00:26:14,974 --> 00:26:17,610

Because the camera isn't waiting for

expressive eyes,

560

00:26:18,278 --> 00:26:19,45

it's waiting

561

00:26:19,612 --> 00:26:20,347

for an expressive

562

00:26:21,381 --> 00:26:22,82

mind.

563

00:26:23,149 --> 00:26:23,316

Ok?

564

00:26:23,450 --> 00:26:24,250

Somebody made that down?

565

00:26:24,250 --> 00:26:25,85

That was really good.

566

00:26:25,385 --> 00:26:26,386

Have a great day.