I’m back in beautiful Los Angeles after an incredible month away. I had the great privilege of shooting two gigs out of town, a small horror movie in middle-of-nowhere North Carolina and a returning Fox series in New Mexico.
It was a lot of exciting firsts for me. First time being number one on the call sheet. First time having two productions work together so I could do both. And first time away from my family and the studio for more than a few days.
Now that I'm back, I want to share my Top 5 Takeaways From Set.
Communicating With Directors
This is something I’ve had to learn the hard way. Starting as a child actor, you think of Director’s as authority figures instead of collaborators. It creates an inherently fear-based relationship that requires approval. Creativity, vulnerability, and collaboration become impossible. And while many of you haven’t started out as child actors, I know many who walk onto sets feeling similarly.
My primary takeaway here is to consider and articulate the relationship you’d like so you can create it. Have that conversation with yourself before you get to set. Then think about how to achieve that when you first meet them.
The answer I found for myself was all about inviting collaboration. That means we BOTH have things to offer. That looked like seeking out the introduction rather than waiting, then sharing that I was excited about what I was bringing and couldn’t wait to hear their thoughts as well. Then I would share my thoughts on one scene / moment / element in the way I most prefer to talk about the work, which is in terms of story. Something like, “The story I’m thinking about for _____ is ______. But if there’s another story you’re excited about just let me know!”
While every director was different - I was dealing with one film director and three TV directors - they all resonated with the discussion and I felt like safe to be their co-worker.
Endurance Matters
I’ve always taken pride in giving everything to my work. I’ve admired DiCaprio and Gyllenhaal going so far in a take that they end up bleeding. I aimed to work like that.
But maybe… that’s crazy?
There’s a certain type of privilege in being able to go so far that you get hurt. It means your work is done on the set so who cares that you need stitches or that you have so many resources at your disposal that you’ll get you through fine.
But what if you don’t have those resources and you’re needed for the next month? Or six months? These productions need their ongoing cast to stay healthy and ready to deliver.
My body was a MESS when I got back. Dancing in cowboy boots that didn’t fit with no inserts screwed up my back. Slamming doors and windows in the movie, while emotionally truthful, busted my hands more than once. Yelling at the top of my lungs hurt my voice. Traveling through airports is the easiest way to get sick and poison the whole set.
So I learned as I went. A combination of leaning on technique to get the performance across without ruining what I had left, and a massive amount of self-care. And that ain’t cheap either. My godsends were a travel size foam roller and mini Theragun massager.
Someone yelled at Stevie Nicks for wearing a mask in public. She responded by asking “Do you know how many people lose their jobs if I’m sick?”
I think Stevie Nicks is onto something.
The Acting Department
I grew up doing theater where you rehearse for weeks before you put up the show. The whole beginning of the process is talking about story, character, beats, etc.
It always weirded me out that TV and Film didn’t have more rehearsal. Shouldn’t we be exploring with the director and writer? Shouldn’t we be sharing what we’ll actually do on the day that we’re spending gobs of money to shoot?
But, outside of a handful of projects, there is no rehearsal. And this is another element that can create fear, doubt, and creative shut down from an actor.
So why do they do it this way? Because it’s our job. (Notice the emphasis isn’t on job).
The audition process is for seeing what you would do with the job. Now that you’re hired, it’s time to do the job with the knowledge that they hired you for that exact reason.
Practically I like to think about it this way…
The Art Department is responsible for the look of the set. They conceive, execute, and fix problems bringing that set to life.
The Hair & Makeup Department is responsible for how people look. They conceive, execute, and fix problems to make people look right on camera.
The Writing Department handles the scripts. They conceive, execute, and fix problems to make the story work.
None of these include hand holding with the director. Instead they get feedback along the way and are expected to be the professionals who can make it happen.
And so it goes with actors. You are the Acting Department for your character. You conceive, execute, and fix problems to make your performance work.
All to say, we don’t have rehearsal because they don’t think they need to tell you how to do your job or inspect your work. That’s your job in the Acting Department.
Thank God for Acting Class
I’ve spent most of my life in acting classes. Most of the time I loved it, but there were significant period of angry doubt and frustration. Would it pay off? Was it even useful?
And from the core of my being, YES!
There’s no time on set to figure out your character or the scene. They either have a day’s worth of storyboards they need to shoot or need to see the scene ready-to-go so they can plan the setups.
Once you’re shooting, there’s a host of new things to remember and execute. Adjustments, continuity, hitting your mark, nailing eye lines, finding or not blocking light, resetting for technical elements and keeping the scene alive, etc.
And then, on top of all that, things change constantly. New pages of dialogue, sets/locations/props/costumes that are totally different than what was written, shooting schedule changes, and on and on.
With so little time and so much out of our control, our craft is the thing we have to be able to rely on. We need it efficient and reliable. We need to believe it will help us make all the choices that come our way.
We also need our craft to be tangible.
To me that means having real tools, practices, and/or methods to prepare your work fully, execute on the day, and troubleshoot the inevitable questions, doubts, and surprises. We need our craft to produce choices we believe in.
There are success stories of people who learned entirely on the job, and we learn every time we step on set (hence this two part newsletter). But I’m convinced that for every Russell Crowe or Jennifer Lawrence who never took class there are hundreds, if not thousands, of actors who couldn’t figure it out on the fly and may not have been able to fully maximize opportunities.
But forget hypotheticals, I can tell you first hand it’s helping me right now make story, scene, and character choices. It makes my work doable, it really helps my listening, and keeps me focused.
My Character Murder Board
You all know the idea of a Murder Board, right? A board pinned with pictures that are connected with string to reveal some grand theory or conspiracy. Think Homeland or Only Murders In The Building.
Or Ghosts, apparently!
A more fair comparison would be the board for a TV Writers Room. On their boards, every scene of an episode has its own notecard. It has information on the story, who’s in it, and any other information or idea they want to add.
It gives you a bit of control over the whole narrative and reminds you that every scene is a piece of a larger puzzle. They all need to connect and work together. It also helps you focus on one scene at a time.
I’ve always loved anything organization-related so I was always really jealous of writers for having this tidy tool that seems to grant a sense of control. I wondered if it would work for actors…
I decided to give it a try during my prep and production on The Doppelgänger, a psychological horror feature I shot last month. I was the lead of the film so I had a lot to scenes to prep for a fast shoot. Plus this story plays with repetition; I wanted to make sure I kept everything straight during shooting and interesting on screen. Enter the Character Murder Board.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s on my cards:
The headline at the top is Scene Number and the story of the scene in one sentence. This reminds me that every scene, no matter how long or short, is a story. I feel best when it’s simple, from my character’s POV, and includes my intention. Including the Scene Number helps with callsheets, DOODs, and working in tandem with your script.
The only other information on the front of the card is practical, not creative. For the movie it had the planned shoot day, what day/night it was in the story, and wardrobe/makeup notes.
The back of the card is for your creative work and personal notes.
Before Shooting: These are preparation notes. I’ll include my ideas on Want, Obstacles, Listening, Expectations, etc. I’ll jot down ideas or questions I want to ask on or before the day. Things to listen for. Etc.
After Shooting: I write down what happened. What I did what story we all told. What emotional colors I played with. Anything I want to remember about setting up the next scene, continuity, choices, etc.
Every night I’d write down what happened on that days cards and tape them back on the wall with a big X through it (wildly satisfying). Then I’d check the schedule, grab the next days cards, and be ready to prep quickly and efficiently. Whenever I wanted to go back for creative or continuity reasons, it was all there for me.
I hope you enjoyed these 5 Hot Takeaways From Set and can use them in your own work soon. There are so many more but I’ll save those for class in 2025.
Ready to join us for class? Book your consult here so we can find the best fit for you!
Comments