As we edge closer to awards season, something interesting comes to mind.
Have you ever noticed how the best actors and actresses make what they do seem effortless? Like professional athletes, musicians or anyone else who’s gifted in a particular way, the ease with which they go about their business can fool the untrained observer into thinking what they do is easy and that they can achieve that level of competency, too. As one who has on countless occasions witnessed amazing performances from just a few feet away, I assure you – it is not…and they cannot.
Part of what separates the great ones from the rest is their supernatural ability to let go, to forget about being perfect and allow the moment to unfold. Though they’re undoubtedly well-prepared, rather than white-knuckling the job, they roll with it, and the work comes off as convincing. Even if their insides are a roiling cauldron of nerves or insecurity, they find a way to “live” what they’re doing. With so many distractions lurking on the quietest of sets, I marvel at how the top performers tune them out and deliver at will through multiple takes. It’s a magnificent gift and I greatly admire those who share it with us.
I first became aware of this trait while shooting episodic television. Time after time, I’ve watched day players – invariably, people I’ve never seen before nor since – knock their small roles out of the park. While this reminds us of how much unrecognized talent there is in the world, it also emphasizes just how special the true stars are. Even as many of them play a version of themselves, there’s no denying they have access to an uncommon resource. When that’s added to their mysterious relationship with the camera, subtleties that often go unseen during a take reach full flower in dailies. There’s no way to legislate, acquire or learn how to do this. It’s inborn, inexplicable…and magical.
I’m not quite sure how any of this might apply to cinematography save for a thin parallel in the way we apply our taste. But we should be thankful such a form of charisma exists. Without it – and despite all our efforts to create memorable imagery – motion pictures would never have captured the public’s imagination in the way they have for so long.
It’s a truth that most people outside of our industry will never understand. As a director, and a professional actor (which makes me a much better director!) the work that goes into creating stillness on camera, the focus that goes into building their world of of privacy in front of dozens or hundreds of people watching, the pressure of getting your take as everyone waits for you, line perfect, while living as someone else’s world, saying someone else’s words, making them your own, is unfathomable. It’s ephemeral. It’s genius. And it takes years and years and years of work. Even if you have a good turn your first time as an untutored newbie, you will find that the foundation of the work is time, wisdom, listening, and hard work. I’ve seen actors have success without study, but unfailingly they have nothing to fall back on when they can’t “get there” the next time. BOY is it a craft, and art, a skill. Thanks for your post.
I think what you say is true in general for a good living lifestyle. There are few things always marveled me and I try to follow them because they make life easier. I usually look at the two most underrated living beings on the planet that I think figured out the best way to live: dogs and babies. Both of them have traits in common that allow you to let go and don’t seek the perfection. Both of them don’t care about their image. Both of them are curious. Both of them are openminded and friendly. Both of them are constantly in awe. Both of them can be the happiest by simply existing. I admire the way they think and behave because the more we grow up, the more intrusive thoughts cloud or well-being: we start becoming more self-aware, while we should just let go. I’m deaf and I started wearing hearing aids when I was 6 years old and I was constantly ashamed and barely using them. The moment I let go and wear them, I discovered new things. Self-doubts also are terrible obstacles we put ourselves to make our lives difficult. Dogs and babies don’t have doubts per se; they might be unsure, but curiosity always get the upper hand. They also adjust themselves to the environment; instead of forcing a solution that doesn’t exist or giving up because too firm in their believes, dogs and babies adapt to the surroundings. It might sound stupid, but since I started following the dogs and babies rules, I felt less worried, more free and live the moments, whether I like them or not. Perfection doesn’t exist and doesn’t need to exist because the moment you establish perfection, you lost room for improvement.
I’m always amazed with the acting during the Golden Age of Cinema.
I’m always impressed with actors such as Peter Lorre, Humphrey Bogart,
Katharine Hepburn, and others who brought such a high level of acting to the screen. They were so believable in their roles with such great mastery.
I never get tired of watching Key Largo because the acting is so real and
intense. Each time I watch it I notice another detail unseen before.
Can you imagine being a cinematographer on the set, up close with
Humphrey Bogart, Lionel Barrymore, Lauren Bacall, and Edward G. Robinson? Just that one movie would have generated a lifetime of
stories and memories.