From the course: Creating a Short Film: 04 Working with Actors

Unlock this course with a free trial

Join today to access over 22,400 courses taught by industry experts.

Directing nonactors

Directing nonactors

- Occasionally, you might work with actors that aren't actors at all. Maybe you have a celebrity that's making a cameo in your film, or if you've found a beautiful model that's trying something new, or maybe you're making a student film or a film with friends and so you don't really have any other choice. You could still get great performances out of non-actors with the right direction and a little creativity. Most of my directing experience is actually with non-actors. Kind of been intimidated by actors with experience so I made most of my movies with my kids or with models that I've known through my sister, who's a photographer. "The Assurance" was really my first experience dealing with trained and experienced actors. Now the most important thing to remember is that acting is really just creating genuine behavior. That is what audiences connect to. When we see someone faking it, we detach emotionally. So how can you get a believable genuine performance from a non-actor? The same…

Contents