From the course: Working with Actors & Non-Actors in Video Production

Further resources

- Now that you've built the foundation of your working with actors and non-actors toolbox, there's more resources you can explore to learn more. Take an acting class. Knowing how actors are trained will help you tremendously with achieving results with your own actors. Look for classes or workshops in your area. Read a book. There are tons out there that can help you but I highly recommend Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television by acting and directing coach Judith Weston. Be sure and check out No Film School, a worldwide community of filmmakers, producers, and creatives for articles on all aspects of filmmaking and working with talent. Similarly, Indie Tips is also a great resource for independent filmmakers and those new to the business. Finally, look up SAGindie for more information on working with SAG-AFTRA talent in your productions. Hopefully, this course has been a guide to get the best performances possible in your productions, whether you're working with seasoned actors or someone who's never been on camera before. Remember, your job as a director or producer is above all else to build a great working relationship with your talent. People are the most complicated equipment on your set. Don't get so distracted by making the production that you forget that you don't have a film or video without who is in front of the camera. I'll leave you with a quote from an interview with famous actress Olivia de Havilland, who, when asked what director got the best performance from her, she answered "They didn't get the performances out of me. I gave the performances to them." Thanks for joining me.

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