Focus on the Craft of Acting- Acting Coach in Los Angeles

June 17, 2012
by Kirk Baltz

What is at the heart of great acting? Talent is really only one piece of the puzzle. An effective acting coach can guide any actor into improving their skill set, by offering a strong combination of acting fundamentals and customized techniques. High quality private acting instruction is an investment that if well placed, can go a long way to furthering an actor\’s career. One of the jobs of an acting coach is to help an actor develop a full library of emotional responses and imaginary circumstances that can be accessed at a moment\’s notice. This will give the actor\’s performance an edge and spontaneity that will never come off as false to the camera or the audience.

A talented, experienced acting coach guides each actor into finding a technique, a way of working that is highly personal and successful. They will give an actor the tools they need to work on their skill set every day. For example, the Meisner technique can help an actor create a foundation based on the use of \”emotionally truthful\” imaginary circumstances. How the actor goes about developing that library of emotional responses, however, will be unique. For performances to be authentic the actor must find their own way of working, and they must work all the time.

Choices and commitment are additional skills every successful actor needs and private acting instruction will help the actor create and own an in-depth reservoir of imaginary circumstances, emotional responses and corresponding physical actions. This reservoir can be called upon at any moment, and in any given circumstance if the actor has learned to commit to their choices. The craft of acting is a process that cannot be developed in a vacuum. Unlike other fine arts, acting is all about presenting human behavior and telling us stories about ourselves. Only by working with others, by studying with others, can the actor be authentic.

The most effective acting coach helps each actor formulate a highly personal technique that they can work on every day. An actor must work constantly to find imaginary circumstances and build a library of \”emotionally truthful\” moments that they can draw from at will. A good private acting coach can help an actor take those imaginary circumstances and add layers upon layers of \”what if\’s.\” The more in-depth an actor\’s reservoir of these imagined responses and emotions the more ready they will be to provide the kind of excitement all director\’s are looking for. They can help an actor be prepared for each an every moment of performance, especially those involving other actors.

The investment in a private acting coach or an acting coach is only worthwhile if the instruction is vibrant and creative and helps you stretch your skill set. An acting coach that pushes you beyond your comfort level without terrorizing or demeaning the actor is worth every cent. This kind of training carries calls for a great deal of vulnerability but, the rewards will be work that any actor would be proud of. Before hiring an acting coach, do you homework-it will pay off in the long run and help you develop work you can be proud of.

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