Acting for the Camera

Book excerpt: Learn how to adapt the craft of acting to the needs of the camera and how to make it in TV & film with this guide full of insights from pros in the field. Culled from Tony Barr’s forty years of experience as a performer, director, and acting teacher in Hollywood, this highly praised handbook provides readers with the practical knowledge they need when performing in front of the camera. This updated edition includes plenty of new exercises for honing on-camera skills; additional chapters on imagination and movement; and fresh material on character development, monologues, visual focus, playing comedy, and working with directors. Inside tips on the studio system and acting guilds make it particularly helpful for people new to the business, and numerous anecdotes from actors such as Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins and examples from current movies illustrate its many lessons. It is perfect for acting classes, workshops, all actors who work in front of the camera—and all those who want to.