Read Acting in Film for Free Online Page A

usually a big 6'2" blond guy whose face is the same height from the floor as mine to ensure that when I get back on the set my face won't be in the dark. Stand-ins will sometimes get you a cup of coffee; my stand-in is a particular friend of mine. But stand-ins can on occasion send you rushing out to look at yourself in the mirror. I've been in movies now for close to twentyseven years, and when I first started, they'd say, "This is your stand-in," and there'd be this great-looking young guy standing there. Eventually, one morning you come in and they say, "This is your stand-in," and there's this old fellow standing there with a bald head, wearing a wig.
    In America, I've even had a woman stand-in. Now, in the States in particular, you get a lot of women in the cinema. The days of all-male crews are over. When I worked with Alan Alda, who's a great feminist, it was the first time I'd worked with a female first assistant director. I did a double take when I worked on a picture in Los Angeles and there was an electrician who looked just like Julie Christie. It was really strange to see this beautiful girl walking by, carrying a lamp, with great big muscles in her arms. Needless to say, she did a marvelous job.

    The last event before you shoot is a final makeup and hair check. This is the part that the assistant director always tries to rush along because if people are selfindulgent, this can take up a lot of time. But, remember, it is your face up there on that screen, so be firm if you think you need attention. A good makeup artist will always be keeping a sharp eye on you anyway because, after all, it's their reputation up there as well.
RELAX AND BE NERVOUS
    At this point, if you haven't prepared properly, your nerves may threaten to swamp you. But because you've reduced your fear of the unknown by preparing as much as possible, you should be left with a healthy amount of nervous energy-useful energy that can be channeled into performance. One way of releasing that nervous energy productively is to experiment with various relaxation and focusing exercises.
    Here's a little number I do before a long take: take a slow deep breath in, then bend over and let your arms dangle, really relaxed. Straighten up slowly, breathing out gently and evenly. This exercise relaxes you, helps concentration and gives you control. If you are going to be shooting a scene where you need extra tuning up, just inhale and exhale quickly for a short time-it gets the oxygen to the brain. You feel and look like an absolute twit, panting away, but you find you get a rush to your head, your eyes begin to sparkle a bit, and you're ready to play an energetic scene, mental or physical. Just be careful not to overdo the panting or you will hyperventilate and pass out.

    Usually I play the character who terrifies other people, so in Sleuth, it was rather an unfamiliar experience when my character thought he was going to be killed and was abjectly terrified himself. Instead of dealing with my natural nervousness about the scene, I purposely let my nerves take over. I was surprised at the extent of them. It was relatively simple to become a gibbering wreck. Larry Olivier knew immediately what was happening with me and played up to it, so on that occasion my fears helped me out. But the way I figure it, generally I need all the help I can get to calm down.
    In film, you make your actions and reactions realities whenever you can. If you're supposed to be breathless from running, get breathless from running. On stage, technique can often fool an audience: you can act as though you are breathless from having run ten laps, you can drop a coffee cup and the audience will believe you are anxious. But in film, you cannot fool the camera with technique. If I've got a long sequence in which I'm supposed to be nervous, I avoid my relaxation ploys and go and drink a cup of coffee, which strings the nerves along. Drink two cups, and your hand will start to shake; five or