Drama for TV & Film by Bethany Dadd https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f Level 5 Digital Diary en-us 2018-06-22 10:17:14 UTC 2025-10-05 14:31:29 UTC hello@padlet.com Screen Acting bethanyoliviadadd95 https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268212072 Tucker explains that on screen, the actor can be seen from a full length shot of their own body to a close up of their face. Since screen acting involves many different shots e.g Long shot, Medium shot, medium close up, big close up etc.. Actors must be prepared to adapt their performance from shot to shot. 
When members of the audience are watching a stage play, they have choices about where to look. They can look at the speaker, lighting and scenery etc. However, with on screen dramas, there is nothing to look at except the moment presented by the production team. Since the audience is getting everything from this one picture, it has to have a greater significance rather than a whole range of images to choose from (1994).]]> 2018-06-22 10:22:11 UTC https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268212072 Theatre Acting bethanyoliviadadd95 https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268215861 Cohen explains that theatre acting is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performance to present the experience of a real or imagined event in front of a live audience in a specific place. The actors perform this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance. Elements of design and stagecraft in a theatre/venue are used to enhance the physicality, presence and immediacy  of the experience (2012).]]> 2018-06-22 11:11:41 UTC https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268215861 Theatre vs Screen bethanyoliviadadd95 https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268215987 “Stage acting and film acting are fundamentally different. Both actors begin with the same, they create a character from the inside out and they bring the character to life within themselves. But the stage actor gathers up that creation and projects it into the audience. The film actor creates within and then invites the camera toward them to look inside. It’s the direct opposite way of working.”
(McKnee, 2017)
Patrick Green claims that the biggest difference between performing on stage and performing for the camera is the location of your audience. On stage, the audience can be 100 feet or more from the stage. Stage performers must act for the back row in order for the audience to see and hear the show. The result is a larger than life performance since the other actors are only a fraction of that distance from you (2013). Patrick Green continues to suggest that with screen acting, the camera can always see you and the microphone can always hear you, you only have to move and speak so the person or people in the scene can see and hear you in television and film acting. Reality is less enhanced when a camera and microphone become involved. It is sometimes better to do less than you would in real life because so many things are enhancing your performance. So the main responsibility of television and film actors is that they behave naturally. No exaggerated sound or movement is necessary (2013).

As publicized by Hishon, theatre acting is often considered to be more admired than film and TV acting. But, working on a movie and TV show is more profitable in than any other production. A stage actor may have to work on their craft for years before he or she can be the lead in a hit West End/Broadway play. But, acting on a TV show or film can launch your career overnight. Film and television shows can be broadcast repeatedly throughout the world, appearing in a film or TV show puts your face in front of millions of people on a daily basis for several years.  Besides increasing the chances of making more money, film and TV acting offers the chance to make more money than theatre acting. One hit movie can allow for an actor to make more money in one movie than a theatre actor’s entire career (2016). 

McPherson suggests that film and television acting occurs in segments and scenes. As a film or TV actor, you may spend an entire day shooting only a few scenes. On screen actors have many attempts to get something right. Even if the actor and director aren't sure how something needs to be done, they can shoot it a few different ways and decide later which is best (2003).  However, as a theatre actor, nothing can hide bad acting. Bernard argues that another big difference is the amount of responsibility theatre acting requires. For instance, as a theatre actor you must work night after night. However, the reaction actors get from the audience will let them know what works and what doesn’t, and they can tweak their performances accordingly.
 Film and TV actors must perform for a camera, they don’t have the opportunity to see what works for audiences and what doesn’t. For instance, if you are acting in a comedy, you don’t have any idea what is funny and what’s not until the film is released. Many sitcoms try to make this better by filming in front of a live studio audience. To compensate for the lack of an audience, film and TV actors often perform the same scene repetitively with several changes in acting, blocking or attitude. Then the director will choose the best scene to use (1993).]]> 2018-06-22 11:13:38 UTC https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268215987 Stage vs Screen Scripts. bethanyoliviadadd95 https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268234357 TV scripts are dialogue driven. You'll notice in a my example of a TV script(right), the dialogue greatly outweighs stage directions compared to the stage script. The formatting reflects this.]]> 2018-06-22 14:38:19 UTC https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268234357 Audition process - My expectations vs reality bethanyoliviadadd95 https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268236238 As an actor, having done my research I expected the audition process for TV and Film to be a lot more professional and organised than what it was. 
Garrison and Wang suggest that auditioning for a role in a movie, TV show, or play, your audition may require you to sit in a chair, walk around, or stand still, depending on the part of the script the casting director asks you to read from. Whenever you audition, expect the unexpected, and be ready to work with unusual situations at a moment’s notice (n.d.).
However, the groups experience was nothing of the sort. The process was very rushed and unorganised. The auditonees were told to stand in a line on the stage and read the part we were going for. I felt like we didn’t get the opportunity to show our full acting abilities.
Garrison and Wang continue to state that you may be asked to read the same script several times with the casting director giving you suggestions to be angrier, more forceful, softer etc (N.d.). In my opinion this direction is a good thing. You want the casting director’s attention because it means he (or she) is interested in you. Which is not the impression I gained from our student casting directors. I believe there was no interest in who they thought was best for the part as there was a lack of communication and very little dialogue between them and us. I felt that there was very little respect for our group and they didn’t take the experience as serious as we did. The whole episode was very sloppy.  
It didn't seem to phase the casting directors that a lot of auditionees were not off script. As a performer, I think turning up to an audition having not learnt any of the material is unprofessional and careless. I auditioned for the part of 'Chris' in 'Dangerous effections' but instead I was given the role as the nurse. I was a little disheartened and frustrated as I had taken time and effort to learn my lines and made sure I was off script for the duration of my audition, when instead I could of saved my time and had my script all along. I felt like it was a lack of unprofessionalism from our group too with the majority not learnt their material. Although I was disappointed I didn’t get my desired part, I was still happy and willing to play the nurse to the best of my ability.
]]> 2018-06-22 14:57:39 UTC https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268236238 Table Read bethanyoliviadadd95 https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268288806 We later had a table read with all scripts involved and actors for the parts, which was a very long and dragged out process trying to arrange a table read that everyone could attend to. In my opinion it should of been organised sooner than it was as it was very close to the filming date, leaving us with very little time to rehearse. Unfortunately the table read didn’t go as smoothly either. Very few actors turned up so other actors had to fill in for their part. The director and assistant director spent more one talking about irrelevant subjects and due to this we didn’t get chance to read through all 4 scripts. There also seemed to be a lack of knowledge on the characters in the script. The actors asked how to portray these characters and were told to "just act it how you think". This was frustrating as a lot of the scripts were very random and didn't make much sense. We were confused with how old our characters where and where they came from. There was a lack of respect from the groups perspective as the director very early on offended one of the actors leaving them irritated throughout the whole process and putting a damper on the table read experience. ]]> 2018-06-23 12:39:13 UTC https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268288806 Filming bethanyoliviadadd95 https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268288898 My group and I filming in the green room.]]> 2018-06-23 12:42:08 UTC https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268288898 Filming bethanyoliviadadd95 https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268289373 To my surprise, when it came to filming it was a lot more smoother than the recent experiences we had encountered. Altogether, we were in the studio for up to 3 hours, which I didn't think was bad at all. There was a lot of stopping and starting therefore scenes had to be repeated, which was to be expected. This worked in our favour as it gave the actors chance to look at there script and rehearse any last minute scenes they were unsure on. Despite previous episodes the cast and crew worked extremely well together and the director praised each and every one of us which boosted our confidence. As an actor I hope to of portrayed my character how the director envisioned it. 
Although the experience had a lot of negatives, when it came to filming I thoroughly enjoyed it as screen acting is something I've never practiced before. It would of been ideal to of filmed outside the green room to get a real life experience for on screen acting. Being a stage performer, this is something I would love to have the opportunity to do again. The only thing I would change is the lack of professionalism and communication which I think had a huge impact on the experience being negative.

 "There's benefit in everything – short films, profit share theatre – everything. Even if no one sees it, you've learned something. Every learning experience is valuable and may well come in handy when you need it the most." (Baker and Blenford, 2014)

]]> 2018-06-23 12:57:02 UTC https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268289373 Reference List bethanyoliviadadd95 https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268291011 Baker, S. and Blenford, N. (2014). Lights, camera, action! How to succeed in a film audition. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/how-to-succeed-in-a-film-audition

Bernard, I. (1993). Film and Television Acting: From stage to screen. pp.Chapter 1-4.

Cohen, R. (2012). Acting One. p.Chapter 4.

Garrison, L. and Wang, W. (n.d.). Auditioning for an Acting Role: What to Expect - dummies. [online] dummies. Available at: http://www.dummies.com/art-center/performing-arts/acting/auditioning-for-an-acting-role-what-to-expect/

Hishon, K. (2016). Stage vs. Screen: A Comparison of Acting Techniques. [online] The Theatrefolk Blog. Available at: https://www.theatrefolk.com/blog/stage-vs-screen-a-comparison-of-acting-techniques/

McKee, R. (2017). How to train successfully as a screen actor. https://www.thestage.co.uk/advice/2017/how-to-train-successfully-as-a-screen-actor/.

McPherson, C. (2003). Stage v Screen. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/may/02/artsfeatures

Patrick Green, D. (2013). The 3 Major Differences Between Stage and Screen Acting. [online] Backstage.com. Available at: https://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/3-major-differences-between-stage-and-screen-acting/

Tucker, P. (1994). Secrets of screen acting. pp.7-13.]]> 2018-06-23 13:30:27 UTC https://padlet.com/bethanyoliviadadd95/zny1e429ee3f/wish/268291011