Great News. My book, The Right Questions for Actors is now available on Amazon.com I'm very pleased that it now has more places where people can find it.
I will be bringing a few copies with me when I come to Hong Kong. Let me know if you want to purchase one while I am teaching there.
Available now on Amazon.com and also at www.JeanneHartmanActorsDetective.com
I have been watching all the creative activities going on
in Hong Kong in the last few months.It is so exciting to see how actors, writers, directors, and producers
are all working together to create films on the streets of your city.Hong Kong has more film festivals
for small films and it appears that many of you are taking the incentive to
create your own projects.
You are busy out there.48 Hour Film Festivals.Hey Spencer don’t stop I see you doing this a lot.And between films, TV series for the
web and classic theater you all are out there and “kickin’ ----”.
So many actors here in Los Angeles have been writing and
directing and producing films.I
encourage actors to write.In fact
they have been writing back stories for their characters for years so why not
see what you have to offer.
Every time I have come to teach workshops in Hong Kong I
am thrilled with the energy and initiative that surrounds this artistic
community.I love being a
part of it.
As I have been preparing for the next group of workshops
in December I have kept this all in mind.So I am planning even more of the audition training both from the
perspective of the actor and also for the director.You will get a bird’s eye view of the audition both from the
view of the actor and also from the director and producers’ chairs.Many times seeing the process from
another view point can really open your eyes to your own limitations.
Directors, you can learn how in a few short cues or
instructions you can find out the depth and breadth of the actors’
abilities.Actors, you can learn
how to make the most of the time you have in the room with the director and
also how to prepare in a way that will allow you to give your best
performance.Writers, you
will also see how you can strengthen your writing by watching the audition
process.
I love to hear about all the exciting artistic events
happening in Hong Kong.As I read
about them I get even more excited about returning to teach in December.
I am so excited that Jason
Tobin and I have scheduled workshops in Hong Kong, starting the first week of
December.The details will
be on AnD Events in a short time.I have heard from many of you wanting to know when I was teaching again
in Hong Kong.Well now is your
chance to come have an exciting educational two-day workshop.I will be teaching two Professional
2-Day Workshops in the
first two weeks of December.Two
must be my lucky number!!!
We also will be scheduling
a 1-Day Open Workshop and an Introduction to Acting evening as well.It will be a fast paced two weeks for
me but I do love teaching all of you so with your energy and commitment we will
once again have some fireworks bursting through the ceiling!
I so love to watch all of
you grow.And as those of you who
have taken the workshops before know, it is a supportive inspiring group of actors, directors and
writers where you can feel safe to try new techniques and go into emotional
depths in your work that you have not yet experienced.
I am already planning some
new exercises and scenes so for you returning students beware, I am ready to
challenge you to become stronger, more exciting actors.Directors I also have some exercises
planned so that you can also practice some directing techniques as well.
If you have questions or
dilemmas you have encountered that you would like me to address in the
workshops, drop me the questions here or on my website,www.JeanneHartmanActorsDetective.com
D.Y. asks, "I feel actors are some
of the smartest people I know. So from your experience, why you do you think
"unsmart" people aren't actors? I think because acting deals with a
lot of intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence, but I’m not sure. I'm
interested in your take.”
Dear D.Y.,
Here is your question you
sent me after you read my last blog, “Actors are Great Researchers or they
should be.”
I could be humorous but I
am going to take this seriously, D.Y.I think most people in the world really don’t want to
go too deep into their emotional secrets or that of their families and the
people around them.You know it is
like the 3 wise monkeys. “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
But actors are
curious.They want to know
why.That’s a question in my
book,The Right Questions for
Actors on page 34.Question#8 makes so much sense.It is called, “WHY WHY WHY”.
Once I get an actor to ask
the question, WHY, and that actor continues to ask WHY,it is amazing how quickly an actor
finds all kinds of information about their character and the reasons why their
character does what he does or says what he says.
Well, when a person
already is a “WHY” kind of person that just makes the research easier.I was that kind of child.I tried to figure out why for all kinds
of reasons.Sometimes it was
just because I wanted to get out of practicing my piano exercises every
day.So I asked WHY.Of course my first answer was
that it was boring or I just wasn’t in the mood or I would rather go outside
and play with our dog.All good
reasons of course.Once I knew and
of course when you are a child you are sure you are right and justified, my
next question was HOW.How could I
make this happen.So I made a
goal.My goal was that I needed to
learn how to sight reading my piano pieces so well that my piano teacher,Mrs. Den Ouden, could not tell if I had
practiced or not.That became my
goal.And finally after a long
time I was able to do it.Poor
Mrs. Den Ouden.I must have been
quite a frustrating challenge.
Okay quite a story to give
an example.Let me use this about
D.Y.’s question.I am going to ask
that question right now.WHY?Why do we go through this
investigation?When it matters so
much to us.It mattered a lot to
me as a little girl to not have to practice.It was important to me.
What I find interesting
when I am working with “nonactors”we all have areas in our life where we are willing to do this kind of
investigation.When it matters
enough to us, we will investigate.
The difference with
actors.They love to do it all the
time.That is why I stand by my
assertionthat actors for the most
part are smart researchers.We
just love to find out “WHY”.
The better the actor, the
greater the curiosity.Now you and
I may not know this about the actor.It is a private thing.It
is done behind the scenes.And
frankly it really is nobody’s business.It is the actor’s private preparation, his business.
I just love when an actor
asked me a question when we are working that I haven’t thought of yet.Of course, that doesn’t happen very
often.I know that may sound a bit
arrogant but it is true.And yes I
am going to ask that question again for you.WHY?Because I
have been coaching actors and asking these questions for many years and so I am
better at it than many people who come to me.Makes sense.That’s why they come to me.But still I truly love when an actor does surprise me or get ahead of
me.I love it.Because it means that have learned what
I truly believe can be a technique that every great actor has developed.Theyhave learnedtheir best way to develop a believable interesting character.And that is my goal with every
actor.To make them
independent.To help them learn
how to prepare on their own in a way that works best for him or her.
So D. Y. ( my curiosity
wants me to ask,what does D.Y.
stand for?)I just can’t help
myself.I must as WHY.
So. D. Y…Actors or anyone who keeps asking WHY,
keep learning and that is the key to a smart person.They keep learning and enjoying that process every day.
Thanks D.Y. for the
question.Anyone else have a
question they would like me to answer or a subject on which you would like my
opinion, let me hear it.Happy to
do it.I just don’t think I can
tell you “the meaning of life”.But I’m open to all your other
questions.
I love going to plays and
films where I learn something I didn’t know.That happened this weekend.I went to see a play by David Mamet called Boston Marriage at Group Repertory Theatre
in North Hollywood, California.
Did you know what the term
Boston marriage meant in the 19th century?Don’t know?Hey
that’s okay I didn’t know it either.It was a term used for households where two women lived together,
independent of any male support. It is debatable whether these relationships
were sexual or not. The likelihood was that some were and some weren’t.But the term ‘Boston marriage” is not
sexual.In the 19th
century women did not have very many ways to live independently. If you recall
the women could not vote, many times could not own property and basically were
dependent on men and their own families.
Now in the 21st
century this seems foreign to most of us.People are more upfront about their private lives.Women are more independent.However in the 19th century
it was very different especially for women.
It is so wonderful to take
a seat in a darkened theater and step into another time in history.I love learning while I am enjoying a
creative, enjoyable performance.
Yes, I do love film but I
marvel when a theater company on a small budget can create a world for you, the
audience, with one set.Also the
weight of the responsibility lies with the actors ultimately.Of course the play, the director, the
set designer and the crew all contribute so much to the work but for the actors
once the lights go down and the audience is quiet it is the actors who are in
charge for that evening.In a film
the actor is never really in charge about what is in the final product.That is the director and editor’s
choice.And of course the
producers.
Maybe that is why my heart
and the heart of many actors lie in the theater.But back to the performance I saw and why I bring this to you today.
Watching the three
actresses in this production, each creating their role, I marveled at their
ability to share with us how these women lived in this time period.And of course as it should be it was
entertaining too.They took us on
a journey.
If you are in Los Angeles
and want to see this performance here is a link to their schedule.There are two other plays playing in
repertoire at this theater as well as the one I saw which was Boston Marriage.
I think watching this
wonderful performance, it reminded me that actors and actresses are constantly learning about the
world.Every time they
prepare for a role it’s like the actors are taking a college course in some
subject.For example in these
three plays at GRT, the actors had to learn about these situations their
characters are in to be able to portray them for their audiences.It can be about women in the 19th
century like in Boston Marriage or learning about playing an old World War I
soldier now living in a retirement home in the play, Heroes, or dealing with
Alzheimer’s and aging parents in the play, Painting Churches.
I suppose this is why that
I feel actors are some of the smartest people I know.They love to learn and they must keep learning every time
they create a new role.
Yes I know I have a special
place for actors in my heart but I do see how much they must learn and I enjoy
their curiosity and their ability to do their research.Also I don’t think most people are
aware of what preparation an actor does unbeknownst to their audiences.
Now that I have praised you
actors, I will now admonish you as well.It is your job, not anyone else’s job to do this research.The script of the play or film never
has enough information for you to truly play your role.Yes, I mean the word NEVER here.It is not possible for the writer to
put all that information in the format of a play or film script.It is your job to find all the details
your character must know that is not in the script.
So don’t be casual about
this part of your preparation.And
I hope you can enjoy this process, this searching for all the information your
character must have at his fingertips.I know I do.If
I could I would give Doctorate’s degrees to actors who do this well.They keep learning as they prepare for
each role and I thank them for doing that.You smart actors and actresses allow me as the audience to
truly be taken into the world of your character and the play or film.Thank you for doing your work!I can’t wait to see your next
performance!
It was certainly interesting helping to set-up HK's first 48 Hour Film Project. Then to add a little extra challenge into the equation, I decided to enter it too, working with a crew to pull together our own short film in 48 hours.
Hopefully we can get together sometime whilst you're in HK for a drink and a chat.
Many Thanks Jeanne.
I can well and truly see how it would aide writers and especially actors, I wish you all the best for the book, it takes much skill for something to transcend both the acting and writing differences and "The Right Questions for Actors" has done so even though it is written with the actor in mind first and foremost :)
I know you are working very hard to give actors the tools and techniques they need to be successful and, under normal circumstances, research is a key element of an actor's prep. You might, however,be fascinated to see a film shoot where this most definitely was not the case. It was a Hong Kong, film, of course, Wong Kar Wai's Happy Together. The director took two of Hong Kong's top actors, Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu Wai to Argentina to shoot a film. The only problem, there was no script. Even who was playing what character and the nature of the action was not set. Tony arrives for the first day of shooting and finds out that, while he was told he was playing the son of a homosexual who has gone to Buenos Airs to find his father and his father's male lover, in fact, the first scene is going to be a homosexual sex scene between Tony and Leslie, playing a gay couple, that leaves very little to the imagination! No prep, just strip and start shooting. As time went on, work stopped on the film because the director couldn't figure out what it was all about. Most of the time, actors would get their lines the night before or even on set. First WKW would shoot the scene with one protagonist saying a set of lines, then he would reshoot it with the actors switching roles. Female characters were introduced, and then totally cut out of the final film. Leslie had to leave half-way through shooting to go and do a series of concerts in HK. The art director was also costume designer for Leslie's tour and was making Leslie's tour wardrobe while they were in Buenos Aires shooting the film. At the 11th hour, a new character was introduced, a young actor from Taiwan, so that they could finish the film.
Despite the chaos, the film, Happy Together, went on to win the Palm d'Or at Cannes, Tony Leung won best actor at Cannes and the film received many more awards in Asia. It was literally constructed in the process of editing (which was handled by the art director). If you haven't seen this film, I think, knowing that it was every actor's worst nightmare, you would really appreciate the results. So much of the footage didn't make it into the final cut that there is a famous 60 min documentary on the shooting of the film called Buenos Aires Zero Degree that is composed entirely of out-takes and commentary. If you rent (or buy) the film, be sure and get the Kino version because it includes the documentary. When you see what chaos the shooting of this film was, you will be doubly amazed by the final product. Leslie Cheung will be best remembered for three stupendous film roles: Farewell, My Concubine; Days of Being Wild; and Happy Together. Tony Leung always cites this film as a turning point in his career as an actor. As a fan of Leslie Cheung, it is one of my all-time favorite films. I see more every time I watch it, which is pretty amazing considering the actors were creating their characters right there on camera in what amounts to real time!
ya i noticed that too. but now they are gone. if you use a pc, copy whatever you want to post in your blog to "notepad" first, then copy that into our blog system. that will get rid of extra formatting.
Thanks so much Jeanne. Im super joyous and stuff right now. More shocked tho. Because now i really got to be a role model and teach these youngsters. you know? a lot of responsibility! ><
I think the movie is still doing well; I went to a Sunday afternoon matinee, and it was about 1/3 full, and this on an afternoon when the weather was beautiful. I noticed that the average age of the audience was over 40. I think there has been a lot of word of mouth but, because this generation doesn't Twitter, it has taken a bit longer for the film to feel the impact. :-)
Me to, I can't wait. I will be at my mum's wedding from the 11th till the 22nd of october so I'm praying you will be here after that. Wouldn't want to miss you again. Have a great day and keep me updated xxx
Hi my name is Cara Grogan and I feel very unfortunate to have missed your classes when you came to hk :(
When will you come back cause i want to sign up for the next round :)
Let me know, have a great day
what i meant is that postsecret gives people the opportunity to be true to themselves and many people find lots of beautiful things to say too. Like people talk about their stories on how they avoided suicide, or how people thought they were ugly and they made a change to themselves to later discover how much they hated their change and such.
Although I have been coaching and teaching for many years, my background includes professional work both in musical and acting performances on stage, on screen and in voice over work as well...
Although I have been coaching and teaching for many years, my background includes professional work both in musical and acting performances on stage, on screen and in voice over work as well. If you want to learn more about my coaching, teaching and professional actor/singer background take a look at my website
www. JeanneHartmanActorsDetective.com
I love what I do and I love helping actors and performers reach their highest potential. The "Ah Hah" moments for my clients are some of my greatest joy.
I'm the Actor's Detective so send me your mysteries. Let's solve them together.
Jeanne Hartman has invited you to check out their official artist profile and join their fan network. Sign up for FREE now to create your own profile and connect with your friends and favorite filmmakers, musicians, and other artists.
Jeanne Hartman has invited you to check out their official artist profile and join their fan network. Sign up for FREE now to create your own profile and connect with your friends and favorite filmmakers, musicians, and other artists. Already joined? Login now