The Importance of Practicing Observation for Actors
Practicing observation skills is an important discipline for actors. Understanding human behaviour is key to the development of a character and understanding their motivation in the given circumstances of a play or film script. Not only that, it is something you can do just about anywhere for absolutely no cost.
Playwright and director David Mamet, describes character as nothing but habitual action,and that we only know a character by observing their behavior. Within the context of a play, Mamet believes that dialogue is often used to deceive, and that a character's true nature is only revealed through their actions.
Historian Will Durant, describing the philosophy of Aristotle said the famous quote “we are what we repeatedly do”. It only makes sense then for actors to practice observation. By becoming proficient observers, Actors can study the unique mannerisms, postures, and voices of people to build a "library" of behaviors to draw upon for roles.
Some tips for practicing observation:
Observe without being noticed - Sit in a cafe, on a train, in a mall or anywhere you can observe people behaving naturally.
Pick out a person, imagine who they might be, give them an imaginary history, a job, various life concerns.
Carry a journal, make notes of what you see and what you interpret.
Practice empathy - imagine seeing life through another person's eyes, try to understand why they are behaving in a particular way.
Record yourself, your own behaviours. Start to understand why you do things, either consciously or unconsciously.
Don’t just look, listen to the way people speak, how they use words, whether they fumble or cleanly articulate, listen to the rhythm of their speech.
Practising observation assists actors in understanding how human emotion manifests physically, helps actors create authentic characters, and gives clarity to non-verbal communication in scenes with little or no dialogue.
Artistic Director / Acting Tutor - The Actors Class
