Scene Study Tips

Posted by SmartActors | Leave a comment

To become a great actor, you need to work hard and have proper study habits. When you're studying a scene, there are several things you need to do in order to give your best performance.

Refrain from Memorization at First

When you're studying a scene, you may feel the need to memorize every single line from the very beginning. Refrain from doing this. Memorization can be done later. More important things should be dealt with first.

Read it to Yourself

When you are first studying a scene, it's best to read the script to yourself before you do anything else. This can help you to understand the material, and you will start to get a feel for the scene and the words in it. During this time, it's important that you use a dictionary or other reference to look up any words or phrases that you do not understand. When you have researched them, don't forget to write down what you have learned so you won't forget it. By doing this, you will better comprehend the words and the scene itself.

Read Aloud

The next step in scene study that you should do is reading the scene out loud. Do this a couple of times to help you get comfortable speaking the words. In acting, enunciation and pronunciation are very important, so reading the scene aloud a few times can help you perfect your enunciation. A way to help your enunciation and to make sure you are speaking properly, place three of your fingers in your mouth while you are speaking lines from the scene. By doing this, you will ensure that you are speaking properly by opening your mouth up completely. Mumbling and barely opening your mouth will cause you problems enunciating.

Gaining Understanding About the Scene

While you are reading the scene both to yourself and aloud, you should be deepening your understanding of it simultaneously. Pay attention, and try to understand the tone of the scene. Figure out what exactly is happening in it, and delve into the intentions, reasons, and objectives of the scene. Find out why you are there and what you want from others. If you understand the scene to its core, you will be able to act it out much better.

Internalizing the Dialogue

After doing all the previous steps, the next phase is to internalize the dialogue. Relate to the scene and draw upon your own experiences. Figure out whether you have been through anything in the scene or whether you have an acquaintance or family member who has been through it. Doing this can help you quite a bit. Afterwards, you can start memorizing the dialogue.

Key to Memorization

There are certain ways dialogue should be studied to help you memorize it more effectively and efficiently. Do not try memorizing the entire scene all at once. Instead, try to memorize it in pieces. For instance, memorize one section of the scene. Go over it until you've got it completely memorized. Afterwards, go on to the next section. Don't go to a new section until you feel completely comfortable with the previous one.

Practice

Once you have memorized everything, you should call one of your friends to help you practice the scene. The friend you practice with should be an actor as well if possible. Both of you should read lines together, and your friend can be there to point out any mistakes or word omissions. Studying for a scene doesn't have to be very stressful. By following these tips, you can have fun, study, and master a scene effectively and efficiently.