Getting The Emotional Response You Want From Your Actors

Last monday, I was filming a scene from a short film I am co-directing and it was an emotionally heavy scene. It was the first scene I had to direct where I needed my actor, Celina, to cry and it was also her first time needing to cry for a scene. Although she had her concerns and I had mine, our focus and collaboration gave me, as the director, the emotional response I was seeking from her, and as the actor, she was able to give not only a heartfelt, heartaching  performance but one that is diverse from her previous acting.

As a director, you need to prepare yourself by discovering and learning what kind of acting method your actor gravitates towards. As an actor, she is looking to me for guidance, reassurance, and reason behind what she is doing. Therefore, I feel that in order to get the emotional response you want from your actor, you must get to know your actor and not only direct them, but give them freedom to choose what works best for them. Before we shot the scene, I sat alone with Celina and asked her if she was more comfortable pulling from personal thoughts and memories to help incorporate into her character, or if going through the physical mechanisms of crying would help get her to a certain point that she can then build upon and apply to the character's situation. It was difficult, for she was comfortable with the previous option but could not bring it to the surface, and with the latter, I had to coach and direct her without acting it out myself which is something a director should not to do.

After working with her for fifteen minutes, we were able to get her to the starting point she needed. What followed, when we started shooting the scene, was a performance that exceeded my expectations. It was natural, heartwrenching, and most importantly realistic. I do believe Celina would have been able to cry without the fifteen minute work session we had. However, I don't think she would have been able to execute it as authentically and as moving as she did thus, getting the emotional response you want from your actors requires getting to know them and giving them options they can choose comfortably from.

Framing and Editing Decisions In 'Distance' And How They Helped Tell The Story

A close-up indicates emotion, intimacy, and intensity within characters whereas cuts in editing can bring you closer to or further away from characters or a situation in a scene. With Distance, I analyzed every scene and made decisions in both framing and editing that I felt told the story on a more profound level.

In these particular shots from the very last scene, I felt it was essential to shoot the scene in a wide shot and all in one take. I am confident with my decision and stick by it despite various comments and questions I have gotten regarding this scene. People have asked me, "Why wouldn't you cut to close-ups to get their reactions so you see how they feel?" and "Why did you shoot it so wide? There's so much head room and it makes it almost look flat". In my defense and in the story's defense, these are my reasons:

1. I felt the close-ups at this point were unnecessary. At the beginning of the film, when they're close to one another and in love, that's where I make use of the close-ups because that's when we feel close to the characters as they feel close to one another. 

2. Throughout the film, they become more distant and therefore I translated that into shot composition. The more distant they become, the wider the shots became and less dynamic so that when they finally become so distant and so out of love that they're on opposite sides of  the bed, not speaking to one another, the wide framing really captures not only the huge physical space between them, but the emotional and intellectual distance between them as well. 

With these framing and editing decisions, I feel that you are not only seeing two people falling in and out of love, but also experiencing it. At the beginning of the film, you can feel the burning excitement of being in love and by the end of it, you feel the heartache and dullness of life without love which is exactly what Distance is all about. 

To watch the film, check it out here. 

The Power of Pathos in a PSA

A PSA (Public Service Announcement) can be done in various ways through the use of one of the three main methods: Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. Logos follows a more logical approach by providing facts and statistics that can prove the point the PSA is trying to make. Ethos focuses more on credibility and trust and does so by using personal testimony, citing credible sources (doctors, experts, etc.), and by doing so, emphasizes the message of their PSA. Lastly, there is Pathos, which concentrates on story and playing on the viewers emotions and their individual values. 

Although all three methods are effective, I find that Pathos is the best way to reach an audience for a PSA or any commercial/ad, and which is why I used it and was successful with it for my PSA for the National Domestic Hotline. Just from writing the script, I already sensed the powerful message the PSA would portray. In the final product, it is clear that visual storytelling makes for a stronger PSA and that creating something an audience connects with is more effective in making them aware of the message you are trying to send.

We shot the entire PSA in one day. I had a special effects makeup artist come in and the work she did was absolutely amazing which I think further drove the narrative of this piece. My DP and I agreed on keeping the shots very simple, almost delicate in a sense and I am confident with that decision. With the slow, longer, minimal movement in the shots, the audience is more able to feel the weight of the tension, dread, and fear that victims of domestic violence experience. In turn, there is not only a story to be told, but an audience that is actively connecting which makes them more aware of the National Domestic Hotline. 

If you want to watch the PSA, check it out here. 

Filming My First Intimate Scene

Filming my first intimate scene was an entirely different and refreshing experience for me. For the shoot of Distance, I was a bit nervous about shooting the bed scene where it looks like they had just finished having sex and when they first say, “I love you” to one another. The scene is both physically and emotionally intimate and what worried me most was making sure my actors were comfortable enough to give an intimate heavy performance. 

Of course, the only people present for the scene was myself, the actors, my camera operator, and sound recordist. I had learned before that for shooting these types of scenes, it’s best to have the least amount of people on set for shooting scenes like this because not everyone needs to see the scene played out, and unnecessary crew members can be a distraction for the actors or even worse, make them feel uncomfortable. 

The best thing about shooting this scene was that the environment on set was completely energetic and overall fun. It wasn't too calm and too serious which could have made the scene too placid with no stakes or heightened emotions, nor was it awkward. We were cracking jokes and laughing and I think that laughing overall, really loosens up any tension that may be present. 

Once all the physical aspects were achieved such as, placement of the actors in the bed and wardrobe (or lack there of), all that was left was to ensure that there was conviction in the dialogue. From watching that particular scene, you truly feel that these two people are vulnerable in saying "I love you". However, you also feel that they stand by what they have said and that hearing the other repeat the same words back solidifies that they are in love with each other. Ultimately, everything I was nervous and worried about turned out to run smoothly and my actors gave the two performances I was hoping for, perfectly.

To watch Distance, check it out here.