Focus

I spent many years watching lead actors on set

DiCaprio, Garfield, Green, Mulligan, Edgerton, Hemsworth, Herriman, Claflin, McGuire, Vaughn, etc etc

One of the hundreds of questions I would fixate on when watching them was

How the hell are they able to focus so intensely for so long?

Take after take

Scene after scene

Day after day

For weeks

Or even months in a row?

It took me a little while to realise

They don’t 

No-one does

Because no-one can

One of my favourite test cricketers summed it up perfectly

I don’t have to focus for hours at a time

I simply wouldn’t be able to sustain that

What I’ve learned is

I only have to focus for 7-10 seconds at a time

Then I let go and rest

I love this

Intelligent adaptive progress

Let’s make this relevant to the craft of screen acting

Approximately 10-30 seconds before each take on set

Key professionals will signal they are ready to go

Lighting

Camera

Sound

Director

Will all have things they say to indicate a take is about to happen

That’s the actor’s cue

Time to focus

Focus on what?

One, clear, important thing

Whatever helps you enter the take flying with presence, playfulness, openness

Whatever helps you give your best work, when it counts most

And for anyone who is scared about taking a few seconds to focus before their take because it might not look cool?

Well

Professionals give themselves permission to do that they need to do

In order to provide the best work they can for the team

Everyone else on set is doing their job

They expect you to do yours

Own your work

Give yourself 0-30 seconds to take your time and focus

Lead roles are reserved for more generous actors

So focus

And be more generous :)

Hope this helps

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