Extreme Emotions

QUESTION:

Hey Mike,

For those rare moments where you do need to express extreme emotion, let's say grief for example, what are some practical tools we can use to get there?

Say I'm on set, I've got a huge scene coming up (either in the next hour or the next week, if there are different tools for each scenario), and I'm starting to feel terrified I'm going to completely shut down and become the woodiest block of dissociated wood ever seen on screen.

Any tips and tools you could share to get there would be amazing. Until then I'll be focusing on the fundamentals - breathing as myself in front of the lens.

Much Love xx

Regards,

J-Dawg

ANSWER:

J-Dawg!

What a question

Man

Yeah

UGH

I harp on so much about breathing and doing the absolute basics well before moving on

But at some point

If you have that one self tape

Or that scene being filmed next Tuesday

And the story simply requires you to go all the way with an emotional release

And the director or casting director walks up and says

“YO… I need you to go all the way”

Of course we can hide behind a sense of purity in the work

And say things like:

“My character wouldn’t do that”

Or

“Im giving myself permission to be where im at and I’m simply wooden today, and that means my character is wooden, numb, frozen and lets all accept that”

Yeah

HA

Lets get something straight

There are writers out there who have spent several years writing that one script

They have spent actual days deciding whether to use full stop or comma

And sometimes

We gotta do our damn job

Which is…

Bring what the writer has given us to life

Especially if the director has an editors’ eye and will be thinking about the music of the script whilst filming

They might simply need a very practical point so they can build the cut

Which leads us the the painfully honest admission…

Gulp

Can you?

Are you technically able to release on cue?

Many, many times…

I have told myself

“I will go all the way when I actually need to”

Or

“I’ll be able to do it when’s it’s really necessary”

And then

When received the opportunity to actually do so

Literally nothing has happened

Just sat in front of the lens

Like a wooden block

And felt the room whisper

“Oh no, is that it?”

I spent many opportunities deluding myself into believing that I would be able to release when the situation calls for it

And then getting smacked back into reality when I wasn’t able to

And on the flip side

I have also had opportunities in rehearsal room where I have been extremely happy with the work that flowed out

But then not able to do so consistently in the days or weeks after

Story time

I have a friend

And that friend was being directed by one of my absolute favourite actors of the past century

Regarded as one of the purest artists in the biz

An Oscar winner who consistently gave incredible performances both on stage and screen

Someone who all the greats looked up to

My friend was having a real difficult time getting to a place of release with a monologue in this theatre show

And finally

In one of the previews just before opening

He got there!

He released in a way where he felt like he finally served the writing

A magical moment to have on stage

And the next day

He proudly walked to the notes session

Where he was excited about receiving feedback from this director

“Brilliant”

“Just marvellous”

“You took my breath away”

He expected the director to say

You know what he got instead?

“Good work…

It’s never allowed to be less than that from now on”

Yikes

Another story

I was prepping to play one of Shakespeare’s protagonists for a show at the Sydney Opera House

And I had dinner with a director who helped build the careers of many of the UK giants from the RSC

I was hoping he would give me some magic pill advice

His advice?

“Michael… Remember… God doesn’t descend very often”

His meaning?

There is a practical reality to leading a theatre show with 113 performances

Or leading a film and having to rock up every day for 6 weeks straight

Technique becomes necessary

Want to to sustainably give generous work?

Show after show?

Day after day on set?

Craft

Yup

No magic here

Craft.

There is a very simple reality to skills here

As well as a culture of artists hiding that work behind the curtain

Which makes sense

It’s a profession which aims to help make an audience believe

“Suspend your disbelief”

As Shakespeare put it

And if every heartbreaking performance is combined with interviews from that actor giving specific details about how they were able to do that scene

It removes the sense of magic

It steals the work from the audience

Damn sure I do NOT want to watch There Will Be Blood knowing exactly what Daniel Day Lewis was technically doing

I’m damn fascinated by it, of course

But please don’t ruin my magical experience.

Saying that

As an actor

I want to know how to get better

And “oh, I just acted, hehe” doesn’t help me do that

So

Skills

The physical reality of skills

Let’s go back to the body here…

Honest question:

If your body doesn’t know what it’s like to drop it’s guard in practice

Then why would you expect it to do so when you’re on set and there’s fifty people staring at you?

Or when you’re in the casting room and there are three producers in suits a few metres from your face

And one of them gets up half way through your scene to go look at a painting on a wall (true story)

Yeah

To hope that that will be the day where you magically give glorious free flowing work

Despite having no real proof that you can go there

Doesn’t sound like a bet worth making does it?

And yet

So many of us do it

When the moment calls for it - I will magically rise to the occasion!

Nope

You will fall to the level of your training

Alright

You get my point

Develop skills to build confidence that you’ll be able to release on cue under pressure

Which leads us to the next question

How?

The brain won’t argue with the physical experience

Easier to have confidence in your skills when you have some actual proof

So let’s go get some proof, J-Dawg!

Let’s go teach the body its okay to go there :)

This is where the world is your oyster, mate

There are many different schools of thought when it comes to training the ability to release on cue

I’m literally tapping my foot against a box full of books as I type this

Some of them preaching there is only one way…And it’s their way!

(Picture me rolling my eyes right now)

I want to preface this with one principle

What works for you, for now

The goal is free flowing self expression

Not: there is a right way to do acting

Also

As we commence this discussion around techniques for emotional release

Please be careful

I have honestly been gutted at scenarios where someone is asked to drudge up childhood woes in their very first acting class

And then left to walk outside afterwards, physically shaking, with no sense of guidance or help after

The best coaches in the biz

Don’t have time for you to romanticise suffering

And if the work ain’t fun - Then that becomes the work (Making it fun again)

Okay

Back to general schools of thought

Just to name a few

(These are very broad brush strokes here)

As if - using your imagination to conjure up a fictional situation.

Emotional recall - Using past experiences and attaching them to specific dialogue or relationships in the script.

Physical - Using the body to encourage emotional flow via the use of different physical postures or movements (such as tremor therapy, or exercising to the point of exhaustion).

Breath - Breathing at different rates or from different areas in the body to induce different emotional states (such as the chest to encourage a state of panic or anxiety, or lower diaphragm to encourage a state of grief).

Dream work - The use of the subconscious to stretch oneself in the direction of their shadow & light.

Repetition - Simply taking that key piece of dialogue and repeating it hundreds, if not thousands of times.

The no acting approach - just saying that dialogue to that person you’re speaking to (highly dependant on the script, director, fellow actor & situation)

Obviously, as a 34 year old with a young daughter who now significantly influences my timezone

I have zero time for anything that’s unsustainable

Anything that messes with sleep, relationships, or tomorrows work is a no go for me right now

The best I know have deep handle over their craft

And if “god doesn’t descend very often”

Then I absolutely want to move in that direction

I want to be able to be on set and help my daughter with her homework

And then two minutes later step in front of the lens and give work I’m proud of

Not need three hours of solo time with headphones to give a take which is so out of alignment with the directors vision

Or not be able to take notes because I’m so in my own zone

And not need another 12 minutes to prep for a second take

Okay

Back to those schools of thought

What will be the ONE for you!?

Jokes

Go play!

Try stuff!

Fall on your face!

The more you experiment with

The more you can build your awareness

And the more awareness you develop

The more choice you will have in deciding what works for you & for now

I really cannot emphasise those last two words enough

For now

Permission to change as you grow.

The last film I did

There were a few scenes in particular where I believed that in order to serve the story best

I needed to hit particular moments

And what helped me most?

In one

It was late, I was exhausted, and I relied purely on physical movements to get me through

In another scene

I said a line of dialogue with zero acting. I said that exact line to that actor because I believed it was completely appropriate to the situation.

And in another

I spoke to a colleague as if they were a person I love deeply in my life and am terrified of losing

See?

Just a mish mash of shit

Messy

Grey

I think this is what I’m trying to say

There is no one way

You try things

You throw away what doesn’t work for you

You keep the stuff that does

And you keep building as you go

One thing is for sure

Do the thing

Get in the room

And do the thing

So you can walk on set

With your body knowing it is safe

Safe to release whatever work you’ve done

Safe to be a human being with other human beings

Safe to have moments of human connection

Hope this helps

X