Note From Michael Caine

Actor Michael Caine wrote a book in the late 90's on film acting which is both hilarious and VERY poignant. Every actor who wants to work (even now) would do themselves a favor to read it.

A few tips:

Don't blink when you talk. He believes blinking when you talk makes you a weak character. He isn't wrong. Look at Tommy Lee Jones's career.

Do as little dialogue as possible. This tip is what I've been saying for THE longest time. The actors with the least lines and MOST impact are the ones who have the least dialogue. Amateur actors want more lines. It's aggravating to hear. I constantly have to tell them to talk less. You make a bigger impact. Steve McQueen gave all his lines away. He felt he seemed weak the more he talked. He's not wrong.

Listen and react. Listening and reacting is PURE cinema. Think about how much Marlon Brando talked. He tried NOT to talk. He listened. In fact, Brando hated dialogue so much he had them written on cue cards on set. Okay, look, he probably was a lazy fuck. BUT, his most impactful movies had him saying the least. He reacted. And his reactions were appropriate for the role. Listening to the other actor also means you don't lose your place. You don't forget a line. I know many directors who won't need you to go verbatim with script (though most will because they're control freaks, OR that they need valuable information). So go with the spirit of the scene.

Don't fidget. This drives me nuts. Actors with pent up energy who can't fucking be still. Perhaps they have to get the coke out of their system. But filmmaking is a technical craft as much as artistic. People like Francis Ford Coppola loved their actors to play to the set. Famed cinematographer Gordon Willis HATED it. Willis won that battle. Simply because the setup of lights and marks means you HAVE to be on point. Don't lean or back off (Tom Cruise does this, according to the first assistant cameraman who has to pull focus). Also, play to the size of the lens. Be curious and ask what your frame line is. Then don't fidget. Maybe in today's smart phone streaming you won't see it, but man...does the audience feel it.

Look, I am TOTALLY impressed every time I miss nuance of performance. When an actor did something I didn't even see through the eyepiece. I do cartwheels over it.

Try to do that and you will always work.

Thanks Mr. Caine. Wisdom from a working actor.