Film Acting and Stage Acting: Key Differences
Film acting and stage acting have many differences. Here are just a few.
Everything is larger than life on stage. By everything, I mean your body language, your movements, your facial expressions, your voice volume, etc.
The first type of training you should have is a theater or stage acting class. This class should help you project your voice onstage by doing vocal exercises, breathing, and speech training.
In theater, the actor must have stage presence. While some actors’ charisma on stage is natural, stage presence is technical and can be learned.
When you are on stage, the amount of energy you put into an action is very important. The director will choreograph and block every moment for you, but the way you carry out those movements is what’s important.
The way you do everything on stage is what helps the audience learn more about your character. Your entire body must be engaged in the moment, and your gestures have to be large enough for the audience throughout the theater to receive the message.
When you are looking for training, make sure to take a few movement classes to help you find stage presence by working on your physical expressiveness.
The Differences
There are differences in stage acting from film acting. You’ll get a lot of experience with plays, not only performing in front of a live audience but also working with directors, stage managers, crews, and of course other actors. In theater, the show must go on even if you are tired or sick, and you must perform live in front of an audience.
Stage actors must play to the audience in the last row, thus making the performance larger than life. In film, there is no audience, but you play to the camera. The action happens within the frame of the shot, and even the subtlest facial expression is picked up by the camera. The actor must control his or her volume and tone it way down.
In theater, you will get used to rehearsing quite a lot. Rehearsals can be up to 4 days per week, at least 8 weeks before opening night. In film, rehearsals aren’t typical, but actors can get together with other actors to rehearse on their own time. After all, time is money, and the director is not focusing on rehearsals. The actor is expected to be ready to film and portray the emotions of that specific scene.
Speaking of scenes in film, the story is usually filmed out of sequence and only one scene at a time. You will be shooting the same scene several times to give the director different options to choose from when it comes time to edit and put the film together.
In theater, the play is performed from beginning to end, in order, in front of a live audience. The actor must learn and perform their entire lines from beginning to end with no interruptions. Also, the stage actor must learn and execute previously rehearsed blocking and choreography.
After reading this blog, look for a theater class! Even if you want to act in film, you should have some theater experience. Theater is hard work, but it is also so much fun.
Break a leg!