Teaching aspiring actors how to act!

[Fang Demon]

I have been given the responsibility of teaching acting and scaring classes. I am not sure how to explain the details. Anyone have any suggestions?

[sc0rp]

Break it into two phases: Timing and Targetting.

Timing... probably cannot be "taught". You can raise awareness of timing through examples so they know what to look for and then how to teach it to themselves. Have a short skit or act. Demonstrate it with good timing and then with bad timing. It doesn't have to be a scare; use a joke first. People who don't understand "scare" going in will probably understand "funny". Timing can make a bad joke funny(er) and can also wreck a good joke. It's a very short stretch to apply the same principle to a scare. In both cases you're looking to produce an emotional reaction to (usually) the unexpected. And sometimes, the over-expected.

Humour and fear are not so different. Ask the Joker about that sometime.

"Lift" a film clip or two where timing is the main factor in the scare, and a half-second makes all the difference. Some directors (John Carpenter, say) nail that better than others.

No, you probably cannot "teach" timing, but you can demonstrate what it is-- and how important it is-- and let them find their own sense of it through practice.

Targetting is easier. There are concrete things to look for. It's easy to pick the true pigeon out of a group and work them. "Overboldness" or "indifference" is one signpost. OK maybe that's two...
...the person egging you on to scare a friend is a prime candidate for a reversal of fortune. That's one you can take to the bank.

Watch peoples' feet. Lots of people can control their face, but nobody's poker-footed.

It might be cheating, but all's fair in this game-- "do" something right up front and watch for reactions. Definitely watch for "paradoxical" reactions. Pull a rubber snake out of your pocket... the one acting least naturally calm is the one whose face you stick it in. Not the "screamer"-- you already got them, at least "that" way. Spread the joy. Then, get the screamer in another way. Never let that go to waste, if you have the time.

Note that-- "least naturally calm". ANY unnatural reaction is likely to be a fear reaction in a Haunt visitor.

Watch for "relief"... as in, you're pickin' on someone and someone else is visibly glad they didn't get picked. That bubble is to be busted. No mercy. That's another "never-fail".

And no matter how good you are, it's all subjective and you ARE going to screw it up, fall flat, once in a while. That's OK, it's not the Olympics, where your whole life turns on one specific 20 seconds in front of the Entire World. You have 500 more chances that night or that weekend, and other acts before you and after you. The whole show will not be ruined for the group you funked it on. Make a mental note-- for later-- and move on.

Ever watch the bloopers on a DVD...? Hollywood guys pulling down $20 mil a year put their foot in it too. Never be afraid to fail... just be reluctant to continue failing. That said, always try a new "bit" four or five times before you keep it or toss it. The same Poker hand is good or bad depending on what else is at the table at the time. Sometimes an Ace-high flush loses and sometimes a pair of 6s wins-- but neither does, over time.

[Fang Demon]

Thanks strangely I completely understood that!

[sc0rp]

You're welcome strangely. >:D

You'll probably then also understand that you never learn anything so well as when you teach it.

[Magpie Maladroit]

Thank you so much for your words of inspiration. I'm developing a character that I'm really excited about, but on the same hand am terrified to mess it up. She is so alive(pardon me)... You've helped me to understand that you're not going to be smooth like you're out of an editing room. You are going to flop and there will be people that won't be supportive, but that's okay. All in a night's lessons. It's all evolving and improving your skills. Enough babble for me. Thanks for you.

[sc0rp]

You said it yourself-- if the pros were always smooth there wouldn't BE an editing room. Or prompters in the wings, or blooper reels, etc etc.

Incidentally the bloopers on Rob Zombie's "Halloween" DVD are not to be missed. Malcolm McDowell goes completely off the chain when he messes up. And oh does he mess up...
First point is, he's been around and he still does it, but--
--second point is, what he does when he messes up is highly entertaining... as in, if he were not a canonical character in a canonical film where everyone watching knows what he's "supposed to do"... as in, if it were an impromptu 15-second performance in a Haunt... then it would actually work rather well(!)

Translation: If only you know how it was "supposed to go"-- then it's not a scr00up.
It's an "improvisation"...!

Even if you choke totally on your "lines" or patter, you can still stare threateningly and jump at people, or laugh... just laughing in midsentence can work... anything "unexpected". Who knows. What you do off the cuff "in the heat of combat" to cover yourself might work better than what you had so assiduously planned out beforehand. I have a few (hehh @ "few", maybe a few dozen) personal cases like that. Pressure can be very inspiring.

So tell your nonsupporters to study their craft and recognise your genius instead of sniping. That's just envy, and envy is ugly, and everybody knows it.

[sc0rp]

So three vampires walk into a bar.



The bartender says, Oh Gawd not THIS joke again...

[sc0rp]

And then there was the time they fed a snake by giving it a mouse.
Yeh well. Wrong mouse.
Mouse sees the situation, goes Oh HELL no, and chews up the snake...

(I'm not kidding. I don't have to.)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3353107/Mouse-bites-snak...

In the postfight interview the mouse was heard to observe:
"You know-- I really wouldn't have thought so, but snake tastes just like cheese!"

Further questioning revealed that the mouse has never eaten chicken.

[Jason Soares]

what do you mean the details. i tell my guys that it is like they are a lion and you are looking for some thing to eat and the customer is there food! how would you treat there food! is that what you mean?

[Keith "Zomketh" Newsome]

I am all about character.... if you know your character you will be able to get into the acting part of it as well.. I totally agree with Sc0rp... timing is everything but you can use discraction as well... if they are looking at something else that triggers the scare response, then you pounce on them like the lion that is looking for food as Jason was refering too.. movie clips are a valuble tool... having a character that you know and love is also valuble... having a proper place to do the scare with mood, music and lighting is valuble.. there are many factors that can lead to a good scare... but I would suggest, acting classes, show some basic responses that you get from people.. each group has a different scare... teaching how to respond to that is the hardest part... like Sc0rp said... 'And no matter how good you are, it's all subjective and you ARE going to screw it up, fall flat, once in a while. That's OK, it's not the Olympics, where your whole life turns on one specific 20 seconds in front of the Entire World. Best thing to do and my advice... be your character and have fun... they are there to be scared... if it don't work.. change it up until it does... you might find more than a few ways to make someone pee thier pants...
Peices..
keith

[Kimberly]

Pet peeve of mine: actors who care about themselves, and not the scene. The best scare-actors "get" their scene. They realize that a chainsaw (although scary) doesn't belong in a library scene, and stick to what DOES belong in a library (or whever). If the actor is cold/hot, has a headache, just banged their knee... it doesn't matter. It's a job, and the enjoyment of the paying customer comes first. They can curse under their breath between groups, but when it's showtime they need to same energy at 2am that they did at 8pm. They may be bored saying the same lines 1000 times, but for most of the people coming through, it's new to them.

Also, unless they're a roamer, they need to STAY in their scene. If they're a clown going with the group into a library scene, they're detracting from the experience in this new scene. The other actors can't do their jobs. And you may not get back in time to reset for the next group. It breaks the illusion and is very annoying.

Also, I'd say every scare should not be a startle. Just being generally creepy is okay too. The actor may not feel gratefied with this because they don't get the screams directly, but it really prepares the group for the startle coming up. If the creepy guy is the focus, so the startle comes out on the other side, or if the startle is in the next room, they should feel like that scream is for them, too. Cause they helped set the mind-frame for the scare. My scene this year is not very scary. But I laugh my fool head off when the next scene gets 'em.

[Mr_Death]

My advice is that if you are acting, you are doing it wrong. The job is scaring people, and acting is a *part* of it. Too many haunts are getting caught in the trap of trying to get great "acting" and are seriously losing sight of the scare.

If you and your actors can understand the difference between acting and haunted house acting, you will do great.