Just be is a very simple yet challenging exercise.
We all had to stand on our own and be focused on a spot in the room, be drawn to that spot and just be in that spot, relaxed and calm. It sounds very easy but when doing it it is not as easy as I thought in my mind!
You have to allow your body and mind to just relax in front of everyone in the class and not let your brain take over and make you feel awkward and uncomfortable just standing doing nothing. It is quite an un natural stance as it is not something you would do on your own.
My reaction to this exercise before doing it was quite indifferent as it sounded very easy and simple, during the task I tried to remain as calm and relaxed as possible, and I felt once I got into my bodys rhythm of being still and calm I felt at ease and did not feel awkward, even though in the back of my mind I could hear my thoughts saying 'this is very awkward and strange'
It is a very good acting exercise as it helps you to become comfortable and relaxed in your own body and feel you can stand in front of a number of people not really doing anything and still feel confident about yourself.
It also helps you to work well under pressure, with everyones eyes on you at all times it could feel slightly embarrassing but this exercise allows you to not feel embarrassed it just lets you be as you are no matter what you are doing. It helped my ability to focus on being relaxed, which to me is important when it comes to acting because if I am not relaxed and in tune with who I am, it would affect my acting abilities.
How can you apply any of todays exercises to your scenes?
I can apply todays exercises to my scenes as they have taught me how to be more comfortable and in tune with myself being relaxed in front of other people in such an uncomfortable situation. In my scenes I can now feel even more comfortable with my group and the rest of the class as an audience.
The exercise we did today when we had to fixate ourselves to different spots in the room and be drawn to them will help me in my scenes as it required determination from within to reach that spot even though it was only me telling myself to get to those spots. I also feel a lot more playful after the exercises we did today which will also enhance my acting abilities in my scenes. All the exercises today can be applied in my scenes as they were all to do with trust, honesty and being comfortable with yourself.
Your Blog is excellent. You are analysing your work at clear distinction level so please keep this up. I particularly like your response to the exercise - this displays insight and maturity.
ReplyDeleteTo improve your Blog start adding the research you are doing.
To improve your scene: you are now working in an explicitly political style. You therefore need to think about what it is you want the audience to DO once they have finished watching you. How can you communicate to that audience to make sure they do that? Does distancing the issues by setting it in America in the past help you? If it does, how are you showing the audience things that they can apply to the UK, now?