Kerry Beyer

HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUSTON

acting

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DEEP TERROR: UPDATE

Awsome shoot yesterday with Deke Anderson and Julitta Pourciau! We filmed the opening scene of the movie entirely in Russian. So great to work with a pro like Deke as the Russian submarine captain. Deke commanded the screen like a true movie star with a riveting, nuanced performance.

You may recognize Deke from Green Lantern, Army of Darkness, one of the voices in Halo Legends, or as one of Houston’s beloved acting coaches at his Next Level Acting Studio.

Julitta was great as the X.O., going head to head with the maniacal Captain.  The US NAVY recently allowed women to serve on submarines, and the decision has proved to be highly controversial.  I’m not sure if the Russian Navy allows women to serve on submarines, but I thought I’d take some creative license and cast a woman as the Russian Executive Officer. The onscreen tension between the two is palpable, as the submarine is in a dire situation.

Many thanks to Deke and Julitta, along with John Lansch and Kelly Burns behind the scenes to make yet another outstanding segment to this film!

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UPDATE 3/20/12

Still in production on a feature film… this is my first day off in 2 weeks. I appreciate your patience. A few more days of shooting and I’m back to my regular schedule.

Filming is going great, and we’ve covered an amazing amount of the script. John Lansch has put in an outstanding performance and was pictured wrapped last night.

Through the magic of FX makeup, John was aged 15 years for this production, undergoing 2 hours of daily makeup, plus camera test to make sure the makeup matched day to day. All in all it was a 3 hour process before he was camera ready. I’ll be posting some behind the scenes of the process soon! Big thanks to John for his participation in this film!

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WANT TO BE A MOVIE STAR?

…then act like one. No… I’m not talking about Lindsey Lohan, and her recent run in with the judge that revoked her probation.

I’m talking about the things movies stars do on screen that makes them movie stars…. or rather, what they don’t do. Know what that is?

Movie stars hold the frame.

What does that mean? It means that with nothing more than their face and their eyes, they can tell a story – holding STILL and drawing the camera, and the audience, into them.

See, when you move unnecessarily, you weaken your performance. You should only move for a reason. Especially when in your close up. The frame is so tight, that even an eyebrow lift is a huge movement on a 40 foot screen.

Many actors do to much… in film, all you have to do is think it, and the audience will get it.

I had the pleasure of working with two pros this weekend. I can’t tell you anymore about the film because I’ve sworn myself to secrecy – but let me just say, a new project is coming, with some top notch actors.

Anyway, it was a joy to watch these actors work. Take after take, they were a 100 percent spot on in their performance. The pacing was great, the performance was dynamic, and we played the entire scene in a two shot without cutting away. You have to be a solid actor to pull that off.

It was an emotional scene, yet every take the actor was dropping a tear on cue. Able to pop in and out of character with a split second’s notice. That takes discipline and focus. Knowing your character so well that you can get to “that” place immediately.

I see a lot of actors moving too much, and taking too many unnecessary beats. This is largely in part because the actor doesn’t trust themselves. If you don’t trust yourself, no one else will. Have the confidence in your work (and I am not talking about diva attitude here), I’m talking about confidence that comes from preparation and focus, to give a still, riveting performance that reels the audience in.

Do you want to work more as an actor? Then give performances that leave directors raving about your work.

If you can’t afford acting class, get a video camera, run scenes everyday… critique the scenes… work the scenes in tight close up. Practice  letting the camera come to you. Your performances and career will thank you.  Even if you can afford acting class, you should be doing that.

There are SO many great actors out there… good is not good enough. You HAVE to rise above the competition. You do so by working everyday to perfect your craft. It’s a lifelong pursuit. Enjoy the journey.