Here’s a scenario that happens quite often and if you’re not prepared to deal with it, it can haunt you for a long time.
You’re on set and you just shot a pivotal take in the film. The stars aligned, everything went perfectly, you were present, in the moment and you had full access to your emotions. This
was the best work you've ever done. The director tells you it was incredible. Pure joy!
Then you find out something went wrong – there was a problem with the sound, the
lighting cast a weird shadow – who knows, there are a myriad of things that can go wrong, and now you have to reshoot it. But you are so attached, so enamored with the take you just shot that you get frustrated, you get upset and you cannot imagine how you will ever be able to recapture the moment. The director you’re working with is not equipped to guide you and talk you through such moments in a productive way, so you’re going to recreate that take no matter what. You take a deep breath, center yourself and then you dive into the scene trying desperately to relive every moment but of course, it doesn’t work. The reason it doesn’t work is because now you’re in your head trying to recreate, instead of living in the moment. You can never recapture any moment in time just as you can’t relive the past. You can revisit the past and learn from it, but you can only live in the present.
Don’t hold on to any take. Each take is its own entity. Move on and honor what you’re feeling in that new moment and never, ever compare it to the previous one.
KMaseng Acting Coach
One-on-One Coaching Los Angeles Portland Seattle
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