 How Good Am I So Far? | |
I just joined and wanted to say hi to all my new friends on this forum. I have a question and I'll try to make it brief but I have a lot on my mind.
I've been taking private acting classes for several months now, and I'm having trouble telling how good Im doing (I started with private classes because I have stage fright). My teacher has given me varying feedback, though i feel he is pretty honest and up front.
At the beginning he said I was "very open", which I took to mean I am an open book and its hard to hide my feelings, which is true. He told me I might be able to be pretty good at this.
Class involved me acting out a scene from Strange Snow by Stephen Metcalfe. After taking a class or two he told me I had come a long way from when I started. He also said he chose this character and scene because the character was very outgoing (I am more reserved) and the scene involved a wide range of emotions. I think I was being too reserved so he chose a very not reserved character.
The scene involves the character in a scene with a close friend, starting out as his gregarious, loud self, then easing into a very serious, intimate discussion. He said my rendition of the serious part was "awesome", though better for film than stage.
After a few more classes, he also said that he saw me as a "character actor", a Paul Giamatti type but that I needed a lot of work before I was ready for auditions. This sounded sort of contradictory to me but I am still a novice and not really sure what to think.
So, my question is, what should I make of this feedback so far? I tend to overanalyze things so an objective opinion would be great.
Also, I'm a graphic designer, so its very hard for me to switch to a creative medium in which I cant see my work (people in the field have told me its not a good idea to watch my acting on tape). This is driving me crazy though...is it the general consensus that its not a good idea to watch your performances, because it takes away from what you should be focusing on, the feeling and the moment?
Thank you for any comments or suggestions, I appreciate it!
Chris |