it doesn't take a rocket sience to become a great screen actor - Actors Forum is the Community to Talk, Learn and Study Acting.

mark27 · 12-13-2006, 03:50 PM

let me tell you about the mirror techniqe. i thought it old, stupid and rediculous and would never work. but im going to tell you it does. im going to tell you what happened when i used it one night. i happend to come home after doing some partying one night and their was a big mirror on the wall in the room i rented.
i happpened to look in the mirror and i took a real honest look at myself. i was studying james dean at the time like colin ferrell did. this is what did it for me. i was trying to look tough but in reality when i just happened to look in the mirror caught off gaurd i looked like a wimp who was trying to look tough, and instead of getting mad like alot of people would. laugh popped out. i laughed at myself deeply. a laugh that i had never felt before. thats what did it. iv seen marylin monroe do the exact same thing, but in front of al ive camara. her talent or instincts were exactly like james deans. is it talent ?or do these people just figure it out. no one really knows. i figuerd it out. my point is practice the stupid mirror techniqe.it really works.

cenobitehell · 12-15-2006, 04:57 PM

yeh it does.

sometimes you dont know how you look until you look at yourself

SWK78 · 12-23-2006, 08:24 PM

i look in the mirror quite a lot, even when i dont think that in reality i should care what i look like... like when i'm for real crying at something... once as i cried, i looked in the mirror... i saw how my face looked... and ever since i knew what i honestly looked like when i honestly cried--i thought myself a bit stupid for caring what i would look like had my fit of sadness been make-believe on camera--and ever since i read in my psych class that when people try to mask a feeling they use other muscles to cover it up, i've learned how to correctly manipulate my face. People mess up the fake look by maybe the way the nose flares, the lips, the eyebrow sinking in or up, and the cheeks, how the eyes close a little... one missing ingredient and its all fake....

If you're thinking about going into serious acting, take a psychology class or pick up a book on it at the store... It really helps... I read my entire 14 ch. 500 some paged textbook cover to cover, and not only did it help me ace my tests and my college exam, it opened up new ideas about the inner workings of different people. And since we actors play different people only and not ourselves, these things are good things to know and be aware of fully. It also helps you better decide who you truly are as a person, mentally/emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

SWK78

mark27 · 12-25-2006, 06:05 PM

No you don't know what you look like when you honestly cry. Belive me your not getting it. All acting is based on fear and intimidation. Your young aren't you. This is good. Yea I did do those things when I was your age. I read philosopy and political science books also. I'm
44 years old. Do you like dark actors or are you a happy person. Because if you are your not going to get or understand anthing I say. Mabe you like walt disney or sound do music. This is not a cut. Those are great movies. you sound like you might a have an above average intelligence. 36% of the population does. 64% are average. But you said you like to laugh. Try doing a serious monologue, and then as your reading it and trying to knock the audience dead, walk over and step in front of the mirror. try and catch yourself off gaurd. Because this is what does it. You need to laugh at yourself and I mean from the gut. So your not pushing or forcing yourself to laugh. If you can do this,it will change your perspective the way you look at people,things life in general. Real life is odinary mundane and sometimes boring. What goes on up their on that stage or silver screen Totally electric. Its like tapping into an oil well You will feel a change in energy also. You will know it if you can make it happen. And when it does you keep it and sustain it using your mind. This will give your stage presence, depth and make look very ineresting so they can't take their eyes off you. If you can get those ingreidients, you will we beat out the semi pro actors and be up with the big boys. time to go. good luck.

Russjns · 12-26-2006, 01:43 PM

I have never had much luck with the mirror technique, besides feeling insecure with myself. Does it really matter what you look like while you are acting? Isn't the point to "feel". If you truly "feel" what you are doing, then the audience will pick up on that and it will be so much more real than knowing what you look like when you feel, and then contorting yourself into that posture.

It just seems so technical to concern yourself with how you look....unless you are working on an impersonation or are simply curious with your appearance.

Maybe I'm missing a bigger picture here. I'm not a novice actor, I work professionally, but I don't get this mirror concept.

Fill me in if I missed the meaning behind this, or if we just disagree.

Markrmorris2 · 03-23-2007, 05:08 PM

This will lead to "externalizing" your acting. Check out Dramorama.com for some excellent acting tips. You must learn to work these things from the inside out, what was truly "tough" for James Dean won't work for you. It isn't about you finding a "look" its about finding the thought process that produces the external. When that happens the mirror will tell you. But remember the mirror looks at you only as hard as you look at yourself, the camera ,however, pierces through all of it!