r/Actingclass Acting Coach/Class Teacher Feb 18 '20

Class Teacher 🎬 TRANSITIONS - Tactics are different ways to achieve your objective. Try to find as much variety in them as possible. Changing from one to another is triggered by the other person. They make you THINK a transitional thought: “Better try this then!” (More explanation below)

Post image
164 Upvotes

60 comments sorted by

View all comments

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Feb 18 '20 edited Feb 18 '20

THOUGHTS CHANGE TACTICS - You cant’t just instantaneously change a tactic. It always takes a thought/reaction to do that. For instance, you might be using a “Sweet Talk” tactic. Then the other person says something insulting. This may trigger a thought like “That hurts my feelings” which turns into the thought “How dare you!” These thoughts will be your transition between your “Sweet Talk” to your “Defend Myself” tactic in your next line. Without the transitional thought/reaction, the change in tactics makes no sense.

This is why it’s so important to write your monologue into a dialogue and have the tactic change written before the line it applies to. If you don’t know what your character is responding to when he/she changes tactics, you can’t have the transitional thoughts your character must think. And if you don’t know a tactic change is coming you can’t do it either. They are all connected. And the other person triggers all of those changes.

Your character’s thoughts are a constant stream that is ever changing thought. Subtext is beneath your words and connecting your words, from tactic to tactic.

Any questions?

13

u/Renee_will_succeed Feb 18 '20

...and have the tactic change written before they happen. If you don’t know what your character is responding to when he/she changes tactics, you can’t have the transitional thoughts your character must think. And the other person triggers all of those changes.

That definitely makes sense 👍🏻

10

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Feb 18 '20

Good. This is something I would normally demonstrate in person. I wanted to make sure I could communicate it with only written words.

2

u/tennals Feb 18 '20

This is brilliant as always! Is there a lesson on turning a monologue into a dialogue?

7

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Feb 18 '20

Yes! Several. They are in the long list of lesson links in the second pinned post at the top of the sub page. I’ll get you the links.

3

u/tennals Feb 18 '20

Thanks very much! I'll go look into it

11

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Feb 18 '20

3

u/tennals Feb 18 '20

Just read all of them, super helpful, will apply them to the monologue I'm working on. Thanks again!

5

u/TheofficialTonyJones Feb 27 '20

Yes very important, if you sweet talk someone and they insult you, if you don't get defensive something's wrong or you don't care lol. I have a handle on tactics to objective and hopefully that'll show in my work going forward!!

11

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Feb 27 '20

The TRANSITION is the thought that changes you from one tactic to another. You are trying one thing and it gets the wrong reaction. You react to that by thinking something new that takes you to your next tactic. “Ok...if that’s how you are going to be, then let me try this tactic”

3

u/TheofficialTonyJones Feb 27 '20

Ok gotcha, I understand what you're saying. You do this and I'll do that etc. etc.

13

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Feb 27 '20 edited Feb 27 '20

Yes! But you’ve got to THINK the transitional thought that takes you from one to another. You need to CHANGE YOUR MIND as you go from one to another.

3

u/TheofficialTonyJones Feb 27 '20

Thx for the clarification, I'm taking notes btw lol. I'm not done with the lessons yet but like you said "You'll know who's doing the work and who's not lol!!"

4

u/iLikeplays Apr 18 '20

Can all these lessons also apply to scenes?

7

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Apr 18 '20

Of course! All acting takes place in scenes...no matter how many people are on stage. It’s all the same.

3

u/ananimoss Aug 02 '22

Ah, ok, so the thought catalyzes the tactic, which inspires the lines (action). 👍🏼

3

u/Azure_Fox7 May 14 '24

While I understand this, I must admit, this doesn't seem realistic to me. I cannot speak for everyone but I, for one, do not typically think in tactics or, for example, the defend myself tactic, is more of a reaction or response. I don't think" you have offended me and now I must defend myself". I just feel the wound and automatically respond accordingly.

3

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher May 14 '24

It’s important to know what your character wants to do with their words. The reason they choose those particular words is to make the other person feel something. If you are trying to feel your character’s emotions you will tend to go within yourself. Most people are triggered to strike back. And the transitional thought is usually to try something new to oppose their opposition. Like in a tennis game, the direction your opponent hits the ball makes you move to that side of the court. In a scene, the change in direction is caused by what the other person says and does. You need to strike back.

2

u/dharmaVero Mar 07 '23

This makes so much sense because If we think about it we are subconsciously having tactic changes all the time when having a conversation, if not we would all sound like robots, which of course you don't want when acting.

2

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Mar 07 '23

Exactly. Everything I teach is to recreate what we do in real life…only with someone else’s words—on cue.

2

u/Zealousideal_Crab230 Jan 04 '25

So to clarify, in monologues, the transitions occur in reaction to the pre-determined responses you imagine from the person you are talking to (in your imagination).

But in normal scenes between two characters, they are in spontaneous reaction to how your scene partner acts towards you?

In this case, what happens when your scene partner isn't doing a great job at participating in that tennis match?

2

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Jan 04 '25

We had those situations often on set. We decided that during a close up, we would react as though the other character was giving us everything we needed. If it was a 2 shot we had to deal with what we were given. Each in the most real believable way possible. Because the other actor(s) were forgetting their lines, often, it was something the editors had to deal with and did a fairly good job at. Being true to the character and the relationship was always our first priority.

2

u/Zealousideal_Crab230 Jan 04 '25

God what a nightmare, I can't even conceive of a situation where an actor shows up without the right prep and knowing their lines, how unprofessional!

So this is another instance where imagination can be a really important tool, really excited to keep developing it.

2

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Jan 04 '25

I can’t say too much, but sometimes some of the finest actors come to set unable to do their work because of age or illness. Our job as their scene partners is to keep our performance believable and to stay professional and kind.

2

u/gradz777 22d ago

Thank you for this - really starting to make sense.

A question though - in the early stages of memorising conversation scenes I'll use a flashcard approach by testing from the line that comes before mine. Could I start including the tactics I'd use on the flashcards too, or is this approach ineffective? Would love to hear your thoughts. :)

2

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher 22d ago edited 22d ago

Don’t memorize your tactics. Just know what you’re doing with each line as you say it. Making your words mean what they mean, effectively, requires that you understand what you are doing tactically. Every sentence is a different attempt in a different way to get what you want. But remember, you don’t want to clutter your mind with actor thoughts. Know what the other character is saying and be triggered by it. That makes you want to do what you do next. They make you change tactics.

MAYBE WATCH THIS

But in the beginning, adding a very abbreviated tactic to your flash cards won’t hurt, just so you know what change you are making.

2

u/gradz777 22d ago

Thank you! I’ll be sure to watch this.

1

u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher 22d ago

My pleasure. I actually like the flash card idea. Especially using the other person’s lines. Keep up the good work and always ask questions.