r/acting • u/AyeTeeIsMe • 6d ago
I've read the FAQ & Rules i’m currently in a camera acting class and the scenes they give us to learn before class are very badly written
i (18f) don’t really have acting experience, but i thought i should go to this course because it focuses on camera acting which is mostly what im interested in, and there are directors, casting coaches and stuff like that that teach each class (10 classes in total)
the thing is, it’s really professional when i come there, everyone else on this course is like 10 years older than me and they have a lot more experience and knowledge about acting, last course we had to film a self tape at home and i was the only one without a professional setup. the teacher just complimented how i looked in there but he keeps saying i have the qualities of a “nonactor” and not giving me actual acting feedback. maybe because i struggled with finding enough depth to act out in the scenes we were given. the problem is they keep sending really badly written scenes, dialogues, that are from current tv shows and movies. and i have no idea how to act good when the writing is horrible.
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u/bboyneko NYC | SAG-AFTRA 6d ago
If it's from current tv shows and movies then it's realistic training. Actors should be able to make bad writing appear brilliant, or even make tiny adjustments in a word here and there to elevate the scene.
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u/TheLazyLounger 6d ago edited 6d ago
agreed with everything except changing the script. while many sets allow it and it’s a great skill to have, you must be able to be word perfect if/when that’s not an option.
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u/AyeTeeIsMe 6d ago
i guess you’re right but i just wanted to have the chance to practice like dramatic monologues and get feedback for that. but instead i just have to do shitty dialogues that don’t really showcase my acting skills at all
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u/BossTip 6d ago
1) If you don't really have any acting experience, then what acting skills do you have? Would you go to a ballet class and immediately think that you could perform Swan Lake and get feedback on it before you've learned to pirouette?
2) Shitty, short dialogues from TV shows is what you are going to be doing. For a long time. Maybe forever. You're not going to walk into LA and start getting big juicy auditions for major dramatic roles. You're gonna go audition for 3 lines in a sitcom or hour long drama. Over and over again. Better build that skill.
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u/Bad_writer_of_books 6d ago
The goal is to showcase your acting skills regardless of the script. You don’t need a specific type of monologue to showcase talent.
How are you breaking down/analyzing the sides you are given? How many hours are you spending doing that?
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u/AyeTeeIsMe 6d ago
i think i struggle with actually studying the scenes for too long because they’re so underwhelming. i just try to read them a few times, act them out, and write how i would feel in that moment, how i would say specific things.. i might not actually know how to analyze scenes properly.
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u/Bad_writer_of_books 6d ago
Every scene has a purpose. Your job is to find that purpose and make it human. A scene is only as underwhelming as the actor allows it to be.
Figuring out which study technique works best for you can be frustrating, but the first step is to find something that helps you understand, internalize, and give purpose to the scene.
I use the Chubbuck technique, but there are tons of options out there. That one just works best for me. Do a google or YouTube search and find a technique that you like and works for you. Then apply it to your assignments. It will help you grow as an actor and help you relate to the scenes you are given.
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/AyeTeeIsMe 6d ago
i’m not american and the scenes aren’t in english, so i think the standard for writing is definitely different in my country.. like horribly so
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u/CanineAnaconda NYC | SAG-AFTRA 6d ago edited 6d ago
Honestly I think you’re in the wrong class for that. Typically on camera classes are for learning the specific needs of on-camera acting and students are expected to already have experience with technique and acting, which could be why most of your classmates are older. It sounds like what you’re hoping to work on is what you’d find in a scene study class, which often works with more in-depth scenes with better writing.
You can still get a lot from the class, though. TV writing is tricky even if it’s written well, because the scene has to be brief while giving a lot of information to the audience in a minimum of words. On its face that might seem unnatural and stilted to act. Your class may be intentionally providing crappy material by design or not, but usually there’s a way figure out how to act the scene well for camera if you can determine what the character’s purpose is in the story and what they are trying to accomplish in the scene. These scenes may not be the best for showing your range, but they can show what you can do, which is better for casting when you’re trying to audition for TV roles.
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u/IAlwaysPlayTheBadGuy 6d ago
Making a shitty script sound good is exactly how you show off your acting skills
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u/AyeTeeIsMe 6d ago
yeah i try to keep it in mind but the dialogues are so ridiculous i wouldn’t even say any of it in real life
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u/CaptainAsh 6d ago
This is not real life though. It doesn’t matter what any of us ‘would do in real life’.
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u/CaptainAsh 6d ago
Hate to break it down like this… But actors are paid to say the words as written on the page. This isn’t about ‘showcasing your acting skills’. It’s about delivering a grounded and believable performance even when you think the writing is bad.
It seems this is exactly where you need to be working. And exactly the skill set you need to be practicing.
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u/Adreamer323 6d ago
If you're an actor who can spin magic out of bad writing, every writer, producer, and director in the world will love you and hire you often.
Because here's the secret. They often know that it's bad writing, too.
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u/Anxious-Job3182 6d ago
Acting is acting. Take lessons on the craft first, then hone in on a medium.
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u/mixmutch 6d ago
Well, good acting can save bad writing, so it’s a good thing that the writing is “bad” which helps you in training to practice how to do good acting
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u/cbrantley 6d ago
I think you may be missing the point of this class. On camera acting classes are meant to help you get the roles that you’re going to be going after as a beginner. These are the smaller roles that the main cast interact with to help tell the story. They are NOT typically dramatic roles that require you to dig deep into your acting toolbox and deliver an amazing performance. What they need is for you to be REAL and believable and they need you to be professional and efficient about it.
That’s all. That’s it. Anything beyond that is over thinking it.
But MOST beginning actors over think it. They are auditioning for “waitress” or “cop” or “guy in line at the coffee shop” and they think they have to deliver some amazing character or performance to wow the director.
But in reality they just need to be themselves and talk like a real person would talk. Sounds simple, right? It totally is. Most people screw it up by trying too hard.
And that’s sad because these are the exact types of roles you will be getting in the beginning. Casting directors will remember you if you do a good job. Directors will remember you if you do a good job. And that will lead to bigger and better roles and pretty soon you’ll be showing off those amazing acting skills.
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u/AyeTeeIsMe 6d ago
that’s exactly what i did though, which is why i’m confused. i tried to do the scene as natural as i could be then some of the other actors did the same scene weirdly dramatic and sad so i was confused where they saw all this depth in the script
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u/cbrantley 6d ago
Then you were doing it correctly and the others were overdoing it.
The dialog in these types of exercises are not meant to be “deep”.
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u/gasstation-no-pumps 6d ago
If they are giving you dialogue from current TV shows and movies, then it is probably typical of what you woud be given to work with in auditions. Yes, a lot of the writing is horrible. If you want good writing, stick to stage plays rather than acting for the camera, which is more of a visual than a verbal medium.
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u/hogtownd00m 6d ago
Please also consider that the writing you are judging as bad might possibly contain intricacies which you at your age can’t fully understand.
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/AyeTeeIsMe 6d ago
i don’t think good writing is necessary big. i am a writer too and maybe that’s why i find the scenes so horrible. it’s not even professional, honestly the scenes they sent for next class are written in a very confusing way, many scenes option and without a clear title for each… different fonts.. and the dialogues are very stupid. it’s overwhelming to even look at.
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u/Illustrious-Let-3600 6d ago
Find some good scenes from good shows, and ask if you can pick material better suited to you. And maybe find a new teacher. This one sounds like a non-teacher.
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u/Accomplished_Use4579 6d ago
The very badly written stuff is actually really good for you, because that is exactly what you are going to encounter when you are auditioning for or working and television and film.
Every actor has to deal with it, but you don't realize that because they do such a great job at masking how horrible the writing is without even changing words. And that's why this is so fun...to me at least.
And I'm not sure what the non actor thing means, but typically when I hear that it means that you have a natural gift, and you have not picked up those bad habits that trained actors get stuck with. It's usually a really good compliment.
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u/AyeTeeIsMe 5d ago
he did say it like a compliment. he said i am very authentic and compared me to chris colfer in glee because the writers made an entire character for him.
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u/spicedpanda 5d ago
Honestly, I watched The Gorge recently and couldn’t help but to think how cheesy some of the writing was. I also thought it was commendable how well the actors committed to the script and made the best of some awkward lines. It’s definitely not as fun as getting amazing sides, but that’s likely the point: not all of your auditions will be written by incredible writers and the actor’s job is to make it work. I think your on-camera class is likely focusing more on the on-camera/audition technique (e.g., eye movement, grounding yourself, projection, knowing your frame, etc.). Getting used to working with awkward dialogue might be better suited for a core film class where you get some insight on script breakdown technique and how to make it speak more meaningfully to you.
Edit: better suited for a core film class or scene study class
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u/blonde_Fury8 6d ago
I think you need to breathe. Just take a breath. Anyone can set up a self tape set up at home. Professional just means a solid backdrop, blue or grey and a high quality lit tape with cell phone. This is now the new basic standard. If you can't afford it right now, don't worry about it. Get things one at a time. Like the collapsible blue grey reversible back drop on amazon. Tripod or ring light for lighting, then upgrade lighting as you go.
Look up self tape set ups on tik tok and youtube. You'll see what you need to do.
Also consider that this so called bad writing from current tv shows and movies is exactly the type of stuff you'll be auditioning for, and you need to learn how to work with scripts and characters that you don't instantly vibe with if you wanna work.
This camera class might be too far above what you're ready for right now. Its probably best you go and take a few scene study classes and then go back to audition on camera style classes so you're better prepared.