This month's collection of acting-related thoughts and feelings:
"The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog."
Mark Twain - Writer of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"
Representation - In Acting:
It is with an air of caution and a strong sense of impostor syndrome that I write this newsletter.
"Who am I" as a working class, Caucasian guy to comment on this subject?.
At the risk of misstep-ping but with a purity of intention and a belief that open conversation is better than fearful silence I will offer my thoughts on this important issue in our industry.
There is much to say and much that has been said on this topic, my personal perspective is more of an emotional sense of morals and values rather than a data based summary of what is and what should be.
Much like my feeling on Great Britain leaving the EU:
"Surely we should include more people, not exclude even our neighbours?!"
According to the dictionary, representation is:
Representation (n.):
The act of speaking or acting on behalf of someone.
The depiction or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way, such as in art, media, or performance..
As Actors we are all seeking representation when it comes to working with a talent agency and having people who support our career.
Representation is also related to the diversity of people we see in the stories we are told or on the screens and stages we watch.
Some examples of the range of diversity are:
Race and Ethnicity - Differences in race and cultural backgrounds.
Gender and Sexuality - Includes all genders and sexual orientations.
Socioeconomic Status - Diversity in economic and social conditions.
Disability - Physical, mental, and cognitive disabilities.
Age - Inclusion of various age groups.
Religion - Representation of different religious beliefs and practices.
National Origin - Diversity based on the country of origin.
These are just some of many ways that people are "othered"!
Made to believe that they are "different" somehow, sometimes even less than in some way.
As babies we aren't inherently prejudice so maybe it is a learnt behaviour?
It certainly can't help if the mainstream media or social media shows us images of the same sorts of people being "good" and the same sorts of people being "bad"
For me the importance of representation in our society is most effective on younger generations, when someone can see someone else like them on stage or screen, it seems less of an impossible dream.
As Lupita Nyong'o says: "You can't be what you can't see. It is important to me to see someone who looks like me in the public sphere."
We can often feel powerless to change anything so huge as a cultural perception of other people, but we can ask questions of our fellow collaborators on the projects we work on.
Even when reading a script we can ask ourselves "who is being represented in this project, and who is not?.
"Who is being portrayed and how?
Asking ourselves and our fellow creatives these questions can support more diverse storytelling in future projects?
It seems that in my lifetime there has been progress in showcasing a broader spectrum of people on our screens and in our stories, and yet there needs to always be the discussion of art imitating life and life imitating art in as true a way as possible.
George Takei believes: "Our diversity is our strength. We are a better society because of our medley of races, religions, and cultures."
We are, after all, attempting to represent the whole human experience in all its imperfect glory aren't we?
In the stories we tell, whether by writing or performing, directing or editing, maybe thinking outside of our own bubble of experience we can expand and uplift the art form for everyone and for the generations that come after us.
Stay diverse,
& Stay Playful People!
The ABC of Acting
Acting Book Club:
I love this book!
If you are stuck in your creative process,
If you are losing faith in why you act,
If you need a reminder about healthier ways of working,
GET THIS BOOK!
Also his voice is amazing if you are someone who learns better by listening.
Send me your favourite acting book recommendations.
Please email: Connect@tomsawyeractor.co.uk
What's my motivation?
Our scene to be analysed this month is from Barry Jenkins' ‘Moonlight’ chosen by the prolific and excellent film maker Greg Hall.
Greg Hall is a British filmmaker recognised for his socially-conscious independent films.
He debuted with "The Plague" at 23 yrs old, earning acclaim from Mike Leigh.
Greg's work includes six feature films and various shorts, focusing on real-world issues and often featuring non-actors.
See Greg's IMDB profile here
Other links to Greg's work:
Greg says about the scene:
"Barry Jenkins ‘Moonlight’ is a modern day masterpiece.
As well as being a superb piece of cinematic storytelling through its masterful visual and audio choices, it is also filled with beautiful, realistic & heartbreaking performances.
The film is a masterclass in casting using three different actors to portray protagonist ‘Chiron’ at key stages of his life, each actor brings their own unique touch to his identity while all still feeling rooted in the same character.
The scene I choose also has the brilliant Naomie Harris playing Chiron’s mother Paula, it captures the painful complexities of addiction, desperation, parenthood and loss.
A remarkable film deserving of all its awards and acclaim."
Some context on the film:
"Moonlight" is a powerful coming-of-age drama that traces Chiron's journey through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood in Miami.
The film explores Chiron's struggles with identity, sexuality, and a troubled home life. Through themes of self-discovery, love, and resilience, Moonlight offers a deeply emotional and lyrical portrayal of a Black man navigating his place in the world amidst personal and social challenges.
Click on the video link below and then check my short interpretation underneath:
If you have seen this film, then you will remember this scene.
You might also remember the "Best Picture" award that moonlight won at the Oscars, that was initially, mistakenly given to "La La Land", oops!
For our analysis we will focus on Naomie Harris.
Trevante Rhodes (Chiron) does an excellent job of the fear and fury of his situation but Naomie is just unflinchingly brilliant in this scene.
As regular readers will know we never call the actors by their birth names as we are basically best buds at this point after watching the scene 100's of times, so from now on Naomie will be Nomio, because it's such a cute nickname.
Even how Nomio walks into this scene as "Paula" is so well observed!
The almost childish and fragile swagger of purpose and self destruction, perfect!
Throughout this scene Nomio effortlessly transitions between mad, sad and glad in the blink of an eye.
It gives us a sense of discomfort and unpredictability that suits the characters desperation an lack of control.
In acting it is quite common to seek a "want" in order to find a reason for the persons words and actions.
Here it is so clear that with every second Nomio is chasing a strong desire and adapting the tools to get that in every second.
The switching of attention and mood really do give off a red flag for the audience that this person is on the edge.
She manages to treat him like a lover, son, friend and tormentor all inside a 2 minute frantic exchange, that is no easy task for an actor.
The most heart breaking moment for me is when she demands he "go back to school" at the end of the scene.
It is the right thing for a mother to want from their child to be in school, yet everything about this scene suggests this isn't a "normal" mother/son relationship
There is something so stirring about this scene.
In an Interview with Barry Jenkins he described how shooting this scene was difficult for many personal and professional reasons.
The film is semi autobiographical and was shot on a relatively low budget, they didn't have much time with Naomie Harris so, time was of the essence and pressure was on when shooting each scene.
Apparently when shooting this scene it was going fine but Barry realised it wasn't hitting as he wanted, it was then he made the unconventional decision to have Naomie look straight down the lens (the way he had experienced this moment in real life) and that changed everything.
It puts us (the audience) right there in the narrative as Chiron.
So powerful!
Keep it Playful people!
Have a short scene you want to see analysed simply?
Click below to send link to scene:
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Thanks for your attention - stay playful people.
Tom
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