Notes For Actors

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Notes For Actors
HOW LOCATION WILL INSPIRE YOU

HOW LOCATION WILL INSPIRE YOU

Miranda Harcourt's avatar
Miranda Harcourt
Jul 29, 2022
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Notes For Actors
HOW LOCATION WILL INSPIRE YOU
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I always encourage actors in rehearsal to visit locations that will feed into the creation of the character. It is a great exercise for writers and directors as well.

Spending time in the the locations you will actually be shooting in is really useful.

But the spaces and places you visit do not have to be the places the character occupies in the film itself, just places that will help you define the backstory and nature of your character's experience. A cemetery where the character's father is buried, or the pawnshop where the character had to sell their surfboard, way before the story began...

This is the secret occupation of a public space. You are hiding in plain view. A library. A pharmacy. A supermarket. A concert. Here, everyone has their own journey and objective, freeing you to test your character responsibly and safely.

Australian actor Hattie Hook did this exercise recently. Here's my interview with Hattie about preparation she did for a role she’s now completed.

Hattie Hook

USI…

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