Performing a scene from Birdman was an interesting experience for me as it was something I hadn’t done before. The scene is between Mike and Sam, two actors who seem to have a friendly relationship and enjoy each other’s company. Sam appears to be slightly more interested in Mike and wishes to engage further with their relationship. Mike finds Sam on a rooftop ledge, then the two engage in an innocent game of Truth or Dare. In reality, the scene sounds like it should be a rather easy one right? Well, yes and no. When shooting the scene, there were a few difficulties I came across that affected my ability to perform up to standard. The main challenge I had was finding the enthusiasm for the scene. There was a struggle for me having to connect to the characters and the context. The characters I play tend to be more serious roles as that is what fits well within the style of acting I prefer. I am always open to trying new things out, but there was something about this particular scene that just wasn’t resonating with me. Even with a few weeks of preparation, I couldn’t get to the place where it needed to be in terms of performance.
It was supposed to be a sort of intimate scene between the two characters, but it turned out to be quite the opposite when shooting it on location. When looking back through some of the footage, it was clear to see which takes were better. Generally speaking, later takes tend to be better as having to act out the scene several times definitely assists with extracting the best performance out of the actors. In the beginning, I could see that I would be very tense and apprehensive of performing the scene. But as time went on and after a sense of direction was given, I managed to develop some comfort. However, the whole process of shooting a scene on location with a crew was exciting. Working in an environment like this is very familiar to me and also feels very comfortable. There is the enjoyment of working with a group of people in a professional manner who know what they are doing that entices me. Film is very much an industry that I would like to undertake in the future both on and off screen.
One key discovery that I have made from this experience is that this scene seems to have hit my weakness as an actor. Overcoming the barrier of discomfort was a bit of a hurdle I needed to get past, and a valuable lesson. A bit of advice I would say to myself is to just relax and enjoy it.
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