Unit
Virtual Acting for the Camera
Created by Ruthie Tutterow
4 lessons
acting
The unit is adapted for a virtual environment.
The purpose of this unit is for students to know the differences and practice skills for film versus stage acting. They should also know the basic vocabulary of acting for the camera. It will also be helpful for them to get practice in editing. By seeing both sides of the camera, they will gain valuable experience in seeing what works from both the producing and acting side. Students will be able to see and reflect on their work.
Start here
The overview lays out the objective, equipment requirements, lesson format and assessment plan for the unit.
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1Lesson 1Differences Between Stage Acting and Film Acting & VocabularyStudents will be able to identify some of the major differences between acting for the stage and the camera. They will also be able to understand and use vocabulary that is specific to working on film sets and acting for the camera.
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2Lesson 2Exercises in Acting for the CameraStudents will watch some of a workshop in acting for the camera and do some exercises that help them practice some of the differences between stage acting and film acting.
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3Lesson 3Finding Your QualityAfter discussing the essence and quality of their favorite actors, students will record themselves having a conversation. Then they will transcribe their conversation and perform it as a script. These “scenes” will be recorded. Students will then be assigned to describe the “quality” of a fellow student.
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4Lesson 4CommercialsStudents will act in and direct a commercial. They will break down a script into shots to “cover” the script. They will also format a script into video and audio. Actors will need to hit marks, make a point concisely, and hit the time format of the commercial. They should use the acting techniques for film as much as possible. Students will also need to think creatively to work in socially distant circumstances.
Standards Addressed
Critical Thinking & Reflection
- TH.68.C.2.1 Use group-generated criteria to critique others and help strengthen each other's performance.
- TH.68.C.2.3 Ask questions to understand a peer's artistic choices for a performance or design.
- TH.912.C.1.3 Justify a response to a theatrical experience through oral or written analysis, using correct theatre terminology.
- TH.912.C.2.2 Construct imaginative, complex scripts and revise them in collaboration with actors to convey story and meaning to an audience.
- TH.912.C.2.7 Accept feedback from others, analyze it for validity, and apply suggestions appropriately to future performances or designs.
- TH.912.C.3.1 Explore commonalities between works of theatre and other performance media.
Historical & Global Connections
Organizational Structure
- TH.68.O.1.3 Explain the impact of choices made by directors, designers, and actors on audience understanding.
- TH.68.O.3.3 Discuss the collaborative nature of theatre and work together to create a scene or play, respecting group members' ideas and differences.
- TH.912.O.3.1 Analyze the methods of communication among directors, designers, stage managers, technicians, and actors that establish the most effective support of the creative process.
Skills, Techniques & Processes
- TH.68.S.1.3 Describe criteria for the evaluation of dramatic texts, performances, direction, and production elements.
- TH.68.S.2.1 Discuss the value of collaboration in theatre and work together to create a theatrical production.
- TH.912.S.1.6 Respond appropriately to directorial choices for improvised and scripted scenes.
- TH.912.S.3.1 Articulate, based on research, the rationale for artistic choices in casting, staging, or technical design for a scene from original or scripted material.
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