I ran into a few issues when beginning my Acting Workout. I realized that in order for me to analyze a whole script properly, I would need to print it out and seeing as I have no printer that works with my Mac--I adjusted the project to somewhat of a smaller scale. I took one of the Scene Books I have (Film Scenes for Actors by Joshua Karton) and chose a scene to analyze. I chose The Way We Were (Barbara Streisand, Robert Redford) scene where Hubbell returns unable to find a hotel so he stays with Katie.
I began with the 12 tools from Ivana Chubbuck's Power of the Actor. I haven't completed reading her book so I analyzed the scene with the steps I am familiar with: Overall Objective, Scene Objective, Obstacles, Substitution, and Moment Before. I did also use the the inner monologue breakdown (I would've attached that to this if my scanner was mac-friendly). Here is my script breakdown for the character of Katie:
Katie
Overall Objective: "To Be Validated"
Katie is constantly looking for her own validation in her political views. She always works hard and is serious in every aspect of life that she encounters. In her position she doesn't understand jokes because she is hooked on recognizing and spreading the truth in every situation. She turns to live vicariously through Hubbell seeing as he's had success in every area she has desired.
Scene Objective: "To Be Loved"
Because this is her second chance to convince Hubbell about her feelings for him. He is the only one who has seen her for more than just a running-mouth-political-stubborn-loner. He gave her the gift of companionship being possible with another human being. She fights to win his love through showing her commitment to be everything he needs in order to be successful: Supporting him (critques about his current book), pointing out his advantages (things come all too easy for Hubbell), making herself available for him whenever he needs it. She earns his love by her attention to detail about his life. Hubbell is amazed at how deep her commitment goes.
Obstacles:
Social Status: Hubbell is more of an upperclass man, serving in the Navy and is accepted by a variety of social cliques (for lack of a better term). Katie, a devoted protester for her political views, continues to find herself as the butt of the joke, taking everything personally and isn't accepted by anyone but a male companion who doesn't spark her interest for love.
Mind-Alterred State: Katie doesn't find herself involved in drugs, drinking, or even the common pills of asprin. Hubbell relies on drinking, even in a scene previous to this he is blackout drunk in Katie's bed and doesn't remember anything the next morning. Katie takes advantage of his drinking habits but it is Justified in the manner that it gives her 2 things: love and a human connection.
Political Beliefs: Katie is very heavily stubborn in her beliefs and thoughts; voicing them whether they're wanted or not. Hubbell, even serving his country, finds it difficult to continually commit to a belief. This gets in the way often in social gatherings with Katie finding many things too personal.
Personal Issues: Katie's Alone-ness has now turned into lonely despiration. Her life motto would be "When I think I'm doing my best, someone comes along and proves me wrong." In the particular scene, she admires Hubbell's writing abilities. She doesn't display any animosity or jealousy, but it's there. she's afraid of rejection if she really admits how she honestly feels--since everyone else has turned their back on her when she did get bitterly honest (she self-sabatoges herself later with that thought when Hubbell leaves after she expresses her dislike for the book, the movie, the move to Hollywood, etc.).
Substitutions
So after all the obstacles of rejection, despiration, jealousy, and etc. My first substitution choice would be an exboyfriend. It closely follows the line of the scene and gives the stakes a high risk situation. However, Ivana guides me to choose someone whom I need love from the most (Seeing as that's the objective). The one I need love from the most would have to be my mom. But--in a way, using my exboyfriend (seeing as soo much is still unresolved) it still may be better for me to use him to a degree since I am still searching for closure. If I were to do this for an audition (or for the faux audition exercise) I would try out both and see which would work best. I think the exboyfriend would fit better seeing as he could never be serious in a conversation, he continually got things with ease, and was, for the majority of the time I knew him, was drugged out.
I also have a substitution for some of the props listed: The book A Country Made of Ice Cream would be substituted by this bag of pictures, necklaces, trinkets I had of things my ex gave me. Everytime we'd meet (again similar to the movie), he would be amazed that I still had everything in good shape. For the quote "In a way, he was like th ecounrty he lived in: everything came too easily to him" I am substituting what I always used to say to him when he needed a reminder that I loved him, "You are better than you let yourself be." Maybe in a sense I was living vicariously through my ex to experience what a druggie lifestyle would be--similar to Katie's desires to feel validated and fit in.
Moment Before:
Before the interaction of the scene, my moment before according to the script is "to get Hubbell to prove his love by staying with me" objective because I went and spent my last penny on a great special dinner for the two of us. I finally have the one I love in my home. Now it's to inspire him enough to love me--with more than just charm and good cooking. Like they always say, the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. All my desperation and loniness finally can take a day off. Find his heart, get a happy night and life.
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Well, that's the character workup I did on it. Then my next obstacle occurred when I tried to find the film to watch. I ended up renting it from Hollywood video seeing as all the libraries don't carry it (the closest one was in Texas). I watched the scene, and it wasn't clear that her objective was to get Hubbell's love. The book where I took the scene from made the dinner scene and the cuddle scene flowing from one to the next. The movie showed them as two separate scenes which makes more sense. The first half allows for the audience to gain a better idea that she is stubborn in her political beliefs and sets the tone for a later scene where she says that she'll change and asimilate like others. The second half allows for the love to blossom more distinctly between Hubbell and Katie. Paying attention to the obstacles I picked up on, my choices were very close to how Streisand played Katie. But, that's just my interpretation.
Well, I did it. and I feel good that I completed it and I made some discoveries. It looks like day 3 will be Acting Workout Number 1 - Script breakdown WITH Faux Audition. That means I'll take a scene, break it down (much like I did today), memorize it and then video tape it as if it were an actual audition. Now this I put as a 2 day process (Much like how it will be for an audition) because I have to tape the other lines opposite of me. It is supposed to be for a scene I haven't already done/seen; but maybe I'll do this scene to see how it works. We'll see...
At this time, this concludes Roe's Report! Thank you for reading and please comment if I forgot anything!
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Katie is constantly looking for her own validation in her political views. She always works hard and is serious in every aspect of life that she encounters. In her position she doesn't understand jokes because she is hooked on recognizing and spreading the truth in every situation. She turns to live vicariously through Hubbell seeing as he's had success in every area she has desired.
Scene Objective: "To Be Loved"
Because this is her second chance to convince Hubbell about her feelings for him. He is the only one who has seen her for more than just a running-mouth-political-stubborn-loner. He gave her the gift of companionship being possible with another human being. She fights to win his love through showing her commitment to be everything he needs in order to be successful: Supporting him (critques about his current book), pointing out his advantages (things come all too easy for Hubbell), making herself available for him whenever he needs it. She earns his love by her attention to detail about his life. Hubbell is amazed at how deep her commitment goes.
Obstacles:
Social Status: Hubbell is more of an upperclass man, serving in the Navy and is accepted by a variety of social cliques (for lack of a better term). Katie, a devoted protester for her political views, continues to find herself as the butt of the joke, taking everything personally and isn't accepted by anyone but a male companion who doesn't spark her interest for love.
Mind-Alterred State: Katie doesn't find herself involved in drugs, drinking, or even the common pills of asprin. Hubbell relies on drinking, even in a scene previous to this he is blackout drunk in Katie's bed and doesn't remember anything the next morning. Katie takes advantage of his drinking habits but it is Justified in the manner that it gives her 2 things: love and a human connection.
Political Beliefs: Katie is very heavily stubborn in her beliefs and thoughts; voicing them whether they're wanted or not. Hubbell, even serving his country, finds it difficult to continually commit to a belief. This gets in the way often in social gatherings with Katie finding many things too personal.
Personal Issues: Katie's Alone-ness has now turned into lonely despiration. Her life motto would be "When I think I'm doing my best, someone comes along and proves me wrong." In the particular scene, she admires Hubbell's writing abilities. She doesn't display any animosity or jealousy, but it's there. she's afraid of rejection if she really admits how she honestly feels--since everyone else has turned their back on her when she did get bitterly honest (she self-sabatoges herself later with that thought when Hubbell leaves after she expresses her dislike for the book, the movie, the move to Hollywood, etc.).
Substitutions
So after all the obstacles of rejection, despiration, jealousy, and etc. My first substitution choice would be an exboyfriend. It closely follows the line of the scene and gives the stakes a high risk situation. However, Ivana guides me to choose someone whom I need love from the most (Seeing as that's the objective). The one I need love from the most would have to be my mom. But--in a way, using my exboyfriend (seeing as soo much is still unresolved) it still may be better for me to use him to a degree since I am still searching for closure. If I were to do this for an audition (or for the faux audition exercise) I would try out both and see which would work best. I think the exboyfriend would fit better seeing as he could never be serious in a conversation, he continually got things with ease, and was, for the majority of the time I knew him, was drugged out.
I also have a substitution for some of the props listed: The book A Country Made of Ice Cream would be substituted by this bag of pictures, necklaces, trinkets I had of things my ex gave me. Everytime we'd meet (again similar to the movie), he would be amazed that I still had everything in good shape. For the quote "In a way, he was like th ecounrty he lived in: everything came too easily to him" I am substituting what I always used to say to him when he needed a reminder that I loved him, "You are better than you let yourself be." Maybe in a sense I was living vicariously through my ex to experience what a druggie lifestyle would be--similar to Katie's desires to feel validated and fit in.
Moment Before:
Before the interaction of the scene, my moment before according to the script is "to get Hubbell to prove his love by staying with me" objective because I went and spent my last penny on a great special dinner for the two of us. I finally have the one I love in my home. Now it's to inspire him enough to love me--with more than just charm and good cooking. Like they always say, the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. All my desperation and loniness finally can take a day off. Find his heart, get a happy night and life.
----------
Well, that's the character workup I did on it. Then my next obstacle occurred when I tried to find the film to watch. I ended up renting it from Hollywood video seeing as all the libraries don't carry it (the closest one was in Texas). I watched the scene, and it wasn't clear that her objective was to get Hubbell's love. The book where I took the scene from made the dinner scene and the cuddle scene flowing from one to the next. The movie showed them as two separate scenes which makes more sense. The first half allows for the audience to gain a better idea that she is stubborn in her political beliefs and sets the tone for a later scene where she says that she'll change and asimilate like others. The second half allows for the love to blossom more distinctly between Hubbell and Katie. Paying attention to the obstacles I picked up on, my choices were very close to how Streisand played Katie. But, that's just my interpretation.
Well, I did it. and I feel good that I completed it and I made some discoveries. It looks like day 3 will be Acting Workout Number 1 - Script breakdown WITH Faux Audition. That means I'll take a scene, break it down (much like I did today), memorize it and then video tape it as if it were an actual audition. Now this I put as a 2 day process (Much like how it will be for an audition) because I have to tape the other lines opposite of me. It is supposed to be for a scene I haven't already done/seen; but maybe I'll do this scene to see how it works. We'll see...
At this time, this concludes Roe's Report! Thank you for reading and please comment if I forgot anything!
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"Good Habits, which bring our lower passions and appetites under automatic control, leave our natures free to explore the larger experiences of life."
~Ralph W Sockman
~Ralph W Sockman
Impressive work! I hope the exboyfriend is Ben...
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