Film and Television Acting, 2nd Edition

 

2

Listening and Reacting

 

 

 

I can’t prove it, but I would surmise that every child in the world at one time complained, “Nobody ever listens to me.” Experts are hired by large corporations to give seminars on how to listen. It is quite probable there would be no more war if people listened to one another. Listening is the vital first link in communication. Because acting is an artistic form of communication, one would think that actors were superb listeners. They’re not.

The Reaction Shot

We all know you can do a lot without saying anything in behavior.…You can do more with one eyebrow sometimes than ten lines of dialogue. If you can do it with a look, it might be better.

 

Robert De Niro

In the movies and television there is something ...