Mastering The Beat

Acting is a profession of timing. More specifically it is a profession of beats. The beat is the pregnant pause...and knowing how long to hold it. Knowing the silent spaces between words and sentences is crucial to any actor, especially a film actor. While a theater actor can still be considered great without paying much attention to the beat -- he or she can, after all, simply boom out his or her lines -- film requires a bit of nuance.

The beat is as nuanced as any line reading. Angry beats, brooding beats, pleasant beats -- they must all be explored if they are to be used adequately. Like an athlete who must suffer through trial run after trial run to perfect his or her performance, so too the actor. Of course, this is rather self-evident -- how does one get to Carnegie Hall? Yes, that's right: practice.

Practice takes many forms and can span a number of activities. In addition to cold readings and local productions, the clever actor may want to expand his or her practicum with a potentially valuable piece of equipment: the green screen. Yes, this staple of meteorologists everywhere has been coupled with an innovative software package so that you may actually play a scene with your beloved acting inspiration.

Innovative companies, like Yoostar, can help actors can how learn how to hit their marks, adjust to lighting prompts, and learn how to deliver their lines with the most iconic actors, in some of the most iconic films of all time. Though an education by proxy, it nonetheless stands as a useful tool for rounding out an actor's repertoire.

The beats determine the success or failure of an actor in any scene. Master the beat -- and the subsequent volley -- and you will be well-served in the future. Mind you, this is not meant to be a panacea for all acting woes. Indeed, a solid background in theater work would be well worth the time invested.