(Part 2) Best acting & auditioning books according to redditors
We found 511 Reddit comments discussing the best acting & auditioning books. We ranked the 205 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
>I'm going to run an improv group at an adult mental health clinic. But I never did improv.
Not to be a stick in the mud, but are you sure this is a good idea?
If you absolutely have to do this, check out this book for games. But, please, give it some thought. That maybe trying to teach something you're not proficient at, with a group of emotionally vulnerable people, where you're asking those people to do necessarily emotional work, may be a volitile situation you're not totally prepared for.
I've been doing and teaching improv for over a decade and this is the kind of thing I would sit down and have a really long, careful, think about before I did it. What I did would also be HIGHLY dependent on what the patients were in the clinic for.
How to be the Greatest Improviser on Earth by Will Hines
I'm a big fan of status - characters raising and lowering each others' status in the things they do and say. This is nothing to do with their social status, job, money etc. The best example is Chandler and Joey in Friends - Chandler is most likely to lower someone else's status with a wisecrack, or lower his own status with some pathetic remark about himself; whereas Joey is most like to lower his own status with a comment that is dumb but that he doesn't realise is dumb. Very rarely would Joey be able to lower Chandler's status, and if he did, Chandler would probably realise it and make a self-deprecating comment thus raising his own status at least a little because people know he realises what is going on. Watch some Friends and see if you can track who's up and who's down, it can change line by line.
Here is a bit of text from Keith Johnstone's book Impro - if this makes sense to you then buy the book, it's one of the seminal books on improvisation and is great for character interactions.
When I began teaching at the Royal Court Theatre Studio (1963), I noticed that the actors couldn't reproduce 'ordinary' conversation. They said 'Talky scenes are dull', but the conversations they acted out were nothing like those I overheard in life. For some weeks I experimented with scenes in which two 'strangers' met and interacted, and I tried saying 'No jokes', and 'Don't try to be clever', but the work remained unconvincing. They had no way to mark time and allow situations to develop, they were forever striving to latch on to 'interesting' ideas. If casual conversations really were motiveless, and operated by chance, why was it impossible to reproduce them at the studio?
I was preoccupied with this problem when I saw the Moscow Art's production of The Cherry Orchard. Everyone on stage seemed to have chosen the strongest possible motives for each action—no doubt the production had been 'unproved' in the decades since Stanislavsky directed it. The effect was 'theatrical' but not like life as I knew it. I asked myself for the first time what were the weakest possible motives, the motives that the characters I was watching might really have had. When I returned to the studio I set the first of my status exercises.
"Try to get your status just a little above or below your partner's," I said, and I insisted that the gap should be minimal. The actors seemed to know exactly what I meant and the work was transformed. The scenes became 'authentic', and actors seemed marvellously observant. Suddenly we understood that every inflection and movement implies a status, and that no action is due to chance, or really 'motiveless'. It was hysterically funny, but at the same time very alarming. All our secret manoeuvrings were exposed. If someone asked a question we didn't bother to answer it, we concentrated on why it had been asked. No one could make an 'innocuous' remark without everyone instantly grasping what lay behind it. Normally we are 'forbidden' to see status transactions except when there's a conflict. In reality status transactions continue all the time. In the park we'll notice the ducks squabbling, but not how carefully they keep their distances when they are not.
Look to the right of your screen and down a little bit.
Based on your recent post, I feel like you're looking for a training program in book form. The UCB Manual is the most comprehensive and closest thing to that, but take it all with a grain of salt as at a certain point it does start teaching the UCB style. Novices may take some things to mean these are this-is-the-only-way-to-do-things hard and fast rules, but it's just the way to play their aesthetic. Be open to other possibilities.
Some books, like the recent Will Hines book or Napier's Improvise, are very good but I recommend them after you've done a bit of improv. Same with this, this, and this.
Johnstone's Impro is great for a peek into story-based
British style improv. His passages on status are invaluable.
I personally don't care for Huack's Long-Form Improv, mostly because at the beginning of the book he tries to distill all improv comedy down into an equation, which is way too simplified for my tastes. Improv Wins is a decent, breezy book, but I don't like how they pose scenario questions and then suggest that there is a "correct" response you should make. Still, if you can glean insight from a book, even an understanding of disagreement, then that makes the book valuable in some way.
The only real way to learn improv is to do it and not be afraid to make mistakes and missteps along the way. You will not get improv right the first time.
https://www.amazon.com/Bring-Nothing-Table-Level-Concept-ebook/dp/B07V33D7DG
There is a best selling book on the topic of gaining resources from men.
It's pathetic.
Read, read, read. Anything. Visualize what you read as though you're putting up a scene. Read some plays to see how playwrights tell stories. Watch your favorite sketch many times to understand the beats. What makes you laugh? Why is it funny? I "practice" by visualizing myself in movie or tv show scenes and how I would react or behave in it. There's a book by Viola Spolin that you might want to try reading: Theater Games for the Lone Actor
I'm afraid that you're probably not really going to get a fully detailed response on here regarding where to start as a playwright as most writer's processes are different, especially on the format of scripts as that subject seems to be up for debate recently depending on the theatre. Also, I believe I can safely make the inference that most successful playwrights aren't redditors (or if they are, they're probably not subscribed to r/playwriting, else this subreddit would be a little more active). However, what I can do is point you toward some great resources that are utilized by most every aspiring/professional playwright that I know.
Backwords & Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays by David Ball is a fantastic book for anyone interested in dramatic literature. This is a book that will guide you in analyzing plays (and any story really) with a concentration on the actions of characters, the consequences of those actions, and how they fit into the arc of the story. It does this by taking you through Shakespeare's Hamlet from the end of the play to the beginning, as opposed to Act I to Act V. This is an invaluable resource that is used by playwrights, dramaturgs, actors, directors, and most everybody working in the field of theatre. It is also a resource that is a staple in most theatre graduate schools.
Another resource that is generally agreed upon as a proper manual for the art of playwriting alone is Naked Playwriting: The Art, The Craft, And The Life Laid Bare by William Missiouri Downs. Downs takes you through the basics of crafting a play and exposes you to the various philosophies regarding processes with little personal bias. It's not a dry read at all and will guide you through the use of examples. It will teach you not only the standard formatting for dramatic writing, but also the pros and limitations of writing for the stage. This book has helped me significantly as a playwright.
A good supplementary text would be Audition by Michael Shurtleff. Michael Shurtleff was a very important Hollywood/Broadway casting director who discovered the likes of Barbara Steissand, Robert DeNiro, and Dustin Hoffman, as well as many others. This book is generally held up as the Bible for actors. Why an acting book, you ask? Most of the good playwrights that I know are also good actors, which points to the fact that the more you know about acting, the better playwright you will be. Not only will it familiarize you with the craft, but it will also allow you to provide opportunities for great acting within your work as a writer.
Unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with any good resources about writing for musical theatre, however the main principles of writing straight plays holds true for all musicals. I'm sorry that I couldn't provide you with anything more extensive or personal, but if you are serious about writing for the stage, these are the best resources I can give you. But if you want to definitely get better, there is nothing more important than reading as many plays and seeing as much live theatre that you can get your hands on.
Hope this helps! And good luck.
He meticulously saved and organized his hate mail.
A few examples:
I will sick my heavy wait cousin pig after you
You stick to Yankee Women
I'd run over you with my electric wheelchair
Definitely classes.
Also read Improvise.
I'm seriously considering buying his book, to be honest.
Improvising Now Rob Norman’s Book, coupled with the podcast the backline is a great resource. I have taken workshops from Rob and Adam and they know their stuff. They are masters of the craft.
How to be the greatest improviser on earth by Will Hines, coupled with his blog “improv nonsense” is also great. Will Hines is one of the most clear articulate thinkers in the improv world. He has the ability to distill the most complex ideas into simple bite sized packets.
Improvise by Mick Napier is a classic. Great for an intermediate player because his ideas and concepts come up all the time.
Podcasts worth checking out: Beat by beat, the backline, improv nerd, and the ask the UCB episodes of I4H.
I’ve read a lot of improv books, but those are the ones I love. Their usefulness never ceases.
I think you're on the right track, definitely spend time modeling and animating before leaving your current job.
I would recommend getting started doing modeling and rigging yourself (then feel free to use pre-built rigs and such if you want). This is basically just so you know what's going on behind the scenes of rigs you'll use in the future. Even if you never create a model or rig throughout your career as an animator at a studio (which many times may be the case), you'll have the knowledge to communicate with modelers / riggers to get what you need to animate.
For animation, I do think it's worthwhile to have some experience in 2D animation (a little easier to get started in and helps you practice fundamentals you'll end up using in 3D) Acting for Animators, Animators Survival Kit, and Drawn to Life are all highly recommended books for 2D animation. Oh, and good news! you can practice all the fundamentals of animation with stick figures!
On that note, I would highly recommend practicing drawing. Ctrl+Paint has some decent video things on drawing and painting. While you don't need to be Da Vinci to go into modeling / animation (I'm not great at drawing / painting myself) it does help to be able to sketch out quick ideas (concepts for models, storyboards, etc). Just a little practice each day goes a long way!
As far as 3D software goes, it depends on where you work what you'll use, but the fundamentals will all be roughly the same. The company I work at uses Motion Builder for our animation, though I primarily use Maya for any work (and I know plenty of people using 3DS Max, Blender, and other software for the whole process). Some companies may even use proprietary software that you have no access to outside of the company and will expect you to learn it after being hired. Just stick with whatever you use, learn it well and you'll be able to transfer that knowledge into whatever software you'll need in the future
TL;DR Take your time, learn some 2D animation, draw stuff, and learn a 3D modeling / animation program like the back of your hand.
PS. I know a lot of people say you don't NEED 2D animation, and I'm not saying you NEED to know it, it's just useful.
Continued because it was too long lmao
11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals.
I honestly really want to get into acting. I love movies and TV shows, and I really would love to start acting. For that reason, this book would be a great addition to my library and would probably teach me a lot.
This book also looks like it would be a good learning experience. :)
I found another great read! I'll pretty much take any acting books I can get.
12.) One of those pesky Add-On items.
Pop Funkos are honestly my go-to add-on item. Like this little fella, for instance. Adorable and affordable (did I just make up a saying? I do believe I did).
What's that? Ah, yes. Pops. The source of my broke-ness. Have another..
Oh, you think I'm done. HA. I'm too far deep to dig myself out of the hole that is my ever-growing collection of Pops. Infinity War just came out (no spoilers, I really want to see it but haven't gotten the chance yet), so how about this adorable Thor Pop? Who doesn't love Thor?
13.) Something fandom related. (Sports fandoms are acceptable- bonus if someone figures out my favorite team)
My favorite band happens to be Twenty One Pilots... and this is a pretty sick shirt.
I'm sorry, I'm still thinking about Infinity War from up above. I found a Thanos shirt that is honestly super cool. Like I've never seen it before and now I want it lmao.
I recently got gifted this absolutely gorgeous and cool Hawkeye T-shirt. It has BOTH Hawkeyes from the comics on it! Super cool.
14.) Something ridiculously priced, more than $10,000. They exist, y’all.
Who the absolute heck buys a $180,000 watch?! Not me, that's for sure.
I'm honestly not even sure what this is, but it's expensive as heck and you could put that money toward an ACTUAL CAR.
Y'all need a parking lift? I gotchu.
15.) Something with sharks or unicorns.
Who doesn't love socks?. Especially socks with unicorns.
You ask for sharks, I get you sharks.
Also no joke this is the cutest thing I've ever seen oh my gosh.
16.) Something that smells wonderful.
I have a cinnamon candle (not that exact one) and I absolutely love it to death.
Who doesn't love coconut lime? I know I love it.
Have you ever thought to yourself, "damn, I really like me the smell of cilantro"? Well, look no further.
17.) A toy that you wanted or had when you were a child that was the best ever, or (if it’s not on amazon) a toy that you think is pretty cool now (Funko Pops, etc., will count.)
If you never played Clue, did you ever really have a childhood?
Another cool toy I had was something like this cool tent-like bus. The one I had had separate sections that were detachable. It was super cool.
I know it's not technically a toy, but I used to watch The Land Before Time ALL the time. I still love that show. It's so, so good.
18.) Something that would be helpful for writers.
Just getting started on writing? Writing for Dummies is always a good place to start.
If you're writing (especially on a computer), you're gonna eventually need some Advil, whether it's from writer's block or a headache from staring at the computer screen too long.
I know it might not be considered useful, but I always thought an ink pen was super cool to have, especially for writers.
19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be.
I don't know why, but I suddenly really like Harley Quinn's character. I've been getting, like all the Funko Pops of her. I have a problem.
Oh gosh, you shouldn't have asked. I finally finished catching up to The Walking Dead, and now I want everything Negan related. Like, seriously, I just bought a bloody Lucille of my own. Someone stop me. Anyway, here's a cute little Lucille keychain that I've never seen before.
Another thing I really like is Kylo Ren, but I think you already know that. This BrickHeadz is adorable.
20.) Something that is just so random and weird that it makes you laugh.
This oh my gosh i am dying.
Also idk why but just the lady's posture and the huge heckin' bear is k i l l i n g me.
I don't know how I stumbled upon this weirdass thing but the more I look at it the funnier it is.
Also, this whole thing took me like an hour but it was so much fun. Thanks for the contest!
Dear Andy Kaufman, I Hate Your Guts!
Get these books by David Mamet:
Three Uses of The Knife, and True and False: heresay and common sense for the actor
Coaching choices can be frustrating to players. Often (but not always) it's better to help them find ways to play the choices they do make on stage. There's a nice discussion of that in Jimmy Currane's Improvising Better book, which is one of the few I know that covers (a little) issues around improv coaching.
For what it's worth, I've been teaching and coaching for a couple of years now, and the struggle of figuring out the right balance of tough notes and positive encouragement doesn't really go away (just have gotten faster at finding the right balance for different troupes and individuals). You mentioned that these are new troupes, and while new troupes are the first to say they want tough notes and have thick skins, the reality is that they're probably new to getting direct notes on their scenes, and you've got to ease them into it and give them plenty of positive encouragement as well. Otherwise, they get bogged down in trying to "not make mistakes" that they lose the sense of spontaneous play that makes for better (and more fun) scenes.
Whenever I get the sense that the notes are weighing down on folks, I go to some exercise that gets back to play and the fun that got folks into improv in the first place. For example, give the exercise where they're trying to get their scene partners to break and laugh during a scene. Or play a rousing game of loser ball that's fun and is all about mistakes and support (get in circle, 1. someone throws an improv/mimed ball to someone else in the circle. 2. they miss and everyone gives boo's and gives light hearted heckles. 3. they scramble to pick up the dropped ball and then hold it high in the air. 4. everyone goes crazy yelling "yayyy!!!" and cheering for them. 5. throw the ball to someone else (who will miss) and the game goes on).
A fun one that I love and have also given as a Secret Santa gift: 'How to Stop Acting' by Harold Guskin.
It's an alternative 'non-technique,' and also a nice followup if you think they may have already read more major Meisner and Uta Hagen books.
Here's one from the book Interstellar: Beyond Time and Space.
http://imgur.com/TWVYkPl
Object work is of course great. I like to pretend all the time when I'm walking down the street. But anyway, here is my token suggestion:
Theater Games For the Lone Actor by Viola Spolin Basically these are her games but geared around being done alone.
Edit: In addition, I'd like to point out that many of the games in subsequent books are developed from hers.
Funnily enough, that book (it's actually titled "Truth in Comedy") has been sitting on my nightstand for months. I just haven't gotten around to reading it yet.
Another good read, which I highly recommend, is Improvise: Scene from the Inside Out, by Mick Napier.
There's also a book by Graham Walmsley, titled Play Unsafe, which examines roleplaying games and improv in the same way I'm doing here. Also recommended.
Alan Alda warned against this
Another freebie that came up on the Mark Twain listing is:
William Shakespeare: The Complete Works (Illustrated)
https://www.amazon.com/William-Shakespeare-Complete-Works-Illustrated-ebook/dp/B07NCXYXPM
Hiya, not bad! It's always a bit tricky with "British" English because that could mean about a million things. I think you're probably aiming for RP though if you're mimicking Emma Watson. Two things to think about:
1 RP is a very forward accent, you want it to resonate around about the teeth or, in some cases, even in front of the lips. Practise this by starting a hum and moving the hum forward and back in the mouth. Listen to Emma or someone like her, Daniel for instance, hesitating (err, umm, etc) as that will be her neutral sound. Interviews are a good place to find this kind of natural sound.
2 RP has a distinctly fluid tune. Listen to people speaking but try and ignore the words, just listen to the music of their voices. Americans tend (with many many exceptions of course) to work on a staircase (I go along and then I go UP FOR A BIT AND then back down), RP speakers are more of a rollercoaster, we're very liquid.
You've got a lot of good sounds, particularly well done on not pronouncing your r's, that's tricky. Keep it up! If you want some resources, check out the Access Accents programme: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0713685042
And for native speaker examples, you can't beat IDEA: http://www.dialectsarchive.com/
Awesome, good for you. That is what I did in college, after two years, completely switched majors and went the theater route and am so glad I did. Don't let it overwhelm you. Get to know the people in the department, some of the best advice I got was from friends I made in the department. Also, get to know your profs. really well. Take them out for drinks or dinner or whatever and pick their brains. the best way to learn about acting is to watch as much as you can and do it. Work scenes with your friends even when you don't have a scene due for class. Study and perform monologues for your friends just for the fun of it. Just enjoy it and it won't freak you out. One of the best books I have ever read about starting out is called [ Audition] (http://www.amazon.com/Audition-Michael-Shurtleff/dp/0553272950) by Michael Shurtleff. It approaches acting in a very unique way and really teaches you how to introduce yourself to the character. Best of luck and most important thing - Have fun, don't give up and don't take it too serious.
I could not find any improv near you :-(
You might have to resort to http://www.amazon.com/The-Improv-Handbook-Ultimate-Improvising/dp/0826428584/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342298356&sr=8-1&keywords=improv
AND http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=improv&page=&utm_source=opensearch
Interesting read. I still find that sometimes in conversation I don't know where to go. I'm not really aware of these ideas and randoms feels/sounds/images/experiences/questions floating around in my head, so I need to try and identify and bring them out more in conversation I guess. It's weird: some people I fall into rapport naturally with, others I feel like I have to make a conscious effort otherwise there are too many long silences. I really want to work on building rapport with the latter because otherwise I feel that I'm putting myself at a disadvantage.
On a somewhat related note, I was recommended this book: "Impro" by Keith Johnstone. but I haven't got around to reading it yet. I'll feed back to the sub when I do, it might have some useful stuff in it.
Agree. Like the fear of heights, it doesn't go away. One just learns to trust their skills as one gains experience. Here is a great book for actors that applies to any kind of performer or presenter: [True and False by David Mamet] (http://www.amazon.com/True-False-Heresy-Common-Sense/dp/0679772642)
This one is also worth reading: I Bring Nothing to the Table: A Level Up Concept
Dear Andy Kaufman, I Hate Your Guts!
Highly recommended. It’s a collection of insults and applications Andy received after challenging women to wrestle him.
If you're taking the improv route, you may want to try The Second City Almanac of Improvisation or the Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual. Both really great improv 'guides'.
If your friend hasn't read Truth in Comedy, that's a serious must for any comedic performer.
My advice: buy The Improv Handbook. It's a good book in general, but it lays out a really nice syllabus and puts an emphasis on teaching.
This is really awesome Sammy. Thank you for putting it together!
One more to add: Theatre Games for the Lone Actor by Viola Spolin.
https://www.amazon.com/Never-Have-Your-Dog-Stuffed/dp/0812974409
Impro by Keith Johnstone is invaluable, and gets across what it needs to without veering into technical or academic language very much. Also, just a good read in general.
Available for pre-order here, releasing on 2014-11-07.
The ship probably went through several design iterations, because trailer-Endurance doesn't look like early-script-Endurance at all.
> INT. CAPSULE
> Cooper looks through the tiny porthole into inky blackness. As they get closer, he makes out a looming matte black structure that passes light from the stars directly through. In the center of the structure, Cooper can see a globe-like ship covered in the same refractive material: the ENDURANCE.
> ...
> INT. ENDURANCE, SPACE STATION
> Cooper and the others haul themselves into the ship. To Cooper's surprise, it's quite compact, and divided into two chambers, like nestled spheres.
The archetypal BBC British/English accent is RP, Received Pronunciation - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Received_Pronunciation
That would be a good one to learn because they teach it in UK drama schools so there are existing learning resources, like this one - http://www.amazon.com/Access-Accents-Received-Pronunciation-training/dp/0713685042/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253259741&sr=8-1 - I kind of doubt anyone is going to publish a TY course for estuary or brummie or whatever any time soon.
Also, if you can identify a particular well known news reader (e.g. Jeremy Paxman) or actor (e.g. Patrick Stewart) whose accent you like you can probably find a bunch of clips of them on youtube and start imitating them.
You should read his autobiography Never Get Your Dog Stuffed. Well written, very funny and touching. Tells you a lot about his early life and career. His second is also good but far more serious.
You'll make your lives a lot easier if you get a coach ASAP (even if it's just a temporary guest coach).
Player's attempting to direct each other (even for very experienced troupes) can lead to all sorts of drama down the line. I've been a part of teams where each week (or month) we rotated who was leading rehearsals. Some worked out great (the two where we all had at least a decade of performing/teaching experience and went into it with that plan) and others quickly became a dumpster fire.
My best advice while you're waiting for a coach is probably to pick up a book on improv theory or a book on on acting:
Mick Napier's - Improvise: Scene from the inside out, Bill Arnett's - The Complete Improviser, Viola Spolin's - Improvisation for the Theater, or something like Marina Caldarone's - Action: The Actor's Thesaurus are good places to start.
Then read it together outside of rehearsal and discuss the ideas in various chapters when you meet up - maybe try out a few exercises, but be wary of trying to direct each other: that's not your job, your job is to support each other on stage.
Heck, just reading a few acting books and really discussing them will put you guys leaps and bounds ahead of most improvisers.
No clue on the show but there's a book about it. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Interstellar-Beyond-Mark-Cotta-Vaz/dp/0762456833/ref=cm_cr_dp_asin_lnk
oh and a few more books I just thought of, don't bother with any other books than these as most of them are crap:
http://www.amazon.com/Force-Dynamic-Drawing-Animators-Second/dp/0240808452/ref=pd_sim_b_11
http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Characters-Personality-Animation-Graphic/dp/0823023494/ref=pd_sim_b_13
http://www.amazon.com/Stop-Staring-Facial-Modeling-Animation/dp/0470609907/ref=pd_sim_b_19
http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Worlds-Production-Design-Animation/dp/0240520939/ref=pd_sim_b_23
http://www.amazon.com/ILLUSION-LIFE-DISNEY-ANIMATION/dp/0786860707/ref=pd_sim_b_20
http://www.amazon.com/Drawn-Life-Classes-Stanchfield-Lectures/dp/0240811070/ref=pd_sim_b_7
http://www.amazon.com/Film-Directing-Shot-Visualizing-Productions/dp/0941188108/ref=pd_sim_b_24
http://www.amazon.com/Acting-Animators-Revised-Performance-Animation/dp/032500580X/ref=pd_sim_b_46
http://www.amazon.com/Vilppu-Drawing-Manual-Glenn/dp/1892053039/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330652274&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Artistic-Anatomy-Practical-Art-Books/dp/0823002977/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330652258&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/Draw-Looney-Tunes-Dan-Romanelli/dp/B0032FO6G4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330652405&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Bridgmans-Complete-Guide-Drawing-Life/dp/0517255464/ref=pd_sim_b_95
And this book two of my teachers wrote, it has a lot of the concepts from the Ringling course: http://www.amazon.com/Ideas-Animated-Short-Finding-Building/dp/0240808606/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330651988&sr=1-2
Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1WiCGq-PcY
And then read this book (you would likely find this book on pretty much every acting conservatory's reading list): https://www.amazon.ca/Audition-Michael-Shurtleff/dp/0553272950
The accent with the largest corpus of study materials will be RP - received pronunciation. There are lots of videos about it on youtube, and audio courses like this one.
Get a learning edition of Maya for free off autodesk's website, get some free rigs off creativecrash.com. Then you need Animators Survival Kit, Acting for Animators, then Timing for Animators. Then practice for years
Not on a very regular schedule, but yes. I'm happy to hear that -- now you simply must read Johnstone's books! :-)
Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre is his first book, and more "theoretical", I would say (that is, using improvisational theatre as a vehicle for expressing ideas that apply in many other contexts). It discusses (to repeat my other post) teaching, human interaction, creativity/spontaneity, storytelling, self-perception, among other things; it demonstrated (directly, to me) things about my own (creative) thought process, which is always fun.
Impro for Storytellers is his other book, which is more "practical" (that is, several chapters that are lists of exercises with discussion) and more focused on theatre, which is why I didn't name it initially. Even so, it's a great book to read even without ever performing directly, just to understand oneself and the process involved.
In a way improvisation has a lot to do with Taoism (as I understand them), and I appreciate them for similar reasons, like constant doublethink/unthink, living in real-time, and acceptance of the irrational/imagination (which is a surprisingly difficult thing).
(After you read these books, by the way, your opinion on them would always be appreciated. :-) )
Is this the book (Interstella) you are referring to?
http://www.amazon.ca/Interstellar-Beyond-Mark-Cotta-Vaz/dp/0762456833/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415599785&sr=1-1&keywords=interstellar
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
amazon.co.uk
amazon.ca
amazon.com.au
amazon.com.mx
amazon.de
amazon.it
amazon.es
amazon.com.br
amazon.nl
amazon.fr
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The first thing that comes to mind is "Audition" by Michael Shurtleff. A good chunk in there is how to break down a monologue in moments and beats although he's specifically talking about this in relation to the audition process.
If you've already gotten the part and are looking for another great book about the different parts of a script, or how to break down a monologue (from an Actor's view, but I think it translates to the writing process) I would read "Respect for Acting" by Uta Hagen.
Audition can be found here
and
Respect for Acting
Theater Games for the Lone Actor might help you do stuff on your own.
But finding/forming a practice group would be the best thing.
What level are you in?
I bounced around without a lot of clear focus until I read the book “How To Stop Acting” by Harold Guskin. Now I more or less practice the technique from that book on all my projects. What made it “click” for me was that it clearly described and gave a structure to things that I already recognized in myself. With other techniques I found they would often just lock me up or make me overly heady, but this one made me feel more like myself and put me back in contact with what I like about acting. Any system that works for you should make you feel empowered in the work you’re doing!
Link here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Stop-Acting-Revolutionary-Developing/dp/0571199992
These books have helped me a lot over the years.
Keith Johnstone - Impro
Sanford Meisner - On Acting
Laurence Olivier - On Acting
David Mamet - True and False
Ah yes, I've owned The Animator's Survival Kit for a few years now. Fantastic read, I've also been meaning to check out Acting for Animators. Sorry, I should've given more information about my level of understanding with animation. I had a mentor in high school that gave me a great headstart with animation. Thank you for the advice, very much appreciated.
Edit: Also, I just checked out your animation Circle Fury. You're very talented, bravo.
Not everyone.
This is a little unconventional, but bear with me: True and False, by David Mamet. Mamet is a playwright turned screen writer and True and False is essentially his treatise on the relationship between the actor and the script. He is writing primarily as a playwright to a stage actor audience, but if you take it with a grain of salt, and read a few of Mamet's plays as well, you'll get a sense for how important it is to write natural dialogue.