What NOT To Say To An Actor: Part 2

We asked the directors at RocketJump what you should never say to an actor. We got some funny stories and some interesting answers.

And don't worry, this is just the beginning. There is no "one" way to teach everything about being director... so we plan on interviewing a lot more of them.

Got questions for us about directing? Ask us HERE:

Watch Part 1, from the actors' perspective:

Featuring
Freddie Wong
Matthew Arnold
Dez and Benji Dolly
Jon Salmon (5 Second Films)
Clinton Jones (The Pwnisher)

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[UnknownMasterPublicX]

"Don't quote me on that"- Freddy Wong

[RichestGreen]

Love this video. Spot on. I took an acting and directing course this year at University and my professor said a lot of the same things. For him, the biggest don't is to use adjectives to tell an actor how to act. Don't say things like "be sexy" or "be happy". Instead, give them a playable action verb. For example you could tell your actor to "seduce" or to "flirt" with another character as a way to get them to "act sexy" while also maintaining the authenticity of the performance.

[Hobbies]

Every Director should read "Directing Actors" by Judith Weston. What a great book that teaches Directors the Actor's vocabulary with which they learned their craft, and how to communicate to Actors in ways they will comprehend, versus how the Director wants to communicate an idea. She really shows Directors the words and techniques needed to most effectively say to an Actor what is needed in this performance, what change needs to be made, and how to enable the Actor to bring to the performance what is needed. That book is worth its weight in gold.

[Payajowy]

make one of "what not to say to a director!" :D

[algi]

Got it, they're like horses. That's what I'm going to memorize from this video.

[HaloUnion]

Well said. I've heard a lot of film schools or books suggest really odd directing techniques and phrases to avoid which I think is a little crazy. There's not any one right way to direct and I think it's something you sort of just have to figure out for yourself, to a degree. Love everything they say in this video.

[ChristopherLChavers]

Thanks Freddie! Now I'm scared to direct cause I think an actors gonna lose it, kick me and break my neck 😰

[thrillhouse_vanhouten]

"It is what it is" is the such a bullshit phrase to say to anyone under any circumstances.

[g.m.cuesta]

what TO say to an actor: "Freddie, your hair is f$cked up."

[bbbnnnlll]

The cute guy in the purple shirt sure took a long time to explain how to give concise direction. :P

[natecushing]

I really love the smaller videos that show little tips and tricks to make shooting and on-set processes go smoother. Keep those up! One thing that hasn't vet been covered on this channel yet that I'd love to see is props and how to design/create complex ones.

[MerguezStudio]

"I really enjoyed this video and I'm leaving a comment hoping that people notice my channel"

That's 2/3 of the comments and I'm guilty too. Great video guys!

[JonnyBurkholder]

These aren't just good directing tips, these are good leadership tips. Anyone managing people can benefit from this video

[OCUBOX]

It is what it is! XD lmao, cause that's a crushing thing to say!

[lizbertran]

The advice given by this educated, talented group of youthful Directors was excellent. They continue to learn from their experiences and continue to learn with open minds as they go. Some of the points that stood out to me were, "Don't over direct and talk too much." I agree with this. As a retired public school teacher, it took me years to learn not to talk too much because I am a talker. As Jon also pointed out, give them the basic direction and blocking and then let the actors take it from there. Most actors are ready to go!

[RolandMcGruner]

my 10 year old cousin responded really well with directions like "more curious, less sad", I think if it works for kids it works for adults. Just use the simplest instruction needed.

Obviously you can give a more complex input into the Adult™ upgrade model, but why would you drain it's CPU when you can just be more direct and simple?

[dallasdandigitalproduction]

i agree with alot of whats said here. Be confident. Know your story and what you want in it. .Be honest with others.Be open to the unexpected;lots of great things can happen when least expected.Creating an atmosphere of trust and respect for everyone is also important.

[franklyroamingtravel]

this is very eye opening, thanks! this series is better than my film school sometimes, amazing technical and artistic guides. Keep it up guys!

[vanguardanon]

Alfonso Quaron directs in a very unique style. I always remember an actor saying they done their first few takes with him and recieved no direction between the takes. So they approach him and ask how they were we doing and he simply replied "what do you think?"

[ohitsjusttrips]

at least I don't ever have to direct any actors on my style of videos hahahahaha.
It is still nice to know what not to say when the time comes to be a director