A round-up of approaches ro working with non-professional talent.
Posing
Although more to do with photography, these suggestions from Mango Street can also be useful when shooting video:
- Direct, rather than pose, your actor
- Straight lines suggest brashness, “masculinity”
- S-curves suggest softness, “femininity”
Blocking
StudioBinder‘s focus here is on visual character story through blocking and composition: how can the placement of your actors in relation to eachother reinforce their character dynamic? At their most thoughtful and effective, these considerations can enhance performances of all skill levels:
Verité
Director Roberto Minervini describes how building characters around the actors themselves creates a more immersive experience between director, actors and film (via TIFF):
Further Viewing
Compare and contrast these approaches with working with trained actors: