The Craft of Film Acting

Actor-teacher J. Patrick McNamara's curriculum-on-a-disc is divided into 13 lessons, delivered to a seminar audience of would-be thespians at assorted skill levels in a classroom setting. Lessons 1 through 4 address acting in general (Sanford Meisner's definition—“living truthfully under imaginary circumstances”—is favored), after which McNamara zeroes in on the promised topic: film acting, which carries its own set of rules and pitfalls distinct from stage performance. The avuncular instructor emphasizes that a cinematic actor should be familiar with the elements of the filmmaking process (editing, framing, close-ups, reaction shots) to function successfully in a movie milieu, occasionally illustrating his points with clips from the likes of On the Waterfront and McNamara's own co-starring role in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. An amusing account of how his casting in the latter (director Steven Spielberg felt McNamara might not be right for a part, but the casting director overruled him) supports his principle concerning the secret to winning every audition: namely, there is none. McNamara's advice for special situations on the set covers some good points but is rather scattershot. Collections already carrying the landmark Michael Caine: Acting in Film (VL-11/90) might also want to consider adding this. Recommended, overall. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)