The Meisner Technique - The Robert Winsor Institute

Sanford Meisner was an actor who became one of the three founders of the Group Theatre. The Group Theatre was largely popular in the 1930's. The Group Theatre was a joint effort that was started in New York City by Sanford Meisner, Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler. The primary purpose of the company was to provide the opportunity to explore and create dramatic theatre in a systematic and deliberate manner based on the acting technique developed by Constantin Stanislavski. Stanislavski, a Russian actor and director, is credited as the first to approach acting systematically.

The exercises that Stanislavski created involved voice, physical movements, concentration, observation of hum behavior, dramatic arts analysis and the technique called emotional memory. While considered to be a universal approach, Sanford Meisner began to consider certain aspects of this method and practice too European for American theatre actors. He founded the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City to further develop this work. Meisner's goal was to find a system that would allow American actors to live truthfully and yet imaginatively, under the circumstances they found onstage.

The Meisner technique has been well respected and practiced for over sixty years. Meisner identified that the internal emotions are responsible for creating impulses. The impulses then create external reactions and behaviours. It was the full range of emotional impulses, he believed, that resulted in verbal responses, physical reactions, and voice qualities. Meisner believed that these could all be learned and mastered to create spontaneous, genuine and more authentic performances onstage.

Training actors to follow these natural human impulses freely, without the barrier of their own thoughts and emotions was the best way to get honest, human authentic performances. To be able to perform in this manner, actors have to be taught how to eliminate their conscious fact that they are performing, and instead to react immediately and honestly as the character would, a character that has its own set of emotional and physical triggers and responses.

Word repetition exercises are a widely known aspect of the Meisner technique. During this exercise actors repeat a phrase back and forth to each other about something that they have between them. The actors repeat this phrase back and forth, repeatedly. As they repeat this phrase to each other the phrase starts to take on a different meaning, based on what happens as they are saying it to each other. The words and the exact phrase do not change, but the phrase begins to represent a wider range of emotions. On the surface the exercise appears simple, but the actors' ability to experience and respond as a real individual is an advanced skill to fully master. This skill requires more than the ability to process. It requires the practice and mastery of complex emotions and reactions do not belong to the actor.

The systematic training of Meisner uses a set of exercises that are all intended to build on each other as the actor's skill level deepens. Through the experience of more complex situations and relationships the actor's ability to add more sophisticated meaning and subtleties to the script grows and creates more truthful, spontaneous reactions. The primary goal is to create a lead character that embodies an entire range of emotions, experiences and contexts within the imaginative surroundings of the performance. The master actor is able to enter into the performance as the character, without any awareness of self or the actual performance to hinder their character's behavior.

The Meisner technique also includes the interesting practice of memorizing lines without any physical movements or vocal inflections. This method of memorization, known as "dry memorization" allows the actors to learn not to speak their lines out of habit or in any predetermined manner. When the actors are performing together then in practice or in a performance, they are more intent on making their responses based on the interaction with the other actor, as it unfolds, moment by moment. When this is done extremely well it pushes the scene forward with a sense of urgency and immediacy that removes the actors' awareness of themselves. The actors are not merely repeating lines. They are real living characters interacting with each other.

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The Robert Winsor Institute is an institution located in Irvine, which specializes in developing acting and personal improvement skills in children. The RW Institute's performing arts programs are offered in various courses suited to your needs and schedule. We have full-time and part-time courses, short and drop-in classes. All the courses are geared towards your development as an actor.
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Why Too Many Emotions Can Ruin Your Audition Tape

By focusing on developing a deep skill set, in acting classes or other qualified institutions are of the utmost importance. No matter how high quality the class, there is one thing acting classes are not responsible for and that is your auditioning technique. Audition tapes are a big part of the process now. An expensive, professional video is okay for an audition tape but, certainly not necessary. Just borrow or rent a camera, enlist the help of an aspiring director friend and follow these simple rules.

How you appear is key, and lighting is a big part of this. Strong shadows falling in the wrong places can eliminate your chances of producers watching the tape all the way through. Looking completely washed out from lights that are too strong or close doesn't work either. If the lighting serves as a distraction to your performance you've wasted your time. Lighting needs to be clean, and completely unnoticeable. A professional acting program, especially acting classes, should have someone on staff that has experience producing tapes. Ask for help creating a simple diagram that outlines a lighting scheme.

There should be two or three light sources. Lights can be placed on either side of the talent to help illuminate the face. Then a third light can be used to fill in the background. Some audition tapes have chosen to leave the background dark. While this can work you must be careful to that the overall feel of the tape is appropriate and not distracting. The all important next step is the white balance on the camera.

This reads the color temperatures of the combined light sources. They range from being very yellow to very blue. Let's say you set up the lighting, and you are also near a window. A mix of light sources is possible but, the camera must be "balanced" to correct for these color differences. The white balance feature is used to make this correction quickly and automatically. A pure white card or sheet of paper needs to be placed in the middle of the lighting sources. If you do not use this feature the color will be completely off, especially your skin tones. You want good clean skin tones, eye color and hair color, so you must not forget this step.

Another very important thing to consider is sound. A good audition tape is only as good as the sound, because your voice is your main instrument. No one wants to sit through a tape that they can't hear. Keep the mic as close to the talent as possible. While easy, the camera mounted microphones are usually not very high quality. Communicating character, and a sense of which you are as an actor depends on what you sound like so making it great. Acting classes sometimes have ways to help with this.

On to content, the all important piece of the puzzle, the character you are portraying, or a sense of whom you are as an actor. An audition prepared for taping has some slight differences. Preparation can be made easier if you've studied Meisner acting techniques with trained coaches. Using the Meisner acting tools can help create a riveting audition tape that does not seem rehearsed or staged. Anyone who has studied Meisner acting will understand that acting is as much about what you leave out as what you put in. Cramming every emotion and gesture into a performance will always seem false. The key to great acting is what you don't present, but leave simmering underneath. Audiences like to work, think, and look for clues which are a way to engage them in your performance.

At times, actors are asked to include something very specific, but it should still have your own ideas incorporated. More frequently actors are asked to turn in monologue audition tapes, just to give viewers an idea of their range and abilities. Whether you have the gift of comedy, or a talent for dramatic roles, a great audition includes both. The greatest actors are well rounded and can include many layers of abilities during a short piece. Audiences identify easily with a comic figure's dark moments, and like to laugh briefly to endure intense drama.

Robert Winsor Institute Acting classes are led by Robert Winsor, a British born American citizen and an experienced professional who can help give constructive feedback. Professional actors are always open to direction, certainly as an up and coming actor it's smart to remain open to input regarding your audition tape.

The Robert Winsor Institute and its different platforms, has been around for many years. Young actors get to learn not only how to successfully book work in film, print TV and commercials, but they also become extremely assertive.

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Robert Winsor Institute Nurturing the Inherent Talent of The Children

The concept of arts school has become quite popular these days. This concept of establishing art schools for children belonging to various age groups first materialised in Europe. But now the concept has become extremely accepted all over the world. The conventional schools or educational institutions sometime cannot afford to provide much time for all their students to nurture their individual talent. Art schools as The Robert Winsor Institute work effectively to fill the gaps and give the opportunity to polish the talent of the children. These types of schools have lot more things to offer in their store. A child can easily opt for singing, dancing and drama classes Clare based. There are a number of other things such as painting or designing which can also be learnt from the art schools. It is not always necessary for the children enrolling for such schools to have earlier exposure to dancing, acting and other activities to get admission in such institutions.

There are a number of art schools which offers weekly singing, drama and dance classes based to the students so that they do not feel burdened while managing studies and extracurricular activities simultaneously. A number of institutions even schedule their classes on Friday onwards till the weekend.

This is then time when most of all children who are students get a quality amount of time off to practice such activities. Children belonging to the age group from 4 years to 18 years can easily enrol themselves in such courses according to their interest. These types of institutions also organize summer camps and Easter camps when the children get break from their studies or get holidays on summer or in Easter. The workshops which usually continue for a week or 10 days organize lots of singing, dancing and acting assignments through which the students get the training with lots of fun. They even organize parties frequently to entertain both the students and the others.

The classes and the training courses and schedules are divided on the basis of the age of the students and the students are grouped according to their age. The group that comprises youngest children aged 4 to 6 years are trained for nearly one and half hours while the elder children aged 6 to 18 years spend nearly three hours in taking dance, drama or singing lessons Clare based. As the number of students in each class is limited in number therefore the expert teachers get the opportunity to take some extra care of the children sometimes they take care of the individual student if they need any special assistance.

This kind of training help the students to get the proper exposure to the field they love to explore in future. This kind of programs can also helpful for the parents of the children. As most of all parents today are working they cannot spend quality time with their children who sometimes feel left out and sometimes engage themselves in some bad activities. This institution engages them and they make friends while attending classes and this make them busy and they do not miss their parents that much.

The Robert Winsor Institute is the premiere acting institute in Orange County, CA.

Owned by Robert Winsor, a Shakespearian trained thespian from London and a record and film TV producer, the Institute has been in business for 16 years.

Students learn how to act of course, laugh and cry on command and become other characters and make you feel like running to the store and buying the products Robert Winsor Institute graduates advertise.
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Outstanding Education at Robert Winsor Institute Making Children’s Career

In LA children compete for work in the industry, and children book one out thirty to ninety jobs. However, at the Robert Winsor Institute, children book their first or second audition, and at worse one out of ten. The Robert Winsor Institute children are able to learn and grow at an accelerated pace.

Robert Winsor Institute grads are seen on major work on television. Lots of series regular work. Many commercials, a lot of them are national commercials. The outstanding education generates jobs for Robert Winsor Institute children.  Based in Burbank, and opening up more locations, the Institute welcomes new partners. The level of powerful education will remain the same. Robert Winsor Institute children work in any and all aspects of the film, TV commercial and print.

Robert Winsor Institute kids become highly functioning powerful individuals. They eventually grow up to become stars, or business owners, or people in position of extreme power in the world. Our graduate at the Robert Winsor Institute children pay for their own college and they are able to do so, by obtaining an incredible amount of work on shows on TV, film and commercials. Please call to bring your child for a free evaluation.

The process of evaluation gives the children amazing life skill. If your child is accepted into one of our programs, we offer a very effective placement program.

It will help introduce our kid actors to potential representation. The agents and managers come in to audition our child actors in person. The acting children participating in our kids acting classes obtain auditioning skills. Kid actors additionally, are enabled to successfully achieve public speaking and acquire strong interviewing skills.

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How to Boost Children's Self Confidence - Ask The Robert Winsor Institute

When parents boost a child's confidence they are sending a positive message to him/her that can follow them for the rest of their lives. How parents treat their children at the early ages will determine their confidence level in the later years. Parents who boost their children self-belief are providing them with the tools to be successful in the world.

Robert Winsor a Thespian and Producer says that Children self-confidence is based largely on the way they are treated by the people who are important to them. Parents who responses to the needs of their children are building the foundation and trust that builds their self worth. Children will grow up knowing someone in the world really cares about them.

Children will encounter numerous of negative people who will try and take away their self- worth, but parents should continue to boost their children's confidence. Parents should continuously hub and kiss their children to reassure them how special they are. When children have problems at school or with peers, parents should be sensitive to their concerns, and try and give them a positive solution to their problem. Parents shouldn't always agree with their children, but they should always listen to their concerns

As children grow up parents need to continue to show the same loving and kindness throughout their early years. Children are very receptive of the way they are treated, and if parents stop showing love and concern for their children, it could have a negative effect on the confidence of that child. Children will go through many challenges and changes while growing up, but if they have the support and love of their parents the journey will be easier and they will have confidence to make the right decisions in life.

Sometimes parents have busy schedules and don't have time for their children. Those parents should realize that every missed opportunity with their children could negatively impact their development. Parents need to understand that their children need time with them to have fun and build a strong bond that can never be broken. This can only happen if parents spend quality time with their children. Children know when parent are only pretending to have fun with them, so don't fake time with children.

While watching children grow up parents should take time to observe what academic area seems to be important to them. If the child seems to love playing games with numbers, the parent might want to put the child into activities with math involved. Once the child begins to improve their math skill and have fun at the same time, confidence will improve. Children like to be good at something (so do adults). As the child develops interest in other academic areas the parents should horn in on those interests by putting them into activities that support that interest. The better they become in those areas the more confident they become.

Sometimes parents forget that children are people with opinions and concerns like other people. Children need to be respected just as if they were young adults. When children are giving their opinion about something the parent should listen attentively just as they were an adult. This gives the child the sense that you are truly concerned about what they are saying. This will make the child believe what he says is important and his parents really do care. Once again confidence is being built.

The words a parents utilizes when talking to their children are also very important. Parents should try to be encouraging and positive when talking with children, and never use put downs when addressing children. One of the quickest ways for children to lose their confidence is for them to be constantly put down. Parents should always try to uplift their children. Parents should try to frame their words to be more positive such as: He is hyper, another way to say it might be, he is curious. He sure is stupid or you might say, he sure has an interesting personality. These little techniques could make a big difference in a child's life.

Parents should always take the lead when it comes to picking who their children's let into their circle of friendship. Peer pressure is so important that parents should get to know the children who play with their children and what kind of parents they have. Sometimes this may be unpopular with their children.

Another way to build children's confidence is to have them join a sports team, and if they develop to be a good athlete their confidence will automatically improve. Even if children don't develop into super stars, they will learn valuable lessons which will help them physically, mentally and most of all build confidence. All children enjoy being good at something, so if sports is their thing, parent need to be supportive.

Over-all, the parent who spends time with their children, play with them, show affection toward them, encourage them, put them in positive activities, listen to them and make them feel important, are working toward raising confident children who will excel at school. Parents who work at being a good parent will raise confident children.

The Robert Winsor Institute is an institution located in Irvine, which specializes in developing acting and personal improvement skills in children. Owned by Robert Winsor, a British born American citizen, and two other industry professionals, (producers/ directors), the Institute has been in business for sixteen years. With location in Irvine and Santa Barbara, The RWI institute will soon be opening other locations In Los Angeles and Pasadena. You can contact the Robert Winsor Institute, at 949-679-3406.

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