Emotion Comes Last

Actors are often taught to explore emotion—but what if emotion is actually the last part of scene preparation? In Episode #441 of Casting Actors Cast, casting director, actor, author and teacher Jeff Dreisbach introduces a practical four-step approach to scene analysis: WANT, NEED, BEHAVIOR and EMOTION. Begin with the writer: Why does the scene exist? Then discover what your character needs from the other person, explore the mental and physical behaviors used to pursue that need, and finally allow emotion to emerge as a result of what happens in the scene. This episode explores why preparing emotional results can limit spontaneity, how behavior creates character, why acting remains relational, and how better preparation can actually create greater freedom in performance. If you have ever tried to “be sad,” “get angry,” or manufacture a feeling in an audition, this episode may help you approach your work from an entirely different direction. ch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices