What is The Meisner Technique: The Repetition Exercise (Part 3)
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- čas přidán 8. 08. 2021
- After students have learned the basic elements of the Repetition Exercise, the next task is to incorporate an activity. As much as the Repetition is a pillar of The Meisner Technique, so, too, is the independent activity. This first activity serves purely to get the student's attention off of themselves and onto something else.
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Another thing I want to add is that these 3 parts really helped me to understand that I need to listen to my scene partner -- to really listen and pick up on all the nuances or lack of them, their body language, and to focus on my partner -- and THEN respond because of that.
We have a scene to present in 2 days, and I was working on that, but I came to watch this video while taking a break. This reminded me that I've been focused on the wrong thing -- thinking about what I'm going to say, how I should say it, how I should feel in each moment, etc, but this has helped me to readjust my focus, and I already feel more confident about it, and I feel I've reached a new level with my scene because I'm going to use this and focus and respond to my partner.
Thank you so much, from Oklahoma! :)
"Excuse me, you look like you could play with a mans heart or a round of heearts. I'm sitttting down. How u doing, bettterr know that im hherre..."
I am probably more new to the industry as an actor than many so this is absolute gold. I really appreciate you posting this for us across the pond in the UK and other countries to have access to. Genuinely things I am learning and learnt are making more sense as I watch your videos one after the other.
These two very quickly devolve into defensiveness and confrontation in almost every exercise and video.
it's because they are not relaxed so that tension turns into aggravation. unfortunately, that aspect of the work at the beginning is not addressed by technical meisner teachers. so essentially they are building the foundation of the work upon tension and the work never truly becomes human. just watch a couple of two year old's repeat. they are not tense and therefore far more alive and ultimately much more interesting to watch.
Hi Christopher, thank you for watching. This is because they were asked to prepare on choices that would put them at a similar emotional temperature for all 3 videos, so you would have a chance to compare their technique, with most other aspects remaining the same. If you would like to see work with a variety of emotional preparations, let us know. That's a video series we'd be happy to make!
Anything that focuses the mind is a form of meditation.
so true!
Yes
While they were doing the exercise, I tried to follow along from each of their perspectives and see what I could pick up and sense, and then how I would respond.
This is a wonderful exercise to mentally warm up! You'll find yourself doing it when watching movies and tv shows eventually.
(p.s. Breaking Bad is a wonderful show for this exercise. We found that their responses to moments are often the exact same instincts we would feel from our guts)
@@TheMeisnerTechniqueStudio Thanks for the tip ;)
How long does it take to go from one step of one repetition to another?
I have a question. It happens to me that when I do the "task" and imagine my story behind (why is this important to me and why do I have to hurry to get it done) and then I add the original lines of the play, I loose the emotion I was concentrating on. Why is that and what can I do to prevent that from happening? Is it because the meaning of the text is different from the meaning of my fantasy?
hi sarah, i'll be honest with you, taken out of context it's hard to answer because what you're describing is confusing but one thing sandy would want you to know - you NEVER concentrate on the emotion. and i mean EVER. so instead put your focus on the most important thing for an actor, the other person and what they're doing to you - and in time, that river of emotion will serve the text as well - but don't try or care about it - jim
@@TheMeisnerTechniqueStudio what if I do a monologue? I have to imagine the other person right? and also imagine how that person acts or reacts. Isn't that a bit the same as concentrating on an Emotion? Thank you for your answer.
@@sarahsolangechannel1631 hi sarah, this is from sandy to you: "focus on your partner and what you're doing and from truthful doing comes the emotion." if you focus on the emotion then your focus is on you. there's more to this but sandy never allowed us to call it a monologue - "it's an active incident between two people." i hope this helps - jim
@@TheMeisnerTechniqueStudio sorry, I really don't know how I can make myself clear. SO what you are saying is: when you are working on a monologue, you should still imagine your partner and how your partner reacts to what you say right?
@@sarahsolangechannel1631 @TheMeisnerTechniqueStudio My thought (and Jim, correct me if I am misunderstanding you or totally off the mark): When in monologue, there is a focus point similar to when in a scene with another person. Focus on the "thing" in the monologue, not how you "feel" about that thing. For example, if your monologue is about finally finding love in a new relationship, we'd typically want to focus on the feelings that relationship has created (love, joy, acceptance ... all the tingles and the blood rushes), but instead, focus on the person who makes those feelings happen, their behaviors are that make those tingles and blood rushes happen--envision them, not the feelings.
Sir, i have a question. To practice the technique, is a partner absolutely necessary?
Because as of three videos' the repeatations, non mechanical repeatations and doing it with an activity, it all requires a partner 😲.
Hi there, thank you for watching. Yes, since the Technique is built on the concept of listening and reacting, the Repetition Exercise isn't doable without a partner. That said, if you don't have someone to work with you, you can begin practicing the fundamentals of the technique by observing behavior in the people around you. The more you practice, the more you will begin to feel present in the moment and pick up on subtle moments, reaction, and behavior in every day life.
@@TheMeisnerTechniqueStudio Thanks. I will try that.
@@TheMeisnerTechniqueStudio I would like to ask if there are people who do this and are successful over Zoom or Skype? I have no one around here to play with and I really want to practice it with people. Not just kinda or sorta.😂 Trying it with myself, imagining I am Smeagol/Gollum is fun, but not meaningful other than just making myself laugh really hard. I must really sound crazy to my neighbors. 😂 Thank you for posting these awesome great videos. I am auditioning for a play in January for the first time in my local community playhouse, so I am watching helpful vids like yours to learn whatever I can. Even if I don’t get the part, I am going to have fun working on the set and helping actors do their lines. Hopefully I will find a Meisner technique buddy in the mix.🤞🏼
Wait guys a few things, coming from an honest place: why is speed so important here? It seems like they were rushing the interactions, but there are so many film scenes that require variety in speed 🚅, so is that necessary? Cant they simply react non-verbally as well?
Secondly,
The two beautiful actors constantly opened and repeatedly fell into defensive and one-sided atittudes, this didnt feel very true to the moment, since every interaction felt like they were planning on staying angry and defensive. It seems that was a trap there? Im truly not trying to just critize but as someone hoping to learn from a strong technqiue i just want to know im going to really be helped by it. ❤thanks you 🙏
Hi, Thank you for watching
This stage of the technique is not to replicate film work or even to appear anything like it. Speed is crucial because it doesn't give an actor a chance to get in their head about a reaction. This stage of the technique is necessary to teach actors to be more comfortable with listening and reacting to a partner and will hone their abilities to recognize every moment that their partner presents. Think of it as simply an exercise, nowhere close to an exercise of doing a scene with other peoples' words.
Students never plan their reactions, and they must come from how a student is feeling. Based on each student's behavior and reactions in this interaction, I'm not finding a time when they hold onto untruthful behavior or where either person was angry or defensive. These two are close friends, so perhaps banter feels unfriendly if you're not used to their personalities.
I'm not sure what you mean by one-sided, so if you would like more information, please feel free to clarify that meaning.
I hope that helps
i dont why my heart keep telling me that i can make it. this video was so helpfull but unfortunately i have no one to practice with
Hi there! It's definitely frustrating to not have a partner to practice with, but there are some options to get the basic feel of the exercise. In day-to-day life, you can begin practicing observing behavior and giving a name to it. You don't have to do this out loud in order to get value from it. Additionally, many people around the world are in your position, without a partner, so internet resources like Reddit might be able to connect you with a Meisner Technique pen pal of sorts, who's willing to practice virtually with you. Let us know how it goes!
@@TheMeisnerTechniqueStudio ok, will try do it, but am completely a beginner, i just love the way you presented it, but i do not know the website or anything about where to get a partner
@@TheMeisnerTechniqueStudio but sorry, do you teach on camera techniques?
@@fm2tv954 Hi there! Yes we do, as a supplemental offering, since on-camera isn't a part of the traditional Meisner Technique
This exercise here is a good example of what not to do in repetition. Acting is not talking. Acting is behavior and not rushing to say something just because you have to repeat. Wait until you’re truly made to do something. An ounce of behavior is worth a pound of words. Just an observation, this type of speedy repetition is not the most helpful for an actor to practice.
Hi,
Thank you for watching. This is the advanced form of the repetition exercise, when it evolves into moment-to-moment work. Please don't hesitate to send us questions if this is unclear.
I want to understand so badly. I would not know how to read other people at all. I’d be so concentrated on trying to get the cards to work. AndI wouldn’t know what another person is feeling or thinking without them telling me. I think I suck LOL. Or I’m autistic maybe. I feel like a look or a tone could mean anything. And how can you read people so fast and respond back within a second. It will take me a moment to really think about what’s happening. God I’m never going to be an actress I guess 😩
Hi Nina,
Don't be disheartened! This takes a lot of work and practice. These students are advanced in their training and are showing beginning work. The only way you can truly do this exercise wrong is to judge yourself or doubt yourself.
I'll give you an example.
Let's say your partner is frowning at you and you say "you're frustrated with me."
You don't have to be correct in your read of your partner.
If your partner is actually frustrated with you, they may repeat, saying "I'm frustrated with you."
But you may have misread them, in which case your partner could say "I'm frustrated with you?"
Suddenly the moment has changed. You could say "oh you disagree with me" or if they responded emphatically, you could say "you're offended that I said that." Maybe they were, maybe they weren't, but it's on them to react to that.
None of these reactions need to be right. In giving your partner the gift of your effort, the exercise will move forward, and you will never need to judge or edit your reactions.
@@TheMeisnerTechniqueStudio
Thank you so much for this response. It really made a lot of sense and cleared things up.