Judith Weston - Directing Actors - 25th Anniversary Edition: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television

Everything you taught me was more than useful. I am deeply grateful.ALEJANDRO GONZLEZ IRRITU, The Revenant, Birdman, Biutiful

Taking your classes gave me a base, a foundation, a framework to find my own style. To step out on faith.AVA DuVERNAY, When They See Us, Queen Sugar, A Wrinkle in Time, 13th, Selma, Middle of Nowhere

I am eternally grateful for your help.TAIKA WAITITI, Jojo Rabbit, Thor Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Judith Weston is an extraordinarily gifted teacher. She doesnt so much explain as she changes your consciousness of the creative process and restores your confidence in it, through acting. A kit of concrete, practical tools to make the ineffable reachable, time and time again over many takes or performances.DAVID CHASE, The Sopranos, Northern Exposure, Ill Fly Away

Judith has had a profound effect on my work. I hear her voice often (probably daily) when it comes to my work.CAITRIONA BALFE, Outlander, Ford V Ferrari

Judiths method is wonderful because it is practical. She has given me numerous tools to solve problems on the set and to earn the trust of actors. Her classes and her book are invaluable resources to any director.LAWRENCE TRILLING, Goliath, Rectify, Parenthood

I took a seminar with an acting teacher named Judith Weston. I learned a key insight to character. She believed that all well-drawn characters have a spine, and the idea is that the character has an inner motor, a dominant, unconscious goal that theyre striving for, an itch that they cant scratch. I took to this like a duck to water.ANDREW STANTON, Finding Dory, WALL-E, Toy Story series, Better Call Saul, Stranger Things

Directing my first movie would have been impossible without Judiths book, Directing Actors. Her insights taught me how to audition actors, how to cast intelligently, how to rehearse. When production began, I cribbed a set of Weston reminders on to a 3-by-5 index card, and kept it in my shirt pocket every single day of shooting. She saved me.BILLY RAY, writer-director, The Comey Rule, The Last Tycoon; writer, Captain Phillips, The Hunger Games

I love talking to Judith about story and character. She is truly interested in what make people tick and how that is the heart of storytelling.RITESH BATRA, The Lunchbox, The Sense of an Ending, Our Souls at Night

Not only is Judith my single best resource as a director, shes simply one of the best and most generous teachers Ive ever had. I wish I could carry her with me every day.ANDREW JARECKI, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, All Good Things, Catfish

Judith clarifies the unique relationship between actor and director. She shows you how to promote an atmosphere of safety, allowing creative spontaneity between you and your actors. The value of this cannot be overstated. When you are free to explore ideas without fearing loss of control, great things can happen.VICKY JENSON, Shark Tale, Shrek

Judith Weston taught me how to listenwhat she called listening with your whole body. She taught me about the power and the magic of the subconscious world. She showed me doors and windows and portals into creative possibilities I scarcely knew existed. Her wisdom changed the way I write, the way I direct actorsand, with no exaggeration, the way I look at life.MARK FERGUS, The Expanse (developed by); writer: Children of Men, Iron Man; director: First Snow

I bought a copy of Directing Actors right before I directed Ghost World. Looking back through it today, the thing that struck me is how dog-eared and tattered it is, which speaks volumes about just how much I referred to it. Its a terrific bookconcise, insightful, and practicaland has helped me enormously. Thanks Judith!TERRY ZWIGOFF, BadSanta, Ghost World

Judith Weston gave me the greatest gift you can give to a first-time directorshe gave me confidence in my ability to work with actors. What my actors didnt know is that most of the brilliant direction I gave them was ripped straight from her book, Directing Actors.SHANA FESTE, Run Sweetheart Run, Boundaries, Endless Love, Country Strong, The Greatest

What Judith shows you in her workshops and her book are simple and effective tools that help you get deeper and deeper into that rich, complex and surprising place.DAVID JACOBSON, Dahmer

Judith taught me to break down the humongous task of directing into smaller, doable steps. She encouraged me to look inside myself for the answers, and to trust my instincts and my passion.PATRICIA CARDOSO, Real Women Have Curves, Queen Sugar

Judith opened the secret door to the magic What I once thought were happy accidents and performance miracles are now the kernels of creativity I relentlessly pursue with an actor finding a performance.FRED TOYE, The Boys, Snowpiercer (TV), Watchmen

All the scary, transformative moments I had in Judiths class really paid off. And I can never begin to thank you for all that youve done for me. Im simply not the same person I was when I started my journey with you.ANDREA TOYIAS, voice director, Blizzard Entertainment, World of Warcraft/Diablo/Starcraft

Judith Weston has inspired me to be interested in people more than concepts, behavior more than attitudes, process more than results. In her classes Ive learned to ask more questions, to trust what is happening, and to always be willing to dig deeper. She is the kind of teacher who makes me excited about taking chances.NORMAN BUCKLEY, Sweet Magnolias, Pretty Little Liars

Thank you for being such a wise classy act.ALMA HAREL, Honey Boy, Bombay Beach

Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television

25thAnniversary Edition

Judith Weston

MICHAEL WIESE PRODUCTIONS

Published by Michael Wiese Productions

12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111

Studio City, CA 91604

(818) 379-8799, (818) 986-3408 (FAX)

www.mwp.com

Cover design by Johnny Ink. www.johnnyink.com

Copyediting by Ross Plotkin

Interior design by William Morosi

Excerpt from The Matrix courtesy of Warner Bros, Inc. and the Wachkowski Brothers. Warner Bros, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Copyright 1996, 2021 by Judith Weston

First Printing 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Weston, Judith, - author.

Title: Directing actors : creating memorable performances for film and television / by Judith Weston.

Description: 25th anniversary edition. | Studio City, CA : Michael Wiese Productions, [2021] | Summary: Directing film or television is a high-stakes occupation. It captures your full attention at every moment, calling on you to commit every resource and stretch yourself to the limit; its the white-water rafting of entertainment jobs. But for many directors, the excitement they feel about a new project tightens into anxiety when it comes to working with actors. In the years since the original edition of Directing Actors was published, the technical side of filmmaking has become much more easily accessible. Directors tell me that dealing with actors is the last frontier-the scariest part and the part they long for-the human part, the place where connection happens. Westons books help directors scale the heights of the actor-director dynamic, learn the joys of collaborating with actors-and become an actors director.-- Provided by publisher.