Customer Rating: 
Summary: 'Directing Actors' is a great tool for the film makers kit
Comment: Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television
This is an excellent book that I highly recommend for any film maker either directing actors for the first time or for more experienced directors to gain a greater insight into the world of acting. I am a trained and experienced actor who has ventured into Directing and have found the book deadly accurate about what is going on for actors on a film or TV set. From the first script read-through to working on the shoot there are very practical and sensible tips and hints to make your directing duties much more efficient and focussed. The 'script analysis' techniques are very empowering putting structure into what can be a very hit and miss affair otherwise. Put this book in your tool kit and read it all the way through then again at each stage of production as you go(great bedside reading before each shoot day). This book is inspirational, readable, practical and helpful.
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Summary: Buy this book now!
Comment: If you are even thinking that this book might be of some interest to you, I can assure you it will change the way you work -- all for the good. Weston has boiled down and focused the art of getting a performance in a clear and brilliant manner. What else can I say, why are you still reading this - buy it. Simple.
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Summary: Simple techniques that WORK!
Comment: Judith Weston has outlined for the director (of any performance, not just film) quick and effective ways to communicate and elicit the performance you want... at the very least, you will get something different. I am an actress who has had the privilege of working with Judith and her directors. I have seen the process in action. I've used it. When someone has truly applied the techniques that this book recommends, it doesn't matter if the actors have just started, or if they're old pros, with vastly different methods, the performances are fresh. The performances change. The performances improve! READ THIS BOOK!
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Summary: No other book on acting or directing comes close
Comment: This book isn't just for directors. It is an invaluable resource for actors as well. I've taught film and video acting for a number of years and never found a book that was worth having students read even part of. Until this one. Unlike most books on acting which focus on techniques that may work great on stage but are worse than disastrous on film, Judith Weston goes under the surface of acting and directing to the core of what a close-up camera needs to see. That, in a nutshell, is "lending the character your unconscious," so that absolutely nothing looks (or is) fake or "pretend." Even more importantly, she provides down-to-earth, extremely effective techniques for directors that support and demand genuine, affect-free performances. She discusses the creative process of the director at a level that is not idiosycratic or based on her personal "style" (as so many books for directors and actors do). Her advice is both common-sensical and deeply insightful, it's what every good director knows but often can't articulate consistently enough. Don't miss this book if you work in film or video, whether you are a director, actor, teacher, editor, DP, AD, or even a gaffer. After reading Weston, you will see every aspect of the actors performances more truly and clearly, and find yourself finding new ways to get the most out of every second on screen. One of those books that changes your life by telling you what you already knew more clearly than you ever thought it could be said, and giving you fresh new ways to put it into practical use. Highest recommendation.
Customer Rating:
Summary: the best book on directing actors
Comment: This book teaches the most important skill a director can possess: getting great performances from actors.
She breaks things down into logical bits and helps you avoid many common mistakes directors make, such as giving unplayable directions, giving too many directions, talking too much, etc.
She writes with wisdom, insight, and humor.
If you're a director or a wannabe director, do the world a favor and read this book so the world has better performances to watch.
This book is the best kept secret in show business. An even more valuable secret is her workshop, which she teaches regularly in L.A. as of this review (Spring 2006).
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