top of page
Search
Writer's pictureBrian Cutler Actors Studio

ABC and Alpha Energy

Updated: May 28

Armen: It was good. I think I stuttered a little bit. Blubbablubbablubbablubba…

Brian: Yeah, okay. Well, that’s all right. That happens. You just (cough) we did that today a couple of times. We reshot a sequence and then there was a couple of bobbles and we just and did a pickup shot and I had ‘em “ABC” it. You know what that means, everybody? When you tell… when a director tells you to “ABC” a line it means you do the same line three different ways.

Anton: Ooooohhh…

Brian: You do the line one way. You take a little breath… do it a second time, differently; a third time differently. Because we did that with Iyan and the third take that he did on the “C” take was the keeper. I mean it was so much better than line one and two. So when they say “ABC it” just do it three times in a row and change it.


Brian: The tone was fine, just give me a little more vocal energy and a little more internal energy. Okay? Does that make sense?

Anton: Not the internal energy. Can you give me an example?

Brian: Okay. Yeah. You know, there’s a difference between walking around a block and jogging around a block.

Anton: Yeah

Brian: I want you to do it like you’re jogging not walking. So that you have more energy in your body.

Anton: Ooooh…

Brian: You see, here’s the thing… With film, with film, the film captures your energy. Okay? So if you don’t have what we call “Alpha energy” way up here, it’s hard for the camera to pick it up and translate it to a big screen.

Anton: Okay. Yeah.

Brian: Okay? You got it. You got it. You’ll do fine.




39 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Progress Not Perfection

Brian: Look, all we’re to do is practice, guys, we’re not here to be perfect. F*ck perfection. You’re never going to be perfect. Get...

Don’t Ever Limit Yourself

Brian: Don’t ever look at the age as a… I… you know, I’ve been doing this so long… I’ve gone to auditions for a lead in a movie and the...

Morgan Freeman & The 3 Things

Brian: You’re both being extremely still. We know…you get sick of me saying this but three things you have to do for an extreme close...

Comments


bottom of page