RAW TALENT ISN’T ENOUGH
Updated: Jul 29, 2021
Why studying the right acting method is essential, no matter what your skill level might be.
The film industry has always been full of talented actors who are unable to find work. There’s always been too many actors competing for a limited number of acting opportunities. You know that you have real talent, and you wonder why it is that one talented actor works regularly and another one doesn’t.
Shouldn’t raw talent be enough?
First, keep in mind that raw talent is limited. Any level of talent should be thought of as a muscle that must be exercised. Even the most naturally gifted athletes still need, and benefit from, good coaching. Almost as important, is confidence. While studying with the great Charles E. Conrad, Brian Cutler immediately saw the effectiveness of being completely present while reacting to dialog. Simplicity is the key, and the crucial elements of basic instinct, beauty & stillness, and active listening was transformative. This less-is-more approach applied to interaction with other actors is the best way to exercise and refine raw talent. Confidence is built progressively, layer by layer, and also strengthened through committed practice with other actors.
The best acting is invisible. It’s instinctual. It looks like real life, and even students with a ton of raw talent need discipline and direction to become truly great actors. Simplicity is the way to unlock an effective and memorable performance and raw talent is most potent when it flows naturally and spontaneously. We teach the value of focusing all of your attention away from yourself so that you can perform moment by moment in a highly intuitive state. Our primary mission is to train working and beginning actors in T.V. and film, and it is essential to have our students perform- unrehearsed- in front of cameras in a filmset-like environment. Students receive a copy of their performance in every session, at no extra cost. In this way, your personal progress and improvement can be easily tracked.
Acting on a busy filmset must appear to be effortless, and as a performer, you have to truly believe that you belong there in front of the cameras. Raw talent may be a gift, but the necessary enthusiasm needed to master your craft can only come through working with other actors. A good acting school will challenge you to examine your performances critically, and then create the right kind of pathways to make improvement happen. Nothing generates passion and excitement more than that threshold moment, when you can feel your skills elevate to a higher level.
Most important of all, you have to learn how to be employable. You will need to know specific techniques used to dominate an audition and prove to a director that YOU are the right choice for the job. And the next one. Think of training as fuel to propel your acting craft. The variety of exercises practiced in acting school will give you different kinds of fuel that burn different kinds of flame and will extend your acting range- making you more employable.
Moving up from raw talent to higher skill levels can only happen with training and practice. The confidence to walk in and know that you can take on any scene, must be cultivated with long hours working with other actors through all types of dialog and characters. A great acting school goes beyond the usual lessons in voice training, timing and on camera. It prepares you to perform as an inspired professional, from your very first job.
Let’s be honest, acting is an extremely competitive profession and talented actors don’t necessarily get the job. A good actor’s studio can help get you the competitive advantage, but it’s up to you to refine your raw talent through commitment, determination, and discipline. Every great actor knows that performing professionally is an ongoing journey, ideally with no end in sight. No matter how much natural ability you may have, our simple methods of basic instinct, being present and on-camera experience can help to turn that raw talent into a lifelong career.
To schedule a free audit, contact (link to schedule audit page) the Brian Cutler Actors Studio at 818-424-5470 and let’s start your personal actor’s journey.