How to easily memorize your lines | Acting Tip #1
Hey guys what's up my name is Kendon Chaseand this video is going to be all about memorizing your lines! Now, if you're an actor it's inevitable,eventually you're going to come across lines – maybe lots of them – that you have to getdown in a very short amount of time.
Now I'm going to be giving you guys a few tips onhow to make that process easier because there's no avoiding it! So you've got to get thoselines down so you can actually really get into the character and forget about it sothat you can just be "present" in the room.
So step 1: The second you get your scriptyou just want to book out as much time as you can.
Cancel plans with your friends ifyou have to if they're not important.
Make sure you can use every moment of time possibleto work on those sides! Don't do it at the last second while you're on your way to theaudition, don't do it in the audition room, you need to have it down by then and be reallycomfortable.
This is kind of a half tip that I'm going to add with that, you learn a LOTbetter when you sleep! You learn a lot better, you remember things a lot better.
Becausewhen you sleep your brain actually organizes thoughts, which is why you dream! It's organizingall of the thoughts and solidifying them and getting rid of ones that don't matter.
Makesure you go over those lines before you go to bed! Now, Step 2: you've booked out allthe time that you need, you have time to prepare and you can get a good sleep, great! Now whatyou're going to want to do, or at least I personally do, is read through the entirescript! Just read through it as a story.
EXPERIENCE IT! Really let it sink in.
Do not worry aboutmemorizing lines at this point.
Read it, let it sink in, feel the emotions as they come.
This will really help you later on when you can actually associate those lines with thefeelings and it will make them a lot easier to bring up.
Because you'll remember whatit was like to read it for the first time and experience it.
And you'll know what thewriter was trying to convey and make the other people feel as they were watching it.
So you'regoing to want to read through the entire script top to bottom, two/three times and just experienceit.
Okay now for Step 3: now that you've already read through the entire script you're goingto want to take out any recorder.
You could actually use a dedicated voice recorder (Ijust use the notes on my phone).
You just want to make sure that you can record yourvoice.
Then, if you don't have a scene partner you would simply record the other person'slines in the scene so that you have a feel for what the conversation will be like.
Nowwhat you do with that is now when you're simply doing anything you put your headphones inand you go over the script in your head as if it were a scene.
This will come in reallyhandy for the next tip! Now what you're going to want to do is something I call "line association".
Every scene is a conversation.
It's there for a reason and something is going to happen.
Someone wants something from someone else.
So, you have to know that why you're sayingsomething is because someone said something or did something to you to make that happenorganically.
Now, this may seem a bit confusing but if someone says "how are you?" it's nothard to figure out what your line's going to be next.
It's going to be the line explaininghow you are! So instead of just memorizing it in a "cold" way.
Just like oh this lineand then I say these words.
Think of it like a conversation, know that you don't reallyhave to put that much thought in to what you're going to say.
I mean, honestly once you havethe lines down someone will say something and you'll be like "Huh, what would a responsebe for this?".
Now to just build on what I just said; depending on what's being said,of course, and the scene, you have time to think about what you're going to say.
Humansthink about what they're going to say! If someone asks "how are you?" typically youhaven't already figured out what you're going to say.
So, you don't have to worry, you canbe calm in the room and you can honestly think a little bit about what you're going to sayif it's necessary.
I mean if it's an argument scene you can do something like stumble overyour words, but really humans think about they're going to say.
Just don't do it fakely,if you need to think, or someone asks you a tough question or something you need totake a moment for you can do that.
And guess what, you can be thinking about you're goingto say next and it will come, again, organically, if you listened to what the person said before.
Now for the next tip I'm going to touch on something that often goes overlooked whenyou're memorizing "lines".
The thing is, that you also have to pay attention to direction.
Sometimes it will actually give you a really big hint on how you're going to say your nextline.
Or if you need to do something or someone else says something that makes your line alot easier.
So, make sure that not only do you highlight and go over your lines, butgo over the direction.
The direction is important, not ALWAYS in the audition (make sure it canfit inside your frame) but it is still an important part so make sure you at least knowwhat's going on! Okay so this tip should REALLY help you guys ease up in the room.
It's notall about the lines! It's more about what the character is trying to say in this conversation- what they want.
So, you don't need to NECESSARILY get every single word right.
You can paraphrase,you can slightly change things if you need to.
Always strive to be word-for-word butif you're having a lot of trouble or you're really rushed it is okay to get the gist andjust say it the way you would say it in character, and get the same point across.
I don't meanby completely changing things, something that will change the entire story, I just meanif the line is supposed to be "hey man, what's up?" you're allowed to say something like"hey man, what's going on?".
See what I mean? They're saying different words but they arestill meaning the same thing.
Okay guys so this is the final tip and honestly, this issomething that is new to me even because I've been working a lot more and auditioning alot more.
But, honestly train your brain! I have been told this time and time againand I kinda was more reluctant to do it.
But honestly in your down time, if you're notauditioning a lot and you're not actually working on set then honestly just go online,download monologues and scenes.
Get your iPhone, put it on a table, record them, go over itand over it! Train your brain.
Honestly memorizing lines now that I have been doing it for thelast three months.
Consistently having two to three scripts every singe week to workon.
Honestly I can just read through the script two to three times and I have all of the basicsmemorized already and I can honestly just paraphrase the entire conversation.
It reallysaves so much time! It's cut down my preparation time from about, I don't know, three hoursper audition, to honestly I could do it an hour before! My cold reads have improved andhonestly it has just really helped.
So PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! Get good sleep and do allof the things I said before.
So, I really hope this video helped you guys! If you haveany questions or comments just put them down below! I'll do my best to reply to all ofyou guys! Hit that Subscribe button as I'm going to be coming out with more videos inthe future! And as always good luck on those auditions! :).
Source: Youtube
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