| The technique used by many of the drama | | | | favourite meal? This is what Method Actors call |
| schools involves the actor using their diaphragm | | | | ‘sense memory’. |
| (the area below your stomach) to fake crying | | | | Method Actors have acting classes and acting |
| and laughing. You basically pull the diaphragm in and | | | | lessons on how to use their own memories in |
| out rapidly to stimulate your solar plexus to | | | | conjunction with their senses to recreate emotion, |
| hopefully produce the desired result. It is also | | | | which they then fuse with the imaginary |
| assumed that because the two emotions come | | | | character and events they are portraying. |
| from a similar physical area, the same approach | | | | This is extremely effective for the actor in their |
| can work for both. | | | | actor training. It also allows a more interesting |
| There is another method acting school of thought. | | | | journey through their acting training. The actor |
| In Method Acting, the actor is required to | | | | works through a series of predefined exercises, |
| stimulate, for REAL, the appropriate emotion | | | | and builds up a bank of memories which are then |
| within themselves for the scene. The human being | | | | used when required. |
| is a complex instrument and is capable of creating | | | | In much the same way that a plumber or joiner |
| emotion at will – no need for faking. | | | | selects the correct tool for a particular job, the |
| The way that this is achieved is through the | | | | Method Actor selects the appropriate memories |
| senses. We experience the world through our | | | | for a particular scene. |
| senses. We see things, we hear things, we touch, | | | | Acting courses should be designed to empower |
| we smell and taste things. This is how emotion | | | | the actor, and give them a way of working that |
| can be recreated. | | | | is both creative and progressional. For the Method |
| For example, have you ever heard a song from | | | | Actor, the more they experience in life, the more |
| your past that reminded you of someone or a | | | | they have to bring to their acting. It is a continual |
| particular moment, and started to feel emotional? | | | | process of improvement for the actor, and all |
| Or, have you ever been really hungry, and | | | | actors should continually experiment in acting |
| started to salivate when thinking about your | | | | classes and acting courses. |