Video Tip: How Do I Solve Projection Issues?

Here’s a  New Video Tip. Today’s topic is “How Do I Solve: Projection Issues” View it here.

Transcript

Welcome to our Video Tip Series. This category in our series is called “ How Do I Solve? ” How do I solve the simple but prevalent acting issues in beginning and young actors. First off, projection.

What happens quite often when beginner actors get on stage is they completely forget there’s an audience. They turn upstage in conversation with other actors, they only raise their voice loud enough for the other actors on stage to hear.

So, first off, get actors on stage, and used to performing out. Instill in them that their acting partner is really the audience, not the other actors. A great trick is that whatever the scene, where ever the actors are looking, they keep their body facing the audience. Have actors do a scene where they face front and not each other. A little awkward yes but acting isn’t real life. This isn’t a real life conversation and it’s a conversation the audience must be included in.

Second, practice projection. Get your students in pairs, and have them lob the alphabet back and forth to each other, taking a step back every time they speak. Remember it’s not about yelling. It’s making sure you are heard. Use visualization to imagine someone in the back row of the theatre who needs to hear but doesn’t want to be yelled at. Practice sending the voice out to that person, without yelling.

Make vocal warm ups a part of your rehearsal process, particularly vocal games and exercises where actors send their voice across the circle. (zip, zap, zop for example) Warm up the mouth with humming, yawns, chewing, get the instrument ready to use.

And lastly, proper breathing is connected to using the voice. Problems with projection usually stem from improper breathing. Students get nervous, bodies tense up, the breathing starts to catch, it’s really hard to project like this. Use this in and out breathing exercise to calm the nerves. Breath in on a two count, and out. In on a four count, and out. In on a six count and out. And go on. See if you can do eight. It brings control to the breath. Calms everything down. Relaxes the body. Start adding sound to the exhale, do the alphabet, one breath per letter. Make the sound full and see if you can reach to the back of the room.

That’s it for Video Tips!