BE AN ANIMAL: If you can't put it into a verb, it is NOT playable.

Some of you know that in addition to being an actor, as well as founder of Actor's Gym at CFCA, I am also just another guy in Hollywood trying to make movies. My 'first' short, EL TAXISTA, has done reasonably well considering its measly joke-of-a-budget: it has been accepted in over 40% of the festivals to which it has been submitted, and has won major awards in over 25% percent of the festivals it has played. It even beat out all the feature films and documentaries in one of them to take the Judges' Award for Best Film.

Now, I mention this NOT to toot my own horn, but to give credit to my filmmaking school and the years of practice/learning that took place before that 'first' movie. How to frame a subject, how to follow action between subjects, how to light a subject, how to use editing, pace, and music to tell a story using subjects, etc. Obviously, you say...I need to thank my subjects. And, you're right--I do. These 'subjects' are my animals. My dogs, Dexter Gordon and Ella Fitzgerald, my cats Tambolobo and Riley the cat, my ex's dog Paco El Naco, and my beautiful girlfriend's dog, Jack Daniels. They are, and have been my filmmaking school. Seriously. Before I ever pointed a camera at a human being to tell a story, I spent almost three years shooting animals (with a camera, people).

Below is an example of a finished piece of 5 years ago, I titled, The Gnawed Couple, starring Dexter Gordon and Paco el Naco. Please watch, as I will explain how this all ties together. I promise.

The Gnawed Couple:

Now, I hope you enjoyed that as much as I enjoy it. The story is clear, we know who wants what, who's protecting what, and what tactics they are using to try and get it, or protect it. That right there, is a dramatic arc:

Introduction: Paco (protagonist) notices that Dexter (antagonist) has a stick and wants it.

Rising action: Paco goes to Dexter and simply tries to take it. Dexter reacts violently, so Paco gets a stick of his own. All is well.

Climax: Paco becomes dissatisfied with the size of his own stick, gently tries again to take Dexter's, but Dexter is a Pit Bull (obstacle), and seriously warns Paco. Paco tries again, to get his own stick and peacefully live next to Dexter and his stick, once there, he becomes frustrated by his own desire for Dexter's stick, loses his mind, and again tries to take it, this time, by force (turning point).

Falling Action: He almost gets eaten.

Resolution: Just when all hope is lost, Paco notices that Dexter has become distracted by his own obsession with an external stimulus and has taken his eye of his most-beloved stick. Paco senses an opportunity to take the stick, takes the final risk, and comes out victorious.

The End.

That, right there, is the complete 'dramatic arc' of a comedy...AND WITHOUT A WORD EVER BEING UTTERED.

Far too often, actors let the words do the work--trusting that through great plotting, brilliant dialogue, and knowing the 'right feeling for the moment', the audience will become interested and care. Trust me, they won't. They will only care when they see people so involved in 'doing' and going after what they want, that they won't be able to take their eyes off of them--even with the volume ALL THE WAY OFF. This only happens when the actor is filled with clear intention, and is dealing and negotiating 'in the moment' with each and every obstacle being thrown at him by his scene partner, which is keeping him from getting what he wants.

This is why they say you can't compete against animals and children, because they don't intellectualize, they are all intention. They're impossible not to watch. In fact, the only reason we, as a species even learned to speak, is because our needs exceeded our ability to communicate them and fulfill them. Luckily, our brains, as a species, were ready for speech.

Intention first. Words second.

Also, the clearer the intention, the less words needed to describe it.

Examples of clear intentions: to engage, to disregard, to attract, to put one in one's place, to comfort, to deceive, to placate, to seduce, etc., etc.

All of these are clear and 'playable', and have nothing to do with 'feelings', 'concepts', 'ideas', etc. In addition, for our filmmaking purposes where multiple takes are usually required, it is possible to repeat an intention over and over, whereas it is virtually impossible to repeat a performance without falling into some kind of imitation, and imitations are best left in Las Vegas.

A great teacher of mine used to say: "Interesting people make interesting actors." Over the years I've realized that it's actually more like: "INTERESTED people make interesting actors."

Make sure you know the intention behind every line. If you can't put it into a few words that make an active verb or close to it, you don't have it. Keep looking, it's there. The brilliant actor never stops seeking.

Why should you?