Rob
My first feature! An actual multi-scene role in a 90 minute movie. Not a large part, but an important one. I scoured the script (A Script!) for mentions of me outside of my scenes, but didn’t find one. I listened carefully during the read-through in case the scenes were mentioned, they weren’t. As this was my first time acting in something as complex as this, and knowing that I would just be acting in a single day’s shoot, I wanted to make sure that I picked up on every written or spoken cue to fill out my character. This will be a useful exercise in the future, I’m sure, but for now, I was on my own.
The answer that came to me was a simple one. I play the employer of one of the lead characters, and am seen both before and after she disappears. While the main thrust of the story is a sad one (At least, that’s how it sounded at the read-through.), there was no reason for me to be down, because I am simply living in ‘real life’, and not drawn too much into this sadness. I decided to be up-beat throughout. Thankfully this wasn’t questioned by the director.
As for other clues, Rob is the mature owner of a bookstore. I realised that he was doing what he wanted for a living, or at least, loved it once and was still there. He was probably a book-worm, and knowledgeable about his subject, which made him intelligent. The wardrobe decisions for my character were Chino’s, casual shirts and sweaters, so he was also relaxed. All of these clues led me to a light approach, smiling where I could, a little playful, and concerned when things weren’t going to my plans. Perhaps a little effeminate – or could be taken as so. While the Director and I massaged a few impetus thought processes throughout the shoot, he was happy with the choices that I made: Something that I have found out recently is very important in the movie business. I have been retained twice by Producers based on my previous work, so this should lead to more interesting opportunities.
