On Camera Acting Classes and Collaboration

Jun 23, 20172 min read

Lawrence Ballard teaches On Camera Acting classes for actors at the Maggie Flanigan Studio. In this video, Larry talks about the community mindset that actors need to have to work professionally.

Being an artist can mean different things according to your medium. While the same principles of being in touch with your soul and humanity are universal, how you express your art and the circumstances in which you do, can change according to your discipline. An actor is an artist that uses the physical much like a dancer and understands words and their power like a poet but has an element of human interaction that is comparable to being involved in a sport.

Professional Actor Training Includes Artistic Collaboration

On Camera Acting Classes NYC - Maggie Flanigan (917) 794-3878

Your acting will always be done within a world of collaboration. It is done as part of a production and most likely will involve an acting partner or partners. Because of this, it is important to learn and to practice in an environment that will allow you to simulate that as much as possible while giving you the room to make mistakes. This is why training is important for all of us.

Lawrence Ballard on being a disciplined artist

Most actors do not get the opportunity to learn on the job from scratch. I have seen actors that do not have a handle on the dedication that is required, actors not knowing their lines, showing up late, generally not having the professionalism that it takes. There is just too much that goes into the business of entertainment for chances to be taken on people who don’t have an idea of what needs to be done.

The Need for Discipline and Dedication

There are also too many people who have to work together in order to make production flow smoothly. Here is where the sports analogy comes in. As an actor, you will always be part of a team interacting with people besides the audience. It is all in order to service an artistic vision.

Sometimes this can be nerve-wracking and it can have its difficult moments but when it works there is an element of beauty, community. It is a glimpse into the best of people and what we can do together.

Acting is an expression and an exploration of humanity. Being an actor is being part of a community, being a stone in a bridge leads others to the road of those same things. Being an artist is understanding those things and then being disciplined and dedicated enough to work very hard toward being able to deliver when called on.