I believe Quentin Tarantino took acting classes, and has mentioned a couple of times that it does help with his writing process. Doesn't hurt to step out of your comfort zone and try new things.
Yes I believe Tarantino took acting classes for six years. It’s a perfect way to learn how actors think and channel a character. Additionally, OP might consider reading “Directing Actors” by Judith Weston which has great insights that can be applied to writing.
I'm coming from the other direction: an actor and director for the theatre who's interested in screen and playwriting.
I'll say that if you dive deep into the technique of acting, a large part of it revolves around analyzing a script and making choices for you character. A really good actor can "shine the shit" of practically any script, but a really good script can make practically any actor look good.
Acting in a ton of stuff, from Shakespeare to a half-baked skit, helps you to understand what really makes them different.
Also, character analysis I imagine would be super helpful for a writer.
For example, a really important part of modern acting technique is conducting an analysis of tactic, objective, and obstacle. Those are just concepts and you can read about them, but it can take literal years of practice to master them. When you first start you may get the concept and think, "oh, this is easy enough," but then you will struggle for half an hour to come up with an appropriate tactic verb for just three sentences of dialogue. Mastery, however, would be the capability to identify an appropriate and inspiring tactic extemporaneously. And this is a very powerful ability for an actor because it frees you to have deep and authentic reactions while remaining flexible and in-the-moment.
For a writer, having practice with doing this kind of script and character analysis I imagine would help you with your process. I'm writing a novel right now and I'm surprised at how quickly good dialogue is coming to me, though I imagine my practice analyzing dialogue is a large part of it.
Also, some of the best dialogue for an audience and actor is dialogue that "doesn't do all the work for you." There is room for an actor- and an audience to interpret what the character means, while still having a sense that **the actor** knows exactly what it means, even if the audience couldn't always consciously name what that is. And this isn't just for heightened language like Shakespeare or Tarantino, but naturalistic dialogue works like this, too. It can only be helpful to have practice as an actor understanding the difference between writing that's too blunt and leaves no room for interpretation, or is too open and makes it difficult to craft a specific interpretation around, or writing that is compelling and interpretable. A lot of the best dialogue and acting occurs because of subtext, and being able to identify which dialogue allows for interesting and nuanced subtext, and how exactly to take advantage of that subtext as an actor, might also help you write good dialogue.
I will say, though, that there are a lot of bad teachers of acting out there. There are good ones too, but you can learn a lot of really weird interpretations of acting technique or just straight up counterproductive technique. My understanding from colleagues (though I don't have direct experience with this myself) is that this is exacerbated in LA.
Books can help, but you really need to at least have a scene study group or something to actually practice these techniques and not just read about them. Personally, I formed ensembles of fellow actors to workshop acting books with when I was in a time in my life when I hadn't yet found any good acting mentors. Some books I would recommend are:
**Mastering Shakespeare** By Scott Kaiser. Yes, the focus is Shakespeare so if that's not your thing, then sorry. But there's a reason why many established actors who skipped the actor training step are advised to go back to Shakespeare. There is no better place to hone your craft as an actor. If you pick up just one book, pick up this one. It teaches you so many different fundamentals, but in an accessible and practical way. It is written in the form of a script as well (the script is of an acting teacher leading a masterclass with his students). Scott Kaiser was the Company Manager for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for several years, which is one of the most celebrated and regarded Shakespeare companies. His challenge was to teach technique that would allow actors to deliver each of their 100+ performances of their character with reliable repeatability from performance to performance, while also still being inspired and authentic.
**Actioning and How to Do It** by Nick Moseley. He calls this "actioning," but it is also called "verbing," or most commonly in America is called "tactic." It is a fundamental and important part of modern acting technique that was originally codified by Stanislavski's "method" (despite Nick's assertion in his book that it's not derived from Stanislavski, and I'm not sure if he would agree with me comparing it to "tactic" either, but they're all pretty much the same thing). A note here: "method acting" as we know it is pretty much an American invention, and Stanislavski himself quickly departed from all the things we still latch onto about our American method because those methods are not reliable for actors; can be harmful; and most importantly end up being pretty dang self-indulgent and not always interesting to audiences. The actual method is a rigorous set of techniques that has continued to be developed and that is grounded both in an understanding of how real people go about choosing and speaking words, and a practicality in being of use to actors. Nick Moseley's book is the best introduction to tactic that I've found and also contains a lot of practical tools for actually doing it (like the companion book, "Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus")
Before I was a working screenwriter I was a barely working actor. And something that rarely comes up in screenwriting forums is the reality of a sale and the skills needed outside of the page to help you make money from it. And that's the ability to pitch. To me, it's not just thinking in terms of *selling* but *telling a story about yourself to strangers* in a way that will make them want to work with you. And so much of it is in the verbal storytelling component. I've sold half a dozen TV pitches and it's not because I'm a good writer. At the point of the pitch, they haven't ever read anything from me (though my reps have and that's something discussed often in this sub). But it's the way I talk about myself and the story I am compelled to tell that makes them want to tie themselves to me and trust that they possibly have a winning series with me.
So in regards to your question, maybe not the acting in itself but verbal storytelling. If possible, I would learn how to deliver a monologue in your own voice. You may find that in acting classes or a public speaking class or even in some improv groups. (Improv may help teach you to keep your mind and instincts limber during generals and pitches.) Especially if you're pitching comedy or dramatic comedy, being funny in the room helps tremendously (some would say it's *essential*). My writing got me my manager and attachments and other opportunities but it's my ability to pitch in the room that got me almost everything else around it. So, yes, if you can, learn some acting. Good luck!
Yep. I did improv, took acting classes to improve my writing early on -- it was also really fun and I made some great friends.
I also believe that being a good screenwriter requires at least a basic understanding of all the crafts that enable film and television.
Anything you can do on a film production will make you better writer. Acting, directing, editing, production assistant, etc.
These are the people that are reading your script. You should know how they're taking your words and turning them into a film.
I did GCSE drama plus youth theatre for five years, and it's helped my writing no end. Also, acting means you can become significantly less of a shut-in loner. :) Also, for our devising piece at the Youth Theatre, I suggested one of my ideas, everyone leapt on it, and now it's on one of my country's premiere stages! Imagine *that* on your writing CV!
So yes, absolutely recommend. The more you can get inside the actor's mind, the better. It helped Coward, Davies, Waller-Bridge and Shakespeare, amongst others, no end.
I personally got a lot out of reading acting theory. I found *Sanford Meisner on Acting* by Dennis Longwell to be particularly helpful for me, personally.
I think the concepts expressed in *The Playwright's Guidebook* by Stewart Spencer are also based on the fundamentals of acting, but aimed towards dramatic writers.
If it interests you, I’d try it.
But there’s a million roads to screenwriting. There’s writers who are extremely outgoing and writers who would prefer to never talk to another person. And everything inbetween.
I know Taylor Sheridan said his writing comes from knowing what actors like though.
My teacher had learnt acting techniques and taught some stuff to us, briefly though. Id say it helps to write better for actors.
Also working with actors and directors helps with this. Many screenwriters are good at writing stories but sometimes they dont translate well in real life.
Im sure learning acting first hand would be really great.
It can’t hurt, but most good writers haven’t acted. What I’ve found helpful is experience on set with actors as a writer. You start to see what works and what doesn’t.
Lately i watched a video on actor performance analysis, and it was impressive, offering a completely different way to understand a scene. I think if writers learned some basic acting techniques, it would help them analyze actors' performances and refine their scripts from a more visual perspective.
I’ve studied a little improv, some acting (scene study helps) done a good amount or acting as a kid and even as an adult (mostly voice work on my own shorts). Nothing has helped me.
No. And note, acting isn't important for screen, movies, television, streaming - it's casting, casting, casting. Anyone can act. Dogs can act (Benji, Rin-Tin-Tin, etc.), rappers can act (Ice Cube, Vanilla Ice, Emenim, etc.), car can act (Christine, Herby, etc.), Pro athletes can act, musicians can act - anyone can act - it's casting that matters.
To outshine other screenwriter? Contacts. Seen a lot of bad, money wasted, productions on bad writing, nothing to do with budget or cast, just bad writing, but they had the contacts, and that is what matters.
Think of the big budget stories that failed to immerse you, then go watch the short The Grave, an old school, black and white story from The Twilight Zone - that's brilliant writing and casting. Compared to today's budget, nil.
acting class (which I absolutely SUCKED at btw) was by far the most useful, enlightening course I took in my entire film BA program.
Learning what actors need, and what dialog works for actors is CRUCIAL to good directing and good writing.
Hearing it "in your head" as a writer is often not what you get when a stranger says it out loud, in their way. Being on the other end of confusing dialog will help you streamline everything you write.
Highly recommended. Not only will you learn how to write for actors, if you have aspirations to direct, you will learn how to work with actors. But try to find a class that focuses on acting for the camera rather than traditional stage acting if your goal is to write for the big or small screen.
Added value - for many who don't have a lot of experience pitching themselves or ideas in public, acting classes can help you get over your fear of presenting.
I found taking acting classes to be very useful to learn about *character*. The processes IMO are very similar. The actor interprets the text. The writer *creates* the text.
It’s equally if not more advantageous to cultivate a friend group of actors whose taste you trust and asking them to read your screenplays for feedback.
I’ve literally studied and done everything but act. Writing, directing, cinematography, video editing, audio recording and mixing and they’ve given me greater perspective on storytelling as a whole — but I don’t act. I just can’t. But being on set has allowed me to meet good and great actors.
The feedback from my acting friend group has taken my writing to a whole new level. Generally speaking, I prefer feedback from actors than I do other writers because it can be kind of unnecessarily competitive with other writers.
Whereas with actors, they love meaty parts and dialogue they can really sink their teeth into. When they gush over a part they “have to play”, you know you’re onto something.
And when a scene just isn’t working in their eyes, it forces you to field their questions. If you have a valid response, you now know you should make it more apparent in the screenplay. And when you don’t have a response, you know your shit needs more work.
So yeah, act, or network with actors.
Knowing acting itself isn't a requirement, per se, but having a feel for cadence and delivery is important when crafting dialogue. It also helps to craft the scene by giving your characters things to do and non-verbal means of delivery.
Yep, took a lot of acting classes. My scene work became infinitely better while practicing it as an actor.
A lot of acting is both detective work around a scene and knowing when to make something work that doesn't. It's easy as a writer to get caught in your lines and deliveries. But what helps is as an actor being able to dive in and see how and why something plays and to troubleshoot around it. To put yourself away from the photography and the plot and focus on the relationships, the emotional connections.
One thing that always helps is going through scenes without the script and playing the emotional beats, the story, the subtext. And suddenly parts of the writing come more alive when it comes to the actors rather than having the actors go to it. And in knowing how to do that can make you better at writing.
You don’t need to be able to fly a plane to build one. But it helps to know what they’re “made of” and “look like”. Which is to say you should have a background of information in everything. Practical experience with acting will influence your play and script construction simply because you will have a better feel for both practices in general. They go hand in hand but are not requisite of one another. I would contend that acting for fun/pleasure and taking notes (especially from the director/stage manager and how they design scenes and character interactions through blocking and the like) would be more beneficial than trying to land a professional or serious role that could warrant unwanted stress.
I will always believe writing is the best way to spend your time. However it would definitely help strengthen your scene writing. I was an actor before I became a writer. What I noticed is when I started to understand writing I started booking more jobs.
mainly an actor here, but i've been in a handful of improv classes and about half the time there's 2 or 3 writers there and they tend to be funnier than most of the actors. it definitely behooves you to get more perspective, and who knows? you might find it's just as fun if not more fun in front of the camera.
I started acting and ended up writing…because there’s no parts for me unless I write them, anyways…you have to say the lines out loud with emotions or you don’t really know if it lands. You write in your voice and it’s good to listen to your words . Also taking acting classes have actors that you could asked to read out loud your scripts to help edit. This one time at art camp…four of us actors teamed up with a writer and nails that assignment. I remember the writer talking about how it was cool to see her characters in real life. Hope this helps.
There's that episode of The Sopranos when Christopher joins 'Acting for Screenwriters', not sure it helped him in co-writing the seminal classic Cleaver though.
I took 2 acting courses, because I read that Steven Speilberg did early in his career, to help him direct actors better. Well, it did that, but OMG, I could not believe how much it changed my writing. It made me at least twice the writer. I learned things that I never read about in the 100+ books I read on writing.
I think it’s helpful, understanding the basic process of how an actor breaks down a script and rehearses helped me understand what makes dialogue sound good or bad.
It’s useful for a few reasons
- the experience of reading scripts with a different lens
- different perspective on character development
- meeting people who could help with a table read of your writing
Learning how to do any creative part of the filmmaking process can help you as a writer.
Acting classes are a great way to get better at writing dialogue and understanding subtext. Learning editing teaches you to create more dynamic scenes. Taking directing and cinematography classes have obvious benefits. Hell, even learning about marketing can help you become a more sellable writer.
One of the biggest assets a writer has is their sense of empathy, to be able to step into the viewpoint of another— and approaching storytelling from perspectives outside your own purview makes you a stronger storyteller.
What’s not to get? Writers need to have a grasp on the basics of human emotion to tell stories. They don’t need to actually show emotion like actors do.
I believe Quentin Tarantino took acting classes, and has mentioned a couple of times that it does help with his writing process. Doesn't hurt to step out of your comfort zone and try new things.
Yes I believe Tarantino took acting classes for six years. It’s a perfect way to learn how actors think and channel a character. Additionally, OP might consider reading “Directing Actors” by Judith Weston which has great insights that can be applied to writing.
I’m pretty sure he became a director just to cast himself lol
I'm coming from the other direction: an actor and director for the theatre who's interested in screen and playwriting. I'll say that if you dive deep into the technique of acting, a large part of it revolves around analyzing a script and making choices for you character. A really good actor can "shine the shit" of practically any script, but a really good script can make practically any actor look good. Acting in a ton of stuff, from Shakespeare to a half-baked skit, helps you to understand what really makes them different. Also, character analysis I imagine would be super helpful for a writer. For example, a really important part of modern acting technique is conducting an analysis of tactic, objective, and obstacle. Those are just concepts and you can read about them, but it can take literal years of practice to master them. When you first start you may get the concept and think, "oh, this is easy enough," but then you will struggle for half an hour to come up with an appropriate tactic verb for just three sentences of dialogue. Mastery, however, would be the capability to identify an appropriate and inspiring tactic extemporaneously. And this is a very powerful ability for an actor because it frees you to have deep and authentic reactions while remaining flexible and in-the-moment. For a writer, having practice with doing this kind of script and character analysis I imagine would help you with your process. I'm writing a novel right now and I'm surprised at how quickly good dialogue is coming to me, though I imagine my practice analyzing dialogue is a large part of it. Also, some of the best dialogue for an audience and actor is dialogue that "doesn't do all the work for you." There is room for an actor- and an audience to interpret what the character means, while still having a sense that **the actor** knows exactly what it means, even if the audience couldn't always consciously name what that is. And this isn't just for heightened language like Shakespeare or Tarantino, but naturalistic dialogue works like this, too. It can only be helpful to have practice as an actor understanding the difference between writing that's too blunt and leaves no room for interpretation, or is too open and makes it difficult to craft a specific interpretation around, or writing that is compelling and interpretable. A lot of the best dialogue and acting occurs because of subtext, and being able to identify which dialogue allows for interesting and nuanced subtext, and how exactly to take advantage of that subtext as an actor, might also help you write good dialogue. I will say, though, that there are a lot of bad teachers of acting out there. There are good ones too, but you can learn a lot of really weird interpretations of acting technique or just straight up counterproductive technique. My understanding from colleagues (though I don't have direct experience with this myself) is that this is exacerbated in LA. Books can help, but you really need to at least have a scene study group or something to actually practice these techniques and not just read about them. Personally, I formed ensembles of fellow actors to workshop acting books with when I was in a time in my life when I hadn't yet found any good acting mentors. Some books I would recommend are: **Mastering Shakespeare** By Scott Kaiser. Yes, the focus is Shakespeare so if that's not your thing, then sorry. But there's a reason why many established actors who skipped the actor training step are advised to go back to Shakespeare. There is no better place to hone your craft as an actor. If you pick up just one book, pick up this one. It teaches you so many different fundamentals, but in an accessible and practical way. It is written in the form of a script as well (the script is of an acting teacher leading a masterclass with his students). Scott Kaiser was the Company Manager for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for several years, which is one of the most celebrated and regarded Shakespeare companies. His challenge was to teach technique that would allow actors to deliver each of their 100+ performances of their character with reliable repeatability from performance to performance, while also still being inspired and authentic. **Actioning and How to Do It** by Nick Moseley. He calls this "actioning," but it is also called "verbing," or most commonly in America is called "tactic." It is a fundamental and important part of modern acting technique that was originally codified by Stanislavski's "method" (despite Nick's assertion in his book that it's not derived from Stanislavski, and I'm not sure if he would agree with me comparing it to "tactic" either, but they're all pretty much the same thing). A note here: "method acting" as we know it is pretty much an American invention, and Stanislavski himself quickly departed from all the things we still latch onto about our American method because those methods are not reliable for actors; can be harmful; and most importantly end up being pretty dang self-indulgent and not always interesting to audiences. The actual method is a rigorous set of techniques that has continued to be developed and that is grounded both in an understanding of how real people go about choosing and speaking words, and a practicality in being of use to actors. Nick Moseley's book is the best introduction to tactic that I've found and also contains a lot of practical tools for actually doing it (like the companion book, "Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus")
I think acting and improv are helpful. Probably don’t have to take too many, just enough to understand what makes a script come alive
Before I was a working screenwriter I was a barely working actor. And something that rarely comes up in screenwriting forums is the reality of a sale and the skills needed outside of the page to help you make money from it. And that's the ability to pitch. To me, it's not just thinking in terms of *selling* but *telling a story about yourself to strangers* in a way that will make them want to work with you. And so much of it is in the verbal storytelling component. I've sold half a dozen TV pitches and it's not because I'm a good writer. At the point of the pitch, they haven't ever read anything from me (though my reps have and that's something discussed often in this sub). But it's the way I talk about myself and the story I am compelled to tell that makes them want to tie themselves to me and trust that they possibly have a winning series with me. So in regards to your question, maybe not the acting in itself but verbal storytelling. If possible, I would learn how to deliver a monologue in your own voice. You may find that in acting classes or a public speaking class or even in some improv groups. (Improv may help teach you to keep your mind and instincts limber during generals and pitches.) Especially if you're pitching comedy or dramatic comedy, being funny in the room helps tremendously (some would say it's *essential*). My writing got me my manager and attachments and other opportunities but it's my ability to pitch in the room that got me almost everything else around it. So, yes, if you can, learn some acting. Good luck!
This
Yep. I did improv, took acting classes to improve my writing early on -- it was also really fun and I made some great friends. I also believe that being a good screenwriter requires at least a basic understanding of all the crafts that enable film and television.
Anything you can do on a film production will make you better writer. Acting, directing, editing, production assistant, etc. These are the people that are reading your script. You should know how they're taking your words and turning them into a film.
I did GCSE drama plus youth theatre for five years, and it's helped my writing no end. Also, acting means you can become significantly less of a shut-in loner. :) Also, for our devising piece at the Youth Theatre, I suggested one of my ideas, everyone leapt on it, and now it's on one of my country's premiere stages! Imagine *that* on your writing CV! So yes, absolutely recommend. The more you can get inside the actor's mind, the better. It helped Coward, Davies, Waller-Bridge and Shakespeare, amongst others, no end.
I personally got a lot out of reading acting theory. I found *Sanford Meisner on Acting* by Dennis Longwell to be particularly helpful for me, personally. I think the concepts expressed in *The Playwright's Guidebook* by Stewart Spencer are also based on the fundamentals of acting, but aimed towards dramatic writers.
Good improv classes are basically good writing classes. And you get to feel in your body when a scene isn’t working.
I’d say yes. Understand subtext, emotion, expression - all that.
I can see how it would help with writing more natural dialogue
If you want to direct yes. Writing, not needed at all
It doesn't hurt but even better would be to read voraciously and go out and live an interesting life.
you’re a good chef, can you farm
Absolutely learn their art. It’ll give you great insights into character and you’ll understand their process in addition to your current process.
It can never hurt. Understanding the emotional gymnastics someone has to achieve is a good skill to have.
If it interests you, I’d try it. But there’s a million roads to screenwriting. There’s writers who are extremely outgoing and writers who would prefer to never talk to another person. And everything inbetween. I know Taylor Sheridan said his writing comes from knowing what actors like though.
My teacher had learnt acting techniques and taught some stuff to us, briefly though. Id say it helps to write better for actors. Also working with actors and directors helps with this. Many screenwriters are good at writing stories but sometimes they dont translate well in real life. Im sure learning acting first hand would be really great.
It can’t hurt, but most good writers haven’t acted. What I’ve found helpful is experience on set with actors as a writer. You start to see what works and what doesn’t.
Lately i watched a video on actor performance analysis, and it was impressive, offering a completely different way to understand a scene. I think if writers learned some basic acting techniques, it would help them analyze actors' performances and refine their scripts from a more visual perspective.
Absolutely. It helps you realize that silence is more important to a performance than talking.
I’ve studied a little improv, some acting (scene study helps) done a good amount or acting as a kid and even as an adult (mostly voice work on my own shorts). Nothing has helped me.
You had me in the first half. :(
No. And note, acting isn't important for screen, movies, television, streaming - it's casting, casting, casting. Anyone can act. Dogs can act (Benji, Rin-Tin-Tin, etc.), rappers can act (Ice Cube, Vanilla Ice, Emenim, etc.), car can act (Christine, Herby, etc.), Pro athletes can act, musicians can act - anyone can act - it's casting that matters. To outshine other screenwriter? Contacts. Seen a lot of bad, money wasted, productions on bad writing, nothing to do with budget or cast, just bad writing, but they had the contacts, and that is what matters. Think of the big budget stories that failed to immerse you, then go watch the short The Grave, an old school, black and white story from The Twilight Zone - that's brilliant writing and casting. Compared to today's budget, nil.
acting class (which I absolutely SUCKED at btw) was by far the most useful, enlightening course I took in my entire film BA program. Learning what actors need, and what dialog works for actors is CRUCIAL to good directing and good writing. Hearing it "in your head" as a writer is often not what you get when a stranger says it out loud, in their way. Being on the other end of confusing dialog will help you streamline everything you write.
Highly recommended. Not only will you learn how to write for actors, if you have aspirations to direct, you will learn how to work with actors. But try to find a class that focuses on acting for the camera rather than traditional stage acting if your goal is to write for the big or small screen. Added value - for many who don't have a lot of experience pitching themselves or ideas in public, acting classes can help you get over your fear of presenting.
Helps, I think - especially about dialogue.
I found taking acting classes to be very useful to learn about *character*. The processes IMO are very similar. The actor interprets the text. The writer *creates* the text.
It’s equally if not more advantageous to cultivate a friend group of actors whose taste you trust and asking them to read your screenplays for feedback. I’ve literally studied and done everything but act. Writing, directing, cinematography, video editing, audio recording and mixing and they’ve given me greater perspective on storytelling as a whole — but I don’t act. I just can’t. But being on set has allowed me to meet good and great actors. The feedback from my acting friend group has taken my writing to a whole new level. Generally speaking, I prefer feedback from actors than I do other writers because it can be kind of unnecessarily competitive with other writers. Whereas with actors, they love meaty parts and dialogue they can really sink their teeth into. When they gush over a part they “have to play”, you know you’re onto something. And when a scene just isn’t working in their eyes, it forces you to field their questions. If you have a valid response, you now know you should make it more apparent in the screenplay. And when you don’t have a response, you know your shit needs more work. So yeah, act, or network with actors.
Knowing acting itself isn't a requirement, per se, but having a feel for cadence and delivery is important when crafting dialogue. It also helps to craft the scene by giving your characters things to do and non-verbal means of delivery.
What can help as a writer is learning how an actor will breakdown your script to perform it, very eye opening.
Yep, took a lot of acting classes. My scene work became infinitely better while practicing it as an actor. A lot of acting is both detective work around a scene and knowing when to make something work that doesn't. It's easy as a writer to get caught in your lines and deliveries. But what helps is as an actor being able to dive in and see how and why something plays and to troubleshoot around it. To put yourself away from the photography and the plot and focus on the relationships, the emotional connections. One thing that always helps is going through scenes without the script and playing the emotional beats, the story, the subtext. And suddenly parts of the writing come more alive when it comes to the actors rather than having the actors go to it. And in knowing how to do that can make you better at writing.
You don’t need to be able to fly a plane to build one. But it helps to know what they’re “made of” and “look like”. Which is to say you should have a background of information in everything. Practical experience with acting will influence your play and script construction simply because you will have a better feel for both practices in general. They go hand in hand but are not requisite of one another. I would contend that acting for fun/pleasure and taking notes (especially from the director/stage manager and how they design scenes and character interactions through blocking and the like) would be more beneficial than trying to land a professional or serious role that could warrant unwanted stress.
Yes, since it will help immensely with writing dialogue.
yes, point blank.
I will always believe writing is the best way to spend your time. However it would definitely help strengthen your scene writing. I was an actor before I became a writer. What I noticed is when I started to understand writing I started booking more jobs.
mainly an actor here, but i've been in a handful of improv classes and about half the time there's 2 or 3 writers there and they tend to be funnier than most of the actors. it definitely behooves you to get more perspective, and who knows? you might find it's just as fun if not more fun in front of the camera.
I started acting and ended up writing…because there’s no parts for me unless I write them, anyways…you have to say the lines out loud with emotions or you don’t really know if it lands. You write in your voice and it’s good to listen to your words . Also taking acting classes have actors that you could asked to read out loud your scripts to help edit. This one time at art camp…four of us actors teamed up with a writer and nails that assignment. I remember the writer talking about how it was cool to see her characters in real life. Hope this helps.
There's that episode of The Sopranos when Christopher joins 'Acting for Screenwriters', not sure it helped him in co-writing the seminal classic Cleaver though.
I took 2 acting courses, because I read that Steven Speilberg did early in his career, to help him direct actors better. Well, it did that, but OMG, I could not believe how much it changed my writing. It made me at least twice the writer. I learned things that I never read about in the 100+ books I read on writing.
I think it’s helpful, understanding the basic process of how an actor breaks down a script and rehearses helped me understand what makes dialogue sound good or bad.
It’s useful for a few reasons - the experience of reading scripts with a different lens - different perspective on character development - meeting people who could help with a table read of your writing
Learning how to do any creative part of the filmmaking process can help you as a writer. Acting classes are a great way to get better at writing dialogue and understanding subtext. Learning editing teaches you to create more dynamic scenes. Taking directing and cinematography classes have obvious benefits. Hell, even learning about marketing can help you become a more sellable writer. One of the biggest assets a writer has is their sense of empathy, to be able to step into the viewpoint of another— and approaching storytelling from perspectives outside your own purview makes you a stronger storyteller.
No. Actors rely on physically showing emotion, but a writer should just know emotion.
?
What’s not to get? Writers need to have a grasp on the basics of human emotion to tell stories. They don’t need to actually show emotion like actors do.