When it’s your turn to get on stage or face the camera, the last thing you want happening to you is to go blank. Additionally, when you’re busy getting ready for that moment, you want to be able to memorize your lines and speech simply and easily; you’ve got a million other things on your plate to prepare for simultaneously.
Welcome to the world of performance, where you have to be all and do all without over thinking any of it! Fortunately for you, we’ve got the tips you need, (not to mention classes and mentors) to help you not just memorize in a better more powerful way, but use it as a tool to further your career!
Most people don't realize that our minds memorize not just the words we’re learning, but also how we say them and the emotion we speak them with. This is due to both subconscious and muscle memory that allows you to memorize on a multi-sensory level. So when you are going over what you need to memorize, be sure to say it with passion and emotion so your whole body gets the message.
Another option that’s on a different end of the spectrum is to practice repeating your words and lines over and over again in a monotonous robotic voice, without any inflection. This allows your mind to simply ingrain the formation of the words into your memory, creating a strong foundation for the emotion to be built on. Once you rehearse the scene, it'll be different every time! One day you'll be upset and yelling, and the next day you'll be able to deliver those lines with joy and exclamation.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is to simply step away. Go jogging, cook some dinner, clean the house - all while gently remembering your lines. This gets your head engaged in physical activity which will both relax the memorizing side of your mind a little but also allow what it *is* practicing to be associated with physical activity.
You also need to relax and let go of your need to control or do things perfectly. Many people, under the pressure of 'not remembering' forget to breathe in that moment when they are practically reaching for that next word. So breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. This will activate that back of your mind which both calms and is able to think more clearly. The words will come. Relax and breathe.
In the end, what’s most important about memorization is that you've got to find the right way for you to get your lines so ingrained into your body and subconscious that you can recite them in your sleep. If you're struggling to remember lines during a scene, you’re possibly over thinking and rehearsing your fear of failure rather than the script itself. This is sabotaging and won’t get you the results you really want.
Of course, we always recommend taking things further by getting more training and bettering your skills with tools from the professionals. And that’s exactly what we do at The New York Acting School for Film and Television. Call us today and see which option is best for you!
No comments:
Post a Comment