Acting for the Camera: Revised Edition

I very much agree with philosophy of this text. I think it did a good job of gathering the most important points of acting for film. It's a short, easy, read, but I think it teaches all the right things.

This is, by far, the best guide I've ever read of acting for film and television as it compares to acting for the stage -- for the dollar, a Barr-gain of anything taught in acting school! A very descriptive reference manual to read again and again throughout one's acting career, it examines the correlation between theatrical and film acting, a principal that's often disregarded by many modern actors to the detriment of their skill. This book is a thorough technical manual for those never before the camera as well as for experts in the field. Victoria Ward, Artistic Director, Stage Forward

I found this book to be extremely assistive to me, as an actress. Obviously, the author understands the fundamentals of acting, and illustrated them beautifully in this book. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn how to act.

The first two sections of the book alone increased my abilities in front of the camera 100%. It became that I would read it over each week on my way to acting class. Tony Barr examines all areas of acting, tools, preparation, working on set and putting what you have learned into practice. It is to the point, intelligent and easy to read. It is a book to be studied, underlined and reread. I really feel it is a must for anyone wanting to act in front of a camera, regardless of your talent level.

Well, got a camcorder? I'm not being funny. The Eric Kline exercises at the end of the book will teach you things, with the aid of a camcorder that no amount of talking or reading can. But first, read the book. Economy is its keyword. Tony Barr gleans, from years of teaching since he founded The Film Actors Workshop in 1960, the most effective and easiest techniques for both the novice and the pro to truthfully "communicate ideas and emotions" through the camera. Correctly relegating exercises to exercises rather than as a response to the director's shout for "action," Barr recounts the need for listening, sensing and learning to respond to stimuli moment to moment. He divides the book into sections. The first two, "Acting" and "Working on the Role", he tells us are enough for anyone to create a strong performance. The next, "Tools," he warns are extras, only to be approached after you have mastered the first. The last part of the book gives the never-been-on-a-set-before actor everything he/she needs for that first role, the understanding of the mechanics of movie making that directors expect from actors. Want to be in pictures? This is a must-read for you.