How To Develop The Skill Of Concentration For Sure Success

The art of focus and concentration for an actor

How To Succeed In Auditions And In Scene Performance

The Art Of Focus And Concentration 

You are standing before the Camera. Settings are arranged. People are moving around. The Asst cameraman is checking the light intensity with some instrument, right close to your face and calling cinematographer loudly while you are still recollecting your lines. The director is instructing loudly to the crew. Sound technician is adjusting lapel mike on your body breathing on your face.

Suddenly  there is a shout "Ready?" 
Followed by "Sound"..."Lights"...Camera"....a...n...d..."ACTION"
Tensely you start your lines...and you stop! 
There is a block. A total mental block!! You have lost your CONCENTRATION and FOCUS
The director shouts..."CUT"!  

• Everybody looks at you...director,  crew and your Co-stars!
• What a pity! The shooting is stalled because of your mess up!
• Tension builds up affecting your performance and the portrayal of your character when you notice a chaos around you on a set before a "Take". It further aggravates when you see the crowd watching you.

How to overcome this mental block?

5 Ways To Concentrate

• Select an object on the set, say a lamp. A small table, a picture on the wall or anything and keep your focus on it. Even if the shot demands you to look somewhere else, keep looking at that object mentally. You don't see anything else or hearing anything. Just keep focused on that object.
• Go on giving an auto-suggestion that you are "The Character". Go on repeating this in your mind again and again. Say to you "I will do well", "main bahut achcha karoonga"  "yes"! "It will be a great performance!"
• Don't repeat your line now. You have done enough. Repeating just before the "take" may create a mental block
• Take a deep breath and release slowly. Do this 11 times.
• The best is to create a "Wall". Think of your bedroom or any room with a blank wall. Mentally put that wall in front of you, blanking out all the chaos on the set. You are now focusing on the wall, but are not aware of it. Your mind is active and aware of what is happening around, but not seeing it. 

Have You Got It?

Good!

Finally, when you hear "ACTION", go into your "character' and shoot!

Congratulations! You have just given a great performance!

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