Actors are people first and actors second. Treating each other with respect goes without saying. For me, as a director, having a real connection is very important. Without one, I find it very difficult if not impossible to work. If the actors and you don’t understand each other, then how are you going to translate the story?

I don’t want acting; I want a real human experience. Real emotion. Ultimately, the viewer will pick up on ‘acting’ and when that happens, the trust is broken. True acting does not come from good acting, but from living through the character’s eyes. When that happens, the words and actions become organic, and so does the viewer’s experience. It is magic.

One useful piece of advice that I got was to never rush with casting. Don’t just ask actors to read; talk and ask questions. More than a month passed before I found the right people for the short film Releasing You and some people that didn’t make it were simply brilliant. But in the end, you need to ask yourself a question: is this role right for that particular actor? Will it help them to open up? Will this role be fulfilling for them?

What made my life easier in my first directing debut in Releasing You was doing a lot of prep work before the first day of filming. There was a lot of correspondence between me and the actors where I would give more of a back story, explain each character in detail, break down the plot emotionally, send film examples, etc. I wanted the actors to not only know the character, but to also understand the real person behind it. We also met quite a few times to block and run through the scenes.

Giving directions, but also the ability to listen is paramount to success. As a director, you should be able to not only lead but also explain. Sometimes, one word is all that is needed. Simplicity over complexity.  And sometimes you need to step back in order to give the actor that creative power and ability to ‘live’ through the character without reservations. 

Working with actors is very rewarding because if you truly understand each other, not just as working professionals, but also as people, your vision and your story will come to life.