Advanced Acting Tips - How to Channel Your Energy

An actor must possess a high level of concentration, not only to void out any distractions, but increase the intensity level and to further establish the "fourth-wall" between the actor and the audience or camera. When you're acting, your entire being is working toward the same goal.

As an actor, you are an artist, and as an artist you must master the art of concentration and the power the lies therein. Your concentration may be external or internal, and the external concentration assists you when focusing your attention on onstage or on-camera activity while internal concentration is designed to help fuel your imagination.

Channeling your energy to the scene and circumstances around you, you will create a performance that is convincing, sincere and full of realism.

Channeling your energy while performing will actually help you forget about the audience or the camera, and only focus in on what is happening. This benefits you as an actor as it encourages you to truly let go and become immersed in the artificial world you've created around you.

Creating a Point of Attention

According to the great acting coach, Stanislavski actors may channel their energy into a scene by creating a sphere of concentration, and within this sphere is the exact point of concentration.

As a visual, imagine yourself in a pitch black room. Suddenly, a small lamp is turned on and a circle of light appears on the floor. Within this illumination spot, you see several items. Because your entire world is dark except for this small circle, your entire concentration is on the items in this circle.

This is the concept of developing a point of attention through a sphere of concentration.

Although developing your ability to channel your energy into a scene or a specific person can be difficult at first, through practice and a forced concentration during rehearsals you will soon be able to void out all around you; that is, all that is not within your sphere of concentration.