When it comes to acting for camera, traditional approaches can result in characters falling flat on the screen. An unorthodox approach showing actors how to pop on screen by learning to “think like the camera,” is presented in an eBook launched on iTunes this week. Written by cult film director John Swanbeck (The Big Kahuna starring Kevin Spacey and Danny Devito), How To Steal The Scene & End Up Playing The Lead (the eBook) brings Swanbeck’s trademark technique for the first time to mobile devices for quick, on-the-scene problem solving.
How To Steal The Scene & End Up Playing The Lead (the ebook) is available for $14.99 on iTunes and on Amazon.com. A sample chapter is available on Swanbeck’s BlueSwanFilm’s website.
Unlike other techniques, Swanbeck’s approach starts by showing actors what the camera finds compelling and why. Then he shows them, in practical steps, how to achieve cinematic quality performances.
Designed for smartphones and tablets in 25 one-page chapters, How To Steal The Scene & End Up Playing The Lead gives actors quick access to Swanbeck’s tips, tools and insights, based on his trademark technique, that they can easily access in auditions, rehearsals or on set. Each chapter presents a challenging situation followed by a simple 1-2-3-step solution to help actors create unforgettable cinematic characters. Headlining each chapter is a catchy title and one of Swanbeck’s original jokes about actors, written in the author’s sharp, comedic tongue that keeps his students laughing while learning.
“It’s like actors having John Swanbeck in their back pockets,” said Swanbeck.
Swanbeck has been developing his revolutionary approach to film acting since directing his existential film comedy, The Big Kahuna. Unlike more classical acting methods that focus on the actor’s internal experience to make characters seem real, Swanbeck’s approach reveals that cinematic success depends on actors creating from the camera’s perspective. His eBook shows actors what the camera finds interesting, how to create an emotional connection with the camera, and what kinds of choices and characters the camera finds compelling.
For more information about How to Steal the Scene & End up Playing the Lead contact BlueSwanFilms at via email here.
About John Swanbeck
Creator John Swanbeck is a writer/director living in Los Angeles. His existential film comedy "The Big Kahuna" has achieved cult-like status in the international and indie film worlds for its cinematic performances by Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito. He is the creator and writer of the weekly comic strip "The Daily Life Of "Pants" and producer of the live comedy show The Blueswanfilms Traveling Comedy Show. John’s stage productions have appeared in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. He is renowned for his unorthodox approach to film and television acting, captured in his eBook for actors “John Swanbeck’s: How To Steal The Scene & End Up Playing The Lead”. He also writes a regular column on film acting for Backstage. Contact Swanbeck via email. Follow him on Twitter @CleverActorTips and visit BlueSwanFilms.com.
About BlueSwanFilms
After cutting his teeth on the Chicago theatre scene, Swanbeck brought his unique talent for directing actors to his existential film comedy The Big Kahuna (Kevin Spacey/Danny DeVito). In Los Angeles editing the film, and at the dawn of the digital revolution, John envisioned an online-based production company creating, producing and distributing character-driven content across a wide spectrum of media platforms. BlueSwanFilms’ two inaugural projects – the weekly Comic Strip The Daily Life of “Pants” (“If this is The City Of Angels why do I feel like I’m living in Hell?”) and the much-anticipated eBook How To Steal The Scene & End Up Playing The Lead – mark the realization of that vision. BlueSwanFilms is currently developing the Mock-PSA4KIDS series Smartbutt (“…because kids in this species need all the help they can get”) and producing The BlueSwanFilms Traveling Comedy Show. BlueSwanFilms.com
