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Acting: Face to Face: The Actor's Guide to Understanding How Your Face Communicates Emotion for TV and Film
This is the first edition of Acting Face to The Actor’s Guide to Understanding How Your Face Communicates Emotion for TV and Film. A Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition of this book is now available. There should be a link somewhere on the page.The first edition was powerful, and some said groundbreaking and I wanted to make sure I kept all of what made it such a success. It’s all still
The science behind why only a small percentage of on-camera actors get the majority of the work, what those actors do differently than the rest, and what you can do to level the playing field.Why acting is an art of deception and why deception is the key to truthful acting.Why your facial messages may not be expressed the way you intend and how it may be costing you more than the job.What’s been added in the 2nd Edition?
Updated “Myths and Misconceptions” chapter.What we've learned from mask-wearing and what it means to the on-camera actor.Deeper dive into EYE COMMUNICATION - what the eyes can and can’t say.35 new photos to illustrate specificity and subtlety of emotional expression.But the biggest change has been the addition of 3 brand NEW chapters that include a mini version of my proprietary Emotion Screen Test (EST). There are over 75 pages of new material.
If you don’t already know, the EST is a guided, in-depth self-evaluation of your own facial expressions. It will help you evaluate your emotion creating and revealing strengths and weaknesses. And having that understanding can make you more self-aware, more confident, and ultimately- a better actor.
After working with thousands of actors and studying the work of leading researchers in the field of emotions for over 10 years, John Sudol – a veteran actor, director, casting director, Hollywood acting teacher and audition coach – has developed this book series, which stands to change the face of acting.Though developed specifically for actors, this book is also helpful to anyone in the communications business who would benefit from knowing how their face nonverbally speaks to others. *The second book of the Language of the Face series, Acting Face to Face 2, How to Create Genuine Emotion for the Camera is also available. Whereas the first Acting Face to Face defined the challenges of On-Camera Acting, Acting Face to Face 2, reveals a step-by-step process to overcoming those challenges.
The science behind why only a small percentage of on-camera actors get the majority of the work, what those actors do differently than the rest, and what you can do to level the playing field.Why acting is an art of deception and why deception is the key to truthful acting.Why your facial messages may not be expressed the way you intend and how it may be costing you more than the job.What’s been added in the 2nd Edition?
Updated “Myths and Misconceptions” chapter.What we've learned from mask-wearing and what it means to the on-camera actor.Deeper dive into EYE COMMUNICATION - what the eyes can and can’t say.35 new photos to illustrate specificity and subtlety of emotional expression.But the biggest change has been the addition of 3 brand NEW chapters that include a mini version of my proprietary Emotion Screen Test (EST). There are over 75 pages of new material.
If you don’t already know, the EST is a guided, in-depth self-evaluation of your own facial expressions. It will help you evaluate your emotion creating and revealing strengths and weaknesses. And having that understanding can make you more self-aware, more confident, and ultimately- a better actor.
After working with thousands of actors and studying the work of leading researchers in the field of emotions for over 10 years, John Sudol – a veteran actor, director, casting director, Hollywood acting teacher and audition coach – has developed this book series, which stands to change the face of acting.Though developed specifically for actors, this book is also helpful to anyone in the communications business who would benefit from knowing how their face nonverbally speaks to others. *The second book of the Language of the Face series, Acting Face to Face 2, How to Create Genuine Emotion for the Camera is also available. Whereas the first Acting Face to Face defined the challenges of On-Camera Acting, Acting Face to Face 2, reveals a step-by-step process to overcoming those challenges.
- GenresNonfiction
139 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2013
56 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
John Sudol
3 books1 followerAlthough John has been teaching acting for over 30 years, there’s much more to John’s story. During that time, he has worked successfully as an actor as well as a director. He was the Artistic Director and resident playwright of the 65th Street Theater in Seattle and the Co-Founder of Performing Actor’s Studio in Los Angeles.
During his Seattle days, in addition to running a theater and teaching, John also co-founded Casting Northwest, which cast numerous national and regional commercials, theatrical productions, features, voice-overs and led several talent searches in the Northwest for ABC.
Returning to LA, John continued casting, working as a session director for some of the busiest casting directors in town while simultaneously acting, teaching and working as a screenwriter and story editor. But it was the years he spent in casting that most inspired his work in The Language of the Face. He realized that the hardest thing for the majority of actors to do was to come up with a real, recognizable reaction on demand. All this culminated in John writing two bestselling books Acting: Face to Face (2013) and Acting: Face to Face 2 (2015). These two books continue to sell globally and have resulted in John being known as the “Go-To Emotion Specialist.”
John has dedicated the bulk of his career to studying and understanding emotions and how that applies to artistic expression. He’s done this by studying the work of leading scientific researchers in the field of emotions. This study has made him an expert in not only how we do express emotion, but the various reasons that some people may actually fail to do so.
Developing the Language of the Face and the classes that go along with it has been John’s quest and passion. Currently, he teaches workshops, classes, seminars to actors, directors, animators and business professional around the world and most recently has made his entire curriculum available online for the first time (emotiontrainingcenter.com). It is the most comprehensive and deepest dive in online acting classes to date. In addition, he publishes articles in trade papers and blogs and is one of Backstage’s expert contributors.
What John prides himself most in his unique teaching process is that he gives his students more than just tips and tricks, but the very real, applicable tools they need to increase their level of skill. This gives them the confidence to achieve their goals, which translates directly into having a successful acting career.
His philosophy has always been to take in the whole actor in order to -
Educate, Inspire and Empower...
John’s holistic approach is not just for actors, but anyone who has a passion to go beyond what they think is possible. Each one of those 3 words has a specific meaning:
To Educate: This is not just about sharing information, but keeping the information current and as applicable as possible. Theory is fun at dinner parties but doesn’t necessarily help us in the real world of acting. John is constantly working with the top casting directors, agents and managers to stay on top of current trends and integrate those into his teaching.
To Inspire: To inspire someone, John delves into the individual's beliefs to find what they think they are capable of accomplishing. Together they work on expanding those that are limiting and dispel the ones that do not serve. When this is accomplished a new world with new possibilities opens up. Each actor is unique. They hear and take in information differently. So, to inspire someone to be better than what they thought they could be, he must know each actor on an individual level.
To Empower: To John, empowering is about raising an actor’s level of skill. This has two sides to it. The first is learning to understand how to break down and interpret the source material or script. This is about making choices. The other side is executing the choices you make. The more the actor is able to fuse these two sides
During his Seattle days, in addition to running a theater and teaching, John also co-founded Casting Northwest, which cast numerous national and regional commercials, theatrical productions, features, voice-overs and led several talent searches in the Northwest for ABC.
Returning to LA, John continued casting, working as a session director for some of the busiest casting directors in town while simultaneously acting, teaching and working as a screenwriter and story editor. But it was the years he spent in casting that most inspired his work in The Language of the Face. He realized that the hardest thing for the majority of actors to do was to come up with a real, recognizable reaction on demand. All this culminated in John writing two bestselling books Acting: Face to Face (2013) and Acting: Face to Face 2 (2015). These two books continue to sell globally and have resulted in John being known as the “Go-To Emotion Specialist.”
John has dedicated the bulk of his career to studying and understanding emotions and how that applies to artistic expression. He’s done this by studying the work of leading scientific researchers in the field of emotions. This study has made him an expert in not only how we do express emotion, but the various reasons that some people may actually fail to do so.
Developing the Language of the Face and the classes that go along with it has been John’s quest and passion. Currently, he teaches workshops, classes, seminars to actors, directors, animators and business professional around the world and most recently has made his entire curriculum available online for the first time (emotiontrainingcenter.com). It is the most comprehensive and deepest dive in online acting classes to date. In addition, he publishes articles in trade papers and blogs and is one of Backstage’s expert contributors.
What John prides himself most in his unique teaching process is that he gives his students more than just tips and tricks, but the very real, applicable tools they need to increase their level of skill. This gives them the confidence to achieve their goals, which translates directly into having a successful acting career.
His philosophy has always been to take in the whole actor in order to -
Educate, Inspire and Empower...
John’s holistic approach is not just for actors, but anyone who has a passion to go beyond what they think is possible. Each one of those 3 words has a specific meaning:
To Educate: This is not just about sharing information, but keeping the information current and as applicable as possible. Theory is fun at dinner parties but doesn’t necessarily help us in the real world of acting. John is constantly working with the top casting directors, agents and managers to stay on top of current trends and integrate those into his teaching.
To Inspire: To inspire someone, John delves into the individual's beliefs to find what they think they are capable of accomplishing. Together they work on expanding those that are limiting and dispel the ones that do not serve. When this is accomplished a new world with new possibilities opens up. Each actor is unique. They hear and take in information differently. So, to inspire someone to be better than what they thought they could be, he must know each actor on an individual level.
To Empower: To John, empowering is about raising an actor’s level of skill. This has two sides to it. The first is learning to understand how to break down and interpret the source material or script. This is about making choices. The other side is executing the choices you make. The more the actor is able to fuse these two sides
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 19, 2013
Very helpful book for every actor working in film and TV.
January 30, 2023
I was working on set and saw another actor with this book. I was a new actor and still figuring out how to use my body to tell stories. After several auditions where I failed to book the role, I knew I needed to gain more knowledge about the craft of acting. I ordered it immediately and refer back to this book often.
John Sudol's book simply lays out what he calls, "the language of the face," or the ways that our faces communicate emotions. He goes into detail describing the facial muscles that we use as we express ourselves in everyday life. For example, the way we use the muscles around our mouths to express surprise.
I haven't seen this level of detail on the nuts and bolts of acting in any other book. He has sections on: The Way Emotions Appear on Your Face, Macro Expression, Micro Expression, and Subtle Expressions. This is gold for an actor! The most reliable skill actors use to land a role is the ability to adjust their performance in auditions.
Casting directors, producers and directors have devoted countless pages in books on actors who struggle to make adjustments in their performances. The book features a chapter on emotional distortions, or when our face is communicating emotions that are at odds with what we feel. Sudol lists seven ways emotional distortion presents on our faces.
The final chapter has actionable steps actors can use to get in "emotional alignment" where our facial expressions match the emotions we intend to convey. Great read!!
John Sudol's book simply lays out what he calls, "the language of the face," or the ways that our faces communicate emotions. He goes into detail describing the facial muscles that we use as we express ourselves in everyday life. For example, the way we use the muscles around our mouths to express surprise.
I haven't seen this level of detail on the nuts and bolts of acting in any other book. He has sections on: The Way Emotions Appear on Your Face, Macro Expression, Micro Expression, and Subtle Expressions. This is gold for an actor! The most reliable skill actors use to land a role is the ability to adjust their performance in auditions.
Casting directors, producers and directors have devoted countless pages in books on actors who struggle to make adjustments in their performances. The book features a chapter on emotional distortions, or when our face is communicating emotions that are at odds with what we feel. Sudol lists seven ways emotional distortion presents on our faces.
The final chapter has actionable steps actors can use to get in "emotional alignment" where our facial expressions match the emotions we intend to convey. Great read!!
June 26, 2018
I highly recommend
Whether you’re a new actor or an experienced one, this book will give you the scientific foundation to understanding emotions. I’m now going to read part 2 and I highly recommend this book.
Whether you’re a new actor or an experienced one, this book will give you the scientific foundation to understanding emotions. I’m now going to read part 2 and I highly recommend this book.
August 12, 2019
And overall insightful book
Able to really get out a ton of new information in concise explanations to really open up the world to what it means to be to be in the on camera world.
I would recommend reading if you are not finding results in auditions.
Able to really get out a ton of new information in concise explanations to really open up the world to what it means to be to be in the on camera world.
I would recommend reading if you are not finding results in auditions.
April 16, 2023
No words , simply splendid content
John , i have become a fan and a follower of you just by reading this book. What i was always looking for as an actor who is not able to achieve what i wanted to , i have my answers in this book. Thanks a ton for putting everything out on paper.
John , i have become a fan and a follower of you just by reading this book. What i was always looking for as an actor who is not able to achieve what i wanted to , i have my answers in this book. Thanks a ton for putting everything out on paper.
December 2, 2016
Great start to understand your own gestures and emotions!
Great start to understand your own face gestures and emotions. A necessary tool for actors to ace auditions. Good reading!
Great start to understand your own face gestures and emotions. A necessary tool for actors to ace auditions. Good reading!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews