What is Method Acting — It's Not What You

Think It Is
StudioBinder

Summary
The video explores the concept of method acting, discussing its origins, key
practitioners, and various techniques. It contrasts method acting with
classical acting, focusing on psychological immersion in a character's
mindset. The script dives into three primary schools of thought—Lee
Strasberg's emotional truth, Stella Adler's sociological approach, and
Sanford Meisner's behavioral focus. These methods are illustrated through
notable performances and techniques like emotional memory, research, and
repetition exercises. The video dispels myths about method acting,
emphasizing that the approach is a tool for deeper character engagement
rather than extreme behavior.
Takeaways
 🎬 Good acting is considered essential in filmmaking, but there is no
universal definition of what constitutes good acting.

 🎭 Method acting is a popular acting philosophy where actors immerse

themselves in a character's mindset, often focusing on emotional and
psychological aspects.

 🧠 Classical acting, by contrast, focuses more on external imitation

rather than internal emotions.

 🎤 Actors like Sally Field and Joaquin Phoenix highlight that method
acting often involves physically and emotionally embodying a
character to create authenticity.

 🎓 Method acting has several schools of thought, the most prominent

being the approaches of Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, and Sanford
Meisner.

 📜 Lee Strasberg’s method emphasizes emotional truth, encouraging

actors to tap into their personal emotional experiences to create
authenticity.

 🧪 Stella Adler’s approach focuses on understanding the sociological,

historical, and cultural context of a character, rejecting the idea that
actors must use personal emotions to connect with roles.
  👥 Sanford Meisner's method concentrates on truthful interactions
between actors, emphasizing listening and reacting to external stimuli
in a natural way.

 🔁 A key technique of Meisner's method is the repetition exercise,

where actors repeat phrases to respond truthfully to their partner’s
reactions.

 🎬 The method acting schools aim to help actors deeply connect with
their characters, whether through emotional memory, historical
research, or reacting instinctively in scenes.
Q&A
 What is method acting?
-Method acting is a performance technique where an actor deeply
immerses themselves into a character's internal world, thoughts, and
emotions. It contrasts with classical acting, which focuses on external
imitation.
 How does method acting differ from classical acting?
-Method acting focuses on the psychological and emotional experience
of the character, while classical acting emphasizes external imitation,
such as gestures and speech, without necessarily delving into the
character's inner life.
 What are the key schools of method acting mentioned in the
video?
-The three major schools of method acting discussed are Lee
Strasberg's, Stella Adler's, and Sanford Meisner's approaches. Each
school offers distinct philosophies and techniques for achieving
authentic performances.
 What is emotional memory in Lee Strasberg's method?
-Emotional memory involves actors tapping into their own past
experiences to evoke genuine emotions that align with their
character’s feelings, helping to create more authentic performances.
 How does Stella Adler's method differ from Strasberg's?
-Stella Adler's method rejects the idea that actors should use personal
emotional experiences to inform their roles. Instead, she emphasized
the importance of imagination, research, and understanding a
character’s social, cultural, and historical context.
 What is the significance of 'sense memory' in method
acting?
-Sense memory is a technique where an actor recalls physical
sensations from their past to make a scene feel more real. This
 includes re-experiencing things like taste, smell, or touch to create
sensory realism in their performance.
 What is Sanford Meisner’s focus in his method acting
approach?
-Meisner's approach centers on behavioral aspects of acting,
emphasizing genuine reactions to external stimuli and active listening.
His techniques aim to make actors more present and responsive in the
moment.
 What is the 'repetition exercise' in Meisner’s method?
-The repetition exercise involves actors repeating simple phrases to
each other, allowing their responses to change based on their
emotional reactions. This helps actors focus on impulse and instinct
rather than premeditated action.
 What role does research play in Adler’s acting philosophy?
-In Adler’s method, actors are encouraged to thoroughly research their
character’s background, including their historical, economic, and
cultural context, to create a more informed and believable
performance.
 Why is method acting considered flexible and varied?
-Method acting is not a rigid technique; it allows for different
interpretations and approaches. Actors may stay in character between
takes or only apply certain emotional or behavioral methods,
depending on what works best for them.
Outlines
00:00

🎭 The Complexity of Defining 'Good Acting'

This paragraph discusses how 'good acting' is a subjective concept, despite
its widely acknowledged importance in filmmaking. It touches on how
Daniel Day-Lewis embodies his characters completely, contrasting that with
different methods of acting, such as method acting. The idea of becoming
the character rather than acting is emphasized, alongside a humorous take
on how some actors stay in character until DVD commentary.

🎬 Method Acting vs Classical Acting

Method acting is introduced as a philosophy where actors immerse
themselves into the headspace and emotions of their characters, differing
from classical acting, which emphasizes external imitation. Sally Field’s
approach to deeply understanding her characters is explored, showing how
actors 'become' rather than 'pretend' to be their roles. There are varying
interpretations of method acting, and the common misconception that it
requires always staying in character is debunked.
The Origins of Method Acting
The history of method acting is traced back to Constantin Stanislavski’s
system, which emphasized physical actions to tap into emotions. This
approach spread worldwide, influencing actors like Dilip Kumar in India and
the Group Theatre in New York. Various offshoots of the method emerged,
including notable figures like Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, and Sanford
Meisner, each with their own take on the philosophy, leading to both unity
and divergence in acting approaches.

🎭 Strasberg's Emotional Truth in Acting

This paragraph dives into Lee Strasberg's interpretation of method acting,
which focuses on emotional truth. Actors tap into personal emotional
experiences to convey genuine feelings in their performances. Techniques
such as 'effective memory' and 'sense memory' are explained, where actors
draw from real-life experiences and sensory recollections to evoke authentic
emotions in their characters. Examples from famous actors, including Anne
Hathaway and Robert De Niro, illustrate how this method works in practice.

📚 Adler's Sociological Approach to Acting

Stella Adler’s method, distinct from Strasberg’s, emphasizes the
sociological context of a character. Rather than relying on personal
emotions, actors research the historical, cultural, and social background of
their characters. Adler encourages actors to understand the world their
characters live in, shaping their performances based on societal influences.
The importance of script analysis and subtext is also highlighted, along with
examples of performances rooted in this disciplined, research-driven
approach.
🔍 The Role of Research in Adler's Method
This paragraph elaborates on Adler’s insistence on deep character
research. She believed that understanding a character's background in
historical, cultural, and economic contexts was crucial for creating a
truthful performance. Adler's students were taught to analyze characters
thoroughly and explore their motivations. Examples like Jake Gyllenhaal in
*Southpaw* illustrate how actors adopt this research-heavy method,
shaping their portrayal based on the character’s life circumstances.
🔄 Meisner’s Focus on Behavior and Reaction
Sanford Meisner’s method focuses on behavioral responses and interaction
between actors. His techniques encourage actors to react truthfully to
stimuli in the scene, rather than relying on premeditated performances.
Exercises like repetition help actors develop spontaneous, instinctual
responses to their partners, emphasizing emotional reactions over scripted
dialogue. The method teaches actors to trust their impulses, making their
performances more natural and less calculated.
🎭 Meisner’s Techniques and the Importance of Subtext
Meisner's method emphasizes subtext and the unspoken emotions beneath
the dialogue, arguing that authentic reactions often stem from what’s left
unsaid. His techniques push actors to focus on the emotional undercurrents
and behavioral reactions, leading to strong, truthful performances. Like
Adler, Meisner believed in a deeper understanding of the character's
internal world and rejected overthinking or over-planning scenes,
encouraging actors to live in the moment.
Keywords
💡Method Acting
Method acting is a performance technique where an actor immerses
themselves deeply into their character’s mindset, thoughts, and emotions. In
contrast to classical acting, which relies on external imitation, method acting
focuses on the actor’s psychological connection with the role. The script
describes this method as submerging into the character’s headspace, with
examples like actors Robert De Niro and Daniel Day-Lewis using this
approach to create highly authentic performances.

💡Classical Acting
Classical acting refers to a traditional style of performance focused on
outward physicality and external imitation. Unlike method acting, it
emphasizes the visible appearance of emotion rather than internal emotional
experience. The video contrasts this approach with method acting, quoting
director Elia Kazan who criticized classical acting as mere 'external imitation,'
not capturing the internal truth of a character.

💡Emotional Memory
Emotional memory is a technique within method acting where actors draw on
their own past emotional experiences to enhance the authenticity of their
character’s emotions. By connecting personal memories to the feelings of
the character, actors aim to create a more genuine performance. This
technique, highlighted in the video, is central to Lee Strasburg’s method and
is used by actors like Anne Hathaway to channel personal trauma into
character roles.

💡Sense Memory
Sense memory is a method acting technique where actors recall sensory
experiences from their own lives to heighten the realism of their
performance. For example, an actor might recreate the sensation of being in
a dark room to help portray a scene. The video explains how Lee Strasburg
adapted this technique from Stanislavski’s system, using it to deepen the
actor’s connection to their character’s physical reality.

💡Substitution
Substitution is a method acting technique where actors replace the fictional
circumstances of their character with similar personal experiences from their
own lives. This helps actors better connect emotionally to their roles. The
video mentions how Strasburg taught substitution to help actors 'enter the
character’s psyche,' using their real-life emotions and experiences to portray
intense scenes.

💡Physicalization
Physicalization refers to using physical movements or expressions to evoke
and communicate emotions in acting. Strasburg taught this technique as
part of method acting, where physical actions can help bring out a
character’s emotional state. The video discusses this technique as one way
actors embody their roles, letting physical movement guide their emotional
responses.

💡Stella Adler
Stella Adler was a prominent acting teacher who emphasized understanding
a character’s social, historical, and cultural context, rather than relying on
personal emotions. She disagreed with Strasburg’s focus on emotional
memory, advocating instead for imagination and extensive research. The
video references her teachings, citing her students like Marlon Brando, who
used this method to shape characters based on their societal realities.

💡Sanford Meisner
Sanford Meisner was an influential acting coach known for his focus on
actors’ behavior and interactions. His approach, distinct from Strasburg and
Adler, encouraged actors to react instinctively and truthfully to external
stimuli. The video highlights Meisner’s repetition exercise, where actors
repeat phrases and adjust their responses based on their partner’s behavior,
emphasizing the importance of genuine reactions in performance.

💡Repetition Exercise
The repetition exercise is a technique in Sanford Meisner’s method acting
training, where two actors repeat a simple phrase back and forth, gradually
adjusting their tone, body language, and emotion based on their partner’s
responses. This technique helps actors develop spontaneous and instinctive
reactions. The video illustrates how this exercise sharpens an actor’s ability
to listen and respond authentically in a scene.

💡Subtext
Subtext refers to the underlying or unspoken emotions, motivations, and
meanings in a character’s dialogue or actions. Both Adler and Meisner
emphasized the importance of subtext in creating depth in performance. The
video describes how understanding subtext allows actors to convey the
deeper emotional layers of a scene, making performances richer and more
nuanced.

Highlights
Good acting is widely agreed upon as important, but there is no universal
definition of what it looks like or how it can be achieved.
Method acting involves submerging oneself into the character's headspace,
contrasting with classical acting, which focuses on external imitation.
Mar and Brando popularized one version of the method but argued that the
term was often misused.
Method acting does not require an actor to stay in character between takes
or live the life of the character.
Strasburg’s method focuses on emotional truth, using personal experiences
to create authentic performances.
Strasburg’s techniques include effective memory, where actors recall
personal experiences to connect with their character’s emotions.
Stella Adler emphasized a character's historical, cultural, and social context
over personal experiences.
Adler's method stresses research into a character’s background, helping
actors understand a character’s objectives and identity.
Sanford Meisner focused on actors responding truthfully to each other,
emphasizing relationships and active listening.
Meisner’s repetition exercise trains actors to react naturally to each other's
emotions by repeating simple phrases.
The Strasburg method employs physicalization, using physical actions to
evoke specific emotions.
Meisner encouraged actors to trust their impulses and instincts, focusing less
on premeditated thought.
Adler believed acting is a lifestyle and stressed discipline in understanding
the play's broader context and the actor’s role.
Contrary to myths, method acting doesn’t require being disruptive or overly
intense on set.
Method acting, while complex, offers a framework that helps actors immerse
themselves in their roles, but there are various interpretations and
approaches.