Actor
As an actor, artist are designated with the language, facial expressions and gestures are important - that is usually a different person - embody. Actors are persons who ( professionally or as a hobby ) in theater, film and television under instructions ( script, stage directions ) or improvising in their specific form of performing art work.
Definition
The playwright and critic Eric Bentley defined spectacle as: A represents B while C looks on. Bentley's definition makes it clear that the presentation has a lot to do with the actor with the idea of the viewer. Only in the perception of the audience can develop a picture of the person portrayed.
At the same time abstracted Bentleys definition of all the historical and cultural factors, the specific forms of acting, artistic conventions of theater or film label etc.. Thus, it is for an actor not necessarily mean that he carries out his activity on a regular or professional that he einübt the presentation or generally presenting systematically learned that it depends on a predetermined order ( it can also improvise improvise ) or the spectacles only on specially equipped places exerts ( on a stage or in a studio ).
History
The origins of the acting could not be dated so far, but prehistoric masks and pictorial representations of masked people were found during excavations that suggest processes of impersonating. Anthropology has observed acting Embody and masks for all indigenous peoples. Early, an idealist conception led Acting back to a " mimetic basic instinct " and an innate desire to imitate. The present research assumes that the origin of histrionic activity is in rites with which the prehistoric people about vital activities (eg hunting ) and desired social behaviors imitating einübten or as uncontrollable experienced natural forces through incarnations (demons, gods ) tried to summon. Also found objects such as masks, drawings and ethnological observations indicate relationships to animals and essential processes of nature ( sun's path, rainfall, fertility, etc.).
Specialized or ( semi- ) professional actors are there in Europe since ancient times (see theater of ancient Greece, theater of ancient Rome ); the proximity to the pre-Hellenic practice is further clear that the actors wear masks in early antiquity in general. This (pre) vocational tradition is in the European Middle Ages and the early modern period, especially therefore not a sequel, because the theater - the main town in an acting actuator - is strictly proscribed by the church; acting actuator is at best conceivable as " buffoonery " and avocation by jugglers, as vagrants ( Travelling people ) travel the Fairs and occupy a correspondingly low social status. At the time of secularization specialized actors were first in the aristocratic court theaters and operas as well as in the bourgeois theaters of England ( Elizabethan theater) and Italy ( Commedia dell'arte ) operates. The Court Theatre with its mainly aiming at representation, festivity and grandeur culture demanded even after presenting a lecture and end actor type. By modern theater practitioners such as Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and the dramatists of Weimar Classicism a new understanding of the acting and the demand for more sensitive naturalness of the characters and for inner motivation of action arose.
The professional "actors" in the modern sense originated with the touring companies of the bourgeois theater. Your immediate predecessor, the medieval vagrants, the Acting practiced not as a central activity, the court actors were as civil servants no professional actors in the modern sense. Women were denied for religious and social reasons for a long time, access to the Acting profession.
Today's idea that an actor create the illusion of a complete other person to " empathize " and " do not fall out of character " should be expanded by the actor's naturalism and the advent of the film on the 19th and early 20th century. The increasing demands on actors perform, inter alia, to increase the importance of the actor - training, especially of drama schools. From the mid- 20th century, the 'classic' view of histrionic activity and ability has been called into question, since film, radio and television new demands on actors filters ( cf. film actor ). The diversification of genres (such as musicals) and the increasing fusion of different media increased the demands on an actor. The idea of complete empathy and perfect illusionist game was also provided programmatically in question. A number of theater practitioners and theorists, such as Brecht demanded that actors occupy visible distance to her role, a person rather than mimic and show to clarify its own position in relation to FIG. As means, they suggested (eg the wearing of masks ), but also practices of non-European to apply historical drama traditions (often of the Far Eastern ) theater.
Requirements
From actors, one requires usually that they merge as seamlessly as possible in their role. Behavior, motivation and inner constitution of the role figure to be presented credible, and thus create the illusion that the embodied person is actually present. Acting is therefore often associated with high mental, intellectual and physical needs. What is important is the ability to control their own mental and emotional state to possibly bring different traits, moods and moods of the character's expression. In addition, the actor must make the linguistic, physical and vocal expression of the role as his own, that their own "natural" means of expression withdraw behind it.
Due to this emotional flexibility, some researchers tend to think that actors speak " not socialized to end " individuals were that maintain a dynamic personality structure. Others see the actor rather a " übersozialisierten " man who has his self - control and drive so much internalized that he can almost arbitrarily dispose of his emotions and expressions. From this perspective, some authors consider the actor as pointed model of alienated man.
Acting involves an intensive examination of the displayed figure, which requires a thorough understanding of the overall context of action. This often also includes knowledge of the historical background, manners of the time or region, literary conventions, and speech and dialect variants.
As Acting is usually exercised in cooperation with other actors and other staff ( directors and producers, stage, scene, costume and makeup, lighting and sound technicians, camera operators, stage managers, Souffleusen, stagehand ), an actor usually must also have social skills. This includes respecting the presence and importance of their own role and not to place undue prominence playing ( in the language of theater: a " limelight " to be ); or to maintain collegiality and not to endanger the social cohesion of an ensemble when you feel fobbed off about a perceived as too small role.
Physical stress consist, for example, if the role of acrobatics, fighting, horse riding or dancing required or when adverse weather conditions prevail at an outdoor shoot in film. Particular claimed generally the respiratory and the speech organs.
Acting techniques
In the nowadays mediated acting technique in principle there are two different approaches that naturalistic " identification " position (English representation) and the illusionist " distance " position (English Presentation ).
By " identification" feels the actor in the role, merges with the properties of the role figure and "forgets" it has its own identity temporarily. By " distance " position is possible he planned and calculated " with a clear head " in order to deliver all necessary for the representation expressions willed controlled elicit per se.
One of the most influential and meistrezipierten acting methodologists, Konstantin Stanislavsky, is attributed to the " identification " school, but his method is based on a highly systematic and analytical system. Many influential methods recently, for example, Lee Strasberg's " Method Acting " and Sanford Meisner's " Meisner Technique", are a further development of Stanislavski's approach.
As an important representative of the illusionist acting method the company resulting from the Elizabethan theater English theater training apply (eg, Bristol Old Vic, Central School of Speech and Drama, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art ), as well as the techniques of Vsevolod Meyerhold, Erwin Piscator and Bertolt Brecht.
Education and work
The title " actor " is not protected, so everybody can be described as an actor. In fact, the acting by many people is exercised on a temporary ( for example, as a member of a school theater group) or only on specific occasions (such as at a family party ), others are active permanently, but non- professional ( eg, as a member an amateur theater ). Others are working as amateur actors (extras ) in theater, opera, film or television productions.
Training for the actor is not regulated by law. First, there is the possibility of training in the context of studying at one of the state universities that offer the course in Acting and with a degree as Diplom- actor ( Dipl.- show. ) Or Bachelor / Master ~ complete. In order to work as an actor, it can under some circumstances be sufficient to train a self-taught or attend courses and workshops. Also private acting lessons or private acting schools are the possible courses. A number of private drama schools have state approval and are therefore as well as the public drama schools and state universities authorized to give official statements.
Content and quality of training are extremely different due to this versatility. Basically, graduates of private universities have to take higher chances to enter the market, especially at the public theaters. The state universities in the German-speaking countries have come together in the Standing Conference of acting training, which is concerned about content standards of acting training. In the area of private schools and individual tutoring, however, there are no mandatory standards; here it is the schools or teachers leave, what and how they want to teach. The high demand for training places means that both public universities and private schools to filter the candidates by demanding entrance exams. Private schools sometimes have lower entry requirements, but expect correspondingly higher by the students financial compensation.
The fact that it " actor " no uniform rules of access and no legal protection available for the profession and also many full-time actors work only temporarily, makes it difficult to determine the number of actual professional actors in Germany. Counts and estimates vary depending on whether only full-time or part-time or only salaried or independent actors are involved. Rough estimates of about 25,000 people who earn their living mainly in Germany by acting. However, a distinction is tenured at theaters actor of the independent actors on the "free market", one of which can hold only about 2 to 5 % financially afloat after a few references, without having to take a side job here.
Labor market and social security
The labor market situation for an actor is comparatively poor. As the professional title of " actor " is not protected, there are people can apply with different training paths and professional experience to engagement, which can lead to a large oversupply of applicants. The Ungeregeltheit also causes no reliable data on unemployment are present: The official statistics only refers to the social insurance contributions (not the freelancers / self-employed ) and only shows the registered unemployed actor. Nevertheless, making an unemployment rate of almost 22 % (2006) shows that among the approximately 20,000 registered performing artists ( such as the category of the statistics, it is inter alia also dancers, singers and directors included) there is high unemployment.
Actresses and older actors are very often affected by unemployment. This has to do with the fact that many traditional plays men and younger people prefer and it is easier to have a younger actor " older " to make than vice versa. In film and television also many formats are produced almost exclusively with young actors. The unemployment statistics takes in the over- 50 -year-olds off again, but this might be due to the fact that older unsuccessful actor turn to other sources of income.
The problem that actor despite payments to the unemployment fund could hardly receive unemployment benefits one has, in 2006 saw the founding of the Federation of film and TV actor ( BFFS ), who takes care of, inter alia, to the social security needs of actors. Thus, for example, agreed in 2008 with the social insurance scheme developed by the BFFS issues paper and the accompanying drehtagbezogene additional benefit formula. Actors can now be covered by social insurance during preparation times, which facilitates the receipt of unemployment benefit 1.
Actor apply either directly at theaters and media company, about the " UWL Artists Agency ", by private employment agencies or through their specialized casting agency that represents them in matters of recruitment, salary negotiation and legal issues as well as career advice and take over the broad range of management. Roles in film and television productions, in particular supporting roles are usually awarded on a competitive process, the so-called casting. If you are applying to theaters this is the audition, the Musical Audition.
For actors with a solid commitment to employment conditions and salaries in general are freely negotiated, sometimes by collective agreements: the " normal contract stage" (NV stage ), agreed between the German Theatre Association and the Cooperative German Stage Workers, in municipal, state and regional theaters applied; private sector television and movie production companies that belong to an employers' association, subject to the " collective agreement for film and television professionals ." According to the " NV stage" gets a professional beginner / graduate from a drama school in the first engagement at the theater nationwide collectively 1,600 euro gross per month.
As with other artist occupations have relatively high income gaps even with actors. Prominent actors, the "stars " achieve high to very high incomes; regularly engaged actors in public theaters have a median income, while a large part of the actor often has only a below-average and irregular income.
Due to time limitations the natural acting activity ( game times in theater, commitment to a single movie, running time of a TV series ) also many successful actors must continuously seek new commitments, which the labor market situation for actors continues to be difficult.
In 1983, the Artists' Social Security was introduced as old-age security for actors. It includes pension, health and long term care. The insured only have to pay the employee's share of the contribution. Since the insurance requirement does not apply to all workers and acting contributions will be credited to you for actual periods of employment, but the pension is for a lot of actors are often not sufficient.
Public and own perception
The traditionally low prestige of the theater profession is relativized by the great esteem and fan worship of famous stars in part. Since the abilities and the " value " of actors can be determined to a large extent only subjectively, a qualitative assessment of actors with analytical methods is very difficult. The inconsistent training that strong social differences between actors, the diverse approaches and a high degree of individuality complicate further a generalization of acting professionals. The public perception of actors is naturally a similarly versatile and individual.
Many actors see their work despite the episodic processes often referred to as a continuous process that starts usually with a simple text. On the basis of the text develops the actor in a compositional process gradually to embodying roll, body and voice of the actor serve as a compositional device. Issues of distance or identity do from the perspective of the actor less on its relationship to character or role, but more on his relationship to himself as a performer, who is also his own instrument. Here, the process of composition comes to an end. Premieres and performances are more experienced than stations. The interpretation of the text and the realization of the figure, in this case, an ongoing process that never comes to a conclusion.