From Natalie Portman's MasterClass
Getting to Know Your Character
To fully embody a character, you first need to gain a thorough understanding of what makes them tick. Natalie teaches you how to dig for illuminating details, create a personal timeline, and analyze influential relationships.
Topics include: Develop a Timeline for Your Character • Map Relationships With Others • Find the Details That Make Your Character Unique • Don't Judge Your Character
To fully embody a character, you first need to gain a thorough understanding of what makes them tick. Natalie teaches you how to dig for illuminating details, create a personal timeline, and analyze influential relationships.
Topics include: Develop a Timeline for Your Character • Map Relationships With Others • Find the Details That Make Your Character Unique • Don't Judge Your Character
Make every role extraordinary
Natalie Portman began acting professionally at 12 and won an Oscar before she turned 30. As a self-taught actor, she uses personal techniques to create compelling, complex characters. In her first-ever acting class, Natalie shows how empathy is at the core of every great performance, how to bring real-life details into every role, and how to build your own creative process. Get ready for your breakout performance.
Reviews
Natalie Portman talked about a lot of topics that don't ever really get covered in other acting courses, like how to work with the camera, green screen acting, even how to fake tears if they aren't coming. It did at times feel like she was having some trouble articulating what she was trying to say, there were a lot of pauses and "you knows" but overall it was a great class.
Loved many parts of this, especially the bit when Natalie took us to set. I wish we could've seen a bit more of her actively walking us through acting. But overall, I really enjoyed this class!
It helped me to acknowledge and find a relationship with every character in the scene and not think about just my emotional state.
The instant I saw the ad I just knew I had to enroll in it .I have such great respect for Nathalie Portman as an actress as an aspiring actress myself
Comments
Very interesting information, good and practical. I can start using some of this tips right now :)
This is a lesson providing the tools for the character one is cast as to portray in the story
I love the set up of this class. Definitely download the pdf. I was going through the lessons so quickly before I realized there was a work sheet. Going back through it's amazing. Even just for small commercial scripts, doing these practices makes a huge difference!
To learn from someone who definitely studied but isn't formally trained is so refreshing. Her process is her own, truly, and it is rooted in a lot of traditional methods absorbed by her peers and mentors. Still, it is pure and rooted in common sense and the end result are performances that rival Vivien Leigh, but Ms. Portman seems much more grounded. As does her approach to the craft, which I find affirming and validating in terms of how much I have enjoyed her work since its inception. Not judging one's character is the most important but sometimes impossible thing to do. Abandoning mothers (A Dollhouse, Curious Incident, All THE TENN. WMS MATRIARCHS). But I try to look at it like I do my day job as a public defender who represents some really difficult human beings. I do it for the constitution and for the wrongfully accused. So when it comes to accepting my character's flaws and failings-however trivial or traumatic-I think its the same thing. Its about the great good, and the truth. Also an on-the-job lesson.
I love Natalie's informative feedback on how to distinguish each steps of ones evolving character. To me this was vital information since I'm a muslim girl and my goal is to play marvel character in the near future. I took many acting classes in Los angeles before but never have I had anyone break down the dynamics of ones character in a specific manner as Natalie did. She was very authentic in her explanation and her tonality took me into a in a magical listening zone. I have no idea how but she touched my heart and I guess now I'm confident and I feel as if I'm more equipped than many others in the industry thanks to Natalie. It was very generous of her to be in her caliber to reach out and extend a helping hand to people like us. I have been doubted by everyone even by my parents kept saying that there is no future in acting and a muslim girl like me should pursue other venue I started to loose my sense of self. However, after taking her class, I'm more confident that I have re-ignited the fire within me . Her approach and explanation made me feel confident that I can be muslim and I can still pursue my bizarre dream for the role as Kamala Khan in Marvel, one day... just one day... Thank you Natalie , you probably will NEVER see this, but thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing me back to life, for being so authentic thank you for simply being you. Many times people on earth simply they are just giving classes or acting or simply saying a simple line but they don't realize that just being who they are, they are moving mountains for that one person. I had signed up for another classes in my local area. I'm canceling that and signing up with more classes with master class. Thank you :) spreading love and light always.....
I found this lesson challenging. Which I enjoyed. I picked a couple different scripts: 3 kings (And I have Blues Brothers to study, as well) Its interesting to watch/learn the character I picked. Its quick change he goes through at the start and by the time he realizes he changed, the script is 90% done. I just now started to memorize lines. I figured I have 18 days per 20 lessons. about 2 weeks ahead of schedule. plenty of time to add a second script. I am still on lesson 1's time....
Some things I already knew, others i didnt. This is very informative and helpful. Looking forward to more lessons
I am currently appearing in a new Georgia TV show called Living Out Loud The Series hearing these words from you 'Natalie Portman' makes me feel more comfortable into the kind of character that i have to be in this show. Thanks for this lesson!
Specificness and justifications niche the character role(s) to the actor/actress. So approach must be liberal like a blank canvas. Forgive me, it’s how I note to remember. Great lesson.
Lesson Plan
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How do i get an agent? They all want me to know somebody in Hollywood or show business.