Directing actors in the recording studio can be a tricky exercise. My 15 years in the recording studio have been enhanced by the privilege of serving under the finest directors in the business. Although I stepped into the director’s chair seven years ago the continued mentorship of these great directors has been of immeasurable importance. Directing by definition means correction and who enjoys the constant direction of every detail that is necessary for excellent results? How the director interacts with the actor can have a big impact on the actor’s performance and ultimately the sound of the project. I’ve seen well-meaning clients improperly handle the director/actor relationship in the studio over the years and seen how it negatively affects the actors’ performance, as well as hurting their feelings. 

Here are a few simple guidelines that I have used as my guiding principles in the studio:

1.   Use the Director – It is not necessary that the director be the only person to talk to the actor but when in doubt, this is an excellent fall back position. My motto in all endeavors is "If you want something done right, hire a professional." The director has experience communicating effectively in this idiom and massaging the artistic ego. So if you've done the most important thing correctly, and hired a good production house with a good directors, then it's always safe to just tell the director what you want from the actor. The director, who should have extensive experience directing talent, will get the best out of the actor.

2.   K. I. S. S. (Keep it Simple, Stupid) - Don't give into the temptation to over explain. There is a lot going on in these types of sessions and over explaining can slow things down and can be confusing. It’s common for clients to explain the background of the course and the goals of the course and how this level fits in with the other levels in the course. Every time this happens actor's eyes glaze over and she is less likely to grab on to the salient information. This type of background on a course does not affect an actor's performance so it doesn’t need to be explained. Give simple, actable directions. Say, "Read it very slow" not, "You see, to this point these students haven't heard any English . . . . ", Say, "You should start sounding disinterested and then get more enthusiastic as the scene progresses.", not, "You see, this character is a young teen and just got to school. So imagine that you are  . . . ". This simplicity and clarity will get you what you need every time.

3.   One at a time, please - When talking to the actor, please make sure that there is only one person speaking at a time. If several people are giving directions at once, the sound that comes out of the little speaker in the booth or the actor’s headphones will be incomprehensible noise. If discussion needs to happen, that's fine, but then one person should relate the information to the actor, the director is usually a good choice.

4.   Don't be afraid to interrupt - The recording studio is not the real world. Please interrupt the actor. There's nothing worse than to have the actor finish a monologue only to then be told "That was perfect but could you start from the top, just a little bit slower". The best course of action is to stop and take immediate, corrective action and then move on. Also, it is common for clients to wait till the end of the take to say that they would like to correct "the third sentence in the first paragraph, the fifth sentence in the third paragraph . . .". This is tricky because it's difficult to reenter with the script with identical pacing, phrasing, energy level, etc. It's far better to stop immediately, correct, and move on.

5.   Start with the correction then follow with a compliment. – This an exacting communication that has measurable, positive results.  It is a method used by many successful manages in diverse industries.  I use, not only in the studio, but in all management situations. If you say “That was great but can you do it a little slower”, then you have started on a high note and finished on a low one. So if you say “Can you do it a little slower; but it sounds fantastic otherwise”, then it starts on a low but finishes high. This corrects the problem and gives the actor confidence which gives a better overall performance.  Maintaining positive “warm, fuzzes” brings out the best in all of us.

6.   Model, wait, listen and repeat – When giving a pronunciation to an actor, slowness and clarity are the keys. Don’t talk over the actor or other people in the studio (refer to #3 above). There is too much subtlety of language to be communicated here and if several people are speaking at once this subtlety will not be heard. Say the word with each syllable extremely separated and exaggerated with the accent on the appropriate syllable: “’Sill . . . uh  . . . bull”, then wait for the actor to say it back. If the actor does it wrong, wait for the actor to say the word completely then specify error: “The second syllable is an ‘uh’ sound, not a long A, and the accent is on the first syllable”

I hope that you find these tips helpful. Please let me how they work for you.