"Rule number 1 when you are acting - remember to breathe" I was once told by a friend at University who had recently begun to pursue the delicate art of acting.
The reason I bring this up now is because I am soon going to be taking part in some acting myself. Well...voice acting...but acting none the less. However, I am not an actor.
"Not remembering to breathe normally during a take is what causes most people to stiffen up infront of the camera and makes them act very robotic" he continued.
I have experienced the freezing fear of being on the shiny side of the camera once before. Trying my best to "walk naturally across the shot" as the director had instructed. Thinking about "walking naturally" only seemed to cause me to over think something I do perfectly everyday, thus resulting in what can most suitably be described as an unnatural walk.
After hearing "Rule no.1 of acting", the whole remembering to breathe seems to make a lot of sense. I can think back to my "natural walking" and only remember focusing on the action of walking and not on my breathing. Breathing relaxes your body and mind and would have most likely lead to a genuinely natural onscreen walk.
If breathing can help me walk the walk, lets hope it helps me talk the talk. Time to put that tip to good use!
