Customer Reviews

The Actor's Choice

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I got this book yesterday and couldn't put it down until I was finished! Babson, might not be superstar with Academy Award winning performances under his belt but, he is really helpful in describing the process of film work. I have read so many books that come off with a cold, textbook quality and found his personable writing very refreshing. Babson gives you the hard facts peppered with reasons you should still remain confident in your craft. If you are trying to break into film or television this book is definitely worth your time.

I had the pleasure of taking a class in which Tom Babson taught us the various choices and techniques actors make when performing for the big screen. Though I am studying film and directing, the insight Babson gives is a helpful tool to communicating with actors and the secrets behind method acting. Too many times directors do not know how to communicate their vision to the actors. This book goes through step by step of the actor's choices that bring forth their character. It is tough to practice, and after reading and experiencing the material in this book, I now have a larger respect for actors and their "work". Babson was an actor on Cheers, various other TV movies and films, and has been instructed by the likes of Lee Strasburg.

It was extremely difficult to read through the chapters of this book. Tom Babson's view on the subject is blocked by his lack of experience in the field. His acting seemed wooden in the episode on Cheers where he portrayed a lawyer and he seems to have branched out beyond his abilities in this book too.