Friendly Enemies: The Director-Actor Relationship [Paperback]

Delia Salvi (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0823079449 | ISBN-13: 978-0823079445 | Publication Date: January 1, 2003 | Edition: 1

It’s the best-kept secret in the entertainment industry: how much actors—even award-winning movie stars—distrust directors, and how most directors, in turn, fear actors.



In Friendly Enemies, professor, acting coach, and actress Delia Salvi shows today’s young film and television directors how to overcome the obstacles and meet the challenges of working with actors effectively and successfully. Based on the popular course she teaches at UCLA, seven comprehensive chapters provide proven guidance on such key topics as understanding the actor, the director’s preparation, casting, rehearsals, and working on the set. An additional chapter features directors’ notes, character analysis, and a scene breakdown from a section of the movie classic On the Waterfront.



Finally, Friendly Enemies features fascinating one-on-one interviews with entertainment professionals including:





• Burt Brinckerhoff, well-known producer and director of the successful television series Seventh Heaven and director of over 46 legendary television shows

• Tom Holland, Emmy-winning director of Malcolm in the Middle, as well as The Larry Sanders Show and Twin Peaks

• Geena Davis, star of The Accidental Tourist, Thelma and Louise, and A League of Their Own

• Anthony Franciosa, star of stage, screen, and television

• Barry Primus, who has recently appeared in the films Life as a House and 15 Minutes, as well as such television shows as The Practice, X-Files, and Law and Order

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Delia Salvi is a full professor at the UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television. She is also a professional acting coach whose students include Geena Davis, Craig Berko, and Mia Sara. Salvi has conducted master classes in California, Oregon, and Washington, as well as in many countries in Europe. She lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Billboard Books; 1 edition (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823079449
• ISBN-13: 978-0823079445
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,013,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Director's Direction, September 11, 2003

By 

Cliff Gravel "Writer/Actor" (Albuquerque, NM, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Friendly Enemies: The Director-Actor Relationship (Paperback)

May the Gods of the Arts bless Prof. Salvi for writing a guide that is not bogged down in esoteric theory. Practical, concise, comprehensive. A definitive road map for stage or screen directors, with value to actors and writers too. The most useful book on the topic that I have read in years.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have!, August 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Friendly Enemies: The Director-Actor Relationship (Paperback)

What a terrific book! It's a fun read filled with great tips and tools. Anybody who is interested in the performing arts will get a kick out of it, not just actors and directors.

Delia Salvi explains exactly how to diagnose and fix a flat scene. She explains specifically how to work with all different kinds of actors and help them give their best performance. She is very passionate about her work and it shows in her writing. I feel having this book is like having a Hollywood professional as my own personal mentor.

Also, just as it helps directors to understand the acting process, (which she explains) it also helps actors to grasp the directing process. She makes it all easy to understand and apply.

But, I'd say my favorite part of the book is the interviews with working actors and directors. It's really worth it just to read her interviews with Geena Davis and Alexander Payne. They tell you all about how it works in the real world of Hollywood. Very eye-opening. And I'd say that section made me a better actor.

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing in Theory And Practice - Even Outside Acting, September 17, 2011

By 

J. Mead - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Friendly Enemies: The Director-Actor Relationship (Paperback)

Long story short, I cannot claim the mantle of high-flown director, but what I am is a "game master" of live-action role-playing games - and when the players really get into it, we're about two steps away from actors.

As a "GM" of 20 years, I found myself frustrated and annoyed. I wasn't getting what I wanted from my players.

I read this book.

Lightening hit me.

I was being horribly stupid in my way (gamers are NOT actors - well, some of them are, but not most) and it was unfair of me to expect an actor-like performance from them. More to the point, I had to quit writing plots for actor-quality players and accept that local, enthusiastic, amateur talent is what I have. (Ding!)

!
BUT, this book helped me understand that issues even amateur actors/players have and how to address them as the de-facto director of the group. There are always players in the troupe who want to experiment and learn how to be better players, even in our "silly little" games. Reading this book has helped me learn how better to guide them without alienating them (I used to be the 'get drunk and shout at them' director - go figure, the troupe failed very quickly)

I must admit that it disappoints me that the book is so costly to buy (I read a copy from my local library) but I have taken my notes and look forward to cornering - um, I mean "informing" - my fellow GM/directors, soon.