Finding an Acting Coach in Los Angeles

By Kirk Baltz


Actors can greatly benefit from training provided by acting coaches if they are open to instruction and new concepts. The individual attention that acting coaches can provide is irreplaceable albeit difficult particularly because students often find themselves realizing that their talent and skill were nothing like they previously thought. The goal of acting coaches is to strip away the actor's exterior to the person within so as to allow the student to be better able to develop characters based upon their own identity as a human person.

It is often difficult for actors to bare their souls when in a class of many people. Instead, acting coaches need to make sure that they foster an environment of trust and security that will encourage actors to be honest about themselves as persons. The standard view of the word "coach" leads people to think of an individual who is there to teach and train alone whereas the best acting coach in Los Angeles will also be open to what you bring to the table. He or she is there to view body language and conversation in order to determine what lies beneath an actor's exterior.

The purpose of the acting coach is to understand the actor as a person, set improvement goals, and then construct a plan for obtaining said goals. The best methods can often seem harsh as improvement in acting often requires manipulation and a certain amount of breaking down and subsequent rebuilding on the part of the instructor. As long as the techniques are working towards the end goal of a more successful and unique actor, then even these seemingly brutal techniques are encouraged.

A coach must, first and foremost, be highly skilled in listening and assessing personalities. The actor is required to define his or her talent as it is viewed by them and then the instructor gives an honest appraisal of their talent as it truly is. Next, the coach should determine the level of actual talent and share this information. After this process, an appropriate training plan can be formulated.

A great acting coach in Los Angeles will be able to create a strong bond with students. At the same time, the best acting coach in Los Angeles will not be there to laud your every move but will be honest and straightforward about your strengths and weaknesses. The best instructor will offer specific techniques so as to improve an actor in his or her weaker areas. Along with the occasional necessary harshness that we all need to improve ourselves, make sure that you choose an encouraging instructor who firmly believes that you can better yourself.

Lastly, coaches should be thoroughly encouraging and should remind students that they will get to their goals with a lot of hard work and determination.




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