You might wonder what a chapter addressed to directors is doing here in a book for you actors?
Well, it should interest you to see what directors ought to be thinking of, and it would be nice for you to know what they are trying to achieve, so that you can help them get there more easily-and help yourself to be more effective.
So here we go.
When studying a scene, note which moments are confrontational and which are cooperative. As a very general rule of thumb, cross-cut between shots or cameras on confrontational moments, and try to keep a contained shot for cooperative ones.
To "bat-and-ball" (cut from one person to another on each line of alternating dialogue) in a scene where there is no conflict creates conflict between the intent of the scene and its style.
Note where there are changes in thought or mood in the scene, and mark these with moves or pieces of business. An actor who, in the middle of a scene, gets up and moves away or takes off her glasses is helping the audience to understand that here is a change of tack, a change of thought.
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