Don’t be confused by the title. Tony Barr’s (no relation) Acting for the Camera deals first and foremost with the basics of acting. He writes clearly about the craft and provides a logical approach to building a performance whether you are working in a theatre or in front of a camera. Then about halfway through the book, he begins to deal with the specifics of acting for the camera, the information that you were probably seeking when you picked up this volume. He follows that with basic career tips and ends with a series of interesting exercises designed to help you work in front of a camera.
There is a reason that Acting for the Camera has been around and available for such a long time. That is because the fundamentals of acting are the same regardless of whether you are acting for a camera or for an audience and because Mr. Barr provides clear and simple guidelines to the art that will help the novice actor and remind and inspire the professional.
In the course of the book, Mr. Barr covers such essentials as listening, concentration, imagination, character, and given circumstances. He provides useful information on handling emotions and speaking the lines. He deals with motivation, movement, and dynamics, all issues essential to powerful performances. Then, when you understand the basics of acting he begins to deal with the camera and how that impacts your acting. The bottom line is that if you want to act for the camera, you have be able to act…to bring something that the camera can pick up and something that informs and enhances a script. This book will help you to be just that.
Is this a book you should have on your library shelf? Well, I think it is one that you should read and if you have a copy mark it up and write notes to yourself in the margins. There are more detailed acting books and others on working in front of the camera but Acting for the Camera by Tony Barr puts it all together in a simple, informative, and easy to read volume.