Memorizing lines is something that I hated most about the stage. I was never very good at it. I was one of those kids in school who never really mastered memorization. It's a wonder I didn't get ink poisoning on my forearm!
If you're like me, then you'll appreciate these simple techniques that rely on something you already have inside you for memorizing a script. So what are those things you already possess?
They are these senses– Smell, Sight, & Sound and a little emotion for good measure!
Hear Yourself:
One of the things I find helpful when I receive a script is reading it aloud. Hearing my external voice, not my internal voice, helps my mind connect to my ears. It's like a thought you suppress, that finally comes out like a primal scream, once you get it out into the universe, aloud, it becomes real, almost tangible.
So don't rehearse in a place where you can't emote out loud, but rather, find a location conducive to reciting the lines in an unabashed way.
Record yourself and play back the tape repeatedly during the day or in the car or on your Ipod. Creating an MP3 file on your computer is easy. Record yourself on your computer and you can then convert it and play it back just about anywhere. The idea here is repetition.
Tape yourself on camera...this will also give you a visual of how you are delivering the lines
and while you're paying attention to the life of the character the words are being subconsciously driven into your memory banks.
Seeing The Words:
This has got to be the simplest way ever to memorize lines. It's something I started doing in 8th grade. Re-write all your lines and say them aloud after each sentence, or simply re-type them. Seeing the words develop letter-by-letter creates a visual connection to the lines.
Re-reading the lines, while an obvious memorization technique, can also create a visual connection.
Smelling the Words:
Uhmm yeah, do not, I repeat do not, smell the script! That's not what I mean.(lol)
Your sense of smell will help you create a set of sensory recollection values for the character that will help you remember a line by remembering where you are, who you are and how you are connecting to the character's words. If your scene is in a kitchen...then think about the smells in that kitchen, what is the character doing? Remembering the characters motives, goals, and environment can help you literally smell the lines. Weird huh?
Yep, we actors are a weird bunch for sure!
Emotional Connectivity:
Reading the lines aloud, smelling the environment, seeing the words is like bombarding the mind with a cocktail of the senses. The mind is multi-dimensional in it's ability to grasp concepts words, sounds, so your techniques must not rely solely on one method but many.
Try these out. Let me know which worked and which didn't for you.
To be truthful I've found combining Sight and Sound to work best for me. Being a musician and artist also helps me to creatively visualize the lines as if they are emblazoned on my forehead.
Hhmmm, that would have been helpful in school...oh well,
You live, (you memorize), you learn.
Paul Brighton
No comments:
Post a Comment