Directing Non Actors For Film

As an indie filmmaker you might find yourself working with non actors from time to time. These can be friends or family you’ve roped into helping you make your film for free, locals you want to use for authenticity, or perhaps people who answered a help wanted ad you ran for your film.

Whatever the reason, just because they are non actors doesn’t mean you can’t get good performances out of them. You just have to approach them with completely different tactics than you would professional actors. So let’s talk about a few tips and tricks you can use for directing non actors for film.

First up and most importantly, make them comfortable. As a director, you want to build a relationship as soon as you can, by meeting them in person or via a video call before the shoot. By establishing a relationship early on, they will feel less like a deer in the headlights on the day of the shoot, because although their surroundings might be unfamiliar, they at least know your familiar friendly face.

And speaking of the day of the shoot, it’s important that as a director you greet them as soon as they arrive, so once again they feel like less of a fish out of water. Another tactic I like to do is crack jokes with them right away. This helps them feel less nervous and take some of the pressure off of them. If cracking jokes isn’t appropriate for the shoot, then make sure they feel well taken care of by having water and snacks already available and setup for them.

Next up, sympathize with them. Everyone is uncomfortable their first time in front of a camera and lights, and you want to tell them that so they don’t feel insecure about themselves. Expressing that this is a normal feeling will help put them at ease.

Speaking of putting them at ease, you’ll want to figure out what makes them the most comfortable, and I’m talking literally here, like should they sit or should they stand? This can be especially useful if they are coming off stiff, as changing your blocking to find a posture more comfortable for them might result in a better performance. If the scene’s blocking is flexible, consider asking them which one they would prefer.

Next tip, give non actors direction on what to do with their hands ahead of time. Often people feel most uncomfortable with their hands when in front of a camera and end up getting stuck in awkward and stiff positions. So I like to recommend that they find what I call a home base to return their hands to when they aren’t using them. Their home base could be clasped in front of them, in their pockets, or at their side, whatever feels most comfortable for them. This way, they have a default position to fall back on.

Next let’s talk about their delivery. Now while doing a line read for a professional actor is a paux pas, it’s actually an effective tool to use when working with non actors. Usually non actors want all the help and feedback they can get, because they often feel uncomfortable performing. The more help and direction you can give them the better, so feel free to recite the lines the way you’d like them performed.

And finally, if your non-actor is struggling with remembering their lines, consider giving them a teleprompter. This takes the pressure off them to memorize, which could result in a better delivery. However, you don’t want them to sound like they are just reading so have them do a read through with the teleprompter before recording the take to help familiarize them both with the script and the technical aspects of working with one.

Now that you know these handy tips, working with non-actors will become as easy as reading from a teleprompter, which I’m actually doing right now. You see, I always use a teleprompter so I don’t have to worry about memorizing my scripts and can just read the words on the screen.

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