About the Book:

This practical handbook is an indispensable resource for all actors on how to adapt their craft to the needs of camera and perform on-screen.

Acting for the Camera is a "class in a book" that provides a solid foundation in the acting technique taught at Film Actors Workshop in Hollywood.

In 1961, Tony Barr established the Film Actors Workshop, which is still functioning. Among the actors he trained were Jon Lovitz, Mike Farrell, and Lorenzo Lamas. He passed on his 40 years of experience as a performer, network television executive, and acting teacher in his book Acting for the Camera, an indispensable resource for all actors whether you are working in a theatre or in front of a camera.

If you come from a theater background, he will take all of your theatre habits and channel them into positive on screen techniques. Regional theatre may be the place to work, but movies and television is a way to make money to subsidize your classical repertory career. In this highly praised handbook he provides stage actors with the "creative adjustments" they need for the on-camera medium. From preparation to artistic process to detailed descriptions of being on set, Tony Barr offers fantastic (and thoroughly craft-based) tools to get all actors on-screen ready. He teaches you how to break down a scene, making it easier to understand your "need," which makes it easier to memorize your lines. He teaches you how to simplify your approach, which will make you more natural on camera.

Acting for the Camera includes plenty of exercises for honing on-camera skills; chapters on imagination and movement; and material on character development, monologues, visual focus, playing comedy, and working with directors.

Inside tips on the studio system and acting guilds make it particularly helpful for people new to the business, and numerous anecdotes from actors such as Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins and examples from popular movies illustrate its many lessons. Acting for the Camera is perfect for acting classes, workshops, all actors who work in front of the camera – and all those who want to.

What people say:

"…his work has earned him a solid reputation as a teacher of acting techniques… for motion pictures and television. In Acting For The Camera he has put it all down on paper." — Variety

"A first-class book for the beginner and refreshing review for any pro." — Los Angeles Times

"The actor searching for practical advice on the technique of acting for film will be hard-pressed to find a more comprehensive and inspirational volume." — Drama-Logue

"It's always fabulous when someone can finally write a coherent, helpful guide to what acting on film is all about without losing the understanding for the craft. Tony Barr has done it, folks." — Henry Winkler, actor-producer

"When I finished, I had learned a thing or two. I've been acting for thirty years and… don't think I'm not going to try the things I've learned from reading your book, the next time out." — Karl Malden, Academy Award winning actor

"Tony Barr has made it eloquently simple with Acting For The Camera. It is fast reading, easily understood, and beautifully laid out. Now I know what I do." — Ed Asner, Emmy Award winning actor

"Tony Barr's Acting for the Camera is the best book of its kind I know. I've read it many times, and it is a must for any actor who is interested in a career in film." — Sharon Gless, Emmy Award winning actor

About the Author:

Tony Barr (1921-2002) was respected American acting coach and founder of Film Actors Workshop in Hollywood. After small roles in films and television programs in the 1950s, he became a network television executive, first at ABC and then at CBS, where he oversaw the production of Magnum PI, Baretta, Charlie's Angels, Starsky and Hutch and many more. His book, Acting For the Camera is considered one of the best books on the art and craft of on screen acting.