About the Book:

Learn on-screen acting from the legend himself. The book Acting In Film is a masterclass in the craft of film acting; Michael Caine breaks down every step of the actors' process, focusing on practical how-to's like mastering subtle facial expressions and working with directors.

With a glittering career spanning more than five decades and starring roles which have earned him two Oscars, a knighthood, and an iconic place in the Hollywood pantheon, starring with everyone from Nicholson to Kermit the Frog, Michael Caine is uniquely qualified to provide his view of making movies. Pearl by pearl he lays out the Caine wisdom on everything from set politics to set decorum, the film bureaucracy, and more. His excellent book Acting in Film, first published in 1990 and since revised and expanded, is one of the most practical guides to modern film acting available. As a man who has fought in the trenches, so to speak, Michael Caine shares his valuable observations on how to best behave and prepare for work on a film set. Writes the author, "Be completely available to whatever challenge comes your way, by being totally in charge of your craft, your material, yourself."

"You must always steal" writes Michael Caine, "but only from the best people. Steal any trick that looks worthwhile. If you see Vivien Leigh or Robert DeNiro or Meryl Streep do something stunningly effective, and you can analyze how he or she did it, then pinch it. Because," he explains, "you can be sure that they stole it in the first place." In Acting In Film, he gives you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rob him blind. The master actor, who's hypnotized the camera lenses throughout his distinguished career, he reveals the most closely guarded secrets of the art and science of spontaneity on screen, and then invites you to make them your own. Michael Caine offers his practical philosophy with straightforward clarity, wit and humour: "Don't sit as if you have nothing to say. You should be bursting with things to say. You just choose at this particular place and time, not to say them."

Acting in Film is especially useful in spelling out the distinctions between film and stage acting. As the author explains, movie audiences now expect a more natural, subtle form of acting. While someone may be a brilliant stage performer, those same talents often need to be toned down, or even put aside, when working in front of a camera. Michael Caine points out that the camera captures absolutely everything in its view, and it is often to the actor's advantage to reveal less, as opposed to more, to be as effective as possible.

With an eye for clarity, Acting in Film is a must-read for the novice thespian and is a highly recommended addition to any actor's bookshelf. Caine arms you with solid and useful advice for acting like a professional on a film set – right down to the number of blinks an actor should take during a close-up (usually zero, Caine says). Still, more is better than less when it comes to being a prepared actor, and that is the strength of Caine's book. The actor's job, he writes, is to arrive on the set on time, ready to work (on any scene in the script), and in character. For example, Caine writes, the actor should always get familiar with a set if it depicts a space that his character would know well, such as a home or office. He advises his readers to familiarize themselves with the props on a set, right down to the direction a door opens or where the telephone is placed. It's not just a matter of memorizing your day's lines and showing up to say them – you've got to live and breathe your character's world, and you've got to be ready and relaxed enough to deal with the inevitable unexpected.

The bottom line is that time is money when it comes to filmmaking. The more efficient and self-reliant the actor, says Caine, the less chance there is for wasting the producers' valuable time and, above all, precious money. Actors need to remind themselves that as much as acting is an art, it's also a business.

What people say:

"Fascinating! Wonderfully practical film acting wisdom — all put across in the best Caine style." — John Cleese

"Remarkable material ... A treasure ... I'm not going to be looking at performances quite the same way ... A grand entertainment with more drama than most movies ... He's a marvelous teacher ... Fascinating!" — Gene Siskel

"No one is more qualified to discuss the craft and business of film acting...an insider's look of as much interest to the audience as to actors." — New York Times Book Review

"Caine knows so much about the whole business of filmmaking. Don't think of this as too esoteric or for actors only. You'll be laughing, absorbed and enchanted." — The Daily Mail

"Witty, articulate and always entertaining, Michael Caine takes the nuts and bolts of film acting to pieces and gives away more trade secrets in the process then you thought existed." — The Sunday Times

"Caine demonstrates how sheer technique can mutate into something meaningful and moving." — The Observer

"A serious, but entertaining, insight into the mechanics of acting." — Evening Standard (London)

"One of the best guides to film acting ever written. It is brief, instructive, and enlightening not only for actors but for filmgoers as well... You can't afford not to read him...." — Parade Magazine

About the Author:

Sir Michael Caine has won two Academy Awards and been nominated four additional times during his distinguished five-decade career on screen. Knighted in 2000, Caine was born in working-class Sussex, England, and served in the British Army before landing his first film role in 1956.