A mother, daughter, sister and "Star Stuff". I have been a storyteller all my life and obsessed with genealogy nearly as long.. I'm an observer and storyteller by nature. I research the lives of my ancestors and document their stories
How We Connect My paternal Great-Grandmother was Pearl Daniels, the granddaughter of Floyd Daniels. Floyd had many siblings, among them were Charles Daniels and Comfort Daniels (who married Nathaniel Christian.)
How We Connect My Great-Grandfather Theodore Hopson was the son of John C. Hopson, the son of Littleton W. Hopson and Mary Emmaline Brummitt. Evan Hopson was John C. Hopson's older brother. Evan is my 3x Great-Uncle.
How We Connect Harmon Hopson is my paternal grandfather. I am the fourth child and second daughter born to his eldest son, Harmon Lee Hopson Jr.
How We Connect My great-grandfather Theodore Hopson was the grandson of William Robinette and Luemma Mullins, the granddaughter of James Booker Mullins, Jr. Booker had a brother by the name of Sherwood. Ira was Sherwood's grandson and the son of John L. Mullins.
1. It will help you do more realistic accents. Let's face it. An accent can make or break a film. A bad attempt at producing a British accent could make an actor sound more like they are a deaf speaker at best. The importance of nailing a proper accent is as true for English dialects as it is for foreign ones. You may be thinking, British accent, you say? Easy! Unless you only know Geordie and the script is set in London, where they speak Cockney. Global English speaking countries have varying accents just as numerous as those found in America and anyone familiar with those areas will not be convinced. Film critics may actually be offended by your poor attempt and see it more as mockery. Just as it would not be believable that I was born and raised in New York City if you heard hints of my Hillbilly twang coming through, it also would not be believable that someone had a Spanish background if they couldn't properly roll their "R's" or throw their voice from the back of their throat.
You are born an actor! Facts! So, why are you taking classes to learn how to act? You should be taking classes to learn how NOT to act!
Personally, I never memorize a script for film. I do not want to appear rehearsed and too polished to be realistic on camera. Instead, I learn the story and approach the process of acting much in the way we play the game of Gossip as kids: You hear the story, you know what happens to whom and who said what, and then you go elsewhere and repeat it, telling the story to the next person in the most believable manner as possible, even if you make up some of your own parts. I read the script to learn what happened to whom but that's as far as I take the script.
1. Give them a burden. This can be physical helplessness or a mental or emotional disability of a sort. Observing a character battling against their very own shortcoming, wants, or confinements is something every viewer can relate to. When we see someone struggling, we are more apt to get emotionally involved in the story. We concern ourselves with that character and become curious as to how they are going to overcome.