What to Do With a Note You Don’t Immediately Understand

At some point, every actor receives a note that makes absolutely no sense to them.

Maybe the director describes something in a way you would never describe it yourself. Maybe a coach asks for an adjustment that seems to contradict your understanding of the scene. Sometimes you understand every word of the note and still have no idea what to do with it.

The temptation is to panic and immediately prove that you can take direction.

That can lead actors to make enormous changes before they've actually understood what is being asked.

Taking direction well does not mean instantly producing the perfect adjustment. It means being willing to work with new information.

If a note is unclear, start by listening to what the person giving it may be trying to change. Perhaps they're asking for less intensity because the scene is becoming emotionally crowded. Maybe “make it lighter” has nothing to do with being cheerful and everything to do with releasing some of the weight you've placed on the conversation.

Directors and actors do not always use the same language. Part of becoming experienced is learning how to translate direction into something playable.

When appropriate, you can ask a concise question. On a professional set, you may not have time for a long conversation about motivation, but clarification is different from resistance. If you're genuinely unsure whether the director wants a change in pace, intention, or energy, understanding that distinction can save everyone time.

Then try it.

This is the part actors sometimes skip. They continue analyzing the note instead of allowing themselves to experience it physically in the scene. Often you understand an adjustment only after you've attempted it.

Class is one of the best places to develop this skill because you can receive notes repeatedly without the stakes of a professional set. You begin learning which kinds of direction make you tense and which words immediately unlock something. You also learn how to stay connected to your original preparation while allowing someone else into the process.

There will always be notes you disagree with. There will also be notes that seem wrong until you try them and discover something you never would have found alone.

Being directable does not require becoming passive. It requires flexibility.

At TLS Acting Studio, actors work on receiving and applying adjustments as part of their regular training so that direction becomes something they can use rather than something that throws them out of the scene.

Enrollment is open for virtual training and in-person classes in North Hollywood. Reach out for current class availability or information about joining TLS Acting Studio.