When you think about acting, you are likely to conjure up images of a character moving and talking on stage or in front of a camera. While this is an accurate portrayal of an actor, true actors must delve deeper than what is actually seen by the audience in order to create a realistic character.
Think about it, your life does not stop when you leave a friends house, school, work or a bar. You continue living, thinking and moving even when there is no one around. The same is true for your “character.” Simply because your character is not involved in a scene, or is offstage, does not mean that he is not “living.”
Devising your hidden plan is an advanced acting technique that refers to the life your character holds outside of the realm of the script, stage and film set.
This is what your character does when he is not in the limelight. As an actor, it is your responsibility to uncover the true truth of your character, which includes who he is outside of the realm of the script. You are responsible for devising his day-to-day actions, his mental images and even is imagination.
Outside of the Dramatizations
After you have completed your character’s autobiography, you must ponder who your character is outside of the pages the screenwriter and playwright chose to dramatize. While only certain moments of this character’s life is shown on stage or in front of a camera, he must “continue living” in order for you to deliver a performance that is actually real.
Once you have read the script numerous times, and feel that you have a solid understanding of your character and the demands of his life, you must begin to devise his hidden plan, or hidden life.
Write down what he does after and before each scene he is in. Think as if you are writing a book, and the readers want to know exactly what this character does. Become as detailed as possible.
I have found that writing a “character diary” really helps with this process. A character diary is written as though you are the character, and it’s purpose is to record the daily happenings of this character. You will find that over time, you will automatically begin to think like your character, and may even react in your own personal life as he would. This is a good thing, but you must remember to turn “him” off when “he” is not needed.