The Maltese television actor communicates

Abstract

To be an actor, you have to be a good communicator. This is the statement permeating this dissertation. This study focuses mainly on the necessary acting techniques for adequately communicating a character on screen to the audience. These include the art of listening and reacting; the ability of living the moment; utilising different ways of effectively conveying an emotion; characterisation; and the necessary preparations which will eventually lead to a credible po1irayal of a character. This research includes a literature review of relevant publications regarding screen acting focusing on how to properly externalise a believable character portrayal. Following it is an explanation of the methodology used for the purpose of this research including four qualitative interviews with four different actors and the results of a short online survey conducted among 150 participants. The research analyses whether the survey participants believe the characters and the emotions the four different actors intend to convey by being shown clips featuring these actors in characters from a Maltese TV series. The analysis and discussion of the results gathered are essentially a scrutiny on the acting techniques employed by the four actors. Consequently the study examines whether their intended character portrayals are adequately believed according to the perceptions of the survey participants. The conclusion discusses mainly the overall responses gathered through the interviews and the survey.