Mastering Emotional Scenes on Set

Matt: 00:00:00

Alright, welcome back to the Faith and Family Filmmakers podcast.

Matt: 00:00:02

I'm your host, Matt Chastain.

Matt: 00:00:04

We are back for Miss Anita Cordell's second episode with us, and we're doing one of my favorite things, just diving into the nerdy weeds of acting.

Matt: 00:00:13

So, Anita, when we finished off last time, we were talking about, you know, the empathy it takes to really play some roles that are totally outside of yourself and how you know, when you really, truly surrender to God and surrender to the, to the process.

Matt: 00:00:25

You know, your own ego is kind of set aside, and so you don't have to come, like you said, all made up and, and presenting the perfect version of Anita.

Matt: 00:00:33

You're presenting the perfect version of, of the character that the director needs you to play.

Anita: 00:00:38

And when I was talking about awaken, the role that I played, the lady who was actually addicted to prescription drugs.

Anita: 00:00:46

The director actually didn't initially buy into me playing that role, to be honest with you.

Anita: 00:00:51

I, actually, he called me to produce this short, and when I was going through the process of producing it, he hadn't cast any of the roles at all yet.

Anita: 00:01:02

And so I pitched myself on him and the first thing I had to realize is, oh my goodness, this role.

Anita: 00:01:09

I can do this.

Anita: 00:01:10

I had to believe in myself first, right?

Anita: 00:01:13

And so when I pitched it to him, I had to pitch it to him twice and.

Anita: 00:01:19

Yet there's, there's a part of all of us, I think, that sees these characters and sees these roles and yeah, we can kind of, sort of relate to some things that they're going through.

Anita: 00:01:31

I, I think that there's something relatable that pulls at our own heartstrings.

Anita: 00:01:37

First as an actor and as our heartstrings pull at them, we become really, we have to be that role in a sense and pull it out of ourselves and allow the directors the freedom to do what they need to do to pull it out even more.

Matt: 00:01:55

That's a great perspective.

Matt: 00:01:57

I heard an actor, I, I think it was Killian Murphy or someone recently who was saying that, you know, these days actors like to refer to themselves as I'm a storyteller and one of the greatest actors in the world said, I am not a. Story teller at all.

Matt: 00:02:10

It's the writer and the director's job to tell the story.

Matt: 00:02:13

I'm not here to tell a story.

Matt: 00:02:14

I'm here to serve the story as this character.

Matt: 00:02:17

If I'm here to influence the story, then I'm not doing my job as an actor.

Matt: 00:02:21

I'm simply bringing myself to this character so that the character can serve the story.

Matt: 00:02:26

I don't know if that's for you, if that's just semantics or if there's a real difference.

Anita: 00:02:30

No, I mean, I would've to agree with that.

Anita: 00:02:32

I mean, yeah, we are in a sense in the team of storytelling and so we, we story tell just on camera versus.

Anita: 00:02:40

Is off camera, but the reality of it is the story that we are telling.

Anita: 00:02:44

We have to align with those people who wrote it and the director as well.

Anita: 00:02:49

And when we align with their vision and prayerfully, hopefully everyone's in line with God's vision, right?

Anita: 00:02:57

But.

Anita: 00:02:58

Even if you're on and doing something mainstream, then you still have, in my opinion, as a Christ follower, a responsibility to our Heavenly Father.

Anita: 00:03:09

And I have what, what I call an acting code.

Anita: 00:03:12

I call it my acting code.

Anita: 00:03:13

And that acting code basically defines what Anita Cordell will or will not say on camera and will or will not do on camera.

Anita: 00:03:22

And if the project aligns with that, then obviously.

Anita: 00:03:26

I can align with my Heavenly Father to help bring out that role and that character, and do the very best that I possibly can do because ultimately, again, it goes back to being representatives of who we are, one as Christ followers, but also as representatives of God and the team.

Matt: 00:03:45

So you said something very interesting earlier.

Matt: 00:03:47

You've mentioned several times, different directors you've worked with, and I think a lot of people listening to this podcast are aspiring or current directors, storytellers themselves.

Matt: 00:03:55

And so what I always try to ask an actor is, in order just to help directors, can you think of, of other stories or examples of direction that you've gotten or even just directing styles that a director will bring to you that really work for you, that, that make your job easier, that allow you to perform the character.

Matt: 00:04:15

Better.

Matt: 00:04:15

What, what is it about a director that really helps you?

Anita: 00:04:18

So I am going to tell you a story of what not to do first.

Matt: 00:04:23

fine too.

Matt: 00:04:23

Those, those are more fun stories.

Anita: 00:04:25

Then we'll move into the same scenario of what to do.

Anita: 00:04:28

So it was early, early, more earlier in my career, and I got flown out to be on this set.

Anita: 00:04:36

And the, basically the scenario was I was in a car accident with someone, you know, my car I believe, if I remember correctly.

Anita: 00:04:45

And this scene was me sitting next to a tree and I. Had to be literally bawling, bawling the scene.

Anita: 00:04:54

There, there was, you know, kind of a, a death essence over this scene and I had things to say.

Anita: 00:05:02

I was speaking and giving my all in this scene.

Anita: 00:05:06

And when we would shoot, you know, obviously the director would say cut, but then when he said cut, there was literally zero respect for.

Anita: 00:05:18

Me as a performer, and so all of the crews started laughing and cutting up and just carrying on.

Anita: 00:05:27

And while then I had to actually stay in this mode, right?

Anita: 00:05:32

I had to stay in this grieving site type of mode.

Anita: 00:05:35

So then we would shoot the scene again, and this happened probably three or four or five times.

Anita: 00:05:40

Finally, one of the crew came up to me during the break and he looked down at me and said, Anita, are those real tears?

Anita: 00:05:47

I'm literally bawling.

Anita: 00:05:51

It was probably one of the hardest things I finally had to get up and, and remove myself from the scene.

Anita: 00:05:57

But I was newer and so I didn't know really how to voice my need as an actor.

Anita: 00:06:04

My need for, you know, Hey, Mr. Director, this is really hard for me right now.

Anita: 00:06:09

I'm having a really difficult time staying in the mode that you need because all the crews cutting up.

Anita: 00:06:15

People are talking to me.

Anita: 00:06:17

It was just a really difficult time and that lasted probably a good 45 minutes to an hour.

Anita: 00:06:23

And I thought to myself, I will probably always be able to share this story because it's what not to do.

Anita: 00:06:29

So flip it down several years later, I was in a very similar scene where it was the death, my husband was dying.

Anita: 00:06:37

Um, I was in a hospital room.

Anita: 00:06:40

I had to do the same kind of performance where I was crying and what have, and the director 180 degree difference.

Anita: 00:06:49

He had all the crew outta the room on purpose except for himself and the lighting guy, and the light was dim.

Anita: 00:06:59

There was soft music on and he basically, what he did was he had me in a back room preparing myself, and so I stayed in that back room for probably 30, 30, 45 minutes just in prayer, asking the Lord to bring it out of me once again.

Anita: 00:07:16

But I entered into that room and the whole time he whispered to me.

Anita: 00:07:22

Come over here and stand over here, because I had already been preparing and had already been in that grieving mode because he had already said, we're gonna walk you in.

Anita: 00:07:30

We're gonna bang shoot it right then.

Anita: 00:07:32

So you need to be prepared.

Anita: 00:07:34

But the whole time he was softly talking to the crew in the, in the hallway, softly talking to me.

Anita: 00:07:40

Gave me enough space to be.

Anita: 00:07:44

Grieving in that moment, and every time he said Cut, there was no noise.

Anita: 00:07:49

The crew was not vocalizing themselves to, to me there was just such a complete difference , such a 180 degree difference

Anita: 00:08:00

And so as a director.

Anita: 00:08:02

Seeing what the actors need in that scene and in that moment are so vital.

Anita: 00:08:08

I mean, we're all different.

Anita: 00:08:09

All of our, you know, all actors are different, but when you're having a really intense scene like that, your product, you're, you're scene is going to be so much better when you provide an atmosphere.

Anita: 00:08:23

It is safe for your actors to do the very, very best that they can do for you as a director.

Anita: 00:08:31

And so I share those two stories when you ask that question, I'm like, oh, I know what I.

Matt: 00:08:36

Loaded up with that story.

Matt: 00:08:38

I think those two, uh, opposing stories are just such great education and for not only young actors and actresses, but also anybody on the crew, but especially the director, because I find sometimes a director, some directors who come more from the, the DP side of things or the, or the first AC side of things.

Matt: 00:08:57

You can be more involved in management of the day, which that's, that's the first ACS job.

Matt: 00:09:02

So let him do that job.

Matt: 00:09:04

You can, be more concerned about your camera blocking and things like that.

Matt: 00:09:07

That's your DPS job.

Matt: 00:09:08

Let him do that.

Matt: 00:09:09

So if the director, especially in scenes like you're talking about, if a director basically says, all right, first and foremost, I.

Matt: 00:09:15

I'm here for my actors.

Matt: 00:09:17

Okay?

Matt: 00:09:17

We're here to create a world for them.

Matt: 00:09:19

And you guys, I'm here to help you do your job as you, you know, whether it be the first ac, the DP and those crews.

Matt: 00:09:24

But you guys need to work around the actor and I think some actors, especially Christian actors, would be, I. Maybe hesitant to speak up for themselves in those kind of situations.

Matt: 00:09:33

'cause we don't wanna seem like a prima donna, right?

Matt: 00:09:35

Obviously not Every time you walk on a set for a scene, we need everybody to be quiet and not look you in the eye.

Matt: 00:09:40

But it's those scenes, those emotional scenes where you have to get somewhere that you can't just get on an on and off switch.

Matt: 00:09:47

That's when it's okay to kind of stand up for yourself and speak up for yourself and say, please, everybody, help me get there so that we can all create this moment that we're trying to create for the director.

Anita: 00:09:57

Yeah, exactly.

Anita: 00:09:58

And that was me early on.

Anita: 00:10:00

I didn't know how to vocalize my needs in that moment.

Anita: 00:10:04

My way of.

Anita: 00:10:05

Responding was, I had to get up from the scene and go walk through the parking lot and just get away from all of the, the chaos and the joking and all of the stuff.

Anita: 00:10:14

And then they would call me back, and so I would get back down.

Anita: 00:10:17

But staying in that character is so important.

Matt: 00:10:21

Yeah, I dunno.

Matt: 00:10:21

I do, it's almost like asking a, professional chess player to just sit there whilst you stand beside him with a bullhorn.

Anita: 00:10:27

that's a great example.

Matt: 00:10:29

We have to have certain environments that allow us to do our jobs best, for sure.

Matt: 00:10:33

we mentioned just a few of the roles you've been doing.

Matt: 00:10:35

One of the, roles I think maybe you're most known for is that you won the best actress award for House mother and, and you've been nominated for others, uh, best Actress Awards.

Matt: 00:10:43

And I know it's not about awards, but it seems to me that when you're in a film that's good enough to get you nominated for an award.

Matt: 00:10:49

that means you are blessed to be a part of a really good film overall.

Matt: 00:10:53

So you've had lots of those opportunities it seems.

Anita: 00:10:56

Yeah, I am super blessed to have some awards behind my name and even nominations behind my name, so I don't take that lightly at all.

Anita: 00:11:05

I, I really don't take that lightly because really when you are.

Anita: 00:11:10

Given those types of, I call them standing ovations in and of itself, you know, it's like when somebody hands you something such as deep as that, it's your peers are literally giving you a standing ovation and, and it's a tangible one and, something you can cherish.

Anita: 00:11:29

And I do cherish all of them and I, I do cherish my opportunities.

Matt: 00:11:34

I think a feedback loop is important.

Matt: 00:11:36

You know, we need to know that what we're doing is working, and if you're winning awards, it's a good way to know that what you're doing is working and God's telling you keep.

Matt: 00:11:43

On down that path.

Matt: 00:11:44

Well, I kind of wanna hear about something it looked like on, on IMD, but you have three or four projects that are kind of in different stages of development, production and post-production.

Matt: 00:11:53

So, um, let's talk about what's, coming up for you.

Anita: 00:11:56

Well, I have been recently cast, I'm not sure if it's on IMDB yet, but it should be hopefully shooting in the next 10 months, maybe the Purple Heart.

Anita: 00:12:07

And so I play the wife of someone who's really struggling with dementia and.

Anita: 00:12:14

PTSD and all the things,

Matt: 00:12:16

Oh wow.

Anita: 00:12:17

a mil it'll be a military movie.

Anita: 00:12:19

And so I think that it's gonna touch hearts a lot.

Anita: 00:12:23

So I'm really excited about that one.

Anita: 00:12:25

And you know, I've.

Anita: 00:12:27

I've got a couple other ones in the making, but that one's probably the most public 'cause it has been announced already.

Anita: 00:12:33

So I'm, I'm just super excited for that.

Anita: 00:12:37

And then I, I also live in a town in the Midwest where there's not a lot of faith-based things going on here.

Anita: 00:12:44

So, you know, I have to.

Anita: 00:12:46

Watch the mainstream platforms as well, and if there's other opportunities, of course I'll make sure that, they align.

Anita: 00:12:55

But which leads me to one thing is, you know, a lot of times casting directors will put.

Anita: 00:13:01

Auditions out there, and we might read the role and think that the role is okay and think that the sides are okay and everything seems to be fine.

Anita: 00:13:13

And yet it's okay to ask for a full script, especially if you get offered a role.

Anita: 00:13:19

I've made the mistake of not doing that.

Anita: 00:13:22

I, I speak from.

Anita: 00:13:24

Experience of not doing that.

Anita: 00:13:26

Probably one of the, the biggest, most embarrassing moments that I ever have had that you know, we learned by our mistakes, right?

Anita: 00:13:34

And it was early on in my career and I had been offered a role and my scene, there was nothing in it that was.

Anita: 00:13:42

Was negative or anything, and they had the big, huge premiere.

Anita: 00:13:46

And so I invited my friends and I was so excited.

Anita: 00:13:50

It was, I think, my first feature film that I'd been in, and it was, it was a kind of a parody, horror sort of a film.

Anita: 00:13:58

But anyway, I, I was so excited.

Anita: 00:14:00

I, I brought my husband and my kids not thinking anything at all.

Anita: 00:14:05

And we got about three quarters of the way through.

Anita: 00:14:09

And mind you, throughout the course of this, there was a lot more cursing than what I'm comfortable with.

Anita: 00:14:15

I, I don't curse.

Anita: 00:14:16

And so there was just a lot of that and I turned to my husband at one point and I'm like, I did not know there was so much cursing.

Anita: 00:14:23

I'm so sorry.

Anita: 00:14:23

But that was fine and all.

Anita: 00:14:26

But then there was a scene that.

Anita: 00:14:29

Absolutely horrified me.

Anita: 00:14:31

It was a lady in a bathtub and she got angry for whatever reason, and stood up full on, totally nude on the big screen in front of my husband and my kids.

Anita: 00:14:44

And I made a decision that day to make sure that I always read the script because I had trusted the people and, and I didn't think anything of it.

Anita: 00:14:55

I was just.

Anita: 00:14:55

So excited to get cast in this.

Anita: 00:14:57

And so that's one of those things where, you know, if we are brand new to this industry, we love every single opportunity that we get and especially if there's mainstream projects that we are looking at.

Anita: 00:15:09

And we're so excited because there's not a lot of faith-based projects that, you know, we get afforded the opportunity to be a part of if we're actors.

Anita: 00:15:18

But I always encourage new people in the industry.

Anita: 00:15:21

To ask for the script and to read it because you never know what is in the scenes that you are not in, that you don't have a part of seeing those sides.

Matt: 00:15:31

do some due diligence.

Matt: 00:15:32

In other words.

Anita: 00:15:33

Yeah, and it's the learned thing.

Anita: 00:15:34

You know, we don't, we don't start this industry and go to our first auditions class and learn all of what we need to do in a due diligence situation.

Anita: 00:15:43

It's learning from other people's mistakes and learning from our own mistakes that help this industry grow.

Anita: 00:15:50

And if I didn't voice my mistakes, then.

Anita: 00:15:54

I'm responsible because I feel like I could save somebody else from making those same mistakes and being in a situation that I was in that horrified me and my husband.

Matt: 00:16:06

That is fantastic.

Matt: 00:16:07

Fantastic advice.

Matt: 00:16:09

Somebody out there listening is going to now do that.

Matt: 00:16:11

Hey, you mind if I have the whole script and they're gonna be saved from being in something that it want.

Matt: 00:16:14

I mean, whether it's something that is.

Matt: 00:16:16

You know, morally objectionable, or just, how about just if it's a clearly terrible movie, faith-based or secular.

Matt: 00:16:23

If if you read the sides, it can be, well, I don't know what that is, but whatever.

Matt: 00:16:26

but if you read the script beforehand and you realize this is just a terrible movie, I don't wanna be involved in this, that's okay too.

Matt: 00:16:32

You don't have to jump on every single opportunity you get.

Matt: 00:16:34

Right.

Anita: 00:16:35

Yeah, but then also too, you know, if you see a script that could have some improvements, if you have a great relationship with the director, may be able to take some points and advice and, it could be better for you reading it,

Matt: 00:16:49

Yeah, that's a, that's actually an excellent point.

Matt: 00:16:51

I, I encourage when you're in your auditions, especially if, you know that the director is also the writer, I encourage people, don't do this too much.

Matt: 00:17:00

Don't overdo this.

Matt: 00:17:01

But if you come across a. Line that just needs to be reworded a little bit.

Matt: 00:17:05

Or if he's telling a joke and you found a way to improve the joke in the audition, do it.

Matt: 00:17:11

They don't need you to read their exact words to know who you are.

Matt: 00:17:15

But, I was casting a movie once as a, director and I'm, uh, watching actors who I knew weren't great for the role, but a few of them would throw in little lines here and there that I didn't write, and I'm like, my good.

Matt: 00:17:26

That's a great line.

Matt: 00:17:27

I love it.

Matt: 00:17:28

Thank you for auditioning.

Matt: 00:17:29

Uh, I'll have to pass, but I'm stealing your line so there's uh, So you can help a writer director out and when they know that you're, you're able to improv like that and, improve their script, they're, they're much more likely to hire you.

Anita: 00:17:41

It's very, very true, and just being authentic and just being a voice to help other people better themselves and better the industry is what we should all be doing anyway.

Anita: 00:17:50

Right.

Matt: 00:17:51

A hundred percent.

Matt: 00:17:52

Well let, let's get into a little bit of, uh, nuts and bolts real quick before we wrap it up.

Matt: 00:17:55

'cause a lot of actors wanna know how to kind of maximize the opportunities they have to audition for roles.

Matt: 00:18:02

And so, I mean, obviously if you're with a top rate agency like Treasure Coast, that's fantastic, I would bet your advice would be to still seek out roles on your own, still comb backstage and, and actors access.

Matt: 00:18:15

Would that be a an accurate statement?

Anita: 00:18:17

Yeah, and then also too film festivals.

Anita: 00:18:19

And when you go to a film festival.

Anita: 00:18:21

You're gonna constantly be meeting directors and producers, and including other actors.

Anita: 00:18:27

Don't discredit other actors because you can get referrals from other actors and building relationships.

Anita: 00:18:34

are so key and so vital.

Anita: 00:18:36

Doing table reads are also another good way, but being able to connect with directors and producers, especially outside of, you know, just waiting for those auditions to come through if you connect with them even on just a personal level, I, I don't know if you have seen running the bases.

Anita: 00:18:56

So I'll give you a true life story of this.

Anita: 00:18:59

Running the bases was my actual first theatrical release.

Anita: 00:19:04

Uh, it was in, I think, 1700 theaters a couple years ago or whatever.

Anita: 00:19:09

And the way that that role happened was I actually noticed that I had a Facebook friend or two one day have a, a birthday.

Anita: 00:19:20

And so what I did was I created a little voicemail message and sent this happy birthday voicemail message through Facebook, through the Messenger app.

Anita: 00:19:32

And just encouraged him, and I had no idea that he was writing a film and getting ready to cast it.

Anita: 00:19:41

I just sent him a happy birthday message and said, Hey, I truly hope that this next year is gonna be fantastic.

Anita: 00:19:47

I hope that it's your very best year ever.

Anita: 00:19:50

And he called me and he said, Anita, I'd like to talk to you about a project that I'm working on.

Anita: 00:19:58

And I had actually been headed to Tulsa to work with the skit guys.

Anita: 00:20:03

And so I got off set from the skit guys, called them back and we were on the phone for about an hour and a half and he pulled in his co-director.

Anita: 00:20:11

And so all the way home we were talking and he sent me the script that night and asked me to read it.

Anita: 00:20:20

I did, and the next day we talked again and they offered me the role.

Anita: 00:20:25

Of mama d in running, the bases.

Anita: 00:20:28

And I, I just wanna encourage people that the little things that we connect with, it's not just about picking up the phone and saying, Hey, do you got an audition for me today?

Anita: 00:20:40

No.

Anita: 00:20:41

It's making those personal relationships with other people.

Anita: 00:20:45

And when we make it real like that, I think that it opens up our world even more.

Matt: 00:20:50

yeah.

Matt: 00:20:51

Everybody wants to be discovered, but it's so much easier to be discovered by your friends.

Anita: 00:20:56

exactly.

Matt: 00:20:57

People you already know.

Matt: 00:20:58

They don't have to really discover you.

Matt: 00:21:00

They know who you are and what you bring.

Matt: 00:21:02

So, uh, yeah, it sounds like it's important to really listen to God when he is giving you advice, even outside of acting.

Matt: 00:21:07

Even if it's just as much as blessed this person's day with a happy birthday for no other reason than but to do it.

Matt: 00:21:14

And, and you'll be rewarded in some way, and you were rewarded with a role in the feature films.

Anita: 00:21:19

Yeah.

Anita: 00:21:19

Yeah,

Matt: 00:21:20

Well, what else I think we need to wrap it up.

Matt: 00:21:21

We're about out of time, but I just wanna know if there's anything that an aspiring actor is listening to this and they just want to know how to kind of take those next steps.

Matt: 00:21:29

what's some of the best advice you could give them?

Anita: 00:21:31

get good head shots and women, we, change our looks so many times throughout the.

Anita: 00:21:38

Make sure that it looks like you, but always just live a life.

Anita: 00:21:42

Uh, one of the things that I told my kids when they were little growing up is I said, live a life to where that if anybody talks about you, no one believes it.

Anita: 00:21:50

And.

Anita: 00:21:50

I take that into every area of my life because I want to live a life to where that, if anybody talks about me, because you know that there's always going to be opposition, right?

Anita: 00:22:02

We know that Christ followers aren't gonna have 100% if we were here to make 100% of everybody happy, you know we're gonna have opposition.

Anita: 00:22:12

And so living a life with integrity.

Anita: 00:22:15

And honesty.

Anita: 00:22:16

Know your acting code and know that when we make those decisions on and offset, they are going to affect us and we will be watched.

Anita: 00:22:26

I mean, we wanna be blessed by God and that's my whole life.

Anita: 00:22:30

I guess I told my kids, just live a life to where that if anybody talks about you, no one believes it.

Matt: 00:22:35

Anita Cordell speaker, podcaster, bestselling author, realtor.

Matt: 00:22:40

Actress agent, forklift operator, we uh, I may have added that last

Matt: 00:22:46

one.

Matt: 00:22:46

Thank you so much.

Matt: 00:22:47

This has been, been an absolute pleasure.

Matt: 00:22:49

Um, so valuable to hear your perspective and we just appreciate you joining us on the Faith and Family Filmmaker Podcast.

Anita: 00:22:56

I'm so happy to be here.

Anita: 00:22:57

Thank you so much for asking me to come.

Anita: 00:22:59

I really enjoyed it.

Anita: 00:23:00

It is fun.