The first several years of my film acting training were some of the most important of my life. It is within these formidable years of training that my skill and knowledge of film acting was constructed and solidified. One of the most important skills my coach taught me was the importance of facial relaxation for the film actor.
Facial relaxation is vital for all film actors as a tense face appears awkward and strained on camera, which can immediately distract the audience from your character.
While teaching your facial muscles to relax is not done overnight, this is a daily skillset that all actors must practice in order to prepare for their big on-screen moments.
Importance of Facial Relaxation
When you are acting on camera, the lens picks up on all the subtle movements of your face; especially during close-ups. If you have tense facial muscles, your reactions and facial movements can look forced, tense and non-natural. I want you to think about a time in your life when you spoke with someone who was very tense due to nervousness, anger or a combination of other emotions. Their face was drawn in, their facial movements were sharp and the appearance of the face was actually altered.
When you’re acting on camera, every movement of your face is amplified. Thus, as a film actor you must excel at the art of facial relaxation so the true facial emotions of your character may push through and be at the forefront.
Relaxation Technique
There are many different facial relaxation techniques; however, the following is one that I perform immediately before auditioning and filming on set.
First, sit in a comfortable position; this may be in a chair or on the floor. Once you are comfortable, close your eyes and focus on your entire face. Feel every muscle in your forehead, around your eyes, your cheeks and your mouth. Now, tense all these muscles together trying to pull every muscle in your face toward your nose. Hold this tension for three seconds.
Now, release every muscle in your face. Concentrate of full muscular relaxation. Concentrate on each individual muscle. I tend to carry facial tension in my forehead, so I spend extra time releasing and relaxing these muscles. Once you feel your face is completely relaxed, repeat the tension and release technique three more times. After doing so, your muscles will naturally relax. You may need to repeat this exercise while on set in-between takes if you feel tension rising in your face again.
