Videos for American actors at all experience levels, from New York Acting Coach John Windsor-Cunningham. He has worked with theatres from California's Old Globe to the Royal National Theatre, and here teaches audition tips, perfect British accents, and explores plays from Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde.
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As a trainee theatre director this advice is invaluable…..enables me to also improve my work when working and observing as an AD…many thanks….I am aiming higher when watching your videos!
I find the most difficult part of Directing is Casting: finding actors who know how to 'do' it,,and have something inside them - however small - which is like the part! Then everything can be fun and easy. And if not then to what they CAN do. John.
I love this video so much thank you very much for your assistance. I feel like I was actually able to grasp some of the basics.
I took acting classes for two years now. I want to get roles but I am totally lost. We recommended me Actor Access, however I don't want to rely on only one platform to get jobs. Is there anything I could be recommended?
Well, google everything, so that platforms like Backstage.com and others get examined, and apply for every play-reading and student-film if only for the experience of doing lots of auditions. Find what 'type' of part 'suits' you. But without seeing you I cannot guess if you need to keep working on subtext, or clarity, or audition technique. All actors are going through something like what you describe. John
🤗 P r o m o S M
Tenesee Williams does not understand women???
I fear so. The events which his female characters experience were new to plays at the time,, and he had famous actors, mostly male, playing male roles so no surprise that the plays got attention. But the 'female events' were already known about by women all over the world, (just not talked about much), and TW described them n very short scenes. If female actors bring their OWN experience of life to the roles, (not an easy thing to do) then hidden depths may become interesting, - especially if irony is involved, - but T.W. knew nothing about all that. It is not in the plays anyway. And people are either scared to say it or see it! His scenes are cliches when watched by women. Ask them. John Windsor-Cunningham
I love the video my guy, but how do you have your ringer on!!? 😅😅😅😅 that was hilarious
Yes, a bit daft, but I'm incredibly busy and if I try to think of everything I'll never relax, and -who knows - it might be my agent!. J.
@@NewYorkActingCoach I get it, I appreciate the videos very helpful.
Thank you sir for sharing with us all of your advices! Some times i dont like my voice when im acting, i have two types of voices, the one sounds a bit older heavier and great especially for voice overs. the second one is younger and i think it sounds not charismatic. So when i act relaxed i always lose the first voice type that i like the most. Even in real life i dont always speak with one type.. so the problem is sometimes when i act and i here my voice i feel like its not suitable for my face and for the character and i start to lose control of my emotions.. and going back to the real me.. i didnt get any comment for my voice from any director and i dont know if im true or wrong about it and im just feeling like that because im just inspired by actors who speak with a heavier tone. ( sorry for my bad english )
Well it's good that you see your problem, which many others have and don't realize ! The answer, of course is that more EXPERIENCE will help you feel more comfortable i the way that you speak, probably using part of both the 'two' which you describe. If the enjoyment you have with one tone is genuine, and not admiring some tone which you've liked hearing from other people. then that is where 'truth' may lie. But just do more. Plays, films, anything at all. Dont waste time now you seem to have found your problem. John
@@NewYorkActingCoach thank you for your reply
Its amazing video Sir!! All my life ive been in London, working and living with people from different culture my accent is messed up lol, but your video is so useful , will watch all the time and learn a lot
Kind of you. Thanks. John.
My pleasure to find your video while searching
Why do some british not pronounce the T ? It's not even converted into a D, they just take it out altogether , i find it incredibly hard to replicate☹️ Like " this group of bri-ish men are going to gather at the communi-ee cen-er for some pota-oes and crips la-er
You're right, of course. But this happens with two groups. One is in OTHER British accents, - like Cockney,- which I coach, but this accent makes all others easer to do, and the other group is 'modern youth' who want their accent to sound casual, and don't care!. A dangerous one for actors to use as it may be misunderstood if not done clearly! (ALso this is the one most often needed.) John.
Fantastic video! Thanks for making this, sir
Court and caught didn't sound the exact same I could tell the difference there is still a little pronunciation of the letter r in court
Damnit! You may be right. I'm not sure, because there really doesn't need to be any difference. An actor could say the words "I was in court" perfectly even if the script had it written as "I was in CAUGHT". They can honestly be the same. But it's not a felony, so what the hell ! No accent wants to be perfect, That would sound very odd. John
I wish more KZreadrs would refer to their videos FILMS
im 10 yrs late but i love u man
Not sure what you mean by the "10 years" THere are new videos on my website every few months. Hope of use. John.
Well, be carful who you ask, as we might just want your money and say you need to do our classes ! Look at the Wikipedia page of every actor you like and you will see that they all went to a drama school or did classes in acting. It is possible to get work without 'training' if there is a 'type' of part you can easily play and if you have a good voice and you know how to find what the lines you say really mean. I don't want to talk you into coming to me, so just go online and find some acting classes near where you live. If they think you are wonderful already THEN get an agent! John.
Sir I am an engineering student and have an ambition to become a good actor and by myself only I work on my expression and my dialogue dilivery because I do not find any good acting class in my city and one more request I want to talk to you once please sir...
@@hellohimanshuiiitnagpur8421 If you want to talk to me about becoming an actor, and what you need to do, that can't be done n a few lines here. Please use the CNTACT page n my website ( Windsor-Cunningham.com ) or my direct email ( [email protected] ). And I will reply with details of how we could talk. John
sir is this voice exercise will work if I deliver my dialogue in hindi
The answer is to try it, and if you find it easier to do the Prrrrr sound AFTER you do the first 'buzzing' sound (v-v-v-v) then you know your voice is finding thngs easier. If not then maybe try it more or find another exercise. I have 2 more voice exercises if you search for them with my name on KZread Jhn Windsor-Cunningham but they are not on my website.
@@NewYorkActingCoach sir I want to train myself professionally as an actor so Is your KZread videos are enough to master my expression, my voice modulation and many other things or do I need to join something else....
One of the best online video course
Very kind. Thanks. JOhn.
Wow. What an awesome video. INCREDIBLY clear and concise. I'll be practicing my accent now. English is my third language, and somehow, I find the british accent is a little "easier" than american accent in a way... especially w/o words like giRl, huRl, woRld. Thank you so much.
Thank you. And remember that nowadays nobody cares about what accent we have as long as we speak clearly, and with some note of kindness in our voice. Also - nowadays - an unusual accent is enjoyed. So hang onto the feeling that it is 'you' talking, if you don't mind me saying so. And if I'm talking nonsense in your case - best wishes! JOhn
@@NewYorkActingCoach Hahah thank you for your kind words!
I love when he says "It's legal, you know, you're allowed..." lol 6:02
YEs, well said. Acting is rather like breaking the law and knowing you'll get away with it. So little wonder, maybe, that some prisons have extremely popular acing classes. J.
A great question, but I need a page to answer, and even then if I don't know 'you' then I can't tell how 'right' you sound about your opinions! Juilliard can be a bit classical some years, and RADA is trying to be more modern, but it CHANGES, so try to research them both MORE and get more information. My BIGGEST worry, and MAIN point, is that the whole idea of going to a school in a different country to where you're likely to end up working could be the main mistake, because all the contacts, friends and information you'll get from living there for 2 or 3 years won't be of any damned use! Book a session with me if you like, or meet recent students to both online. It's a massive decision. JOhn
Question, I like the look of Julliard more than RADA because I prefer American acting more than classical and I heard RADA is mostly classical. Would you say Julliard is better than RADA for american acting and just in general? It says on google Julliard is the best in the world (I'm from england but I prefer american acting more)
Well, sorry, only just saw this. But I believe a huge part of the decision should be on where are planning to work - where you will have the 'permit' to work. Because developing contacts in the USA while you are 'training' will be of no use t you in the UK where RADA students will know more about the business there than you. Also it is a very old-fashioned view of RADA that they are mainly classical. I met the new principal of RAD recently and think everything will depend on what staff she gets, as one good teacher is all an actor may need. But do remember that you may know nothing about ither of them in fact, and every year at both is different. And don't waste 2 years of your life getting to know a town that will be of NO USE to you. John Windsor-Cunningham
I really appreciate for your videos. I am fan of you and really enjoy. Thanks again
12:53
Sorry, no idea what you refer to! John.
Using this for Shakespeare soon! Thank you!
Yes, Shakespeare is so much 'about'' the UK, so glad to hear this helps, and remember that the audience won't be thinking about your accent all through your performance, they want to know if you've worked out what his words mean and if you can say them clearly. Any actor who does that will get away with doing any accent at all! John
I'm no actor but i would assume to actually be surpised, you would actually need to be staring into space/ day dreaming before saying the line. Some food for thought here though.
Well we all have our own methods (and instincts), but just as one can prepare for the death of a loved one and find oneself crying, one can 'prepare' to be surprised after some practice. Actors who don't go to the trouble of using their personal tendencies to feel guilt, grief, religious, aggressive (or whatever's needed) don't get much work. It takes some study to discover precisely what kind of 'surprise' we can inflict on ourselves, that's all. Study. John.
Mr. John! I discovered your channel yesterday, cannot be happier about that. I do strive to master my Brit accent anytime i have a chance. Your gesticulation makes me feel like i'm in a real lesson with you, that is so effective. Thanks a lot!!!🤩
Just remember that people actually like accents nowadays, and what matters is that we speak clearly and with some note of kindness in our voice. Even for actors, that's better than trying to make an accent perfect.
@@NewYorkActingCoach Cannot agree more! Some note of kindness is highly recommended, with or without a perfect accent😊
You inspire me with your dedication to the art of acting
Kind of you to say. Easy for me as I've never been very interested in anything else - ! - and had help from good people. So if you can only find a company that you are desperate to work for (I pushed one young actor to take a job making coffee for a film company in LA 4 years back, - because she was mad about them - and now she helps editing, casting and now acting, - so she just found a path which made dedication easy. John
@@NewYorkActingCoach kind of you to reply good sir! I find your methods to bring a practical combination of method and classical techniques and have learned a lot in terms of approaching material from your videos. I wonder if you have an opinion on Larry Moss’s book ‘Intent to Live’
@@gozepplinSorry, I've not read it and all I know is that reading ANYTHING, and trying ANYTHING may be a good idea, and that sitting around and being angry about not getting work is just daft. I don't myself read much of other people's approaches,, partly because I encourage people to actually be acing, to be doing it anywhere. So try it anyway, and if it works for you then fine. If you need to know more ask me in 6 months when I may have stumbled on a copy with time to read it. John
Thank you!
Welcome! John.
Thank you for these videos. Really helpful
As a New Englander the non-rhoticity came easily
Good to hear of anything being easy! And it's just being clear and having a reasonably kind tone of voice that people notice n the end. John.
Thanks, John! Great to see you!
Too busy to breath here, but 20 years of work planned ahead so I guess I'll have at least another ten. And best to you too, John
i appreciate you
I meant tea and chips
Sorry, I guess I'm being slow, but am not sure when you have to use these words. Only that tea is not the obsession which Americans imagine it to be in the UK, and I think that Brits who are in the USA (or Europe) will call Chips "French fries" just to be clear. So I'm lost. But keep at whatever you're searching, for as perseverance is the way for most ideas to work! J.
I mean I have a pretty good British accent But when I do use it I say Can I get a Bottled water And it just sounds so weird It's make it even more British sometimes I say can you get me some chips
Well people will probably think you have been brought up in both countries, and anyway nobody listens to an actual accent nowadays (not even with actors if they are any good). What matters - what is interesting - is if we manage to speak clearly and have some note of kindness in our voice. So if, for some reason, you are pretending to be British, that risks sounding like a 'fake' and will need you to watch only British films and newsreels, which, again, is a slight strange thing to do. But if it's what you want just work at it more, I suppose. If you're an actor and ned help with a part come to a coach (or me). John
Wonderful video, thanks. Just watched the very weird version of Dumb Waiter with John Travolta and Tom Conti.
Yes it is strange, but unless the actors (and director) are familiar with the old British comedians on which much of the dialogue is based, and with Bekett's Waiting for Godot where the links border on plagiarism, it's hard for anyone involved to know how to approach the play. John.
So glad you’re still making videos, your channel is so great. I still think about advice from many of your videos when I start to read a script ❤
Thank you for your guidance. These videos are valuable to me.
Fantastic
American actors can’t even do a Southern American accent unless they’ve grown up in the American South.
Ye, you're right of course - that without experience of the 'background' of an accent it may not seem very real. But what matters as much is that actors understand what their characters really mean, AND that they have some experience of THAT, otherwise any accent is boring! So, with hard study of a character, there is a solution. John.
Voices are just Stuck in my Head! Am I crazie...Crazy. Sir John Windsor-Cunningham you ´re, BRILLIANT! Still working on my British Accent. btw.
Thanks for kind words. No knighthood yet in fact, - possibly due to my living in the USA, - but you can be sure I'll announce it loudly when it finally comes. Best wishes back, John
Thank you! Good to have you back Sir
Thank you! Very helpful!
Always so well-timed. Thank you!
You're welcome. My voice isn't very perfect in it, but the idea of the exercise may still be of use, so - happy to help. John
Just did this then! Thank you :)
Great. You could start learning OTHELLO then, right? John.
Why do you remind me of David Bowie?
He looks a bit like me. J.
My n i g g a the huzzzzz gone love this
Very nice ! This is exactly how it needs to be taught !
Thanks for kind words. And I think it's true that nowadays people don't care about accents very much, - a 'mixture' is perfectly normal - and what matters is that we speak clearly and with a bit of kindness in our voice. - So best wishes back to you! John.
Very, very cool. Thank you!
I wish u were my grandpa!
Well as long as you're not 40 years old I guess it's OK. Do I have to include you in my will, because this sounds like a scam to me. John.
Having had a very 'nasal' Dutch accent for many years, I always wondered why people told me I did not sound British whenever I tried to, despite spending a tremendous amount of time with my British friends. When I saw your videos 4 years ago, I naturally picked up the accent after just 20 minutes, never being able to revert back to my old one again. My friends would often ask me if I am sure I am still the same person, baffled by the change! Sometimes my accent dwindles into an accent soup again after spending time around the Dutch again, but I always come back to your videos to refresh my accent again and it always helps. Thank you so much for these videos!
Well we each have our own 'way' of speaking, and you seem to have found yours very interestingly. I always say that accents don't matter and that the only important thing is for us to speak clearly and with some kindness, in our voice, but you remind me that what is more important is to be happy about it : so thanks for that! John
Aww ty so much that was fun to watch i love the way u teach us <3
Well - thanks - and, of course, "fun" is what makes everything easier, so you're welcome ! John
I agree.