Watch what a clever actor can do with a single page

I always find it interesting to see what a good comic actor can do with a script. We shot a short film earlier this week in a dance studio here in Nashville. In previous posts, I talked about writing the script as well as working with actors. I can now show you how one of our lead actors, Matthew Carlton, had fun with the first scene and its slightly over-the-top dialogue. As a point of comparison, here is the page from the script that contains the dialogue itself. (You may want to read it first so you can know where he started; disregard any mention of inserted shots – those will come later in the edit.) Although the final film won’t look like this, the single take lets you focus on his acting in light of the original lines. Matt is one of the best actors in Nashville with a long history of work in the theater as well as independent film. It was a privilege to get to work with him again. (For those of you familiar with Modern Parables, Matt plays the part of the geologist in the short film Hidden Treasure.)