How to direct actors (again)

[chenjie108]

I feel like months leading up to a production I always come back here and ask the same question.
I'll post it now, and maybe fine-tune my question later:

I’ve read countless stuff on 'directing actors'. All teach non-result directing in a way that strikes me as a complex code you must use to communicate with actors. I feel like talking to actors should be more accessible, simple to grasp... Then I get to set, or a rehearsal, and an actor acts. I can tell it’s bullshit. But the books tell me not to call this out, to instead ask questions, to think of a verb, etc. I've done plenty of analysis, so I try such a technique, then I get immediate bullshit again, the same exact way as before. At this point, I have nothing more to say, no new adjustment to pose, and I can't well ask for another take or go without a proper reason.

Any advice, recommended book , or course of action?
I love actors and want to have more fun working with them, but I don’t seem to get it.

 

[sfoster]

Some people aren't good actors. some actors can't take direction.

You need to audition better and find actors you can actually work with. Your auditions need to consist of giving direction.

 

[Sweetie]

Perhaps you're not working with actors? Perhaps you're working with people who want to be actors? Perhaps you screwed up and cast the wrong person.

When reading books, take into consideration a few things. A). Your style. B). Does the writer actually know what they're saying. C). Are you ready for this information. D). Are you interpreting the information correctly.

Just remember, your job is to get the performance that you need. You need to do whatever will accomplish that end result, regardless whether you find that information in a book or not. This is why good directors tend to have a lot of life experience. Directing is as much dealing with people as it is story telling, technical and everything else.