THE LYNDON TECHNIQUE: The 15 Guideline Map To Booking Handbook

by Amy Lyndon

THE WRITER MAKES YOUR “CHOICES” FOR YOU.

“That Actor read it exactly as I wrote it - that’s the character!”

Take the time to figure out the Writer’s intent. THIS IS THE KEY TO GETTING INTO THE 1%.

Finding the one sentence that describes what the scene is about is the most difficult process of all the guidelines and it cannot be rushed. It takes the longest to figure out. You cannot let yourself go onto the rest of the guidelines without an answer to this question. The story is your foundation. If you don’t understand the story, then you cannot be in the story.

Feature Film on the other hand, is character driven. Every single role in a Feature Film is important. You can receive an Academy Award for a small supporting role. Know why your character is important to the story. Then fulfill the character to the best of your ability.

The way to figure out the breaks between the beginning, middle and end is to analyze when the story or information shifts.

It’s important to write “BEGINNING”, “MIDDLE” and “END” on the script. You can also draw a line across the page for direct differentiation. It’s smart to do that because you need to be reminded to make sharp strong transitions. Strong transitions create strong dynamics in a scene.

Your emotional state of mind has to be in place before you even open your mouth. 90% of your work is done before you walk in the door.

If your opening emotion is weak, then you will pick up the energy in the room, fall out in the middle of the scene and spiral down from there. You need to be setting up your opening emotion outside in the waiting room. If you are still breaking down the scene in the waiting room, then you didn’t do enough homework. Only concentrate on your emotional state of mind at the top. This will carry you throughout the entire scene. When you throw yourself into the opening emotion, the chances of taking in anything counter to the story is nill.

If you do not understand your character, you cannot play the character.

Don’t forget, the opening emotion is 90% of the entire scene. It is the foundation. If it’s not strong you will be chasing after it throughout the entire scene and probably fall out in the middle. If your opening emotion is strong, nothing is going to bother you.

THE 15 GUIDELINES IN A NUTSHELL Pick up a script, whether it be commercial or theatrical, sitcom etc., anything at all, stand outside of it and don’t make any decisions. Read it like a book 10 times. Pay attention to the punctuation. Don’t direct it, act it out or decide on how you’re going to play it. Write in one sentence what the story is about. Break down the scene into beginning, middle and end. Find your character’s emotional state of mind at the top of the scene because it is 90% of the scene. Map out the emotions of your character in the beginning, middle and end. Find the key line. Circle it, because that’s the emotional spine of your character. Read and circle the action to perfect the illusion and to know what you are doing. Know what you are saying in every line. It’s all separate thoughts. Pay attention to anything that’s in caps, italicized, in quotes or underlined. The Writer wants you to hit it according to how it is written. The more you can personalize what you have to say, the clearer it is to you. The more you understand it, the more we understand it. Don’t rush; finish the complete thought. Ask yourself what you are doing in the beginning, middle and end. Find all of your transitions aka mood swings for understanding of character. Ask yourself, “What is my character’s point of view?” Then, “How do I hear what the other person is saying?” Know who the other person is and how you relate to them. Know what you’re trying to make the other person understand...

THE 10-MINUTE CHEAT SHEET In one sentence, what is the scene about? How am I feeling at the top? When do my feelings change in the beginning, middle and end? Where is this for me emotionally? Who am I dealing with? How do I feel about them? What am I doing in the beginning, middle and end?