Acting for the Camera: A Teacher’s Guide is designed to help acting teachers create a hands-on course at their institution.
The book provides a framework for setting up an engaging course where students can develop on-camera skills by practicing from both sides of the camera. It offers instructors a specific acting-for-the-camera technique to facilitate an experiential course and achieve dynamic on-screen performances with their students. Actors will develop their skills by demonstrating the technical aspects of filmmaking that influence the final post-production performance, including cinematography (lenses, camera angles, lighting), sound recording, and editing. Acting for the Camera: A Teacher’s Guide details individual crew duties and the basic grammar of filmmaking, guiding the instructor through a full semester of teaching the subject. It is organized into four key sections:
- Part I—Equipment
- Part II—Filmmaking and Crew Positions
- Part III—Shooting Scenes
- Part IV—Course Curriculum
Rich with practical resources such as exercises, diagrams, photo examples, and a glossary of film terms, this book is ideal for instructors teaching acting for the camera at a university, a high school, or a private studio workshop.
Table of Contents:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. INTRODUCTION. PART I: EQUIPMENT. 1. The Camera. 2. Lights and Sound. 3. Television Monitor, Set, and Props. 4. Editing: The Greatest Teacher. PART II: FILMMAKING AND CREW POSITIONS. 5. Framing the Character. 6. Cinematic Language – The Shots. 7. Standard Coverage – Get What You Need to Edit the Scene. 8. Know the Rules. 9. Lighting and Sound – The Basics. 10. Crew Positions – Everyone is a Storyteller. PART III: SHOOTING SCENES. 11. Physical Continuity and Overlapping Dialogue. 12. Shooting Two-Character Dialogue Scenes. 13. Filming Tips and Tricks. 14. Adding Coverage, Shot Lists, and Shooting in Cars. PART IV: COURSE CURRICULUM. 15. Acting for the Camera Technique. 16. Get on Camera!. 17. The 10 Technical Keys to Acting for the Camera. 18. Character Beats, Subtext, and Hitting the Mark. 19. Physical Continuity Exercise. 20. Shooting the Physical Continuity Exercise. 21. Welcome to Post-Production!. 22. Monologues – One is the Loneliest Number. 23. Monologue Shoot. 24. The Final Scenes. 25. Final Scene Shoots. 26. The Final Post. 27. The Premiere. Glossary of Film Terms. Citations. Index.
About the Author :
Peter Allen Stone is an actor, teacher, and award-winning filmmaker. He is Head of Acting at the University of Kentucky, former chair of Acting for Film at the New York Film Academy in New York City, and the author of Acting for the Camera: Back to One (Routledge, 2021). His students have found success in Hollywood and Bollywood films, on Broadway, and on popular television shows. He regularly shares his unique on-camera acting approach through workshops worldwide.
Review :
"Acting for the Camera: A Teacher’s Guide by Peter Allen Stone is a comprehensive and meaningful resource for anyone looking to develop education in this field. In my 40 years as a casting director for film, television, and theatre, I have consistently sought actors who can adapt to the on-camera environment with confidence. Although geared toward university professors, the guide is written in an easy, thoughtful manner that makes it useful for actors, high school instructors, and film students alike.
The chapters include excellent examples and exercises that directly apply to the text. The statement, 'the actor can be spontaneous within the structure of the scene and honor the technical demands of the camera,' perfectly encapsulates Professor Stone’s core philosophy. The balance between artistry and mechanics is tremendously useful, and I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to expand their practical knowledge of the profession."
Patricia McCorkle, CSA, USA
“The depth of information and spectrum of consideration that Peter provides is an invaluable resource fundamental for acting teachers and actors interested in mastering camera work to create thorough, productive, and collaborative experiences when working on set.”
Jimonn Cole, The Juilliard School, USA
“Peter Allen Stone is a master acting for the camera teacher. His practical, fun, and detailed approach is effective and gets results.”
Diana Santi, Program Director at New York Film Academy, Florence, Italy
“Peter Allen Stone’s book is indispensable for anyone teaching acting for the camera. More than an introduction to on-camera fundamentals, it offers a clear, step-by-step framework for transitioning from stage-based instruction to lens-based technique. After more than a decade of teaching, this book gave me everything I needed to build a complete course—from selecting equipment and structuring sessions to implementing targeted exercises. The ten technical keys Stone outlines have become central to my teaching practice, and his physical continuity exercise and script are essential early assignments in my classes. Quite simply, this book is foundational reading for acting educators.”
Adam Ludwig, The Acting Muscle, Berlin, Germany
“Deep craft makes art possible. Peter Allen Stone details the craft of acting before 'the audience of the camera' within the whole process of how stories are put together from action on set to editing room to final result. With this, his second book, he offers potent techniques, tools, insights, and inspiration for teachers as well as actors. Peter’s work is based in deep experience and study and is infused with passion. I have seen the results as he has taught our MFA actors for several years now and positively transformed their abilities before the camera. Peter knows what he is doing, and this book is illuminating and essential.”
Jed Diamond, University of Tennessee, MFA Acting Program, USA
