Michael Caine is not only an experienced actor but proves himself to be a keen instructor of film acting. A newly released six part BBC series on acting includes Michael Caine schooling actors trained for the theater, advising them about techniques useful for film actors. This program features Caine (Alfie, Hannah and Her Sisters, Batman Begins, Children of Men) and is amongst other titles in the series such as "Acting in Tragedy," "Acting in Shakespere," and "Acting in High Comedy." Each DVD features either an accomplished director or actor of remarkable talent.

Caine teaches acting for film by demonstrating. He positions himself in front of the cameras on a studio set, around him are four actors and an audience of forty people or so. Caine immediately says to the actors to regard the audience as crew, mimicking a film set. From here, he goes on to explain an actor’s necessary "mark" where he should reach when walking into a close-up, emphasizing that an actor should treat the camera as a best friend. This allows the actor to get intimate with the camera, yet behaving as if it is not there.

Caine calls the frame of the camera "infinitesimal" because, in that limited space, an actor can gesture and move his body only so much before he is out of the frame and his performance is clipped.

In no way does Caine mean for actors to be an owl and only move their eyes as one of the actors does during an acting-out of a scene from Educating Rita. Movement of the head in a close up that pivots and tilts only at the neck provides a much more dynamic frame, but without extending much outside its limits.

A similar point is that there is a need in film for actors to react to one another because the camera sees them even when they are not speaking.

Relaxation is fundamental to a good performance on film according to Caine It is a welcomed difference between film and theater acting. On film, actors have more time to deliver their performances and, typically, a number of takes of each scene and shot. Especially when a fellow cast member is not available on a certain day, an actor is required to act toward someone who is hypothetically off camera.

It may seem that smoking on screen is cinematic, but Caine points out that unless the cigarette remains in one hand and is done only during certain consistent beats between dialogue, different shots or takes cannot be easily edited to look continuous. Even more, an actor must always keep this detail in mind, which may, ultimately, be distracting to an overall performance.

The actors in this program should be grateful to have Caine directing them for film as one actor speaking to another. When asked about directing film, Caine says he can do many more acting roles than he can being a director. In short, he cannot make as much money as a director as he can an actor. This exclusive opportunity to see Caine teach what he has learned is invaluable to both actors and filmmakers.

For more information about this DVD, please visit these sites:

Applause Publishing - Michael Caine on Acting

Applause Publishing - Acting Series

Sawyer J. Lahr is a film reviewer living in Chicago.