Post: #1

In this video, Oliver Reed teaches a polite reporter how to be a villain.





He has some great advice about pauses and eyes. I don't agree with his thing about curly hair though.

Post: #2

Unbelievable. This video really reenforces the notion that my game could improve by leaps and bounds if I were live with someone who is exponentially more advanced in game than I. That yup couldn't even tell all the mistakes he was making until Oliver pointed out his errors. By the end of the short video he was making marked improvements. Makes me wonder what the subtle flaws in my game are and what I could be doing to improving.

Great Video.

Post: #3

Damn. I was really intrigued at how he pointed out the thing about blinking. I've been told that in tense situations that I don't blink. It's an adaptation that I learned growing up in bad neighborhoods. A lot of blinking would get you punched, because your opponent would time their initial sucker punch with your blink rate. Interesting.....

Post: #4

Nice video. Note how the skinny actor lacks gravitas, and is very 'goofy' i.e. unfuckable. From what I've seen, gaining muscle mass reduces this. You don't see bigger guys laughing like that.

I have an intense gaze when I want to. Some girls dig it. A few call it creepy, even got 'rapey' once - but those girls are usually not DTF anyway.

An acting class could be good for your game, so long as you modeled yourself after strong characters.

Post: #5

Google image searched him. He is a cross between hemingway and the most interesting man in the world.

Post: #6

(09-03-2012 10:42 PM)basilransom Wrote:  Nice video. Note how the skinny actor lacks gravitas, and is very 'goofy' i.e. unfuckable. From what I've seen, gaining muscle mass reduces this. You don't see bigger guys laughing like that.

I have an intense gaze when I want to. Some girls dig it. A few call it creepy, even got 'rapey' once - but those girls are usually not DTF anyway.

An acting class could be good for your game, so long as you modeled yourself after strong characters.

I think what I notice in this video is how serious someone takes acting vs someone who just thinks "OH ACTING IS FUN!". I discussed this in class as well, but this video really shows it.

Now the yuppie kid has made improvements. But, overall I think Reed knows when someone is seriously into acting vs someone who is dicking around. He does that shit for a living.

And now that ya think about it basil, I can see acting class becoming really good for game. So many roles you play can become conversations. I'm pretty amped that I'm taking the class now that you mentioned that.

Post: #7

Now beginning to wonder how much acting lessons cost..

Post: #8

Reed's mass certainly helps him command the screen. But there are plenty of guys larger than Reed who can't play a bad guy like this. Then look at a skinnier actor like Alan Rickman. He can play the villain just as well. His voice, body language, and the attitude behind it all make him convincing. And, coincidentally, make the panties wet.





Acting is also good for understanding the subtext present in any interaction.

Post: #9

(09-04-2012 03:52 PM)Bacchus Wrote:  Reed's mass certainly helps him command the screen. But there are plenty of guys larger than Reed who can't play a bad guy like this. Then look at a skinnier actor like Alan Rickman. He can play the villain just as well. His voice, body language, and the attitude behind it all make him convincing. And, coincidentally, make the panties wet.





Acting is also good for understanding the subtext present in any interaction.

True. But I think getting bigger is the most straightforward way to reduce those mannerisms that give one the appearance of weakness. I'm not just talking about the image that size confers, but also the reduced fidgeting, and the sensation of being stationary and physical 'certainty' that being bigger produces. I'm not even that big, but it's a change I've noticed from gaining ~50 lbs. When people walk into you at 200 lbs vs 150, it's a different feeling. Even standing still feels different. You don't see 'spastic' dudes with 18" guns.

It's sort of like asking how to be a player while being fat - the simplest answer is 'Stop being fat.' There may be alternative solutions. But if you come off as a dorky skinny guy like the guy in the video, gaining weight is probably the quickest route with the most ancillary benefits. That said, I've also seen nerdy guys who bulked up and still haven't changed - they haven't really 'grown into' their bigger size.

Rickman also doesn't project strength and power like Reed does, with his hunched posture, shoulders rolled forward. Rickman's face reminds me of Javier Bardem a little, who was iconic in Vicky, Christina, Barcelona. Like Reed, Bardem has that certainty, dignity, quiet confidence and gravitas.

People like to think that an appearance like Reed's can't be reproduced or effectively imitated, that it just is, that you 'have it or you don't.' False. What's distinctive about him:

*Minimal facial movement
*Strong gaze
*Even, slow speech
*Hands nowhere near his face
*Chin held up
*Completely non-approval seeking, not anxious about the outcome
*Burly build
*Deep, gravelly voice

All of these can be reproduced. The last two can't be entirely, but they can still be changed significantly.