The Differences between Stage and Screen Acting

Janina Casey has been working in the finance industry for more than 15 years as an equity research and sales executive. During her youth, Janina Casey was involved in the acting industry and appeared in various television and stage shows.

Many actors struggle with moving between stage and screen acting because of how different the two are. Stage actors exaggerate their facial expressions and hand gestures to portray their emotions clearly throughout the theater, speak with a strong voice to ensure the audience can hear them, and otherwise conduct themselves so as to be seen and understood by a live audience. Moreover, they must spend plenty of time rehearsing their roles and lines. They don’t have the luxury of multiple takes to perfect their performance; if their diction is slurred or words are otherwise messed up, that is what the audience will hear, and it affects how the show is perceived.

Screen acting is a different matter. With the exception of live shows and televised events, performers are free to address mess-ups they make while acting. Messed up words or a poor portrayal of emotions can be redone as many times as needed to get the perfect shot for the final production. Furthermore, screen actors can usually speak in their normal voice and use normal gestures and facial expression since the camera can pick them up easier. However, screen acting is less nurturing than theater acting; film sets are usually very chaotic and provide actors with minimal time to bond and interact with one another before a take.