"Actors are cattle." - Alfred Hitchcock

The above quote is a favorite of mine. It was always followed by stunned silence to which he (Alfred) would reply "What I mean is that they should be treated as cattle." It doesn't sound much better, but he knew what he was talking about. I'd like to share a section of our Hitchcock course with all of you.

Herding Cattle:
Hitchcock's ideal actor was someone who could hit the marks, deliver the lines, and do the job without much feedback from him. Actors were hired because he believed they could play the role. Sometimes this reticence worried actors used to receiving positive as well as negative reinforcement from their directors, but almost all of his actors came to realize that this lack of feedback was actually a supreme expression of confidence.

Since taking this course my appreciation for the man and the art he has created has been enriched ten fold. I'm looking forward to what the next four lessons have in store for us.

"Why you stuck up...half witted...scruffy looking nerf-herder!" - Leia