ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
PART ONE – EQUIPMENT
Chapter 1 – The Camera
Chapter 2 – Lights and Sound
Chapter 3 – Television Monitor, Set, and Props
Chapter 4 – Editing: The Greatest Teacher
PART TWO – FILMMAKING AND CREW POSITIONS
Chapter 5 – Framing the Character
Chapter 6 – Cinematic Language – The Shots
Chapter 7 – Standard Coverage – Get What You Need to Edit the Scene
Chapter 8 – Know the Rules
Chapter 9 – Lighting and Sound – The Basics
Chapter 10 – Crew Positions – Everyone is a Storyteller
PART THREE – SHOOTING SCENES
Chapter 11 – Physical Continuity and Overlapping Dialogue
Chapter 12 – Shooting Two-Character Dialogue Scenes
Chapter 13 – Filming Tips and Tricks
Chapter 14 – Adding Coverage, Shot Lists, and Shooting in Cars
PART FOUR – COURSE CURRICULUM
Chapter 15 – Acting for the Camera Technique
Chapter 16 – Get on Camera!
Chapter 17– The 10 Technical Keys to Acting for the Camera
Chapter 18 – Character Beats, Subtext, and Hitting the Mark
Chapter 19 – Physical Continuity Exercise
Chapter 20 – Shooting the Physical Continuity Exercise
Chapter 21 – Welcome to Post-Production!
Chapter 22 – Monologues – One is the Loneliest Number
Chapter 23 – Monologue Shoot
Chapter 24 – The Final Scenes
Chapter 25 – Final Scene Shoots
Chapter 26 – The Final Post
Chapter 27 – The Premiere
Glossary of Film Terms
Citations
Index
Biography
Peter Allen Stone is an actor and award-winning filmmaker. He is the Head of Acting at the University of Kentucky, former Chair of Acting for Film at the New York Film Academy, 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.
"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
