Positive Framing & the Art of Feedback: Follow the snow, follow the snow.

A look at positive framing and the art of giving feedback

Hi Actor,

What is Positive framing? It's reaching for what you want to hit. Right before we go to do anything semi complicated we have a choice. We either focus on the goal (Positive Framing) OR put our attention on avoiding what we don't want to do (Negative framing).

A Mountain Skier flying down a mountain is thinking "Follow the snow, follow the snow."

She sure as hell isn't thinking "don't hit the tree, don't hit the tree!" because if she did, she'll hit a tree.

The actor in the setting of a self tape or audition should be focused on creating a great quality scene… Or rather to tell the story. He shouldn't put his mind to "Don't botch this up!". Each step, ideally, should be attacked directly, and not though an avoidance of a potential mistake. Why? Because it's been proven to be far more effective to focus on what you want to achieve. Of course we don't want to be too in our heads about what we want to "achieve" in the scene, but rather have our attention placed on the present moment/ scene partner.

Hopefully you'll get regular chances to watch and critique actors in a practice setting, giving feedback immediately after they run through a scene. It's a great way to practice for when you need to watch your own work back. Working on self tapes with acting mates regularly is a wonderful way to practice giving feedback. In this context of giving direction, lets use what we know about "positive framing", so we know what to say and how to say it, making sure we are giving the most affective, practical feedback possible.

Here are my suggestions: Example used - a self tape practice session

Before Scene - lets facilitate the launch

• We want to make sure we facilitate a warm, creative space for the actor to play freely and affectively.

  • Fizzy/flavoured water, still water, coffee or tea - helps someone settle into a space ready to work.

• Perhaps in the first stages a little music can help with settling someone in.

• Run through any preliminary subject matter that sets them up to know how you work as a reader. Ask them how they like to work too.

• Set a timer for 45 min - 1 hour.

  • Any more than this and the actor's practice begins to hit a point of diminishing returns & quality slips.

• Listen for any distracting sounds that might interrupt the approaching take. Aircon, fans, outside traffic, planes, phones or movement around the house may disturb the quality of the scene and may limit the usage options of the take (eg: effects the option to send to potential rep or casting...).

• When ready to get started. Just hit record and say "rolling, when you're ready". I personally find counting down or "Action" makes me “brace for the scene” which doesn’t put me in the best zone to practice. Thats different when on set.

During Scene

• Lean into your curiosity, really watch, listen and respond.

• You'll need to:

  • Read off the script

  • Keep engaged with the actor and give them the same level of focus and attention a scene partner would give, all the while keeping them in the frame.

After Scene - Feedback

• Start with a reinforcer. A compliment, something you saw that was interesting or of high quality in their first take.

• Look for what you want to see in their next take.

• Keep your words to a minimum - don't monologue to inspire.

  • Keep it simple, specific, and actionable.

• Feedback focused more on Positive Framing:

  • Instead of, "You lost the story in that take" - say: "Lets work on bringing some of that story out a little more in this next take."

  • Instead of, "You said that monologue way to fast" - say: "Lets slow that piece down in our next go."

  • Instead of, "Your accent is falling off mid scene" - say: "Lets just make sure some of those American sounds are just as clean all the way though. I noticed on this line it slipped.”

• Instead of "A", do "B"... would be a good way of framing.

  • Bring their attention to a mistake "A" and put there focus on the goal "B".

• As a last resort in articulating your feedback (only if the actor doesn't understand) ... label "what you didn't see" in their work.

  • Again: I would strongly suggest first focusing on what "to do next" before ever mentioning a "lack of" anything.

• Don't give the actor 20 notes and expect them to pick up more than 2. Just "Keep It Simple Stupid". 3 or 4 notes MAX.

• When you give feedback, watch the actor. If they "get it" let them go straight into their next take and don't keep talking about the feedback. Watch their body language for this, if they have an impulse they need to follow it.

  • If you keep talking about the feedback they have to stifle their impulse and wait for you to finish, which will directly take them out of a moment of discovery and put them on a back foot.

• Heart/ Favourite any takes you want to highlight for them to watch back later. This can save them time when reviewing their work.

A note on facilitation: You are there to facilitate their creativity so you'll need to be ready to catch their impulses. They may want to go straight into a take with little to no warning. Be ready for it. This requires you to be "on" and ready for anything. Being a reader for an actor is not a back seat position. You'll kind of need to be like a coach. You gotta be curious, energised, positively frame & be ready to capture anything the creative session brings. Reassure the actor before you begin the session that you are going to capture any impulses they have. This might give them the invitation to just "go".

Technical Feedback

People often shy away from giving technical feedback in the fear of it being judged... They worry that what they have to say may be considered "surface level direction" or just "bad".

"Pace it up - I think we could cut 10 seconds off this scene",

"Lean towards camera on this line",

"Add 5% more vocal variety"

These are perfectly good pieces of direction because they are specific and actionable. It's the actors job to figure out how to get there. If you tell the actor what marks to hit, it's their job (if they choose to accept) to find a way hit it. You've just got to be specific in what you want to see and have the ability to articulate it without any fluff. The actor of course can reject a direction, opting for a different approach - and that's their call. But don't stifle your own directorial impulses in the fear of this kind of rejection/ disagreement. Disagreements should be welcomed. For a creative space, disagreements can work wonders, if approached in the right, respectful manner.

A little personal preference I'm going to throw in here:

Don't fall into the trap of using "Just have more fun with it" as 70% of your feedback. They are actors - there is a high chance that "a lack of fun" isn't the actual issue.

Never:

• Get frustrated. Assume always that the actor is trying their best

• Give feedback that describes a lack of quality in their work - you'll do more damage than good.

  • This isn't about being "nice" and "amicable" - no one can do anything with "that monologue was terrible" other than shudder at the inability of the person giving that kind of feedback.

Thats all from me this week! Thanks for reading. If you have any ideas you'd like to share on the topic, pop them in the comments! Like, Share, Subscribe (if you haven't already) and I'll see you again next week. Cheers for now.

Talk soon,

Lachy

Lachlan is an Australian Actor who has been working within the industry for a decade. He’s worked in Film & Theatre.

© Lachlan Stuart 2025