Acting For Online Voice Lessons

I have posted several times about how singers can improve their acting skills during their voice lessons.  Acting is of supreme importance to singers; there is nothing more boring than a pretty-sounding voice with no personality.  We are visual creatures, and therefore, our singing must have a visual component!
 
Acting for singers has changed dramatically during COVID.  With most voice lessons online, acting has become up close and personal and requires a very different acting style than a stage-oriented one.  The basic principle underlining this change in perspective is simple: when you are acting for a camera, all acting gestures and emotions must decrease dramatically in size and form.
 
When you are on stage, singers have to act for the back row of the auditorium.   The closest audience members are AT LEAST twenty feet away.  This entails a very dramatic and exaggerated style of acting because you must be able to be seen from a distance.  Therefore, stage acting is quite large and facial expressions are much grander and big than your typical day-to-day emotions.
 
The opposite is true when you act for a camera; all of the sudden, your audience can see EVERY slight twitch.  A simple raising of the eyebrow, which would NEVER be seen on stage, all of the sudden becomes full of emotions when done in front of a camera.  Therefore, acting for online voice lessons becomes much more subtle and small; any sort of movement is easily captured and interpreted by your audience. 
 
What makes this such a great teaching opportunity for voice students and teachers alike that my students are getting the best of both worlds.  When we conduct voice lessons in-person, my teaching style was focused on acting for the stage.  My students now are focused on acting for the camera and the benefits and limitations of a much smaller style of acting.  I am enjoying the challenge and I know my voice students are loving the change of pace and perspective!