Reel Results: Jessica Symons on Advanced Acting for Screen
Lights, camera, action! In their final year, our BA (Hons) Acting for Stage, Screen and Digital Media students take part in their Advanced Acting for Screen Module, which culminates in a screening of the finished films at a local cinema. We caught up with Birmingham student Jessica Symons about her role, playing inept band manager Matilda Stetson in Perception is Reality.
What was your film about and what was your character in it?
My character is an aspiring music manager and she wants to create this band called Kitsch, so she finds people off the street and in a tattoo parlour and puts this band together and realises fairly quickly that they’re not very good. So she goes to a famous producer called Ears to try and make them sound better, even finding someone who can actually dub over them. Then at the end, they do a show and it’s all going well… until it isn’t – you’ll have to watch to find out.
How did you approach your character and how did you get in the headspace of being that person?
I sort of approached it by taking human behaviours from people I would just observe on the street. She’s not all there, and she’s not very good at what she does, but she’s determined to get it – so I just came to that approach that I was going to go that way with the character. I went with objectives – what were her objectives in certain scenes? I just played it really natural. Whatever came to me, I tried to explore, and if it didn’t work, then I talked to the director about it and we had to chat and we would find a way that she would portray things.
How do you think this module helped prepare you for professional screen acting?
It’s prepared me in so many different ways, especially in my confidence, because when I first started I wasn’t very confident on screen. I was very musical theatre, so acting on screen was so different for me. Steve has really helped me build my confidence, as well as all the other screen lecturers. And I think just by pushing yourself and just putting yourself out there, out of your comfort zone on screen, it really helps because then you get the feedback and you know what to work on. I usually hate watching myself back, but now I will always watch myself back.
How did it feel to see Perception is Reality on the big screen today?
It was really mental to see it on the big screen. I never thought I’d see my face up there. Through my entire film, I was evaluating myself, but overall, I think it was really good and I’m really happy how it turned out. The opportunity to see it on the big screen has definitely inspired me – now I want to go out there and I want to just audition for so many things! I can really see myself doing this in the future, and I really hope I do one day again.
What would you say to your 18-year-old self who is just about to start at Performers?
I would say don’t give up – just keep pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. I’d say always believe in yourself. Everyone around you is going to believe in you, and you should be very proud because even just getting to the audition room is an achievement!
Find out more about our acting courses here.
To discover more about Performers College, including auditions and how to apply, contact us at [email protected] or you can Apply Now, or book an Open Day on our Events page.
