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Let Characters Pulse with Life, Let Acting Return to Instinct: Liu Tianchi's "Character Reigns Supreme" Philosophy in the NEWHER 2.0 Acting Masterclass
"The supreme law on set: Character reigns supreme. Every department must serve the authenticity and vitality of the characters."
- Liu Tianchi
As a professor at the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama, she has trained a number of talented actors including Deng Chao, Tang Yan, and Bai Baihe. As an ace performance coach for variety shows such as The Birth of an Actor and I Am an Actor, she uses her incisive critiques and practical experience to promote the progress of the industry. She was also the acting director for The Flowers of War and the Creation of the Gods trilogy, helping Zhang Yimou and Wuershan create film classics.
At the NEWHER 2.0 Acting Masterclass, Liu Tianchi, an artist with nearly three decades of dedication to performance education and practice, delivered a passionate presentation that unveiled the fundamental principles of acting to the young creators in attendance. From "animal simulation" to "muscle memory", "strangulation relationship" to "tragic comedy", each of her insightful maxims pointed to the same truth: only by respecting the complexity of human nature and the power of instinct can a character truly come to life on screen.
Liu Tianchi, Professor of the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama
▍ "Symbiotic Strangulation": The Love-Hate Dynamic Between Directors and Actors
"Directors and actors share a 'strangulation relationship', with the common goal of bringing a vivid artistic character to life."
- Liu Tianchi
When discussing the relationship between directors and actors, Liu Tianchi used the term "strangulation" to elicit deep reflection among the audience: "This is not confrontation, but rather a symbiotic entanglement like vines, jointly breathing life into the character." She pointed out that many directors fall into common pitfalls: either excessively controlling actors to "perform according to my design", or giving too much freedom, resulting in a loss of character consistency.
In Liu Tianchi's view, "Any film that can be called a true work must have the character as its king." She emphasized that what directors truly direct is the actors' performances, and that vitality and vividness are key to a film's success: "The character must connect with the audience, allowing the audience to gain energy from your performance, and even connect with their own lives after leaving the theater." All the work done by directors and actors on set ultimately serves to make the character vivid and authentic: "True cooperation occurs when the director stimulates the actor with context, and the actor feeds back the character with instinct, ultimately allowing the character to 'come alive' on its own."
On-Site Sharing by Liu Tianchi
▍ The Essence of Acting: "Authenticity Is the Sole Creed of Acting"
"An actor's physiological responses are always more valuable than premeditated designs. Directors should guide actors back to their instincts, rather than demanding results with results."
- Liu Tianchi
Authenticity is the soul of acting. What audiences crave to see on screen are characters and stories that resonate with their lives. When discussing "how to prevent actors from falling into formulaic performances," Liu Tianchi's response struck at the heart of the matter: "Authenticity in acting is the sole creed. An actor's tears should not be forced out, but rather 'induced' by external stimuli." She cited Wang Junkai's performance in The Great Wall as an example - a scene requiring fear of the virtual monster "Tao Tie". Knowing Wang's innate fear of spiders, Liu Tianchi did not tell him to "act scared", but rather activated his instinctive reactions through real fear memories. "His expression and trembling were physiological, and this authenticity is more convincing than any design."
She emphasized that a director's task is not to order the actors to "cry harder" or "laugh wilder", but to create scenarios that trigger instinctive reactions. "For example, in a mother-son farewell scene, instead of directly saying 'you should feel reluctant', guide the actor to recall his own real-life story with his mother, allowing emotions to flow from the depths of his memory." Liu Tianchi made a vivid analogy: "After an actor experiences genuine emotion, his muscles will remember this stimulus, much like the physiological reaction to an injection. The body is more honest than the brain."
▍ Character Development: From Animal Instinct to Artistic Expression
"A character must follow instincts like an animal. During auditions, first ask yourself: What animal does he resemble?"
- Liu Tianchi
Casting is like searching for the perfect puzzle pieces for a film; each actor must perfectly match their character to make the story complete and vivid. How can a character break free from the flatness of a "paper-thin persona"? Liu Tianchi's answer was surprisingly simple: "Go to the zoo for inspiration!" She explained that humans gradually lose their instincts in socialization, while animals exhibit more direct and primal behaviors. "A timid character can be imagined as a ‘wounded stray cat’, while a domineering character is like a 'lion with a strong sense of territory'. During auditions, directors can ask actors to mimic animal movements and rhythms - such as the agility of a raccoon or the steadiness of an elephant - to quickly assess their fit for the role."
She mentioned a method often used in training students: having actors build character logic through animal traits. "For example, Fanyi in Thunderstorm embodies the suppression and eruption of a trapped leopard. The actor must first grasp the leopard's physical tension, then integrate it with the human emotional complexity." Liu Tianchi added with a smile, "The 'animal simulation training' at the Central Academy of Drama is no joke - it helps actors tear off their social masks and return to their instincts."
She cited Zhang Yimou's casting process for The Flowers of War as an example: to find an actress who embodied the traits of "courtesans", the team auditioned tens of thousands of girls, but Zhang Yimou insisted on personally overseeing the process. "He wasn't just looking at appearances, but at the 'animal instinct' qualities in each person that resonated with the characters—some were as languid as cats, others as alluring as snakes. A director must 'smell' the character's essence to choose the right person." The outstanding performances of these actresses made audiences feel as if they were truly witnessing a group of brave, resilient women in that turbulent era.
On-Site Sharing by Liu Tianchi
▍ Comedy Acting: "Humor Without a Tragic Core Is Just an Awkward Show"
"The underlying tone of comedy is tragedy and romance. Humor without a tragic core is just an awkward show."
- Liu Tianchi
Comedy is not just about simple humor and laughter; it carries profound insights into life and nuanced portrayals of human nature. When asked "how to guide non-comedic actors to act in comedy", Liu Tianchi cut straight to the point: "The underlying tone of comedy is tragedy and romance. Humor without a tragic core is just an awkward show." She believes that comedy characters must have a "tragic-romantic quality": "A comedic actor's eyes must carry sorrow. This is true for both Stephen Chow's gaze and Robin Williams' acting."
Professor Liu Tianchi believes that comedy characters require strong personalities.She advised directors to imbue characters with distinct comedic qualities during the scriptwriting stage, such as paranoia, indecisiveness and other traits. At the same time, she warned creators against "laughing for the sake of laughing": "Charlie Chaplin's Tramp makes people laugh with tears, because behind his antics lies the suffering of the underprivileged. If comedy loses its compassion, it will be nothing but noise. Comedy must be rooted in the logic of life before it can ascend to the logic of art."
On-Site Sharing by Liu Tianchi
▍ Director-Actor Communication: "It's the Director's Skill to Fall in Love With Him/her Again and Discover His/her Strengths."
"If an actor is not your cup of tea, it's the director's skill to fall in love with him/her again and discover his/her strengths. You owe it to the audience."
- Liu Tianchi
In the process of film creation, it is inevitable to encounter various acting difficulties, such as the mismatch between actors and characters or acting falling short of expectations. Faced with these issues, Liu Tianchi offered practical and clear advice: "If you have to work with an unsuitable actor, the director's task is to 'fall in love with him/her again'."
When an actor does not match the role, a director shouldn't resort to constant complaints or rejection. Instead, the director should be open to discovering and incorporating the actor's strengths into the character. Every actor has unique charm and potential. The director's task is to realize this potential and find a performance method that works for them. She used marriage as an analogy: "Just like arranged marriages in the feudal times where feelings can be nurtured over time. The director must uncover the hidden resonance between the actor and the character; perhaps his or her clumsiness makes the character more authentic."
On set, director-actor communication is critical. Faced with the common problem of "actors not delivering the right emotions", Liu Tianchi offered a wise solution: "The director should be an 'emotional tuner' rather than a 'result inspector'." She pointed out: "Actors are not puppets. If a take isn't ideal, the director should turn off the intercom, walk over, and communicate softly with the actor." She gave a counterexample: a director of a certain crew shouted through a loudspeaker, "Your acting is so fake," causing the actor to completely break down. "This kind of public denial destroys trust. Directors must realize: an actor's vulnerability is the price of creation, and protecting that vulnerability is your responsibility."
At the NEWHER 2.0 Acting Masterclass, Liu Tianchi consistently emphasized one core principle: the essence of acting is authenticity, and the director's mission is to protect that authenticity. As she concluded, "When we talk about acting, we're not just discussing technique, but also reverence for life. Directors and actors are like doctors and midwives in a delivery room, waiting together for the arrival of a new life. That life is the character."
Group Photo at the Event
Q&A
▍ Challenge with Emotional Outbursts for New Actors
Audience: When working with new actors on emotional outburst scenes, they often struggle to deliver in the first few takes and only succeed in the last take after being provoked by their co-actors. Additionally, the presence of cameras can add pressure. How should this be handled?
Liu Tianchi: This is common among amateur or inexperienced actors. The American Method's breathing techniques can be applied. The director should guide actors to focus on their breathing and physical state, using muscle and breath control to elicit inner emotions. By allowing the body to first respond to the situational stimuli, emotions can flow naturally. After the actors have finished acting, the director should avoid interrupting them and instead encourage them to try again, thereby developing muscle memory and making the acting more authentic and consistent.
▍ Conflict Between Script Acting Prompts and Actor Demands
Audience: Established actors request scripts with no performance directions beyond dialogue, but screenwriters worry this may affect the pacing. How can this be balanced? Is this issue unique to working with established actors, or should scriptwriting generally reduce acting prompts?
Liu Tianchi: Screenwriters can moderately reduce specific external action instructions and instead include simple psychological prompts to help actors understand their characters. When communicating with established actors, screenwriters and directors should base their discussions on overall narrative logic. Even if actors propose changes, they should be discussed without disrupting the narrative logic, as this may inspire new ideas.
Interactive Q&A Session with Participants
▍ Question on Performance Differences in Overseas Chinese Films
Audience: Why does acting in Chinese films at overseas film festivals often feel exaggerated to us, while foreign audiences don't seem to notice, yet we can easily distinguish good from bad acting in domestic films?
Liu Tianchi: It's mainly because of cultural differences. Foreign audiences are unfamiliar with Chinese life and culture, so they interpret Chinese films through a Western lens, making it difficult for them to detect stiffness in performances. A director must maintain artistic integrity by ensuring the authenticity and completeness of acting, much like a chef is responsible for their dishes.
▍ Communication Challenge with Actors in Multi-Genre Script Filming
Audience: I have written two feature-length scripts, a family suspense and a fantasy romance suspense, both containing action scenes. How do I communicate with actors about acting on set when the films are not finished and I need to work with other directors?
Liu Tianchi: First, watch a lot of action films of the same genre. For example, before moving into directing, Wu Jing watched almost every action film to deeply understand the genre's world and mechanics, establishing a shared context with action directors. Action scenes require muscle memory, where an actor's breathing and muscle control are more critical than emotional expression. Clearly define the acting requirements for action scenes so that both actors and directors feel your professionalism, which promotes better collaboration.
At the Event
The NEWHER Female Film Section is hosted by the Beijing International Film Festival Organizing Committee and co-organized by the Beijing Film Academy and the UNESCO Chair on Cinematic Arts and Cultural Diversity. The NEWHER Female Film Section extends its gratitude to the UNESCO Chair on Cinematic Arts and Cultural Diversity for its steadfast support. The Chair aims to advance academic research and content creation on using cinematic arts to safeguard the diversity of cultural expression and cultural heritage through global inter-university cooperation, as well as to develop youth capacities to create audio-visual artistic expressions that recognize and draws from world's diverse cultures. Since its inception, the Chair has aligned with UNESCO's overall priority of gender equality, ensuring that high attention is paid to the participation of female experts, scholars, artists, alumni and young students across all initiatives. The Chair utilizes digital tools to empower communities—particularly ethnic minorities and women - in creating culturally rich cinematic arts, bridge the digital gender gap, and promote inclusivity in the field of culture and creativity, thereby enhancing cross-cultural exchanges and mutual learning. Furthermore, the Chair supports the dissemination of culturally diverse artistic works, maintains close ties with partner institutions, local communities, and other stakeholders, and works to strengthen cooperative networks and increase public awareness. It gives more young people, women, and small island nations a platform to showcase their diverse arts and cultures, as well as expands their development opportunities in film and television arts, cultural and creative industries.
