★Denis is a great actor and he's always been my inspiration, since I was a little child... He's the only person really in the world who I discuss acting with if I feel that I'm stuck. I love watching him still. --Ewan McGregor in the New York Times

★I seriously love this book... It really is like a conversation, peppered with expletives, technical advice and anecdotes... I don't think anyone, or anything, you will regularly come across in television or film production has been missed. --Northern Editorial

★Gems of common sense and good advice... If you want a no-nonsense, no-holds-barred education on acting for TV and film then get this book now. --Ink Pellet

　　Drawing on his lifetime career in front of the camera (and sometimes behind it), Denis Lawson offers a wonderfully accessible introduction to acting for film and TV. For the young actor hoping to break into the industry - whether in a drama series, soap or sitcom - this book is the ultimate insider's guide.

　　The author takes us on a guided tour of the film or TV set from day one. We meet the various members of the crew, from the director of photography to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd ADs, and learn what each of them does - and how to get the most from them in your work as an actor. Then comes the actual business of shooting the scenes, beginning with readthroughs and rehearsals (if there are any), on to hitting your mark and getting your eye-line right, finishing with the actor's involvement in post-production.

　　Throughout, Lawson takes the actor's point of view, offering encouragement and enlightenment, as well as being refreshingly candid about some of the more inane procedures. Above all, he offers a magnificent array of tips and inside knowledge for coping with what can be a daunting experience for a hopeful young actor.

　　Denis Lawson has been running film workshops for drama students and working actors for over twenty years. His work as an actor includes the BBC's Bleak House, Holby City, Sensitive Skin, Marchlands and Inside No. 9 on television, and Local Hero, Broken and The Machine on film. In 2012 he joined the cast of BBC TV's New Tricks, now in its eleventh series with an audience of almost nine million.

DENIS LAWSON 　　


　　　DENIS LAWSON is known for his roles in the BBC's Bleak House and Holby City and in the film Local Hero. In 2012 he joined James Bolam, Amanda Redman, Denis Waterman and Alun Armstrong in BBC-TV s New Tricks, now in its eleventh series with an audience of almost nine million.