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.

In The Actor and the Camera, Denis Lawson 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 is a great actor and he’s always been my inspiration, since I was a 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

'Insightful, witty and valuable'

'A must have for any young actor entering the profession... just about everything you will ever need to know or come across in a screen acting career is here… you will learn a huge amount from this book'

'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.'

'One of the most important 'camera acting' books on the market... incredibly useful'

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.

Ewan MacGregor is a British actor who has starred in films such as Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge!, Angels & Demons and The Ghost Writer, and played Obi Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. He was listed as one of the 'Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time' by Empire magazine.