While many people focus on the kind of acting folks are doing, we often forget the part about them having to memorize lines. Tons and tons of lines. Rote memorization was always a bit of a struggle for me so I usually needed lots of practice, or later use things like mnemonics. Others use a memory palace-like system.

This guy shows a memorization technique he picked up from actor Lauren Tothero that follows a 5 step plan:

1. Read over the lines a few times
2. Write down the first letter of each word.
3. Read it using first letters of the word only a few times to help sink it in.
4. Rewrite the letters just from memory.
5. Try the whole section just from memory without the letters.

He tries it live on camera to see how well it works – and it seems to work really well (but maybe not quite as ‘instant’ as he proports). Still, it’s something I might try in the future.