Shadowing Practice: Beginner vs Oscar Level Actress (Same Scene) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Obsession is taking the world by storm right now.
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And one of the main reasons is because of the iconic performance of Indy Navarrete as Freaky Nikki.
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I'm your Freaky Nikki.
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But just how impressive actually was her performance?
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Well, that's exactly the question that we're going to answer today by looking at how a beginner,
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intermediate, professional, and then finally Indy Navarrete performed the exact same scene from the film Obsession.
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This way we can finally answer what exactly about her performance is so special.
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Now, I'm Tristan Spohn, a professional actor that you might have seen on Netflix, Paramount Plus, or Peacock on some of the following shows.
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And I will be starting with our beginner actors,
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Swan and Jessica, who had only a couple of classes under their belt at the time of recording this.
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I have something.
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What's this?
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Open it.
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It's a Chetoyant Quartz.
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A tiger's eye.
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She's leaning too heavily into the void, dark aspect of this character.
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So I don't really get that sense of the attraction towards Bear.
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It feels like she's saying, look at this present I got you, from the perspective of it's in the script and I'm saying what's in the script.
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This stone's important to me.
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Well, you know, after my dad left.
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So why are you giving it to me?
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Because you're important to me.
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Aswan is doing a really great job.
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He's not just trying to show us, look, this is the emotion that I'm experiencing, but he's trusting his eyes to do the work.
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You can tell that Uswan actually does love her in a way that we just don't feel is reciprocated from Jessica.
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Vicky?
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Yeah?
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Does your dad really have cancer?
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No. No, no, no, no. What?
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No!
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Don't do that.
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Why?
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Sit down, please.
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Why does it matter, Bear?
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What do you mean?
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I thought we were having a nice date.
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We are.
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She didn't full send that moment of having a breakdown.
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It's a little bit too similar to the rest of the scene.
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So that moment feels a lot less explosive than we need it to for this story.
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Now remember, we are going to be breaking down all the way up to the Oscar-worthy acting of Indy Navarrete.
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But first, let's check out our intermediate actors Ada and Alec, who have at least a few years of training under their belt in my online acting school, The Acting Lab.
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It's a tiger's eye.
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Wow.
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It was my mom's.
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And then it was mine.
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You know it's supposed to bring you confidence and willpower, so now you can be a food critic.
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So why are you giving it to me?
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She starts the scene with tears already in her eyes, which is going to make it have a lot less contrast when we get to the breakdown moment,
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but she doesn't just say the lines, she has a strong opinion about what she's saying.
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And then And then you can also tell based off of her eyes that she's hiding something about how she's communicating herself.
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That then makes it feel like a fully fleshed out, lived in, in-depth character.
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Depth simply happens when there is something deeper down than we as the audience can fully see,
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which is why Meryl Streep has a secret for every single character that she has.
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That feeling of wanting to hold your cards close to your
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chest instead of being obvious about how you feel is what creates that depth.
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With Alec, Alec is almost giving detached boyfriend energy more than he's giving the girl that I'm desperately in love with energy.
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See you on.
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You love me?
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I love you so much.
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I honestly don't think I could live without you.
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You actually believe that in a way that we just didn't with Jessica.
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Jessica was so focused on the void creepiness of the character, we didn't actually get that love coming through.
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And then there's that moment with Alec where he like grabs his chest.
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It's because in the script it says he holds the tiger stone close to his heart.
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We haven't really gotten the sense that this is important to him.
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Whenever you have an action line, let it flow with the lines instead of it feeling like you're doing it right
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when it says for you to do it.
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And you always need to make sure it has a clear motivation.
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Does your dad really have cancer?
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No. No, no, no. A lot of actors immediately go into,
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this is my intense moment, so let me really amp myself up to make sure I really let loose and lose control.
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And so I love that she let what he said land on her.
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No, no, no. No, no, no, no, no, don't do that.
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Don't do that, I thought we were having a nice day, Bear.
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Why does it matter?
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I thought we were having a nice day!
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It doesn't matter.
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It doesn't matter.
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Sit down.
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Then why does it matter?
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It doesn't matter to me.
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She has a lot more emotional availability than Jessica did.
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she felt like she could actually fully lose control of herself, which is such a huge part of acting.
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Her being on the edge of tears made the entire thing feel like she was just really sad and really somber, where then when she snaps at him,
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it doesn't land as good as it could have.
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And then with Alec, it's not necessarily that what he's doing is bad.
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It's just the wrong fit.
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He needs to have that insecurity and lack of confidence that leads to him breaking the one wish Willow to begin with.
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And Alec just doesn't give that energy at all.
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Once you're auditioning consistently, you're looking for how can I honor this character
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while also honoring my strengths so even if I don't book this role, the casting director knows roles I would be perfect for later down the line.
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And that's how you start basically treating your auditions like seeds that you're planting.
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Now, before we go break down our original scene, let's check out our professionals.
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Our bear is so much less cool than Alec is.
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Me.
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I will be playing bear and again I've been on some of the shows
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that are currently on the screen right now
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and then we also have Isabelle as our freaky Nikki who is a professional actress in her home country of Norway.
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Now I filmed this scene a few days ago
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and made a grievous error but we'll talk about that after we've watched it a little bit.
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See if you can catch it.
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Everything okay?
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Nikki, do you...
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What?
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Nothing.
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I have something for you.
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What's this?
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Open it.
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I thought this scene took place closer to the climax after three other major creepy events happened.
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Which is why I have this completely out of place moment of, oh my god, what is this gift?
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What is she giving me?
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I should not feel as traumatized as I feel in the beginning.
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I'm doing way too much.
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And that's also why Isabel comes across a lot more creepy.
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Because I also told her some context and subtext.
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Which made her also think that Nikki was at a creepier place.
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And that's where having a very cohesive timeline is so important
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because when you're on set you frequently film out of order
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But I also love this
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because at the end of the day a big part of the audition process is making mistakes
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and being wrong It's a lot easier to work with an actor
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that brings way too much Trusting
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that you can bring them down than it is to work with an actor
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that doesn't fully commit And you have to see if you can get them to fully commit on the day.
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It's supposed to bring your confidence and willpower so now you can be a food critic.
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Why are you giving this to me?
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Bear, this stone is important to me.
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One major difference that we're seeing between Ada and Isabel is Ada had perfect continuity from beginning to end.
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We didn't necessarily see those glitches of the fact that this isn't exclusively Nikki, it's Nikki plus this other entity and I really love
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that Isabel has these moments where it's almost like she glitches a little bit Almost as
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if the real Nikki maybe like enters chat before then going back Does your dad really have cancer?
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No No, no, no, no,
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no Frankie, sit down, sit down.
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No!
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Why does it matter?
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What do you mean?
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You lied to me.
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I know we were having an escape!
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We are.
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We are.
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We are.
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She actually got the cops called on her because of this.
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Because we're trying to look at the differences in each skill level, we look at Ada.
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Beautiful breakdown.
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Again, so emotionally available.
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This isn't me saying that that moment didn't work, but it didn't come across as scary.
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It came across as someone genuinely having their feelings really badly hurt.
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Versus with Isabelle's, it actually feels like a demon is coming out of her body
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and makes me terrified that she could be violent.
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So far, I'm the only bear that has actually incorporated the environment.
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Neither a swan or Alec had any aspect of the embarrassment of the environment getting to them.
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I would also say I've probably had the most intense reaction to the breakdown from Nikki.
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Alec didn't like really fully respond and change.
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I think that's the key is that we need to see the freak out from Nikki change bear.
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Then what is the matter?
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It's funny because I said that Ada started the scene a little bit too much on the cusp of tears.
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Meanwhile, I went and made the exact same mistake in my scene.
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I love that complete change in tactic.
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How she goes from like losing her shit.
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Okay, you told me what I wanted.
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Now I'm gonna change my tactic.
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And with Ada, we didn't get as much of a tactic change.
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It was just, I calmed down a little bit.
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Why does it matter?
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I love that we saw that tactic change with Isabelle.
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There might be some of you that are thinking, Oh, but Ada nailed the scene a lot more than Isabel did in terms of like what they were looking for.
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The goal of this video is to show how different actors
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without any previous performance to try to base what they're gonna do off of, would interpret a scene differently.
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Which doesn't mean one is good, one is bad.
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Now, before we break down the original scene that broke the internet, how would you like to not only perform this scene yourself,
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but also have the chance to perform this scene in front of the actual casting director of Obsession.
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That's exactly what the students in my online acting group, The Acting Lab, get to do this summer with our Obsession-themed casting simulation.
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Everyone in the group will get to record their own version of the scene that then me and my other coach,
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Logan Riley Brunner, who has actually acted in even more projects than me,
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will break down and give feedback on their auditions the exact same way that I'm doing now in this video,
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before then shortlisting our favorite tapes to then show the casting director of Obsession.
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Skylar will give all of our finalists feedback before then saying if she was recasting Obsession,
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which actors she would hypothetically cast in a new version of this movie.
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As if she's in charge of casting it all over again.
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Now everyone in the group gets to meet Skylar.
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You don't have to be a finalist just to be able to attend the call.
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That will also act as a Q&A where you can ask some of your own questions, but obviously only our finalists will perform for her live,
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which is not only an incredible learning but also an incredible exposure opportunity as well.
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The deadline to take part in this simulation is Monday, July 20th of 2026.
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Before then, the call with Skylar will be the following week on Sunday, July 26th.
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And by the way, this is all on top of the several weekly classes taught by me personally, along with our second coach,
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Logan Riley Brunner, feedback videos on audition tapes that you can post to the group, along with a acting course taught by me as well.
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So if you'd like more details then click the link in the description or pinned comment.
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You can also scan this QR code on screen right now.
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If you join I look forward to not only meeting you in classes but also seeing your own version of this scene.
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Finally let's go ahead and break down the original version of this scene with Indy Navarrete and Michael Johnston.
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Everything okay?
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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What?
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Never mind.
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I have something for you.
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Yeah, she's so like sweet girl next door energy the way that we start.
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It doesn't necessarily feel immediately off the bat like she's actually psycho,
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which is then gonna make her going psycho have that much more of a pop.
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It's a tiger's eye.
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Wow.
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It was my mom's and then it was mine.
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It's supposed to bring you confidence and willpower.
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Some of that creepiness is slowly starting to peek out
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because you'll notice she has a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.
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And that's one of the easiest ways to immediately make your performance come off a little bit more unhinged and unsettling.
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It's not so obvious that you're thinking immediately off rip, oof, there's something really wrong with that girl.
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But it's enough that then when you watch it back, you can pick up on those little things.
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And the best acting is the type of acting that every single time you watch it, you pick up something different, you pick up something new.
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Bear, I love you so, so, so, so, so much.
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I don't think I could live without you.
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You love me more than anyone in the world?
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Yes, more than anyone.
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He's doing such a great job of truly just allowing Indy to be the engine of this scene.
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It's so difficult as an actor to allow yourself to take a backseat in a scene.
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It takes a lot of humility and it takes a lot of trust in yourself.
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Michael Johnston is playing this way more subtle than I did, which is why it's so much better because I'm just drawing too much attention to myself.
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I'm doing so much that it takes the focus off of Nikki and puts it onto both of us equally.
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And this is a scene where we really want Nikki to shine.
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You don't want Bear to really shine at all.
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Michael's doing a phenomenal job of not drawing attention to himself, but still having a lot of depth.
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Like you can still see in his eyes all of what he's thinking.
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Nikki.
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Yeah?
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Does your dad really have cancer?
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You fully see that fear and you see how unsettled he is by her
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but he's also trying not to let her onto it.
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I think I did such a bad job of not incorporating how I wanted Nikki to see me.
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There are two levels to acting.
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You have the version of acting where you're trying your best to make sure you give the audience what they need.
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You wanna make sure that the audience has the experience that they need to have when watching the movie.
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And then you have the layer of the character of what you want the other person across from you to see.
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I really love that she's also letting that land.
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No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. What?
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No. No. No. No. No. Don't do that!
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I thought we were having a nice date.
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We are parents.
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Why does it matter?
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I thought we were having a nice date.
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We are.
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We are.
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We are.
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We are.
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We are.
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It's OK.
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We are.
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I love how she even adopts this almost inhuman physicality.
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All of the Nickys were so focused on the delivery, they didn't care as much about the physical side of the performance.
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Indy not only changed vocally, but she changed physically.
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There's something very clearly off.
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There's something so incredibly unhuman about her, but in the beginning It's just sweet innocent girl next door.
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We are.
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We are.
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Then why does it matter?
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Genuinely, I feel as though This is one of the top five performances I've seen.
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I play off their rocker types of characters, which is why I appreciate what Indy did so much,
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because as somebody frequently called to go there, I know how brutal and difficult it is to go there.
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And she goes there in such a beautiful way with so many layers.
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I genuinely believe this is 100% Oscar worthy,
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and I hope that it being in a horror film doesn't lead to it getting shafted in the award circuit.
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Now remember, if you want to perform this scene yourself, get feedback from me the exact way I gave feedback in this video,
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and then meet and potentially perform in front of the real casting director of Obsession,
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Skylar Zurm, then click the link in the description or pinned comment to join my online acting school, The Acting Lab.
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And if you're curious about what actors are for AI and what actors are against AI,
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Interested in the little video essay on the pros and cons of both sides?
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Then check out this video right up here
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Why This Video Is Perfect for English Speaking Practice
If you’re looking to level up your English speaking, this video is a goldmine. It features natural, conversational dialogue from different acting levels, making it easy to compare tones, pauses, and emotions—key elements of fluent speech. Whether you’re a beginner or refining your skills, the real-life conversation style helps you pick up everyday phrases and how to deliver them with meaning. Plus, it’s engaging, so you’ll stay focused while practicing!
Breaking Down Natural Speech: 3 Key Moments
Let’s look at how the actors’ lines sound natural, even in a dramatic scene:
- “I have something. What's this? Open it.” The short, direct sentences mimic real-life urgency. Notice the quick pauses between each line—this is how people speak when they’re excited or nervous, not in long, perfect paragraphs.
- “Why does it matter, Bear?” The question here isn’t just about words; it’s about tone. The actor’s slight rise in pitch at the end shows frustration, which is how we convey emotion in English. Copying this intonation makes your speech sound more authentic.
- “Sit down, please.” The word “please” softens the command, a common way to be polite even when upset. This small detail is what makes dialogue feel real—we rarely speak in strict, emotionless commands.
A Simple Shadow Speech Routine for This Video
Use the shadowing technique to practice:
- Watch a 5-second clip of the dialogue (try the beginner or intermediate actors first).
- Play it again, and repeat the lines immediately after the actor, matching their tone, speed, and pauses. This is called “shadow speech” and trains your mouth to move like a native.
- Record yourself. Compare it to the video—did you catch the rise in pitch in “Why does it matter?” or the softness of “please”? Adjust and try again.
- Do this daily for 10 minutes, and you’ll notice your English sounding more natural in no time!
This video is a fun way to learn English with YouTube while mastering the shadowing technique. Remember, it’s not just about saying the words—it’s about feeling the emotion behind them. Happy practicing!
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.