Acting for Film

Overview
This course will emphasize the theory and practice of the acting craft. Students will study various acting methods and techniques, and learn to apply those lessons to scene and monologue work.

Objectives
In the Four-Week Acting for Film Program, students must study and perform scenes that demonstrate that they have gained a working knowledge of the following skills:

• Scene Study
• Technique
• Voice
• Movement
• Acting for Film

Learning Outcomes
Skills learned as a result of successful completion of this program include:

1. Experience working independently and collaboratively in a high-pressure creative environment.
2. Knowledge of and experience in the art and craft of acting for film.
3. Exposure to multiple modern and classical approaches to performance, script interpretation and character formation.

Areas of Study
Scene Study: Students learn to analyze scripts and break them down into units or "beats." They develop a solid grounding in establishing a character based on their own experiences and imagination. Students will incorporate all of the disparate disciplines learned in all other Areas of Study in an in-class, filmed scene presentation.

Technique: Students will practice the tools necessary to hone and focus their acting skills when they do not have a scene partner on which to rely. Students will work on monologues from theatre and film sources that will help them learn how to command attention at auditions and professional performances. Exercises will be taped for in-class critique.

Voice: Students learn to access the natural voice through relaxation exercises designed to improve alignment and alleviate habitual tension.

Students will work on assigned and chosen monologues to practice text analysis, and character creation skills learned thus far. Students will understand the structure and particular elements, which make a successful monologue and prepare pieces to be audition ready.

Movement: Students experiment with different ways of becoming physically "present" in their work. Elements of various approaches will be taught to assist students in finding freedom and expression in the physical instrument.

Acting for Film: Acting for Film provides students an environment to get comfortable acting in front of the camera. The primary emphasis of the class is the practice of the subtlety and nuance of film acting including learning to adjust the performance for specific shot size, finding the arc of the character and learning to maintain the integrity of the script while shooting out of sequence. Film set terminology and etiquette are also addressed. Students participate in Production Workshop with film students. In the Production workshop, students experience on-set shoots in collaboration with student filmmakers. Students are introduced to a first-hand experience in set etiquette, shooting out of sequence and understanding the actor's role in a shoot.