SECOND-YEAR CURRICULUM

Advancement into the second year is by invitation only and is based on teacher evaluations, academic standing and final performances reviewed by the Academic Committee.

The second year brings the young actor to the world of the camera. Learning to integrate technique with understanding and accommodating the requirements of the camera are the objectives of the second year. Year two is grounded in Scene Study for the Camera, and Acting Process for the Camera. Actors expand their on-camera craft with Auditioning for Film and Television, Commercials and Daytime Drama. Actor’s Comedy Workshop, Monologues and the Voice-over work-shop continue to support actors in their growth.

Actors in the final semester begin to be introduced to the industry. To prepare them, students take a Business of the Business workshop. They are invited to do monologues for a jury of professional casting directors and agents. A six-week workshop run by casting directors gives actors the opportunity to meet and work with these professionals. The second-year work culminates with a unit devoted to shooting a fully produced film scene.

In your final semester:

• You will perform before a professional jury selected by the Artistic Director. Each member prepares a detailed evaluation of your skills, casting type, strengths and areas for improvement.
• You will work with professional casting directors, agents and managers to help prepare you for the realities of auditioning.
• If eligible, you will audition for a role in the final film project. Casting is done by the Artistic Director, Executive Director and a panel of professional directors. Filming is done in studios and on location with a full film crew and can last as long as ten days.

THE241

Second-Year Internship

Observe and be part of the business of acting in working situations; interact with and be known by industry leaders to enhance networking. Literal placement in the offices of casting directors, agents, producers, advertising agencies, etc. Students prepare a report reflecting on how their course work relates to their internship experience.

THE253

Actor’s Comedy Workshop

In this sixteen-week course, students get a solid foundation in the principles of comedy. They learn how to apply their acting skills in the comedy world; how to create comic characters, make comic choices and find the comedy in a script. The pivotal learning experience occurs as students participate in an intensive assignment to create, pitch and then produce with their fellow classmates a DVD of their very own original TV comedy mini-pilot. With guidance from the instructor, each team of students is responsible for writing, performing, shooting and editing these projects. During the process of this assignment, students learn invaluable lessons about the realities of comedy in television. Under the rigors of a tight production schedule, they experience firsthand the importance of preparation for camera work, continuity editing and professionalism as they complete each aspect of the assignment.

THE255

Process for the Camera I

Function effectively and professionally before the camera: hitting marks, making entrances or exits, dealing with props, adjusting between master, mid-shot and close-up, and shooting out of sequence with both physical and emotional continuity. On-set behavior; shooting sequence; working with the neutral mask and character-specific behavior choices in mid-shot.

THE258

Voice-over

In this course, actors deal specifically in voice-over microphone work; prepare the moment before; apply subtext to meaning and inflection; identify key words; work with a partner. Students are led by the teacher through a vocal warm-up and engage in exercises in physical alignment, breaking down copy, styles, slating, character, focus, breath awareness and broadcast jargon. Animated voices are also explored.

THE259

Scene Study for Film & Television I

In this course, students have the opportunity to work on their acting craft, both artistically and technically, in front of the camera. Scenes from feature films and one-hour episodics are assigned by the teacher. Students explore master shots, coverage and continuity. Eventually, the actors are put in various on-set work situations and taught how to deal with them and maintain the quality of their work. In this course, students are required to come to the set fully prepared without any rehearsal.

THE263

Audition Technique for Film & Television

Actors learn audition skills that prepare them to seek work in all areas of film and television. Beginning with the 30-second commercial format, they proceed to develop other film and TV cold-reading skills; discover techniques for creating “place” and “relationship” quickly, and learn to behave instead of act. They also learn how to conduct themselves in a live audition vs. a taped audition and how to break out of their comfort zones while they make choices. Students find appropriate monologues and craft them for presentation.

THE264

Research, Rehearsal, Performance

This course serves as a capstone experience for graduating students. Through the assistance of guest designers, directors and editors, students tape fully produced scenes as a final project and receive edited copies of their work. This class gives participating students the opportunity to test their technique, talent and professionalism on a working film set. Prerequisites: a second-year minimum GPA of 3.0 at the end of the midterm evaluation of the second semester of the second year.

THE266

Acting as a Personal Business

Research work prospects; prepare picture and résumé; write a cover letter; utilize the Ross reports; and develop a knowledge of theatre contracts and the roles of industry professionals, such as agents, managers and casting directors; market oneself as a business for employment within the film and TV industry. This course informs the actor about how to pursue a professional acting career from a business perspective. Topics covered include developing business tools (pictures, résumés, cover letters, mailings, postcards, etc.), dealing with agents and casting directors, managing one’s finances.

THE267

Commercials

Working in lecture/demonstration and labs, students learn the MOS, slice-of-life and spokesperson formats in depth. The curriculum applies basic acting skills to the needs and requirements of performance for commercials. Students become familiar with the type and style of ads and develop audition security.

THE268

Daytime Drama

Daytime drama scripts are character/relationship driven rather than plot driven. Thus, students must learn to make subtle but important changes when approaching this material. In this class, actors work to master the specific technical and performance adjustments required by soap operas.

THE269

Monologues

Monologues are coached, critiqued and adjusted for auditioning on stage, on camera and in an agent’s office. Each student leaves the course with a variety of monologues to suit various audition environments. The workshop concludes with a performance before a professional jury who offers constructive criticism on areas where improvement is needed.

THE272

Scene Study for Film & Television II

In this on-camera acting class, student actors will have the opportunity to work in specific artistic and set environments that they will deal with professionally; for example: the speed of shooting a one-hour episodic, the director who blocks immediately, the director who improvises, the director who blocks off an actor’s impulses, doing a scene in two takes and doing a scene in thirty takes. The actor will learn how to maintain a performance and stay open to the specific needs of a production.

THE400

Sketch Comedy for Performance

Students build on their sketch-writing and performing skills (introduced in Actor’s Comedy Work-shop) by creating and rehearsing sketch material and performing it for an audience in an outside cabaret. Elective.

THE401

Improvisation II

A class that refreshes and enhances improv skills learned last year in Improvisation and builds on these skills as they apply to actors’ skills. Emphasis on spontaneity, staying in the moment, freedom in making choices. Elective.

THE402

Stand-up Comedy for Actors

The overall goal of this class is to provide the actor with the training and basic performance skills to develop a five-minute stand-up comedy routine that will be performed in a live nightclub setting. These skills will include writing techniques, a basic understanding of joke structure, timing and rhythm, point of view, and character/persona development. Emphasis is on the differences and similarities between acting and stand-up performance. The sessions consist of lecture, video examples and working on one’s feet. Students begin writing the first week. Each session includes a “writing circle,” in which students act as each other’s sounding boards for developing material, under the supervision of the instructor. Elective.

THE403

Michael Chekhov Technique for Actors

This class will explore Michael Chekhov’s “psycho/physical” approach to acting through the basic principles and exercises outlined in Chekhov’s book To the Actor, including psycho/physical exercises, character work and ensemble improvisation. Each class begins with a warm-up specifically designed to develop the organic connection of the actor’s inner life, creative imagination and expressive body. Through the rigorous practice of Chekhov’s core exercises, students will explore archetypes, imaginary centers, imaginary body, character atmospheres, overall scenic atmospheres, qualities of movement, imaginary place and psychological gesture, along with on-camera adjustments, and more. Elective.

THE404

Diction and Articulation

This eight-week course is designed to help students develop standard American speech by learning the proper pronunciation of American English vowels, consonants and diphthongs. Students will learn how to blend or connect words and sounds so that speech is clear but natural sounding. In addition, they will study how intonation, phrasing and pace lead to expressive speaking. Students are provided with instruction and materials for practicing on their own. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) will also be taught. Elective.

THE405

Advanced Voice-over

The objective of this course is to deliver copy with ease, believability, conviction, confidence and the required emotional and narrative qualities. Students analyze scripts, take direction, record various types of voice-overs, acquire terminology and language, and adjust their voice-over work on demand. Elective.

THE406

The Physically Expressive Actor

Working with movement and awareness to help the actor identify specific problems and habits that interfere with freedom of choice in monologue and scene work. Individual attention will be given in both solo and partner work. Elective.

THE407

Salon

This class takes the actor through the rehearsal process of a period or stylized genre film. The class begins with students viewing a film and discussing the technical requirements of the piece. The class includes instruction on gathering dramaturgical research appropriate to the script and time period, vocal accent work, dance styles, the effect of period clothing, furniture, and props on an actor's physical life, and the effect of period manners and etiquette on the actor's characterization. Each class explores a different rehearsal aspect and stresses the actor's need to externalize a sense of style appropriate to period and genre. The student is required to integrate vocal, physical and acting skills through additional rehearsal outside of class time. The class culminates in a performance of portions of a period film and brings together all of the skills learned throughout the course.

THE408

Combat for the Camera

Student actors learn the basics of on camera fighting, (hand to hand, firearms, found weapons, etc.) and the basic terminology and safety rules for the set. They become familiar with the specific demands that are made of them in film and television as opposed to theatre based combat. Students explore how to reveal character through combat that helps move forward the story. From the audition to the final edit of the fight, actors gain a better understanding of the nature of fighting on camera. The final project is a student directed and shot fight scene. This is a very physical class so appropriate attire is required; a tee shirt and shorts or sweatpants.