Acting Technique

Actors need to be authentic, truthful, emotionally connected, imaginative, energised, expressive and engaging. They must be able to employ a range of techniques to shape, fulfil and sustain a stage or screen performance.
 

The Actors’ Program has practical technique classes that will:

• Teach actors script analysis and interpretation techniques that will assist in pre-rehearsal and on-set prep for stage and screen

• Give students the skills to approach and perform classic and contemporary texts with ease, understanding, truth and the versatility to bring any type of script alive in performance

• Explore a variety of techniques both classic and contemporary, that give the student a tool-box from which to draw when acting on stage and in front of a camera

• Allow the actor to develop her or his own imagination, creative voice, emotional truth and ability to connect with other actors in an organic and generous way

• Enable the actor to improvise scenes in a variety of situations, e.g. script creation, character exploration and development, rehearsals, auditions, role-play employment, on-stage improvised performance and on-screen filmed improvisations. Also to further use improvisation skills in the creation of self-devised work for stage and screen

• Broaden and deepen the actor’s characterisation through research, practice, solo and group improvisation and a variety of specific classic and modern techniques taught in the classroom, in rehearsals and in performance

• Prepare the actor for real-life professional performance work

• De-mystify and clarify the audition process through classes with, and on-site auditions for, casting agents

Movement

Whether on stage or screen an actor’s body must be relaxed co-ordinated, expressive and fully connected to the vocal, emotional and intellectual truth of his or her character.
 

The actor must also have an ability to fulfill a director’s physical instruction quickly, easily and professionally, bring offers to the floor or set regarding outer action and character’s physicality and maintain a healthy strong and released body throughout a long play, season or shoot.

To produce these physically capable and expressive professionals The Actors’ Program has movement classes that will:

• Help the actor release tension, lose ingrained physical habits and become more flexible

• Build the strength and stamina required for the physical demands of performance

• Develop the co-ordination to fully inhabit outer actions, including choreography within a production

• Facilitate confident, free and varied physical expression that relates specifically to dramatic play and performance

• Broaden the actor’s range to inhabit a variety of character energies, physicality,
  body language and type

• Produce actors who are sitting inside their bodies with confidence and move organically and instinctively within a scene

• Enable the actor to physically interact with other actors

• Develop an awareness of stage and screen dynamics and an ability to fulfill physical instructions from directors and/or choreographers

• Practice skillful use of props, furniture and costume on stage and screen

• Integrate all physical skills learnt into acting techniques, rehearsals and performance

• Teach healthy physical habits and routines that will carry actors through the demands of a performance season or intense shooting block. This includes nutrition, personal warm ups for performance and physical release after performance

Voice

Voice training is a key component of the Actors’ Program. The actor must develop a physical, technical and creative understanding of his or her own voice. Having a connected, expressive, authentic voice is vital for sustaining a career as an actor on stage and screen.
 

These exciting and dynamic classes will:

• Develop breath support, linking breath with impulse and thought

• Achieve the understanding of how to effectively use voice with stamina, freedom and control for all performance demands, as a working actor

• Connect physical relaxation and movement with vocal expression and release

• Develop physical and emotional connection to the voice

• Embrace sound and movement

• Explore and free-up pitch and vocal range, resonance, and vocal dynamics

• Develop the articulators in order to explore the muscularity and power of language

• Release and express the power of words, using classical and contemporary texts

• Practice exercises which prepare the actor for auditions, rehearsals and performance for stage, radio, voiceovers, film and television

• Develop song performance technique

• Broaden accent, and dialect range and ability

Performance

The primary focus of the course is stage and screen performance, both in a class situation and for the public.
 

Each term The Actors’ Program will have film and theatre performance outcomes. These will cover:

• In-class performances and/or screenings for fellow actors, teachers and invited guests

• Auditions with casting directors

• Performances before selected professionals including agents, directors, casting directors and producers

• Practical experience in a television studio and voice studios

• A location film shoot especially written for the actors with professional writer, director and crew with an industry professional cinema screening

• A showcase season at the end of the year for industry professionals and the general public

 Professional Skills

A professional actor is an independent contractor who needs to be able to manage their career in a competitive environment.
 

To enable the actor to comfortably and expertly enter the profession on completion of the course Professional Skills has two components - Protocol & Business.

Protocol covers

Business covers

• Small business skills – invoicing, GST, budgets & accounting

• Creating work

• Producing work

• Applications – funding & submissions

• Agent protocol

• Marketing – headshots, social media, self-promotion & networking