Acting for Directors

This is an acting class specifically geared towards the filmmaker. Deepen your connection to the story and learn how to work with actors by acting and learning the actor’s craft.

In this six-session workshop filmmakers are introduced to essential elements of acting:

• Character and Story Analysis (based on the work of Judith Weston)
• Actions, Obstacles and Strategies
• Subtext
• Relationships
• and what it means and takes to be “in the moment"

Additionally, John uses less familiar acting tools such as Status, Targeting, Opposites, and Lifting Lines, which he taught and expanded upon at Nyu. Students are assigned exercises, improvisations, monologues and two-person scenes which are workshopped in class. The purpose of the class is for the filmmakers to have the first-hand experience of acting so that they might understand the process with the goal of developing a collaborator’s approach to their future work with actors. All elements of this acting class can also be used as tools by the filmmakers to deepen their own understanding of the narrative and elicit spontaneous, experiential and imaginative performances from actors in order to be more compelling storytellers.

Writers, cinematographers and editors are encouraged to attend this workshop along with film directors. This workshop is a prerequisite for the Actor/Director Lab.

Please note, enrolled students need to interview with John prior to the start of the workshop.