This course is designed to demystify the actor/director relationship in the context of the film and television production process. The three pillars of this course are; Empathy. Process. Performance. Students will learn to empathize with their collaborators by experiencing their counterparts’ jobs. They will develop a process for directing and acting for film/TV. And they will learn to achieve a performance that suits the needs of the story and the production. Directors and actors will learn to work together effectively and efficiently to create on-screen performances that respond to the specific requirements of the project. Through a series of readings, studies, screenings, discussions, in-class exercises and production projects, directors and actors will gain first-hand experience with each other’s processes. Areas of study include acting theory, script analysis/scene study, casting/auditioning, rehearsing, blocking, giving/receiving adjustments, basic filmmaking/editing (as it pertains to creating the illusion of a continuous, believable performance), shooting for the edit. Students will participate in in-class acting exercises and will apply acquired skills through the development and creation of two original short films.

GRADING

10 PARTICIPATION
10 MONOLOGUE ASSIGNMENT
15 IN-CLASS SCENE WORK (ACTING)
15 IN-CLASS SCENE WORK (DIRECTING)
10 MID-TERM PAPER (400 words: ACTING THEORY) 20 MID-TERM SHORT FILM and JOURNAL
20 FINAL SHORT FILM and JOURNAL

*grading scheme/assignment list is provisional until first week of term.

• You will need access to basic filmmaking equipment: camera, microphone, editing software. Your cell phone (or tablet) and laptop can do the trick,

• USB jump-drive or external hard drive (ExFAT, or MAC formatting).