Melbourne's Premier Acting Studio for Film and Television

THE PART TIME PROGRAM

The Part Time Program is one of the most comprehensive and intensive screen acting programs in Australia crafted for actors on a part-time basis under the tutelage of acclaimed actors, directors and master teachers.

APPLICATION OPEN: October 1, 2012
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: November 30, 2012

AUDITION DATES: December 2012
PROGRAM DATES: February 2013 – June 2014 (6 terms)

CLASS TIMES: Saturday (9am - 5.00pm) & Wednesday (7pm - 10pm) (10 hrs/week)

FEES: $1695 p/term

The program is rigorous and students must allow extensive time outside of class for study, rehearsals, readings, consultations, and to attend industry events.

Applicants must be over 18 years of age. Entry by audition and interview only.

APPLICATION FORM
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OVERVIEW

The Part Time Program is a rigorous and in-depth training course in the craft of acting, built methodically over the course of 18 months.

The course draws upon the work of Uta Hagen, Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg and Yat Malmgren led exclusively by teachers who have studied under these masters.

The actor then explores the work of Ivana Chubbuck whose cutting edge approach was developed upon the work of the aforementioned masters. In addition, the course incorporates Voice and Accent, Comedy and the Alexander Technique.

Also woven through the year is an emphasis on integrating performance with the technical demands of film acting.

Actors work alongside some of Australia's finest film and television directors to ensure their craft is consistently applied within a professional working relationship with directors. The 2nd half of the Part Time Program is particularly geared towards the art of screen acting: actors will consistently work on camera, film scene work with experienced screen directors, be trained in advanced screen acting skills (such as maintaining continuity and adjusting performance for lens size) and understand the technical demands of filmmaking.

The specific skills required of an actor to perform in front of the camera are varied and vast. However, they are often excluded or under-represented in other acting courses. 16th Street Actors Studio is committed to empowering actors for work in filmed media, given the majority of work opportunities exist in the field of film, television and online content.

This course also provides the actor with extensive industry experience, relationships with existing industry professionals and career mentorship on the ‘business of acting’.

COURSE CONTENT
Overview of the core study areas

ACTING CRAFT
Students will study various acting methodologies and techniques.

The Method - Lee Strasberg
"Acting...is the ability to react to imaginary stimuli...it requires unusual sensitivity and extraordinary intelligence in the ability to comprehend the workings of the human soul. The real problem and mystery in acting is that the actor must be able 'but in a fiction, in a dream of passion, force his soul so to his own conceit'." (Lee Strasberg)
- Working from a state of relaxation, quelling the analytical mind.
- Exploring the physical senses and allowing the body and emotions to lead performance.
- Discovering emotional memory as the key to the actor's creative process.

Uta Hagen Technique
Students work on a series of exercises devised by Uta Hagen as taught at the HB Studio in New York. This work enables an actor to find a "true technique of acting and a way of making a character flow through you."

- Exploring the screenplay and the role (identifying and exploring circumstances, relationships, the objective, the obstacle and action).

Ivana Chubbuck Technique
As devised by Ivana, one of America's most respected and sought after acting teachers. "The 12-step acting technique that will take you from script to a living, breathing, dynamic character."

- Using emotions and pain to empower the character's goal and utilising obstacles to achieve it.
- Developing the will to 'win' what your character wants.
- Stimulating one's own interesting and dynamic behaviour.

MOVEMENT
Actors on the program will:
- discover how uniquely they show up in the world through physical behaviour by developing greater awareness of themselves physically.
- gain the freedom to use their bodies and make physical adjustments when they explore ‘character’ by understanding what ‘neutrality’ means.
- learn how to receive emotional information so that physical responses become transparent by understanding the signals the body transmits.
- learn how to make precise choices required for screen performance by developing mastery over their physical bodies.

COMEDY
Comedy – or comedic moments – is present in all scripts. It is therefore an essential skill for actors to understand comedy and develop comedic skills to layer their work and add ‘light and shade’ to a performance to illuminate the story. 

Australians are a naturally humorous lot, but this talent for comedy doesn’t always translate in performance. It requires skill and fearlessness in approach to ensure that actors have the confidence to explore the comedic potential of a scene.

- Understanding the different comedic character types and their defining features.
- Developing comedic skills, through physicality and vocal awareness.
- Harnessing you individual comedic flair so that it will enhance story and character.

VOICE
Based on the work of Kristen Linklater, Cicely Berry,Patsy Rodenburg and David Carey.
- Realising vocal potential by integrating breath, thought, emotion and text.
- Discovering the voice of a character & adapting it for the demands of film and television.

ACCENT
- Studying and articulating a General American dialect accurately.
- Connecting accent and characterisation.

CHARACTER CREATION
'Character Creation' is a remarkable approach to understanding and creating characters, developed and taught by Yat Malmgren for over 30 years at the Drama Centre in London. Students of this work include director Peter Brook, and actors Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Paul Bettany and Colin Firth.

- Gaining an understanding and experience of different character 'types'.
- Moving through personal resistance to access your vulnerability.
- Developing flexibility to inhabit a range of characters and transform into them.

SCREEN PERFORMANCE
Screen Performance will give students thorough and comprehensive film craft to ensure the technical demands of filmmaking enhances a performance.

Preparation for a Screen Role
- Understanding a screenplay (the super objective and elements inherent in the story).
- Understanding and revealing meaning in text, character arc and journey.
- Bringing oneself to every role.

Rehearsal
- How to rehearse for film and television and block scenes.
- The importance of bringing choices and ideas to the rehearsal room or set.
- Learning how to work up to a performance in rehearsal.

Performance
- What to do before "Action".
- Sustaining repetition of performance - keeping performance real.
- Being emotionally prepared when shooting out of order.

Screen Presence
- Developing a relaxed and creative relationship with the camera and understanding it as another character.
- Understanding what aspects of the actor's personality translates powerfully to screen.
- Having screen presence 'without words'.

Technical Craft
- The director's process - the impact upon performance and how to use direction.
- The relationship between the art of acting and technical expertise.

SCREENTESTING
- Preparing for a sceentest for film or television. 

- Preparing and testing for commercials.

- Preparing for a call back.

BUSINESS OF ACTING
- Gaining exposure, introductions, career guidance and industry advice as 16th Street nurtures its close ties with agents, casting consultants, producers and directors.
- Short Courses with casting consultants (and detailed feedback).
- Guiding you in establishing and maintaining a self-directed career.
- Advice and information on working in the U.S.