One-year Acting for Film Program - Semester 2

Descriptions and credit recommendations for all evaluated learning experiences

1. ACT202 Acting for Film 2; 2. ACT244 Filmmaking Production Workshops (optional course); 3. ACT246 Acting for Film Production Workshop (now included with Course 1-ACT202 Acting for Film 2)

1. Formerly ACT240 Acting for Film 2

Length:

Course 1: Version 1: 90 hours (16 weeks). Course 1: Version 2: 84 hours (16 weeks);

Course 2: Version 1 and 2: 7 to 21 hours (16 weeks), depending upon projects (optional courses);

Course 3: Version 1 and 2: 10 to 40 hours (16 weeks), depending upon projects.

Dates:

Course 1, 2, and 3: Version 1: September 2007 - July 2014. Course 1, 2, and 3: Version 2: August 2014 - December 2019.

Objectives:

Course 1: Version 1 and 2: Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: tell a story physically on film applying awareness of camera and understanding of character and plot development; develop characterization for a role by analyzing script and behaving responsibly on location; master self-criticism when watching raw footage. Course 2: Version 1 and 2: Students will be able to perform scripted material on location with a director and a full film crew. Course 3: Version 1: Students will be able to: apply acting skills, meet expectations, and exercise proper on-set etiquette on a film shoot. Course 3: Version 2: Same as Course 1, Version 2.

Instruction:

Course 1: Version 1 and 2: In this course, students further develop skills from earlier instruction and apply this to additional in-class exercises. Students begin to formulate ideas, secure locations, acquire props, develop characters, and write dialogue. Course 2: Version 1 and 2: During the second semester of the one-year Acting for Film program, students are cast in day-long shoots of scenes directed by the one-year Filmmaking students. Students participate in at least one film project and may work in as many as three projects over the course of the workshop. The shoots are set on location, selected by the student director, with a full crew of filmmaking students on hand, and supervised by the Filmmaking program's instructors. Actors receive the script in advance and rehearsal and preparation work are the actor's responsibility and are not included in the course hours. Course 3: Version 1: This course represents the culmination of the first year of the Acting for Film Program. Students are cast in a role in an original short film at the end of their second semester course work. The film is shot on location over four days with a crew comprised of NYFA film staff under the supervision of the Acting for Film instructors. Through earlier study, students have been paired and via improvisation, they create characters and dialogue for the short film, under supervision. The class as a whole develops a narrative thread to link the individual scene-stories. After edits by the instructor for maximum filmic impact, students receive the script and the preparation process of memorization and rehearsal is then undertaken. For the shoot, students are required to arrive camera-ready on each of the shoot days. This workshop is treated as a professional film shoot with the etiquette and expectations implied therein. Course 3: Version 2: Same as Course 1, Version 2.

Credit recommendation:

Course 1, 2, and 3: Version 1: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category OR in the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 4 semester hours in Theatre, Drama, Communications, or Radio and Television (6/07) (8/08). NOTE: Course 1, 2, and 3 must all be completed to receive credit. Course 1, 2, and 3: Version 2: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category OR in the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 3 semester hours in Theatre, Drama, Communications, or Radio and Television (8/14 revalidation). NOTE: Course 1, 2, and 3 must all be completed to receive credit.

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ACT212 Scene Study

Formerly ACT210 Scene Study

Length:

Version 1: 96 hours (16 weeks). Version 2: 84 hours (16 weeks).

Dates:

Version 1: September 2007 - July 2014. Version 2: August 2014 - December 2019.

Objectives:

Version 1: Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: analyze and perform scripted material with a scene partner; create a character. Version 2: Students will be able to: approach acting work on a scene including: historical research, preparation, development of objective, rehearsal with a scene partner; develop refined choices, active listening, and staging; and further develop skills learned in ACT112 Acting Technique and the importance of moment-to-moment give and take with a scene partner.

Instruction:

Version 1 and 2: In this course, students work on scenes from published plays and screenplays in order to apply the basic concepts of approaching a text. These concepts include defining objectives, breaking the scene into beats, understanding the arc, pursuing an objective, playing actions, and working to overcome obstacles. In addition, students develop a solid foundation in establishing characters based on the text and their own experiences and imaginations.

Credit recommendation:

Version 1: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category OR in the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 4 semester hours in Theatre, Drama, Communications, or Radio and Television (6/07) (8/08). Version 2: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category OR in the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 3 semester hours in Theatre, Drama, Communications, or Radio and Television (8/14 revalidation).

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ACT222 Meisner 2

Formerly ACT220 Meisner Technique 2

Length:

Version 1: 72 hours (16 weeks). Version 2: 66 hours (16 weeks).

Dates:

Version 1: September 2007 - July 2014. Version 2: August 2014 - December 2019.

Objectives:

Version 1: Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: apply moment to moment work outside of one's own experience; harness personal powers of instinct, imagination, emotional truth, sense of reality, and personal experience in order to bring a deeper, more lively and personally unique expressiveness to the work; discover how to play relationships effectively; improvise, using justification, applying various physical and speaking choices when analyzing texts and interpreting characters in scene work. Version 2: Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: demonstrate self sufficiency in the realm of emotional preparation; practice effective methods for creating powerful imaginary circumstances and incorporate those circumstances into the framework of a written play; and further shape listening skills and deepen ability to live "in the moment" on stage.

Instruction:

Version 1 or 2: Instruction focuses on the Meisner technique, honing listening and responding skills, and applying the technique to scripted text.

Credit recommendation:

Version 1 and 2: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category OR in the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 3 semester hours in Theatre, Drama, Communications, or Radio and Television (6/07) (8/08) (8/14 revalidation).

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ACT232 Voice and Movement 2

Formerly ACT230 Voice and Movement II

Length:

48 hours (16 weeks).

Dates:

September 2007 - December 2019.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: act in dramatic material, which demands style, regional speech, specific character elements, and historical accuracy; develop a kinesthetic awareness of themselves and a partner in scenework; describe the scale for on-camera and the difference between "inside out" and "outside in"; connect vocal and physical exercises to character development and text work; lead a physical and vocal warm-up; create honest and compelling characters who have different vocal and physical traits; and develop a multi-facted vocal skill set to use when approaching character work.

Instruction:

Building on previous instruction, students explore Standard American Pronunciation and other regionalisms in the context of style and its ramifications in the use of the voice and the body. Students continue with more demanding physical work designed to heighten performances. Elements of movement and dance are explored for work that requires specific character elements and/or historical accuracy. Final class sessions explore the application of voice and movement to audition texts and to live performance.

Credit recommendation:

In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category OR in the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 2 semester hours in Theatre, Drama, Communications, or Radio and Television (6/07) (8/08) (8/14 revalidation).

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ACT242 Acting for Television

Length:

24 hours (8 weeks).

Dates:

September 2007 - December 2019.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to examine and explore the subtle differences of performing scripted material in a variety of formats, including multi-camera blocking by adapting performance levels to the specific needs of sitcoms and procedural dramas.

Instruction:

In this course, students experience how a multi-camera set operates and gain exposure to the related etiquette and disciplines. Students study current genres such as sitcoms and procedural dramas and work on a commercial set.

Credit recommendation:

In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category OR in the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 1 semester hour in Theatre, Drama, Communications, or Radio and Television (8/14).

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ACT243 Combat for Film

Length:

24 hours (8 weeks).

Dates:

September 2007 - December 2019.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: safely execute choreographed violence for the screen and execute combat skills of grabs and throws, strangling and falls, contact kicks, spacing, rhythm, contact punches, hits, etc.

Instruction:

In this course, students create the illusion of actual physical impact and exchange of energy in combat.

Credit recommendation:

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ACT252 The Business of Acting

Formerly ACT241 The Business of Acting and Audition Skills

Length:

24 hours (8 weeks).

Dates:

September 2007 - December 2019.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: use the skills required to audition successfully in a variety of circumstances; create the actor's tools of the trade, such as headshots, resumes, and cover letters; analyze casting breakdowns, self-marketing strategies, branding/positioning, etc.; and prepare a business plan for securing work as an actor.

Instruction:

This course introduces students to the business of acting and incorporates cover letter writing, resume writing, headshots, and how to positively promote themselves to the industry. Students also learn etiquette and unique skills needed to audition well. Students work in a mock audition format, including cold reading, working from sides, and general interviews, which are videotaped for critique.

Credit recommendation:

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ACT272 Improvisation 2

Formerly ACT250 Improvisation II

Length:

48 hours (16 weeks).

Dates:

September 2007 - December 2019.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: create a long-form improvisation with a complete story arc and complex, interesting characters and relationships; begin to transition improvisation skills to an on-screen performance.

Instruction:

Building on the skills of earlier instruction, students move on to more advanced exercises and long-form improvisation styles. Students learn to connect scenes together to build a complete story arc, as well as to create complex, interesting characters and relationships. Students also begin to explore the transition of live format improvisation to that on the screen.

Credit recommendation:

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ACT292 Performance Analysis 2

Length:

24 hours (8 weeks).

Dates:

September 2009 - December 2019.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: gain an advanced understanding of key film performances and historically important films by exploring works from the inception of the medium through the first decade of the twenty-first century; strengthen skills to analyze the development of a character arc in a film; strengthen skills to evaluate different acting styles and how they have evolved through the development of film; refine analysis for elements such as: text analysis, character objectives, conflicts, and actor choices including the commitment and focus of the actor, muscular isolation, tension, and range and quality of expression, vocal work (range of pitch, volume, use of breath), speech work (articulation, use of operative words and phrases), use of shot size (close, mid, wide), character choices and physicalization of character, range of physical expression, diversity of acting choices, imagination and creativity within given limitations of shot, use of silence, pursuit of objective and range of tactics, use of Tempo-Rhythm and Pacing in movement and speech, use of opposites and juxtaposition (fast movement/slow speech or vice versa), use of balance, repetition, equivalence, and omission.

Instruction:

In this course, students view and participate in discussions of pivotal film performances and develop an appreciation and technical understanding of the methods, choices, and effects of various styles of acting. Overall goal of the course is to give students a reference point for key performances and a working vocabulary of historically important films.

Credit recommendation:

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