Voice I 1 Semester Credit
This course teaches students to access their natural voice through relaxation exercises designed to improve alignment and alleviate habitual tension. They also study Standard American Speech and IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) in order to get rid of regional dialects and attain more resonant speech.
Prerequisite: None

Acting for the Camera I 3.75 Semester Credits
In this course, students begin to get comfortable getting in front of the camera. Film set. Terminology is addressed, with an emphasis on getting performances out of the actors that is geared for the specific shot size.
Prerequisite: None

Theatre to Film 0.5 Semester Credits
Actors learn the history and development of the craft of acting for the screen. An overview of the development of film and television as mediums and how actors fit in to that historical landscape, Theatre to Film gives students a unique perspective on the world of film and television.
Prerequisite: None

Monologues 1 Semester Credit
In Monologues, students will learn the skills necessary to hone and focus their acting skills when they cannot rely on a scene partner to carry them through. Students will work on monologues from theatre and film sources that will help them learn how to command attention in their acting.
Prerequisite: None

Improvisation I 1 Semester Credit
In order to truly be effective actors, students must learn how to abandon fear of disapproval and freely release their impulses in the moment they occur. Through a variety of exercises designed to help cast off inhibitions, actors experiment with group dynamics and individual expression vital to vibrant and truthful performances.
Prerequisite: None

Audition Technique 0.5 Semester Credits
In this class, students will learn the etiquette and unique skills needed to audition well. Students will work in a mock audition format that will be videotaped for critique.
Prerequisite: None

Special Lecture: The Profession 0.25 Semester Credits
This class focuses on the marketing skills and the tools needed to get interviews with casting directors and agents. It also addresses etiquette used when dealing with industry professionals under a variety of circumstances.
Prerequisite: None

Movement I 0.5 Semester Credits
In this course students begin to experiment with different ways of becoming physically “present” in their work. Elements of various approaches will be taught, including some or all of the following: modern dance, yoga, Alexander technique and Laban movement.
Prerequisite: None

Production Workshop 1 Semester Credit
Production Workshops are opportunities for the actors to practice what they have learned in class in a “hands-on” way. Actors collaborate with the filmmakers on film projects that are shot either on the studio sets at Universal or on location in and around Los Angeles.
Prerequisite: None

Scene Study II 2 Semester Credits
In this course, students go further with the work done in Scene Study I, with an emphasis on classical or stylistically different material. Students learn how to be emotionally honest in a universe that is markedly different from their own.
Prerequisite: Scene Study I

Meisner II 1.25 Semester Credits
A continuation of Meisner I, students learn how to apply the “moment to moment” work to characters outside of their own experience.
Prerequisite: Meisner I

Voice 2: Speech 1 Semester Credit
An extension of Voice I, Voice II: Speech focuses on using the techniques learned in Voice 1 for performance. In addition, students will use IPA in order to successfully master dialects including (but not limited to) Standard British, Cockney and Brooklyn.
Prerequisite: Voice I

Acting for the Camera II 3 Semester Credits
Actors take what they learn in Acting for the Camera I and apply it to in-class exercises. On a weekly basis, actors will prepare a script and digitally tape the scene. Actors learn the basics of editing and will edit their own scenes for critique in class the following week.
Prerequisite: Acting for the Camera 1

Film Craft I 0.25 Semester Credits
In this series of classes, students will learn directing, producing, screenwriting, etc. from the actor’s perspective. Learning the roles of all the players on a film set dramatically increases the actor’s ability to collaborate with the filmmakers in developing dynamic performances.
Prerequisite: Production Workshop

Movement II 0.25 Semester Credits
Actors continue with ever more demanding physical work designed to heighten performances. Elements of period movement and dance are addressed for specific works that require historical accuracy.
Prerequisite: Movement I

Shakespeare 2 Semester Credits
Students will learn historical perspective on the works of Shakespeare to better understand these classic works of theatre. Text analysis will be done using a variety of approaches including scansion, the Freeman method (using the First Folio text), soundings, and poetic and rhetorical devices in order to gain a better appreciation of this master playwright.
Prerequisite: None

Editing 2 Semester Credits
In this class, student will learn the basics of digital editing using Final Cut Pro. Students will learn by experience exactly what is needed in order to “match” shots so that they can tailor their performances accordingly.
Prerequisite: Film Craft

Stage Combat 0.25 Semester Credits
Students learn how to safely portray choreographed violence for the screen. Elements of various martial arts are employed to create interesting fight sequences that keep the actor safe from injury.
Prerequisite: None

Performances 3 Semester Credits
These performance opportunities (spaced evenly throughout the program) allow our students to incorporate all of their learning and experience into performing for a live industry audience. While the focus of the Master of Fine Arts in Acting for Film is entirely on acting in filmed work rather than in live theater performances, film actors often perform in live showcases for casting directors and industry professionals. This course will prepare MFA candidates for such showcases, and hone further their dramatic skills for use in later filmed projects.
Prerequisite: None

Textual Analysis I 2 Semester Credits
In this text based course, students engage in close reading of historically significant plays from writers such as Sophocles and Molière, through more contemporary writers like Chekov, Shaw, Brecht, and Beckett. Text analysis and plot structure are treated as fundamental tools for rehearsal and performance. The student explores how written scripts embody plot, character, theme, exposition, imagery, physical and psychological action, and other elements of structure to provide a context and direction for rehearsal and performance.
Prerequisite: None

Dynamics 2 Semester Credits
This course will provide the foundation for mind/body awareness that is the cornerstone of movement training for the graduate film actor. This course introduces and refines movement exercises using Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, and other classic "mat exercises." Basic experiential anatomy will be addressed to support the mind/body connection you will be developing. The basic principles of conditioning for film actors are an important focus of the semester study, as well as attention to movement re-education and re-patterning where necessary. Students must demonstrate active participation and self-motivation in order to progress.
Prerequisite: None

Film Performance Practicum 2 Semester Credits
Acting for film students will work in collaborative workshops with the MFA in Filmmaking students. The filmmakers will direct short projects in which the film actors perform. The acting for film students are responsible for not only collaborating with the directors in terms of performance, but also in terms of the visual aesthetic of the projects, and the use of their physical presence in the film with regard to blocking, staging, costuming, lighting, lens choice, and art direction.
Prerequisite: None

Advanced Scene Study I 2 Semester Credits
Students will continue to create and design their own unique film acting craft and further develop the techniques covered in Scene Study I. This course will concentrate on 20th-century classics by playwrights from the Modernists up to the 1950’s. Students will conduct thorough explorations of character study, by working on scenes from works of this period. Emphasis is placed on the development of a role through script, exercises, physical and vocal work, and the film actor's experience of "being in the moment."
Prerequisite: Scene Study II

Acting for the Camera III 2 Semester Credits
In this course, acting for film students refine their on-camera technique. The course examines acting with special effects, replicating shots take after take, overcoming obstacles, timing commercials, advanced marketing and auditioning techniques, and more. Acting for single-camera shoots, studio three-camera, A.D.R. (looping) and voice-over technique are also introduced. Actors will divide into groups of four and each week, one actor will serve as the Director of Photography, one as the editor, and the remaining two as performers. The instructor will serve as the director and the actors will rotate through each position twice, allowing them practical experience in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in post-production work.
Prerequisite: Acting for the Camera II

ELECTIVE: Multi-camera Performance 1 Semester Credit
Film actors will learn the techniques necessary for a multi-camera shoot for television by rehearsing a pilot sitcom. This will culminate in a taping of the episode in front of a live studio audience. Students will learn the technical aspects of working on a set with multi camera set-ups. The student will become familiar with set protocol and terminology. This course will also cover the definitions of professional behavior and what is a film actor's responsibility in the work environment.
Prerequisite: Acting for the Camera II

Movement III: Designing the Character 2 Semester Credits
This course has been designed to increase the actor’s vocabulary of movement and awareness of the physical body as a communicating instrument. Actors will do work in character mask, clown, and Commedia del Arte in order to ground character choices in their own personal experiences and perspectives. This will allow for extremes in character, while still maintaining the honesty necessary for screen acting. Mask work is advanced through characters and archetypes contained within the body. These characters are made accessible through movement that stimulates and inspires the imagination. Exercises and physical exploration encourage the film student to create her/his own material.
Prerequisite: Movement II

Voice III: Character Voice and Dialects 1 Semester Credit
Film Actors will continue with IPA work and to delve into the art of dialects. They will develop their ability to find character voices that are still grounded in solid vocal technique to promote full control and stamina, allowing for dynamic work in television, film and voiceover. Students lead warm-ups, explore archetypes and sub-personalities, and work with poetic drama and scansion. Students are introduced to the fundamentals of speech and diction for actors, and to basic dialects that are used most commonly in contemporary dramatic texts. The course emphasizes the embodiment of a spontaneous relationship to the creative imagination that informs spoken communication, and the clear expression of the text supported by the film actor.
Prerequisite: Voice II

Improvisation II: Comedy 2 Semester Credits
A continuation of impulse work, this course teaches film actors to open up and release inhibitions, with a focus on comedic styles for television and film. Film actors will begin experimenting with characters to be fully developed in their thesis. This course covers comic character development, sit-com material, sketch comedy, and scripted and improvised commercials, taught through monologues, exercises, improvisations, and theatre games. Students find comedy in a script and learn how to physicalize comedy according to its style, as well as write and perform scripted material and present a comedic audition. Students will learn to perform comedic material on camera (in sit-coms, scripted and improvised commercials) without losing reality base, employ techniques developed through improvisation and sound and movement exercises, develop one's comedic persona, discuss concepts of comedic styles, patterns, and repetition, mis-directions, and timing. Students will learn to distinguish different styles of comedy to create characters for sitcom as well as sketch comedy and develop audition techniques for comedic film roles.
Prerequisite: Improvisation I

Filmcraft II: Editing and Cinematography 0.5 Semester Credits
Students will learn the fundamental technical and aesthetic considerations involved in visual media production. Through projects in audiotape, 35mm slides, and small format video that are critiqued in class, students learn the principles and procedures, editing visual images, sound editing and cinematography, and usage of Final Cut Pro. Film actors will learn the various roles needed for production, including location scouting, permitting, scheduling and budgeting. This will directly relate to the preparation for the film actors’ Thesis shoots. The goal of this course is to show students the importance of consistency of action and diversity of performance.
Prerequisite: Filmcraft I

Advanced Scene Study II 2 Semester Credits
Film Actors will continue to create and design their own unique film acting craft and further develop the techniques covered in Advanced Scene Study II. This course will focus on scene study in works by contemporary writers. In this semester, the work comes full circle into the contemporary arena, where film actors spend most of their time. Emphasis will be given to believability of performance, specificity of choice, and strength of physical action to culminate in a vibrant, grounded final product.
Prerequisite: Advanced Scene Study I

Textual Analysis II 2 Semester Credits
In this course, the focus of text-based analysis script reading will shift from the modern works of the early and mid twentieth century to screenplays written in the last thirty years. Film students will transfer the skills acquired and developed in Textual Analysis I to studying works contemporary playwrights such as Shepard, Stoppard, Mamet, Wilson, Kushner, etc. The analysis will also include exploration of style as it relates to current sitcoms, hour-long dramas, movies of the week and feature films to help students become aware of the challenges inherent in each genre.
Prerequisite: Textual Analysis I

Acting for the Camera IV: Stage to Screen 2 Semester Credits
On-camera work is an essential part of performance. This course in the foundational acting sequence provides students with concrete performance work that focuses on the techniques necessary to transform a stage performance into one appropriate to film or video. Students will direct one another in scenes from a play or a one-act to be performed mid-way through the course. The remainder of the course will focus on adapting the scripts and performances for the camera, to be taped at the end.
Prerequisite: Acting for the Camera III

Improvisation III: Designing the Thesis 1 Semester Credit
Through a series of improvisational sessions, led by the Improvisation acting instructor, and work with mentors from the Producing and Screenwriting faculty, actors will develop projects that will be filmed in the 4th Semester. The work with the film acting instructor will focus on specific character work to be improvised and interpreted through a series of given events. The improvisation sessions will be taped, and the best of the scenes developed will be transcribed. This “script” will then be further developed by the Screenwriting mentor. The actors will meticulously journal this experience as a major part of their thesis presentation.
Prerequisite: Improvisation II

ELECTIVE: Stunt Work 1 Semester Credits
This course is designed to develop advanced specialty skills and techniques of film acting, focusing on stunt work with specific emphasis on film combat. Film actors will learn fight choreography for the camera, including two of the following: unarmed combat, rapier-dagger, broadsword and quarterstaff. The student will focus on the awareness and development of the mechanics of the body as a tool for the actor; with emphasis on stage fighting, circus skills, stage stunt work, and on complex on camera combat techniques and choreography. The course also includes an instructional component, where the student will teach and/or direct staged fight scenes.
Prerequisite: Movement III

Voice IV / Movement IV: Synthesis 1 Semester Credit
Actors will learn to fully integrate the mind-body connection through performance for the camera. Emphasis will be given to fully incorporate the techniques learned during the first three semesters into performance. Film actors will work on advanced and/or experimental scripts to fully embody them using their entire instrument.
Prerequisite: Voice III & Movement III

The Business of Acting 2 Semester Credits
In this course, Acting for Film students will learn the specific skill sets necessary for auditioning for television and film, as well as marketing tools necessary for survival in the film acting industry. Film actors will develop a basic understanding of genre and specific writers’ “voices” and how it relates to the audition room. Students also will learn creative marketing and branding techniques to help promote themselves within an ever-changing industry. Industry professionals will give special lectures to help the students understand the current trends in headshots, resumes, reels, etc.
Prerequisite: Acting for the Camera III

Thesis Production 6 Semester Credits
Beginning in Semester Three, students will form crews of three or four. Working in their crews, MFA in Acting for Film students will design strong characters through the use of the knowledge and skills they acquired in the first year, and continue to develop throughout Semester Three and Four.

Students will improvise and rehearse together, creating moments of conflict, structuring scenes, and designing a script from these sessions. They may choose to work with a writer or allow the script to creatively evolve organically from the improvisation sessions, similar to technique employed by filmmakers Mike Leigh and Christopher Guest. Throughout the 3rd semester, MFA students will continue to flesh out these scenes and develop their characters under the guidance of the Thesis Committee. MFA students are responsible for creating a complete character bio, a full visual diagram detailing the aesthetics of the character’s appearance, costume choices, color choices, etc., keeping notes of all improvisational and rehearsal sessions detailing the progress of their journey, and writing an ongoing diary from the character’s point of view. These documents constitute the written portion of the thesis assignment, and will be reviewed by the Thesis Committee. By the end of the third semester, each crew will have completed a script of 15 minutes (for groups of three) or 20 minutes (for groups of four) that highlights each of the 3 or 4 characters, and serves as a blueprint for thesis production in the fourth semester.

In the Semester Four, MFA film acting students will film their scripts in their crews. In addition to performing in each of their respective roles, acting for film MFA candidates will direct the performance, camera placement, and overall visual design of five minutes of the thesis film with the technical assistance of professional filmmaking faculty and staff.

Acting for film students will finalize their theses with the continued help of their faculty advisors. They will then present their materials for review by the Thesis Committee. Following the presentation of materials there will be a special public screening of the final thesis films.
Prerequisite: Textual Analysis III