HANDS-ON INTENSIVE
4-WEEK MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP
The New York Film Academy provides a unique environment where students of Musical Theatre can hone their skills with a Broadway level faculty not found in any other program nationwide. In the Four-Week Musical Theatre Workshop, students are exposed to the necessary skills needed for success in the Musical Theatre by Broadway professionals. The program is designed for individuals with singing and movement abilities who may or may not have prior experience on a musical theatre stage. The following courses allow students to get an introduction to the integral skills required for success in this field and how to prepare themselves for varied demands of a musical theatre career. The program culminates in a presentation for faculty, friends and classmates.
Admission requirements for the Four-Week Musical Theatre Workshop are the same as for our One-Year Musical Theatre Conservatory Program. All participants in the Four-Week Workshop will have they opportunity to be considered for our One or Two-Year Conservatory Programs, if desired, pending space availability.
MUSICAL THEATRE CLASSES
• Acting Technique (Introduction)
• Ballet I
• Jazz & Theatre Dance I
• Music Theory & Sight Singing
• History of Musical Theatre
• Voice Studio Lab
• Song Interpretation
• Text Analysis
• Shakespeare
• Performance Lab & Showcase
• Private Voice Instruction
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
Acting TECHNIQUE(Introduction)
This class is an introduction to the various well-known acting techniques. Students explore the techniques of Master Acting Teachers such as Konstantin Stanislavski, Sanford Meisner, Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Michael Chekhov, Jerzy Grotowski, Anne Bogart and Tadashi Suzuki. Students are introduced to specific exercises for each Master and then progress to "Open Scenes" and monologues.
THEATRE DANCE (Ballet, Jazz, Tap)
Coursework begins with an overview of dance techniques employed in musical theatre performance with an emphasis on ballet, jazz, and tap dance fundamentals. Students apply the various techniques to choreography specifically for musical theatre with second semester emphasis on styles that include Fosse, Bennett, Robbins and more.
MUSIC THEORY & SIGHT SINGING
This course begins with an introduction to music fundamentals including note values, identification of cadences and basic phrase structures, scales, intervals, harmony, key, chords and reading proficiency.
HISTORY OF MUSICAL THEATRE
It took many years for the American musical theatre to acquire its own identity with the greatest revolution in the American musical theatre starting with Showboat and progressing through present day musicals such as Wicked. Students will learn about the evolution of the musical play and musical comedy as an institution, artistically and commercially.
VOICE STUDIO LAB & PRIVATE VOICE INSTRUCTION
Students work on healthy singing technique and learn the physiology of the voice. Fundamental practice includes breath support, diaphragmatic control, natural articulation, and relaxation of the neck, face and jaw with proper use of the body. Other topics include chest voice (belting), falsetto/head voice, and tone, among others.
SONG INTERPRETATION
Students apply the concepts being studied in all acting and vocal production classes to songs with an emphasis on text. It is designed to provide exposure to the script, score and character analysis necessary for successful song interpretation by the actor in musical theatre. Genres studied and presented include Operetta, Musical Comedy, Golden Age Musical Drama, Contemporary Pop Opera, Contemporary Musical Theatre, Rock Musicals and Pop/Rock.
TEXT ANALYSIS
Actors learn the structure and elements of story and dramatic action, and how to make acting choices based on dialogue, stage directions and given circumstances. Students move from analysis to practical application with scripted scene work.
SHAKESPEARE
Some people say that if you can play Shakespeare truthfully, you can play anything. Students learn how to speak, physicalize and bring strong sub textual insights to Shakespeare's classical language, but with a modern approach that assimilates the actor's personal experiences.
PERFORMANCE LAB & SHOWCASE
This lab is designed to workshop musical scenes and songs for performance at the end of each semester. Scenes grow in complexity over the course of the program and require that students take on both independent or lead performances and ensemble roles.
QUICK FACTS:
Start Dates: For New York City:Jul 7, 2010 , Sep 8, 2010 , Jan 5, 2011 , Jul 6, 2011 , Sep 7, 2011
Program Requirements: High School Diploma, GED
tuition:
$ 3,500 (USD)
€2,444 (EURO)
You Graduate With: Diploma/Certificate, DVD Film Reel
SEMESTER ONE CLASSES
In the first part of the semester, students begin to build the
foundation of their craft through a broad array of classes that
incorporate both traditional stage performance, as well as
film performance techniques and concepts.
Acting Technique
This class is an introduction to the various well-known
acting techniques of the Master Acting Teachers.
The classes begin with basic ensemble acting games and
warm-ups. Students first explore the work of Konstantin
Stanislavski, then move to the Method, briefly discussing
the role of Sanford Meisner, then continue to the work of
Lee Strasberg (sense and emotional memory), Stella Adler
(absolute belief in given circumstances), Michael Chekhov
(the psychological gesture), Jerzy Grotowski (physical
approach/"outside in"), Anne Bogart (viewpoints) and
Tadashi Suzuki.
The classes also include a brief historical background
of each of the Masters, as well as a discussion of the
development of each of his/her techniques. Students are
introduced to specific exercises attributed to each Master
and asked to work on them outside of class and to perform
them in class. Students progress to "Open Scenes" and
monologue work to begin to utilize the different concepts
learned. A final "Presentation" of monologue (or open scene
work) is performed at the end of the semester.
Acting for Film I
The basic tenets of acting translate from stage to screen, but
there are skills and knowledge that are specific to the craft
of acting for the camera. While the Film Academy explores
with students the necessary acting techniques and elements
that must be practiced and understood to give a good
performance in general, each student is introduced to acting
for the camera in the very first week of the program. Students
learn the basics of film acting: calibrating performances
based upon shot size and angle, hitting marks, emotional
and physical continuity, and strength and imagination in
acting choices. Over the course of the year, classes devote
a majority of time applying skills taught in other classes to
acting on a film set specifically.
Film Craft
In this series of classes, students 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.
Meisner I
Sanford Meisner's teachings had a seminal impact on the
acting craft. Students deeply immerse themselves in the
Meisner Technique, which enables them to discover their
voice of intuition and to inhabit a role spontaneously, from
moment to moment as well as to build a character arc that is
both specific and inspired by the actor's own responses.
Continue >>
Voice and Movement I
In both film and theatre, a character's objective is often
illuminated by the playing of strong physical actions. In other
words, what a character does, more than what he or she
says, is what defines his or her true desire.
Movement, in addition to strengthening body posture and
contributing to an actor's ability to relax and prepare to play
a role, also focuses on breaking down inhibitions, building
ensemble spirit, and giving the necessary tools to bring depth
to the physical dimension of assigned roles from dramatic
texts. Additionally, in this class, students gain insight into
the power of how to nurture and control their voices through
various resonators and muscles, which enables them to tap
into primal emotional impulses.
Spech
An extension of the Voice work, Speech focuses on the
elimination of foreign accents and regional dialects by
developing Standard American Speech. Using the International
Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), the actor learns to correct habitual
speech problems and prepare for future dialect study. The
results include greater ease, clarity, and expression with text,
and the ability to undertake a wide variety of roles.
Text Analysis
Actors learn the history and development of seminal dramatic
texts from the 20th Century to the present. Both stage and
screenplays are studied. Often the same script is read in both
formats: e.g. Tennessee Williams; A Streetcar Named Desire;
Eugene O'Neill's, Long Day's Journey into Night.
Improvisation
The ability to improvise can never be underestimated when it
comes to acting, especially on camera where there is usually very
little rehearsal. Whether in comedy or drama, actors improvise
well when they are fully engaged, listening to their partners,
and releasing their inhibitions about failing. Through games and
exercises, students learn how to let their imaginations run wild,
how to play well with others, and how to live "in the moment" —
free from anticipating or planning what to do next.
Shakespeare
Some people say that if you can play Shakespeare truthfully,
you can play anything. Students learn how to speak, physicalize
and bring strong subtextual insights to Shakespeare's classical
language, but with a modern approach that assimilates the
actor's personal experiences.
First Semester Performance
Students do a live performance of monologues that are
developed and rehearsed in their Acting Technique classes
of the first semester. The performances are staged for a live
audience comprised of classmates, faculty, staff and invited
guests. The live performances during the year allow students
to gain valuable experience and opportunities to compare
and contrast their stage acting work with their work in front
of the camera.
Continue >>
SEMESTER TWO OVERVIEW
In the second semester, the core classes continue as the
students' focus intensifies on applying the techniques they
have learned to more elaborate scene work, on camera
exercises, and film shoots—all designed to develop and
hone their screen-acting ability. All students perform in film
or video shoots, oftentimes, original work that was created
and developed by the students in collaboration with their
instructors. In addition, a variety of classes are given in order
to broaden students' knowledge of acting techniques, the film
business, and many different film crafts.
The second semester culminates in two public presentations
of student work. The first is a live showcase performance
of scenes for an invited audience of friends, family, and
industry guests. The second is a screening of the student
film productions.
Learning Goals
• Learn to work for directors with varying styles on live film
sets.
• Gain knowledge of the differences between demands
upon the actor on film productions versus television
productions.
• Learn how to prepare for and present yourself for
auditions.
• Understand the business of the acting craft.
PERFORMANCE Goals
• Perform scenes and workshop exercises developed and
rehearsed through instruction in the Meisner Technique.
• Develop, rehearse, and perform in a fully-realized film
scene shot in the studio or on location. This project will
be presented to an invited audience at the end of the
semester.
• Break down, analyze, and rehearse stage scenes and
perform in these scenes for an invited audience.
SEMESTER TWO CLASSES
Acting For Film II
In semester two, students assimilate a range of highly
demanding physical, vocal, and psychological acting
techniques for the analysis, rehearsal, and blocking of scenes
to be filmed in the studio or on location. These scenes are
digitally shot and edited. They are screened for an invited
audience of classmates, crew, family and friends.
All acting students are also required to serve in other crew
capacities. Critiques will focus on the techniques of calibrating
energy for various shot sizes as well as on the strength and
imagination of acting choices.
Scene Study
Students use the techniques they learned in the first semester
Acting Technique class to break down scenes into "beats"
(i.e. moments of emotional transition) and then assign specific
psychological actions, physical actions, and obstacles to each
beat. They incorporate various acting techniques including
Stanislavsky's System and Strasberg's Method, as well as
the skills learned in the Meisner Technique class. Additionally,
students learn how to build a comprehensive scored script
that includes: a lengthy character biography, description of
the dramatic arc, as well as how environment impacts the
character's overall objective. Scene Study class culminates
with a showcase presentation for classmates, faculty, and an
invited audience at the end of the semester.
Acting for Film Production Workshop (Optional)
Students are cast in short scenes that are produced by the
One-Year Filmmaking students with the supervision of the
faculty and staff. These are full day productions shot on
either film or DV and are an excellent opportunity for acting
students to get more experience acting on a film set. The
completed scenes may also provide material for the acting
student's reel.
Meisner II
A continuation of Meisner I, students learn how to apply the
"moment to moment" work to characters outside of their own
experience. This culminates in a Meisner scene presentation
in front of a live audience.
Audition Technique
Acting is as much of a business as it is a craft. In addition to
training, successful actors must develop strong marketing
skills in order to build a career. These classes focus on
such topics as feeling comfortable at cold readings,
preparing a resume, choosing a head-shot photographer,
and developing a career strategy. Additionally, actors have
the opportunity to get live auditioning experience both in
class and during an open casting call with directors from
the Academy's Filmmaking program.
Combat for Film
Students learn how to safely portray choreographed
violence for the screen. Elements of various martial arts
are employed to create convincing fight sequences that
keep the actor safe from injury.
Acting for Television
There are many ways to record a performance. The object of
this course is to explore the differences between shooting
"film style" (one camera) and the world of a multi-camera
set. Students are assigned scenes from either sitcoms or
soap operas, which are rehearsed and staged over the
course of several weeks culminating in a multi-camera
taping that is analyzed by the instructor and class.
Voice & Movement II
Actors continue with more demanding physical work
designed to heighten performances. Elements of movement
are addressed for specific works that require specific
character and/or historical accuracy.
Improvisation II
Building on the skills of Improvisation 1, students move
onto more advanced exercises and long-form improvisation
styles. Students learn to connect scenes together to build
a complete story arc, as well as to develop more complex
characters and relationships within the improvisational
structure. At mid-term, students perform a live improvisation
show for family and friends. Lastly, students work to bring
the skills gained from live format improvisation to faster
spontaneity and organic behavior in their film work.
One-Year Final Performance
In addition to a screening of students' work in front of the
camera, students perform live scenes that have been
analyzed and rehearsed throughout the semester in Scene
Study class. Students are also required to commit additional
time outside of class to rehearse. The chosen material can
range from classic stage plays to contemporary films. The
scenes are fully-realized with costumes, props, lighting and
sound effects and are performed for classmates, faculty, staff
and invited guests. This performance is an exciting event that
allows students to showcase their abilities and celebrate the
completion of their year's study.
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