DAY 3 – Certificate in Screen Acting

Aug13

DAY 3 – Certificate in Screen Acting

mon•o•logue
[mon-uh-lawg, -log]

noun
1. a form of dramatic entertainment, comedic solo, or the like by a single speaker: a comedian’s monologue.
2. a prolonged talk or discourse by a single speaker, especially one dominating or monopolizing a conversation.
3. any composition, as a poem, in which a single person speaks alone.
4. a part of a drama in which a single actor speaks alone; soliloquy.

Last night students took on a massive challenge of preparing a monologue which several delivered to camera. What we discovered is that it’s easy to “just” learn lines and say them and the hope that we’ll be believable. Unfortunately camera doesn’t lie; it is designed to simply register what is in front of it. So if you are performing a scene to the camera and are not 100% committed to it not only do you feel it’s not working but the camera will play back the image and audio of someone who is not 100% committed. With the use of various exercises and theory based techniques students managed to visually see the differences between “acting” out a scene – encountering “the real” in a scene. — at Sydney Theatre School.

Salvatore Coco

Performances on This Weekend!

Aug01

We would like to remind/advise you that our first year part-time students are performing their second-term contemporary play over the next three days (Thur 1st to Sat 3rd August). Details below and we hope you can make it along.

Sydney Theatre School presents the world premiere of:

THE UNCLE TREE

Life. Love it or hate it, we have to live it.
But does it ever turn out the way we planned?

Written and Directed by: Malcolm Frawley

CAST:

Adriana Carlino; Oliver Crump; Nathanael De Boer; Christopher Dinh; Emily Goode; Laura Hogan; Genevieve Jarrett; Kaila Jones; Eleni Panayi; Lucy Quill; Xander Stock; Joseph Westwood

PERFORMANCE TIMES:

Thursday 1st, Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd August at 7.30pm

VENUE: Sidetrack Theatre – 142 Addison Road Marrickville

TICKETS: $20 Full $15 Concession plus booking fees

BOOKINGS: www.sidetrack.com.au

MORE INFORMATION: www.sydneytheatreschool.com

Showreel Preparation Underway!

Jul30

After a huge weekend of selecting and casting scenes for the talented Sydney Theatre School students, we read through them all today.

Nice to see faces as excited as ours were when we originally found them all. 14 very cool scenes, to be shot over the coming month….

Script Stage - tick. Casting - tick. Pre-production? Already underway!

Showreels Australia

New Testimonial

Jul30

Here’s a lovely testimonial from a former student - thanks Kara Squire!…

“Anyone out there who is interested in taking on a career in acting should make this their first stop!

Amazing directors and people to meet! I also met people who will be my friends for life and I still keep in touch with them today! one of those girls is the one below in the picture!

I gained so much knowledge in different areas and a major achievement for me was that director Jerome Pride helped me understand Shakespeare in 12 weeks with his amazing expertise! I highly recommend *Sydney Theatre School* as this school has helped me achieve and succeed on so many levels! It has helped me with my career choice, which I now know what I feel passionate about and thats to become a drama teacher!!!”

Screen Acting Short Course Starting Date Announced!

Jul11

I’m pleased to advise that our Introduction to Screen Acting course will start on Monday 29th July at 6.30pm (until 9.30pm) and will be held every Monday night for 10 weeks.

It will be taught by acclaimed actor Salvatore Coco - star of Underbelly - The Golden Mile; Heartbreak High and many other Australian TV series and films. Salvatore’s show reel and other information on the course is available on our website here:

http://www.sydneytheatreschool.com/screen-acting-courses/

If you are interested, please fill in an application form on our website and pay the course fee ($550 inc GST) via the Paypal link. Alternatively, you can call the school on to arrange an alternative form of payment.

Places are strictly limited so we advise confirming your place with payment as soon as possible

Please feel free to call or email if you have any questions.

 

Mark Matthews - Course Director

Graduate Update

Jun29

With so many STS grads and teachers doing shows and other exciting things around Sydney and elsewhere it seems like a good idea to do a bulk update:

Pollyanna Nowicki performs the title role in Lady Hamlet at the Figtree Theatre this weekend https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lady-Hamlet/477770658943085?fref=ts

Lewis Scamozzi is appearing in The Importance of Being Ernest at the Bordello Theatre, Kings Cross https://www.facebook.com/events/309982229135383/?fref=ts

Alexander Butt and Alex Saloyedoff perform in Enron at the New Theatre, Newtown http://newtheatre.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=134%3Aenron&catid=22%3A2013&Itemid=160

Alexandra Afflick is appearing in SHOOT/GET TREASURE/REPEAT at Sidetrack Theatre https://www.facebook.com/events/144295709090411/

Screen acting tutor Julian Garner is producing and starring in Helter Skelter at the Old 505 venue in Surry Hills https://www.facebook.com/events/385336204909112/?viewer_id=620803392

Danielle Maas opens in Say Hello First next week at the Old Fitz https://www.facebook.com/events/147213632133531/?fref=ts

Anthony Sottile continues the European tour as Manuel in Fawlty Towers - The Dining Experience http://www.interactivetheatre.com.au/

Matt Lausch recently shot a guest role in the TV series Deadly Women https://www.facebook.com/DeadlyWomen?fref=ts

Brianna Farnham has recently appeared in TV commercials for iSelect; M & Ms & AAMI

Victoria Allen is about to head over to New York to train with the Atlantic Theater Company http://www.atlanticactingschool.org/

Leof Kingsford-Smith recently performed the title role in The Madness of King Lear in Japan https://www.facebook.com/groups/476736025689331/?fref=ts

Giselle van der Wiel recently finished filming new TV show Nasty Pieces of Work https://www.facebook.com/nastypiecesofwork

Jordan Shea recently signed with actor’s agency Sydney Talent Company.

Please let us know if we have missed anyone!

 

The Key to Becoming an Employable Actor

Jun23

I will often ask our students the following question: What does it take to be successful and to have a career as a professional actor? Often, the answer will be along the lines of: “talent“; “acting skills“; “training“; “a good agent“; “luck“; “knowing the right people“; “going to NIDA“; “being in the right place at the right time“; or dozens of other factors.

Many of these things are important and some are not - it depends on the individual and there is no set path to success. However, they often fail to mention what I believe is the single most important factor when it comes to making a career as an actor and it is this:

In order to be employed (and re-employed) as an actor and develop a sustainable long-term career you need to be able to give directors what they need to do their job well.

Directors - especially in theatre - are the key decision makers when it comes to who gets the jobs and who doesn’t. If you are the type of actor who takes direction well; works hard; turns up on time; does research and preparation without being asked; contributes to the creative process with ideas and suggestions (at appropriate times) OR knows when they are working with a director who DOESN’T want ideas and suggestions and so doesn’t offer them; listens and observes proper rehearsal room etiquette; and a host of other helpful behaviours then directors will want to work with you (and they will probably tell their director colleagues how great you are to work with too!).

If you don’t do these things it doesn’t matter how much ‘talent’ you have; where you trained; who your agent is; or how lucky you are - you won’t get the jobs or - if you do - you will only work with a director once and they will tell all their director friends NOT to employ you in their productions.

Students; amateurs and semi-professionals who find it hard to get acting jobs place way too much emphasis on their ‘talent’ or acting ability and way too little on their ability to work-with and help directors to do their job.

I often observe (or hear) what’s happening in rehearsals from my office which is right next to our rehearsal space. Way too often I hear directors ask students to “please be quiet while I’m speaking” or asking ”why haven’t you learnt your lines by now?” or “why haven’t you looked up the meaning of that word yourself?” or even “please don’t wait for me to tell you what to do - make an offer or use your own judgement“. Whatever the reason for this - fear; inexperience; immaturity; rudeness; self importance or whatever - these students/actors are not helping (in fact they are hindering) the director. When they leave the school and try to enter the workforce as a professional actor, would the director want to employ such actors in their productions? Probably not.

On the other side of the coin, I have seen other students who work hard; listen; take direction well; build positive relationships with their director and peers; demonstrate reliability and punctuality; work hard outside of class on their voice exercises and journals etc who are offered roles in professional productions by the directors they work with at STS after graduation. This has very little to do with talent; luck or anything else mentioned previously and everything to do with the perception that the director has formed about the actor in terms of their ability to help them do their job well.

The most important thing students at STS need to learn is: IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU! In fact, quite the opposite is true. It’s about your ability to be a team player and to help others (especially directors) to look good and to do their job well. Learn this lesson and you will be well on your way to turning your passion (for acting) into a profession!

Mark Matthews - STS Course Director

Audition Preparation and Performance Tips

Jun16

Here is some advice and guidance for those who are preparing their audition monologues for our upcoming auditions in November. There are usually many more applicants than available places so preparation and hard work is required to be successful in securing an offer. Having seen many auditions for places at Sydney Theatre School in the past eight years, and also having auditioned many applicants for other drama schools and professsional productions, I have identified some problem areas and issues that commonly arise. Here are my top ten tips:

1) CHOOSE AN APPROPRIATE PIECE

• A character or role you are likely to be cast in (ask others for their opinion if they know the play)
• A character close to your age, type, gender, physicality etc.
• Avoid using accents unless specifically requested

2) PREPARE THOROUGHLY

• Read the play and identify the character’s objectives and actions
• Look up the meaning of words you don’t understand (esp. with Shakespeare)
• Check correct pronunciation of unfamiliar words (esp. with Shakespeare)
• Over-learn the lines and perform the piece for someone prior to the audition

3) WARM UP PROPERLY BEFORE YOU ARRIVE

• May not be time or room to warm up at the venue
• Control your breath especially if you are nervous
• Project your voice (by using resonance – not shouting)

4) TREAT THE AUDITION AS A PERFORMANCE

• Don’t stop during the audition unless asked by the panel
• Request a prompt or ask to hold the script only if you must (signifies lack of preparation/confidence)

5) KEEP IT SIMPLE

• Keep still unless movement is required (don’t wander aimlessly)
• Don’t lock yourself into patterns. Be flexible and in the moment

6) DON’T BE INFLUENCED BY OTHERS

• Don’t change anything if someone does the same piece as you in a different way.
• Trust your own instincts

7) DON’T APOLOGISE OR MAKE EXCUSES

• The panel is not interested in reasons why you are under-prepared (eg sickness; family issues, work commitments; holidays etc)
• NEVER admit you were not happy with your performance (they might have liked it!)

8) DON’T BERATE YOURSELF IF IT DOESN’T GO WELL

• Remember there is no such thing as a perfect performance or audition

9) BE CONFIDENT AND POSITIVE BEFORE AND AFTER THE AUDITION

• Have confidence to be yourself
• Aim to project a friendly and professional demeanor
• Answer questions honestly and directly

10) LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE

• Evaluate your performance and identify what worked and what didn’t and why

Mark Matthews - Head of School and Course Director

Irish TV Documentary Crew at STS

Jun15

On Thursday, Sydney Theatre School was host to a documentary crew from Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE, to film a documentary. The presenter of the show - Vogue Williams (DJ and wife of singer Brian McFadden) - worked with our screen acting tutor Julian Garner and honed her Aussie accent skills with voice teacher Gabrielle Rogers. She also had a brief interview with STS Managing Director Mark Matthews who was very impressed with the acting and accent skills demonstrated by Vouge throughout the day. The show will be broadcast in Ireland later this year.

www.voguewilliams.com

 

Eighty-One Productions in Nine Years

Jun13

Since opening in 2005, Sydney Theatre School has staged the following productions:

A Line in the Dust - Directed by Clayton Buffoni - April 2005

Dahling You Were Marvellous - Directed by Michael Pigott - August 2005

All’s Well That Ends Well - Directed by Mark Matthews - November 2005

The Anarchists - Directed by Sam Haft - April 2006

The Space Between - Directed by Michael Pigott - April 2006

4.48 Psychosis - Directed by Mark Matthews - August 2006

Find Me - Directed by Michael Denkha - August 2006

Macbeth - Directed by Kate Gaul - November 2006

Seven To One - Directed by Melissa Paris - April 2007

The Black Dog - Directed by Sam Haft - April 2007

A Kingdom In A Suitcase - Directed by Michael Pigott - April 2007

The Cagebirds - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - August 2007

Find Me - Directed by Melissa Paris - August 2007

Roberto Zucco - Directed by Michael Pigott - August 2007

King Lear - Directed by Mark Matthews - November 2007

A Midsummer’s Night Dream - Directed by Michael Pigott - November 2007

Twelfth Night - Directed by Sarah Goodes - November 2007

Lost in Transition - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - April 2008

Perfectly Strung - Directed by Soseh Yekanians - April 2008

This Mortal Coil - Directed by Mark Matthews - April 2008

The Forgotten Tide - Directed by Michael Pigott - April 2008

Tough Love - Directed by Keith Agius (Advanced Diploma Shakespeare Showcase) - April 2008

A Dream Play x 4 - Directed by Malcolm Frawley, Sarah Goodes, Chris Burke and Michael Pigott - July 2008

The Proposal - Directed by Inga Romantsova - July 2008

The Jubilee - Directed by Inga Romantsova - July 2008

Macbeth - Directed by Keith Agius - November 2008

Julius Caesar - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - November 2008

Twelfth Night - Directed by Cristabel Sved - November 2008

Much Ado About Nothing - Directed by Michael Pigott - November 2008

Barack America - Directed by John Higgins - November 2008

The Blanket Theory - Directed by Michael Pigott - April 2009

Forbidden, Forgotten, Hidden - Directed by Kerreen Ely-Harper - April 2009

Home - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - April 2009

Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful? - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - July 2009

The Miracle - Directed by Michael Pigott - July 2009

Eyes To the Floor - Directed by Luke Rogers - July 2009

Attempts On Her Life - Directed by Kate Gaul - July 2009

This Mortal Coil - Directed by Mark Matthews - August 2009

The Tempest - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - November 2009

Macbeth - Directed by Jerome Pride - November 2009

Twelfth Night - Directed by David Ritchie - November 2009

Measure for Measure - Directed by Nicholas Papademetriou - November 2009

The Abandoned Perspective - Directed by Michael Pigott - April 2010

Innocent When You Dream - Directed by Jerome Pride - April 2010

Tea’s Gone Cold - Directed by Gavin Williams - April 2010

Defenceless, Inarticulate and Screaming for Attention - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - April 2010

Find Me - Directed by Gavin Williams - July 2010

What If? - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - July 2010

Audience - Directed by Jerome Pride - July 2010

4.48 Psychosis - Directed by Luke Rogers - July 2010

A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - November 2010

Twelfth Night - Directed by Jerome Pride - November 2010

The Comedy of Errors - Directed by Gavin Williams - November 2010

Oedipus - Directed by Michael Pigott - November 2010

Echoes into the Dark- Directed by Malcolm Frawley - April 2011

A Plane and Simple Truth - Directed by Jerome Pride - April 2011

Memoru Min - Directed by Michael Pigott - April 2011

Arabian Nights- Directed by Jerome Pride - August 2011

Attempts on Her Life - Directed by Rowan Greaves - August 2011

Imaginary Creatures - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - August 2011

The Tempest - Directed by Rowan Greaves - November 2011

The Beau Defeated - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - November 2011

A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Directed by Jerome Pride - November 2011

‘Re:Cognition - Directed by Michael Pigott - April 2012

The Game of Lust - Directed by Netta Yashchin - April 2012

Changes - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - April 2012

Head to Head - Directed by Jerome Pride - April 2012

Pullman Car Hiawatha - Directed by Kevin Jackson - August 2012

The Man Who Fell Out of Bed - Directed by Michael Pigott - August 2012

Tears Before Bedtime - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - August 2012

Cymbeline - Directed by Keith Agius - November 2012

As You Like It - Directed by Nicholas Papademetriou - November 2012

The Tempest - Directed by Malcolm Frawley - November 2012

After Dinner - Directed by Mark Matthews - November 2012

The Bridesmaid Must Die - Directed by Louise Fischer - November 2012

Little Feet: Big Steps - Directed by Kellie Jones - April 2013

Advanced Showcase - Directed by Jerome Pride - April 2013

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