Th 4171 - ACTING VI:
ACTING FOR THE CAMERATTh 12:00-1:50 Spring 2008 Professor Tom Isbell
Office: 148 MPAC
Phone: 726-6313
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 2:15-3:15
E-Mail: tisbell@d.umn.edu
Home Page: http://www.d.umn.edu/~tisbell
COURSE OBJECTIVE: To learn and explore the necessary adjustments of one's acting styles to be a successful actor on camera. In addition, students will focus on the business side of acting, researching markets and creating individual resumes, cover letters and audition journals.
COURSE APPROACH: The course will be divided into the various components of camera jobs (feature films, commercials, sitcoms, one-hour episodics, etc.), and after learning the appropriate techniques for that particular genre, students will spend time in front of the camera working with exercises and actual commercial, film and TV scenes. Performances will then be analyzed and critiqued so that students will have an opportunity to improve their skills.
REQUIRED READING:
- Kerr, Judy . Acting is Everything . September Publishing.
- Various handouts.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
- Attendance is mandatory. No more than two absences are allowed. Each absence beyond two will automatically lower the final letter grade one third of a letter. Chronic absentees will be dropped from the course.
- Please be on on time. Two late arrivals equal one absence.
- Regular participation in class exercises is expected.
- The rehearsal, blocking, and memorization of all scenes and monologues must be done outside of class.
- Students will be expected to develop a final resume, cover letter, and audition journal which they will take with them into the marketplace.
- When not acting in scenes, all students will be expected to be gaffers, directors, camera operators, key grips, and best boys.
- There will be occasional Internet assignments to help familiarize students with important websites.
- There may be occasional pop quizzes, to make sure that students are keeping up with the reading and the lectures.
- Students will grade themselves on their on-camera performances. They will be given a self-evaluation form for each major assignment. However, if there is any stumbling of lines, a full letter grade will automatically be deducted.
- A Research Paper will be due at the end of the semester. It will include: your type, an actor of your type whose work you admire, the market you plan on entering (and the reasons why), your strategy for finding work, and pertinent websites for housing, jobs, and auditions. A guide will be distributed to students earlier in the semester to help them with this assignment.
- The Final Exam will be an on-camera audition, for which students will have one week to prepare.
Course Evaluation Assignment
Point Value
Memorized Commercials 5 each One-Camera Scenes 5 each Round Table Book Discussions 3 each Internet Assignments 3 each Final Resume 3 Final Cover Letter 3 Research Paper 5 Attitude, Improvement, Flexibility 10 Final On-Camera Audition 5 At the end of the semester, points will be totaled and graded on the following scale:
Grading Scale Letter Grade
Percentage
A 91-100 A- 88-90 B+ 85-87 B 81-84 B- 78-80 C+ 75-77 C 72-74 C- 69-71 D+ 66-68 D 62-65
Course Outline Date
Assignment
Tues. Jan. 22 No Class - KCACTF Thurs. Jan. 24 No Class - KCACTF Tues. Jan. 29 Syllabus, terms, the process. Commercial technique Thurs. Jan. 31 Commercial technique. Resumes due. Tues. Feb. 5 Resume analysis. Commercial technique. Thurs. Feb. 7 Resume analysis. Commercial technique. Tues. Feb. 12 Voice-over workshop w/ Robin Miles Thurs. Feb. 14 Discussion #1: Acting is Everything (Sections One and Two) Tues. Feb. 19 Commercial #1 (memorized) Thurs. Feb. 21 Sitcom technique. Blocking. Tues. Feb. 26 Sitcom technique. Table Read. Thurs. Feb. 28 Discussion #2: Acting is Everything (Section Three) Tues. March 4 Sitcom technique. Soaps. Thurs. March 6 View Michael Caine: Acting in Film Tues. March 11 One-camera technique Thurs. March 13 Discussion #3: Acting is Everything (Sections Four through Ten) Tues. March 18 No Class. Spring Break. Thurs. March 20 No Class. Spring Break. Tues. March 25 Shoot first one-camera scenes Thurs. March 27 Shoot first one-camera scenes Tues. April 1 Commercial auditions Thurs. April 3 View one-camera scenes. Commercials Tues. April 8 Commercial #2 (memorized) Thurs. April 10 One-camera auditions (office) Tues. April 15 Commercial auditions Thurs. April 17 Shoot second one-camera scenes Tues. April 22 Shoot second one-camera scenes Thurs. April 24 Commercial #3 (memorized) Tues. April 29 Commercial auditions Thurs. May 1 View one-camera scenes. Commercials Tues. May 6 One-camera auditions (office) Thurs. May 8 Commercial #4 (memorized). Resumes, cover letters, & research papers due.
Final Exam: Friday, May 16 2:00-3:55 p.m. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
This is a floating syllabus. Assignments, dates, and lectures may change, based on schedules, conflicts, and the progress of the class. There may also be other assignments throughout the semester. Point total possibilities will be announced when the new assignment is given.
Academic dishonesty tarnishes UMD's reputation and discredits the accomplishments of students. UMD is committed to providing students every possible opportunity to grow in mind and spirit. This pledge can only be redeemed in an environment of trust, honesty, and fairness. As a result, academic dishonesty is regarded as a serious offense by all members of the academic community. In keeping with this ideal, this course will adhere to UMD's Student Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found at www.d.umn.edu/assl/conduct/integrity. This policy sanctions students engaging in academic dishonesty with penalties up to and including expulsion from the university for repeat offenders.
The instructor will enforce and students are expected to follow the University's Student Conduct Code (http://www.d.umn.edu/assl/conduct/code). Appropriate classroom conduct promotes an environment of academic achievement and integrity. Disruptive classroom behavior that substantially or repeatedly interrupts either the instructor's ability to teach, or student learning, is prohibited. Disruptive behavior includes inappropriate use of technology in the classroom. Examples include ringing cell phones, text-messaging, watching videos, playing computer games, doing email, or surfing the Internet on your computer instead of note-taking or other instructor-sanctioned activities.
Individuals who have any legitimate disability, either permanent or temporary, which might affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to inform the Instructor at the start of the semester. Adaptations of methods, materials or testing may be made as required to provide equitable participation.