Classes return from Tuesday April 23 and the advanced teen and adult classes return on April 25 (Anzac Day) but please note that the school does not observe public holidays during term.
To get you in the mood for classes next week, here are some words of advice from Academy Award winning actor Forest Whitaker.
Good advice from actor Forest Whitaker
SCREEN ACTORS WORKSHOP 25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!
July 2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the Screen Actors Workshop and we will be celebrating our quarter century of service to the community and the film and television industries in style. The date for the big party is Saturday July 6 (the middle weekend of the winter semester break.) We have a huge night of entertainment planned, including scene snippets and bloopers from 1988 to 2013, and two live sets from former student Sarah Lorien’s band, the fabulous Aqualash. Aqualash are on a high at the moment with one of their songs Never Say Surrender selected for the soundtrack of horror film The Revenant. To get an idea of their sound, think UK band Portishead.
Sarah Lorien performing as Aqualash2013 AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS CHAMPION AWARDS
The awards night in The Grand Ballroom at The Westin Hotel Sydney on Saturday April 13 was a huge event and the 900 finalists were selected from a pool of over 2,000,000 small businesses nationwide.
Screen Actors Workshop director Alan Nurthen with the school’s co-ordinator Vera Polianskaia at the 2013 Australian Small Business Champion Awards
Journalist, author, filmmaker and former Big Brother hostess Gretel Killeen did a great job as awards MC and a fun night was had by all of the small business award finalists. We were thrilled to be selected for the 2013 awards and we hope to get a shot at the big one again next year.
SMART PHONE APP
This month sees the launch of the Screen Actors Workshop iPhone App. The free app download is now available from Android and from Apple. With currently over 58% of web access via Smart Phones and growing rapidly, having our own app is a step into the future for the school. The dynamic new app was designed by John North from Evolve Systems Distribution. John – father of teen student James North – is an expert in app design and application and he’s done a fantastic job on the school’s new app. Much appreciated John!You can download our free Apple iPhone App here
You can download our free Android Smart Phone App here
TERM 2 MASTERCLASS PROGRAM
Next up on the Masterclass Program is one of our new courses for 2013, Cold Reading Techniques tutored by actor/MC/presenter Salvatore Coco (Two Hands; Looking for Alibrandi; Underbelly 3; Sea Patrol Series 4.) Some of our top advanced students have requested a course on cold reading, as cold reads at drama auditions can be a potential minefield, and many talented actors miss out on plum roles simply because they fail to understand the process and the techniques involved. This intensive one day course involves comprehensive on-camera performance coupled with insightfull assessment. The workshop will cover all you need to know to blitz your way through cold reads and win the role. (For further information refer to course flier attached to your April-May newsletter link email)
Also slated for Term 2 is the hugely popular Armoury for Actors Masterclass. This full day course, held at The Botany Pistol Club with tutor/armourer Tony Garland (Superman Returns; Underbelly Razor) is literally a blast and teaches students everything there is to know about the safety, handling and discharge of firearms in the context of credible on-set action performance. (For further information refer to course flier attached to your April-May newsletter link email)
Armourer Tony Garland instructs students during the theory session
Student Tess Mailman unleashes a massive AK-47 barrel flash during the practical session
STUDENT NEWS
Congratulations to 9 year-old Junior student Maya Beck who has been working hard in class and seeing the result pay off handsomely with a lead speaking role in the Polly Pocket TVC screening on the Foxtel kids channel Nickelodeon. Maya has also recently completed work on a music video for the band Khanz, where she struts her stuff as a dancer. Well done Maya!
12 year-old Junior student Zach Zitis has been no slouch either, currently gracing our television screens in a Smith Family TVC. Zach is featured 100% in the commercial as he delivers a moving piece to camera.
And while on the subject of our Junior students, it was heartening to see the noticable improvement in confidence and presentation from our two newest students, Antonio Nardo (7) and Eden Thomas (8) With only a couple of on-camera class scenes to their credit thus far, Eden and Antonio are becoming relaxed and supremely confident in front of the camera, displaying a great sense of fun in their most recent work. Well done Antonio and Eden!
Performing in your underwear seems to be the current trend amongst our advanced adult students with Sam Smith recently performing in the play Jilted in his underdaks. Not to be outdone, classmate Tim Page is currently featured 100% in a new Bonds Flexits TVC with former tennis ace Pat Rafter; and, you guessed it, strips down to his Bonds undies along with the rest of the “film crew.” The TVC is a hoot and Tim knocks his role as Pat’s manager out of the park. What’s next guys? Full frontal? Please, no!!!
REELFOCUS
ReelFocus – an Australian based company – are setting up a World Wide Web site to promote young talent by inviting them to upload videos of their creative efforts, which will be judged by industry professionals and the general public. ReelFocus is the first internet platform of its type in the world; it is free to join and prizes will be awarded for outstanding work.
For more information check out the ReelFocus Facebook page.
AGENCY TELEVISION PILOT
After numerous rewrites and some serious polishing, Hugh Cann’s Canny Productions satirical television pilot, Agency, has won the support of veteran producer Bill Hughes (Packed to the Rafters.) With Bill’s blessing and encouragement, Hugh is in the process of submitting the pilot episode to ABC-TV for their consideration. This is potentially good news for our students, as the supporting roles, 50 worders and featured extra spots available in Agency will be cast exclusively through the school. The Screen Actors Workshop studio also features as one of the locations in Agency. Stay tuned for more news as it comes to hand.
NEW FILMS ON DVD
I have to agree with the illustrious Mr Penn, but below are some exceptions to the rule of mediocrity which are now available in your local video store…
Argo (USA: 2012) Director Ben Affleck. Starring Ben Affleck (The Town), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Alan Arkin (Catch 22; Little Miss Sunshine) and John Goodman (Treme) Winner of three 2013 Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing; Argo is a brilliant edge-of-the-seat thriller based on a true story about the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979-80. In lesser hands this film could have been nothing more than a one-dimensional gung-ho flag waving bore, but with a brilliant screenplay by Chris Terrio, spot on direction by Affleck and, with George Clooney as one of the producers, quality cinema is guaranteed. You’ll also get a laugh from the cynical one-liners directed at the Hollywood film industry, which are masterfully delivered with wit and relish by Goodman and Arkin. Five out of five for this superb film!
The Master (USA: 2012) Director Paul Thomas Anderson. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. Damaged World War 2 navy veteran (Phoenix) finds salvation of sorts with the leader of The Cause (Hoffman) only to be ultimately disillusioned by the strange cult (shades of Scientology are evident.) Joaquin Phoenix’s towering performance in this rather strange film is a masterclass in physical performance and body language.CLASSIC FILMS ON DVD
The Lost Boys (USA: 1987) Director Joel Schumacher. Starring Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim and Dianne Wiest. Excellent teen horror film which set the benchmark for the flood of teen vampire flicks to follow.
Sirens (Aust: 1994) Director John Duigan. Starring Sam Neill, Hugh Grant, Tara Fitzgerald, Elle Macpherson and Kate Fischer. Loosely based on the great Australian artist Norman Lindsey (played by Neill) and his plans to exhibit a new painting that the Anglican church have deemed to be a blasphemy. Hugh Grant is well cast as the young priest sent from Sydney to Lindsay’s idyllic rural retreat in Springwood to educate the artist on the “error of his ways.” The tension between the church’s teaching and the sensual side of life comes to a head when Estella, the priests wife, is slowly seduced by the libertine lifestyle.CLASS SCENE DVDs
If you would like an edited DVD of your past term’s on-camera scenes then see me in class or send me an email and I’ll arrange it for you. Class scene DVDs are $40.00 per terms work, or the same price for a 5 scene compilation of your favourite scenes from current and previous terms work.
I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome back our ongoing students and to extend a warm welcome to the new students commencing classes with us next week. The staff and I are refreshed and raring to go after the two week autumn semester break and I’m looking forward to working with you this term.
Alan Nurthen
Director