Term 1 classes commence from 27 January.
The staff and I are refreshed and raring to go after the summer semester break and we’re looking forward another creative and productive term of classes.
We’d like to welcome back to our established students for another term of screen acting, and we’d like to extend a warm welcome to the new students commencing classes with us this term.To kick off, some advice from Willem Defoe on playing the role…
Refugee TV Screening
The master class film Refugee will screen this year on the TVS program Anthology of Interest along with the award-winning short film program Dark Carnival (Foxtel Channel 183) Dates and times will be posted once screening dates are locked in.
Iraqi refugee Amira Al-Rawi wakes from a war torn nightmare
Congratulations to the talented cast of Mona Bagherpour, Jozsef Kleiner, Ashwai Muo and Paul Millett for their passionate and committed performances.
High Time
The November film acting master class production High Time is currently in post-production with a delivery date to TVS of mid-March 2015.
High Time exposes the moral dilemma affecting thousands of Australian families every year by exploring the medical marijuana debate.
Laura Tate as Sarah in High Time
Cancer. The Big C. Sarah’s husband Brad has it. But what can she do to help him? Will she continue to follow the advice of doctors and Big Pharma, with the treatment proving worse than the disease? Or will she break the law and seek effective – though currently illegal – alternative medicine?
A big Thank You to Glenn and Olga for the use of their amazing house in Rozelle as a location, and to my extremely talented cast of Laura Tate, Jess Grosbard, Samantha Picello, Trevor Shipton and Juvahn Victoria for their fearless performances. I’m really looking forward to editing the film and getting it in front of an audience.
Term 1 Master Class: Book the Role
Term 1 sees the launch of a new master class: Book the Role with multi-award-winning actor Peter Phelps.
Tutor Peter PhelpsBook the Role is an intensive full day workshop designed to empower actors with the skills, technique, confidence, and attitude required to consistently book roles in feature films, television drama, and TV commercials.The course is tutored by multi-award-winning actor and director Peter Phelps whose mission is to give you edge you need to succeed.
Bookings now open with only 8 positions available!
For further details refer to course flyer attached to newsletter link email
Student News
Not much to report at this time of the year as the film industry slowly awakens from the slumber of the summer holidays.
However, advanced teen Jess Grosbard managed to score an audition for a featured role in a Mazda TV commercial. Fingers crossed for a booking Jess!
Jess Grosbard
After directing her first feature film, the critically-acclaimed Around the Block starring Christina Ricci, writer-producer-director Sarah Spillane is now helming her second feature, True Spirit. True Spirit details the story of teenager Jessica Watson’s solo, around-the-world sailing adventure.
Sarah Spillane
Very well done Sarah! You’re fast becoming one of Australia’s hottest young writer-directors.
Prufrock and Co director Greg Perano requires 15 more actors (older teens to adult) to play an “army on the march” in some additional scenes for the film. The scenes will be shot late February, early March at Irrawong Reserve North Narrabeen.
If you’d like to play a featured role in Greg’s second film, then let me know and I’ll organize the numbers for him.
Films on DVD
Fury (2014: USA) Directed by David Ayer. Starring Brad Pitt, Shia LeBeouf, Logan Lerman. If you’re a fan of Saving Private Ryan then Fury makes for a good bookend. Like Private Ryan, Fury doesn’t shrink from the bloody reality of combat, capturing the futility and brutality of all out warfare. The hardships some of our parents faced during the second World War shows just what a tough and determined generation they were. As Brando says at the climax of Apocalypse Now: “The horror… The horror.”
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014: USA) Directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez. Starring Mickey Rourke, Josh Brolin, Eva Green. Mainly for fans of the original Sin City, Sin City 2 does have it’s highlights along with some groundbreaking green screen photography. Rourke and Brolin turn in powerful perfomances and Green is to die for as the dangerous but delectable femme fatale (a dame to kill for, indeed.)
Shaun the Sheep (UK: 2007 – 2014) (Series and film available for viewing on YouTube) Shaun is a sheep who doesn’t follow the flock – in fact, he leads them into all sorts of scrapes and scraps, turning peace in the valley into mayhem in the meadow. I fell in love with Shaun the Sheep while watching the first 3 series with my son and grandson while in South Africa over the holidays. Shaun is awesome laugh-out-loud viewing for 3 year olds to grand parents. Highly recommended.Class Scene DVDs
If you’d like an edited copy of your past term’s on-camera scenes on DVD then contact me and I’ll organize it for you. Class scene DVDs are $40 per terms work or the same price for a compilation of your 5 favourite scenes.
Class scene DVDs are a beneficial means of improving performance and technique via further home study.
It’s been a long and enjoyable semester break but I’m really looking forward to getting back into teaching again.
See you in class next week. And let’s get creative!
Alan Nurthen