To commence the March-April newsletter some words of wisdom from two of the greats; actor-director Clint Eastwood and Hollywood legend Bette Davis…
I’m happy to announce that Term 1 has been a great start to the year with our best class numbers in well over two years and all of our master classes filled to capacity over the past three months.
This success is due to the dedication and commitment to their education of our established students, who along with the keen new students who commenced classes this term, has helped the school to stay on top.
Thank you for your support. It’s greatly appreciated.
Term Dates
Term 1 completes on Saturday 8 April.
Term 2 classes commence from Tuesday 25 April (Anzac day, but please note that we do not observe public holidays during term)
It would be greatly appreciated if all students returning for Term 2 classes post a $50-00 fees deposit to secure their position in their nominated class. This allows us to accurately assess how many new students we can add to the respective classes and also leaves you with less to pay when classes return. Win win.
Advanced Screen Performance & Technique
This new master class is tutored by one of Australia’s most experienced and innovative producer-directors, the multi-award-winning Bill Hughes.
Bill singlehandedly changed the face of ABC-TV drama with his revolutionary 26 hour police series Phoenix, and his extensive list of credits include All Saints, Packed to the Rafters, Changi, The Flying Doctors, Mcloud’s Daughters, and the award-winning feature film, The Interview, starring Hugo Weaving and Tony Martin. Bill is currently directing Home & Away for the 7 Network.
The master class runs over two consecutive Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm on 21 and 28 May. During the master class students will work with a variety of scenes – with a strong emphasis on performance, screen technique and assessment.
Remember, it doesn’t matter how good an actor you are if you lack the all important technical skills required for precise film and television performance then your career will wither on the vine.
January Film Acting Master Class Review
The January Film Acting master class produced the short film Cold Dinner for One. A powerful film dealing with mental disorder and suicide. No, this film is definitely not for the faint of heart!
Congratulations to the cast of Zena Mehanna, David McCredie, Sara Oliviera, Gabi Finkelsen, Frances Cooney and Melissa McCredie for their dynamic performances and commitment to telling the story in a truthful and affecting way. Your performances and feedback along with the production values of the short film inspired many of our students to voice their interest in the next Film Acting master class in July. Well done!
Rodrigo Rodrigues Workshop
On Monday 27 February Brazilian actor-director Rodrigo Rodrigues spoke about the production of his first feature film, Goitica, held a Q&A and then ran the students through a Butoh Technique workshop.
The participating students Paul Millett, Tony Dreise, Meredith Cox, Jess Grosbard, Samantha Dikinson, Gabi Finkelsen, Amanda Armitage, Grace Patterson, Jess Reid, Josh Armitage, Michelle King, Shannon Donaughy, Eden Donovan, Emily Angell and Sara Oliviera learned a great deal from Rodrigo and had a lot of fun doing so.
Student News
Congratulations to Iwona Abramowicz who played the role of Margarita in the Bollywood film RSVP.
RSVP was directed by Sanjeev Mehra and shot in Sydney
A proactive approach to your acting career always pays off. I’ve always admired Robert Flanagan for his go-getter approach. Robert trained at the school in the mid-1990s, and since then has appeared in a myriad of roles, working with some of Australia’s best actors.
So it figures that if Robert couldn’t win a role in a great film opportunity then hey, why not get a job on the crew! Any way you can get your foot in the door, eh Robert?
Robert with a very happy (and back in form) Mel Gibson
Sonya Plummer established herself largely on TVSN but now features on national television, appearing in a new Youi insurance TVC.
Sonya, like Robert Flanagan, just keeps chipping away at her craft and it’s certainly paying off for her too.
TV Series on DVD
Robert Redford’s American West (USA: 2016-) Dramatised documentary series
This outstanding 8 x 60 minute series details the history of the American West from just after the Civil War to the late 1890s. The politics and the back stories are truly fascinating and the production values are exceptional. The dramatic recreations are expertly played and the narration and the appearance of actors who have played roles in Westerns, such as Burt Reynolds, Danny Glover, Keifer Sutherland, and Redford himself are a neat touch.
And speaking of Redford, who can forget his brilliant portrayal of Sundance opposite Paul Newman as Butch, in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Class Scene DVDs/USBs
If you would like an edited copy of your scenes from this term, or previous term’s work, then email me or see me in class and I will organize it for you. Class scene DVDs/USBs are $50-00 per term’s five scenes and are a beneficial means of further home study.
Note: If supplying a USB, please use a white or light coloured USB so we can print your initials on it for easy recognition.
Have an enjoyable semester break and I look forward to seeing you and to working with you again when classes return from Tuesday 25 to Saturday 29 April.
Alan Nurthen (Director)