Freshmen Colloquium: Performance Strategies

(2 Credits)

This Introductory Colloquium is designed to establish the principles, language and toolset of performance from both an actor's and a director's perspective. The course aims to demystify the relationship between an actor and the director, explore the actor's process, and establish introductory best practices for the film director to shape authentic, story-centric film performances. Each element of the actor's process will be addressed: training, preparation, auditions, casting, rehearsing, blocking, shooting and post-production. While the lecture will establish an overview, a separate weekly recitation will put these elements into practice. Through lecture, demonstration, and recitation, student filmmakers will learn a common language and process-centered means of working with actors in order to create memorable performances for film. This course establishes a practical foundation for work with actors throughout the arc of the UGFTV curriculum.