Part Time Advanced Acting Course

12 months

Our Part Time Advanced Acting Course, running over 12 months, is an incredible Professional Advanced Acting program and comprehensive study of acting for the camera for adults.  All students receive a professional, conservatory-style training in Voice, Movement, Scene Study and the Alexander Technique. Actors also receive workshops and masterclasses with influential Australian and International Casting Directors and Directors.

This Part Time Acting course will launch you into the acting profession at the culmination of the course. Headshots and showreel package sent to all leading Professional Australian Agents and Casting Directors. Brave Studios believes in providing the actor in training with the skills and tools required to survive and succeed in the acting industry.

About the Part Time Acting Course

Students will not only gain a valuable insight into the industry, but also a deep knowledge of themselves in order to create grounded, truthful performances. In doing so, you will not only learn about acting but also about yourself. You will learn how to process emotions and to express yourself truthfully, with confidence and ease.

Course creators and Brave Studios owners Elle Mandalis and Damien Fotiou are professional actors with over four decades’ experience combined. They understand the demands and expectations of what it takes to be a working actor. Their close involvement ensures that students receive the highest quality training in a safe and nurturing environment.

Brave Studios prides itself on the personal attention we give to each and every student. Brave Studios employs a maximum of 12 students per class – A rare and luxurious opportunity! Students therefore are able to work in front of the teacher each and every class and have more opportunity to explore the work.

Part Time Acting Course Components

Scene Study

Students are assigned scenes throughout the course, teaching them how to take a script and translate it into a solid performance in front of the camera in our fully-equipped studio. All footage is then made available for our students to watch in their own time for self-critiquing, crucial to the art of acting. This teaches our students a valuable lesson in self-reflection that will stay with them after the completion of the course.

We pride ourselves in creating a safe environment to work in as we believe the best performances come from feeling safe enough to take risks and play.

Our Scene Study teachers include highly reputable actors and acting teachers Damian Walshe-Howling, Mark Hennessy, and Lyndelle Green.

All teachers independently offer unique techniques and methods of training, including Meisner, Practical Aesthetics, Chubbuck and Stanislavsky. This enables students to pick and choose from which method resonates with them the most once they have completed the course.

Voice and Movement

Vocal training is one of the most critical aspects of actor training. This class, taught by acclaimed and incredibly experienced actor Rob Meldrum, enables the actor to learn how to access their voice properly, improve their vocal clarity, diversity and power. By training the voice, the actor is able to access emotions, use their breath and deliver a stronger, more confident performance.

Our movement training component is run by the renowned teacher Anne O’Keefe. Her extensive knowledge of movement techniques and work from some of the worlds greatest teachers gives students a complete and integrated physical training.

Movement for actors enables them to be free and expressive in their body. Anne is incredible in teaching this method which enables actors to connect to characters through physical positions. This enables you to get out of your head and into the experience of someone else’s life and feelings.

US Accent

The advent of self-testing for international projects has dictated the necessity for all Australian actors to perfect the US accent.

NIDA-trained actor Tyler Coppin will not only teach students the phonetics of the accent, but also practicing self-testing in the accent on camera. He will help all students prepare for the US Self test audition with LA casting Director Caitlin Wells.

Alexander Technique

In this modern age, we spend a lot of time on our computers or looking down at our phones. This fills our bodies with tension through straining our neck and shoulders and disconnects us from the world around us. Through the Alexander Technique, you will reconnect with your body. You will find your natural alignment and centre of gravity.

Leonardo Canales will guide students through every aspect of the technique, which has become absolutely indispensable for any serious actor.
Learn more about the Alexander Technique here.

Auditioning Technique & Self Tests

Brave Studios’ director Damien Fotiou teaches the auditioning component of the part time acting course. Damien has more than twenty years experience as a professional actor and producing self tests and castings. His extensive experience means he provides a unique prospective on the casting process from both in-front, and behind the camera.

Masterclasses & Workshops

Students have the exclusive opportunity to be a part of two, full-weekend Masterclasses throughout the year and work directly with an LA casting Director:

Ana Kokkinos Masterclass – AUSTRALIAN FILMAKER AND DIRECTOR

We are privileged to have one of Australia’s most acclaimed Film Directors, Ana Kokkinos teaching our students her method of direction. This is an exclusive opportunity for participants to work with Ana and learn her unique process for bringing a script to life; a process which can be transferred and used with any script from audition through to performance. Over the last twenty years Ana has firmly established herself as one of our most innovative and creative film makers. With titles such as ‘Only the Brave’, ‘Head On’  and ‘Blessed’ to her name Ana has firmly stamped her mark on the Australian film making landscape. Her television credits have garnered her widespread acclaim from actors for her directing process and eye for detail, something which is sadly lacking in today’s industry. Please note, Ana is a very busy Director and we cannot guarantee she will be available, however, in the off chance Ana is not available, we will most certainly have a Director of equal calibre.

Auditioning 2 Day Workshop – Work with two of Australia’s leading Casting Directors

You will have the opportunity to work with two of Melbourne’s leading Casting Directors. These workshops will cover auditioning skills and techniques to help you better your audition process. You will learn how to approach a script and receive invaluable insights from a casting director’s perspective. This is a great way for you to receive feed back from a casting director to help your confidence and self belief. You will also get an insight into how the Casting world works and a Casting Director’s role within the Industry.

Previous Casting Directors include Megan D’Arcy from Nick Hamon Casting, Rosie Traynor from Chameleon Casting, Lou Mitchell from Maura Fay Casting and Jane Norris from Jane Norris Casting.

US SELF TEST for LA Casting Director CAITLIN WELL

All students will prepare an American Self test audition for LA casting Director, Caitlin Well from Presser/Well Casting. Once uploaded to Caitlin in LA, all students will engage in a live Skype session to receive direct and honest feedback with constructive criticism from Caitlin Well directly. You will also be taken through the casting process  in LA from not only the actors perspective, but also the standpoint of the decision makers.Her credits include BATMAN VS SUPERMAN (2016), MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015), TARZAN (2016) and THE GREAT GATSBY (2013), Click here for more.

Showreel and Headshot Package

To ensure students are ready when they graduate, a showreel and headshots are vital.

A video production team will film and edit a professional showreel for each student and include stunning headshots by the extremely talented photographer Pier Carthew of The Actors’ Caravan. This is to aid you in approaching industry professionals on completion of this course and showcase your work for potential auditions. View some previous showreels here.

Showcase

The culmination of twelve months of hard work is a showcase screening of our students final showreel scenes.

The showcase includes a screening of each students’ showreel filmed professionally in Term 3. This will then be sent to leading Australian Casting Directors and acting Agents Australia wide for potential representation.

Past cohorts of students have secured representation with leading Australian Casting Agents following our showcase. These include, Marquee Mgmt, BGM, Aran Michael Management, Creative Representation, Centre Stage, MP Talent and more.

Alumni

Recent Part Time Acting Graduates include Leila McDougall (Just a Farmer), Ezra Justin, (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Inbestigators) Tiama Martina (Get Krackn’, Mr Black, Playing For Keeps), Sami Obama  The Clearing, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Alex Cooke (Blood Vessel, Sunshine, The Very Excellent Mr Dundee, Preacher) and Joanna Sakkas (Neighbours, TKG: The Kids of Grove). Our most recent graduates Barbara Chung, Justin Edwards and Lucie Chaix have also found success in major national commercials and have gained representation with top Australian Agencies.

Strong Command of the English language

Students will be dealing with difficult concepts that require an advanced level of English language comprehension. Therefore, it is imperative that all students have a strong command of English. Please feel free to discuss this with one of our staff at Brave Studios should you need clarification.