***All Adult classes 18 and over unless otherwise specified.

Prerequisite: None
10 Good Pages is an introductory screenwriting class with the goal of helping writers develop a practical toolkit for short and feature film writing. Whether you’re a beginner or more experienced writer looking to tackle a specific film project, this course will give you the time and space to apply and experiment with writing techniques for the big and small screen.

Writers will:

• Learn and practice foundational screenwriting techniques
• Become practitioners of “proper” screenplay format
• Develop a “writer’s toolkit”
• Apply this toolkit to the writing of new material
• Practice using the toolkit for revisions and critique
• Receive peer and instructor feedback on their work
• Be part of a creative community where we help one another do our best work

Course Goals:
Through a combination of creative exercises and workshopping material, writers will ultimately complete 10 good pages by the end of the course. Whether these pages are for a short film or features will be at each student’s discretion. Students may also bring existing concepts to the class to work on, but an idea for a film is not required to begin. Through our creative exercises, we will develop and workshop new and original content as we build and refine our writer’s toolkit.

Course Outline:

Week One
Introduction & Welcome; Screenplay Format Basics; Show Don’t Tell: Visual Storytelling
Writing Exercise #1: Visual Storytelling

Week Two
Foundations of Dramatic Writing; Basics of Dialogue
Workshop Exercise #1
Writing Exercise #2: Dialogue Driven Scene

Week Three
Character As Action
Workshop Exercise #2
Writing Exercise #3: Character Driven Scene

Week Four
Plot, Structure, & Genre
Workshop Exercise #3
Writing Exercise #4: Short Sequence

Week Five
The Dark Arts, or How To Do Everything Screenplay Books Tell You Not To Do
Workshop Exercise #4
Writing Exercise #5: Personal Project

Week Six
Finding Your Voice; The Writer’s Life
Workshop Exercise #5

A safe space:
Our best story ideas often start small and come from uncertain places within us. Through patience and practice however, these small ideas can become big, reaching audiences around the world. Bearing this in mind, this class will be a supportive, safe, and confidential space. Writers are free to explore ideas important to them with the assurance that their stories will remain their own to take into the world. We shall respect each writer’s privacy and not share any written work outside the class without the express permission of said writer.

About your teacher:
Geoffrey Gunn is a writer, producer, and director specializing in independent film. His past writing and co-writing credits include anime legend Mamoru Oshii’s GARM WARS: THE LAST DRUID and the dark comedy DIRTY WEEKEND, both of which enjoyed international film festival runs before finding their way to theaters, home video and streaming services. Additional writing credits include the Lionsgate release SIREN, micro budget darling CINEMA PURGATORIO and the Lifetime thriller FATAL FAMILY REUNION. With over 15 years of experience in the business of independent film, Geoffrey also routinely works as a panelist, teacher, and consultant on the topic of screenwriting and filmmaking.

***All Adult classes 18 and over unless otherwise specified.

The Viewpoints technique is perfect for the actor
who wants to get out of the head and into the body.
It’s an energizing movement method designed to
teach you to follow your impulses, free yourself from
judgment, and make bold choices. Don’t just be a
talking head… Viewpoints will help you use your
body to set yourself apart in auditions and to up
your game onscreen.

Through this class, actors will learn:
• How to apply physical and vocal tools to take direction
• How to build a character with an engaging physical life
from a character breakdown
• How to communicate meaning and story with just your
body (vital for those day player roles or ensemble work!)
• How to use your unique body and movement style to
stand out in the audition room
• How to connect to your impulses, and trust your gut
while you work
• How to feel comfortable in your own skin while acting

Note: No prior acting experience is required for this class. Be ready to try new things and move your body!

***All Adult classes 18 and over unless otherwise specified.

Characters today are written with various, not to mention diverse, backgrounds. What better tool to have in an actor’s toolbox than knowing how to effectively perform different dialects. Actor and dialect coach Brad Brinkley is back with a level 1 class to help you learn the fundamentals of dialect work.

In this 8-week course, actors will learn the fundamentals of dialect work, including:

• The basics of the vocal mechanism
• What dialects are and how to create them
• Elements of Linklater-based vocal technique
• The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
• How to diagnose and modify your native accent
• Performing monologues and scenes in Non-Regional American and Received
• Pronunciation

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Better understand the parts of the voice and how it works
• Change Muscular Resonance (vocal placement)
• Apply IPA to script work
• Identify unique vocal habits that impact creating dialects
• Perform in dialect with greater authenticity and confidence
• Expand your range as an actor

Weekly breakdown:

• Week 1 – Intro to Dialects and elements of Linklater-based voice work
• Week 2 – IPA: Consonants + Voice Work
• Week 3 – IPA: Vowels and Diphthongs + Voice Work
• Week 4 – IPA Transcription
• Week 5 – Intro to Non-Regional American + Identifying Vocal Habits
• Week 6 – Scene Performance in Non-Regional American
• Week 7 – Intro to Received Pronunciation + Identifying Vocal Habits
• Week 8 – Scene Performance in Received Pronunciation

***All Adult classes 18 and over unless otherwise specified.

The key to your success as an actor is “Living TRUTHFULLY under imaginary circumstances”. How can we accomplish that?

We believe it starts with the Meisner Technique and understanding its key factors of being in the moment, listening, freely being able to use your imagination, and letting yourself be affected truthfully by the other human in front of you.

In the class you will…
-Learn a brief history of Sanford Meisner and the Meisner Technique.
-Put to practice the Repetition exercises needed for success with the Meisner Technique.
-Get an introduction to VIEWPOINTS technique which is an integral part of the 6 month intensive.

If you don’t have a foundation, everything you try to build will eventually crumble.

This class is a prerequisite to our full 6 Month Meisner and Movement Intensive.

Take your technique to the next level! Make more specific choices and facilitate acting from a place of truth by utilizing Uta Hagen’s Object Exercises and applying them to your practice and process.

EACH WEEK YOU WILL:

• Learn a new Object Exercise
• Prepare an Object Exercise to share
• Get feedback on your Exercise
• Apply the Object Exercise, principles, and feedback to a scene on camera

Kathleen has been acting professionally for over 30 years. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Kent State University with a BA in Theater and did an undergrad Honors Thesis in Shakespearean Performance. She spent 12 years in New York City working as an actress on the stage and has spent the last 12 years in the Atlanta market, primarily as a film and television actress. Current tv/film credits include: Bluff City Law, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings, Cobra Kai, Good Girls, Sleepy Hollow, Irresistible, and Charming the Hearts of Men. Kathleen is a member of SAG/AFTRA and AEA.

***All Adult classes 18 and over unless otherwise specified.