Acting & Writing Programs in Vancouver, Canada

schoolcreative, Vancouver:
Schoolcreative is Vancouver's premiere arts school. We focus on acting for film and television and writing for the arts. We are very results oriented and our students work.

Full Time Acting Program
Level One
Full Time Acting Program Outline

Length of Program: 6 months
Total Hours of Instruction: Minimum 480 hours
Maximum Enrollment: 10
Credential Awarded: Diploma

LEARNING OUTCOME
The Level One Six Month Full Time Acting Program is a vocational training course designed to provide foundational preparation for an acting career in film and television. The program was created to illuminate and develop the inner life of the actor.

OVERVIEW
This program will give the students a practical knowledge of the classic disciplines of acting. They will have a strong understanding of who they are and how they can bring themselves to the work. Through self-discovery and the study of human nature via traditional theatre technique actors work toward becoming thoughtful, provocative and entertaining artists.

Training includes understanding of their own creative process, a set of skills for rehearsal, script analysis, voice, improvisation, movement, and audition technique. At the end of the program the actors perform in a showcase for industry professionals, family and friends. Actors also leave with a reel showcasing their work.

REQUIRED READING

- ACTIONS by Maria Calderone
- AUDITION by Michael Shurtleff
- INTENT TO LIVE by Larry Moss
- POWER OF THE ACTOR by Ivanna Chubbuck
- THEATRE GAMES FOR THE LONE ACTOR by Viola Spolin

The following classes are offered in this program:

- Audition Technique One
- Creative Process One
- Physical Theatre One
- Scene Study One
- Script Analysis One
- Voice One

The structure the classes follow over the 24 week period is broken up into units:

1 – Emotional Connection/Impulse/Breath/Team Work

2 – Place/Given Circumstances/Who, What, Where, When, Why

3 – Moment before/moment after/Private Moment

4 – Relationship

5 - Substitution

6- Objective/What you are fighting for/ Obstacles / Motivation

7 - Importance/Stakes

8 - Listening/Discovery

9 - Position/Competition/Taking a Strong Stance/Point of View

10 - Events/ Transitions/Beats

11 - Game Playing/Role Playing/Status/Hierarchy

12 - Mystery and Secret

13- Sense Memory - Triggers

14 - Humour

15 – Opposites: physical and emotional

16 – Mischief / Affecting Your Partner

17 - Physical Characterization

18 – Back-story

19 - 24 Showcase


Writing
Magazine Writing Program Outline
schoolcreative Fulltime Writing Program

Length of Program: 6 months
Day: Tuesday
Time: 12:00 – 3:00
Maximum Enrollment: 20
Prerequisites: None
Equipment: Students must have a laptop.

LEARNING OUTCOME
Student writers will learn to write active, compelling magazine stories. Writers will learn to find a strong idea, then pitch, plot and produce a story. They will also be familiar with the ins and outs of how magazine and newspaper writing works: who’s who, what’s what (the markets, contracts, pay-rates, problems for freelancers) and pay scale.

Student writers will learn where new writers fit in magazines and newspapers and how to communicate with editors. They will know how to write a catchy and informative, one-page story proposal and edit it into a saleable pitch for specific magazines. They will also learn and how to assess the needs of different editors and their magazines

DESCRIPTION
Magazine writing must be informative, compelling and dramatic while remaining truthful. Students will learn how to:

• Research
• Interview
• Find the crux of the story.
• Be accurate, detailed and find what makes a good quote
• Illustrate subjects with drama tension
• Write and edit muscular, succinct prose
• Determine the correct style for the article

ASSIGNMENTS & CLASS STRUCTURE

STRUCTURE
The class structure is a combination of lecture, class discussion, workshops, group and individual assignment and in class assignments.

READING
Students are to read required texts. They are asked to complete a written summary of texts outlining the points covered and their relevance to magazine writing or particular topics they are covering. The instructor assigns texts.

ASSIGNMENTS
• two in class assignments
• one story for the school newspaper
• one online story for one of Schoolcreative’s websites
• independent take-home assignments

EVALUATION
Students may be given tests from time to time – unannounced. They will be assessed in the first two weeks of class for affinity for and commitment to the work. Thereafter they will receive two report cards: one 3 months into the course and upon completion of the program. Evaluation is on going, based on class work, development and assignments.