480A Performance for Camera
Units: 2
Term: Spring 2018
Day: Friday
Time: 2:30pm – 5:20 pm
Location: SHR 105, 661 West Jefferson Blvd.
Instructor: Michael Laskin
Office Hours: by appointment
Contact Info:
310-748-2859 (cell)
Syllabus for COURSE ID, Page 1 of 5
Course Description:
- This class will allow and encourage the theatre-trained artist to reimagine their talents and skills in a different medium: the moving images of film and TV.
- The “pivot” from stage to screen can be an interestingand unique challenge to the theatre artist.
- Onstage the actor is often rewarded for becoming someone else entirely different from himself or herself. However, in general the screen actor is rewarded for being some truthful and dynamic version of who they already are. And this can sometimes feel like it’s in opposition to the natural organic impulse to play, transform, and pretend.
- There are three kinds of acting (all of them excellent, hopefully)!
- Acting on the stage
- Acting onscreen
- Acting in an office (aka: auditioning)
- This class will begin at the beginning. We will start with what has succeeded for each actor on the stage, and initially attempt to transfer that to the screen – prior to focusing solely on film and TV material. Then through a series of exercises each actor will be encouraged to discover a style of acting that is natural, behavior-based, and unique to them only - yet always bolstered by the foundations of all good acting:
- Solid technique
- Clear objectives
- Honoring the “world” in which the action takes place
- There is no substitute for allowing the actor as much time in front of the camera as possible, and that is the goal of each class. Material to be filmed will be assigned. That said, I am also open to each actor finding material that they want to work on, and bringing it to class. This material must be approved by me.
- We will also spend a good amount of time with audition material. There are actors who are very skilled at auditioning, but are not great actors. Conversely, there are great actors who are not skilled at auditioning. This class will attempt to close that gap; demystifying, deconstructing, and reconstructing the audition process to enable each actor to be as good as their ambitions and talent.
Learning Objectives
The goal of this class is for each actor to gain an understanding of how their skills as theatre actors can be refocused for onscreen performing. What can we easily transfer over from our theatre training? What works, and what doesn’t work in this new medium?And what new skills must be acquired?
Playing a character can often be easier than playing a version of yourself. The clear objective is to train the actor to mate their core essential qualities to a new set of skills, creating ease and authenticity in front of the camera.
Required Reading
“The Authentic Actor – the Art and Business of Being Yourself” by Michael Laskin (available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and directly through the publisher -
Suggested reading: “Acting in Film, an Actor’s Take on Movie-making” by Michael Caine (available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.).
Description and Assessment of Assignments
Assignments for this class will be focused on helping the individual actor gainease and naturalness in front of the camera. The assignments will all be focused on helping the actor find a way to “be” rather than to “do” – while still adhering to the time-tested tenets of solid actor training.
CLASS ETIQUETTE:
Absences/Tardiness: It is the basic obligation of each student to attend all classes. Tardiness and absences are not allowed. The class must start on time with all in attendance. A doctor’s note will not be sufficient for any absences.
Cell Phones: Cell phone usage in class is not allowed, unless on a sanctioned break to be determined by the professor.
GRADING POLICY:
Grades are determined by full engagement in every class, including:
- Openness to new methods of working and an eagerness to attempt them
- In-class active student analysis and commentary on the work in progress
- Constructive and useful feedback on presentations made in class
- Collaborative support of all classmates’ work
- Willingness to experiment and apply the feedback of the instructor andyourfellow students
- Meeting all deadlines. No late assignments, exams, papers, presentations shall be accepted
- No emailed papers accepted
Syllabus for COURSE ID, Page 1 of 5
Grading Points Breakdown:
Initial monologue and “this is what I know” 10 points
Your personal monologue 10 points
Weekly TV series assignment 10 points
Five well known actors assignment 10 points
Filmed auditions 20 points
Self-tapes 20 points
Final 10 points
Class participation 10 points
TOTAL ………. 100 points
Grading Scale:
Excellent: A (4) = 100-96 A- (3.7) = 95-90
Good: B+ (3.3) = 89-86 B (3) = 85-84 B- (2.7) = 83-80
Average: C+ (2.3) = 79-76 C (2) = 75-74 C- (1.7) = 73-70
Poor: D (.7-1.3) = 60’s F (0) = 59 and below
Excellent: strong understanding of the class material along with with original and creative insights
Good: class material has been clearly understood and adopted.
Average: class material has been generally understood, but there are still gaps in understanding
Poor: exhibiting major gaps in the understanding of class material
Failure: uncompleted work along coupled with little understanding of class material.
Further Grading Notes:When the GPA falls between two grades, the final grade will be weighted toward the positive end of the scale for students with excellent/good attendance & class participation and toward the negative end of the scale for those with average/poor attendance & participation.
Assignment Submission Policy:
Written assignments are to be physically handed in during class sessions
Grading Timeline
By week 7 I will provide a status report on grading up to that date.
Course Schedule: A Weekly Breakdown:
Week 1: An introduction and discussion aboutwhat screen acting is, and the essential difference between acting on the stage, acting on the screen, and acting in an office (i.e. auditioning or self-taping). Assignment for week 2: bring in one monologue or solo piecespecifically from the theatre that best shows your talent. This piece is to be chosen by the actor. Also, bring in an exercise I will explain in class: “this is what I know”.
Week 2: All actors perform their solo piece, and read their “this is what I know” piece, followed by a critique and discussion. Written assignment for week 3: Pick five well-known film actors, and examine what the core qualities are that make them memorable, interesting, watchable. Strong core qualities and indelible points of view are what can allow an actor to be the person around whom the story revolves - i.e. a star. For example, Tom Cruise (whether you like him or not) exhibits dead certainty about everything; he is never unsure. That is one of his core qualities, and is one reason he remains a star. Every memorable actor has some core essence that we, as the audience, respond to. Melissa McCarthy exhibits a kind of disruptive female violence that seems to touch a nerve, and a funnybone. I am not asking you to agree or disagree. It has nothing to do with whether you like or dislike an actor: it’s about memorability, and their core qualities. Why, from the standpoint of core qualities, is that particular person a star?
Week 3: Each actor has their solo piece (from Week 2) filmed in class, and critiqued. Despite the fact that thispiece is from theatrical material, I want you to attempt theatrical material that you are already familiar within the medium of film. I want you – without my instruction initially – to make whatever adjustments you feel are appropriate to help make this theatre-based material translate on film. We will then look at the results, and discuss the methodology. Assignment for Week 4: a personal monologue, the specifics of which will be assigned and discussed in class
Week 4: We film your personal monologue. This will be followed by watching it as a group and constructively critiquing it. Assignment for Week 5: a 30 second silent narrative where you are allowed no words, and one gesture. This will be explained in class.
Week 5: We will film and critique the previous assignment (the 30 second silent narrative). Written assignment for Week 6: If you were the star of a weekly television series, describe that show:
- Who are you?
- Where do you work?
- DO you work?
- Do you have a family?
- Are you married, single, in a relationship?
- In general, how is your character dressed?
- What is the color palette of your world?
- And what “world” are you in? (work-place comedy? crime drama? Supernatural etc….)
These are just examples of a few of the questions you should ask. Make up your own as well. This assignment should be written, but I’d like it to be presented orally by each actor in class.
Week 6: Orally presentyour “weekly television series” idea to the class. It should be written out and as detailed as you can make it, but I want it to be a verbal presentation – as if you were pitching your own show to people who don’t know you. The more detail the better.
Week 7: Auditions. We will discuss the audition process (which is ever-changing), and I will bring some audition material to class for us to read cold, and attempt to delve into evaluate how one arrives at strong impactful acting decisions, given very little time. Assignments for Weeks 8, 9, and 10: I will send you audition material to film for the next class.
Weeks 8, 9, and 10: We will be filming and critiquing the assigned auditions.
Week 11: Self-taping. We will discuss the world of self-taping. It has become the new normal, and is something actors have to find a way to master. Assignments for Weeks 12, 13, and 14: I will send out material for you to self-tape
Weeks 12, 13, and 14: We will watch and critique your self-tapes.
.
Week 15: Friday May 4 is the FINAL. It will consist of afilmed interview of each actor conducted by me.
Key Dates for Spring 2018
First day of classes:
Monday, January 8, 2018
Last day to add:
Friday, January 26, 2018
Last day to drop without a mark of "W" and receive a refund:
Friday, January 26, 2018
Last day to withdraw without a “W” on transcript or change pass/no pass to letter grade:
Friday, February 23, 2018
Last day to drop with a mark of "W":
Friday, April 6, 2018
End of session:
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems
Academic Conduct:
Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism inSCampusin Part B, Section 11, “Behavior Violating University Standards”policy.usc.edu/scampus-part-b. Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information inSCampusand university policies on scientific misconduct,
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Syllabus for COURSE ID, Page 1 of 5