Acting for Film & Television Curriculum

You have arrived at Acting school – how do you prepare for the rigorous year ahead? You will be onboarded to the VFS experience and learn to open up to the possibilities for the actor in training. Trust, play and serious fun are explored. You will face the lens of the camera, delve into text, create an improvised project, breathe, and learn to work as part of an ensemble.

Acting requires you to unlock your imagination and convey the story through your ‘actor instrument’, in collaboration with your fellow actors, director, writer and production team. You will build awareness of yourself and commitment to the ensemble, through trust, safety and play exercises. Discover how to observe and listen deeply, be engaging and committed in your acting; learn the actor’s vocabulary with a thorough grounding in text analysis, at the table and on your feet. By collaborating with the ensemble as you study the basic skills and tools required for the acting process, you will begin to explore your potential as an empowered actor.

Actors who can spontaneously improvise are the most valued actors on any set, because they will complete every take, regardless of accidents. Through a series of exercises and games, conducted in pairs and groups, you will develop your intuition, learn the fundamentals of being a good improviser, giving and receiving offers, sharing focus, playing status and making specific choices to solidify character, environment and relationship. Through practice of the principles of improv, you will begin to integrate these skills into short scenes. Improvisation will build your skills so you can develop into an actor who is fully in the moment: listening and reacting, spontaneous and alive, rooted in truth and high-stakes - the keys to great acting in comedy and drama.

Authenticity, relaxation and spontaneity in pursuit of your scene objective are the keys to your success when acting for the camera. You will have opportunities to grow and assess these abilities through a series of exercises that will be filmed and reviewed immediately in class. This will supplement and improve your text analysis skills: objective, given circumstances and relationships. Through hands on training with equipment, you will practice the technical demands placed on the actor on a professional film set; set etiquette, safety, protocol and how a set operates. This will enhance your ability to perform with spontaneity and relaxation. Your experience culminates with a classic single camera shoot where you will explore your relationship with the camera and the shot.

Great acting involves the successful evaluation of dynamics and finesse in performance. The craft of an actor begins and is sustained through being an engaged audience member. You will learn how to appreciate, dissect, evaluate and discuss with passion, the work of actors and filmmakers at the top of their field. You will participate in group viewings and discussion of a selection of specially curated film and television classics, oddities and art. You will prepare for each session by researching elements of each film and/or acting performance; readying yourself for the passionate discussion each viewing. Term One begins your awareness so you can see the direct lines that are drawn from the acting that we study on screen and your own daily studies as an actor, challenging you as a student to become as great as the artists you admire.

A heightened awareness is necessary to develop the actor’s body. Drawing from North American, European and/or Asian actor training methodologies you will explore movement exercises, improvisation, games, and techniques. Utilizing a spirit of discovery and openness, you will learn to inhabit your own specific body. Working with alignment, breath, release and neutral, you will also be exposed to a range of movement for the actor. Students will interact, play, and explore unison movement—developing sensitivity to the energy of the group, using periphery vision and listening with the body. You will develop rhythmic acuity, a sense of timing, and coordination.

A strong flexible voice is key for every actor. In this course you will be introduced to the basics of voice in relation to your body. You will explore breath, sound, vowels, consonants and operative words. You will learn to support sound and the muscularity of the spoken world, in relation to the meaning of language. By the end of the course, you will be able to make the important connection, breath, sound, and language.

Acting IS the process! As an actor your instrument is yourself—your breath, body, voice, imagination, impulse, expression, and your soul. To be expressive and present as an actor from moment to moment, you need to be in a healthy and exciting relationship with yourself. Core actor is about developing and nourishing that total sense of freedom to play, in response to others. There is no line drawn between your voice or your breath or your body or your impulse or your imagination. They are one and must be considered so when creating and collaborating. This course is the first step in developing the courage and trust necessary to risk exploring a new relationship with yourself, your voice and your full instrument -- to support your self-discovery in moving beyond existing physical and vocal habits, patterns, preconceived beliefs, and fears that may keep you from attaining your goals and desires as an actor in this industry. These weekly sessions are designed to give you introductions to the core building blocks to the process work & the basic terminology -- with industry examples leading into direct application, which you will continue to explore further in your acting & process classes.

Discover how to take the actor’s basic skills and tools into rehearsal. Use the skills you acquired in Term 1 to delve more deeply into creating an authentic character from an assigned play. Through the rehearsal process you will learn to embody your text analysis and research. You will develop a creative process that is supportive of, and supported by, a healthy ensemble and partner dynamic. Through acting exercises designed to explore the environment, objective, stakes and obstacles you will strengthen your powers of observation and deep listening. The course culminates in a day-long workshop, integrating process work with your scene, and exploring the impact of audience on your work.

Creating real, complex characters entirely from your own imagination requires the freedom to play and the permission to trust your intuition. Building upon Term 1, you will strengthen your understanding of given circumstances, dynamic relationships, status, and connections. Through practice, you will develop a heightened awareness of your scene partner(s) and extend your ability to concentrate in longer scenes. You will strengthen your understanding of story arcs and beats, so you can serve the story. You will be offered the opportunity to put into practice improvisation and comedy techniques. Improv is a valuable skill across our industry: to create ensemble scripts, be ready for anything on set, as well as perform in improv companies around the world, on stage, film or TV.

Discover the potential of physical communication, and the heightened awareness required to develop a resonant and responsive actor’s body. Expanding upon the work of T1 movement, you will explore the use of rhythm in character creation and scene analysis. You will develop spatial awareness, investigating the myriad use of space and its impact on the body and relationships. You will learn a variety of ways to adapt your physicality and to create character that will prepare for a range of stage and screen roles.

In this course. you will continue to deepen and expand the work from Term 1 Foundation. You will be exploring vocal expression and how it informs the text. Through warm-up and exercises, you will be given the opportunity to safely explore the playfulness of the range of sounds in the human voice as well as experience how it engages your sensations, emotions, sounds, and impulses.

In this course you will navigate the technical demands of acting on a film set while drawing upon acting fundamentals to block, rehearse, and shoot high-stakes ensemble television scenes. Confidence in yourself and your technique is essential to survive the rigors of performing on a professional film set; this hands-on course seeks to demystify the on-set environment by giving you the opportunity to fulfill the roles of various crew positions and allow you to shoot and act in procedurals and dramas from various TV genres. You will be challenged to execute “tech speak” convincingly, while simultaneously dealing with multi-marked blocking, continuity and a variety of camera set-ups and shooting styles, such as master/coverage and moving master.

Landing any job in film and TV begins with a clear understanding of the audition room and the expectations and standards of a professional on camera audition. Understanding the role of the casting director, the typical “Do’s and Don’ts” and key components of an audition will serve as your foundation. You will explore the technical and creative demands of an audition using sides (excerpt from a film or television script) from commercials, film, and TV that will be shot and reviewed in class. You will develop and assess your progress in the areas of preparation, performance, and technical execution of the audition as well as beginning to learn how to adjust that performance in the moment. The importance of playing character objectives, listening, and partnering effectively with the reader are explored as the class intensifies with larger and more challenging material.

Great acting involves the successful evaluation of dynamics and finesse in performance. The craft of an actor begins and is sustained through being an engaged audience member. You will learn how to appreciate, dissect, evaluate and discuss with passion, the work of actors and filmmakers at the top of their field. You will participate in group viewings and discuss a selection of specially curated film and television classics, oddities and art. You will prepare for each session by researching elements of each film and/or acting performance; readying yourself for the passionate discussion each viewing. Building on your Term One and Two experience, at the end of the course you will write an essay comparing and contrasting the work of two actors of your choice. Direct lines will be drawn from the acting that we study on screen and your own daily studies as an actor, challenging you as a student to become as great as the artists you admire.

The foundation for a scene is built on a solid understanding of the given circumstances in which a character is situated. During this term, you will deepen your capacity to uncover the components that make up the world of the script. Through scene study and script analysis exercises and activities, you will engage your imagination further and be precise with the study of a scene. Using a scene from a play that inspires both you and your scene partner, together you will begin to play with sensitivity to the given circumstances, giving you the tools that you need to enter an intensive rehearsal process during Term 4.

Acting in film and television often requires us to engage in moments of physical staged intimacy. The ability to empower yourself in negotiating delicate conversations around your own boundaries and navigating those of your scene partner is an essential skill in a safe practice, on set and in rehearsals. You will learn vocabulary centered around how to choreograph scenes of intimacy while considering the physical and emotional boundaries of your scene partner, the relationship of the characters and the arc of the narrative. Through discussions and lecture, you will explore consent, boundaries, industry protocols, as taught by an industry certified Intimacy Coordinator or Director. In partnered scene work you will negotiate a boundary practice with your scene partner and break down moments of intimacy through breath, space, time, weight, phrasing and relationship. You will gain insight into what you should expect in preparation for projects entailing intimacy on camera.

How can today’s actor bring a full expression to his physical instrument and capture the attention of an audience with just their presence? You will learn to inhabit bold physical choices as well as become aware of the impact of minute physical subtleties. This will broaden your range of physical choices and begin to free your intuitive and creative physical instrument. You will explore animal character study, mask work and other techniques to enhance physical expression. From the on-screen comic book hero to the deep work of subtle character development, the ancient craft of mask prepares the modern actor to meet all challenges. You will learn how to work practically with the body to create a character, and how to use basic mask technique to release your imaginative physical expression. You will learn the basic elements of clown and how to begin to play in this world.

You will experience how practical body, breath, and voice work can enhance your emotional connection with the script and your scene partner(s) and help you to be fully present in each acting moment. In addition, you will begin to discover techniques to make your character’s language organically your own. With practice, you will continue to develop your voice and speech to increase clarity and confidence in your spoken communication.

You will gain further insight into the skills learned in T2 Camera: Television such as continuity, eye line, hitting marks and partnering while developing an awareness of the editing process that can both change and enhance your performance and your perception of what it is to be camera savvy. You will once again fill various crew positions and handle film set equipment to produce a number of scenes. Once the scenes are shot, you will assist in editing the projects. The course culminates with a viewing of all the edited scenes in a theatre on the big screen.

Mastering the complex demands of a mid-sized television and commercial audition can lead to a steady and potentially lucrative career. Building on the lessons learned in T2 Audition, you will emerge from this class with a better understanding of the expectations of the modern television audition and the typical genres you will be asked to work within. The audition summit will expose you to the differences between the “absolute” rules of the audition room and the rules that you can choose to bend. The common practice of self-taped auditions will be introduced and developed.

Great acting involves the successful evaluation of dynamics and finesse in performance. The craft of an actor begins and is sustained through being an engaged audience member. You will learn how to appreciate, dissect, evaluate and discuss with passion, the work of actors and film-makers at the top of their field. You will participate in group viewings and discuss a selection of specially curated film and television classics, oddities and art. Term Three deepens your research and critical skills, readying yourself for the passionate discussion following each viewing. For your assigned screening, you will prepare by researching elements of each film and/or acting performance, so you can host an in-depth presentation to give context to the performance and to ignite further discussion with the rest of the group. Direct lines will be drawn from the acting that we study on screen and your own daily studies as an actor, challenging you as a student to become as great as the artists you admire.

A robust rehearsal process gives an actor the confidence they need to make clear, imaginative acting choices. Building on the foundational text analysis from Term 3 Scene Study, you are encouraged and guided to experiment with rehearsal techniques while exploring with commitment and professionalism. You will keep sharpening your Scene Study skills, deepen your character work and integrate what you have investigated in your scene work from T3 Scene Study, culminating in a performance and/or taping at the end of the course.

Nourishing creativity and activating the imagination is vital for the actor. In today’s industry, artists such as Micaela Coel, Phoebe Waller-Bridges, Donald Glover and Mindy Kaling have shown us that actors can also be great writers. This course can serve you whether you want to write yourself, or understand story and text from the point of view of the writer. You will complete a series of exercises and story prompts designed to tap into your imagination and/or memory that will unlock and expand your voice. Story structure, narrative styles and the editing process will be explored. The focus will be on developing and celebrating the uniqueness of the individual’s story whether fiction, non-fiction, lived experience or imagination, or a blend of them all. By the end of the course you will have written a 1-2 minute monologue that you will present in class.

Explore the dynamic and valuable link between your voice and acting; discover how powerfully these two aspects of the work influence and inform one another. This course will provide you with the opportunity to deepen and integrate the skills learned in previous Voice classes and give you valued time to work on your feet with auditions and scene material. You will work with a variety of exercises to enliven and expand your breath, range, resonance, and articulation, as well as digging into the vital dynamics of language and text and how they affect voice and movement for actors.

Transforming your voice is a powerful tool for creating character. You can change your nationality, age, culture, size, status, period, gender or even your species. This accent and dialect coaching course teaches a practical, physical approach to speaking with accents and nurtures a flexible voice and a broad range. Through teacher guided practice, you will develop the modern non-regional American sound that is the standard for our industry and also explore regional variations around the world. By altering tongue, soft palate, lip and jaw positions, you will have the opportunity to discover the right accent for every character. You will also find out how accents develop and why we have them. Your ability to identify and speak consistently in accent will grow along with your understanding of how our voice identifies us.

Strong comedic acting is a highly sought after skill in television, film and commercials. Robin Williams, Julia Louis Dreyfuss, Leonardo Di Caprio, Mindy Kaling and Jamie Foxx, have combined outstanding comedy and drama careers. You will self-tape to audition for a role, in a scene from a comedic script which could include sitcom. Through the process of rehearsal with your director you will develop strong comedic characters and understand blocking for multiple camera set ups. The demands of multi-camera sitcom shooting, require versatility in technical skill, spontaneity, comic timing and stamina. This project culminates with a three-camera shoot on a studio set. By honing your own innate love of character and impulse, you will feel comfortable in the fast-paced environment of studio-based episodic television series.

In this fundamental course you will begin to explore a unique and wonderful performance art-form—voice acting. You will be given the opportunity to develop your voice acting skills and abilities through recording sessions in many different areas of the discipline including: auditions, audio books, animated characters and multi voice commercials. Through the exploration of audio samples, videos, discussions, guest speakers, and most importantly on the mic training, you will begin to understand your own voice and how you can use it as a voice actor. Voice Acting is a growing area in the business, a place where many new actors find employment opportunities.

Combat and VFX are key parts of film, television, and new media productions. Learning how to safely partner with others and effectively execute choreography while acting is therefore a critical competency for actors. This course will introduce students to the basics of unarmed and armed combat theory and techniques in an applied manner. Please note that it is not an introduction to stunt work. Collaborating with others on fight choreography will invite students to develop their ability to tell compelling physical stories of a heightened nature. Students will further evolve this capacity by developing their ability to communicate detailed physical scores and imaginary environments. This skill development will begin to prepare students to work alongside VFX artists, culminating in an applied green screen / virtual production shoot. Physical storytelling is at the heart of the actor’s craft - this course will prepare students to tell safe and compelling stories within professional environments.

Here you will explore and unlock your genius, the profound relationship with true impulse that is a key element in elevating a performance from mere pedestrian choices to the greatness exhibited by our acting heroes. You will be pushed, provoked and enticed to move beyond the realm of safe, predictable work and into a place where your unique stamp of authenticity will allow your work to shine as honest, distinct and playful. In this week-long intensive you will rehearse a prepared scene with a partner, take notes from the director/instructor and participate in a variety of games and exercises that will strengthen and renew your connection to the actor’s impulse.

Find out why argumentation is vital for breaking open the action of a scene. You will deconstruct the rhetorical spine of a scene and put that into action through playing a monologue or a scene. Every character comes from different backgrounds and is written with different vocabulary, and rhythms. Thus, each character uses language in a different way. In this course you will find the character’s vocabulary, how it affects their speech, and how they use language to affect other characters. The course culminates in the preparation of a scene or monologue from the standpoint of argumentation and persuasion. Whether you are confident in setting performance goals or are just beginning, this course has precisely what you need to unlock the action in your scenes.

A professional actor must know their personal preparation intimately to be able to rehearse material and participate in the pre-production of any project. You will apply all of the acting skills you have learned this year as you audition for, research and rehearse your role in the T5/6 Camera Final Film Projects. You will also actively participate in production and wardrobe meetings in anticipation of the shoot. By the end of the course you will be prepared for an intense shoot schedule in Term 6. By taking responsibility in your Final Film Project, your understanding of preparation and pre-production will empower you as an independent actor/filmmaker/artist.

Advance your personal voice process with one-on-one coaching, using a variety of exercises and techniques. You will discover a means of support to develop power and depth in high-stakes circumstances, using a safe and reliable practice. Texts are selected by students in this class. Working individually and alongside others, you will explore intimacy, subtlety, and style with a variety of texts. Between these two extremes of power and intimacy, you will learn how to maintain a dynamic and energized voice in all your work. Coaching time is tailored to each individual and you will develop strategies for your own voice practice and growth in the professional world.

Preparing for the potential career-making opportunities in a significant feature film audition demands a high level of both analysis and creativity. Building on the lessons learned in T2 and T3 Audition, you will tackle a series of increasingly challenging single-scene and multi-scene film auditions that will become more and more tailored to your individual strengths and weaknesses. The art of the self-taped audition will be revisited. You will employ character objectives, strategies and choices and in doing so, assess your work, the work of your peers and determine areas in need of improvement as you get closer to launching your auditioning career.

Business Skills for the Actor is a lecture/seminar series which provides you with the skills to navigate the industry from a business perspective. You will prepare a business plan in order to support the transition from student to professional actor. Instructors and guest speakers discuss topics such as: demo reels, industry trends, headshots, resumes, agents, casting directors, how to formulate and execute a marketing plan, as well as online sites to promote oneself on. You will conclude the course by completing a portfolio template that includes a resume, cover letter and mission statement. This portfolio will be further developed in Term 6 with the addition a short promotional video reel, equipping you with a completed industry-savvy promotional package to begin your acting career

Building on Voice Acting, you will leverage your knowledge and skills to enhance your craft. You will learn advanced mic techniques and be introduced to Pre-lay and ADR for animation. Focusing on your strengths you will aim to “find your voice”. Upon the completion of this course, you will have a better understanding of your desire and ability to further pursue the craft of Voice Acting as a professional; and, you will be better equipped and prepared to pursue this highly valued craft in the acting spectrum. You will be provided with the files of the performances created and performed in this course including a professionally edited voice sampler, which you will record at a professional recording studio. This will give you a sample of your work to share with potential Agents, Producers, and Casting Agents.

Motion capture technology has already transformed film - each of the ten highest-grossing films of all time leveraged ‘mocap’ in a significant way. This technology has also placed the movement of actors at the heart of the ever-growing global video game industry. As capture technology and practice have grown more sophisticated over the past decade, the creative industries have witnessed the birth of performance capture. This 21st century medium has revolutionized storytelling - with many calling it the future of acting. How can the actor of today learn to work in the film, game, animation, XR, and yet-to-be-named media of tomorrow? This course will introduce you to working within motion and performance capture. Building upon your previous training, you will further develop a capacity to compose varied characters through the body and engage in creative embodied play. You will also gain familiarity with key performance capture processes and terminology as you work toward a shoot at industry-leading VFS partner, Beyond Capture Studios.

Our greatest film actors are able to portray characters so naturally, it seems as if we are in the film with them and they are not on in front of a camera. Filmic naturalism is a pure acting class, preparing you for future work in front of the camera. You will be empowered and emboldened to conceive of characters that are truly individuated and divined by story. You will synthesize your ability to communicate with craft, respond with all of your senses, whilst working on cinematic texts of the highest calibre. Working in a professional rehearsal environment, you will research your chosen character by employing a variety of modalities to immerse your imagination through a whole body, sensory approach. By discovering how to trust your organic response to story, you will begin to create performances that are as complex, natural and rich as those of real life.

This is a project-based course that gives you the opportunity to apply the many skills you have been developing in your studies and training. You will perform a role in a professional level dramatic film production under the direction of an experienced filmmaker. You will be working in a professional manner on a studio set, following all the protocols of an industry film production. Bringing the fully researched and rehearsed role you have developed in T5 Camera, you will face the challenges of adapting to the vision and demands of an experienced film director. Over the course of this 4-day studio shoot, you will perform creatively within the pressure and technical environment of a studio film set. This film project will be fully post-produced and presented on the big screen at your graduation ceremony in front of a large audience. Break a leg

In your future career as an actor, regardless of your level of experience, you will need to regularly seek out robust, challenging scene study classes to maintain and improve your rehearsal and performance skills and abilities. This course prepares you for those future classes and workshops, where all the students are fully engaged and capable of supporting your scene work with thoughtful and appropriate criticism and appreciation. Your instructor will support, guide and rigorously challenge you and your scene work. Some of your work will be in front of a camera, in close up, as you apply all of the skills you have developed throughout your studies this year. You will prepare and deliver 2 different challenging film/tv scenes with 2 different scene partners over the course of the term. Any footage recorded of your work will be available to you for further study at home. This is scene study class at an advanced level.

Auditioning for guest star and lead roles in film and television demands a high level of creativity, personal work ethic and time management. Building on the skills acquired through previous terms, the accumulated knowledge is put to the test in Term 6. Complex personalized multi-scene auditions with career-making opportunities are fully explored, leading up to the presentation of a polished piece for a local Vancouver agent. Each audition performed will be graded and discussed, focusing on refining the specific skills required to book the role and start your career outside the academic environment.

Talent agents often require a demonstration of acting ability prior to signing a new client. A self-tape or promotional reel is often requested of a student actor without any professional experience. In Promo Reel you will create your own promotional reels which will be shot in an audition/screen test format in our film studio and will be used to promote yourself to agents upon graduating. You will gain an understanding of your marketability and enhance your audition skills. With guidance and direction, you will bring three characters to life to showcase you in your best light to your future representation.

How do you spark your own career? Actorpreneur is the practice of being an actor and an entrepreneur. You will be guided to approach the business as an entrepreneur, ready to develop your own work or artistic ventures and find your collaborators. You will generate a pitch for a creative project and begin the first steps to getting your work out into the world to be recognized. Using a workbook to guide your process the course will cover: How to spark your idea, how to develop an effective pitch, how to find a team of collaborators, how to tap into industry resources and how to promote/produce an independent project. Actorpreneur gives you the courage to ask “And what Now?” - How you as the actor/writer/producer/director can bring to life the endless ideas that await in your imagination.

In the final term of your intensive year at VFS, your practice has developed to a greater level of expertise. Special topics is a curated course designed to open up the possibilities of the craft of acting for the advanced student. Guest teachers will share their area of specialty in a focused, accelerated workshop that asks full concentration and engagement from the student. You will apply and integrate the skills you have learnt so far as you step into the acting lab at a professional level. Special Topics gives you access to experiences from current movers and shakers in the industry that will take your acting career to greater heights.