The Actor DIY's Acting School - Part I

Creating your very own Acting School Experience

Hi Actor,

A little while ago, during the height of the COVID 19 pandemic and yet another lock down, the industry was on hold and there wasn’t a lot I felt I could do for my acting. Not directly. So I did what many people did. I went in search of a pastime. Something to develop my skills in, purely for the enjoyment of it.

I decided to dive back into sketching.

I searched up tutorials and found the YouTuber/ Artist Stan Prokopenko. I followed a few of his videos on sketching and loved loosing myself in a creative process I missed more than I realised. I eagerly Jumped across to Stan's other channel ‘Draftsman’ where he and his co-host Marshall Vandruff talked all things arts. Two particular videos I found compelling was 'Dont Go to Art School! Here's Why!' & 'DIY Art School (Part 1 - 5)'. They rejected the necessity of having formal education and instead recommended creating your own art schooling experience. It saves money and time and you get to learn the way you want to learn. More autonomy, less time commitment and generally speaking, less expense. That’s a pretty interesting idea. Exciting even! Though it then got me thinking not about sketching, but about acting again. If you’re interested in what Stan and Marshall went on to talk about, go and check them out here.

In this post I want to talk to you about taking this idea of DIYing our schooling and applying it to acting. Let's have a look at creating your very own Acting School!

In this article (PART I) we will cover the systematic set up required for this kind of deep work.

1. Course Outlines

2. Duration & Workload of Study

If you want to study acting, don’t confine yourself to only aiming for the big schools (in Australia we have NIDA, WAAPA and VCA) – (although if you manage to secure a spot there, huge congratulations and all the best!) instead create your own. There is a bit of work you’ll need to do to prepare though. So lets get started. Take the below as a guide. If you have different ideas, or more ideas, by all means add them and throw out anything that doesn't suit. The full process of setting all of this up might take you a month or two - but having the plan in place will make it all that much easier.

Course Outline

The first thing you aught to do is have a look at the course outlines of one or more of some top schools. You’ll find many prestigious acting schools have their course outlines and focus points listed on their websites & digital brochures. With a very quick search I was able to go find the NIDA Course Overview for the 3 yr BFA in Acting.

Check out these school's course outlines:

• NIDA

• WAAPA

• VCA

• RADA

• Julliard

• The Actors Studio

• 16th Street Actor’s Studio

From this fresh dose of inspiration create a study plan that excites and challenges you. You want to pick something that reflects the intensity of the training you wish to emulate. My personal recommendation is to incorporate: Voice (Speaking Voice), Body (With a focus on Awareness & Relaxation), Audition (for Film & Theatre) & Scene Study (through different Acting Methods) as some of the foundational points of focus. Everything you do as an actor really rests on your mastery of these foundations. Of course you can begin to let "acting methods" go once you develop a proficiency in them, but I would say it's pretty integral to begin with them. I'd also take time to study other art forms like dance and visual art by going and watching and participating when you have time. Dive into theatre and cinema history if that sparks something in you or perhaps throw in a bit of clowning work to your study load. Really think about who you want to become as an artist.

Pro tip: watch your favourite actors and really observe what they do. Do they have a great, expressive voice? Are they unpredictable? Do they seem very knowledgable in interviews or transformative in their roles? Are they doing anything interesting physically? Use these observations to pick what you might study. You can find out where actors study too with a quick wikipedia search. Maybe that might lead to discovering exactly what training they had.

Duration & Workload of Study

Next we want to commit to a dedicated period of time. Set a time frame for your schooling that works for your life. To give you an idea, at NIDA (for the three year course) 45 hrs of contact time are required of the students each week. This doesn't include study requirements outside of those hours and often wont consider the busier times of the semester like rehearsals & the lead up to showcase. Some institutes even recommend that you do not work during your time at acting school and instead focus entirely on your studies. If you have the savings for three years of living without working, go right ahead and do that - but for those of you that don't have that kind of money & time - make it a little more accessible and flexible for yourselves.

What Weekly Commitment are you happy with?

Typical Acting Studio Weekly commitment Equivalent: 7 hrs a week

Advanced Diploma Equivalent: 20-30 hrs a week

Leading Acting School Equivalent: 35 - 50 hrs a week

Intensive Experience Equivalent: 70 - 80 hrs a week

If you can commit 40 hrs a week to your own study, then that’s great but if 10 hours a week is all you can do, that’s perfectly fine too. You get total autonomy here. Perhaps you could opt to dive deep with long hours for a shorter duration? Its up to you. I think that there is a point of diminishing returns to be weary of when you go more than 30 hours per week - however with the right team of teachers you could potentially get enough support to help facilitate that kind of intensity. Pick your hours, find the days that suit you each week and then...

Pick what Time Frame (duration) works best for you:

Summer/ Winter Intensive Equivalent: 4 Weeks

Fast track x Speed Run Actor Training: 8 Weeks

Speed Run of Actor Training: 6 Months

Accelerated Actor Training Program (My recommendation): 12 Months

Acing School Duration - Advanced Diploma Equivalent: 2 Years

Acting School Duration - Degree Equivalent/ BFA: 3 Years

Acting School Duration - MA Equivalent: 4 Years

If you are looking at the faster programs prioritise developing your the daily practice. Just focus on the practical. With longer duration training, daily practice is still very important but you can afford to spend time doing more generalised subject matter.

Take control of your professional journey and create your very own Acting School experience. Make it something that you are both excited about and doesn’t send you into dept. We need it to be Motivating, Practical, Sturdy & Dynamic. Stay tuned for next weeks PART II!

Where we cover:

1. Workspace & Equipment

2. What I like to call "Hero Faculty"

3. Teachers

4. Mentorship

Contact me directly on lachlanstuartactor@gmail.com or leave a comment below stating one "subject" you're eager to study and learn about! (Don't forget to mention your name in the space provided! 😊)

Talk soon,

Lachy

Lachlan is an Australian Actor who has been working within the industry nearing a decade. He’s worked in Film & Theatre.