Screen Acting Courses: The First Step to Becoming a Successful Actor – Screenwise Tips

If you are keen on honing your craft, enrolling in screen acting courses can make a real difference to how your future career goes. Getting an advanced diploma in screen acting, for example, is a great start. By taking up screen acting courses, you get an in-depth understanding and knowledge of acting theories as well as relevant training to prepare you for today’s highly competitive entertainment landscape.

What to expect in screen acting courses

If you enrol in a screen acting course, expect to know all of the theories and various tools that actors employ to be successful in their craft. At Screenwise, for example, the two-year, government-accredited Advanced Diploma of Screen Acting 10869NAT offers full-time students creative direction and sees them developing technical acting skills specifically.

Whichever screen acting school you choose to enrol in, a good school will combine acting classes with a rigorous academic element. Moreover, you can expect to develop professionalism – something that is essential if you are to succeed in the film and television industry anywhere in the world.

This professionalism must extend to not only your interactions with your fellow actors but also all other professionals you will be working with onset. These include gaffers, cameramen, catering crew, makeup artists, producers, costume and set designers, directors, and so on.

Additionally, an excellent screen acting school will have a number of successful industry professionals as tutors of the program. These include acclaimed actors, technicians, casting directors, and others who can share their experience and industry insights, as well as mentor aspiring young actors like you.

To give students a feel of what it is like to be on an industry-standard film and TV set, the screen acting course at Screenwise provides students with opportunities to build a professional quality showreel. The course curriculum, of course, gradually builds up towards a major performance where each actor’s talent is showcased. Expect your performance to be scrutinised by leading representatives of the film and TV industry in Australia. These include professional actors, directors, and agents.

This culminating performance can actually be your ticket to TV and or film stardom. With professional industry exposure, you may just find yourself being invited for casting calls. It doesn’t matter if you start out as an extra or in a non-speaking role. The moment you have one foot in the door, you can pursue your dreams of acting success with even more fervour.

How to choose the best screen acting school

Selecting the right school to support your desire to become a successful actor must be done objectively and with a clear purpose. After all, the school you choose can influence the course your career will take. Conduct your own research. Narrow down your choices to schools that have earned the reputation of consistently producing high-quality talent who have gone on to earn substantial success in the Film and TV Industry.

Check out the school’s list of successful graduates. Doing so will give you a feel for the quality of the teaching as well as the philosophy behind the curriculum. Aside from these, you also need to check your prospective schools for the following:

• Location: Your school of choice should ideally be located in Sydney – where the heart of the Australian film and TV production lies. Being in the middle of all the action should make it easy for the school to help their students optimise their opportunities for real acting roles whilst studying for their advanced diploma.
• Tutors: As previously mentioned, an excellent screen acting school should be able to provide students the chance to be mentored and trained by leading industry professionals such as directors, casting consultants, and of course, successful actors. Aside from providing guidance and insights about TV acting and filmmaking, these mentors can be the students’ direct links to the film and television industry.
• State-of-the-art facilities: In order to provide students with industry quality learning experiences, the school needs to have the latest visual, lighting and audio recording equipment. Moreover, having experience with green and blue screens, and other new technology enables students to hone their technique to suit what is current in the industry..
• Practical industry learning: The ideal screen acting school will not only teach you the inner workings of life on set as well as industry jargon; but it will also take care of instructing you on the business side of acting. This way, you’ll be able to handle auditions better, and effectively self-promote. 

Time to make a decision

Remember to weigh your options carefully when it comes to deciding on enrolling in a screen acting course. Moreover, carefully choose the school where you’ll learn more about yourself, and your abilities, and develop your craft.

There are no shortcuts to becoming a successful or acclaimed actor. However, by taking up a screen acting course, you’re increasing your chances at finding success in a field you are passionate about.