associate degree in occupational studies

film & television performance program

program features

Final Reel

Students have the opportunity to participate in the last project of senior year, the filming of Final Reel, where students film a scene that will form their initial actor's reel.

Jury

In spring of senior year, students may perform a prepared monologue for a jury of casting directors, and receive detailed feedback on their performance, presentation and castability.

Business Class

Seniors may take a full semester on the business of the industry, which can include visiting head shot photographers, agents, managers, casting directors, tax accountants, and resume advisors.

curriculum

Right out of the gate, the Platform Year develops your craft with movement and improvisation, and introduces you to Meisner technique, the technical aspects of working in front of a camera, and the professional protocols of being on a set.

Explore basic vocal technique for the actor, including breath work, relaxation techniques, resonance, pitch, tempo and volume, with the goal of increasing the ability to fully express the truth of the text and the emotional integrity of the character and situation, while striving for vocal variety and expressiveness.

3.0 Credits / Prerequisites: None

Perform with spontaneity and freedom through improvisational technique using body, gestures, and emotions. Use improvisation as an art form, as well as for auditioning and executing other performance disciplines. Make use of the tools of listening; being in the moment; committing to choices in working with fellow actors; use of status; and making active choices with emotional and physical connections.

2.0 Credits / Prerequisites: None

A detailed survey of film acting styles across different film genres. Students will analyze the interplay between character qualities, script content, and the choices that actors make as they synthesize the two.

3.0 Credits / Prerequisites: None

Actors learn how to perform on the set—everything from hitting marks to adjusting to different camera angles to professionalism and set protocol.

2.0 Credits / Prerequisites: None

A deep dive into Sanford Meisner’s techniques for achieving authentic reactions and behaviors. The course covers listening skills, repetition exercises, relationship-focused scene work, emotional preparation, imaginary circumstances, and point of view.

4.0 Credits / Prerequisites: None

This course is centered around exercises for physical awareness that complement the work of the voice and acting classes. Students will practice scene work that explores the relationship between behavior and relationships while learning popular dance styles.

3.0 Credits / Prerequisites: None

A continuation of the vocal flexibility work from Voice and Speech I, beginning with microphone technique and cold reading skills. Students use Shakespearean texts to develop heightened language skills, full breath support, and dynamic energy.

3.0 Credit / Prerequisites: THE122

Apply, through heightened awareness, the principles of emotional preparation to specific text work. Develop the skills of exploring the text; preparation techniques; personal invention; focus on believable behavior in order to achieve spontaneity; and honesty in sharing. Learn how to maintain the integrity of the text; interpret the material and act moments as they are written; memorize and interpret speeches; and perform a fully interpreted score.

4.0 Credit / Prerequisites: THE127

Build on fundamental relaxation, physical stillness, energy, focus and dance techniques learned in Movement for Actors I. The student integrates body and mind with exercises using observation and imagination. Become more self-aware about the body’s relationship to space and how we respond to physical, vocal and emotional stimuli.

4.0 Credit / Prerequisites: THE127

Through exercises rooted in the principles and Americanized branches of the Stanislavski system, students will explore and implement strategies that allow an actor to authentically act under imaginary circumstances. Learn points of concentration such as endowment, emotional memory, sense memory, object work and creating a moment before. Put these skills to practical use working on simple A/B scenes.

3.0 Credits / Prerequisites: None

Building on Actor’s Lab I, this course examines how to use acting techniques, as well as the circumstances created by the playwright to bring the characters to life in a truthful manner. Coursework includes preceding circumstances, obstacles, intentions and actions.

3.0 Credits / Prerequisites: THE141

In a seminar with the librarian, learn to locate and identify high quality research materials. Work with the online tutorials on the NYCDA and New York Public Libraries. The class covers copyright, evaluating print and online sources and advanced internet searching, as well as in-depth instructions on Boolean searching techniques and controlled vocabularies used to search NYCDA and NYPL catalogs.

0 Credits / Prerequisites: None

Advancement into the Film and Television Year is based on teacher evaluations, academic standing, and final performances reviewed by the Academic Committee.

The internship program gives students the chance to network with industry leaders while gaining real-world experience as a complement to their studio training. Possible placements include opportunities with casting directors, agents, producers, or theater companies.

1.0-3.0 Credits

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent.

Actors Lab III challenges the student to use his or her analytical skills to build characters in organic and truthful ways. This is a natural progression from previous Actors Lab work, with the addition of more specific skills required for filmmaking.

2.0 Credits

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent, THE141 and THE142.

As a continuation of Vocal and Speech II, this course provides students with an exploration and discovery of their own dialect. Students analyze and embody the International Phonetic Alphabet through Sound and Movement using Phonetic Pillows. By examining their unique speaking patterns, students inhabit their individual identity and develop dialects based on their lineage through Familiar Donor Accent Projects

3.0 Credits

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Film and TV Program’s Platform Year or equivalent.

Get a solid foundation in the various styles of comedy, from “Broad” to “Realistic.” Learn the practical application of the principles of character development, physical and verbal timing and point of view. Develop a comprehensive vocabulary for use in both situation comedy and sketch comedy. Apply basic acting skills to comic material. Learn key techniques for auditioning in the competitive comedy arena. Gain insight into the creation of comic material by executing a team exercise in creating an idea, pitch and script for an original situation comedy.

3.0 Credits

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent

A comprehensive survey of the essential skills for acting on camera; hitting marks, making entrances and exits, dealing with props, adjusting between shots, and shooting out of sequence with both physical and emotional continuity.

2.0 Credits

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent, THE126.

A study of the craft required, both artistically and technically, for acting on camera. Students will analyze scenes, practice continuity, learn how to deal with on-set challenges, and learn how to arrive on set fully prepared without any rehearsal.

5.0 Credits

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent.

Training in the business side of acting. Topics include self-promotion, personal branding, résumés, headshots, mailings, industry structure, approaching agents and casting directors, and managing finances.

1.0 Credit / Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent.

A detailed look at unique challenges faced by screen actors, including the speed of shooting a one-hour episodic; directors who block immediately; directors who improvise; conflicts between directors and actors’ instincts; and prolonged shoot days.

5.0 Credits / Prerequisites: THE259

Building on Voice and Speech I and II, this course is a deeper investigation of the vocal-physical connection. Students will refine their vocal and physical techniques through advanced exercises and apply these skills on camera.

2.0 Credits / Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent.

A continued exploration of the different types of auditions actors face. Students will practice on- and off-camera, using scenes from plays, screenplays, commercial copy and television scripts. Discussion will also cover callbacks, interviews, and evolving media such as Skype and video conferencing.

2.0 Credits / Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent, THE270.

Students will learn how to develop their acting skills specifically for radio and television commercials, as well as animation, narration, and industrials. Students will leave understanding the clear distinction between “commercial acting” and “acting in commercials.”

2.0 Credits / Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent.

Creating and distributing original web video is a great way for actors to grow their audiences. This course employs practical exercises, including the creation of original video content. Special guest speakers will explain how they have used the medium to accelerate their careers.

3.0 Credit / Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent.

This class provides students the opportunity to collaborate on a Theatre Performance Production. Students will be cast in acting roles and/or other functions in the Ensemble, such as Stage Manager, Assistant Director, Designer or Technician. The course will culminate in a public performance. 

1.0 Credit  Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent. Students must have a 3.0 GPA to enroll in this course. 

Building on the skills introduced in Actors Comedy Workshop, this course includes the creation and rehearsal of original sketch material and a public performance at an outside cabaret.

1.0 Credit / Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent. Be in Good Academic Standing.

In this course, students refine their ability to stay in the moment and make spontaneous creative choices. The course will culminate in a public performance.

Credit / Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent. Be in Good Academic Standing.

An overview of comedic structure and timing, persona development, and other crucial elements of stand-up. Each student will write and perform a five-minute set, culminating in a live performance at a night club.

1.0 Credit / Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent. Be in Good Academic Standing.

A foundational course in the basics of on-camera fighting, including hand-to-hand, firearms, and found weapons, as well as the basic terminology and safety rules of the set. Students will also learn the differences in combat for stage versus combat for screen.

1.0 Credit / Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent. Be in Good Academic Standing.

This course covers the basics of the International Phonetic Alphabet and how to eliminate accents and regionalisms in order to deliver Standard American Speech. The instructor chooses additional accents to explore based on the class population.

1.0 Credit / Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent. Be in Good Academic Standing.

An introduction to professional television hosting. Students learn how to host, and acquire the skills necessary for a successful hosting audition.

1.0 Credit / Prerequisites: Successful completion of Platform Year or equivalent. Be in Good Academic Standing.

*Not all electives are offered every year