Lacy Lee Miller III

A 2 year intensive program dedicated to training the next generation of actors to be ready for on camera work. Trained by working professionals who bring current, real-world experience to every class they teach.  Providing them tools of the trade to handle the industry right after completion.

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.

Learn the acting technique of Sanford Meisner in order to achieve spontaneous reactions and authentic
behavior in acting. Begin with basic listening skills, repetition exercises and an exploration of
independent activities. Advance to an exploration of scene work with a specific emphasis on
relationships, activity and preparation that includes working off each other and expressing moments
fully. Explore emotional preparation, imaginary circumstances and point of view.

Analyze screenplays from the actor’s point of view. Learn how to use analytical skills to build a
character in an organic and truthful way. Move forward by putting all preceding Actors Lab work in
front of the camera, adding the technical skills necessary for filmmaking.

In this on-camera acting class, student actors have the opportunity to work in specific artistic and set
environments that they will deal with professionally; for example: the speed of shooting a one-hour
episodic, the director who blocks immediately, the director who improvises, the director who blocks
off an actor’s impulses, doing a scene in two takes and doing a scene in thirty takes. The actor learns
how to maintain a performance and stay open to the specific needs of a production. Working on the acting craft, both artistically and technically, in front of the camera. Analyze assigned
scenes from feature films and one-hour episodic television. Practice working with master shots,
coverage and continuity. Learn how to deal with different on-set working situations and maintain the
quality of the work. Deal with the necessity of coming to the set fully prepared without any rehearsal.
Full preparation for all class work without rehearsal is required.

This course breaks down the audition process while simultaneously focusing on the
business by putting students in front of professionals currently working in the industry. The
course will break down the industry standards of the audition process through mock
auditions, self-tapes, callbacks and cold readings. Students partake in a series of seminars
with industry professionals, including casting directors, agents, managers, producers,
directors, photographers, actors’ union representatives, etc. Students will develop a
resume, gain an understanding of how actors’ unions work, meet with a photographer to
learn about headshots and learn the proper way to correspond with agents and casting. 
In addition to mock auditions where students perform a monologue for industry professionals,
students continue to build a resume, learn how to obtain a headshot, and are introduced to other self promotional and portfolio tools like website building, and audition portals such as Actors Access,
Backstage and Playbill.com.

Apply vocal and physical techniques for on-camera
work. Explore the function of the actor on set and make choices that help the director and editor tell
the story. Calibrate your vocal choices to accommodate the proximity of the microphone and create
physical behavior appropriate to each shot. Special focus will be placed on working in close-up without
a scene partner.

Covering all the basics of Voice Acting from; animation, video games, commercial, dubbing, and more. While also going over technique and creating you're own characters.

Continue vocal flexibility work introduced in Voice and Speech I, beginning with microphone technique
and cold reading skills. Explore Shakespearean texts to develop heightened language skills, full breath
support and dynamic energy.


Linklater Voice takes you through a series of step-by-step practical exercises that include relaxation, awareness of breathing, the experience of voice vibrating in the body, how to open the throat, the development of resonance and range, and the articulating activity of lips and tongue. As you awaken your voice consciousness you will discover the expressive potential of the human voice and release your own eloquence.

The Voice-Over portion of this course is designed to give the student a professional overview of the
work available in the voice-over field and the tools to pursue that work. Voice-Over work is
approached from an acting perspective. The course introduces students to work including radio and
television commercials, promos, recorded books, animation, narration, industrials, CD-ROMs, and
video games. Concentration this term is on radio and television commercials. Students apply the acting
disciplines they have studied in the Platform Year and during the Fall Semester to the work
presented. The On-Camera portion of the course introduces the concepts of “acting in commercials” as
opposed to “commercial acting”; real space communication; and communicating thoughts vs. speaking
words

Actors create and distribute original Web videos in order to increase their visibility within the
profession. Classes are a combination of practical and theoretical exercises, including the creation and
posting of original video content online. Special guests from the world of Web video demonstrate how
they have used the medium to accelerate their careers and expand their creative reach.

An exciting Script Read-Off, with Lau Lapides and David Goldberg! Reading live & getting ‘in-the-moment’ direct feedback with industry leaders!

Arigorous physical and vocal discipline focusing on the actor's center, breath, and connection to the ground through intense footwork (stomping), core building, and stillness to heighten physical and emotional power, drawing on Japanese, Greek theater, and martial arts for actors to be fully present and expressive without relying on technology.

Through exercises based on the work of such people as Stanislavski and Hagen, explore the facets of
the craft that allow an actor to immerse himself and take ownership of the given circumstances of the
script in a truthful way. Learn tools of the imagination 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. Learning  how to explore the given circumstances written by a playwright and use the learned acting craft to
bring the characters to life in a truthful manner. Work on preceding circumstances, relationship,
environment, obstacles, intentions and actions.

Become conversant with several film acting styles, primarily after the advent of sound, as exemplified
and demanded by different genres of film. Analyze how character qualities and script content lead to
the choices that are needed to act in those genres. Study early film history and the development of
easily recognized genres; genre as a marketing tool; genre as an acting tool; and shared elements of the
most popular genres, including the western, romantic comedy, film noir, horror and sci-fi.

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.

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.

Explore a series of rigorous exercises developed to allow an understanding of physical awareness and
impulses in a nonjudgmental and non-product oriented atmosphere. Physically complement the work
being done in voice and acting classes using a variety of movement methodologies. Learn popular
dance styles most likely to occur during the course of an acting career, such as the foxtrot and the
waltz, while exploring aspects of relationship and behavior in simple scenes.

Learn the technical aspects and differences of working on a single camera and a multi-camera set;
everything from hitting marks to adjusting to different camera angles; from who to listen to and take
direction from to having an understanding of the on-set jobs that are important to the actor. Learn all
the terminology of working in film and television; what is professional behavior on a set; and what is
the actor’s responsibility. The class is taught from the actor’s point of view.

Function effectively and professionally in front of the camera by hitting marks; making entrances or
exits; dealing with props; adjusting between master, mid-shot and close-up; and shooting out of
sequence with both physical and emotional continuity. Practice on-set behavior; shooting sequence;
master, midshot, close-up; working with the neutral mask; and character-specific behavior choices in
mid-shot.

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.