Overview
Learn the fundamentals of performing for camera. Discover, develop and hone your fledgling acting skills through practical, confidence boosting learning experiences facilitated by expert tutors and industry professionals.
This high-energy short course is designed for beginners and budding actors eager to play and experiment with their own bodies and their acting abilities. Leave your history books and written essays behind - and get ready for 4 weeks in front of the camera. This is a contemporary acting course made for the increasingly ubiquitous screen.
Walk away with new expectations of your capabilities and videos of the work you've done to share with others. By the end of the course, you’ll have the basic skills, knowledge and confidence that you need to audition and play a role on camera.
From getting to grips with how to analyse, break down and work with a script to honing in on a variety of camera acting techniques. From delving into techniques to portray a character to presenting and filming a dialogue scene. You will come out of the four weeks with the fuel to forward your creative journey.
Course details
- Script analysis
- Scene study
- Character development
- Working with a director
- Acting for camera
- Blocking for camera
- Contrast between acting for camera and live performance
- Improvisation
- Movement
- Voice work
- Casting and audition technique
Week 1:
- Induction
- Movement, Improv, and Camera Acting
- Acting for Film
- Screen Acting Basics
- Acting Technique
- Voice
Week 2:
- Acting for Film
- Acting Technique
- Casting Technique
- Voice
- Movement, Improv and Camera Acting
Week 3:
- Acting for Film
- Casting Technique
- Voice
- Movement, Scene Work, and Camera Acting
Week 4:
- Casting Technique
- Acting Technique and Scene Work
- Voice
- Acting for Film
- Acting Technique and Scene Work
- Screen Test with panel
- End of Summer School celebration
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:
- have a basic understanding of how to analyse and breakdown a script
- become proficient in the foundational aspects of how to utilise a variety of acting for camera techniques
- use the tools of actions, obstacles, beats, objectives and tactics to portray a character
- understand the casting process from both an actors and casting agents perspective
- have an understanding of how body consciousness contributes to greater freedom of an actor
- recognise the fundamentals required to play a 2 person scene
- select appropriate text memorising techniques
- present and film a monologue in the context of a mock audition
- present and film a dialogue scene
- participate in the filming of a monologue
This course is designed for two audiences.
The first audience are those looking for a productive way to spend 4 weeks developing their acting skills to support their own projects and meet like minded people to work with. For this audience the likely progression routes are:-
- Returning to their own projects with a new set of skills
- Returning to Catalyst to take one of our other short courses.
The second audience are those students wishing to progress onto one of our longer courses whom require some practical experience to help prepare them for the longer course. The most likely courses they would progress onto are:-
- HE Certificate Screen Acting (1 Year)
- BA Hons Bachelor Degree Screen Acting (3 Year)
Students who wish to enrol on both a short and long course will receive a discount on total tuition fee - please request this to our Admissions team when applying.
Our team
Our tutors are industry experienced with a passion for passing on their knowledge to others. Here are a few of the experienced and friendly tutors that will be supporting you throughout your learning process.
Greta Amend
Once you have your basics down, you can start breaking the rules. Greta Amend will teach you the core principles from which to build your craft and boldly face the challenges of the industry. The adventure seeker has worked on both sides of the camera for the past 25 years, acting extensively in theatre productions, directing theatre and film and leading masterclasses all around Europe. Hold on tightly and get ready for a mind-opening odyssey.
Sebastian Weißbach
Actor, writer and director, Sebastian Matthias Weißbach, believes that the perfect atmosphere on set is a mix of preparation and openness. As a performer, he has experience across the board: fiction, presenting, screen and theatre. Sebastian will instill in you his famous eye for detail and martial-arts level of character embodiment, as well as encouraging the connection to others that shapes the bigger picture.
Brea
Want to express your unique voice as an actor? Then it’s time to get those vocal chords strumming. As a globetrotting singer and actor with a background in applied theatre, Brea Robertson is an expert in applying the voice as a powerful creative instrument – and, moreover, moving audiences. She promises to connect you to this essential acting tool, helping you to gain confidence, overcome fears and get excited about treading your own path as an artist.
An international creative community
This year our students came from more than 70 different countries.
As an organisation we celebrate that incredible level of diversity. If we had an organisational face it would have a big smile stretched across it. It’s a total privilege to be able to bring this diverse community together in the inspirational space of our Funkhaus campus in the world class creative metropolis of Berlin.
It's a golden opportunity to meet up and collaborate with like minded peers from around the world. A key part of our approach to learning involves working with others whether as peers, mentors, collaborators, audience or fellow travellers. Passion is always better shared!
Student work
In the end it doesn’t matter what we say or do. What matters is what our students are doing during their time with us. Watch one of our favourite videos directed, shot and edited by our filmmaking students, starring their fellow acting colleagues and decide for yourselves.
Essential information
The most important prerequisite for attending any course at Catalyst is that you must be passionate about building and developing your skills as an actor.
Our short courses are designed to be accessible to anyone so we do not require any level of academic certification to apply. To qualify you should usually be aged 18 or over. If you're coming from outside the EU a holiday/travel visa will usually suffice.
We accept applications up to 14 days before the course start date but places are assigned on a first come, first served basis so we recommend you make an application as soon as possible.
For more information please contact a member of the team. We love to chat! Please reach out to us at admissions@catalyst-berlin.com or call us at +49 30 2900 9052.
Date: 19 June to 14 July, 2023
Course length: 4 weeks
Application deadlines: International / EU students - apply by 31 March, 2023* to secure your spot.
* Our final deadline is 15 May 2023, however course spots are granted on a first come, first served basis. If you're course of choice is already full you will be added to a waiting list.
Enrolment fee*: €495
Course fee**: €1,500
Total: €1,995
If you decide to enrol in both a short and long course with us, you will receive a discount of 500€ on the total tuition.
* Note- Enrolment fee is non-refundable.
** Tuition fee deadline: June 8th
Get a feel for our school from the comfort of your home with our Virtual Open Days and skill-focussed Taster Workshops.
Hosted by our team and students, these online events will give you a sense of what it's like to come and study with us in Berlin.
We look forward to meeting you online soon!
Designed for those wishing to join our main programmes, but lacking the formal education requirements to apply through standard entry.
These free workshops run at the same time as your short course programme and cover writing skills, reading, structuring arguments, debate and understanding context.
They utilise task and project based learning methodology to ensure that you’re prepared and ready for our longer HE certificate or degree level programmes.
More courses
HE Certificate Screen Acting
An intensive year designed to rapidly increase your experience and elevate your showreel with performances from dozens of film productions over the course of the year
BA Hons Degree Screen Acting
Over three intensive years hone all of the skills required to become a truly captivating presence on screen.
Filmmaking - beginners short course
Kick start your journey as a film writer, director, cinematographer or editor with this 4-week filmmaking beginners course.
