Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Take An Acting Class Online

Online acting schools offer a student the opportunity to expand his or her acting ability without leaving home. Many schools offer online liberal arts degrees in acting and individual acting classes. These classes work similarly to onsite acting classes. A student will download lectures, participate in class discussions and often obtain feedback from classmates regarding acting ability.


Instructions


Obtain Your Acting Degree Online


1. Research online acting schools. Find at least five acting schools you are interested in and complete research to find where alumni actors have gotten jobs, what agents and acting teachers associate themselves with the school and what classes each school teaches in their curriculum. Look at the classes and teacher rosters at each acting school and call the school to ask for teachers' resumes to find out what productions your prospective teachers have been involved in. Find a school that offers interactive acting classes and uses video chat technology to receive immediate feedback on your acting skills.


2. If you wish to obtain a degree, apply to your top three acting schools. Out of the five schools you have researched, choose three schools to apply to. Apply to one dream school, one safety school and one alternate school. Choose a school based on the acting they specialize in and what methods they teach. Don't choose a school that teaches screen acting if you are interested in stage acting. Some schools offer acting degrees and require you to fill out an application for admission. Other schools offer classes ala carte, and you do not need to apply to take these classes.


3. Log on to the school's website to view classes. Most acting teachers post classes at a specific date and time. Often teachers will post live classes, but sometimes teachers will post pre-recorded classes. Lectures will contain either a video or transcript of class information, such as different methods of acting, draw inspiration from real life, find an agent and project emotion. Many acting classes require students to participate in online debates on messages boards regarding acting techniques and acting methods.


4. Participate in online chats and class discussions. Many online acting schools require students to participate in online chats and discussion board postings. Ask questions on the day's lecture or provide feedback for other students' performances.


5. Practice your newfound skills. Ask one of your classmates to be your acting partner and practice together via webcam chats. Practice scenes together or take turns practicing monologues. Record yourself and upload your videos on YouTube or Facebook to obtain additional feedback. Some teachers will ask you to complete a written test on methods, but for online acting classes, in lieu of tests, teachers will often grade you based on the acting ability displayed in your video submissions.


6. Upload your recordings. Many online acting schools require students to record their performances and upload these videos to the school's website. Do this once you feel you have perfected your scene. Your teacher will watch your scene and provide feedback and a grade. Some schools ask the other students in your class to watch your video and provide additional feedback.

Tags: acting schools, acting classes, schools offer, teachers will, acting ability, require students