| TH 413 - Acting Professionally |
| TH 413 - ACTING PROFESSIONALLY The Art of the Biz Instructor: Bruce Cromer TTH 10-11:50, T151 CA Office Hours: MWTHF 12-1 (other times available by appt.); T148K CA E-Mail: bruce.cromer@wright.edu Office Phone (Messages): 775-2430 Course Web Page: www.brucecromer/ActingProfessionally.html Course Objectives: To enable BFA acting majors to make informed goals, plans, and first steps toward their future acting careers. Marketing tools (headshots, resumes, cover letters, postcards, audition packages, web-sites, etc.), marketing strategies, and relocation plans will be discussed, researched, and prepared. Significant aspects of the profession will also be discussed and/or researched, including primary market areas, unions, contracts, agents, combined auditions (SETCs, OTAs, MWTAs, URTAs, etc.), stage work, film and t.v. work, industrials, etc. A major emphasis of the course is making students aware of helpful information sources regarding the profession — especially the “inter-network” of PATP alumni across the country. Tentative Course Outline: Week One (9/8, 9/10) Professional Objectives, Obstacles, and Tactics Week Two (9/15, 9/17) More on Professional Objectives, Obstacles, and Tactics Week Three (9/22, 9/24) Relocation Considerations (Ideal Environment Meditation) Week Four (9/29, 10/1) Personal P.R. (Headshots, Resumes, etc.); Audition Package 1 [Research Project #1 due] Week Five (10/6, 10/8) Major Market Areas Week Six (10/13, 10/15) Auditions and Interviews Week Seven (10/20, 10/22) Agents, Contracts, Unions; Audition Package 2 Week Eight (10/27, 10/29) Unemployment, Taxes, Civilian Jobs Week Nine (11/3, 11/5) Additional Training [Research Paper #2 due] Week Ten (11/10, 11/12) Personal Considerations/ Final Exam Grading Criteria: Professional Skills (Attendance and Attitude) - There are 20 classes in this quarter; missing 4 will earn you an F for the course. Missing 3 = D, 2 = C, 1 = B, and 0 = A. There are no excused absences for this course. Two lates constitute one absence. You are expected to be prompt, prepared, and professional in attitude: active in discussions and exercises, open-minded, quick to take notes and to give opinions, considerate of the instructor and your peers. Criticism should be constructive and specific, rather than negative and general. Written Work, Research Papers, Final Exam - Aside from written assignments you will do in class, you are expected to turn in typed copies of your acting and non-theatrical resumes, your general cover letter, text- work for two audition packages (two contrasting one-minute pieces in each), and two research projects: Research Project #1 (due 10/1) - This will contain collected research regarding the area of theatre you'd like to pursue. These should be contemporary research sources, about American acting/performance work done in the past two years. The more specific the topic for the paper, the more valuable it will be to you in the future. (Children's Theatre, Chicago Theater, Children's Theatre in Chicago, Stand-Up Comedy in New York, the Renaissance Faire circuit, Industrial Films in Los Angeles, Feminist Theatre in San Francisco, Gay Theatre in Seattle, Film Production in Atlanta, the Voice-Over Market in Minneapolis, etc.) A four-page summary (typed, double-spaced, 12 point font), which includes your foot-noted sources, must preface your collected materials. These materials should be organized in a binder, indexed, and at least thirty pages in length. Salary information is naturally emphasized in your research. Research Project #2 (due 11/5) - This will contain collected research regarding the metropolitan area where you plan to relocate to pursue your professional career. You should research the current cost of living (rent, utilities, groceries, etc.) there, the desirable neighborhoods, professional districts, driver's license laws, theatres, film production companies, talent agencies, etc. You should consider buying a map of the city, getting a copy of the major newspaper there, browsing through regional magazines in the library, perhaps purchasing a tourist's guide... A four-page summary (typed, double-spaced, 12 point font), which includes your foot-noted sources, must preface your collected materials. These materials should be organized in a binder, indexed, and at least thirty pages in length. Required Textbooks: *HOW TO BE A WORKING ACTOR, by Henry and Rogers. *THE ACTOR AT WORK, by Kaplan and Tischler. Recommended Reading (* = in bookstore): Business Directories--- *REGIONAL THEATRE DIRECTORY 2008-2009, by Tumielewicz. *DIRECTORY OF THEATRE TRAINING PROGRAMS, 2008-2009. SUMMER THEATRE DIRECTORY. *THEATRE DIRECTORY, edited by Theatre Communications Group. Setting Objectives--- CHOICES, by Shad Helmstetter. CREATIVE VISUALIZATION, by Shakti Gawain. THE ARTIST'S WAY, by Julia Cameron. THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE, by Robert Fritz. Taxes for the Actor--- SHOW BIZ BOOKKEEPER, by Anne Chadwick. Periodicals--- BACKSTAGE, AMERICAN THEATRE, and ARTSEARCH --- publications available in the Theatre Dept. office. New York--- *THE ACTOR’S HANDBOOK TO NEW YORK, by Silverberg. *AN ACTOR PREPARES TO LIVE IN NYC, by Craig Wroe. The Life of an Actor--- BEING AN ACTOR, by Simon Callow. CAUGHT IN THE ACT, by Don Shewey. *ACTORS’ LIVES, by Holly Hill. General Acting Biz Books--- THE ACTOR'S BUSINESS, by Reilly. BACKSTAGE HANDBOOK FOR THE PERFORMING ARTIST, edited by Sherry Eaker. THE ACTOR: PRACTICAL GUIDE TO A PROFESSIONAL CAREER, by Eve Brandstein. *ACTING AS A BUSINESS, by O’Neil. *ACTING PROFESSIONALLY, by Robert Cohen. Pictures and Resumes--- THE ACTOR'S PICTURE/RESUME BOOK. (Only if recent!!!) Specific Markets--- *HOW TO AUDITION FOR TV, FILM, AND COMMERCIALS, by Hunt. *THE CAMERA SMART ACTOR, by Brestoff. *THE ART OF VOICE ACTING, by Alburger. *BACKSTAGE GUIDE TO WORKING IN REGIONAL THEATRE, by Jim Volz. |
