Camera Acting: Basic Techniques

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Identify key differences between theatre and on-camera performance and begin adapting stage-based acting tools to camera work.
• Understand technical elements of film/TV production that impact acting (camera, sound, light, etc.).
• Build vocabulary and habits of presence suited to the frame.
• Develop connection to the scene partner while remaining technically aware.
• Learn the basics of shot size, eyeline, stillness, and camera presence.
• Complete foundational self-tape audition assignment.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Monologue / Personal Story	10%
Diner Scene Response	5%
Self Tape #1	10%
Geography Scene	20%
Self Tape #2	15%
One True Thing Again	3%
Terms and Department Quiz	5%
Final Scene	20%
Reading Quiz	2%
Final Self Evaluation / Reflection	10%

Grading Scale:

Percentage	Letter Grade
93-100%	A
90-92%	A-
87-89%	B+
83-86%	B
80-82%	B-
77-79%	C+
73-76%	C
70-72%	C-
67-69%	D+
63-66%	D
60-62%	D-
0-59%	F

Attendance/Participation:

There are only 14 classes in total, so all students are allowed 1 absence to use at your discretion. SAVE YOUR ABSENCE FOR WHEN YOU REALLY NEED IT. Further absences after 1 will result in 8 percentage points off of the final grade for each further absence. Students who miss 5 classes will fail the course. (So if you end with 100%: . . .+ 2 absences = 92%; . . . + 3 absences = 84%, +4 absences=76% …. until 5 absences = F)

Be on time . . . and stay for the entire class. Tardy arrivals disrupt class: Two arrivals of more than 10 minutes will result in 1 absence. You are required to stay for the whole class, including after our break. Content may and will change throughout the class and you are expected to stay for it’s entirety. Leaving without permission will result in an absence for that day.

If you are not feeling well please stay home. If you are experiencing symptoms of illness and cannot stay home, please wear a mask to class. All reasonable accommodations will be made to accommodate student hardships, however, students must ultimately be able to achieve the learning objectives of this course to pass the course. If you find yourself in extreme extenuating circumstances that you expect will cause you to miss more than 3 classes, please contact me as soon as possible so that we can make a plan of action to determine whether this course is the right fit for you at this time. Your presence in class is crucial to your success. Please make your attendance a top priority whenever possible. This means taking good care of yourself. Sleep. Eat. Drink Water. Moderation in all things is a means to a healthy life. I understand that taking care of yourself is not easy, and it is a learned skill.

Participation: Full participation is expected in class exercises, games, discussions, and in-class rehearsals both when working and observing classmates work. Curiosity is the cornerstone of learning. Often, more can be learned and absorbed while watching a classmate work than while you are up working yourself. It is very likely that everything your classmates are working on in class would be helpful for you to also bring to into your work. If a student is distracted they miss this opportunity. For example, if a student is using their phone or doing other work on their computer, their grade will be calculated accordingly.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

No course materials are required.