Directing Actors Workshop
Session: July 2026
About this Live Online Course
Take a deeper dive into the psychological craft of acting with this intermediate, eight-week live online workshop. Instead of hoping for a great performance, by the end of this course, you will have the confidence and tools needed to effectively get the most out of your actors. In this interactive course, you will learn to break down scenes for narrative and psychological transitions, and have the option to learn-by-doing by stepping into the position of Actor and Director to master the language of “playable” direction. During this course, you will apply these professional tools to direct a short two-person scene.
We recommend that you complete Sundance Collab’s Directing Actors prior to taking this course.
What you bring to the course:
- a fundamental understanding of directing terminology
- a collaborative spirit and readiness to direct peers in real-time
- Note: you do not need to have a screenplay or active project to participate.
What you’ll get from the course:
- A review of the foundations of directing actors
- An improved understanding of how to build character
- Techniques to give notes that spark immediate, authentic results
- How to break down a screenplay into actionable performance beats
- Developing a process for transitioning from rehearsal to a high-pressure set
- How to pre-empt problems on set and find solutions under the clock
- Tools needed to effectively capture performances
This course will:
- analyze clips from feature films, illustrating important elements of story and performance.
- prepare you with the critical tools needed to direct actors with certainty.
- connect you with other creators where you can discuss core concepts and share your work.
1-on-1 Session:
For an additional fee of $150, you may elect to meet with your Instructor for a 60-minute 1-on-1 session after the course term to receive guidance as you move forward in your career.
Live Online CourseAccessibility
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Accommodations and services are designed to meet the needs of each participant. Please email us at accessibility@sundance.org to arrange for services.
Scholarships
Sundance Collab offers a limited number of full and partial need-based scholarships for individuals who need assistance.
Due to limited scholarship funds available, we prioritize one course scholarship per participant in a 12-month period. Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline and do not stack with discounts or promotions, including early registration.
Outline
Topics covered include:
- Understanding what actors do
- What is a “good performance”
- Styles of acting
- The director/actor relationship
- Scene study and intention
- Wants and needs, hopes and expectations
- Examination of character journey
Topics covered include:
- Finding your focus in prep
- Camera, actor, audience
- Character analysis
- Identifying performance objectives
- Navigating each actor’s creative process
- Anticipating the shoot
- Performance-centered preproduction
Topics covered include:
- Directing through staging
- Tailoring performance objectives
- How much is too much direction?
- When to bring in the text and when to throw it away
- Working with your cinematographer
- How to think creatively in a space so blocking does not feel “forced”
Topics covered include:
- The director’s role on set
- How to adjust performance
- Protecting the actor during production
- Director dos and don’ts
- Shooting protocol and etiquette
Topics covered include:
- Production debrief
- Finding solutions in the moment
- How to tell if your direction is working and what to do if it isn’t
- Dailies workshop
Topics covered include:
- Finding the right actor for the character
- Choosing audition material
- Collaborating with your casting director
- What makes an effective audition
- Alternative casting strategies
- Casting name actors
- Dailies workshop
Topics covered include:
- Anticipating potential challenges
- Supporting actors in difficult situations
- Working with children
- Working with stunt performers
- Working with intimacy and intimacy coordinators
- Working with “difficult” talent
- Dailies workshop
Topics covered include:
- Collaborating with your editor
- Protecting the actor in post
- Making the most of your dailies
- Tips on performance “movie magic” in post
- Dailies workshop
- Next steps
- Final Q&A
Team
Julian Higgins
Instructor
Julian Higgins is a director, writer, and producer. His first feature, God's Country – a neo-Western thriller starring Thandiwe Newton – premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was acquired for worldwide distribution by IFC Films and Universal International. His second feature is currently in postproduction.
Prior to God's Country, Julian's short films screened at over a hundred festivals around the globe and won dozens of prizes, including the gold medal Student Academy Award, two Student Emmy Awards, and the grand prize of Ron Howard’s “Project Imagination” Contest. His 2015 short, Winter Light, was a top ten finalist for the Oscar.
A New Hampshire native, Julian holds a BFA in Film from Emerson College and an MFA in Directing from the American Film Institute. He has served on the faculty of both institutions for over a decade, and now offers directing courses and one-on-one coaching independently as well.
FAQ
In Sundance Collab’s Live Online courses, participants attend live, virtual class sessions on the same day and time for a specified period. These sessions are led by an instructor and in some cases, supported by a team of advisors. In some courses, you are given assignments with submission deadlines to help you take the next step with your work.
- Each week you will be able to attend live lectures via Zoom video and ask questions of your instructor.
- In some courses, you will receive individualized feedback from your course advisor on elements of your work.
- In some courses, you will have the opportunity to have a 1-on-1 session with your advisor. Depending on the course, this session may be included or may be purchased separately for an additional cost. Check the course description for specifics.
All members of the Sundance Collab community are welcome to register for Sundance Collab courses. Please review the course description and any eligibility requirements to ensure the course is a good fit. If you have any questions about a course, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
Note that space is limited. If the registration window is open, you will see a “Register” button on the course page. If there is an application, applications are considered as they are received and applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until the course is full or the deadline has passed, whichever comes first.
We do not allow creative partners to do our live online courses as a team. However, both creators can individually register for the course.
Part of Sundance Collab's unique educational approach is to create a teaching team for every course. Each class is led by an instructor who may be accompanied by additional course advisors. This allows us to keep an intimate ratio of participants to advisors and to provide a diversity of voices and approaches to the course content.
We often offer a limited number of need-based, full or partial scholarships. Check the course description to see if that course currently has scholarships available. Scholarships are prioritized for one per person per year (from the date of issue). Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline. To apply for a scholarship,complete the registration form by clicking the REGISTER button and selecting the option to apply for a scholarship, if available.
Applicants will be notified about their scholarship decision prior to the first day of the course. Due to the volume of applicants, we are not always able to provide a scholarship, but we may still offer a spot in the course. In this case, depending on the course, payment plans may be available and can be selected at checkout.
Yes, we offer two or three-part payment plans for Live Online courses, depending on the length of the course. In all cases, the first payment is due at the point of registration. The remaining payment(s) are spread out throughout the course term. For specific payment plan dates for a course, please reach out to our team at: collab_courses@sundance.org.
Yes, you are welcome to take a live, online course even if you can’t make the live sessions. Recordings of each class session are available online by the following day so you can keep up with the course lectures. For courses that include a 1-on-1 session with an advisor or instructor, the meeting is scheduled according to your (and their) availability.
All sessions are recorded and usually made available within one business day. The videos will also contain the chat and transcript from the class session, viewable in the video playbar.
Participants will have access to the recordings for one year following the last class session.
All participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. The certificate will include the name associated with your Sundance Collab account.
You can find any courses that you are enrolled in or have already completed in the profile section of your Sundance Collab account under “Courses.”
You can join a course via a computer or mobile device. All of our live, online courses are conducted via Zoom.
Download and set up the Zoom software (https://zoom.us/download) and make sure you have the latest update. Here are some great resources from Zoom’s Knowledge Base to take a deeper dive into using Zoom:
- Watch Zoom's Video Tutorials or review training materials on the Getting Started page
- Join a Live Training from Zoom
If you have any further questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to ask any questions or to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course.