Most filmmakers know that a productive collaboration with actors will define the environment on set and the success of the project on screen. And yet, directors have many questions about gaining the actors’ trust. Join us in this live three-hour Master Class with internationally-known directing and acting coach Judith Weston, as we go deep into key strategies of building a meaningful connection with your actors, the steps to break down a scene, how to prepare for casting sessions, and the best practices for rehearsing. Judith will offer live, interactive demonstrations of her process. This event is ideal for all directors, writer-directors, and actors alike.
Judith is the author of Directing Actors 25th Anniversary Edition. Her students include Alejandro G. Iñárritu, (The Revenant, Birdman) Ava DuVernay, (When They See Us, Selma), Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok), Steve McQueen, (12 Years a Slave, Small Axe), Hanelle Culpepper (Star Trek Picard, The Flash), Christina Choe (Nancy, Queen Sugar, Handmaid’s Tale).
Topics presented will include:
- Script Analysis
- Casting
- Rehearsing Over Zoom
- The pitfalls of “result direction”
- How to prepare your actors before starting to shoot
Resources:
Download the list of resources from Judith Weston and Sundance Collab
Scene from Face to Face
Scene from Dog Day Afternoon
All Sundance Collab webinars are recorded and will be available for all registrants after the live event. Please allow up to 24 hours after the live event for the recording to be posted.
If you have a disability and require accommodation in order to fully participate in this event, please complete this form, contact us at (435) 776-7900 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific needs. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; requests made within 5 days of the event may not be guaranteed.
