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To support our community of filmmakers during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we made the decision to remove the $50 fee for Sundance Collab Master Classes. As we meet this next moment and continue to support artists through our content, we are reinstating a discounted fee of $27 for on-demand recordings.
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Master Classes are in-depth, interactive learning experiences focused on craft and career building and led by renowned industry experts. Topics include fiction and documentary filmmaking, TV writing and production, and navigating and succeeding in the entertainment industry.
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. In this three-hour Master Class, internationally-known directing and acting coach Judith Weston goes 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. 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).
Resources:
Download the list of resources from Judith Weston and Sundance Collab
Scene from Face to Face
Scene from Dog Day Afternoon
Topics Covered Include:
00:00 - Welcome and Introduction from Sundance Collab
03:30 - Introduction from Judith Weston
06:40 - How to Find the Right Actors in Casting
20:00 - Creating Relationships With Actors During Rehearsals
31:34 - Q&A
43:25 - Warm-up Acting Exercise
54:30 - Working with Non-Actors and Child Actors
01:24 - Q&A
01:29 - Script Analysis Exercise
01:57 - Q&A
02:14 - Pacing and Blocking Before Getting to Set
02:22 - Script Analysis Exercise
02:43 - Q&A
02:52 - Closing Announcements