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


Judith Weston
Judith Weston has been a sought-after coach and teacher for 35 years, to filmmakers and actors around the world. She has written two books. Her beloved classic Directing Actors, a bestseller ever since it was first published in 1996, has now been released in a 25th Anniversary Edition, expanded, revised and updated. Meanwhile, a lightly revised and updated version of the original edition is available as an Audiobook, narrated by Judith. Her second book, The Film Director's Intuition, is still a favorite for many readers. These books bring hope and focus to directors, actors, screenwriters, and other film industry professionals. They are required reading at film studios, on the sets of television series, and at most film schools. more...
Tags: Acting

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