Screen Acting
Teaching

I have been teaching drama degree students for the last three years on a number of university degree courses.

The principle area of study is the theory and then practice of screen acting and this has been a very interesting thing to explore. It has forced me to find a way to make explicit and teachable, a process that I understood more in an instinctive way.

I teach an understanding of what screen acting is and how it differs quite dramatically from stage acting. Then we explore how to deeply interpret a script, as all real meaning is hidden in subtext.

Finally they practice.

I have shot hundreds of monologues and dozens of short films for my students and a few of the strongest are included below.

Monologue

Monologues

Each student receives up to an hour of intensive discussion and direction before thoroughly learning the monologues.

They are filmed on two 6k Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras, using wide and medium prime lenses.

Short Films

Students also make a short film. These are supposed to be a maximum of six minutes long, but rarely are.

After helping them devise the concept and structure, they write the script.

These are filmed in a maximum of one eight hour day, except Crystal Gaze, which had two days. Some, (Ready Steady Cock, and A Moral Dilemma) were shot in four hours. I do everything except hold the boom pole, including directing, lighting and operating, and shoot on my 6k BMPCC.

I also edit, sound edit, grade and add any effects in DaVinci Resolve.

Please have a look, some of them are really quite remarkable, in spite of the limitations.