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Acting for Camera (16+)

Summer School for Adults

Overview

This intensive, in-person five-day summer school is designed for adults who have an interest in developing screen acting skills and techniques.

The course aims to provide a practical and immersive experience which allows students to develop their own style of acting. This summer school may be useful for those who wish to develop their skills and presence in front of the camera.

You will receive technical tips on performing for camera, as well as practical advice on the audition process for film and television, rehearsals and film shoots. Film and TV jargon will be introduced through practical exercises.

You will work on a selection of scenes and monologues from contrasting film and television scripts, both individually and in groups. With the support of the course leader, you will use your new skills to bring the material alive for the camera. Students will work on a monologue and larger group scene. Both of these will be shot by the end of the week and the footage will be edited together and sent onto students after the summer course has finished.

By the end of the week you will have:

  • Gained an understanding of the essential skills of acting for camera
  • Developed technical and creative performance skills
  • Worked as an actor within a professionally supported shoot
  • Explored scenes and monologues from variety of contrasting scripts
  • Learned about the technical terminology used on film sets
  • Learned about the casting process for film and television

By the end of the process students will have a short piece of filmed performance that they can use for their own show reels and portfolios.

If you have any questions in advance of booking, please contact us at summerschools@rcs.ac.uk

You may also be interested in: Acting: Introduction to Shakespeare (16+), Acting: Audition Preparation (16+)

The important details

Age:
16+

Cost:
£575

Date:
29 July - 2 August 2024

Time:
Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm

Venue:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB


Course Information

A wide variety of screen performance skills will be researched, explored and developed throughout the summer school. The course will focus on improving your technique and aims to help you progress to the next level of acting for screen.

The first sessions will focus on analysing scripts for clues about character(s) which will help you in your performance. This will be done alongside analysing scenes from film and TV to discuss different performance styles and techniques that professional actors employ when acting on camera. There will be a variety of practical exercises to help in your understanding of the specifics of acting on camera.

The week will culminate in the students monologues and group scenes being shot. These shoots are designed to allow you to gain practical experience in front of the camera. You will be introduced to the technicalities of filming and increase your understanding of the actor’s role within the process.

The footage will then be taken away and edited together, with the final film being sent out to students via a downloadable Vimeo link.

This is an open access course for anyone regardless of prior acting experience.

The summer school is designed so that motivated students will benefit from the training and our tutors are experienced in teaching across all levels of skill and experience. Students should be open, honest, generous, respectful, hard-working and willing to work as part of a team.

It may be of particular interest to theatre professionals who wish to develop and adapt their skills for acting on screen.

Please prepare a short contemporary monologue from film, television or a screenplay. The piece should be no longer than two minutes in duration and the character should be close to you in terms of age and experience. Please rehearse the piece so that you are able to perform it without a script.

Students should dress appropriately in loose and comfortable clothing and be prepared to work without shoes if required.

Students should bring water as workshop activities in this short course will be physical. Students should also bring a pad and pen to make notes during classes.

The course runs Monday, 29 July – Friday, 2 August, from 10am to 5pm.

Summer Accommodation

We are pleased to welcome students from across the world to our Summer Schools. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the student. Our campus is located in Glasgow city centre, and you can find the addresses below.

We recommend Base Glasgow, as purpose-built accommodation for Conservatoire students, with Rehearsal Rooms, Practice spaces and Dance Studios. Base Glasgow is perfectly suited for our summer school students; both safe and secure, with 24/7 staff presence and only 3 mins walk from our main Renfrew Street building, keeping travel costs to a minimum.

Classic En-Suite rooms come with a 3/4 bed, en-suite bathroom, ample storage, mirror, study desk and chair. The shared area includes a spacious lounge and kitchen area.

Please note that Short Courses staff are not affiliated with BASE or on site outwith the summer school teaching hours, and therefore cannot take responsibility for students outside of these hours.

For more information about booking accommodation at BASE Glasgow you can contact them directly via website BASE – Student Accommodation in Glasgow or email baseglasgow@herestudents.com.

Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and b’n’b options available. We are located close to transport links should you wish to stay outside the city centre. If you are travelling to Glasgow for a course, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers course fees, travel, accommodation, and cancellations due to COVID-19 – as RCS will not refund in this circumstance. You can view the Cancellations and Refund policy for full information.

For students under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Students are only monitored by staff during class times.

Renfrew Street Campus: 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Wallace Studios Campus: 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR


Further Information

We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:

Agnes Allan Bursary

Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.

The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.

Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.

James McAvoy Drama Scholarships

BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.

James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.

The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.

You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.

We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.

You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.

Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.

Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.

Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.

Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.

Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk

Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk

Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk

Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk