Shoot Your Own Showreel! - a filmmaking class for actors

Many actors who are just starting out, or hoping to make the jump from theater and commercial work into series and film roles, run into the same old Catch-22: they can’t get considered for serious roles because they don’t have a strong reel, and they can’t create a strong reel because they haven’t had any serious roles.

In the old days, that meant slogging though a few years of student films and background work, crossing their fingers that somehow out of that they'll stumble upon something useable.

Well I'm here to tell you that those days are over. Today, any actor can get access to top-tier equipment, enabling them to create industry-level showreel content on their own... as long as they have a good guide to show them how to use it correctly!

ABOUT THE CLASS

Shoot Your Own Showreel is a this full-day intensive, where you will join me on set with two professional actors, as we block, storyboard, rehearse, light and shoot an entire original scene with the Blackmagic 6K Pro Cinema Camera.

You'll learn:

• What gear is essential to produce cinema quality content - and where to find it on a budget,
• Blocking, storyboarding and creating shotlists,
• Cinematic lighting and getting studio quality sound using boom (shotgun) and clip-on "lav" microphones,
• Lighting the human face, taking into special consideration different types of skin (this is a BIPOC friendly space),
• Camera operation, including setting proper exposure and white balance,
• Interacting with actors to get their best performances,
• Telling a story through still, handheld and moving shots, and the concepts of motivated camera movement and camera support,
• Insuring you're getting sufficient coverage,
• Being strategic about composition, framing and camera angles,
• Thinking like an editor when you’re behind the lens (making sure your dialogue is "clear" and your shots pass all five levels of continuity),
• Slating, logging and all the other business that will make your shoot go smooth and keep your footage organized!

WHO IS THIS CLASS FOR?

This class is intended for people who are already feeling somewhat confident with their gear and with self-taping, and who feel up to the challenge to take their game to the next level.

We will be shooting on the Blackmagic 6K Pro, a professional-grade Cinema Camera, but one that is also particularly well suited for beginners to learn the ins and outs of camera operation, due to it's large, clear touchscreen panel and easy to understand menus. These days, you can rent a camera of this caliber for around $60 a day, and I will show you where and how to do that.

My goal is for you to walk out of this class fully prepared and excited to team up with your fellow actors and start generating your own content, whether it be for your showreel, or even shooting your own short film!

CLASS DETAILS

There are only 10 spots available for this class, which will go on sale starting Wednesday, so check back then! From the interest already expressed, I expect this class to fill up fairly quickly, so don't miss your chance!

Where: TDB (Either East Bay or SF)

When: Monday, July 10, 2023, 9am-5pm with a break for lunch