A live, in-person class in the Bay Area
Sunday July 16, 2023 9am-5pm 
Limited to 10 students!
 

Because first impressions last forever...

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If you are starting a business - any business - the first and most important question you need to make is what your branding is going to be.  After all, no matter what your product is, your branding is how the world will see it. You want to have absolute control over how you make that first impression - because it's going to shape the way people think about you, potentially forever. 

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So why, as an actor, would you hand off this critical business decision to a bunch of teenage film students? (Not knocking teenage film students here - I was one myself!)

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But this is exactly what we actors have done for decades.  For too long, we've been forced to take a passive role in the most important aspect of marketing ourselves.

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There should be no stigma in an actor creating their own showreel material. In fact, I think it should be the norm.  Taking on the role of the producer of your own career gives you the power to say “This is me. This is my brand.  I’m going to show you how I want you to cast me.”

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the problem is the Actor's Catch-22: you can’t get considered for serious roles because you don’t have a strong reel, but you can’t create a strong reel because they haven’t had any serious roles.

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This was the norm for years because film and television studios held all the keys - only they had access to the types of tools an actor would need to generate cinema or Netflix-quality content.

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Not anymore!

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Today, any actor can get easy and inexpensive 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!

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What is this 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.  

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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 filmS!

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The Details

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The class will be held on Monday, July 10th.  (I chose a Monday as for many working actors, that's their guaranteed day off).

There are only 10 spots available for this class!  From the interest already expressed, I expect this class to fill up fairly quickly, so don't miss your chance!

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Where: TDB (Either East Bay or SF)

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

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Price: $195 

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