Acting schools offer knowledge of the profession, skill development, and career preparation. Location, accreditation, courses, instructors, and alumni experiences are important factors to consider. Formal schools have strict admission requirements, while informal schools may limit student-instructor interaction. Acting courses vary in length, focus, and style, and can cover technical and on-camera skills.
Acting schools can provide prospective actors with an in-depth knowledge of the acting profession and its history. Schools can help potential actors hone their acting skills and prepare for exciting careers in a competitive industry. There are many different types of acting schools, formal and informal, catering to different acting styles, disciplines and levels of acting. Selecting the right acting school is a matter of researching the school’s location, its accreditation, its industry credibility, the courses offered, the instructors who lead them, and alumni experiences.
The location of an acting school is an important consideration, as acting schools located near theater, film, and television centers can offer students more industry exposure, professional interaction, and career opportunities. It is common for these schools to have visiting professionals from the sector conducting theater classes and workshops or giving lectures on a regular basis. In addition to location, accreditation is a factor to consider as it means that the acting school meets standards set by an appropriate national or regional accrediting agency.
Admission requirements for formal schools, especially those known as The Juilliard School, can be quite strict. Students are required to prepare monologues for an audition and may also have to participate in a personal interview. As spaces are often limited, only the most talented and qualified students are accepted. These programs can be expensive, but financial aid and scholarships are available. Informal acting schools may be more open to all participants, but large numbers of people attending an acting course can limit student-instructor interaction.
Acting courses can range from four-year degree and diploma programs to shorter certification or non-certificate courses. Some programs allow students to take beginner, intermediate, or advanced acting classes, depending on their skill level. Acting courses can focus on specific acting disciplines, for example, theatre, film and television, and on specific acting styles, for example, method acting, the Chekhov technique and the Meisner technique. Method acting involves getting to the emotional root of the character, the Chekhov Technique is about guiding emotions through movement and the Meisner Technique is about seeking cues from other actors and reacting with spontaneity and genuine emotion.
Students can learn about breaking up different scripts and acting out different scenes, and about technical tricks that can make their acting stand out. Training can cover voice inflection, body movement, and stage presentation. Some theater or drama classes may offer on-camera experience to help students gain comfort with the camera, and this is always a plus for a potential model or actor.
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