Your Acting Classes
Interview with Acting Career Coach

Janice Hoffmann Part 2

Which Acting Classes To Take And
How To Set Up Your Own Personal Curriculum

I continue my conversation with Janice Hoffmann, acting career coach (pictured left). Acting classes is our topic of this second part of the interview. In part 1 we talked about what the kind of training the industry expects actors to have and now we talk about how to get it, especially if you don’t have the money to attend a really reputable school, which can be expensive.

Tony: So Janice how does one put together her/his own curriculum of acting classes how does one do that? What is important to know?

Janice: First I would learn a technique, whether it’s Meisner or Stanislavski or something else, I would definitely train technically. Also make sure you have vocal training, singing and speech. Classical training is also important to know. You don’t have to be an expert at it, but you need to have some experience there too at least so you can be more competitive. Then there’s physical training, whether it’s dance or theatre movement, stage combat or something else. To set up a curriculum like that on your own, I would go to the Yale Drama School website and look at their curriculum and figure out a way to start taking those classes separately, little by little. You have to find places, schools, institutions that have those kinds of classes.

Tony: That’s a great concept. It’s exactly what I did a few years ago when I went to New York for the first time to study acting. I put together my own program which was made of acting classes from different schools.

Janice: Yeah, it’s not necessary to re-invent things. The models we need to follow already exist. Find a mentor and follow what they do. In this case it means getting a copy somewhere of the plan you need to follow and putting it together yourself. It’s the same thing.

It ends up being a recipe. Start with what the standard is and then, once you have obtained that, once you have started to get some training and go through similar programs, then you can start to change things a bit. You could modify certain parts of the curriculum, delete certain courses, add other ones depending on your needs.

Tony: I want to reiterate the fact that many young people, even 15 – 21 year olds, believe that they just have to get an agent to get started and that training isn’t so important. What about them? Do you think that going through a similar curriculum is really so important?

Janice: If you are young and just starting out, the question I would have is, “Why wouldn’t you want to be well-trained? What reason could there possibly be? If you want to be a competitive actor and really achieve success in pursuing acting as a career, then you need to be well-trained. There’s no way around it…

Tony: Unless you just plain get lucky, which we all know can be like playing the lottery. Some people play all their lives and never win.

Be sure and read part 1 of this exclusive interview with Janice Hoffmann about acting as a career in which she talks about what agents and casting directors believe that actors need to have in the way of training.

Also, during your search for schools and teachers, it’s a big advantage to know what you are looking for, so that you can be sure that you choose the right acting classes for you!

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Video Special Report!:


The Top 10 Reasons Why
Most Aspiring Actors Never Make It!

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Hi Tony
I would like to thank you for helping me with the monologue question I asked in October 2007. I went to the auditions for a Drama course and I am happy to say that I have been accepted as a first-year student at the Tshwane University of Technology. Please keep on sending me those newsletters and let me know where I can find books that will help me in my acting career. Thank you once more. Have a blessed day.
Sincerely
Edward Thaba -South Africa

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Hi,
I was wondering if there is anything established like actingstartup.com in the U.K. because you are amazing and I have learned loads...
Thank You.
Nadine., Newcastle, UK

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Dear Anthony,
Just wanted to thank you for bringing me in to [audition for the video], meet you and chat this Saturday. I was really excited to hear about your working on actingcareerstartup.com and even took a look at it today - it's awesome! You are very well-spoken, knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and it shows through the work that you do! I hope our paths in the industry will cross again and really enjoyed meeting you. Thanks, again and best wishes with your very important work!
Warmly,
Gretchen, NY, NY

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Hey Tony, thanks for the info, yours by far is the most useful, I am 30 years old, and I myself always (secretly) wanted to be an actress, but I never knew where to begin, so thank you. You have given me hope!
Ana C., Tampa, FL

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Hi, I’m John.
You answered a question for me about two weeks ago about how to write my cover letters…I want you to know your advice was helpful. I got called in for a part as an extra in my first movie! It’s not big, but it’s my first one! Thanks for your help!
John, San Diego, CA