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"This workshop is quite simply brilliant! Furthermore, having done two other workshops with very well known directors I believe that Andrew Higgs ‘Alchemy of Screen Acting’ is in a league of its own.
From the minute I arrived Andrew made me feel welcome and he quickly puts you at ease with his unassuming blend of charisma and good humour. Both his passion and enthusiasm were apparent from the start, as were his skill as a director and incredible wealth of knowledge. It was clear to me that he genuinely enjoys working with actors and he’s a very nice bloke to boot!
I learned more about script analysis, audition technique and screen acting in five days than I did in my whole time at drama college, all previous short film projects and workshops put together.
The week was well structured and paced perfectly to meet the needs of the whole group. Andrew encourages an experiential learning environment where it feels safe to make mistakes or indeed suggestions without being concerned that the producer is checking their watch every thirty seconds. Whether you’re acting, observing or trying out your directing skills the whole experience feels just like a real shoot with the added bonus that you can watch what you’ve done at the end of each day and get constructive feedback.
Suffice to say that after seeing the quality of the two edits Andrew had produced overnight I reserved my place on another workshop to shoot additional material for my showreel. The second workshop was great too and it allowed me to consolidate what I had learned previously while picking up another couple of tips and tricks along the way.
Having since put into practice my newly acquired marketing skills, increased confidence and motivation I am currently in talks with a well known London agent. They have seen the quality showreel Andrew produced for me and I have another meeting next week. I know that none of this would have come about so soon (possibly not at all) were it not for my decision to do this amazing workshop."
Steve Buchanan
stevebuchanan@btinternet.com
"I deliberated over this course for months before booking a place. It
seemed from the web site that it offered what I needed - an opportunity to experiment with and build on my understanding of acting for the screen, pointers on generating work and some decent showreel material - but with so many courses on offer these days I hesitated to commit my cash. I was finally won over by the feedback page, which included positive remarks by someone I knew, and so I went ahead with it.
Choosing to work with Andrew Higgs was one of the best decisions I've ever made as a professional actor. He is an outstanding teacher and one of a rare breed of directors: one who actually understands the acting process and what it takes to make it work. He enjoys actors and works with them in partnership, rather than viewing them as problems to be solved or puppets to be manipulated. Not only does he understand and appreciate acting but he cares enough to have taken the time and the trouble to explore, model and articulate the deeper layers and ramifications of the art form. I cannot tell you what a breath of fresh air this was for me. In three years of training and twelve years since, I have worked with about thirty directors and Andrew is one of the handful I would consider to be truly expert at what they do. Few can touch him for his philosophical grasp of the work.
The course is practically structured to begin with basic principles of
the medium and build steadily towards a finished product and the wider considerations of taking the skills forward and marketing them. The atmosphere is collaborative, supportive and challenging. Feedback from the group is encouraged so that everyone learns from each other and can experience the breadth of opinion that their images and performances evoke. Exercises, rehearsals and shoots are interspersed with lectures on topics including the nature of the industry, the casting process, the director's perspective, the production life cycle and - the bit I've always struggled with - marketing.
This five days sharpened my performance skills, built my confidence and gave me a right kick up the arse - pointing out my weaknesses and taking away the excuse of ignorance. I came away feeling stimulated, encouraged and motivated. It was the best money I've spent on tuition since drama school and I would recommend it to anyone looking to up their game."
Guy Fearon
mail@guyfearon.com
For more feedback on "The Alchemy of Screen Acting"
[click here] |
“With TV producers unwilling to take a chance on unknown faces, actors must be able to make an instant impression,
writes Nigel Barrett:
Screen auditions can be an actor’s worst nightmare. They are often made to perform like monkeys in a broom cupboard with a runner trying to figure out how to switch the camera on... There is little way round it but there are ways to cope. I went on a course run by a TV director, Andrew Higgs. His ‘Alchemy of Screen Acting’ course was born from his frustration at seeing good actors not doing themselves justice at auditions. The pressures of TV schedules did not allow him enough time to coach and so the job always went to the actor who was reassuringly closest in their audition to what they could do on set. In response to this, his course encourages actors to take the initiative, no matter how scant the script or direction.
He believes that actors should redefine themselves as “self-directing actors”. And this is crucial. If, as an actor, you bring your own ideas to the performance, building a world for your character - even if you only have one line - instead of waiting for advice from an overstretched director trying to get through a room full of auditionees, you’ve got a much greater chance of getting the gig.
Ultimately, however, it’s up to the industry if it wants to use is to our full potential - but, by taking a leaf from Higgs’s book, actors can display the technical wherewithal and confidence to embrace the lives they have been asked to portray. And there won’t be a monkey insight.”
Broadcast (10 December 2004) |
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