Thoughts on Actor Training

“Your acting coach / teacher can’t come to set to hold your hand. Their goal should be to make themselves expendable.”      John B. Lowe

I’ve been a professional actor for over 35 years and I’ve been teaching and coaching actors for almost as long. Here are some of my thoughts about acting and acting classes.

ACTING IS COLLABORATIVE

Collaboration is vital to the success of any film or TV project.  An actor is a member of a large team of skilled and talented people working together to tell a story on film. Actors are visible, key creators in that collaboration, who are responsible for a specific portion of a complex, creative process.

An actor should understand how their work can effectively contribute to the project. They should endeavour to work in partnership with the other actors and all their creative collaborators. An actor should consistently strive to produce excellent work that serves the project well.

ACTORS ARE PEOPLE FIRST

Every actor is a human being who is continually growing and changing. Each actor experiences life in a different way and each possesses a distinct set of strengths and skills. Each actor is an individual, unlike anyone else. Each actor has unique needs and every actor has something useful to offer.

TRAINING IS IMPORTANT

Talent, instinct and good-looks might get you started, but they are not enough to really succeed as an actor. An actor  must have the knowledge and the skills to answer the demands of each scene in every working environment. An actor should continually be honing their acting skills and learning about themselves and their craft.  Next to working on set or on stage, an acting class is the best environment to practice your craft, develop your skills and grow as an artist.

Since every actor is unique and every story is different, no single method of training can suit every actor in every situation. Actors should explore a wide variety of methods and techniques to discover what works for them AND each character and scene. 

MY WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

In my classes, we focus on scene work in a practical environment. You’ll become familiar with filmmaking protocol to become more comfortable working on set.  Each scene we explore in class offers a different set of challenges, so we’ll be able to explore a surprisingly wide variety acting skills and techniques in every class.

I limit class enrolment so I can effectively tailor the instruction to suit each actor’s training needs. Smaller classes ensure that there are lots of opportunities for every actor to work on camera.

My goals an acting instructor and coach are;

  • Enhance your understanding of yourself and your talent.
  • Develop your skills and your confidence as an actor.
  • Increase your knowledge of acting and filmmaking.
  • Empower you to be Active Connected & Truthful in performance.

John B. Lowe,  Acting coach and instructor.