
Directing For Actors Masterclass: Total of 8 classes
Cost of total Course: $650.00
Tickets and registration: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/119561063359
Tuesday 29 September Aaron Fa ‘Aoso
Tuesday 6 October Alex Proyas
Tuesday 13 October Kriv Stenders
Tuesday 20 October Shannon Murphy
Tuesday 27 October Samantha Lang
Tuesday 3 November Megan Riakos
Tuesday 10 November Monica Zanetti
Tuesday 17 November In Conversation with Damon Herriman and Tara Morice
*All classes take place between 7-9pm AEST LIVE via ZOOM. Course outline and ZOOM setup confirmed upon registration
ACTING FOR CAMERA MASTERCLASS
The most important moments on any set are what happens between ACTION and CUT. Join a comprehensive masterclass series where several of Australia’s leading directors teach acting for camera, an online exploration where the actor will discover and learn through script analysis, character breakdown, exercises and how to develop an insightful and detailed approach on acting for the camera.

Aaron FA’aoso
Actor/Director

Alex Proyas
Director

Kriv Stenders
Director

Samantha Lang
Director/Writer

Shannon Murphy
Director

Megan Riakos
Director

Monica Zanetti
Director

Damon Herriman
Actor

Tara Morice
Actor

AARON FA’AOSO
DIRECTOR
Aaron Fa’Aoso first came to prominence in 2004 with his performance as Eddie in the critically-acclaimed SBS mini-series, R.A.N., for which he received a nomination for an AFI Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Drama and a LOGIE Award nomination for Most Outstanding New Talent. Following on from that success, Aaron joined the multi-award winning SBS series East West 101 which recently had its third season go to air. Aaron received a AACTA nomination for his work in the third season ‘The Heroes Journey’. Aaron received a 2011 Monte- Carlo TV Festival award nomination for Most Outstanding Actor for his work in the series. His other television credits include City Homicide and Sea Patrol. In 2009, he made his feature film debut in Sue Brooks’s Subdivision. Aaron has also been active behind the camera writing and directing the short film, Sharpeye, as part of the SBS Television series Bit of Black Business.
Fa’Aoso’s career is paving way for indigenous storytelling and it’s landscape in the industry, coming from an Indigenous, Torres Strait Islander, Tongan and Samoan background. He’s now taking the reins as a director on the upcoming documentary series Elements from Screen Queensland and NITV.

Class Date: Tuesday 29 September Time: 7-9pm AEST
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/119561063359
The Mechanics of Acting in the fast paced environment of television
1. How to work with and without direction within the time constraints of TV productions by developing a strong practical understanding of your role and character, how this translates into performance from the smaller supporting roles to the lead.
2. The difference in preparing a role for film versus preparing for television, from script breakdowns to rehearsal. The preparation to deliver without a rehearsal process. How to turn up on set and do it.
3. Understanding scripts for television, what are the key markers? Analysing and performing a scene from East West 101: Season 3 Episode 5 titled ‘The Price of Salvation’.

ALEX PROYAS
DIRECTOR
Alex is one of Australia’s most successful directors on the International film landscape. An AFTRS graduate directing international blockbuster films with some of the world’s most recognised leading actors.
Alex is known as one of the leading genre filmmakers in the world today with two renowned cult classic films The Crow starring Brandon Lee and Dark City starring William Hurt, Keifer Sutherland and David Wenham. Other well-known blockbuster directing feature film credits include I Robot starring Will Smith, Gods of Egypt starring Brenton Thwaites and Gerard Butler, the Australian film Garage Days starring Kick Gurry and Maya Stange.
Alex has also worked with Academy Award winner Nicholas Cage and one of Hollywood’s most in demand actors today Rose Byrne. Alex is developing a world leading Green Screen Virtual filming facility embracing the future concepts of film and working environments for actors and story tellers. Alex is the patron of the inaugural 2020 Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival at ACA Sydney.

Class Date: Tuesday 6 October Time: 7-9pm AEST
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/119561063359
Character Background and Life Story – Developing Process within Genre Films
1. A working understanding of the process in developing the background of a character’s story. Finding the critical elements to define the truthful history that leads to a defined character on set fulfilling the arc of the character within the story.
2. How does the actor tap into the imaginative history? How does the actor use environment and research to find that character’s reality?
3. Work on your prepared 10 key question character breakdown in the provided synopsis of:
” You are a scientist in the not too distant future who discovers the key to human immortality and the moral & ethical consequences bringing this discovery to a world of depleted resources and over-population.” Alex will break down and dissect your characters history. A truly imaginative discovery of character.
4. Alex will outline several key points a director looks for in an actor as early as the casting process where research can help deliver a character’s presence in this crucial stage.

KRIV STENDERS
DIRECTOR
Kriv Stenders, multi award nominee and AFI winner. One of Australia’s leading creative forces in the Australian Film and TV Industry with directing credits in TV, Documentary, Advertising and Feature Films. Kriv directed the Box Office record breaking Red Dog, the riveting and controversial Australia Day, Boxing Day, the recent acclaimed war epic Danger Close – The Battle of Long Tan, Doctor Doctor, Slim and I and Brock Over the Top.
Kriv is highly regarded within the industry as a passionate supporter of Australian stories. Kriv’s writing and cinematography credits have added to his reputation as an astute actor’s director. Some of the actors Kriv has directed have been Sam Neil, David Wenham, Bryan Brown, Nicole De Silva, Alex Dimitriades and Roger Corser.

Class Date: Tuesday 13 October Time: 7-9pm AEST
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/119561063359
Character Background and Life Story – Developing Process within Genre Films
Film Stagecraft for the Actor
1. Understanding the technical frame of a shot, the close up, the mid shot, the wide shot, the actor working within the different film set ups.
2. The mosaic and meaning of the block – through on
set. What is this? How does the actor plan in the technical process the markers on set for the actor to reveal and deliver the truth in the given shot selection?
3. Breakdown of a scene in relation to the shot selection for the scene and the actor’s choices available for the shot.
4. Preparation will include a scene breakdown from Kriv’s film ‘Danger Close – The Battle of Long Tan’ and a scene from Steven Spielberg’s ‘Jaws’

SHANNON MURPHY
DIRECTOR
Shannon Murphy is an award-winning screen and stage director. She has directed plays and other stage work for many prominent Australian and international theatre companies. Shannon screen directing includes episodes of the Australian series Rake, Love Child, Offspring and Sisters. She was the sole director of the Lingo/SBS mini-series On The Ropes, and was nominated for an Australian Directors Guild Award. Her debut feature film Babyteeth, debuted in Official Competition at the Venice Film Festival in 2019.
Babyteeth has appeared in over twenty film festivals, which have so far included BFI London, Zurich International, Rotterdam International, Mumbai and Marrakech International. Shannon recently directed Eps 5 & 6 on the third season of Killing Eve. She is on Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch List for 2020.

Class Date: Tuesday 20 October Time: 7-9pm AEST
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/119561063359
The Physical language of The Body On Screen
Discuss movement as an actor and how to create a physical narrative in your own work as an actor.
1. Physical theatre – how the tools from this medium are helpful as a starting point and why.
2. Physical language on screen, when it’s done well and why it’s effective.
3. Pick a piece of music and for the duration of the song present a performance to the length of the music with no words and we can tell what the character’s inner thoughts might be.
4. An opportunity to ask specific questions about the physical language from the body of Shannon’s work from material sent prior to class.
*Clips provided to watch beforehand from films/music videos for class will be sent prior to course commencement.

SAMANTHA LANG
DIRECTOR
Samantha Lang is one of Australia’s most respected directors. She directs, writes and produces. Her films have screened at major international festivals including Sundance, Toronto, Locarno, and have received international recognition at the highest level, her film ‘The Well’ competing at the Cannes Film Festival for the prestigious Palme D’Or. She is one of the 82 women directors since 1946 to have done so. Samantha’s films have been awarded many times including – at AACTA and Sydney Film Festival. Her film ‘Carlotta’ was nominated for 5 AACTA awards and won three. Samantha is the head of development at one of Australia’s most recognised production companies See-Saw Films.
Samantha was the Head of Directing at AFTRS 2010-2016. Her expertise and passion for directing has seen her appointment in 2015 as the President of The Australian Directors and was instrumental in the Screen Australia Genders Matters initiative. Samantha’s current projects include feature adaptations of rom-com ‘Kill The Messenger’ (playwright, Nakkiah Lui) and “Laurinda’ aka Lucy and Linh (US) by Asian Australian screenwriter Michelle Law, as well as TV drama series of ‘Night Games’ (Aquarius Films- Lion). She directed her first VR film ‘Prehistoric VR’ in 2017 (screened at ACMI) and is in development with her next VR anthology ‘Anthropocene Project’ Samantha has worked with leading Australian actors Pamela Rabe, Alex Dimitriades, Susie Porter, Abbie Cornish, Jessica Marais.

Class Date: Tuesday 27 October Time: 7-9pm AEST
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/119561063359
Nuance of Performance on Camera, the Flexibility of a Curious Mind
1. Understanding the power of minimalist choices on camera.
2. Interaction and affect with fellow actors in a scene
3. Discover the truth of a scene, being present.
4. Being present in discovering the truth of a scene. Bringing the character to life in the process of getting the role and understanding break – down techniques of a scene.
*A scene of Samantha’s choice will be sent in advance of the class in preparation.
Students will be asked to make notes on what the scene is about prior to commencing class.

MEGAN RIAKOS
DIRECTOR
Megan Riakos is a dynamic filmmaker bringing a distinctive female lens to the world of genre filmmaking. As the writer/director/producer of the thriller Crushed, she was behind the film’s innovative Australian release becoming one of the most successful cinema-on-demand screening runs in the country and acquisitions by Qantas an Channel 10. She is the creator and producer of Australia’s first female horror anthology Dark Whispers – Volume 1 in which she wrote and directed the wraparound segment and is also the writer/director of Episode 2: No Pain No Gain of the upcoming Deadhouse Dark horror series.
Megan complements her filmmaking with her role as co-founder and board member of the not-for-profit organisation Women in Film & Television (WIFT) Australia and merges these two fields of creativity and advocacy via her company Hemlock & Cedar Films, which focuses on amplifying female voices.
Megan is also a regular speaker and panellist on filmmaking and gender equality and is a mentor and teacher, having taught at the University of NSW, Australian Film Television & Radio School, Queensland University of Technology and Academy of Information Technology.

Class Date: Tuesday 3 November Time: 7-9pm AEST
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/119561063359
End to End Film making for Actors – a Screen Journey From Casting to Premiere
1. Theatre vs Screen. An Overview, the difference in material play script vs screenplay and performance.
2. What can actors expect?
- Auditions, call backs, confirmation of role
- Rehearsal fittings, schedule /call sheet
- First day on set, general shoot, pickups, ADR
- Premiere screening, marketing of film (interviews etc)
3. Key analysis of two clips in reference to production, story and acting from Megan’s debut feature ‘Crushed’.

MONICA ZANETTI
DIRECTOR
Monica Zanetti is one of Australia’s emerging innovating forces in Directing. An advocate for the actor developing and creating own work to pursue the passion and vision that develops an actors presence in the industry and market place. Monica is an award winning Australian screenwriter and director. Her debut feature ‘Skin Deep’, screened at over eight international film festivals and was honoured at Austin Film Festival with an award for Best Narrative Feature.
The film also earned Monica an AWGIE nomination for Best Original Screenplay and was released internationally in 2016. Monica then went on to work in various TV writers rooms before joining the writing team for the Channel 10/Netflix series ‘Sisters’. She was a writer/director on the ABC Comedy series ‘Tonightly with Tom Ballard’, and worked on the 2019 channel 10 series ‘My Life is Murder’. Monica’s second feature film, ‘Ellie & Abbie (and Ellie’s Dead Aunt)’ was the first Australian film to ever open the Sydney Mardi Gras Film Festival before screening as part of MIFF 68 ½ this year and will be released in 2021.

Class Date: Tuesday 10 November Time: 7-9pm AEST
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/119561063359
Who are you? What’s Your Story? Being the Proactive Actor
1. What do “Fleabag” “Broad City” and “Feel Good” have in common? They were all created by actors generating their own work.
2. Find your unique voice and use it to create your own projects, build your profile and enter the marketplace.
3. What’s your medium and where should you position your work to develop your profile. Creating opportunities in grassroots theatre, web series and short films and how to do this.
ACTING FOR CAMERA – IN CONVERSATION

DAMON HERRIMAN
ACTOR
Damon was born in Adelaide, Australia and has been acting since the age of eight. His extensive credits are a testament to his versatility and standing. In 2018, Damon was honoured with the Australians in Film: Orry-Kelly International Award for Extraordinary Contribution to the Australian and USA Screen Industry.
Damon’s Australian television and films credits and awards are endless and include The Commons for STAN, Lambs of God for Lingo Pictures, Mr. Inbetween (Series 1 and 2) for FX directed by Nash Edgerton, Riot (2018 AACTA Award Winner – Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama, 2018 Logie Award Nomination; Most Outstanding Actor) and many more.
Damon’s film credits include Judy & Punch which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival (2019 AACTA Award Winner – Best Lead Actor), The Nightingale; which premiered at the Venice Film Festival 2018, Son of a Gun, starring Ewan McGregor, Russell Crowe’s The Water Diviner and many more.
Damon has also written and/or directed many successful short films, including the Tropfest finalists They and The Date and was awarded Best Screenplay and Audience Award for his short film Soar (writer/performer). Damon was also a contributing sketch writer on ABC / Jungleboys production; The Elegant Gentlemen’s Guide to Knife Fighting.

TARA MORICE
ACTOR
Tara Morice holds a BA from the Australian National University in History and English and is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art.
Tara has performed on stage for over 30 years for the Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir, Griffin, Bell Shakespeare, State Theatre of South Australia, Queensland Theatre Company, the Malthouse and Ensemble theatres and has been nominated for a Victorian Green Room Award and a Helpmann Award for her work in musical theatre.
She has worked in many Australian feature and short films but is probably best known for her BAFTA and AFI nominated performance as “Fran” in the Australian classic, STRICTLY BALLROOM. She also recorded TIME AFTER TIME for the soundtrack.
Tara has appeared in many Australian television shows, most recently as “Miss Raine” in the award-winning ABC 3 series DANCE ACADEMY. Tara has also narrated documentaries for the ABC, SBS and NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. Tara Pictures produced the documentary MY BIGGEST FAN that Tara wrote and directed for SBS in 2008 and which THE AGE called “a gem of a documentary”.

IN CONVERSATION: DAMON HERRIMAN AND TARA MORICE
Class Date: Tuesday 17 November Time: 7-9pm AEST
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/119561063359
An intimate roundtable ‘In Conversation’, where you get the opportunity to discuss with two well established actors many of the key takeaways from the ‘acting for camera’ course and how it all translates to your own
practice as well as to their experience of working in the theatre and film
industries. Tara and Damon will be able to field questions from the class on the processes of working in the two mediums.
Join multi award nominees and winners in theatre TV and Film, Tara Morice, BAFTA nominee and AFI winner for Australia’s own cult classic Strictly Ballroom and Damon Herriman multi AACTA award winning actor and one of the most in demand Australian actors working today. Damon recently featured in Quenton Tarentino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’.
ACA ONLINE MASTERCLASSES
LIVE VIA ZOOM
“We are excited to partner with one of Australia’s leading performing arts learning institutions, Actors Centre Australia and share the passion and experience of these outstanding directors and creative leaders’ insights and teachings. The program offers a comprehensive learning opportunity on acting through the lens of this diverse and exciting talented group of directors.” – Diana Burnett, Australian Directors Guild

Masterclass: Acting For Camera
When: 29 September – 17 November 2020
Every Thursday evening between 7-9pm AEST

Masterclass: Writing for Film and Theatre
When: 7 October – 11 November 2020
Every Wednesday evening between 7-9pm AEST