Covid-19 forced all of us to quarantine for a time. With all the additional time indoors many resorted to taking classes online. Yoga studios moved online, gyms moved online, and Acting Studios moved online as well. Through it all we learned that there's certainly a lot of gain from online classes in certain settings, but is this true for Acting?
Well... Are They???
The short answer is... YES! While Online Acting Classes can be helpful it still leaves out one key component; the audience. For an actor the audience is everything. It's who's hearing your story and who you're trying to connect with. If you're an Actor starting out, you'll be missing a fundamental portion of the craft. However this doesn't mean that Online Acting Classes are useless, FAR FROM IT! It's just something you have to consider. While yes there's no physical audience on a Zoom Acting Class, you still have other people there watching you work.
The major challenge presented by an Online Class on Acting is that there's constantly a voice telling you "I'm just in my room, why am I pretending like I'm on the beach?" With so many distractions around you at home that you can't control, it can become difficult to stay open and ready to work. But these challenges happen to all Actors regardless of being online or not so it's actually more of a test of your abilities! This's why I say it may be better for Actors who're looking to improve their craft rather than starting out. Although new Actors will be introduced to these challenges early on and may in fact help to improve them without creating any habits.
Where Can I Take Online Classes?
Well Performing Arts Studio (PAS) hosts our own classes! Here at the studio we pride ourselves on giving our talent top notch training by working industry professionals. Our sessions last for 5 Weeks and culminate in an Agents Showcase where our talent gets to audition right in front of Agents and Managers (online). I highly encourage a studio that provides a showcase, as it will allow you an introduction to the industry. Whether you're ready to take professional jobs or not it's absolutely vital to start learning the way "the industry" or "the business" works.
At PAS we strive to equip our talent with not only Acting skills but also Industry navigating tools that will help cultivate a long-lasting career. There's plenty of other programs out there, but I emphasize our program because few have these offerings in one package. Many programs while providing helpful information, are generally there to get you to take as many classes as possible. Here at PAS our top priority is making sure our talent are equipped with the proper tools to go out and have success in the industry.