class descriptions

AC 3 & Up (AC 3, AC 4, AC 5, etc.) (Acting for Camera 3, Acting For Camera 4, Acting for Camera 5, etc) For Ages 6-9 years old
In AC 3 and up, we begin to have more complicated scenes and the students learn how to put our own personality into their characters and scenes. They learn how to see a scene five different ways and be able to be direct-able. (For example: One of the scenes, they learn to do five different ways). 

When do I Move from AC Classes? After completing each AC class, one can move on to the next AC level. If one has moved to fourth grade, they are welcome to enter the FILM program. If they have completed AC3, they can move to Film 2 and go on to Film 3. If the student is an AC MASTER student, the student will skip Film 1 and Film 3 and take Film 2 and then, move to Film 4, Film 5, Film 6 and New Master 1 & New Master 2.

FILM 1

This is the beginning of the Film and TV journey. All Students are taught how to be believable and real. Students will be put on camera three times during this class. Actors will build on character development skills, work with props, and hit marks while responding to set directions. We simulate real onset location shootings using the students as leads, principals, and extras. The students will boost their on-camera skills while using different types of shots.This is the first time they will be given critiques and will be directed. An actor can be one of the most talented students in the world, but if he/she is not direct-able, they won't work. Our Film 1 class is usually always a weekend intensive as our teacher for this class comes from Austin, Texas.

FILM  2/FILM 4 Combo  (You only receive credit for 1 level. Must take 2 times)

This is a combo class and must be taken two times concentrating on either Film 2 or Film 4 while watching the other level. This combination together works really well as Film 2 can see what is coming up and Film 4 can review the skills they learned in Film 2. 

In FILM 2, the actor learns how to use their own emotions to do extremely emotional scenes involving Rage, Terror and Desperation. There are several exercises that help develop these Level 10 emotions and the student will put one final scene on camera. 

In FILM 4...we work on listening, reacting, being effected and using inner monologue and many consider this class to be one of the hardest levels there is to complete, but I believe it is one of the primary reason for so many stars coming out of this program. 

Actors think that acting is all about the lines, but almost all casting directors will tell you it's about the reaction and active listening by the actor that catches their attention. Think about it. When someone says a funny line or says something dramatic, the camera almost always goes to the person listening to see their reaction. In fact, This class was designed because casting directors in L.A. told me they can't find child/teen actors that know how to listen and they asked me to have this class. We work on many fun exercises to learn how to "be effected" and and we have one main scene where the student must have 52 non-verbal communications in the scene. We finish this session with a fun distraction exercise which sharpen the actors' ability to concentrate and perform your scene even when distractions happen. (Real examples of the kinds of things that happen while performing: cell phone going off, babies crying, casting director's answering their phones or talking to someone else while you do your scene). Once the student has worked on distraction exercises, they are usually stronger and more confident to be able to handle this situation when it comes up.

FILM 3 

Film 3 is all about the actor expanding the students' cold-reading skills. Solid cold-reading skills are a necessity in all aspects of this business…Film, TV, Commercial, Industrials and Stage. In this class, we will cold-read within 8-10 minutes every week to sharpen our skills for these cold-reading situations. Even in Film/TV where the actor is supposed to have 24 hours to be able to review the script, Cold-reading is expected. If the actor goes in for the part of Jason, and the casting director- upon seeing the actor, asks you to instead read for the part of Sam, you definitely want to be ready for those situations. This class is almost always a weekend intensive as our teacher comes from Austin, Texas. It can be taken at the same time as the film 1 as they focus on two different types of aspects of acting that do not build on each other. 

MIXED LEVELS - (Film 5, Film 6, New Master 1, New Master 2) You only receive credit for 1 level. Must take 4 times

Film 5- Comedy Comedy Comedy. This is a class where the students work on all forms of comedy- Network Comedy, feature film comedy, mockumentaries and Disney Plus/Nickelodeon and Sketch comedy like what we see on Saturday night Live. 

Film 6- This class is working on characters opposite the student's personality. Hardly ever does an actor get a part that is just like them. One must use their imagination and not judge their character. Instead, they must portray them with honesty, and this class helps them learn to do that. 

New Master 1- The students' are introduced to Voice-over and we begin working on Physical comedy within a monologue. A Dramatic monologue is a part of this class where they must use their own emotions and write their own dramatic monologue.

New Master 2- This is a class that helps the student learn how to navigate comedy that is more animated like in Disney, Nickelodeon, Disney Plus and Cartoon Network. 

MASTERS 

These students will get more complicated scenes and characters and will work on what Cathryn Believes is the Student's weaknesses and strengths. It is a class full of complicated scenes and characters so that nothing will throw the student in auditions, callbacks, chemistry reads, screen tests or on sets.

Master classes are categorized by age adn focus on All types of Master work so that each student will get their goals and dreams. Each session is different. One session will be about stand up comedy. Another will focus on Feature film drama or network comedy. Sometimes, all three are the focus. 

PREMIERE

This is my Top Master Class. One must be invited to this class. We work on the most complicated scenes and characters available. Very complicated serious work is fine-tuned. Most of my Aides and Stars are in this class. 

ADULT 

This is a mixed level class filled with Adults ages 19-64 with different levels of working experience with a supportive, fun atmosphere. Each student is given work that will challenge him/her that will help them meet their goals. Some students in this class are serious students working on films and TV shows. Others are simply Moms wanting to be better readers for their Child or Teen Actor/Actress.