Acting Conservatory

The Michelle Danner Los Angles Acting Conservatory has well-rounded short and long-term acting conservatory programs. The school encompasses the following acting techniques: Meisner, Strasberg, Adler, Hagen, Chekhov, and Stanislavsky. Our mission is to provide a creative home to a community of passionate beginning, intermediate and advanced acting students. Our school is located at Edgemar Center for the Arts, a two-theatre and art gallery complex in Santa Monica. We also sponsor international students through the M1 Student Visa program. VISA sponsorship is available with OPT (Optional Practical Training), which allows you to work in the country after your studies end.

Here is a sample of the acting classes we offer:

‘Audition for Film and Television’

Open to students of all levels, this course helps actors with their audition skills. Understand what casting directors look for and become more comfortable in front of the camera.

Actors will practice in front of the camera with sides from movies and TV shows ranging from comedy, sitcom, romantic comedy, slapstick, black comedy, and all genres of dramatic writing. *Playback is then watched.

‘Script Analysis’

Students analyze and work on scenes from different genres of plays, television, and film. Material includes scripts from Oscar nominated and Oscar winning films such as: Les Miserable, Dallas Buyers Club, 12 Years a Slave, The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle, Gravity, Captain Phillips and many more.

Students will learn and work through a thorough comprehension of breaking down story, characters, conflicts, and language from dramatic and comedic scripts. There will be in depth discussion of all the tools an actor applies to create their performance. *The class will help to acquire the discipline to make powerful choices whether you are auditioning for a project or have booked the part.

‘Improvisation Workout’

Develop your creativity and learn to trust your instincts through improvised scenes and theatre games. This class teaches students to take risks, overcome mental blocks, and learn to build strong, believable characters.

‘Scene Study for Beginning / Intermediate / Advanced’

Scene Study provides the best opportunity for the committed actor to flex their acting muscles, and refine their craft on a consistent basis. Actors are taught the foundations of technique through opening emotional exercises that are used to warm up the actor’s instrument and introduce the tools that will be applied to their scene work. In this acting class students learn how to use all of their technique, and harness it for performance.

Additional classes include:

‘Casting Director Workshop’
‘Voice intensives level 1 & level 2’
‘Accent Reduction’
‘Breaking into Hollywood’

ESL (English as a Second Language) Program: Learn English through Acting and Film

We also sponsor international students through the M1 Student Visa program.

ESL Tour the School
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQAoNIJH2IA

Immerse yourself in the ultimate Hollywood experience: Practice and improve your English through watching movies, and reading and analyzing film scripts. You will develop critical language skills including: reading, listening comprehension, critical thinking, vocabulary and pronunciation.

Analyze scripts from Oscar nominated and Oscar winning films. We cover all genres, that include movies such as Les Miserables, Dallas Buyers Club, 12 Years a Slave, The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle, Gravity, Captain Phillips and many more. In the process, you will grow your vocabulary, learn to pick up American speaking rhythm and tonality, and learn to improvise.

Advanced / Beginner English for Actors focuses on English language development through the art of acting. By pairing English with drama, we take learning out of the classroom and onto the stage. You learn by acting out real world situations.

Each class fuses skill development with the practice of theatre and film performance and production. This may include: improvisation, grammar worksheets, focused discussion, reading samples, script analysis, in-class writing, pronunciation and articulation development, and watching / commenting on works of theatre and film.

VISA sponsorship is available with OPT (Optional Practical Training), which allows you to work in the country after your studies end. This only applies to students who participate in the 6 or 12-month program. You will also be provided with a list of agents, and managers that represent international actors and learn how to best use them to your advantage.

The Michelle Danner School also offers singing programs. Classes include:

‘How to Sing Like a Pro’

Sing some of today’s biggest hits including some gems seen on the TV show ‘American Idol’. This program culminates in a final showcase in front of a live audience. Each student will receive an edited DVD recording of their performance as well as a demo reel with their personalized song recorded by our musical director and technician.

‘Choosing a Song That Is Right for You’

The class will cover topics such as voice control, breath control, music theory and more.

‘Learning to Perform - Bringing Your Song to Life’

Students work on the fundamentals of Acting, Improvisation, Dance and Movement. Learn hip hop moves, jazz, and/or modern dance.

‘Editing Your Song Choice’

Students learn how to record and edit music on their computer.

Our film company, All In Films (www.allinfilms.com) also considers our international students for roles in our movies such as ‘Hello Herman’. View the trailer: http://www.allinfilms.com, http://vimeo.com/44956666*

Take a virtual tour of the school: http://vimeo.com/78968335

View student testimonials: http://vimeo.com/77819870