TWO YEAR PART TIME
BEAT ACTING COURSE
The Actors Door Studio will offer the first ever Beck Emotional Access Technique Course with studio founder and director, Fay Beck.
The course will be the only one of its kind in the world. Aside from instructing actors in key competencies such as voice, movement, scene study, screen acting, audition and the industry, the course will take actors through advanced characterisation and emotional embodiment work.
Actors who complete this course will be ready to take on challenging material usually reserved for accomplished actors in the industry.
The work students will do will be cutting edge and will involve laboratory style explorations aimed at challenging the technique itself.
This course is not for everyone! It involves a rigorous training schedule with difficult material and methods that most actors will find very challenging unless they are fully committed and dedicated to their studies, and have a genuine interest in a methodological approach to studying the craft of acting.
To help you understand if this is the type of training you would like to do, think about the training that professional athlete needs to do in order to qualify for elite competitions in their field such as the World Championships or the Olympic Games. That kind of training requires intense physical workouts 5-6hrs a day, every day for many years. The training in this course will feel like similarly intense! Except for students in the BEAT Acting Course, the training involves physical, vocal but most importantly emotional agility exercises. If this doesn’t sound like you, it is perfectly ok! The Drama Course would be a better fit for dedicated actors who don’t fancy this type of rigorous actor training.
The Course is divided into 2 yearly stages, which include the following modules:
YEAR 1
Acting Technique 1
Scene Study 1
Voice 1
Movement 1
Screen Acting 1
Acting Technique 2
Scene Study 2
Voice 2
Movement 2
Screen Acting 2
Year 1 Scene Performances
YEAR 2
Advanced Acting Technique
Style Laboratory
Voice 3
Movement 3
Screen Acting 3
Industry Showcase
FilmCase (Optional)
At the conclusion of Year 1, eligible students will be invited to Year 2 of the course. Students need to successfully complete and achieve a Pass grade in Year 1 and must attend 90% of class sessions to be considered eligible for Year 2.
2 YR Part Time BEAT Acting Course Modules
Toggle the titles below to read the descriptions of each stage of the Course.
YEAR 1
ACTING TECHNIQUE 1
Acting Technique 1 develops fundamental acting skills in actors. Using fundamentals from the Meisner Technique and BEAT, during this stage actors will:
- Learn how to connect with their emotions
- Take the first steps to training their ’emotional instrument’
- Develop their artistic instinct
- Learn how to connect ‘truthfully’ with other actors
Teaching Modules for Stage 1 are as follows:
- Repetition
- Activities & Door Exercises
MODULE LENGTH
1 Term/12 weeks, 2 x 3.5hr acting class weekly
SCENE STUDY 1
In this module, actors are taught how to apply the fundamental and core acting skills they develop in Acting Technique 1. The Scene Study module can be thought of as the application of those skills to text work. In this module actors will:
- Learn about story and character
- Form an understanding of character ‘doings’
- Practice scene analysis techniques
Teaching Modules for Scene Study 1 are as follows:
- Story
- Scene Study
MODULE LENGTH
1 Term/12 weeks, 1 x 3.5hr acting class weekly
VOICE 1
Voice 1 will explore the basic foundations of relaxation and best vocal practise. Classes will complement skill development in acting as well as increasing confidence and personal presence.
MODULE LENGTH
1 Term/12 weeks, 1 x 2hr acting class weekly
MOVEMENT 1
Movement 1 has been specifically designed to reflect your acting training, taking you outside your physical comfort zone.
MODULE LENGTH
1 Term/12 weeks, 1 x 2hr acting class weekly
SCREEN ACTING 1
Acting for the screen involves learning a set of specialist skills that actors need to develop, in addition to core stage acting competencies. The Screen Acting module comprises teaching units in:
- Screen Acting theory
- On camera practice
- Audition and Self tape
MODULE LENGTH
1 Term/12 weeks, 1 x 3.5hr acting class weekly
ACTING TECHNIQUE 2
Acting Technique 2 focuses on relationship work and emotional preparation. The skills learnt in this module extend the actor’s ability to portray characters powerfully on stage. In Acting Technique 2, actors will:
- Gain insight and understanding of their own relationships
- Develop techniques for relationship development in acting
- Build on techniques learnt in the previous stage in order to establish deeper connections with other actors on stage
- Develop skills in emotional prep to help fuel performance
Teaching Modules for Acting Technique 2 are as follows:
- Relationships
- Activity & Door Exercises
- Emotional Preparation
- Repetition
MODULE LENGTH
2 Terms/24 weeks, 2 x 3.5hr acting class weekly
SCENE STUDY 2
In this module, actors are taught how to apply the acting skills they develop in Acting Technique 2 to scene work. The Scene Study module can thought of as the application of those those acting skills to text. In this module actors will:
- Learn to create compelling character portrayals
- Learn to deliver monologues powerfully
- Expand on key performance capabilities
- Perform scenes in front of an audience
Teaching Modules for Scene Study 2 are as follows:
- Scene Study
- Monologues
- Performance
MODULE LENGTH
2 Terms/24 weeks, 1 x 3.5hr acting class weekly
VOICE 2
Voice 2 is a tailor made module, designed to help you further strengthen your vocal instrument. Voice 2 looks to build on the work of Voice 1, deepening the understanding of your instrument and the skills required to make clear vocal choices. Voice 2 will have a greater emphasis on text and how we use our words, sounds, and rhetoric to create a dynamic vocal landscape that paints pictures.
MODULE LENGTH
2 Terms/24 weeks, 1 x 2hr acting class weekly
MOVEMENT 2
Movement 2 has been specifically designed to reflect your acting training, teaching you elements that will help you connect with the other actors on stage.
MODULE LENGTH
2 Terms/24 weeks, 1 x 2hr acting class weekly
SCREEN ACTING 2
In Screen Acting 2, students will learn more advanced screen acting skills to help them navigate set life. Students find this module invaluable since in addition to key competencies in camera work, it helps them understand screen acting in the wider context of the film industry. The Screen Acting module comprises teaching units in:
- Set environment
- Set survival
- Continuity
- Professionalism on set
- Business of Acting
- The Film Industry
MODULE LENGTH
2 Terms/24 weeks, 1 x 3.5hr acting class weekly
YEAR 2
ADVANCED ACTING TECHNIQUE
The Advanced stage completes the actor’s training at the Actors Door Studio. It focuses on the development of advanced characterisation techniques crucial in the portraying of powerful, memorable and convincing characters on stage and screen. Actors will also learn specific and highly specialised performance skills that will help them launch successful careers in this very competitive industry.
Advanced Stage actors will:
- Master use of physical & psychological character traits for story telling
- Develop advanced skills in performance
- Introduction to the notion of Mindful Instinct
Teaching Modules for the Advanced Stage are as follows:
- Emotional Journeys
- Character Embodiment
- Spoon Rivers
- Advanced Characterisation
MODULE LENGTH
3 Terms/36 weeks, 2 x 3.5hr acting class weekly
ADVANCED SCENE STUDY
In this module, actors are taught how to apply the highly advanced acting they develop in Advanced Acting Technique to scene work. The Scene Study module can thought of as the application of those those acting skills to text. In this module actors will:
- Learn to create compelling character portrayals
- Expand on key performance capabilities
- Develop, nuance, control and depth in performance
- Perform scenes in front of an audience as part of the Industry Showcase (Term 3)
Teaching Modules for Advanced Scene Study are as follows:
- Advanced Scene Study skills
- Master Performance work
MODULE LENGTH
3 Terms/36 weeks, 1 x 3.5hr acting class weekly
VOICE 3
Voice 3 looks to build on the work of Voice 2, deepening the understanding of your instrument and the skills required to make clear vocal choices.
MODULE LENGTH
3 Terms/36 weeks, 1 x 2hr acting class weekly
MOVEMENT 3
Movement 3 has been specifically designed to reflect your acting training, teaching you elements that will help you connect with the other actors on stage.
MODULE LENGTH
3 Terms/36 weeks, 1 x 2hr acting class weekly
ADVANCED SCREEN ACTING
In Advanced Screen Acting, students will have the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the ‘real world’ of screen acting. In this module actors will:
- Continue to expand of key skills learned in Year 1
- Gain on set experience
MODULE LENGTH
3 Terms/36 weeks, 1 x 3.5hr acting class weekly
STYLE LABORATORY
In this laboratory style class, actors will have the opportunity to ‘break the technique’. Central to Fay Beck’s approach, is the idea that a technique must be open enough to keep evolving with changing theatrical and film acting styles. At this stage of their training, actors will have gained sufficient mastery to present their own style cases for study by the rest of the group and the instructor.
MODULE LENGTH
1 Term/12 weeks, 1 x 2hr acting class weekly
FINAL YEAR INDUSTRY SHOWCASE
The Final Year Showcase is an event for industry professionals and takes place at a central London theatre venue. Past showcases have taken place at the Tristan Bates Theatre. The focus of the showcase, is to bring together everything you have learned throughout your training and to showcase your abilities in front of talent agents, casting directors and other industry professionals.
MODULE LENGTH
You will be preparing for the Final Year Showcase during Term 3 of the Advanced Scene Study module.
FILMCASE (Optional)
The FilmCase course is designed to equip graduates with showreel material as they finish their training. Students are able to apply what they have learnt during Screen Acting modules into their showreel performances. Bespoke scenes are created for graduating actors, taking into account casting types and the student’s own preferences as regards story, style and characterisation. Scenes are screened at the Graduation Industry Showcase, giving invited agents and industry professionals an opportunity to see not only the stagecraft, but also the screen acting skills of graduating actors. The module includes:
- Casting type consultation
- Consultation with the writer
- Bespoke showreel script development (2page script)
- Showreel production
FEE
£750 (this fee is additional extra to course fees)
SESSION TIMES
Monday – Thursday 10am – 3:30pm (with total of 1hr breaks)
NON-NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS
We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply to our courses. Students must however be fluent in English. Non-native English speakers are encouraged to take additional classes in RP. The Studio runs one-on-one Skype coaching sessions that can be booked individually by non-native English speakers.
Fees
Year 1, £5,830
Year 2, £6,746
Payments
Course fees may be paid upfront prior to the beginning of each year. A £500 non-refundable is payable to secure your spot.
We are committed to helping actors who may not be in a financial position to forward advance payments on the BEAT Course. As a result we are able to offer students the ability to pay on a monthly instalment basis.
Applications
Apply to the BEAT Acting Course, by submitting an online application. Along with your application you are required to submit a short video. On the basis of your submission material, you may be invited to send a self-tape (a £15 processing fee is applicable at this stage). Finally, you will be invited to meet with Fay Beck via zoom for the final interview stage of the selection process.
Follow the link below to submit an online form now.