The Group-Format Industry Consultation with Dean Armstrong
Dean Armstrong, School Director of the Armstrong Acting Studio and acclaimed coach and consultant within the industry has long been involved with the casting community. With his background as both pre-production and on-set coach, his opinion often plays an integral role in the decision-making process. Working alongside directors, producers, casting directors, and other major industry figures, Dean's input is frequently requested at the crucial point where actors have been narrowed down to a select few for a specific role. Sometimes the talent is new or inexperienced and competing against actors with prolific resumes. In other cases, an actor might be young and there is doubt as to whether he or she can handle the responsibilities of a lead or supporting role.
It is at this juncture that Dean is called in as a screen test advisor. By going through the audition process as a reader, Dean is able to better appraise each actor's capabilities and therefore contribute a great deal to dialogue with directors, in terms of selecting a best candidate.
THE INDUSTRY CONSULTATION...
This advisory service has since sprung up outside the parameters of the official audition under the label "industry consultation." By replicating the screen test process, Dean can assess an actor's overall strengths, weaknesses, hooks, as well as his or her individual idiosyncrasies. This evaluation enables actors to see whether they have created a tangible framework from which to launch and build a career.
...FOR AGENTS
These sessions are primarily of interest to talent agencies, seeking feedback for any number of reasons. Sometimes it is in response to talent that has not yet been signed, pending opinion from a third-party industry figure who can objectively evaluate an actor's abilities. Other times there are both nascent and veteran actors alike on a roster who, for whatever reason, are not booking roles and could use assistance with troubleshooting.
...FOR ACTORS
There is also a tremendous amount of interest for these consultations from actors who are interested in an impartial appraisal of their performance. It is through these sessions that they receive invaluable information about what they are doing/not doing or, better yet, what is working/not working.
The Group Format Industry Consultation
In an effort to better serve the working industry as well as AAS actors, we propose the three-hour group consultation format. This regular service was designed to meet the demand for this integral and potentially career-changing collaboration and features group interaction as well as highly actor-specific feedback.
Available exclusively to agencies and their clients on a per-agency basis, these sessions would be configured according to the outline below:
Using this format, the Armstrong Studio guarantees an immediate understanding and awareness of how to proceed toward achieving the most effective results within the audition process.
The fee for the three-hour group format industry consultation is $159.00 + G.S.T., which includes a DVD of each actor's work that day.
Dean Armstrong, School Director of the Armstrong Acting Studio and acclaimed coach and consultant within the industry has long been involved with the casting community. With his background as both pre-production and on-set coach, his opinion often plays an integral role in the decision-making process. Working alongside directors, producers, casting directors, and other major industry figures, Dean's input is frequently requested at the crucial point where actors have been narrowed down to a select few for a specific role. Sometimes the talent is new or inexperienced and competing against actors with prolific resumes. In other cases, an actor might be young and there is doubt as to whether he or she can handle the responsibilities of a lead or supporting role.
It is at this juncture that Dean is called in as a screen test advisor. By going through the audition process as a reader, Dean is able to better appraise each actor's capabilities and therefore contribute a great deal to dialogue with directors, in terms of selecting a best candidate.
THE INDUSTRY CONSULTATION...
This advisory service has since sprung up outside the parameters of the official audition under the label "industry consultation." By replicating the screen test process, Dean can assess an actor's overall strengths, weaknesses, hooks, as well as his or her individual idiosyncrasies. This evaluation enables actors to see whether they have created a tangible framework from which to launch and build a career.
...FOR AGENTS
These sessions are primarily of interest to talent agencies, seeking feedback for any number of reasons. Sometimes it is in response to talent that has not yet been signed, pending opinion from a third-party industry figure who can objectively evaluate an actor's abilities. Other times there are both nascent and veteran actors alike on a roster who, for whatever reason, are not booking roles and could use assistance with troubleshooting.
...FOR ACTORS
There is also a tremendous amount of interest for these consultations from actors who are interested in an impartial appraisal of their performance. It is through these sessions that they receive invaluable information about what they are doing/not doing or, better yet, what is working/not working.
The Group Format Industry Consultation
In an effort to better serve the working industry as well as AAS actors, we propose the three-hour group consultation format. This regular service was designed to meet the demand for this integral and potentially career-changing collaboration and features group interaction as well as highly actor-specific feedback.
Available exclusively to agencies and their clients on a per-agency basis, these sessions would be configured according to the outline below:
- Sessions will include no more than 10 actors, grouped by age and experience.
- It is each agency's responsibility to categorize actors, based on talent, as they see fit.
- The age brackets are: 13-15, 16-18, 19-25, and 26-30
- Material will be sent 24 hours in advance
- Actors will then go through an official audition process with Dean operating as screen test advisor.
- Following the auditions, Dean will sit down and critique performances with focus particularly on actors' demonstration of text analysis, character relationship development, and their ability to create the illusion of a real environment in the frame.
- Further discussion will include special attention to:
- Making the frame alive and active
- Ensuring the audition is not only competitive but also entertaining
- Acquiring
the tools necessary to make unique choices with material so that an
audition differentiates the actor from other competitors, enhancing the
actor's marketability.
Using this format, the Armstrong Studio guarantees an immediate understanding and awareness of how to proceed toward achieving the most effective results within the audition process.
The fee for the three-hour group format industry consultation is $159.00 + G.S.T., which includes a DVD of each actor's work that day.
