ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

Most actors are not prepared or trained to deal with three of most consistent and perplexing obstacles that an actor has to face.

1. a script that is either incomprehensible or presents no clues to character or event

2. a scene partner that is inexperienced, uncooperative or inflexible

3. a director who is unclear, unsupportive, can’t communicate or is totally unavailable (this the often the most serious and problematic obstacle actors face).

This is where the Actor’s 9-1-1 comes in. In The Actor’s 9-1-1 skilled actors will learn how to find directorial solutions to these problems: how to make weak material work, how to direct themselves and even how to direct others (their scene partners) in an appropriate and non-threatening manner.

The Actor’s 9-1-1 covers:

• Survival techniques for any acting situation
• Finding the hidden meaning in the scene
• How to translate ‘result’ directing into organic behavior
• Creating dynamic objectives and obstacles that will bring any scene to life
• How to ‘direct’ your scene partners without them knowing it
• Adapting bad staging into dynamic, organic staging
• Self-staging in order to stimulate your character and others
• And much, much more …

When actors learn to think like directors (solving problems rather than being crippled by them) then they can take more control of their craft.

 

DATE: Saturday and Sunday, September 8-9, 2012

TIME: 9 am-6 pm

INSTRUCTOR: Mark W Travis

PRICE: $250 (+$25 Studio Registration Fee for New Students) to participate.  SOLD OUT to participate

$125 to audit (not participate) - perfect for directors, newer actors, writers.  AUDIT STILL AVAILBLE

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
MARK W. TRAVIS

Director, Writer, Author, Consultant

Acclaimed as "the director’s director", Mark W. Travis is regarded by many Hollywood and International professionals as one of the world’s leading authorities in the art and craft of film directing.  Drawing from his impressive background in design, writing, acting, and his wide range of experience directing theater, film and television, Mark is able to bring new insights and exceptional clarity to the complex task of directing the feature film.

DIRECTING

Mark W. Travis earned a B.A. degree in Theatre at Antioch College and did his graduate training in Directing in the MFA program at the Yale School of Drama.  Mark is a creative consultant to film directors Mark Rydell, George Tillman, Cyrus Nowrasteh and many other notable writers and directors.

Mark’s television directing credits include The Facts of Life, Family Ties, Capitol and the Emmy Award-winning PBS dramatic special, Blind Tom: The Thomas Bethune Story. In 1998 he directed the pilot for LifeStories. 

In 1990 he completed his first film, Going Under, for Warner Bros., starring Bill Pullman and Ned Beatty. In 2001 he wrote and directed The Baritones (parody of The Sopranos) as well as the short documentary, Earlet.  In 2006 he co-directed the documentary, Ancient Light.

 

TEACHING

Mark’s unique approach to working with actors and characters (The Travis Technique) has gained the attention of directors, writers and actors worldwide and is becoming a standard approach for stimulating powerful performances.

Since 1992 Mark has been sharing his techniques on writing, acting and directing worldwide.  USA: The Directors Guild, American Film Institute, Pixar Animations Studios, UCLA Extension, Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival, Denver Film Festival, Hollywood Actor’s Workshop, Hollywood Film Institute. JAPAN:  Film & Media Lab and Vantan Film School.  GERMANY: Münchner Filmwerkstatt, ActionConcept, IFS, and HFF Munich and Konrad Wolf Babelsberg.  POLAND:  The Film Farm in Kotla.  ENGLAND:  Raindance, Paradigm Film Productions, Hurtwood House, Metropolitan Film School, National Film and Television School, London Film School, Lionhead Studios, London Film Academy.  FRANCE:  The Cannes Film Festival, NETHERLANDS: The Maurits Binger Institute.  UKRAINE: HSU in Kiev, OIFF in Odessa; RUSSIA: International Film Actors Workshop, IRELAND: FAS Screen Training Ireland, NORWAY: The Norwegian Film School, DENMARK: The National Film School of Denmark, SPAIN: afilm International Film Workshops, CZECH REPUBLIC: FAMU Academy of Film and Television, AUSTRALIA: Griffith Film School.

 

CONSULTING

Mark has served as a Creative Consultant on several feature films including: Here’s Herbie; Notorious; Not Forgotten; The Stoning of Soraya M,; Black Irish; Men of Honor; Barbershop; Barbershop 2; The Day Reagan Was Shot; Norma Jean, Jack and Me and television episodes of: Lois and Clark; The Pretender; Picket Fences, 90210, Melrose Place; Strong Medicine; NYPD Blue; The Practice and Ally MacBeal.

 

WRITING

Mark is the author of the Number-One Best Seller (L.A. Times), THE DIRECTOR’S JOURNEY: the Creative Collaboration between Directors, Writers and Actors.  His second book on directing, DIRECTING FEATURE FILMS (published in April of 2002) is currently used as required text in film schools worldwide.  His next book, THE FILM DIRECTOR’S BAG OF TRICKS was published in September 2011.

ABOUT THE STUDIO

Verve Studios is a boutique music and acting studio located in the Scottsdale, AZ Airpark.

 Since 2005, Verve Studios has offered classes for the serious and dedicated actor and musician.  The coaches at Verve are working, seasoned, professional actors and teach proven methods and techniques.  Verve classes are nurturing, honest and intense and will bring out, encourage and help shape the artist through creativity, truth and discipline.

www.VerveStudio.net is the Studio Website.

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