Congratulations on enrolling in The Process!

Thank you for committing to technique-driven training and for bringing your energy and enthusiasm to The Studio. The Process is an introduction to the fundamentals of the technique that defines The Howard Fine Acting Studio.

The course requires participants to complete several hours of homework each week so please be sure to get some rest in before the class commences. Below you will find important information that will help you prepare for and make the most of the course, and we ask that you please read everything carefully.

COURSE DATES AND CLASS TIMES

For more information on course dates and times please refer to the Classes page.

Please note that as this is an intensive course, missing any classes throughout the duration of the program is prohibited without prior consent as it has the potential to impact on your classmates. It is expected that everyone be prompt to class and be respectful of each other both in and out of the learning environment.

PAYMENT

By this stage of the enrolment process, you should have paid either a deposit, or the full course fee upfront.

If you have only paid the deposit so far, please note that the remaining course fees will be due by the first day of class. 

You can pay the remainder of your course fees by following this link, selecting The Process and then 'Final payment' from the drop down box on the right hand side, and clicking 'enrol now'.  Proceed to the check out to make your final payment. 

PRE-COURSE HOMEWORK

All participants of The Process should be aware that there is a degree of homework that needs to be completed prior to the commencement of the program. Students must read Howard’s book ‘Fine On Acting: A Vision of the Craft’ and ‘A Challenge for the Actor’ by Uta Hagen. Both of these books are available for purchase at The Studio for $35 each (cash only) but please do contact us first to see if there are any copies available. We also sell Howard's book via out website, which you can purchase byclicking here. The book is also available via online retailers such as The Book Depository and and Amazon. 

You should also become familiar with some of the work you will be doing in class by watching Uta Hagen's 'Acting Class' DVD. This DVD is also available from online retailers, and is available for loan from The Studio (please contact The Studio to ask about loan availability).  

On the first day of The Process, please bring with you:

  • Your copies of 'A Challenge for the Actor' and 'Fine on Acting: A Vision of the Craft'
  • A notepad, highlighter and pen, etc.
  • Any homework that Marilyn has asked you complete before the course begins (outlined in the letter below).

A WORD FROM MARILYN:

Hello HFAS-Australia Actors. Welcome to The Process!

Please read the following course-prep instructions carefully.

I’m looking forward to meeting everyone. We’ll be covering a tremendous amount in The Process. Preparation will be key to get the most out of this “sampler” of the basic concepts that are covered in Howard’s book, Fine on Acting: A Vision of the Craft. It is imperative that you have read his book prior to the first class meeting. Enter your reflections, responses and questions in your Actor’s Journal! You are welcome to record the classes, but I also want you to take notes in and out of class.

FOR THE FIRST CLASS:

  1. Have completed reading Howard’s book, FINE ON ACTING.
  2. Bring a short section from a novel, short story, or autobiography that is a descriptive, sensorial passage. Approximately 90 seconds. This should not be a plot-driven passage, but rather a passage that uses the senses to describe a scenario – meaning lots of descriptive adjectives and adverbs. Please be prepared to read it out loud in class. This means that you will have read it aloud a few times at home. Enjoy the language. Enjoy the senses.
  3. Learn 2 tongue twisters. Be familiar with your choices. Google “tongue-twisters” for ideas if you don’t already have a couple.
  4. Have a good joke or two to share with the class.

As soon as you’ve finished Howard’s book, start reading Uta Hagen’s 'A Challenge for the Actor'*. I strongly recommend that you watch her DVD, 'Uta Hagen’s Acting Class'. You’ll hear her voice as you read her book, which makes it easier and more fun. The Studio has a copy of the DVD, which can be viewed there. You can also find much of it online. You’ll be doing the first Object Exercise (#1-“Destination”) later in the course and possibly #2 “Fourth Side”, if time allows. You must have read at least through the chapters on “The Exercises” by the end of the second week of class. (FYI – You’ll see me on the DVD doing Object Exercise #10: Historical Imagination, playing “Charlotta” from Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard.)

Please come to class prepared, with all the materials that you need and assignments completed. Wear clothes that are comfortable and that you can move in easily. No flip-flops, loose sandals or high-heels. Have something to tie back your hair. No big jewellery or belt buckles. Be prepared to work hard and play hard. Bring Howard’s book and Ms. Hagen’s book and your Actor’s journal/notebook to EVERY class!

Keep an open mind and an open heart, and always remember that each of you will have your own personal experience of the work and of this journey because each of you is unique. There is only ONE you. Celebrate that. And enjoy The Process.

See you in class,

Marilyn McIntyre
Director of the Acting Program. Howard Fine Acting Studio - Australia

Studio information pack

There are various procedures and guidelines in place here at The Studio in relation to the space and how to utilise it so everyone can enjoy a clean and safe working environment. Please read The Studio Information Pack, which includes information on kitchen use, rehearsal space hire, parking and public transport, etc. You can access it by clicking here. Please take the time to read this carefully, as it will hopefully answer a lot of your questions prior to beginning the course.

STAGE MANAGERS AND PARTICIPANT EXPECTATIONS

Here at The Studio, we rely on the help of everyone involved in class to help keep classes running smoothly and efficiently. To streamline this process, a student from the class will be performing the role of Stage Manager. The Stage Manager is your main point of contact throughout the course for logistical matters. Some things that the Stage Manager will do include:

  • Forwarding messages from the tutor to all participants.
  • Requesting floor plans and furniture requirements for your exercises in order to create a class running order.
  • Overseeing the changeover of scenes in each class.
  • Making sure The Studio is neat and tidy at all times.

As a participant in class, we will often request your help with certain things in order to assist the Stage Manager. Below we have outlined the expectations of everyone taking part in classes at The Studio. These expectations are put in place for everyone’s benefit and it is therefore greatly appreciated that you adhere to the following:

  • Be on time for every class. If, for some reason, you are running late for class, please inform the Stage Manager and, when        applicable, your scene partner as well.
  • Be prompt in responding to the Stage Manager’s requests, both during and outside of class.
  • Be prompt in sending your floor plans and furniture requirements for a scene or Hagen exercise to the Stage Manager.  
  • Bring your own copy of your floor plan to give to the Stage Manager at the start of class.
  • Assist with set changes between scenes. This is expected of everyone at every scene change.
  • Help the Stage Manager at all times when in The Studio. This will often include helping to tidy up the space at the end of each class, putting furniture away, making sure the kitchen area is clean, arranging the chairs neatly in the space, and any other cleaning and tidying that may need to be done.  With everyone’s help, this can take a minimal amount of time and goes a long way to helping both the Stage Manager and The Studio.
  • Finally, if you are uncertain of anything related to class, contact the Stage Manager first.

Get SOCIAL

Our students are the most important part of the HFAS community, and we love to read your updates, whether it's the scene you're working on in class, some fun you had in rehearsals, or which lessons you're loving. 'Check in' at The Studio, tag us, and use the hashtag #HFAS. We love to hear from our students! You can follow us on social media via the links below (it's also a great way to keep up to date with Studio news!

 

OTHER THINGS THAT MAY TAKE YOUR INTEREST

You might like to join our Facebook group, where you can chat and share with the HFAS community.

Get to know your tutor, Marilyn McIntyre a little more before class commences. Marilyn’s website has updates regarding what she's currently up to, photos and videos of some of her past work and lots of other things you may find interesting. Have a look at what she’s done, and she’s more than happy to answer any questions you may have in class.

Also, get to know Howard Fine, the Artistic Director of The Studio, a little more. Watch his FilmNut interview with Jeff Schubert and their discussion on technique, the relationship between homework and rehearsal and some of the coaching work he's done with other actors.                                        

Finally, if you have any other questions about this course or The Studio, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We look forward to welcoming you to The Studio!