This six-week class is created for the intermediate actor who has some experience in film and is committed to expanding their professional reach.

The actor who would benefit most from this class is a self-motivated one. They are the type of actor who often thinks to themselves: “If only people could see what I am really capable of doing as an actor/creative.”

The professional path of an actor has always been intensely competitive. Even actors at the pinnacle of their careers sometimes have to campaign for the best roles. None of that has changed. ?

What HAS changed are the tools available to the actor to help them become more competitive in today’s marketplace. They are able to forge their own paths.

The world is awash in self-made digital content - YouTube channels, Instagram, Twitter, and Tik-Tok personalities, web series, short films, indie features. Some of these “break out” and get further developed and/or distributed by experienced producers and powerful studios. Others take a more DIY approach and find their audience via grass-roots marketing. In many cases, these projects were generated by actors.

In this class, the actor will be challenged to begin the process of creating their own content. They will be asked to brainstorm/develop and deliver a 3 to 10 page script that showcases their strengths as an actor and proceed as if they were planning to shoot it after the class has concluded.

It should be noted that we are not creating individual scenes for a reel. The participants scripts will be short, stand-alone narrative pieces with a beginning, middle and end. It’s quite likely that a scene can later be pulled from the piece for the actor’s reel. It’s also possible that the short could later be developed into a feature film. But neither of these are the focus of the class.

Each individual class will look at the practical aspects of film production. The intent is for participants to have a “peek behind the curtain” and learn about the mechanics of creating a film. This knowledge should cross over into their professional lives as actors - knowing how the gears are turning on a film set can help actors relax and stay focused on their craft. The last class will give actors 15-20 minutes each of one-on-one time with the instructor to dive deeper into their individual project.



ABOUT MICHAEL NICKLES:
Writer/Director/Producer

Michael A. Nickles is an award-winning international filmmaker who has been an active part in the independent film industry for over twenty years. He began his career at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and went on to study with legendary acting teacher Sanford Meisner.

His latest feature film, HOLLY STAR, which he wrote, directed, and produced in New England is currently streaming on Netflix.

Other films include: JUST PECK (starring Brie Larson), PLAYBACK (starring Christian Slater), the animated feature BUNYAN AND BABE (starring John Goodman), the award-winning XII, the festival favorite THIS IS NOT A FILM, and the international golf drama SWING AWAY.

As a cinematographer, he has worked on numerous documentaries, including the cult classic HANDS ON A HARDBODY, which Quentin Tarantino labeled as “one of the greatest documentaries ever made” and which went on to become a Broadway musical.

In addition to writing, directing, and/or producing over a dozen feature films, Nickles has extensive credits as an actor in both feature films and television and is an Executive Producer of Heather Graham’s directorial debut, HALF MAGIC.

Michael Nickles is a proud member of both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.