DirectingtheActor_FMTV-UT_1069_004_syllabus_MARTIN_v2

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY Tisch School of the Arts Undergraduate Film and Television DIRECTING THE ACTOR Course Syllabus FMTV-UT 1069.004 3 credits Spring 2023: 1/26 - 5/4 Instructor: John Wills Martin Email: jm3266@nyu.edu Class time: Thursday 2:00 - 4:45 PM EST Classroom: 721 Broadway, Room 709 Loc: Washington Square Office Hrs: Thursday 12:45 - 1:45, 5 - 6, Open Arts, 4th floor, 721 Broadway Also by appointment: email instructor NYU COMMUNITY STANDARDS Welcome to the Undergraduate Film and Television Department, a tight-knit community of film, television, and animation artists whose works are recognized for both their creative and technical qualities. This is a testament to our students’ individual talents and to the collaborative nature of the whole community. To achieve productive collaboration, we aspire to principled standards of behavior. They serve your development as an evolving artist while here, and for the entirety of your professional career. As a student in UGFTV, you are subject to all NYU and Tisch School of the Arts policies and procedures and should pay special attention to the statement of Tisch Community Standards, found in the Handbook of Policies & Procedures . The UGFTV faculty and staff are here to support and assist you however we can. In return, we ask that you commit to the high standards of professional behavior that we embrace as a community. Treat all colleagues, classmates, and school staff with respect and courtesy. This extends to all your cast, vendors, university staff, non-NYU crew, technicians, and craftspeople. They are collaborators without whom you could not make your work. The expectations below are set up to benefit the entire community. We ask that there be no attempt to test or circumvent or even 'bend' the rules. To do so would be contrary to the spirit of professionalism which each student is here to learn. 1. Integrity : As students in UGFTV, we are committed to the values of respect, integrity, accountability and excellence. Our community respects the rights and dignity of all members and

actively engages with diverse points of view. When faced with conflict or adversity, we conduct ourselves with the highest level of integrity and practice ethical decision-making. We hold ourselves accountable to the commitments we make and for our own conduct. We continually aim for creative and academic excellence, and understand that the quality of our educational experience at NYU UGFTV is predicated upon our own efforts. 2. Leadership : In our department we are often called upon to be leaders and understand that a leader is one who motivates and inspires others as collaborators to accomplish a specific goal. Attributes of leadership also include the ability to present the vision and objective clearly so that everyone is motivated to have a stake in the outcome; the ability to engender respect and participation from all collaborators; the ability to be decisive and not derisive; the ability to solve challenges together by soliciting input and to demonstrate confidence without letting ego get in the way. As students in UGFTV we continually strive to become strong leaders and offer our support for those who lead. 3. Honoring Commitments : We acknowledge the fundamental importance of trust, which begins with honoring the commitments we make. Our bond with each other is the baseline by which strong creative collaborations are established, and, as UGFTV students, we do what we say we’re going to do (arriving on time for production, crew meetings, working with others, respect for the time of others, proper wrapping of locations, etc.). By honoring our commitments both inside and outside of the classroom, we give to others what we should expect to receive. 4. Safety : Safety first. AS UGFTV students we are all accountable and responsible for safety first and foremost. To ensure everyone’s safety, we will plan and prepare in a careful, thorough manner before calling “action,” and never let the demanding nature of running a set - or the preserving and pursuit of the artistic vision of the work - interfere with establishing and maintaining a safe environment in which to work. 5. Working with Actors : As UGFTV student directors, we recognize and embrace the collaborative nature of filmmaking and value the contributions made by cast and crew. In addition to maintaining safe, respectful and organized sets, student directors take responsibility for constructing a production environment in which all applicable rules and regulations are understood and upheld by all participants. When working with SAG actors, student directors will abide by the SAG Student Film Agreement. For all actors (SAG/NON-SAG), student directors commit to creating a space in which the performer can safely and creatively explore and express the character they have been chosen to portray. For scenes involving nudity, sex and/or stunts the student director will enlist the talents of an appropriate and trained expert to supervise. 6. Professional Behavior : As UGFTV students, we expect to work with each other in an environment where professional social behavior, respect and courtesy extends to all participants on our sets. Attributes of professional social behavior include attending to the safety and well-being of the entire cast and crew and zero tolerance for verbal or physical abuse, undermining or demeaning conduct, or any form of bullying behavior. 7. Copyright : If your work includes the use of materials owned by third parties and you wish to use the work outside of the classroom, you may need to obtain rights for that use. 8. Misrepresentation : Any form of misrepresentation regarding our intentions (production plans, deployment of personnel, equipment usage, misappropriation and representation of the work of others, etc.) is against the values and principles of our community. It is a fundamental expectation that what we sign off on is accurate and truthful.

Student directors will work with their DTA classmates as actors for their first assigned micro-scenes, and for the second and third scenes, students are tasked to look outside of classroom and cast either other NYU students from UGFTV or from the Undergraduate Drama department or outside professional actors. There is a very specific protocol in order to cast and bring in outside-of-NYU actors and the student directors must begin this process well in advance of their scene workshop with the oversight and approval of the class instructor. Even as student directors may have to fall back on classmates in emergency, student directors must make all efforts to bring in non-DTA students for their second and in particular, for their third scenes. If there is a casting issue, the instructor must be informed by 6 PM of the night prior to the workshop. All work with actors, including casting, demands that the student directors adhere strictly to the UGFTV casting guidelines. See: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LIznc-LMzKOsnfwKYA_n7NANmfgbA4opLBP5vVygSDY/preview Tracking along with Judith Weston's Directing Actors 25 Anniversary Edition and the progression of students' workshopped scenes , the instructor will review actor and director tools. Utilizing film clips, exercises, lecture and discussion, the instructor will introduce reinforce, augment and expand upon methodology established in Performance Strategies. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES The objectives of the class are that the students solidify their understanding of acting methodology, learn essential directing tools and the fundamentals of collaborating with actors, and gain confidence in their ability to direct actors in service of the script. COURSE TEXTBOOK - REQUIRED READING Directing Actors: 25th Anniversary Edition Judith Weston Michael Wiese Productions ISBN:978-1-61593-321-1 SUGGESTED READING (DIRECTING AND ACTING): Why We Make Movies George Alexander Harlem Moon Truth Susan Batson Webster/Stone The Actor and the Target Declan Donnellan Nick Hern Books Making Movies Sidney Lumet Bloomsbury Catching the Big Fish David Lynch Penguin Random House Sanford Meisner on Acting Sanford Meisner Vintage The Invisible Actor Yoshi Oida Routledge Sculpting in Time Andrei Tarkovsky University of Texas Press Acting: Behind the Silver Screen Springer & Levinson Rutgers University ONLINE COURSE SUPPORT THROUGH BRIGHTSPACE Brightspace site: Directing the Actor 004 - DTA S23 Martin. Brightspace is the main resource for assignments, announcements, schedule, scenes and scene resources, handouts, quizzes, and analysis worksheets. Look to Contents, Announcements and Assignments on a regular basis for updates. All assigned work and any pertinent materials must be uploaded to Brightspace and labeled properly as follows: DTA S23 [your first name] [analysis or quiz name and #]. For example: DTA S23 John RQ or DTA S23 John SA 1. So, these are: the first Right Questions and the second Script Analysis. Additionally, make certain your name and the film title are on the document itself. Confirm that the document is in fact uploaded.

KANBAR FTV PRODUCTION SITE The Kanbar FTV Production Website is the main resource for technical information as well as policy and procedure for students, faculty and staff. GRADING POLICY Grades are awarded according to the in-class participation of the student, the craft skill progress the student has made, as evidenced by their three in-class workshopped scenes and understanding of the required reading demonstrated by the semester's two quizzes. The student director's preparation (including casting and analyses) and commitment to process are given prime consideration. The student is expected to thoroughly prepare, fulfill directorial considerations and procedures dealt with in the course, and incorporate feedback to more effectively achieve their stated, directorial intentions. The ultimate objective is to create compelling, in-the-moment, organic behavior by the actors within the story framework leading to an unmistakable Event. Professional conduct, including punctuality, leadership and collaborative skills: 25% Class participation and feedback: 15% Preparation (including casting and analyses) and workshop: 50% Quizzes: 10% ATTENDANCE, STUDENT PUNCTUALITY AND ABSENCES It is the policy of the department that punctual attendance at all classes is mandatory, with exceptions made only in the case of illness or serious emergency or recognized religious holiday. Crewing on a film or working in another class are not acceptable exceptions. Students arriving more than ten minutes late for classes will be considered absent for that day. If a student has more than two unexcused absences in a class during a semester, such absences will be reflected in the final course grade for that term. It is within the instructor's discretion to fail a student for missing classes. Further rules for attendance: After two unexcused absences, the student's grade will drop by one letter grade (A becomes B). Every subsequent unexcused absence reduces the student's grade by one letter grade. Four late arrivals will constitute one unexcused absence. The department reserves the right to drop any student who is not present for the first scheduled meeting of any UGFTV class, and who has not notified the instructor in writing by that meeting of his/her/their intention to be in the class. If there is a waitlist for the class, the student will be replaced by the first student from the waitlist. Students are required to contact their instructor. The reason for missing a first class must be of a serious nature to be valid. TEACHING STYLE Students will be taken through a refresher on acting techniques, script analysis, casting and rehearsal protocols, and directing tools and their application. The instructor will lecture on and apply to the scene work essential elements from the Weston required reading, such as Non-result direction, Subtext, Images, and Physical Life, etc., as well as those of other prominent practitioners. There will be in-depth discussion of these elements and two quizzes on Weston’s book. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Students are required to read specific chapters of Directing Actors 25th Anniversary Edition by Judith Weston and are encouraged to read this important workbook in toto. Students are also required to read the full screenplay of their final scene and review their peers’ scenes in order to be prepared for class critique.

give and take process of opening up the scene with the instructor's oversight. Student directors should assiduously apply elements of their Weston reading to their directing-the-actor work. The goals are exploration and information, not polish. All students are expected to actively observe and participate in group discussion of the work. The duration of the workshops are as follows: Micro scenes 30 minutes, Second scenes 40 minutes, and Final scenes 45 minutes. Scheduling to be determined by the instructor and posted to Brightspace. POSTMORTEM Students are required to meet with the instructor outside of class in-person or via Zoom at least once per semester to do a postmortem of their directing work to review their choices and their efficacy as well as problems they encountered. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with the instructor after each workshop. PARTICIPATION This is a workshop-based class and learning involves observing, analyzing, and discussing the work of other students as well as doing your own work. All students are expected to be present for all classes – whether or not their workshop is taking place. Your feedback, input, and insights are valuable. Your progress in the course is revealed, to a great extent, by your ability to assess the work of others and offer objective commentary, constructive criticism, and positive recommendations. Please raise your hand if you absolutely must step out between breaks. However, do not interrupt a scene. Wait outside at the door until the scene plays out. PARTICULAR MATERIAL GUIDELINE NOTE: Difficult and provocative material or execution thereof may demand a halt to class and prompt a discussion as a learning opportunity. The instructor reserves the right to stop the work if it becomes too difficult for the actors, the student director or the class. ADDITIONAL SPECIFIC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS No fire, pyrotechnics, or weapons: Fire, explosives, weapons, or simulated weapons of any kind including guns and knives are not allowed. This includes toy guns, knives, or simulated bomb elements that appear to be real. No glass, in particular no glass bottles, no sharp/dangerous objects allowed in the scene work. No actual alcohol or drugs: Non-harmful prop substances must always be used to stand in. No physical stunts. Intimacy: For ANY and ALL possible physical contact there must be spoken, explicit, agreed upon, mutual consent between the actors. Any intimacy, spoken or behavioral, must be addressed with the instructor prior to any presentation. Nudity and partial nudity are not allowed. Contact between students and actors is not allowed. Please consult with the instructor about any questions. It is required that students follow all health and safety requirements as established by NYU. Please see https://www.nyu.edu/life/safety-health-wellness/coronavirus-information.html USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES Any electronic recording of the scene work of any sort is not allowed. No use of computers, cell phones or other electronics devices is allowed during class except during breaks.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSWORK AND ASSIGNMENTS PRIOR TO THE FIRST CLASS: Students should review their Performance Strategies work. Students should read through the scene from The Dreamlife of Angels found in Content. Additionally, students are to complete the class Questionnaire and upload it to Brightspace by 6 PM Wednesday, January 25. WEEK 1: January 26 - The Director's Craft: Building a House Student Introductions: Personal Filmmaking Syllabus Review: Material Criteria, Grouping, Schedule & Attendance A Film Model: Aristotle and Chaplin’s The Kid Film Acting: The Eternal Flame The Invisible Work: Weston Analysis Analysis Distilled: The Right Questions (RQ) - Billy Crudup The Dreamlife of Angels - Zonca Rehearsal Expectations: Process and Connection Assignments - Read: Introduction and Chapter 1 of Weston's Directing Actors 25th Anniversary Edition . Begin reading Chapter 7 Analysis (to be completed by Week 6) , Chapter 8 Casting (to be completed Week 7) and Chapter 9 Rehearsal (to be completed by Week 8) Due February 1 by noon : GROUP 1 directors' Weston Analysis GROUP 1 actors' RQ ALL Weston Analyses, Crudup RQs and quizzes must be uploaded to Brightspace by noon on the Wednesday before workshop. PROTOCOLS OF FIRST ROUND WORKSHOPS: Class divides into 3 groups of 4: one director, one assistant director, and two actors per group. Prior to workshop. student directors are to complete their Weston Analysis and student actors are to complete their Crudup RQs. Collaboratively, the group will come to a consensus on the Circumstances, have a table read, review the Right Questions, and with the instructor's oversight, and begin to workshop the material. Process is valued over result. At the end of the workshop, there will be group-discussion of the work. Class members observing will be required to comment upon a specific element – acting or directing. For Weeks 2 - 5, all student directors must strictly rely on Non-result Direction. MENTALITY OF APPROACH - THE FUNDAMENTALS - Micro Scenes WEEK 2: February 2 - Weston: Result Direction and Quick Fixes 'Acting' vs. Experience Rehearsal and Directing Drama: Goals , Atmosphere and Mistakes Rehearsal Demonstration: The Dreamlife of Angels Scene Shaping: Emotional and Physical Structure Application of Tools Assessment and Mirroring Behavior

Due March 1 by noon: GROUP 1 directors' Weston Analysis PROTOCOLS OF SECOND AND THIRD ROUND WORKSHOPS: After approval is given for second and third round scenes, student directors are to complete Weston Analysis and to diligently cast appropriate outside actors , making a concerted effort to secure them and stay in communication with them throughout the process. S tudents are required to follow UGFTV guidelines and cast at five days prior to their workshop. While student directors may detail Circumstances with their cast, rehearsal should only start in earnest within the classroom. Directors should cast confidently and build upon what the actors bring. With the instructor's oversight, the director will begin with a table read and progress to workshopping the material, following their stated goals and plan. Process is valued over result. At the end of the workshop, there will be group-discussion, including with any outside actors. Class members observing will be required to comment upon a specific element – acting or directing. For Weeks 6 - 9 , all student directors should rely on an identified element of Weston. REHEARSAL AS EVOLVING PROCESS - Personal and Professional Scenes WEEK 6: March 2 - Active, Imaginative, and Observable/Personal Story Sense Setting the Work into Motion Controlled Freedom - Prof. Lee Further Exploration: Detailed Rehearsal Plans WORKSHOP: SECOND A BC Assignments - Read: Complete Chapter 8, continue reading Chapter 9 Due March 8 by noon: GROUP 2 directors' Weston Analysis WEEK 7: March 9 - Physical and Emotional Life: Building a Scene Working in Phrases: Anchoring Emotional Life Pacing: Relative to Content WORKSHOP: SECOND D EF Assignments - Reading: Complete Chapter 9 Midterm Quiz due by noon Tuesday, March 21 Due March 22 by noon: GROUP 3 directors' Weston Analysis SPRING BREAK: MARCH 13 - 19 WEEK 8: March 23 Midterm Quiz Review The Director's Intuition The Problem of Emotion Before and After: Causality and Emotional Linkage WORKSHOP: SECOND GHI

Assignments - Due March 29 by noon: GROUP 4 directors' Weston Analysis WEEK 9: March 30 - The Language of Permission: Trust and Risk The Spirit of Play - Cassavetes, Leigh Improvisation: Control of the Objective WORKSHOP: SECOND JKL Assignments - Read Blocking Scene WEEK 10: April 6 - Character Core: The Actor's Wellspring Casting Revisited: Casting Demonstration Blocking and Staging: Capitalizing on the Actor's Impulse Assignments - Read: Farber criticism Review Weston Chapter 9 Rehearsal Due April 12 by noon: GROUP 1 directors' Weston Analysis WEEKS 11 - 14: All student directors should be very conscientious of framing their directing-the-actor work within the whole story. Be specific. Remain open and in process. Exhaust all Weston tools towards opening up and delivering the scene. STORY SENSE: THE PERSONAL AND THE SPECIFIC WEEK 11: April 13 - Character: Psychological Profile - Walters Identity, Persona and the Mask - Donnellan Farber: The Ascent of the Actor WORKSHOP: FINAL A BC Assignments - Due April 19 by noon: GROUP 2 directors' Weston Analysis WEEK 12: April 20 - Adjustments: Articulating the Dramatic Problem Targeting & Doing - Donnellan Character "Improvements" - Pollack WORKSHOP: FINAL D EF Assignments - Due April 26 by noon: GROUP 3 directors' Weston Analysis