As the technology, we have at our disposal improves, the potential to deliver a well-crafted audition from the comfort of our home increases. In this five week long workshop we will be looking at what is required of us as actors and artists when asked to "self-tape" and how to construct an interesting and memorable slice of life that we are proud to submit. Once we can be comfortable with how to turn our living space into a creative space with no distractions, either visually or mentally, only then can we get down to the job of recording a "scene". There is, of course, no guarantee that we will get the job every time, but we can at the very least enjoy the process of bringing the text to life. By being consistently authentic, what we create will resonate with anyone who sees our work.

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SESSION OUTLINE​
All sessions include an assignment to be completed for feedback on the next session (apart from the last session)

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Session One

Why self-tape?

Understanding the requirements being asked of you when sent a scene to self-tape and how to use this opportunity to your advantage.

 

Session Two

Getting it done!

To be seen and heard on camera without overthinking the end result or filming hundreds of takes to get the "perfect" one. Just do it. 

Session Three
​Have fun doing it! 
Taking the stress out of self-taping and learning to see how empowering this way of creating little slices of life can be.

Session Four

Make it good!
Once you have conquered the technical aspect of putting yourself on camera, how to swap your director hat for your actor hat. Relationships, accents, props etc.

Session Five

Did I get the job? (or at least do myself proud)
Consistently creating successful self-tapes by learning how best to prepare, practice and play on screen.

 

TO WHOM IT IS FOR
This workshop is to actors with varied experience or anyone keen to explore their own approach to putting themselves on camera, using preparation and practice to allow a sense of play on screen and in the audition room. Teaching will be designed to help you at the level you are working on.

 

WHAT YOU GET

• A comprehensive guide to setting up your self-tape space with information on frame sizes, eyelines and backgrounds.

• Practical and easy to use exercises that will transform your emotional state to align yourself with the requirements of the text.

• Increasingly challenging assignments each week to replicate the professional environment.

• The freedom to use the medium of self-taping as an advantage, and embrace the opportunity to film your work.

• Finding the fun in the most extreme of acting choices without the fear of failure.

• Discovering how to stand out by trusting the decisions you make.

 

INFO 

• Price: 155€ incl. VAT 24%

• Workshop will happen online via Zoom

• Five sessions between: February 1 - March 1, 2021  
• Class times: Tuesdays 17:00 - 19:00 Finnish time

• Place is limited and will be filled on a 'first-come-first-serve' basis.

• The booking for all events and workshops is binding. You can cancel 30 days prior to the event and receive a 50% return of your payment or you can pass on your spot to another person without an extra fee.

• Teaching language is English (Please keep in mind that you do not need to have perfect English skills, and you do not need to worry about accent and pronunciation).

• All rights to changes reserved.

• You can find the event on Facebook here.

WHAT TO BRING

A device with a camera of any quality. A neutral or flexible (easy to rearrange) space that you are happy to be used for filming. And a willingness to be seen on screen.

ABOUT TOM SAWYER

Tom has trained and worked extensively both in the UK and the US. Training in London includes The Poor School, The Actors Centre and The Actors Temple and the Margie Haber Studio In the US among others. He has worked as a professional actor for over 20 years on stage and screen at the highest level for institutions such as BBC (Eastenders), Channel 4 (Hollyoaks), ITV (The Bill) and on stage has worked at the famous Edinburgh Festival and with companies such as Pilot Theatre Company (Sing yer heart out for the lads) appearing in some of the UK’s most prestigious theatres including Hackney Empire, Salisbury Playhouse, Soho Theatre and York Theatre Royal. He is a founder and tutor at the Screen Actors London and a tutor at The Actors Temple where he specializes in the Meisner Technique, and also works with actors at Mountview Academy, International School of Screen Acting and the London Film Academy.
 

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TESTIMONIALS FROM TOM'S LAST WORKSHOP IN HELSINKI
 

"I found that the workshop was very inspiring and gave some incredibly useful insight and tools for cold reading and how to approach a scene. It was a great pleasure to work with Tom. You can tell that he is a professional but at the same time very approachable and relatable which makes the classroom a stress-free environment. The workshop gives much needed clarity to many questions and reminds us that acting is supposed to be fun.

I would recommend this workshop for anyone seeking tools to navigate the challenges of the audition room and the means to approach a text from a more relaxed and creative state. Any actor or anyone working with actors can benefit from it. 5/5 stars.”

- Rasmus Blomqvist

 

“I liked this workshop very much. It has given me a lot of new angles on how to look at things, all round a good experience. I learned that we don’t have to overprepare or overthink it, we have a lot of information in us already. I would definitely recommend Tom’s workshop, it was a lot of fun, informative and insightful. I would recommend it to anyone looking to work in front of the camera also if you are looking to make a transition from stage to camera work this would be very beneficial. I would give this workshop five out of five stars, it was an overall great experience and I also loved the Actors Academy Studio space, it’s amazing and cozy.

- Meri Lindblad

 

“I found the course really useful because I learned so many tips on-camera acting which I have been struggling before and Tom gave me so many good points on how I can improve my acting, so now I know how I can work on myself. One thing I learned was how to take everything extra off and act from simplicity rather than trying too much. Tom was a really good teacher, he really knows what it is to be an actor, and what is professional acting. He was empathic and kind when directing and I feel that he hit the spot when directing the scene. He has a lot of knowledge and funny stories about the actors' life. Overall his knowledge combined with approbative attitude and great humor made the workshop fun and useful. I'm really happy I invested in it. Actors Academy has exceeded my expectations now both two times I've attended a workshop. I would definitely recommend it, it was a very good workshop for me. I would give it 4,5 stars, it was really good.” 

- Anna-Katriina Kyykkänen

 

“The workshop was really good. It was very insightful and I learned something new that I wasn’t expecting.

One of the biggest revelations was how can I use silence and let space tell the story, also learned something completely new about myself. Tom is very thoughtful, supportive and kind, and has great ideas on how to improve and what to do. It was also very easy to understand him. I would absolutely recommend the workshop. The four days was a perfect time frame and the structure worked very well. I think that even if you are not an actor, this workshop can help you in your expression and confidence. I would definitely give the workshop five stars."

- Mimi Alén

 

“The workshop was very exciting and I learned a lot of new things. Tom's way of teaching was very nice and very enjoyable overall. Tom is very knowledgeable, very supportive and encouraging, great to work with. I would definitely recommend this workshop. Anyone who is interested in camera work would benefit a lot from the workshop. I would easily give this workshop five stars.”

- Juhana Stolt

 

“I liked the workshop very much because before the workshop I had no confidence in building a character or self-taping and I got to see how it is done and that it doesn’t need to be so difficult. I got some great tools on how to address the work. Tom is really fun, I felt really relaxed in his classes. I would recommend this workshop for anyone who is starting out and wants to have some experience in screen acting and self-taping. I would give five stars to this workshop. Good teacher, great people, loved it!"
- Hope Achan

 

“I really liked Tom Sawyer’s workshop because it was very authentic and he really talked from his own experience and was able to bring those really good examples which we were also able to take into the exercises during class. When we did the cold reading exercises I found his tips super useful on how to really connect with your partner rather than just staring and the paper and focusing on the words. I would actually recommend this workshop to anybody whether you are in acting or not because you actually exercise the muscles on how you act and react with other people. I would give it five stars as it was a very nice four days, a very relaxing atmosphere and there were time and quality put into the exercises.”

- Anna Schoults

 

"I really really liked it. Tom guides his students very gently, but also very clear and he is fun to work with. I was amazed at his endless energy, and him always giving so much. I learned a lot. It was a really valuable experience for me and I would love for him to come back. It was super helpful to work on camera and then see yourself immediately after and get the feedback, as usually you don’t see your work or the results for many months. I would definitely recommend this workshop, it is super beneficial even if you have camera-experience as you get the feedback and new level to your acting. Also if you are new to this it will help you a lot. I would give the workshop 4,5 stars our of five!”
-Hosanna Megumi

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"I am very grateful to you for this opportunity. Especially because you accepted me as who I am...(a beginner). I felt cozy. For me, this workshop was very inspiring and helpful. I feel that I want to go further and further. I made my first self-tape for casting. Usually, when I want to take part in the movie and be a background actor I send only some horrible pictures and hope that somebody notices them. Tom Sawyer is a very magical teacher. I don`t know how he did it, but he injected me with confidence. Thanks for that, it was like a therapy session and I need it more. This journey was amazing and from the heart, I really recommend this workshop to others. I give 5 stars out of 5.”
- Chris Kuningas

 

"From Page to Screen workshop with Tom Sawyer was an absolutely incredible experience. Actors Academy Finland is truly a treasure here in Finland that everybody should check out! Tom is a brilliant teacher. Such a genuine and down to earth guy! He really takes into account each student and finds something new to work on. He’s able to create this relaxed, open and safe environment where it is easy to create and try something new. I feel like I could write an entire book about the new things I learned from this workshop. 100/5 stars.”
- Julia Nurmi
 

“I’m kind of new in this, so he helped me a lot on how to express your emotions and how to understand how you put the script to the screen and how to live fully and be in the moment. Tom helped me a lot in these four days, he helped me to understand myself in an artistic way. I like him a lot as a teacher, he gave me a lot of tips. I hope to work with him soon again. I would recommend this workshop to anyone who is interested in acting. I would give this workshop 4,5 out of five stars.”

- Sanjay Shrestha

 

“I really liked it. I’m quite new, so there was a lot of information new to me. The cold reading technique and how to prepare yourself for the shooting was very good. 

Tom is very nice, a down to earth guy. He is very inspiring and doesn't take authority. I felt immediately I can really relax in the class. He has a lot of experience and really knows what he talks about. I would definitely recommend the workshop to anyone who is interested in acting and especially if you are interested in camera work, then this is the place to go. I would give this workshop five stars out of five. It provided a lot of clear concrete and practical information, something you can start to use immediately.”

- Laura Faarinen