Acting For The Camera

Acting for the Camera

We have returned to on campus classes!

The Professional Program in Acting for the Camera is the only non-degree acting program that has oversight by the UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television.

Learn from renowned UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television Acting Program faculty and receive:

  • A world-class acting education in three quarters
  • An intimate learning environment with a maximum of 16 students per workshop
  • Access to casting decision makers

Gain knowledge from successful professionals in the industry. Guests have included: Emily Hampshire (Schitt's Creek), Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Patrick Fabian (Better Call Saul), Jennifer Aniston (Friends, The Morning Show), Jason Bateman (Ozark, Arrested Development), Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Jack Ryan, Chicago P.D.), Amy Ryan (Only Murders in the Building, The Office, Bridge of Spies), Christine Lakin (Step By Step, The Goldbergs, Family Guy, Schooled), Amanda Lund (Fresh Off the Boat, Another Period, Drunk History), Keesha Sharp (Empire, Lethal Weapon, The Last OG, Black Lightning), Chuck McCollum (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Agents of SHIELD, Castle, Lethal Weapon), Kimberly Foster-McCollum (Casting Rebel, A Christmas For the Books, Stitchers), Jill Anthony Thomas (Casting director Santa Clarita Diet, AP Bio), James Ponsoldt (Director of Daisy Jones & The Six, Shrinking, The Spectacular Now), Marco Fargnoli (Director The Mindy Project), Sacha Gervasi (Director of My Dinner with Herve, Hitchcock, Anvil: The Story of Anvil), Chelsea Handler (Hello Privilege. It’s me, Chelsea, Are you There, Chelsea?), April Webster (Casting Director of Star Wars), Grace Wu (EVP Casting at NBC), Kate Adler (EVP Comedy at CBS), Tony Sepulveda (Senior VP Casting at WB), Anya Colloff (Casting Director of Fresh Off the Boat, New Girl), Jeffrey Reiner (Director of The Affair), Adam Chase (TV EP of Mom), Alfred Molina (Angie Tribeca, Raiders of the Lost Ark), Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple, Reno 911!), Bonnie Zane (Casting Director), Aaron Lipstadt (Director of Elementary, Grimm), Ryan Stiles (The Drew Carey Show, Whose Line Is It Anyway?), Craig Van Sickle (Writer/EP Tin Man, The Pretender, 24, NCIS), Nat Bernstein (Writer/Showrunner/EP Ally McBeal, Doogie Howser, M.D., See Dad Run, Center of the Universe) Randy Goodwin (Actor/Creator Dynasty, Girlfriends, The Vampire Diaries), Susan Esrock (Casting On My Block, Just Roll With It, Walk the Prank), Steven Tylor O' Connor (Casting The OA, Liv and Maddie, The Healing Powers of Dude) Kurt Patino (Manager), Jason Ensler (Director/EP Love Victor, The Passage, The Exorcist, Franklin & Bash), Kevin Weisman (Scorpion, Goliath, Marvel’s Runaways, Alias), Anna Silk (Lost Girl, Blood & Treasure), Zora DeHorter (Casting director She Spies, Ali G), Scott Winant (Director/Producer (True Blood, Breaking Bad, Fargo, Thirty Something, My So Called Life), Ashley Williams (Actor/Producer/Director How I Met Your Mother, Jim Gaffigan Show, Something Borrowed), Michael Kostroff (The Wire, Billions, The Wizard of Lies, The Plot Against America), Emily Swallow (The Mandalorian, Supernatural, SEAL Team), Amanda Shull (Center Stage, 12 Monkeys, Suits, Pretty Little Liars), Lili Simmons (Banshee, True Detective, Ray Donovan), Rachel Rothman (Manager at Rothman Andres Entertainment), Tim Grant (Writer/Producer (Bait Night, Buzz Kill), Charlotte Chatton (California Typewriter, Woman of the White Buffalo, Titanic, Dr. Quinn), Richard Schiff (The Good Doctor, Ballers, The Affair, House of Lies), Michael Hitchcock (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Barb and Star Go to Visit Del Mar, Glee, MADtv), Robin Weigert (American Horror Story, Bombshell, Big Little Lies, Jessica Jones, Sons of Anarchy, Deadwood), Marla Sokoloff (Fuller House, The Fosters, The Practice, Dude, Where's My Car?), Carlos Bernard (24, The Lincoln Lawyer, Dallas, Scoundrels), Wendy O’Brien (Casting Director You’re the Worst, Mayans MC, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Jack Coleman (Heroes, Castle, Scandal, Burn Notice, The Office), Mindy Sterling (Austin Powers), Andrea Berloff (Screenwriter Straight Outta Compton), Mark Tinkler (Director/Producer Chicago P.D., Private Practice, Deadwood, Scandal), Mariana Palka (Glow), Elliott Knight (Sinbad), Alyshia Ochse (Days of Our Lives, The Purge, General Hospital), Mike Medavoy (Producer Black Swan, Miss Potter, Zodiac, Shutter Island, All the King’s Men, Holes), and more.

Upon successful completion of the program, students receive a certificate from the UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television.

Apply today for this life-changing program.

APPLY NOW

 

 

 

Deadline Dates

International student deadline: May 13, 2024

US student deadline: June 17, 2024

Tuition: $6750

Apply early. This program will likely be filled before the application deadlines.

Applicants must be at least 21 years old by the start of the program.

Classes

The Professional Program in Acting for the Camera takes place over three academic quarters at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

In our Scene Study workshops, students use film and television scene work to deepen their ability to consistently deliver honest, fully present performances.

In our Acting for the Camera workshops, students learn the acting techniques, set etiquette, and personal strategies necessary to secure work and perform in film and on television.

In our Career Development workshop, special industry guests focus on topics like agents and managers, casting directors, branding, business plans, networking, SAG AFTRA, social media, original content creation and evolving distribution strategies. Students are tasked to understand how the class sees them, how the industry sees them, and how they want to be seen. With that knowledge, they develop personal projects that they pitch to a panel of industry guests.

2024-2025 Schedule

Fall Quarter

Focus is on career development, and acting and audition techniques for film and one-hour television drama. Students attend classes three times per week for 10 weeks.

Scene Study

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 7pm to 10pm.

Acting For The Camera

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 7pm to 10pm

Career Development

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 7pm to 10pm

Winter Quarter

Focus is on acting and audition techniques for film and single and multi-camera television comedy. Students attend classes two times per week for ten weeks.

Scene Study

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 7pm to 10pm

Acting For The Camera

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 7pm to 10pm

Spring Quarter

Focus is on acting and audition techniques for film and television in additional genres like superhero, horror, fantasy and sci-fi. Students attend classes two nights per week for 10 weeks.

Scene Study

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 7pm to 10pm

Acting For The Camera

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 7pm to 10pm

special guests

Throughout the year, we bring special guests into our scene study and acting for the camera classes. Special guests may include directors, casting directors, actors or producers from the film and television industry. Typically, special guests participate in Q&As about their experience in the industry, and watch and give feedback on student scenes.

You can see a list of recent special guests at the top of this page.

 

Apply Online

Applications are now available for the 2024-2025 program.

Newsletter Sign Up

Sign up to receive our newsletter and stay up to date on deadlines, new programs, events, alumni and faculty news.

Contact

102 E. Melnitz Hall, Box 951622
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1622
310.825.6124
professionalprograms@tft.ucla.edu