Photograph by Maja Baska, Copyright NIDA 2014.
For NIDA Actors Studio student Elliot Giarola, the best aspect of the program has been the opportunity to surround himself with like-minded people.
‘Being able to learn in such a supportive environment just exacerbates that learning experience, and due to the fact that we all are there for the same reasons – to learn and improve our instrument for acting – makes the classes so much more rewarding,’ he said.
Applications for the Actors Studio, Advanced Screen Actors Studio, Singers Studio and Actors Showreel mid-year intake are open with auditions to be held the weekend of 28 June at the NIDA’s Parade Theatres in Sydney.
Giarola said the flexible, intensive nature of the NIDA Studio courses would appeal to anyone already leading a busy lifestyle. ‘Everyone has a busy schedule, and NIDA accommodates for that. It is very helpful when unexpected things spring up, because everyone supports one another and no one is disadvantaged for missing class.’
With small class numbers and the guidance of working industry professionals as tutors, Giarola said the learning experience itself offered variety and some fantastic opportunities to hone his craft as an actor.
‘We have covered voice work, warm up techniques, articulation, mining the text, character analysis through the character’s and the play’s given circumstances, over a dozen different scenes and monologues from texts spanning from Shakespeare to Chekhov, to Ibsen and other Australian, British and American playwrights.
‘Being part of a class where everyone is there to learn, everyone is there to benefit from the classes, makes the Studio that much more enjoyable, useful and rewarding,’ he said.
While only halfway through the program, Giarola believes that NIDA Studio has helped him consider a pathway for the future. He said that anyone considering an application should just go for it.
‘I see myself taking the knowledge and skills I have learnt, and will continue to learn, and applying that to a degree in a drama school.’ Giarola says he would, of course, love to see himself at NIDA honing his skills and getting his foot in the door to the professional acting industry.
‘After completing a drama school degree, I would just want to act in any professional field of acting whether it be television, film, voice recording or any other form of acting,’ he said.
‘The NIDA Studio has helped me grasp acting in a general sense during first semester regarding character analysis and the aspects of how to connect with that character and show truthful acting, all the while testing my boundaries as an actor, which has been challenging and fun.’
Applications for the NIDA Actors Studio programs are currently open for midyear intake, with intake details for 2015 to be announced later this year.
Visit the NIDA Studio website for more information including course details and application deadlines.
