Actor Training

Film Training Manitoba is committed to providing professional training and preparation for actors to perform on set for film and television. We offer skill development workshops that range from entry-level to advanced.

Courses/workshops occur in a variety of ways.  Some are general courses that cover the basics of a specific topic, like the apprentice program.  Others are intensives, with participants acting for the camera. Some are competitive, with the instructor selecting participants based on their submitted material or their experience.

Due to limited registration, actors are required to submit their resumes for all acting courses and will take part in a selection process. The instructor will review your resume to determine eligibility for the course.

For more information on FTM’s Actor Training, please visit our course calendar.

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ACTRA Apprentice Course

The Apprentice Course is for people seeking full membership in ACTRA. The course is currently divided into three modules;

Module 1 - Introduces participants to ACTRA and goes through aspects of getting started in the business, including photographs, resumes and other business tools, and introduces participants to the audition experience.

Module 2 - Provides an overview of the IPA (Independent Production Agreement) and Commercial agreements, answers many contract related questions and goes through a number of scenarios to help participants understand what various contracts include and what they mean so that they can better manage their own careers. It includes a discussion of what the realities are for Background Performers, Stand-In Background Performers and Principal or Actor Categories (speaking roles), and discusses who will be on set and what happens on set.

Module 3 - Is a practical introduction to on-camera & microphone technique that includes tips/techniques for working in front of the camera, preparing for the role and working with sides, a comparison of film work and commercial work and tips for Voice Over auditions.

If you want to be an actor in Manitoba, you should know that:

• There are many local opportunities for individuals interested in learning to act – through private instructors, the universities, the Winnipeg Film Group, Prairie Theatre Exchange or Manitoba Theatre for Young People.
•  Commercial films in Manitoba, including off-short and indigenous productions, use union actors.
• The Alliance of Canadian Cinema Television and Radio Artist (or ACTRA) represents actors in Manitoba. ACTRA is a national organization of Canadian performers working in the English-language recorded media: film, television, video and all other recorded media.
• Membership in ACTRA is open to any performer who has enrolled in the Apprentice Program and has attained six professional engagements under ACTRA jurisdiction, or has, in recognition of the barriers confronting the disabled and members of visible minorities, three professional engagements under ACTRA jurisdiction, or has membership in a sister organization. Performers who have assembled a recognized body of work, may also apply for membership based on professional reputation.

 

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