Tween Kyanite
Get ready for THE MIX-UP, where we'll uncover eight new, completely random techniques that challenge your perceptions, from out-of-left-field new teachings that leave you scratching your head. We’ve never done a term like this before, and each technique will be as random as the next!
Acting is fun. It’s exciting. It can feel like an electrifying playground! It can also be filled with anticipation, surprises, and a wild collection of treasures that appear around every corner. So this term, we’re bringing the fun-filled energy to our acting craft. That’s right! You’re standing before a bright, bejewelled, and bountiful toy machine, with eight techniques packed into bespoke little capsules, waiting to be revealed with a magical twist of the wrist.
Every actor needs a stock-pile of helpful tools to fit the different scenes, characters, and stories out there. We are constantly reaching into our grab bag of technical treats. And guess what? Sometimes we don’t know what’s needed until we’re right in the middle of it. So this term, LeBlanc School of Acting is shaking it up. We’ve got eight mystery techniques in a vibrant mix-up, WITHOUT one specific theme, just waiting to be opened with glee. This is a LeBlanc first! But you won’t know what technique is coming up until the week’s Gem Portal goes live. When that toy capsule machine lights up for the week, it’s time to play! With each exhilarating turn of the lever, a surprising new technique is released!
Although the techniques remain a mysterious mixed bag, each week the Gem Portal will be updated with essential information and materials for the coming class: Tuesday updates for UK classes, and Fridays for North American classes. Weeks 4 and 8 are performance weeks, and will also have a script to prepare BEFORE class begins. Please be sure to check in with the Gem Portal once it goes live, so you can enter your lesson prepared.
Week 1 is coming your way … let’s play!
Schedule has not been released yet.
WEEK 1: MIXED SIGNALS
WEEK 2: LOVE & HEARTBREAK
WEEK 3: YES, MAYBE, NO
HOLIDAY CLOSURE
WEEK 4: ACTOR BRAIN / CHARACTER BRAIN
WEEK 5: MOVE-IN-MOTION
WEEK 6: REALLY RESILIENT
WEEK 7: FAMILY MATTERS
WEEK 8: MEDICAL MAYHEM
We are our students' biggest fans; we love seeing them perform and use their skills. At L.S.A., we tell our students that taking videos and pictures of yourself in performance or while practicing is a great tool to go back and reflect on your abilities. However, we hold a strong stance on maintaining a respectful environment, and to that end, no recording of full classes is permitted at LeBlanc.
Parents may only record their child during class when it is their turn to perform, and they hear the word "Action!" and stop when they hear the word "Cut!". Feedback and instruction are not to be filmed and shared.
Our school is built on our unique approach to teaching, and many of the techniques we share in class are exclusive to LeBlanc. We believe that all our students learn in a safe, comfortable, and engaging way. By doing so, our students have an atmosphere for optimal learning and skill retention!
Although we all know you are online learning professionals at this point, we just want to make sure everyone is in the loop with our key virtual acting class etiquette:
Our class time is valuable, and we want to make sure our students have conducive learning environments and are ready when the clock strikes. To ensure our students have the best experience possible, LeBlanc School of Acting has a strict 'Late Policy'.
Our Late Policy means that if you are more than 10 minutes late, you will unfortunately not be allowed to participate in class and will not be let in from the Zoom waiting room.
At LeBlanc, we work hard to create exciting class plans coordinated to class time. By being late, our students lose out on key elements and education while disrupting the class flow and learning of others.
Our team is always open to working with unexpected schedule changes or appointments; they just need to be made aware ahead of time. If your child will be late, please email admin@leblancschool.com to let us know in advance.
WEEK 8: MEDICAL MAYHEM
Master the medical procedural audition.
It’s Performance Week!
This week, you’ll be performing a scene audition-style. Read on for required prep and your script.
We are incapable of fathoming that our dramatic octagonal adventure has twisted its final lever of the festooned machine, and released the concluding trinket of technique!
Um … what?
TRANSLATION: We can’t believe our eight-week term of this amazing acting journey has come to an end! How we said it first, though, used some pretty complicated jargon, or words that were hard to understand. Because for our final class of this term, we’re twisting the lever, opening a capsule for the last time, and exploring MEDICAL MAYHEM.
What is a Procedural? A lot of television shows follow the procedural format. That means each week, its core cast will be faced with a new patient, case, or crime that they work through throughout the episode. Procedural shows not only hit particular story beats, but also work in a high level of technical vocabulary unique to the environment. So whether it’s a lawyer’s office, a police station, or a hospital, people use jargon. A Medical procedural show takes place in a hospital or clinic setting. Let’s finish strong this term. LeBlancers, with some MEDICAL MAYHEM!
Examples of Procedural Shows: SkyMed, Law & Order, Grey’s Anatomy, iZombie, Murdoch Mysteries, Chicago Hope, Pushing Daisies, ER.
Your MEDICAL MAYHEM will astound, since you prepared a script to perform audition-style in class. Let’s put ALL of our toy capsules together for performance week!
HOW TO PREPARE FOR PERFORMANCE WEEK:
Printing out the script 10 minutes before class is not enough. In order to get the most out of class, please follow the following notes. Preparing for performance week includes some essential components:
1) Learning your lines. You should be comfortable (ideally off-script / memorized) with all of the dialogue;
2) Blocking scene action in a non-distracting, simple way for the camera;
3) Understanding what is happening in the scene, who your character is, and what they want most of all; and
4) Incorporating all of the techniques you explored throughout Weeks 1-8.
Performance week should be treated the same as an audition. It is unacceptable to be unprepared for performance week.
Teacher: June Laporte
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT, Friday
Meeting ID: 821 4258 4649
Passcode: 276294
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82142584649?pwd=aU80OGNYS21CdHF5SmRtRUZWS2lIQT09
WEEK 7: FAMILY MATTERS
Every relationship is different.
What a thrilling term of surprising technique so far, and we have another amazing class in store! Turn that lever, and look! Week 7’s eye-popping toy capsule has revealed two words: FAMILY MATTERS.
How do we explore our character’s family relationships? Whether they are biological, chosen, immediate, or extended, each relative is unique, and creates a different relationship with your character. Your cousin slipping on a banana peel and falling on their bum brings out a different reaction than Great-Grandma doing the same. Likewise, your best friend who fills the role of sibling in your life might receive more of your secrets than a parent. How your character views their family relationships, and who they consider family, plays a big part in understanding who they are and how they respond to the world around them.
How do relationships affect our performance? There are a million and five ways to deliver a line of dialogue. Knowing who you are speaking to, AND how you feel about them, gives you clues into the strongest performance choices. Sometimes a film can’t explain an entire history between two people, and the script relies on carefully chosen lines and action to convey that history in a short amount of time. That means actors must use their tone, pacing, and emotion to let the audience know what our relationships are to every other character.
What are some examples of family relationships in movies and shows? Family-focused televisions series—and films—can range in tone and genre while centering a family at its core. Think of The Simpsons, Son of a Critch, Heartland, This Is Us, Encanto, Game Of Thrones, The Incredibles, Parasite … and the list goes on and on. Get ready, because FAMILY MATTERS.
Teacher: Jeff Gonek
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT, Friday
Meeting ID: 821 4258 4649
Passcode: 276294
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82142584649?pwd=aU80OGNYS21CdHF5SmRtRUZWS2lIQT09
WEEK 6: REALLY RESILIENT
Develop a professional skin in the midst of tough feedback.
Part of being an actor is learning to accept feedback with a professional attitude. And while we would love to say every director you work with will be the most articulate, friendly, calm artist on the planet … that’s not true. Director’s have a particular vision they want executed, and not everyone communicates the exact same way you do, so miscommunications happen. This can feel especially frustrating after the seven-hour mark on set. Everyone does communicate professionally, though, and part of being professional is accepting feedback with grace no matter if it is on take 1, or take 37. So our sparkling capsule has opened for Week 6, and we are working on becoming REALLY RESILIENT.
What does it mean to be resilient? To be resilient is to withstand or recover quickly in the face of difficulty. For actors, that means persevering and rebounding with unwavering confidence. Resilient comes from a Latin word that means, “leaping back”, so it is quite literally using the momentum from a difficult situation to spring you forward with power!
Why is a resilient attitude important for actors? The reality is, when feedback is positive, like for example, “Awesome! One more time, even bigger”, or “Yes! This time say it to the dog”, receiving redirects can feel really fun. But when the feedback is tough, such as, “No, try again, I need more believable emotion”, or, “One more time, really dig deep here, it’s not coming through”, or even, “We have to go again, you need to hit your mark, you’ve missed it every time”, the challenge also becomes keeping your cool and maintaining a thick skin. You can’t let the feedback—no matter how personal it may feel—upset you.
Challenging feedback can feel personal, but it’s not. Actors need to learn the difference in order to succeed. This class will push you emotionally, so we are going to work through these tough moments together within the safe space of class, and come out REALLY RESILIENT.
Teacher: Erin Michell
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT, Friday
Meeting ID: 821 4258 4649
Passcode: 276294
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82142584649?pwd=aU80OGNYS21CdHF5SmRtRUZWS2lIQT09
WEEK 5: MOVE-IN-MOTION
Commit to unconventional movement with gusto.
Wiggle. Dance. Contort. Melt. Bend. Frolic. Bounce. Welcome back to THE MIX-UP, LeBlancers! Another bright capsule has popped out, and it’s opened movement that goes beyond the basic. It’s time to MOVE-IN-MOTION.
What is unconventional movement? Unconventional movement involves motions or gestures that go beyond simple blocking or everyday actions, and often involves a higher level of physical coordination and imagination. Things like creature work, dancing, physical comedy, or even a repetitive motion all fall into this category. As actors, sometimes we may be asked to take on unconventional movement in a scene. But what do we do when the request is challenging, out of our skillset, or just plain bizarre? That’s where the fun begins, and what we’ll be discovering this week in class!
Can’t we just skip the movement in a self-tape audition? You’ll often hear, “simplify the blocking, you don’t need to do this part as written”, and while that may be true, if you get a scene where your character is dancing in a talent show and you DON’T dance, you didn’t do what was asked of you. Guess who’s getting a callback? The actors who danced. In the room beside the actors who wiggled through ants in their pants for that sit-com audition, or the actors who balanced on their toes like an acrobat. Does this mean you have to be trained in whatever movement is being asked of you? Nope, but you do need to do it in your own way … unless you’re a professional acrobat and Cirque du Soleil is calling.
Note: This does NOT apply for auditions where a high level of skillset is required. Never misrepresent yourself and claim to be an acrobat if you’re not!
But what if it looks weird? Then GREAT! A lot of unconventional movement tends to be a bit weird and silly. Oh, you mean, what if YOU feel weird? Remember that a scene with unconventional movement has been written to allow for physical storytelling, and that’s important for plot and/or character development. Approach the physical storytelling with an open mind, willing attitude, and get ready to MOVE-IN-MOTION.
Teacher: Julian LeBlanc
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT, Friday
Meeting ID: 821 4258 4649
Passcode: 276294
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82142584649?pwd=aU80OGNYS21CdHF5SmRtRUZWS2lIQT09
WEEK 4: ACTOR BRAIN / CHARACTER BRAIN
Learn to stay in character while the actor in you receives direction.
It’s Performance Week!
This week, you’ll be performing a scene audition-style. Read on for required prep and your script.
When on set filming a scene, you’re getting continuous direction: maybe the director wants shots from different angles, or they have to adjust the blocking, or they want to change up the emotion. Part of your job as an actor is to maintain your connection to your character during these moments … and long hours! Most actors take the time in between takes to digest the redirection, reset for a moment, and apply it in the next take. But there are some directors out there who keep the camera rolling between takes, and give redirections as you go. “Reset from the beginning, still rolling—try it again with a scowl”. “Hold here, take that line back, and deliver it with more sadness”. “Grab that potato again, now laugh …now throw it”. When this happens, you have to take the feedback as an actor, but you ALSO have to stay in character, since the cameras are rolling and every expression you make could be used. Your brain needs to juggle two things at once: ACTOR BRAIN / CHARACTER BRAIN.
This is tough to do, because there’s no time to snap out of character and say, “What? Do I cross over this way?”. If you need clarification, you need to request it while still being in character. Or simply try it out as the character, and see if a new redirect is called. In short, you can’t break! In this class, we’ll practice what it is like to perform a scene while receiving continuous direction, staying in character, and juggling your ACTOR BRAIN / CHARACTER BRAIN.
In addition to exploring this technique, you will prepare a script to perform audition-style in class. Let’s put it all together for performance week!
HOW TO PREPARE FOR PERFORMANCE WEEK:
Printing out the script 10 minutes before class is not enough. In order to get the most out of class, please follow the following notes. Preparing for performance week includes some essential components:
1) Learning your lines. You should be comfortable (ideally off-script / memorized) with all of the dialogue;
2) Blocking scene action in a non-distracting, simple way for the camera;
3) Understanding what is happening in the scene, who your character is, and what they want most of all; and
4) Incorporating all of the techniques you explored throughout Weeks 1-3.
Performance week should be treated the same as an audition. It is unacceptable to be unprepared for performance week.
Teacher: Erin Michell
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT, Friday
Meeting ID: 821 4258 4649
Passcode: 276294
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82142584649?pwd=aU80OGNYS21CdHF5SmRtRUZWS2lIQT09
WEEK 3: YES, MAYBE, NO
Three little words that hold so much power.
We’ve made it to the third week of THE MIX-UP, and Week 3 is all about three little words: YES, MAYBE, NO. Words so tiny you may overlook them on the page, but they pack immense power and meaning!
Why do some words hold so much power? Words without meaning are simply letters and symbols that have been placed in a particular order. Words become interesting when meaning becomes associated with them. Throughout time, humans have attached emotional meaning to words in order to affirm (back up) or refute (dismiss) their thoughts and feelings. Words that affirm and agree with what we are saying can give us confidence and courage. At the same time, words that refute or disagree with what we are saying can trigger doubt and discouragement. In short, words hold power because we’ve given power to them.
How do actors add power to tiny words? Now that we know that words are powerful, dialogue becomes an open playing field for an actor. And on this playing field, goals are won not by the big, multi-syllable, linguistically fabulous words … but with the small words that affirm or dismiss a character’s thoughts and feelings. With every yes, no, or maybe, confidence, courage, doubt, discouragement, and an entire emotional buffet is set off. The options for how an actor delivers these words are countless, based on the character saying them, who they are saying them to, where they are, what they want, and so on and so forth. Get ready to deliver YES, MAYBE, NO with meaning, LeBlancers, because that’s what this week’s class is all about!
What’s a semanticist? Someone who studies semantics, or rather words and their meaning, is called a semanticist. They fall under the branch of linguistics (the study of language), which also includes etymologists (those who study the origins of words). The more you know!
Teacher: Carolyn Yonge
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT, Friday
Meeting ID: 821 4258 4649
Passcode: 276294
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82142584649?pwd=aU80OGNYS21CdHF5SmRtRUZWS2lIQT09
WEEK 2: LOVE & HEARTBREAK
Emotionally explore the powerful duality of love.
“When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful, every hour we spent together lives within my heart.” —Disney/Pixar’s movie Toy Story 2
“I think you are wrong to want a heart. It makes most people unhappy. If you only knew it, you are in luck not to have a heart.”—L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Another capsule has made its way out of the machine, and it is all about LOVE & HEARTBREAK. We’re exploring the duality of love!
What are the dual sides of love? Love takes shape in many ways: it can be familial, friendship-based, or romantic. It connects you to countless people who are special to you, making love one of the most powerful emotions out there. Love requires us to share our beautifully fragile hearts that can either burst with joy or break with pain. In fact, they will do both, because the deeper love is felt, so too is heartbreak—that’s the bittersweet wonder of life. The deeper we feel the joys of love, and the greater we struggle and persevere through heartbreak, the more we expand our capacity to become strong, compassionate, and reflective individuals.
What even is love, anyway? Love is an emotion that has both mesmerized and baffled scientists, psychologists, artists … every single one of us! The basic science is this: love releases chemicals in our brain that start firing around our entire body, making us feel amazing joy. But these “amazing joy” chemicals travel in groups: and hanging in the backseat are things like “jealousy” and “irrationality”. Yikes! In short, you can’t have love without heartbreak.
Why do actors need to understand love and heartbreak? Part of being an actor is connecting to every emotion your character is feeling, and love and heartbreak are very commonly written into scripts . Actors must learn to connect to difficult and intense emotions in order to explore powerful choices in the scene. So this week, we’ll be doing a deep emotional exploration into LOVE & HEARTBREAK.
Teacher: Carolyn Yonge
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT, Friday
Meeting ID: 821 4258 4649
Passcode: 276294
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82142584649?pwd=aU80OGNYS21CdHF5SmRtRUZWS2lIQT09
Communicate with non-verbal signals.
Clink! Twist! Swoosh! Pop! Our first capsule is open, which means Week 1 is about to begin! And it starts with a class focused on MIXED SIGNALS. More specifically, we will be exploring non-verbal signals. Welcome!
What are non-verbal signals? Words are just one of the many ways we communicate, but they certainly aren’t everything. We’re constantly sending messages to those around us—many times without using words at all. We communicate with gestures, expressions, and postures. And even more, our gestures, expressions, and postures are filtered through our own unique personalities. With so many ways to communicate our thoughts and feelings, you better believe there are a lot of ways these messages can get mixed up! We need to carefully choose some non-verbal signals, so that what we’re communicating comes across as we intended. We also need to use our top-notch interpretation skills to understand what signals we’re receiving from those around us.
Why are non-verbal signals important for actors? There are many times when a character won’t use words to communicate, based on the particular situation or environment. In fact, if acting was only reciting lines, the scene would be pretty boring and robotic. There would be no space for the audience to feel invested, or see a part of themselves in your character. And as an actor, you won’t feel connected to your character and scene. In other words, you can’t truly perform unless you embrace your character's gestures, expressions, and postures.
But what happens when these non-verbal signals get mixed up? Sometimes it can be awkward, and a lot of times, it’s a recipe for miscommunication, wacky adventures, hilarity, and catastrophic silliness! Sounds like we have some fun in store for us during Week 1’s class, as we navigate some MIXED SIGNALS!
Teacher: Jeff Gonek
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT, Friday
Meeting ID: 821 4258 4649
Passcode: 276294
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82142584649?pwd=aU80OGNYS21CdHF5SmRtRUZWS2lIQT09
HOLIDAY CLOSURE:
We’ve opened four exciting techniques so far, but oh! Did you hear that? The toy machine is moving the remaining capsules around in a bouncing frenzy! We’ve got to wait for them to settle before we can play again. Our offices will be closed from Monday May 13th - Monday May 20th, inclusive, as our Canadian team observes the public holiday. No classes will run and correspondence may be limited.
Get ready for another exciting turn of the lever when classes resume and offices reopen on Tuesday, May 21st.
Enjoy the break!