Developing New Skills

School for Film and Television: Do you have plenty of stage experience, but dream of breaking into film? Are you interested in supplementing your income with commercials and voice work? Would you like to expand your repertoire? Consider an acting workshop.

Acting workshops are great for developing a new skill, such as conquering the cold reading, fine-tuning your comedic timing, or nailing your dialects and accents.

When looking for acting workshops, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

- Don't worry too much about reputation, and don't assume a more expensive workshop is necessarily better.

- The workshop should be large enough for creative exchange, but small enough to allow you plenty of practice time.

- Ask about the teacher's experience. Does she have industry experience in the skill being taught? Talk to the students, if you can. Find out what they think about the teacher and the class.

- Choose a workshop that challenges you. If the teacher always praises the students without providing constructive criticism or if you already excel in the skills being taught, you won't learn anything. Choose a workshop that pushes you beyond your comfort zone.

- Make sure the workshop is about learning and growing, not about tearing the students down. The class should feel creative and collaborative, not like a psychological war zone.

- If you are allowed to audit the workshop, jump on the opportunity. It's a great way to get a feel for the teacher and the other students.