Acting Essentials
Develop your instrument, and work with an ensemble, in four months of exploring truth in performance to discover if acting is the ideal creative path for you.
You are ready to find out if acting is the right outlet for your passion to tell stories. You’re looking to build your self-awareness, and develop your instrument, both vocally and physically, to approach any performance platform—a film set, a stage or a boardroom—with more presence and confidence. You are a creative force.
An Education in Acting Essentials
Hone Your Craft
VFS Acting faculty share how our Acting programs prepare you for the next step in your career journey.
Expand your actor's toolbox
Develop self-awareness, concentration, and imagination. Begin to recognize emotional truth when connecting to character and their stories.
Grow your confidence on camera
From weekly audition class, to a grounding in the fundamentals of camera technique, you will get comfortable in front of the lens.
Program Breakdown
LET'S PLAY. Dive into the skills necessary to pursue an acting career. Explore introduction to camera, improvisation, and audition, along with the essential actor’s building blocks of voice, movement, text analysis, and acting techniques. Commit to the craft through serious play.
LET'S CONNECT. Integrate the actor’s various disciplines to work more deeply with scripts to create vibrant characters. Build your actor’s toolbox to play freely in front of a camera and to connect more fully with your voice, body, imagination, and each other. The first steps in finding your confidence as an actor.
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program length
4 Months
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Time spent with instructors
398 Hours
- A Certificate in Acting Essentials
- The opportunity to apply to the VFS one-year Acting for Film + Television program.
- Access to the VFS Alumni Directory and Job Board
Key Faculty
Our Acting instructors come right from the industry, and offer an unparalleled education based on decades of real-world experience, designed to give students the skills, contacts and confidence to kick start their careers.
Jennifer Clement
Head of Department
Jen has acted in over 100 theatre, film and TV projects in the course of her professional career. She has been teaching for ten years, sharing her years of experience, and passion for acting, with her students.
Mattie Shisko
Senior Instructor
Mattie undertook her formal training as an actor in Sydney, Australia, and has more than 27 years' experience as a teacher, performer, actress, and filmmaker. She has been with VFS since 2002.
Rondel Reynoldson
Instructor
Rondel has worked as an actress for more than 20 years, and brings a genuine love and curiosity for the craft of acting to her teaching. She's worked in over 50 television and film projects ranging from local independent films to Hollywood blockbusters, such as Man of Steel.
See more Instructors and staff
Faculty Career Highlights
The Dead Zone
Bill Marchant – Scotty
Jennifer Clement – Phyllis Grantfork
Nancy Sivak – Animal Control Officer
Everyone
Bill Marchant – Shepard (Bill also wrote, directed, and produced Everyone)
Cara McDowell – Rachel
Nancy Sivak – Madeline
Campus Life
Your four months in Acting Essentials puts you in close contact with students in a host of other VFS programs, from writers and filmmakers to makeup artists and sound designers. This downtown training facility features near round-the-clock access to rehearsal space, computers, and everything you need to perform at your best. You'll also be surrounded by the city's best cafes, restaurants, and cultural attractions – not to mention some of the leading film and television production studios.
Program Events
Guest Speakers
Gain valuable career insights from industry guest speakers who will give demonstrations or answer questions about their experiences. Recent guests include Matthew Lillard (The Descendents), Jamie Lee Curtis (True Lies), and talent agent Tyman Stewart of The Characters Agency – West.
Essentials Day
Perform your movement piece and scenes to an audience of invited faculty and students. The experience cements the foundational techniques you've learned and exposes you a realistic performance scenario.
Slice
Build an initial network of actors who are on the same creative path. This event brings the whole VFS Acting department together and occurs once during the four-month Acting Essentials program.
Ambassador Talks
To give you a better sense of what it's like to pursue your acting training beyond Acting Essentials, you will be able to engage with VFS Acting students and alumni. These events are casual in nature, but provide valuable insight to help you determine if acting is right for you.
AFTER ACTING ESSENTIALS
You'll graduate from Acting Essentials at VFS ready for higher-level training; with an indepth understanding of acting techniques, and an awareness of presence that will showcase your confidence in acting and a range of other disciplines.
Acting for Film + Television
61% of students who complete Acting Essentials go on to specialize in VFS's Acting for Film + Television program.
Other VFS Programs
Another 3% of Acting Essentials students choose to further their skills in the entertainment arts through one of VFS's other programs.
Other Careers
Others who complete Acting Essentials, choose to explore other career options with a newfound self-confidence.
Alumni Success
Vancouver Film School grads are some of the most successful professionals in the film and television industries. Take a moment to browse some of their accomplishments and achievements. The Alumni Success Stories feature tales of triumph and fame, and will open in another window to take you to the VFS Blog page. Grad Career Highlights offers a glimpse at some of our amazing alumni credits and contributions to the industry.
Alumni Success Stories
Testimonials
Admissions Info
To make sure you have accurate admissions information please select your region based on country of citizenship.
Tuition
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Start Dates
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Requirements
You will be asked to submit one of the following along with your application. Your advisor can help with selecting the best option.
All you need is a passion for acting and the arts, a strong desire to express yourself and tell stories through performance, and a willingness to collaborate with peers and instructors. Acting Essentials is ideal for those who feel a need to expand their foundation as an actor and for those without a portfolio sufficient to gain entrance into VFS's one-year Acting for Film + Television program.
For more about language requirements and other information for international students, visit the International Students page.
We Can Help
We’re here to help you submit an application that best reflects your abilities, and gives you the best chance of being accepted. We've helped thousands of people complete a successful year at VFS by answering questions like these:
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