Janet Walmsley – Janet has an active, professional career in Acting, Theatre, Film, TV, Commercials and Voice Overs for the past 15 years. She was Co Chair of the Ageism Committee with UBCP. As well as the director of the play “Graceland”. Janet was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for a Comedy at the 6th Annual Indie Awards in Los Angles. She won the Unlimited Woman of Creativity Award at the Unlimited Women Awards in Victoria. Janet is a Best Selling and Award-Winning Author of her Non-Fiction book, “The Autistic Author and Animator”.
I learned a lot taking Janet’s Shifting Lanes class, more than I expected to learn especially having been in the industry for a little bit now. What I really took out of the class was a clear approach to breaking down scripts, whether they be one-liners to 5-6 lines. Janet really helped me see beyond the words on the page to pick up on the nuances to bring out the story. What I also really liked about the class was that the final class was focused on the business side of the business. No other class that I have taken has really gone into that much depth of what an actor’s package should look like and some of the dos and don’ts. I also really liked Janet’s recommendations for acting shoots, headshot photographers and accent coaches. I definitely made adjustments to my actor’s package after that class. Overall, I wish I had taken this class before I can shifted lanes into this industry, but I’m still glad I took it because I still learned a lot from Janet, and I am hoping to continue to work with her more.
I recently took the “Shifting Lanes” course by Janet Walmsley, and I’m glad I did on so many different levels.
Description
WORKSHOP FORMAT:
Week 1: Essence of being an Actor
- Opportunities of being a Vancouver Actor
- 3 Phases of an Acting Career
- Initiating Acting Career
- Classwork: One liner scene. Insight on actor’s own process of his character and take on the story.
Week 2: Core Script Analysis
- Script Analysis/Dissecting Script
- Identifying Emotions: Mental and Physical
- Memorization Strategies and Line Delivery Rhythm
- Importance of the Homework Preparation Process
- Identifying your brand, which role is your number one wheelhouse
Week 3: Scene Action with Partner
- Exploring Actors choices on the scene.
- Checklist for Scene: Size; Purpose; Action
- Constructive Feedback and Re-directs
- Importance of having fun and playing dress up, enjoying the learning experience and taking on the role and story.
- Discussion of individual’s homework for choice of brand
- Pre; During and Post Audition Revelations
Week 4:
- Work on each actor’s audition scene
- Difference on homework from 1-2 lines to 6 lines
- Importance of Standard American Accent
- Business side for an Actor
