DEVELOP YOUR CREATIVE HABIT
The Advanced Diploma of Acting for Contemporary Screen Media is our flagship acting course. It will provide you with the skills required to cultivate a long-lasting career as an actor whether you want to act in Australia or abroad. The Advanced Diploma of Acting is a two-year accredited acting course; completed over six 13-week semesters, four days per week.
Throughout the two years, you will develop core acting skills and you will also explore multiple acting techniques and methodologies. This will allow you to formulate your own individual approach to acting.
First of all, to maintain a robust acting career in today’s industry, you must have more to offer than the ability to ‘act well’. You must have current knowledge of the industry, and the determination and capacity to create your own work. Our aim is to produce excellent storytellers; with a focus on bridging the gap between acting student and industry professional. Sydney Actors School is the only Registered Training Organisation or acting school in the world to deliver the Advanced Diploma of Acting for Contemporary Screen Media.
UNITS OF COMPETENCY
To successfully complete the 10130NAT Advanced Diploma of Acting for Contemporary Screen Media acting course, you must complete 13 core units of competency. The units are outlined in the table below:
| UNITS OF COMPETENCY | | |
| CUSWHS302 | APPLY WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES | | |
| SCRKPR601 | MAINTAIN AND APPLY INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE AND PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTEMPORARY SCREEN MEDIA | | |
| SCRTPR602 | INTEGRATE TECHNICAL AND PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS FOR PERFORMANCE IN CONTEMPORARY SCREEN MEDIA | | |
| SCRAAS603 | APPLY A RANGE OF ACTING SKILLS IN SUSTAINED PERFORMANCES FOR CAMERA | | |
| SCRPSA604 | DEVELOP AND INTEGRATE PHYSICAL SKILLS FOR SCREEN ACTING | | |
| SCRVSA605 | DEVELOP AND INTEGRATE VOCAL SKILLS FOR SCREEN ACTING | | |
| SCREAR606 | ESTABLISH AND EXTEND ACTING RANGE FOR SCREEN | | |
| SCRVPS607 | INTEGRATE SPECIALISED VOCAL AND PHYSICAL SKILLS FOR CONTEMPORARY SCREEN ACTING | | |
| SCRPPS608 | READ AND PREPARE PERFORMANCE OF SCRIPTS | | |
| SCREHM609 | IDENTIFY AND EVALUATE ECONOMIC AND HEALTH MATTERS IN A SCREEN ACTING CAREER | | |
| SCRPSF610 | PRODUCE A SHORT FILM | | |
| SCRCWD611 | MANAGE AND NEGOTIATE CASTINGS AND WORKING WITH DIRECTORS | | |
| SCRPSR612 | PRODUCE A SHOWREEL OF PERFORMANCES | | |
The Advanced Diploma was created to produce employable, screen-ready actors upon graduation. In addition to intensive training led by Australia’s leading acting tutors, the course will give you essential technical and multi-disciplinary production skills that will enable you to produce your own work and increase your employment opportunities. As a Sydney Actors School student, you will be encouraged to actively build your professional network while in training.
Over two years, you will develop the skills to act on stage and screen, conceive and produce your own content, build your ‘brand’, and confidently negotiate areas of self-promotion, business and health and well-being. These skills will be showcased during your final semester when you will deliver a Showreel and Voice-reel, participate in the production of a short film and perform in both a graduation play production and a live showcase for an audience of invited industry guests.
COURSE STRUCTURE
YEAR ONE |
| TERM ONE
| |
| SUBJECTS
| INCLUDES
| |
| | ACTING 1 | | DEVELOPMENT OF THE CREATIVE HABIT | |
| | ACTING FOR CAMERA 1 | | SCENEWORK ON CAMERA | |
| | FILM STUDIES | | INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT PIECE | |
| | IMPROVISATION 1 | | SHOOTING EXERCISE | |
| | MOVEMENT 1 | | INDIVIDUAL VOCAL WARM-UP | |
| | TECHNOLOGY CRAFT 1 | | | |
| | VOICE 1 | | | |
| | | | | |
| TERM TWO | |
| SUBJECTS | INCLUDES | |
| | ACTING 2 | | INTERNATIONAL SCENEWORK | |
| | ACTING FOR CAMERA 2 | | SCENEWORK ON CAMERA | |
| | IMPROVISATION 2 | | CLASSIC TEXT SCENEWORK | |
| | MOVEMENT 2 | | ANIMAL STUDY | |
| | TECHNOLOGY CRAFT 2 | | SHOOTING EXERCISE ON LOCATION | |
| | VOICE 2 | | VOICE-OVER / CHARACTER NARRATION | |
| | | | | |
| TERM THREE | |
| SUBJECTS | INCLUDES | |
| | ACTING 3 | | PLAY PRODUCTION 1 | |
| | ACTING FOR CAMERA 3 | | SCENEWORK ON CAMERA | |
| | IMPROVISATION 3 | | LONG-FORM IMPROVISATION PERFORMANCE | |
| | MOVEMENT 3 | | ENSEMBLE MOVEMENT PERFORMANCE | |
| | TECHNOLOGY CRAFT 3 | | SHORT FILM 1 | |
| | VOICE 3 | | ENSEMBLE VOICE PERFORMANCE | |
| | | | | |
YEAR TWO |
| TERM FOUR | |
| SUBJECTS | INCLUDES | |
| | ACTING 4 | | WEEKLY SCREEN TESTS / INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK SESSIONS | |
| | ACTING FOR CAMERA 4 | | ACTING METHODOLOGY EXPLORATION | |
| | BUSINESS FOR THE ACTOR | | CASTING / SCREEN TESTING | |
| | MOVEMENT 4 | | PLAY PRODUCTION 2 | |
| | PRODUCTION 1 | | SPECIALIST MOVEMENT TRAINING | |
| | TECHNOLOGY CRAFT 4 | | AUDITIONING FOR GREEN SCREEN | |
| | VOICE 4 | | WRITING FOR SCREEN | |
| | | | SHORT FILM 2 | |
| | | | BUSINESS PLAN | |
| | | | | |
| TERM FIVE | |
| SUBJECTS | INCLUDES | |
| | ACTING 5 | | WEEKLY SCREEN TESTS / INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK SESSIONS | |
| | ACTING FOR CAMERA 5 | | CASTING / SCREEN TESTING | |
| | HEALTH FOR THE ACTOR | | SCENEWORK | |
| | INDUSTRY CRAFT 1 | | INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS PLAN | |
| | MOVEMENT 5 | | SHORT FILM 2 | |
| | PRODUCTION 1 | | PITCH PROJECT / SHORT FILM 3 | |
| | PRODUCTION 2 | | | |
| | TECHNOLOGY CRAFT 5 | | | |
| | VOICE 5 | | | |
| | | | | |
| TERM SIX | | |
| SUBJECTS | INCLUDES | |
| | ACTING 6 | | GRADUATION PLAY PRODUCTION 3 | |
| | ACTING FOR CAMERA 6 | | GRADUATION INDUSTRY SHOWCASE | |
| | INDUSTRY CRAFT 2 | | INDUSTRY GUEST MASTERCLASSES | |
| | MOVEMENT 6 | | SHOWREEL PRODUCTION | |
| | PRODUCTION 3 | | VOICE REEL PRODUCTION | |
| | VOICE 6 | | CREATION OF ‘ACTING BUSINESS’ PORTFOLIO FOR ENTRANCE TO THE INDUSTRY | |

ACTING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS BASE
Professional skills you will acquire during the 10130NAT Advanced Diploma of Acting for Contemporary Screen Media will be:
- Self-management and effective time management
- Implementation of contractual arrangements
- Professional industry language and protocols
- Effective and creative functioning in collaborative enterprises
- Negotiation skills
- Planning and executing complex projects
- The ability to express and identify creative processes
- Resources and methods to continue creative development
- Effective goal setting
- High level development of personal methodology in preparation and execution of performance
- A sound and practical understanding of current and future technological directions in the entertainment industry
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Guided in a way that allows you to identify your creative assets so you can achieve maximum expression yet also allows you to undertake remedial work to effectively remove creative blocks, tensions or certainly work patterns that may limit your professional development
- Skills and knowledge training in line with actual industry practice. Our teaching/learning environment is constructed to provide you with real production studio experience; much of your classwork and assessments will be simulations of how things actually work in the industry and be done in SAS film, sound and editing studios in real time
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION SUBMISSION
Applicants must consequently have a suitable level of academic skills in order to study in an Advanced Diploma acting course.
To apply for this course you must complete our acting application. Shortly after you submit your application one of SAS’s friendly staff will be in contact with you to arrange your initial interview, tour and also your audition.
Please see our student entry procedures for even more details.
COURSE CALENDARS
COURSE CALENDAR FOR STUDENTS COMMENCING IN FEBRUARY 2019
ACTING 1 | SEMESTER START |
O WEEK, TUES, 29 JANUARY 19 |
MON, 4 FEBRUARY 19 |
|
MID-SEMESTER BREAK |
FRI, 12 APRIL 19 – SUN, 21 APRIL 19 |
|
SEMESTER FINISH |
THURS, 27 JUNE 19 |
SEMESTER BREAK | |
FRI, 28 JUNE 19 – SUN, 21 JULY 19 |
|
ACTING 2 | SEMESTER START |
MON, 22 JULY 19 |
|
MID-SEMESTER BREAK |
FRI, 27 SEPTEMBER 19 – SUN, 6 OCTOBER 19 |
|
SEMESTER FINISH |
FRI, 13 DECEMBER 19 |
SEMESTER BREAK | |
SAT, 14 DECEMBER 19 – SUN, 26 JANUARY 20 |
|
ACTING 3 | SEMESTER START |
MON, 13 JULY 20 |
|
MID-SEMESTER BREAK |
FRI, 18 SEPTEMBER 20 – SUN, 27 SEPTEMBER 20 |
|
SEMESTER FINISH |
THURS, 3 DECEMBER 20 |
SEMESTER BREAK | |
FRI, 4 DECEMBER 20 – SUN, 31 JANUARY 21 |
|
ACTING 4 | SEMESTER START |
MON, 1 FEBRUARY 21 |
|
MID-SEMESTER BREAK |
FRI, 9 APRIL 21 – SUN, 18 APRIL 21 |
|
SEMESTER FINISH |
FRI, 25 JUNE 21 |
COURSE CALENDAR FOR STUDENTS COMMENCING IN FEBRUARY 2021
ACTING 1 | SEMESTER START |
O WEEK, TUES, 9 FEBRUARY 21 |
MON, 15 FEBRUARY 21
|
|
SEMESTER FINISH |
THURS, 13 MAY 21 |
SEMESTER BREAK | |
FRI, 14 MAY 21 – SUN, 30 MAY 21 |
|
ACTING 2 | SEMESTER START |
MON, 31 MAY 21 |
|
SEMESTER FINISH |
THURS, 26 AUGUST 21 |
SEMESTER BREAK | |
FRI, 27 AUGUST 21 – SUN, 12 SEPTEMBER 21 |
|
ACTING 3 | SEMESTER START |
MON, 13 SEPTEMBER 21 |
|
SEMESTER FINISH |
THURS, 9 DECEMBER 21 |
SEMESTER BREAK | |
FRI, 10 DECEMBER 21 – SUN, 13 FEBRUARY 22 |
|
ACTING 4 | SEMESTER START |
MON, 14 FEBRUARY 22 |
|
SEMESTER FINISH |
THURS, 12 MAY 22 |
SEMESTER BREAK | |
FRI, 13 MAY – SUN, 29 MAY 22 |
|
ACTING 5 | SEMESTER START |
MON, 30 MAY 22 |
|
SEMESTER FINISH |
THURS, 25 AUGUST 22 |
SEMESTER BREAK | |
FRI, 26 AUGUST – SUN, 11 SEPTEMBER 22 |
|
ACTING 6 | SEMESTER START |
MON, 12 SEPTEMBER 22 |
|
SEMESTER FINISH |
THURS, 8 DECEMBER 22 |
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You can find more information on the Advanced Diploma of Acting for Contemporary Screen Media by clicking here.