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COURSE SUMMARY

Qualification / Award CUA60620 Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media
Length 1 year full-time (2 semesters)
Units of Competency 16 Units of Competency
Delivery On Campus at Waterloo Studios
Available to Domestic / International
ATAR N/A
Course Accreditation CRICOS (110575A)
Financial Information Course Fees Page
IELTS Level 6.5
Application Process Apply Online

The Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media 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 Screen and Media is a one-year accredited acting course; completed over two 20-week semesters, four days per week.

Throughout the year, 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. 

UNITS OF COMPETENCY

To successfully complete the CUA60620 Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media acting course, you must complete 16 core units of competency. The units are outlined in the table below:

 
UNITS OF COMPETENCY
    
  CORE UNITS      
  CUAIND611 Work professionally in the creative arts industry    
  CUAPPR515 Establish and maintain safe creative practice (CREDIT TRANSFER)    
  CUAPPR613 Engage in the business of creative practice    
  CUAPPR615 Evolve ideas for professional creative work    
  ELECTIVE UNITS      
  CUACAM601  Direct cinematography for screen productions    
  CUADRT511 Direct rehearsals of performers    
  CUADRT512 Direct performers for screen productions    
  CUADRT611 Establish creative vision for screen productions    
  CUADRT614 Devise camera coverage    
  CUAPPM512 Realise productions (CREDIT TRANSFER)    
  CUAPPR512 Develop sustainability of own professional practice (CREDIT TRANSFER)    
  CUAWHS612 Develop strategies for maintaining resilience in a competitive environment    
  CUAWRT512 Develop storylines and treatments    
  NAT10923007 Integrate specialised vocal and physical skills for screen performance    
  NAT10923011 Implement professional direction in casting screen tests and performances for stage and screen    
  NAT10923012 Produce an acting showreel and voiceover demo    

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 the year, 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
 
SEMESTER ONE
  
 
SUBJECTS
INCLUDES
  
    ACTING 3   WEEKLY SCREEN TESTS / INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK SESSIONS  
    ACTING FOR CAMERA 3   ACTING METHODOLOGY EXPLORATION  
    BUSINESS & HEALTH FOR THE ACTOR 1   CASTING / SCREEN TESTING  
    INDUSTRY CRAFT 1   PLAY PRODUCTION 2  
    MOVEMENT 3   SPECIALIST MOVEMENT TRAINING  
    TECHNOLOGY CRAFT 3   WRITING FOR SCREEN  
    VOICE 3   SHORT FILM 2  
    PRODUCTION 2   INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS PLAN  
        HIGH STAKES VOICE  
        SPEECH & ACCENT SKILLS  
        VOICE-OVER  
 
SEMESTER TWO
  
 
SUBJECTS
INCLUDES
  
    ACTING 4   WEEKLY SCREEN TESTS / INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK SESSIONS  
    ACTING FOR CAMERA 4   CASTING / SCREEN TESTING  
    BUSINESS & HEALTH FOR THE ACTOR 2   PITCH PROJECT / SHORT FILM 3  
    INDUSTRY CRAFT 2   GRADUATION PLAY PRODUCTION 3  
    MOVEMENT 4   GRADUATION INDUSTRY SHOWCASE  
    TECHNOLOGY CRAFT 4   INDUSTRY GUEST MASTERCLASSES  
    VOICE 4   SHOWREEL PRODUCTION  
    PRODUCTION 3 & 4   VOICEREEL PRODUCTION  
        SPECIALIST MOVEMENT TRAINING  
        CREATION OF ‘ACTING BUSINESS’ PORTFOLIO FOR ENTRANCE TO THE INDUSTRY  

ACTING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS BASE 

Professional skills you will acquire during the CUA60620 Advanced Diploma of Screen and 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 course.

To gain entry into the Advanced Diploma students must first complete the Diploma of Screen and Media at Sydney Actors School. 

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 audition.

Please see our student entry procedures for more details.

COURSE CALENDARS 

 
COURSE CALENDAR FOR STUDENTS COMMENCING IN FEBRUARY 2023
ACTING 3
 SEMESTER START
O WEEK – MON, 23 JAN
WEEK ONE – MON, 30 JAN 23
CENSUS DATE
MON, 20 FEB 23
 
TERM FINISH
THURS, 6 APR 23
MID – SEMESTER BREAK
  
FRI, 7 APR 23 – SUN, 16 APR 23
 
ACTING 3
 TERM START
MON, 17 APR 23
CENSUS DATE
THURS, 1 JUN 23
 
SEMESTER FINISH
THURS, 22 JUN 23
SEMESTER BREAK
  
FRI, 23 JUN 23 – SUN, 16 JULY 23
 
ACTING 4
 SEMESTER START
MON, 17 JUL 23
CENSUS DATE
WED, 20 SEP 23
 
TERM FINISH
THURS, 21 SEP 23
MID – SEMESTER BREAK
  
FRI, 22 SEP 23 – MON, 2 OCT 23
 
ACTING 4
 TERM START
TUES, 3 OCT 23
 
SEMESTER FINISH
THURS, 7 DEC 23

To get an idea of what life is like at the SAS visit our Facebook page here and Instagram page here.

You can find more information on the Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media by clicking here.