ACTING COURSE

DEVELOP YOUR CREATIVE HABIT

COURSE SUMMARY

Qualifications / Awards	Year One CUA51020 Diploma of Screen and Media Year Two CUA60620 Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media
Length	2 years full-time (4 semesters)
Units of Competency	Year One – 15 Units of Competency Year Two – 16 Units of Competency
Delivery	On Campus at Waterloo Studios
Available to	Domestic / International
ATAR	N/A
Course Accreditation	CRICOS (DIP – 107217E) (AD – 110575A)
Financial Information	Course Fees Page
IELTS	Level 6.5
Application Process	Apply Online

The first year of training is foundational acting training that will provide you with the skills required to begin your development as an actor. The Diploma is the first year of this two year course; completed over two 20-week semesters, four days per week.

This first year of training provides the foundational skills and knowledge required to perform as an actor, in a wide variety of contexts in the contemporary screen and electronic media industries. This includes work in television, film, special effects performance, web-projects and voice-over.

Throughout this intensive first year of training, you will above all develop your creative habit; whilst cultivating strong skills in core acting techniques, voice, movement, working with text, research and improvisation. Throughout your training, you will identify your existing strengths as an actor, your areas for improvement, and gain the appropriate tools and exercises to take your acting to the next level of performance.

The second year of training 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 the second year of this two year 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.

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 first year of training; CUA51020 Diploma of Screen and Media qualification, you must complete 15 units of competency. The units are outlined in the table below:

To successfully complete the second year of training; 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:

Parallel to your acting and skills classes, you will also undergo training in Technology Craft – a subject which explores the actor’s relationship to all personnel involved in production and post production. The emphasis of this training is on the integration of technical and creative abilities to develop your skills in camera operation, lighting and sound – giving you the capacity to conceive, write, and produce your own creative work.

Throughout the Diploma, students will work within all aspects of screen performance. In the highly competitive film and performance space, actors must be versatile and even more multi-skilled to sustain a career. This course thus prepares our students for that reality. 

COURSE STRUCTURE

---

 

YEAR TWO
	SEMESTER THREE
	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 FOUR
	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

 

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.

ACTING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS BASE

From a professional skill base point of view the skills you will acquire during the CUA51020 Diploma of Screen and Media acting and the CUA60620 Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media course will be: 

• Act for television, stage, film and current innovative screen and media technologies
• Perform voice-over work, presenting, narration, commercials, corporate/educational/life style presentations
• Undertake special effects work for innovative screen and media technologies such as green screen and physical animation character work
• Be prepared for actual Industry practice and protocols
• To have a clear sense of the skills and knowledge required to maintain and develop a career as an actor
• Produce a number of media projects utilising skills in cinematography, editing, screenwriting and sound
• 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 audition procedures for even more details.

---

ACTING COURSE CALENDAR

COURSE CALENDAR FOR STUDENTS COMMENCING IN FEBRUARY 2022

CUA51020 DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA & CUA60620 ADVANCED DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA

---

ACTING 1	SEMESTER START
	O WEEK, MON, 7 FEBRUARY 22
	MON, 14 FEBRUARY 22 CENSUS DATE – 3 MARCH 22
	SEMESTER FINISH
	THURS, 12 MAY 22

---

SEMESTER BREAK
	FRI, 13 MAY 22 – SUN, 29 MAY 22

---

ACTING 2	SEMESTER START
	MON, 30 MAY 22 CENSUS DATE – 16 JUNE 22
	SEMESTER FINISH
	THURS, 25 AUGUST 22

---

SEMESTER BREAK
	FRI, 26 AUGUST 22 – SUN, 11 SEPTEMBER 22

---

ACTING 3	SEMESTER START
	MON, 12 SEPTEMBER 22 CENSUS DATE – 29 SEPTEMBER 22
	SEMESTER FINISH
	FRI, 9 DECEMBER 22

 

COURSE CALENDAR FOR STUDENTS COMMENCING IN JANUARY 2023

CCUA51020 DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA & CUA60620 ADVANCED DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA

---

ACTING 1	SEMESTER START
	O WEEK, MON, 23 JANUARY 23
	MON, 30 JANUARY 23
	CENSUS DATE – 20 FEBRUARY 23
	MID SEMESTER BREAK – FRI, 7 APRIL 23 – SUN, 16 APRIL 23
	CENSUS DATE – 1 JUNE 23
	SEMESTER FINISH
	THURS, 22 JUNE 23

---

SEMESTER BREAK
	FRI, 22 JUNE 23 – SUN, 16 JULY 23

---

ACTING 2	SEMESTER START
	MON, 17 JULY 23
	CENSUS DATE – 20 SEPTEMBER 23
	MID SEMESTER BREAK – FRI, 22 SEP 23 – SUN, 1 OCTOBER 23
	SEMESTER FINISH
	THURS, 7 DECEMBER 23

---

 

COURSE CALENDAR FOR STUDENTS COMMENCING IN JULY 2023

CCUA51020 DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA & CUA60620 ADVANCED DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA

---

ACTING 1	SEMESTER START
	O WEEK, TUES, 11 JULY 23
	MON, 17 JULY 23
	CENSUS DATE – 7 AUGUST 23
	MID SEMESTER BREAK – FRI, 22 SEPT 23 – SUN, 1 OCT 23
	CENSUS DATE – 23 NOVEMBER 23
	SEMESTER FINISH
	THURS, 7 DECEMBER 23

---

SEMESTER BREAK
	FRI, 8 DECEMBER 23 – MON, 22 JANUARY 24

---

ACTING 2	SEMESTER START
	O WEEK, TUES, 23 JANUARY 24 MON, 29 JANUARY 24
	CENSUS DATE – 4 APRIL 24
	MID SEMESTER BREAK – FRI, 5 APRIL 24 – SUN, 14 APRIL 24
	SEMESTER FINISH
	THURS, 27 JUNE 24

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