rupert creat on set

Student Experience

A day in the life of an actor is all about learning by doing. At the Academy, we encourage you to build your own journey. On training days, you will immerse yourself in acting technique and related skills, as well as rehearsals. You will learn about yourself and your range as a performer through personalized Alexander Technique sessions. You will audition until it is second nature to you. You can write, produce, or direct your own work in collaboration with students at our film school. You can choose between classes in makeup, costume design, stunts and fights, improv, voice acting, and comedy and sketch. You can also branch out as an artist or designer by taking classes in any of our other 21 creative schools.

Facilities

Acting Facilities
Soundstages expand_more
We have five professional-quality soundstages, a costume shop, a set construction shop, extensive props, furniture, and set dressing materials to support your professional acting experience.
Main Stage Theatre expand_more
Our mainstage theater, home to our One Acts Festival, seats an audience of 200 in the heart of San Francisco’s theater district, adjacent to Union Square.
The Black Box expand_more
Our black box theater, located in the main entertainment schools building South of Market, is used for teaching and incubating one-person shows.

Get Practical Experience

Act in one of the hundreds of projects we shoot each year. Perform in world premieres of One Acts or in one of the many productions staged by local Bay Area Theaters.

Stage Acting

Production Hub – Act in PSAs

Volunteer your talents for projects that give exposure to not-for-profit organizations and public agencies. These PSAs are streamed around the world and have won awards in national and international film festivals.

Events

NXTUP Film Festival

Have your work judged by prominent Directors, Casting Directors, Writers and Producers as part of our annual NXTUP Film Festival. Win Awards in a show streamed live to audiences around the world.

ALL EVENTS
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I feel like I was a good actress on the stage. I knew I wanted to be in film, but I had no experience. When I came here, I got to be on a soundstage. I got to deal with microphones, I got to deal with the prep work that goes into getting ready for the camera. I didn’t even understand the complexity of that and now I do.
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Sam Girard

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