First year Acting in English

Students will be introduced to the fundamental elements of acting technique, the psychology and process of acting, as well as major practitioners/schools of thought, scene study, and ensemble work. Rehearsal techniques will be reviewed and students will be encouraged to develop an individual approach to preparation and the work.

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The program:

This year is about process rather than presentation or performance. Emphasis is on building an actor’s toolkit and expanding knowledge of the profession.  4 assessments - called “échéances” - punctuate the year.

• From screen to stage: During the first module, you'll work on scenes from series and films, focusing on technical aspects, breath, and body work.
• One and many: You will perform a monologue and create a narrative chorus with the entire class. It can involve physical theatre, poetry, songs, dance...The notions of objectives, actions and tactics are to be introduced, so you can start getting the grasp of the necessary storytelling awareness.
• Group contrasts: You will get to work on collective scenes from the modern era (1854 - 1970), and learn to carry the arc of a scene over a longer time. Each student will be a part of two different scenes, once as a main character, then as a supporting character.
• Scene and Monologue: For your final module, you will focus on a 21st century dialogue scene. The technical elements of breath, physical freedom, objectives, actions, tactics and stakes should be present in your work.
• Camera Workshop: An introduction to acting in front of the camera. You will explore how the skills you have gained this year have to be adapted to fit a different storytelling medium.

Specialisation:

At the end of the first year, students can opt to specialize in theatre (Acting in English program) or cinema (Stage & Screen program).

• Theatre curriculum – 9h/week

A continuation of knowledge acquired during the first year of study, students will learn advanced techniques for live performance, rehearsal strategies, and delve deeper into classical, modern, and contemporary English language stage literature. Intensive character and scene work, coupled with advanced vocal and physical techniques, will make up the bulk of this year.

• Stage & screen curriculum – 12h/week

Students choosing Stage & Screen will split their concentration between live performance and acting for the camera techniques. They will explore in more depth the similarities, differences, and challenges in the two industries. Technical classes and camera work will be added to the basic performance curriculum, as well as advanced character work and emotional connection.

Customize your studies

In addition to this program, students can take “Technical Classes”, optional extra classes to push their acting skills even further. Options include: Voice, Text Analysis, Body Work, Improvisation ...

Optional French as a Foreign Language (FLE) classes are also available.

Sample week

During their first year, students have the opportunity to choose one of three time slots for their main interpretation classes :

• Lunch Hours : 12:30pm -3:30pm
• Afternoon Hours : 4:00pm-7:00pm
• Evening Hours : 7:30pm –10:30 pm

French as a Foreign Language (FLE) classes and most Technical Classes take place in the morning (9:00am – 12:00pm).

Julia, first-year student at Cours Florent 

Julia follows her main acting class for 9 hours/week. She has chosen the 4pm-7pm slot. Julia has subscribed to the Technical Classes pass, which allows her to follow several workshops of her choice: she has opted for courses of improvisation (3h/week) and body work (3h/week). She could have taken the French as a Foreign Language classes as well. This week, she is attending a masterclass on directing. She also attends various events of the school, and participated in the eloquence competition. Outside of classes, she manages to devote approximately 10h/week to her personal or group work.

To apply to the program, you can visit the admission page.