With the shift to remote learning and web-based interactions, it is natural to question whether online acting classes can be beneficial in the same way in-person training is.
Of course, there will be differences between in-person acting classes and their online counterparts, with some drawbacks and some benefits for each learning style.
It is undoubtedly true that online acting classes may not be the best choice for every type of acting student. For instance, very young children (under nine years old) do not generally have the attention span or the self-control required to maintain the focus needed to benefit from online acting classes. However, for very young children, we strongly suggest enrolling them in children’s acting class at our Salt Lake City location to receive the one-on-one, individualized attention required to help them develop the skills and the discipline needed to become solid actors.
That being said, older children and adults seeking acting classes for beginners, or looking to refine their existing skills with more advanced acting classes, will find that they can find the quality, interactive easily, and personalized acting training that they seek from the comfort and safety of their own home by enrolling and participating in online acting classes.
In this article, we will be looking specifically at the benefits of online acting classes. We will discuss the unique acting training environment and how the particular experience of participating in remote, online acting classes can help develop skills that you will find helpful in all areas of your life regardless of the career path that you eventually choose.
So, let’s take a closer look at all of the benefits this unique training environment offers prospective acting students.
Instant Feedback
Online acting classes that incorporate Zoom, or other video conferencing technology, to conduct live, face-to-face instruction in real-time offer the same instant feedback on your performance and technique that you would find in an in-person classroom environment.
As a bonus, the slight separation and participation from the comfort and safety of your own home can make you feel slightly less defensive and more open to taking in the feedback of your acting coach and fellow actors.
When you are more receptive to constructive criticism and corrections, you are more apt to seek additional clarification and ask for more advice than you might if you felt embarrassed or threatened. This can help make the overall instruction and learning more productive for you and your fellow students.
Increased Comfort Level
As we touched on briefly in the section above, there is generally a greater degree of comfort and security in interacting with others from the safety of our own home. In addition, online acting classes allow you to perform your roles and complete your exercises in a familiar environment where you feel comfortable.
The studio, stage, or auditorium environment common for in-person classes can be daunting for first-time acting students and seasoned professionals alike. However, being in a comfortable, familiar environment can give you a confidence boost that will help improve your performance, make you more likely to interact with your instructors and peers, and make you more receptive to constructive criticism and other feedback.
Build Connections With Others
We have all been in an extended period of reduced interactions with others. With fewer in-person interactions, and many of us staying home as much as possible, it can be easy to feel disconnected and alone.
Online acting classes are very social. Acting is not a passive or solo exercise. While performing your roles, observing and critiquing the performances of others, and bouncing ideas off one another, you will constantly be interacting with your fellow actors and your instructors and mentors in a profound and meaningful way.
The candid nature of the interactions during online acting classes requires a rapid development of trust and vulnerability with your peers, mentors, and coaches. In addition, this intense interpersonal communication style helps to build connections quickly. These strong social connections are essential in a time when many of us are feeling particularly isolated from the world around us. Let’s face it, actors are a social bunch, and online acting classes are a great way to get that social interaction and personal attention we all crave while remaining safe and socially distanced.
Learn Acting From Anywhere In The World
The nature of online acting classes means that you can obtain first-class acting instruction from any location in the world as long as you have a strong internet connection and a private space to perform.
Actors In Action Conservatory offers children’s acting classes, acting classes for beginners, and other in-person acting classes Salt Lake City-wide. However, we know that there are plenty of students who desire to learn the acting trade who do not live in the Salt Lake City area and cannot travel to Salt Lake City for in-person training.
Online acting classes allow students from all over the nation and all around the globe to receive the same quality acting instruction that in-person students receive from the professional team at the Actors In Action Conservatory. In addition, students can enroll and participate in online acting classes from any location in the world; all they need is a desire to learn, a private place to perform and interact with their fellow actors, coaches, and mentors, a reliable high-speed internet connection, and the time to dedicate to their craft.
Learn Resilience
The one constant that has become evident as we all transition from in-person interactions to an online environment is that everything that can go wrong will, and it will probably happen multiple times in the course of anyone Zoom conference or classroom environment hosted on any other social video conferencing platform.
Participants’ screens will freeze in the middle of their monologue, an actor’s microphone will stop working, and pets, children, roommates, and parents will wander into the room despite our best efforts to create a private, interruption-free environment. These mishaps, glitches, mistakes, and flubs help us develop resilience and teach us to roll with the punches.
This is excellent preparation for an acting career. The same rules apply in acting as apply to online video conferencing; if something can go wrong, it probably will…multiple times. Being able to react quickly, improv, or adjust on the fly to minimize these mishaps, unexpected interruptions, and breaks in the flow is crucial for becoming a strong actor. Then, they can pull off a stunning performance in any environment. Remember, the show must go on!
Develop Discipline
One of the most challenging aspects of online learning and working from home has been maintaining our focus and drive to continue amidst our own homes\’ constant distractions and comforts.
When we physically leave our homes and report to our place of work or our school, we find it easy to transition into a mindset of getting things done and staying focused on the task at hand. Achieving this mindset and maintaining our focus is much more difficult when faced with the comfort of our bed just a few feet away, the distraction of seeing that the morning breakfast dishes are still sitting in the sink needing to be washed, or the laundry needs be folded. It can be tempting to wander away or divide your attention to perform these tasks rather than focusing entirely on your online instruction or work.
To be successful in online acting classes, you will need to develop the discipline to ignore distractions and remain focused and fully present throughout the class. Developing this self-discipline can carry over to provide benefits in other aspects of your life as you learn to keep yourself on task and in the moment without the need to rely on others to manage your time.
Being driven, disciplined, and self-motivated are critical to achieving your personal goals and advancing in the world regardless of the career path that you ultimately choose.
Incorporate Other Online Tools
Online acting classes allow you to incorporate your acting classes and the connections you form into other online tools and social platforms. Actors participating in online acting classes tend to gravitate to the same social media. Many form private networks and groups where they can interact with one another and with other actors who can offer advice, inspire, and point their peers toward open casting opportunities, and other paid gigs.
Contact Actors In Action Conservatory Today!
Whether you are interested in enrolling a younger child in children’s acting class, participating in in-person acting classes for beginners, or advanced acting classes in the Salt Lake City area, or you would like to learn more about the many online acting classes we offer, reach out to the professional team at Actors In Action Conservatory today. We can’t wait to meet you!