ACTT Q & A
FilmInk Magazine and ACTT Q & A with Michael Bates: ACTT Screen Acting Tutor
With quite a few of your graduates going on stage and screen what do you think is the key to the school having such a high success rating?
Are the majority of people in the school Australian or do you have a lot of applications from international students?
There is always a great cultural mix in the school. Recently I’ve taught students from Finland, the Bahamas, Ireland, South Africa, Indonesia and Canada. There is no class that does not seem to have students from many parts of the globe, enrolled in both the full-time Diploma course and the Core program. It makes for a very exciting atmosphere in the classroom and when it comes to exploring dramatic texts in performance. International Students tend to arrive with a very positive agenda and they have very high expectations. They are here for a short while and want to get the best possible experience from their course. Their expectation and enthusiasm sets the tone of the classes and often galvanises their local classmates, resulting in everyone working that little bit harder.
What productions are currently going on at the school?
2nd year have just presented a physical performance piece called Shifting Points, while the 3rd year students are preparing to present their final year Showcase. Part-time Core students will present Bareboards shortly. There is generally a mix of more traditional drama and student devised work in the production calendar, directed and guided by industry professionals. There is always a rehearsal or a performance going on somewhere in either of the school’s two venues, (Pitt Street and Cleveland Street). I’ve personally been crossing venues recently also, shooting a short film called Turning Points, with my former core full-time students. It’s not a scheduled production, but I realised that they were so talented that I wanted to create something especially for them. I tend to do that a lot now. As a director I need to keep my craft skills up to speed. And one of the best ways for upcoming actors to learn, is to be thrown in at the deep end of a film shoot.
Why did you choose to tutor at ACTT and what has been your most memorable experience here?
ACTT invited me to teach there after the success of my short films, including the multi-award winning film The Projectionist. I’d also had a lot of previous experience as a screen acting teacher with various colleges in Sydney (ATYP) and in the youth arts sector. Many teachers of acting are actors themselves, but I think my unique experience as a director presented new possibilities for the school. The great thing about the teaching for me, is that I learn a great deal from my students. That is what tends to happen because the ACTT environment is healthy and supportive. I have had many memorable experiences teaching. Most recently I was teaching a Camera 2 class and I witnessed the moment when the penny dropped for my students, seeing how it all fell into place; understanding their part in the scheme of things. It is great to guide students in way that allows them to become emotionally open and to achieve a profound understanding of, and empathy for, the characters they are playing. Sometimes it can be that simple, when an exercise finally makes a difference and actors experience the ‘ah ha!’ moment. It’s very gratifying for me as both a teacher and a director.
What have actors gone on to achieve after leaving the school?
Over the years many students from ACTT have gone on to become successful Film, TV and Theatre actors. At the moment ACTT’s hottest young star is Firass Dirani who played one of the lead characters, John Ibrahim in Underbelly: The Golden Mile. Firass has just completed filming The Killer Elite with Jason Stratham, Robert De Niro and Clive Owen, among others. He is a graduate of ACTT’s Professional Actor Program, which offers Diploma (2 year) and Advanced Diploma (3 year) courses and gives students the highest standard of training in voice, movement and physicality, as well as encompassing a range of stage and screen disciplines. Based on ACTT’s combination of the Morris and Meyerhold methodologies, it turns out very strong actors like Firass.
What do you think are the challenges that face aspiring actors?
By nature, actors are emotional creatures and they need to stay that way. Many of us tend to close up as we get older (or become a little jaded), whereas actors need to keep body and mind active and open. The actor must go to places that we as an audience are too afraid to go. They must be able to experience fury, jealousy, despair or bliss. They may need to enact cruelty, or to undertake a seduction or revenge, without judgement. As an actor, one is both storyteller and instrument, living a life for the audience and reflecting back to them something of themselves, or some greater truth.
Are these challenges easy to overcome?
Challenges require an actor to remain open emotionally, activating their imagination and putting enthusiasm and energy to practical use. Try to avoid making safe choices in the craft of acting, as only courageous choices will lead the you to make real discoveries . As a student and professional, a young actor must cultivate a process of preparation and a personal discipline (including learning to be on time for classes and rehearsals!) that enables them to give their absolute best, time and time again. As a friend told me once, 100% dedication is easy, 95% is really hard work! And then, of course, when the camera starts rolling that’s when the real adventure begins.
What advice would you give to anyone considering acting as a career choice?
Naturally getting paid work is an important goal for most actors and this is always a challenge. As such, learning to network and to be proactive is vital. Listen well to the advice of people who are there or have been there. Take some advice cautiously, as it’s easy to be discouraged and to become lost in the negativity around you. Anxiety and negativity can be corrosive, so learning to take criticism and to let such things bounce off you is healthy. But If ever there was a career where hard work , talent and the right attitude pay-off, acting is it. It may not always be a financially rewarding, but the satisfaction and genuine sense of achievement can be truly thrilling.
What are you working on and what have you got lined up?
I’m shooting a short film with former ACTT Core students; developing and shooting an innovative short-feature Loose Oranges; co-writing a feature; editing a short film featuring graduate Naomi Livingstone ‘Recall Girl’, as well as pulling together innovative material from last years shoot Resistance. I’m also teaching Scriptwriting, amongst others, at JMC Academy. And I’m on the preselection panel for the Sydney Film Festival. I can honestly say I’m almost never bored.
Why, how and when did you decide to get into acting or performing arts?
I’m a film maker by nature and always have been; writing, storyboarding, directing and often editing my own work. I remember thinking when I was younger that I’d like to become a filmmaker. Then I realised I was already doing it. I’ve also had a great deal of experience in theatre, for example as Assistant director to George Ogilvie on the STC production of Nick Enright’s A Man with Five Children – a thrill to witness in rehearsal and performance; and in youth theatre such as the stage production of Looking for Alibrandi, directed by Anna Messariti. But my films have been the most enduring works and the ones that continue to travel. I often remind actors that a film has a long life expectancy if it’s successful, and that dedication and resilience do have their rewards, particularly given the sometimes plodding nature of some film shoots. It’s important to be aware that once captured, your performance may be seen on screen for a long time to come.
What have been your toughest and highest career points?
Toughest was shooting The Projectionist, a short film with as many actors and locations as a Hollywood feature. Often shooting long into the night with hugely complex set-ups, employing on site projection and a challenging performance style (actors moving twenty four times slower than normal!). At one point even my cinematographer doubted it would work (he eventually nabbed an AFI award for the film). My Highest career point was presenting the premiere of the film at the 40th New York Film Festival, alongside Alexander Sokurov’s Russian Ark. New York audiences are very enthusiastic. Also at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, a long talk with Peter Brook was truly illuminating.
What would be your key survival tip for graduates just starting out in their career?
Go for the paid gigs absolutely. But try also to attach yourself to a filmmaker, director, writer, anyone who might help to create vehicles for you to act in. There are many, many film students I’ve taught over the decade who are actually afraid to approach actors, partly because they have actorphobia (actors are seen to be shape-shifters!), but also because they think the actor will only work for money. So connecting with the other creative people around and being prepared to do anything (even offering to crew for a film) I think is vital when starting out. I’d add that while creating a showreel to promote yourself is also important it should reflect, wherever possible, actual film & TV work, not just what you did at school, so finding and even creating opportunities for yourself in screen work is a positive step forward.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Sometimes it’s the spark of an idea that has been nagging me since 2am. Other times it’s the thought that Life is short….. But really, most times I wish it was a dog.
Please describe acting in three words:
Do it now.