Create Meaningful Performances Together

This course develops your ability to communicate effectively with actors and support their creative process. You'll learn practical techniques for casting conversations, rehearsal facilitation, and on-set performance guidance that respect the actor's craft while serving your directorial vision.

Through direct work with professional actors, you'll practice giving direction that's both clear and collaborative. You'll discover how to create environments where actors feel safe to take risks, and how to guide performances without imposing rigid interpretations that limit authenticity.

Perhaps most valuably, you'll develop sensitivity to different acting methodologies and learn to adapt your directorial approach accordingly. This flexibility helps you work productively with diverse performers, each bringing their own training and creative process to the collaboration.

We begin by demystifying the actor's process. You'll learn about different acting methodologies—from classical techniques to contemporary approaches—and understand what kinds of direction serve each approach. This knowledge helps you speak the actor's language rather than imposing external terminology that doesn't connect with their training.

The course emphasizes practical communication skills. You'll learn to give direction in terms of objectives, obstacles, and tactics rather than vague emotional requests. This specificity helps actors make concrete choices that serve both their creative process and your directorial vision.

Rehearsal receives significant attention. You'll practice structuring rehearsals that build trust, explore characters deeply, and prepare actors for on-set work. We cover table reads, blocking rehearsals, and intensive scene work, understanding how each serves different purposes in the performance development process.

Through repeated exercises directing professional actors, you'll develop confidence in this essential collaboration. Each session includes feedback not only from instructors but also from the actors themselves, giving you direct insight into how your direction affects their creative experience and performance quality.

¥158,000 for 8 weeks

This investment provides your complete learning experience: weekly workshop sessions with professional actors, individual feedback on your directorial choices, access to course materials including scene selections and directorial resources, and participation in a focused cohort of fellow directors.

The value extends well beyond performance direction. The communication and collaboration skills you develop here apply to all aspects of filmmaking. Learning to guide actors effectively also teaches you about human behavior, emotional authenticity, and the subtle dynamics that make scenes compelling.

Consider that confident actor direction transforms your capabilities as a filmmaker. Many directors avoid projects with significant performance requirements because they lack confidence in this area. This course removes that limitation, opening up narrative possibilities you might otherwise avoid.

We recognize this represents a meaningful commitment of both time and resources. We encourage prospective participants to connect with us first to discuss whether this course aligns with your current experience level and developmental goals. Some background in filmmaking or directing helps you engage fully with the material.

We maintain a supportive learning environment where experimentation is encouraged and mistakes are treated as learning opportunities. Working with actors requires vulnerability, and we ensure the space remains safe for both directors and performers to take creative risks.

If during the first two weeks you feel this course isn't addressing your needs, we'll discuss your concerns directly. Sometimes course timing or focus doesn't align perfectly with a participant's current situation, and we'd rather address that honestly than have you continue with reservations.

Throughout the program, we're available for questions and additional guidance. If specific concepts aren't clicking or you need clarification on directorial approaches, we want to address those gaps rather than letting confusion persist. Your development is the primary measure of the course's success.

Before enrolling, we offer a consultation to discuss your background and goals. This conversation helps determine whether you'll benefit most from this specialized course or whether our fundamentals program might provide better preparation. We're invested in recommending the right path, not simply filling enrollment slots.