What’s it like… Screen Acting?

My name’s Jack and I’ll be graduating from the MA Screen Acting course this summer, having just wrapped filming for our final film project titled Polaroid.

Leading up to shoot we had a week-long rehearsal with our director. This involved performing exercises and improvisation techniques to aid our character development, as well as strengthening the relationship with our screen partners.

For the shoot itself, we were fortunate enough to work with a whole host of other students across the multiple courses at BOVTS; such as technical students, costume and design departments, in addition to our guest Director of Photography. The crew are the real stars of the show, without them there really would be nothing to see! It’s been amazing to see what goes into each of their individual roles and get an experience of life on set. You wouldn’t believe how much setup is required for every shot…

I still always have a ‘pinch-me’ moment just as the cameras start to roll and the clapperboard is brought out. It signals that all of the prep work is done, and now it’s time for me to do my bit!

I feel immensely privileged to have trained at BOVTS, with its incredible list of alumni and great reputation in the industry. I chose the course due to its focus on screen acting specifically, and have loved the amount of time we have had in front of the camera. The variety in the training, coupled with the expertise of the teaching staff has made this year so brilliant, one that I will always be grateful for.

For more information about the MA in Screen Acting, please visit the course page.