P.A.I. is excited to welcome Jere Burns to teach an exclusive 6-week Master Acting Class beginning May 22nd.

PAI Training’s Artistic Director and lead acting teacher, Paul Kampf, interviews Jere Burns in advance of Jere’s first guest master class with PAI Training.

Interview by Paul Kampf.

I had the chance to ask Jere a short list of questions about his experience, his passion for the craft and what he imparts to all students that have the fortune to work with him.

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(Paul Kampf)When did you first realize that acting was your passion?
(Jere Burns)Probably playing Nicely Nicely in 10th grade.
(PK)Where did you go to school to study acting?
(JB)Tisch School of the Arts at NYU
(PK)How did you get your professional start?
(JB)New York Shakespeare Festival
(PK)When did you make the transition from stage to film/tv?
(JB)After working in NYC for 5 years I was cast in a movie shooting in LA. I’ve been here ever since, although I go back to do theater.
(PK)What were the most glaring difficulties you experienced in this transition?
(JB)There are definitely 2 different skill sets. And they don’t translate. Ultimately it’s about telling the truth.
(PK)What do you wish you knew then that you knew now about the process?
(JB)I think fear and insecurity were my biggest hurdles.
(PK)As a twenty-five year veteran of television & film, what do you see lacking in actors breaking into the business today?
(JB)TRAINING
(PK)What do you wish you knew when you started that you take advantage of today?
(JB)I wish I knew the simplicity film requires. I wish I trusted how little was enough.
(PK)In your teaching, you cover Relaxation, Technique & Fearlessness. Can you expand on how these three points are essential to your success as an actor and teacher?
(JB)Training gives us an instrument (voice, breath, body) that functions automatically and efficiently within imposed circumstances. Relaxation allows us to be available to the moment as it unfolds, as opposed to what we might have planned or expected. And Fearlessness allows me to make the unexpected choice, not the choice we’ve all seen 20 times.
(PK)Why is it important for you to give back as a teacher?
(JB)I get as much from my students as they get from me. We problem solve together and I get to articulate the fundamentals, the stuff I learned at school, the foundation of the craft.
(PK)When an actor has the chance to work with you, what do you make sure they take away
(JB)What I want my students to take away is the importance of TRUTH. How do we tell the truth (and why is that is so hard). To make the point that the truth is riveting, the audience can’t turn away. And isn’t that what we want: for them to be unable to turn away….
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To Register or for more detailed information on Jere’s Master Intensive, click ]]> http://therighttoact.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/interview-with-paul-kampf-founder-and-acting-teacher-pai-training-part-2/ Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:25:42 +0000 breadlineproductions http://therighttoact.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/interview-with-paul-kampf-founder-and-acting-teacher-pai-training-part-2/ As we enter 2012, PAI Training and Breadline Productions continue to grow. I thought this might be a good time to rewind and share Paul’s story about moving from theater in Chicago to film and theater in LA, and how his unique approach to teaching acting sets him apart from the myriad of other acting teachers in LA. What follows is part 2 of a two-part interview that I, the Director of Social Media (DSM), did with Paul Kampf.

DSM: Speaking of acting student success, you have quite a choir of praise for your work from current and past students.

Paul: I am very grateful for the comments and word of mouth that continues to grow. The most important thing is the impact on those you work with. I’ve seen actors careers launch, rekindle or grow in ways that they didn’t expect. That is the most satisfying part of teaching.

DSM: You work with actors ranging from well-known to just starting out. Is your approach different?

Paul: The approach, essentially, is very much the same. I focus on each actor’s instrument. It’s so crucial to know the notes the actor can plan and if the actor knows how to play those notes. Award winning actors have a different instrument, developed and honed over years of work. I put my focus on the notes and triggers that are in their blind spot, as I do with talented, soon to be known actors.

DSM: It sounds more like a music lesson than an acting class. How is your work different than all the other teachers out there?

Paul: I do think of acting like a music lesson or a sporting activity. Each requires the participant to know HOW their instrument works, WHAT needs to be done to gain control of those assets, and WHERE to work to expand the notes or build the muscles necessary for success.

DSM: Where did your approach come from? Do you come out of a specific ‘School’ of acting or method?

Paul: Hmm… I would say that my approach comes from two different sources: My own experiences as an actor and my desire to find a personalized approach to inspire the actor to teach himself. I started out deeply in Meisner Training while an undergraduate. During that time I also studied Stanislavski’s system (well, as much as you can through American translation). By the time I was in Graduate School I was immersed in all theories and approaches from Artaud to Michael Chekhov.

At that time I really started finding the power in the imagination, the image, and connection to the body. I came to the conclusion that an actor’s whole life should be focused on cultivating a tremendous imagination. He then has to be able to imagine and feel. Imagine and feel. If the bridge is there, anything is possible. So, I started a personal journey to develop techniques, exercises, and processes that allow the actor to achieve the above.

DSM: So, you have your own system?

Paul: Ughhh… I shutter at that thought since ‘The System’ has so many connotations. I will say that I have developed an approach that builds the actor’s instrument no matter the approach he or she follows. If the instrument is in tune, Meisner, Adler, Hagen, Boleslavsky, or anyone’s approach will serve the actor well. But if you believe in digging into the actor’s personal, painful, conscious life experiences, you won’t find my approach effective. I teach ‘what could be’ for the character, not ‘what was’ for the actor.

DSM: How does an actor reading this interview, or going through your website get a chance to consider working with you?

Paul: I will tell you up front that I’m a little different in that way as well. If an actor is interested in potentially working with me, they should send an email. We then set up a meeting over a cup of coffee and I talk. I listen. I ask questions. I answer questions.

An actor spending $1.00 on training has to believe he will get a minimum of $1.01 back. By sitting down and talking we each get a clear sense of the other. It’s a personal relationship and if it doesn’t feel right, then why would you go forward?

If it feels mutually right, then I will suggest the actor take a one on one intensive with me for 4-weeks to prep him with the basis of my approach. From there, they step into an Ongoing Master Class.

At times, actors have stepped right into a class, but I don’t want anyone not to have the base tools that I teach. I do cover/review them in class from time to time, but it’s not the focus of the Master Classes.

DSM: What is the actor’s commitment to your classes? Do they have a short-term contract?

Paul: I know a lot of places do that, or they have your credit card on file for automatic charge. I don’t do this. An actor’s commitment to class is month to month. If the work, their growth and the atmosphere aren’t giving more than they are paying, they shouldn’t come back next month. Incidentally, I’ve never had one-month actors.

To find out more about Paul Kampf’s Master acting classes, check out the website for PAI Training, or email him at asst@breadlineproductions.com – PART 1 of interview with Paul Kampf, LA Acting teacher

DSM: What brought you out to LA?

Paul: I came out to LA from Chicago after I directed a feature film (Brothers Three). I had a theater company, Breadline Theatre Group that focused on world premiere theater. After fifteen years it was the time to transition.

DSM: How did you get into teaching in LA? There are a hundred plus teachers/programs. Why teach when you’re writing/directing?

Paul: For the first time in years I wasn’t in my theater working with actors on a daily basis. I was going from where I was staying to the editing room and back each night. I really longed for the connection to actors, so I was asked to come in as a guest teacher at a well-known training program. I co-taught with someone for a few short term Master Classes.

DSM: What did you think of the classes?

Paul: Well…to be honest, I didn’t think the focus of the teaching was on the student, nor did I feel the program had the interest of the student at heart. I was working with ‘Master Level’ students who had been training in the program for years. I didn’t see a lot of human truth in the majority of the work. I was disappointed for the students.

DSM: What do you mean by ‘Human Truth?’

Paul: Human truth is the actor’s job. It gives an audience the opportunity to go on the emotional ride with the actor because the actor is going on that ride as well. Most of the work I saw was controlled and “presented.” Choices were made, intellectually, but I didn’t see the work IN the actor. We were working on camera so there was nowhere to hide.

DSM: So you left teaching there?

Paul: Initially there was a desire by the student base for me to stay and teach a Master Class. I thought it was a good situation, but when I saw the fees the actors were being charged to take the class, I couldn’t go forward with the classes and canceled. Regardless of the fact that I would be paid a small portion of the fee, which was strange, I couldn’t feel good about actor’s paying so much for a class. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not undervaluing my work or the value of the techniques I teach, but half an actor’s rent for a 4-week class isn’t going to benefit the actor.

DSM: So, you left and started your own school?

Paul: I did leave, yes, but was busy with other projects that I was writing/directing. But soon after I got a lot of calls and emails from some of those students in the Master Class asking me if I would do private auditing coaching, or any short-term teaching. So, I worked with a handful of people one-on-one and then I established one Master Class per week. Then word of mouth seemed to spread and it became two, then three, etc.

DSM: So you have many ongoing classes now?

Paul: No, I have kept the class sizes smaller so everyone works…really works each week. I have two Master Classes now and do specialized Intensives (Audition, Technique, 4-week Intensives, etc).

I have private students and private audition coaching as well, so I want to keep my schedule comfortable so students get my attention and focus. I have been in too many classes myself where the teacher isn’t really there mentally. They are physically there but more consumed with eating or checking email and you’re left wondering why you’re really there.

DSM: You seem to be active on many sides of filmmaking, that is, many projects and roles in different productions. How does that work with your teaching?

Paul: I honestly think it all works together. Anyone who has been out in LA for any length of time knows that there is no sitting and waiting. If you believe in your craft you DO. I come from a deep belief in ensemble and the power of people working together.
I bring that approach into my teaching as well. If you don’t apply what you teach, how can you offer real support/inspiration to those working with you?

I put this into action with a small feature film, ‘From Grace.’ I wrote it for one of my acting classes and six months later we were filming it. It was a truly blessed experience for all. I made two shorts as well with great actors from my classes.

DSM: Was this a unique situation or will you do more down the line.

Paul: Yes and Yes. It was a unique situation, considering that the talent and dedication made up for the lack of time & money. In 2012, I plan on expanding by adding PAI’s Lab. The Lab will be a three month program where selected actors from the Master Class(es) will move into the Lab and work on high quality, short films. I will invite outside writers/directors to lead these projects. This way class fees will cover training and practical application.

Right now, I am currently in pre-production on a feature that I am producing. A very talented acting student of mine wrote the film and I got involved to develop the script and put the project together. Now, we’re prepping for casting. She will be playing one of the leads.

DSM: That seems ambitious. Will producing work like this take away from your training?

Paul: Yes, it is ambitious. But there needs to be a place for actors to apply their craft when they get in touch with their real talent. It will be part of the training. I plan on keeping my Master Classes manageable. The danger with any program (and many in LA have fallen prey to this) is that there is a desire to add as many students as will pay. Pretty soon the quality of the program and student success drops drastically. Without student success, I wouldn’t have built a program that I’m proud of and that provides accolades for the actors.

To find out more about Paul Kampf’s Master acting classes, check out the website for PAI Training, or email him at asst@breadlineproductions.com – Part 2 of the interview with Paul Kampf

(Audition Workshop registration information)

There are a lot of workshops that cover WHAT a Casting Director/Director is looking for in the room, but this intensive teaches you HOW to achieve those objectives.

The audition is the hardest part of the acting process. You must:

* Create the illusion of a living scene in the confines of a chair

* Reveal something unique about your take on the character

* Show the base of a final product with only a short amount of time to prepare

As a director, I look for the signals in an actor’s audition/approach that indicate his or her potential on set. In my work as a coach I teach a process that leads to dramatic results in the audition and in your callback/booking rate.

It is not just what you technically do in the reading, but also HOW to apply techniques on a daily basis that make those technical requirements instinctual to you.

The Five Audition Obstacles:

* Heightened emotion
* Numerous Characters with a single reader
* Explicit action in the scene description
* Multiple scenes meshed into one audition
* Characters entering and exiting

In this two week intensive, you will gain the essential tools to apply to any audition situation. The work will ignite your creativity and inspire you to risk your way to a dynamic audition.

This intensive is limited to 15 participants. All participants will be given multiple scenes to prepare. All work will be videotaped for each participant’s personal use.

DATES: Tuesday, July 19th & 26th
TIME: 7-10:30pm
LOCATION: McCadden Theater, Hollywood (1157 North McCadden)
PRICE: $100 (participant) – $50 (audit)
(Audition Workshop registration information)

Once you are registered, a PAYPAL invoice will be sent to you via email to hold your spot.

Award Winning Stage and Screen Actress Diane Venora on Paul’s teaching:

“His technique seems to be how the actor thinks, what he is feeling, sensitivity to his spirit, and loving. He has amazing discernment, wisdom and vision for his students. As a film and theatre director, he has the earned authority to suggest the best ways to act for camera which helps GET the actor the job. His actors book the job. That speaks for itself.

He is generous beyond what I have experienced in other teachers. He inspired me to go into an audition, as I had never experienced in my 32 years of working. He helped to eradicate my doubts and insecurities about auditioning again in one session.”

For more information about Paul and his unique approach, please visit: www.PAITraining.com

However, the whole process of creating these films was to explore the potential of filmmaking in a completely new way. If this process proved successful, Breadline would use it as a blueprint for future, larger projects. They were also the perfect projects to build a bridge between Breadline Productions and its actor training program (PAI Training). The three films used the skills of over a dozen professional actors from the training program. These actors possess talent, technique and passion, but lacked the chance to test their craft on an actual shoot.

When the time came, each actor gave everything to the process. There were no actor conflicts, egos, or insecurities on the set. The trust they had for one another was extended to everyone working behind the cameras. They understood the larger, common purpose and did whatever necessary to better the artists working around them. Ultimately, they are now able to bring the joy of our harmonious process to every film and TV set on which they work.

I collaborated with Juri Film and Director of Photography, Rene Júng on all three films. By circumstance and necessity, we had to create a clear, concise Director/DP language during the shooting process that allowed us to compensate for lack of time. Because of the extreme limitations of the shooting days, we learned how to “create” together with heightened pressures all around us.

As the saying goes, a film is made in editing, so it was crucial to develop the right personal and professional synergy with an editor. Through unplanned events, I ended up working with two different editors on these projects. One editor I’d already worked with on a previous feature, and the other was on recommendation. This experience provided a fantastic revelation about my personal expectations in the cutting process. I learned how essential it is to have the same synergy in the cutting room as I had on the set.

These projects also provided me the chance to work more in depth with film composer, Chris Cash. Chris had composed music for Breadline Theatre Group back in Chicago, and also was the composer for the feature film I directed, Brothers Three. However, we knew there would be a lot more to learn about one another through collaborating on three additional projects.

These endeavors not only solidified my opinion of Chris’ talent but also helped us find an even deeper level of communication. By the third project, the temporary music he sent was a near perfect fit for the final cut without Chris ever seeing one frame of any rough edits.

In the journey of these three films, I was attempting to answer, for myself, why I should make small movies? Ultimately, the answers became self-evident every step of the process. With the advantage of familiarity and common experience, lack of time cannot break the rhythm and focus of a filmmaking team. As time is saved, the overall budget is reduced. With a lowered budget, there is less risk for an investor and more potential of creative and financial success for everyone.

With a cohesive team firmly in place and battle tested, Breadline Productions is ready to apply this model to projects of all sizes. Of course there will be many others that join the process going forward, yet it excites me that they’ll be additions to the solid foundation now under Breadline Productions.

Paul has a number of film projects in various stages of development, and the PAI acting student specific projects are only a part of Breadline’s efforts. In addition to offering opportunities to work in film, Paul shares free acting exercises and insights on The Right to Act.

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<<<— PART 6 – A Real Breakthrough
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Paul provides free acting exercises and observations.

Paul Kampf talks about his philosophy on teaching acting and on acting in general. The series is currently in 4 parts. To see all 4 parts on the PAI Training website, CLICK HERE!

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