Dubai will have nothing to envy to the world’s entertainment capitals with DIFF set to bring yet some of the most talked about of A-listers to town, and now, one of Hollywood’s most reputable acting coaches Michelle Danner from the 10th to the 13th December for a one off acting workshop in Knowledge Village.
Michelle works with many A-List actors privately and on set including Chris Rock, Penelope Cruz, Isla Fisher, Salma Hayek and Christian Slater among many others. Strong of her Hollywood experience, Michelle will join forces with local talent agency Bareface who will help Michelle scout hidden gems in the city. Dubai drama amateurs will have the one off opportunity to train with Michelle by registering to the following workshops:
The Actor's Golden Box @USD355: This in-depth lecture will break down the technical map used at the Larry Moss Studio to analyze scripts and the characters encompassed within those scripts. The class will provide the necessary tools to break down a script and compellingly bring characters to life as the following questions are answered: Why are some choices more powerful than others?
•How does one deliver a raw unforgettable performance?
•What specific tools can be applied to film, television and stage work?
•How does one develop a story exercise from scratch?
Two Day On Camera Auditioning Intensive @USD455: A two day intensive class designed to help students at television and film auditions. Students will focus on techniques to break down scripts and finding character emotional maps. Students' performances will additionally be projected on the big screen for critical review. Students will learn to stamp their signatures on a character with unique psychological gestures as they explore film and televisions scripts of every genre, encompassing slapstick, dark, romantic, comedy, sitcom, film noir, soap opera, period, horror, drama, action/adventure, and more.
‘Dubai has really surprised the world with a never-seen-before expansion-pace, and this is also true for its place in the entertainment business. As an artist, you can hardly avoid the Middle East now that Dubai has everything top shows and festivals have to offer across the world. This means that there must be talents in this city wanting to explore their inner creativity and if I can help them developing it, my visit will have been worthwhile’ says Danner.
An additional session will take place after the workshops offering eager performers advice on how to get a career started. The session called ‘Breaking Into the Biz’ will be an open Q and A forum to be hosted by TV personality and founder and CEO of "The Playground Entertainment" Miranda Davidson. The panel will include Michelle Danner herself, Bareface General Manager Georgina Morton and world renowned Egyptian born stand up comedian Ahmed Ahmed, for whom this event holds the utmost importance.
‘For a long time, we heard the same complaint about Dubai, i.e. not enough cultural activities for people who live here. This is due to the lack of professional structures aiming at scouting and training local talents. We therefore decided to try and tackle this issue by using our local experience and expand into non-modelling talents’ adds Maunsell.