Master Class on Directing Actors

In April 2023 DAL's founder, Victoria Nilsson, had the pleasure of teaching a Master Class on Directing Actors as part of a series of online workshops hosted by the International Youth Media Summit (IYMS) for young filmmakers worldwide.

The IYMS will be held at La Crosse, Wisconsin this summer. As a part of preparations for the Summit all delegates had the opportunity to participate in a five series online workshop addressing different elements of the filmmaking process. One of the workshops was on Directing Actors. Victoria led this class giving the filmmakers useful tools when it comes to working with actors and achieving the performances they need for their films.

The class covered script analysis, how a director communicates with the actor, how a director creates the conditions for an actor to work authentically and creatively, and what tools a director can use to help actors overcome difficulties in their work.

Evelyn Seubert, president and founder of IYMS, had the following to say about the class:

"A great performance by an actor can be a transformative experience for the audience. But without the tools for unlocking their creative resources, young actors often resort to 'carving' a performance, rather than living their character. In her Master Class, Victoria opened her treasure chest of tools for the actor. She explained each with simplicity and clarity, sharing the insights she has developed over years of intense training, study, as well as practice both as a director and actor. Her students, our International Youth Media Summit delegates, can’t wait to use these tools to bring their films to life this summer!"

Link to IYMS website.