The Actor's Toolkit with Alysia Reiner: Acting Techniques + Monologue Workshop
Webinar hosted by: Alysia Reiner
Actress (Emmy-winning ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, BETTER THINGS, HBO'S THE DEUCE))
Alysia Reiner is an award-winning actress best known as the villainous warden Natalie "Fig" Figueroa on Netflix’s ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK for all 7 seasons, and won a SAG Award as part of the cast. She also stars as Sunny on the critically acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning BETTER THINGS on FX and Hulu and Kiki Rains on HBO’s THE DEUCE. She both starred in and produced the Sundance Film Festival hit EQUITY and Tribeca Film Festival favorite EGG. A few other recent adventures include getting naked in an Emmy Award winning episode of Comedy Central’s BROAD CITY and going head to head against Viola Davis’ Annalise on the ABC/Shonda Rhimes series HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER. Alysia has been invited to speak at The White House, The United Nations, Google, Cannes Lion, Women's Media Summit, Collision, and countless film festivals and other events about breaking barriers for women in all fields, specifically the entertainment industry. Alysia has led a long, successful career as an in-demand actress largely by working on her craft, her mindset, and other strategies for success, and she's excited to share her lessons learned with the Stage 32 community. Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
It takes a lot to find success as an actor. It is, after all, one of the emotionally hardest jobs out there and involves facing constant rejection, putting yourself out there, being vulnerable for strangers. And with overwhelming competition, roles can be scarce, which makes it even harder to sustain a career. Yet being an actor can also be one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences, especially for those with the passion. Experienced actors know that finding success involves looking past the obstacles and built-in challenges and instead looking inward. Even with difficulties standing in your way, there are always ways to improve yourself and your craft to not only find more work, but to enjoy it more as well.
It’s easy for actors to get so wrapped up in the industry and the system, in who they know and the projects they’re being turned down for that they forget to instead work on themselves and their craft. Yet it’s never too late to start. Investing this type of energy in self-improvement over more negative or cynical practices will unquestionably help you and your career. There are a number of techniques and strategies you can apply to your own life and your own craft to improve as an actor and lead to opportunities you wouldn’t have otherwise found. Practices like line memorization, calming your nerves, and moving forward with the right mindset can truly make all the difference. There’s no time like the present to explore these techniques.
Alysia Reiner is an award-winning actress best known as the villainous warden Natalie "Fig" Figueroa on Netflix’s ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK for all 7 seasons, and won a SAG Award as part of the cast. She also stars as Sunny on the critically acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning BETTER THINGS on FX and Hulu and Kiki Rains on HBO’s THE DEUCE. She both starred in and produced the Sundance Film Festival hit EQUITY and Tribeca Film Festival favorite EGG. A few other recent adventures include getting naked in an Emmy Award winning episode of Comedy Central’s BROAD CITY and going head to head against Viola Davis’ Annalise on the ABC/Shonda Rhimes series HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER. Alysia has been invited to speak at The White House, The United Nations, Google, Cannes Lion, Women's Media Summit, Collision, and countless film festivals and other events about breaking barriers for women in all fields, specifically the entertainment industry. Alysia has led a long, successful career as an in-demand actress largely by working on her craft, her mindset, and other strategies for success, and she's excited to share her lessons learned with the Stage 32 community.
Alysia will share her secrets tips and tools that she has learned from booking her first commercial to being on 7 seasons of award-winning must watch television. She will cover everything from acting techniques (learning lines, calming nerves, follow up) to mindset tips to business tools.
Plus, Alysia will run an exclusive monologue workshop, something she usually only offers in private coaching environments. She will choose volunteers to workshop a monologue from the Emmy-winning show BARRY! Once you sign up you will be sent the monologue we'll be workshopping in class so you can practice.
Let Alysia help you reset as an actor and leave eager and ready to get to the next level in your career!
What You'll Learn
- What are the Tools for Professional Success?
- First things first
- 3 things you need to do to structure your day, every single day
- What your role is as an actor to the overall production
- How, where and why you need to find your community support
- Acting Techniques to Help You Be Successful
- Tips on memorization and learning your lines
- How to calm your nerves - with exercises
- Tips to hold yourself accountable to practice
- Monologue Workshop
- We'll be handing out a monologue from the Emmy-winning show BARRY ahead of the class for everyone who attends. We will be picking volunteers live to deliver the monologue and Alysia will provide live on-the-spot constructive feedback for monologues to help you improve.
- Q&A with Alysia
About Your Instructor
Alysia Reiner
FAQs
Q: How do I watch my webinar live?
A: If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Go to Webinar, you will receive an email from Go to Webinar with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. You can also access your webinar link in your purchase history located under settings in the top right-hand corner of your Stage 32 profile.
If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Zoom, you will receive a separate email from Zoom with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. Your login link will not be in your Stage 32 profile. If you did not receive your link via Zoom please email support@stage32.com.
Q: How do I watch my webinar on demand?
A: You will be able to watch your webinar on demand as many times as you’d like inside your Stage 32 profile. The recording is processed and posted between 24-48 hours after the webinar concludes. You can follow the instructions below.
YOU MUST HAVE A STAGE 32 PROFILE TO WATCH YOUR VIDEO – STAGE 32 IS FREE TO JOIN
If You Already Have a Stage 32 Profile:
- Log into your Stage 32 profile
- Click "Settings" in the top right-hand corner (gear icon)
- Click "Purchase History"
- Choose this webinar and click the link to view
- Go to www.stage32.com
- Create a profile using the SAME email address you used to sign up for this webinar. The email addresses must match in order to watch the webinar.
- Once you have your profile set up, you can view the webinar by clicking "Settings" in the top right hand corner (gear icon)
- Click "Purchase History"
- Choose this webinar and click the link to view
Q: What is the format of a webinar?
A: Stage 32 Next Level Webinars are typically 90-minute educational broadcasts that take place online using a designated software program from Stage 32. Your webinar will be taught by a working industry professional with in-depth teaching on a topic. If you are able to attend live you will be able to ask your Stage 32 Educator questions during Q&A.
Q: What are the system requirements to watch my webinar live?
A: You will need to meet the following system requirements in order to run the webinar software: Windows 7 or later Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or later.
If you have Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.9 (Mountain Lion): The webinar software does not support these operating systems. If you are running one of those operating systems, please upgrade now in order to be able to view a live webinar. Upgrade your Windows computer / Upgrade your Mac computer.
Q: What if I cannot attend the live webinar?
A: If you cannot attend a live webinar or purchase an on demand webinar, you will have access to the entire recorded broadcast, including the Q&A.
Q: Will I have access to the webinar afterward to re-watch?
A: Yes! Like all Stage 32 education, after the purchase of a live or on demand webinar, you will have on-demand access to the recording.
Q: How do I get a copy of the handouts provided?
A: If the webinar you take included handouts you can find them as downloads underneath your on demand video. You must be logged into your Stage 32 profile to view the video and get the handouts by clicking settings in the top right hand corner, then clicking purchase history.
Q: What if I need accessibility and accommodations?
A: Email support@stage32.com to request accommodations.
Thanks for your loyalty to Stage 32 Education. We value having you in the Stage 32 community.
If you have any further questions, we are always happy to help. Please contact Stage 32 support at support@stage32.com.
Relevant Tags
Share with friends:
Questions?
Other education that may be of interest to you:
Choosing the Best Camera for Your Film
Learn directly from Mitch Aunger, a leading authority in the world of HDSLR from planet5D! In today's increasingly digital world the choices for cameras to capture your film or television project can be overwhelming. Whether you are shooting your first project or you are preparing for your latest feature and thinking about changing your equipment, how can you possibly understand everything there is to know about what's on the market? It's rare that "in the can" exists on set, so how do you decipher between the new digital age - HDSLRs, RED, Blackmagic, GoPro, EOS and everything in between? Technology has evolved and so has the equipment. Who has time to understand the features and benefits of each of the different cameras? Mitch Aunger of planet5D does. He is one of the most knowledgeable resources of cameras and equipment. Join Mitch Aunger as he discusses digital filmmaking history and the cameras that go along with it. Mitch has written over 2,500 blogs about all different types of cameras and equipment to help filmmakers and directors discover what will be the best choice for their project. PRAISE FOR MITCH'S TEACHINGS: "Just wanna put out an 'appreciation' shout Mitch. I'm a commercial photographer in London UK and always find your postings of interest. it has pushed/inspired me though to get motion-skilled up....and thanks to a few good peeps like yourself that's a whole lot easier." - Jim "You know you've reached the big leagues when a company like B&H loans you a 12k DSLR for your review. Much deserved in my opinion for the greatest website in the universe!" - Craig "I wanted to thank you for this website and your podcasts. You are my favorite source for DSLR and Mirrorless camera recording info. You ROCK!!!!" - Melissa
How To Create A Compelling Investment Proposal That Attracts Financing For Your Project
Learn how to create an investment proposal for your project that appeals to financiers with Emma Louise Smith, a film producer and who has managed portfolios and film investments for ultra high net worth individuals! PLUS! You'll receive a FILM INVESTMENT PROPOSAL handout that will help guide you when you’re working on the finance pitch deck for your next project! Whether you’re looking to make a low budget short film or a big budget feature film, it is critical you have a thorough understanding of how to manage other people’s money when undertaking such a creative endeavor. Regardless of whether you’re raising money from family and friends or institutional investors, you need to present a financial plan for how you will allocate the funds and show the investors a path to how they can make their money back. However, properly understanding the financial layout of films is often the downfall of many creatives. You may conceptualize and present the creative elements of your project with ease, but struggle with the financial and business acumen to present an appealing investment proposal. We’re here to help you be great at both. In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you will learn how to create a professional investment prospectus so that you can confidently pitch to financiers and EP’s to secure funding for your project. Your investment proposal will cover everything from equity investments to gap financing from institutional investors. You will learn how film financing is structured and how you can show evidence of why you’re a trustworthy custodian of someone else’s cash. The key is to understand the ins and outs of the investment opportunity from a financial perspective, not just a creative one. Teaching you everything you need to know about creating an attractive investment opportunity for your project and putting together your investment proposal is seasoned finance professional Emma Louise Smith. Having managed private equity portfolios for ultra high net worth individuals and producing films herself, Emma has sat on both sides. Emma will show you how you can create a stellar finance deck for your film. Emma has managed the production fund and budget for the UNHCR funded collaboration with IEFTA since 2018 and she’s credited as Finance Manager on several UNHCR/IEFTA films including BEYOND THE RAGING SEA currently airing on Netflix. Emma’s film work started in 2021 when she was asked to join the feature documentary LATIN FOUR PLUS as Executive Producer and as a Producer on the feature documentary POUR THE WATER. In her consultancy work Emma sources equity or gap financing for films across a budget range of 1M – 20M+ and as a brand strategy director she sources additional revenue or reduces production budgets for studios and broadcasters utilizing branded content and product placement deals. You’ll walk away from this webinar with the skills you need to create a compelling and robust investment proposal for your project to present to prospective investors and Executive Producers so you can get your project made. PLUS! You’ll receive a FILM INVESTMENT PROPOSAL handout that will help guide you when you’re working on the finance pitch deck for your next project! "I'm excited to share what I've learned through my professional career advising investors and reviewing investment proposals. I really enjoy supporting creatives or film production executives with the knowledge I've acquired, as relates to the film industry. I love demystifying these topics! Most importantly, I want to help you guys in gaining a real edge in your next finance pitch, let's help you find that funding!" - Emma Louise Smith
The Foreign Filmmakers Guide To Making A Movie In Hollywood
Learn how to break into the Hollywood system from an international producer and distributor who has worked on over 300 films! More than ever Hollywood has their eyes on international talent, but how do international filmmakers break into Hollywood? While every filmmaker around the world dreams about working in Hollywood, very few have a realistic idea of how to break into the US system and get their project a greenlight from a major Hollywood player. Many young and first time filmmakers believe it is as simple as sending your script or short film to Netflix, Amazon, Paramount, or any one of the major studios or streamers and they will write you a multi million dollar check to make your project. But the truth is it is much more complex than that. Where the European market is ripe with government programs and organizations that provide funds and subsidies to filmmakers, that is rarely the case in the US. Rather, films in the US are usually funded by private money, oftentimes piecemeal from a handful of investors. While many foreign filmmakers believe that they must get their film to a major studio or streamer to have a US production, the reality is that there are countless ways to make your film in the US that will usually lead to a larger deal on your next project with one of the major distributors/streamers. So for all the foreign filmmakers trying to break into Hollywood, how do you actually get there? How do you get that US investor, producer, actor, or casting director to come on board your project to move the needle forward? What kind of story can you tell in the US that will get attention? What is the ladder within Hollywood (between creative execs, producers, and executives) and how do you navigate working in that system? Stage 32 is here to help you learn what steps to take to get your film made in the US and eventually get seen by Netflix, Amazon, Paramount, or another major studio or streamer. Teaching you all the ins and outs of US film production is Alexia Melocchi, a partner at Little Studio Films International - a multi-lingual boutique company that specializes in consulting, distribution, and production of content for both the US and international markets. Alexia has made a career out of successfully acting as a bridge between Hollywood and the global marketplace. She previously worked as a distributor and a sales agent, where she sold over 50 films to profit for clients and acquired more than 250 major studio and independent films, including LA LA LAND, NOW YOU SEE ME 2, PEPPERMINT and more. With a robust understanding of both the US and international film markets and a proclivity for working with up-and-coming foreign filmmakers WHO ARE WORKING SUCCESSFULLY WITH HOLLYWOOD, Alexia will teach you everything you need to know about US film production and empower you to get your movie made in Hollywood! You will walk away from this exclusive Stage 32 webinar with all the tools necessary to navigate the complex Hollywood system as a foreign filmmaker so you can become a working writer, director, and producer in Hollywood! PLUS! Alexia will provide you with an exclusive Guide to Hollywood for Foreign Filmmakers, with a checklist including how to access: Agents Managers Producers Production Companies Studios Streamers Financing Sources Praise For Alexia's Previous Stage 32 Teaching "Alexia explains it in terms that is understandable and clear, her experience and knowledge shines through." -Heidi "Alexia showed me how to make a plan to attack my career, not just hope for the right person to read script one day." -- Markus F. "As a non-American film director, I needed to figure out how to actually make a living doing this work in the US. Alexia helped me by showing me the way the business works and how I can live and work in it. Thank you very much." -- Alan G.
How to Start a Career in Line Producing
Learn the essential skills to enter the lucrative career of line producing from an accomplished line producer with over 25 years experience producing blockbuster films. The job of a line producer certainly involves its fair share of number crunching and pre-planning, but it doesn’t end there. A large part of the job is to understand the ‘path of compromise’, which is especially necessary in the independent film and indie streaming worlds. The director will often have may have a vision or demands that exceed the resources and funding available, and it’s up to the line producer to find the middle line and retain the artistic vision without going outside of the project’s financial means. This is no easy task, and excelling in this area is what separates the great line producers from the rest. But how do you develop this skill? And how can you break into the field of line producing in the first place? For over 25 years, Michael Mandaville has worked as a line producer on countless projects, ranging from shorts and independent features to large blockbusters like the TAKEN, TAKEN 2 and TAKEN 3 starring Liam Neeson. His other producing credits include HAVOC with Anne Hathaway, THE KISS with Terence Stamp and Billy Zane and AMERICAN HISTORY X with Edward Norton. In addition to producing, Michael has directed commercials, shorts, a documentary and industrial films. He has also worked on MANAHI, an Arabic language comedy which was the first film shown in Saudi Arabia in 35 years. Michael’s long history in the world of line production makes him the perfect person to speak to this industry, and he’s keen to share what he knows with the Stage 32 community. Michael will walk you through the role of line producer, how to find opportunities and how to best to succeed in this position. He will begin by explaining the reason for the line producer position and how it differs from the role of unit production manager. He’ll go through common challenges of the line producer and how best to overcome, including mastering the “Line Producer Mindset”. Next Michael will explain what the career pathway looks like for aspiring producers and how you can find opportunities in the microbudget, independent and studio worlds. Michael will dive deep into the line producing process, going into scheduling, budgeting, and dealing with rates. Finally he’ll provide tips on how to find work as a line producer. Through Michael’s rundown, you’ll leave with a much clearer idea not only to how to find work as a line producer, but how to succeed and build a career for yourself once you do.
Advanced Level Accounting for Film & Television
Throughout every phase of making a film or series, it’s vital to have a vision, but it’s paramount to make sure your books are in order make sure that you are running your project as a business and making money back for your investors. Losing either of these aspects will spell disaster for your project. Vision likely comes more easily to creatives—it’s why you set out on this venture in the first place—but if it’s not accompanied by strong financial records and a wherewithal of what to do, both to spend money and to earn it, you’re going to find yourself in a heap of trouble that no amount of vision can get you out of. In the previous webinar in this series, Introduction to Film & Television Accounting, we discussed the things you need to know in order to responsibly get your project off the ground, including navigating tax incentives, finding and approaching investors, and working with loan-out companies. However your dealings with accounting don’t end here; they continue well through production. You might have wrapped your film, but there are still some serious i’s to dot and t’s to cross. How do you report your earnings and your spending? How do you handle payroll in accordance with the different guilds and unions? How do you prepare your taxes and how do you make sure you actually get those credits and incentives you’re owed? There’s no time to sit on your laurels. It’s more vital now than ever to ensure that your accounting is, well, accounted for. John Thomas and Kristy Clabaugh are Atlanta-based CPAs that specialize in providing services to the film & entertainment industries both abroad and in the US. Kristy also serves on the executive board of directors as Treasurer for both the Georgia Production Partnership and Women in Film & Television Atlanta. Together they have worked on hundreds of film and television projects assisting clients in all stages of project implementation from investor relations, entity structuring, waterfall projections, budgeting, pre-production and development, production accounting to post-production. John and Kristy will continue on from their first accounting webinar to share with you more advanced but equally vital aspects of handling the accounting on your film project. They’ll go over financial reporting requirements for any project, specifically your balance sheet and your income statement and teach you how to reflect your project as an asset, how to report investor obligations, both as loan payable and equity interest, and when and where the revenue hits. Next they’ll delve into the importance of quality production accounting and go over the guild and union rules you need to know while doing payroll. John and Kristy will walk you through cost reports and how they compare with the budget. Then they’ll teach you the nuts and bolts of tax preparation, which includes both federal filings like elections and K1s, and state filings, like resident/non-resident filings tax incentive and credit declarations. Praise for John and Kristy’s Webinar: Both presenters really knew their stuff and presented it with clarity. -Clint A. This advanced class was so helpful. John and Kristy got into the nuts and bolts of accounting in a serious way and gave me a lot more confidence in being able to handle accounting on my own project” -Cassie G. Really thorough but also easy to understand -Gerry T. John and Kristy are the best! -Rodolfo B.
How to Make Short-Form Content that Launches, Expands & Accelerates Your Acting Career - with 7 Video Examples
As actors, we're living in a whole new world. Self-audition tapes, online auditions, virtual acting classes...Things have changed tremendously over the last few years and those ahead of the curve are doing everything possible online to win more champions of their work and land more jobs. Many actors have embraced a "control what you can control" mindset. This includes creating short form content as a way to control and film their own material, build up a library of acting samples, and showcase their versatility and talents. The idea of creating and filming your own content, especially for actors accustomed to only being in front of the camera, can be daunting. But seriously, it doesn't have to be. In fact, if you can knock down the mental walls associated with taking the step toward controlling your own content, and thereby your brand and the course of your career, you will find yourself with more freedom and creative inspiration than ever before. And we're here to help you take a sledgehammer to those mental walls and get you moving. Elisha has guest starred on the Emmy nominated/winning shows Better Call Saul, The Newsroom, Mad Men, Southland, Up All Night, The New Normal and CSI:NY and voiced the character of Jimmy Olsen and B'dg on DC Nation Shorts's Tales of Metropolis and Super-Pets. He was also in the highly acclaimed Sundance feature Frank & Lola starring Michael Shannon and Imogen Poots. Elisha is no stranger to creating content to help accelerate his acting career. He got his start writing web-series with his friends from Emerson College, including Downers Grove, which was picked up by Warner Brothers Studio 2.0. Aside from all the roles mentioned above, Elisha's content creation strategy helped him land commercials for Mike's Hard Lemonade, Time Warner Cable, Samsung, Wendy's, McDonald's, Nintendo 3DS and Hanes. In this comprehensive and detail filled webinar, Elisha will teach you how to create short form content to launch, accelerate, and expand your acting career. He will teach you how to identify your career blueprint by asking 2 simple, but important questions. From there, he'll ask you to get real and talk through your true goals so that you know exactly what kind of short form content you'll need to make. He will show you 7 examples of short form content to open your mind, spark your creativity and help you identify the direction you want to take with your content. He will teach you the 3 boxes you need to check to make sure your idea is a great one. He will then dive into how to make cost-efficient content and how not to overthink the process. He'll tell you how to build your team - again, on the quick and cheap. And of great importance, Elisha will teach you where to release your content, assuring that you get not only the biggest audience, but the most concentrated one based on your overall goals. PRAISE FOR ELISHA'S TEACHINGS: "Brilliant. In every way, brilliant." - Kim G. "So f****** inspiring." - Laura P. "Yes, yes, yes. So tired of giving away my power. Elisha, you're my hero" Samantha K. "This is a step I've always wanted to take. I've seen my acting friends create content to great success. I just didn't know if I could create content that mattered. Now I do." - Joshua W. "I'm inspired and ready to rock." - Montell S.
Register / Log In
