ADULT CLASSES
Click to see past class scenes and projects at the I.O. ACTING AND CREATIVE STUDIO YouTube site!
GROUP ACTING CLASSES
Referrals and joint registration (including acting/writing combo classes) eligible for a one-time, $150 discount.
See below for our Curriculum Packages to save up to $400**
INTRO TO ACTING
STARTS:
Monday, January 8, 2024, 8:00-10:30pm
The focus of this in-studio course is to learn basic acting techniques while engaging in play and performance work. Much of the focus will be on comfort of expression in an ensemble, in-person setting. We start with the basics of movement, voice, and acting, with every step leading towards a freer ability to express oneself, and towards easing shyness and performance anxiety. Conservatory style acting exercises (Adler, Alexander, Boal, Hagen, Linklater, Meisner, Method, Johnstone, Shurtleff, Stanislavski, others) are condensed into a fun and challenging course for beginners and for those who wish to refresh their acting skills.
*Completion prerequisite for Intermediate Acting
6 weeks, one 2.5-hr. class per week: $480 + tax
INTERMEDIATE ACTING
STARTS:
Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 8:00-10:30pm
Having completed the Intro class, students delve into the physical and vocal realm of character building, along with developing their skills and awareness when it comes to on-set Film & TV acting and audition technique.
Using the “Three Ables” as a guideline (being Amiable, Available, Amenable), further on-camera monologue and scene work encourages strong choices both in character development and in scene partnership while learning about what it takes to be a professional actor including self-tape skills.
*Completion prerequisite for Advanced Acting for Film and Television.
6 weeks, one 2.5-hr. class per week: $480 + tax
ADVANCED ACTING FOR FILM AND TV
STARTS:
Thursday, December 14, 8:00-10:30pm
Here the emotional challenges of the actor are explored, with a focus on acting from the heart. Professional actors and/or those who have completed the Intermediate class are eligible. Students are expected to engage in compelling work on camera—both on a personal and on a performance level—in a real, on-set environment. Students will learn invaluable techniques in acting for camera, while acquiring first-hand experience in film production itself. All the while they will be learning, as artists, how to attain an honest, compelling performance that avoids formulas. Students learn to work from the heart, rather than from a list of conventions. Essentially, students will learn how to act. Challenging scenes from contemporary film and television will be examined and performed.
8 weeks, one 2.5-hr. class per week: $640 + tax
*****
**Full Curriculum Package (all three sessions: Intro, Intermediate, Advanced—consecutive, or staggered) $1200 + taxª
ªSavings of $400. $1600 + tax if taken individually, package sessions subject to class availability, full payment required in advance
**Partial Curriculum Package (two sessions: Intermediate & Advanced—consecutive, or staggered) $920 + taxª
ªSavings of $200. $1120 + tax if taken individually, package sessions subject to class availability, full payment required in advance
AUDITION WORKSHOP
STARTS: TBA
Montreal has a burgeoning film/television industry, both independent and mainstream—and your ticket in is the audition. Do you know how to audition? Need prep, or improvement? Want to know what materials you need to acquire an agent? A six-week session on how to audition for stage and screen, the I.O. Acting Studio Audition Prep Workshop will look at everything from "party piece" texts, to slating, to monologues, to on-camera film/TV scenes. Learn how to be wonderful in auditions, to sharpen your acting skills, and how to grow and thrive in-between gigs. Personalized attention, on-camera work, and constructive feedback that will make you a better performer under pressure—for newbies, amateurs and professionals, of all ages. Limited space.
8 weeks, one 2.5-hr. class/week: $480/$400 (for previous I.O. Acting and Creative Studio students) + tax
FILM & TV CREATION MINI-COURSE
STARTS: TBA
This crash course in the basics and fun of acting provides a thorough but enlightening experience for all involved. Engage in acting exercises, scene work, audition technique, and an introduction to the world of professional acting, filmmaking and screenwriting.
5 weeks, one 2-hr. class per week: $400 + tax
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GROUP WRITING CLASSES
course instructor Adam Kelly Morton
SCREENCREATE: Film & TV Writing and Creation
STARTS: TBA
An in-person writing and creating course, live from NDG, Montreal. Learn the ins and outs of creating short films, features, and television drama—fictional and historical. Covering the five stages of production (development, pre-, prod-, post-and distribution) with particular focus on screenwriting, this class will be a fun, practical, creative catalyst for aspiring film & TV writers, and for those who are curious about how movies and shows get made.
6 weeks, one 2.5-hr. class per week: $480 + tax
Teacher: Adam Kelly Morton (writing bio and info)
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INTRO TO WRITING: Fiction for Page, Stage and Screen
NEXT SESSION: TBA
An online, introductory course for those with little-to-no writing experience, who are interested in learning how to create fiction in the form of film scripts, stories/novels, and plays. Participate from anywhere in the world! We’ll work on basic creative writing skills in order to develop a passion for writing. Topics include form specifics, story arc & plot, character & action, point-of-view, description & setting, voice & dialogue, theme, and formatting/style for each form. A fun and diverse array of writing exercises, Zoom discussions, workshopping, and teacher instruction will take place every class.
8 weeks, one 2-hr. class per week: $480 + tax*
INTERMEDIATE WRITING: Making It Happen
NEXT SESSION: TBA
An online intermediate course for those who have taken the Intro to Writing class—or who have some writing experience—who wish to get started on a new writing project, or who wish to make some headway on an existing script (prose, play or screenplay). We’ll work on furthering creative writing skills in order to foster our passion for writing. Topics include good writing habits, giving/receiving feedback (on story arc & plot, character & action, point-of-view, description & setting, voice & dialogue, and/or theme) and how to edit and polish your work. Round-table discussions, workshopping, teacher instruction, and fun writing exercises will take place every class. Some writing outside of class will be required, allowing students to make the most of their experience.
8 weeks, one 2-hr. class per week: $480 + tax
*
ADVANCED WRITING WORKSHOP
NEXT SESSION: TBA
An online advanced workshop course for those who have taken the Intermediate Writing class—or who have some writing experience and have a particular project they wish to work on (prose, play or screenplay). We’ll work on developing our project through editing and drafts in a full, interactive workshop format. Round-table discussions, teacher instruction, and writing theory and/or exercises will take place every class. Some writing outside of class will be required, allowing students to make the most of their experience.
8 weeks, one 2-hr. class per week: $480 + tax
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OTHER GROUP CLASSES (offered periodically)
Master Classes/Comedy/Screenwriting/Audition/Industry
Where students and professional actors come together to engage in challenging scenes on-camera. Specific approaches to comedy, screenwriting, and industry business will be explored. Great opportunities for working with new people, networking, and most importantly: on-camera acting practice. The focus is on film scene-work, but audition materials can be brought in, as well as scenes written by the participants themselves. Industry professionals, special guests, regular audition practice, on-camera scene-work from great films, and rapid improvement are all to be expected from these sessions. Learn about the business of acting, including: agents, demo reels (with footage available from class), headshots (including photographer contacts), casting, sides, unions, set protocol, and much more. Vital classes for professionals and actors-to-be.
COMEDY!: What do Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Monty Python, and Saturday Night Live all have in common? You guessed it: genitals. Beginning with a survey of comedy (we’ll cover 3000 years in 30 minutes) this class is designed to make you funnier, with a look at as many forms of comedy as we can practice; sketch, stand-up, situational, dark, witty, political, slapstick, cheap, and vulgar will all be examined and experienced, in one way or another. Limited space.
Special Topic/Scene Project
Offered periodically: special topics for students who have completed the Advanced Class, or for those with requisite interest/experience. Included is a Scene Project where participants create scenes from start to finish, with scenes written specifically for them. Other topics include continued film and television scene-work, career-orientation workshops, writing classes for stage and screen, and more.
Special topic: FILM/TV ACTING FOR FANTASY AND SCI-FI (6-weeks, one 3-hr. class/week)
Love Game of Thrones? Star Trek? Lord of the Rings? Star Wars? Whether or not you enjoy it, Fantasy/Sci-Fi has become one of the most pervasive genres in mainstream television and film. And while Fantasy/Sci-Fi can be an enormously fun and compelling to watch, it is usually a daunting prospect for an actor. Learn how to approach these challenging scenes, both as a writer and as a performer. With intensive work on-camera, ensemble play, and a chance to act with some classic Fantasy/Sci-Fi film & TV scripts, this special course promises to be fantastically fun!
Past Film Projects
The culmination of all the hard work: students acted in professionally produced films. Written specifically for the participants (which included veteran actors) these films were shot by an industry crew, edited, and distributed to festivals. 6-8 weeks of intensive character development and pre-production were followed by a professional shoot. IMDB accreditation, screen/internet film visibility and the experience of being involved in an actual film were all provided.
Our first Film Project, Communication Policy, was an Official Selection of the Rome International Film Festival and at the Moving Image Film Festival, Toronto.
Our second project, Foreign Language was an Official Selection at the SoHo NYC, and the Rochester International Film Festivals—where it was selected as one of the best films of 2013. It also won Fan Favourite at the NDG Off The Wall Film Festival in Montreal.
Our first feature-length project Bridges Over Montreal was completed in early 2013. An edited section of the film, Adiel & Didier, was an Official Selection of the Beloit International Film Festival.
Film projects are currently on hiatus, but stay tuned for updates. 
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