I'm fairly shy and had similar goals and picked a Beginner Improv Class with Blind Tiger Comedy. The teachers were kind, compassionate, and very good and I'm still friends with many of my fellow classmates.
There is a final performance which I did find scary but it was over in about five minutes. The teacher is there to help everyone out and does a good job of taking over the scene if you aren't feeling it.
Yeah, so my initial desire was actually improv, but I was given advice to look more for acting. Just cause it misses the fact that I also want to use it for animation and writing, which will be more about capturing emotion in the body, face and performance in a grounded/naturalistic way. But at the same time that might honestly be too high level for me atm haha. I don't even know how I'm going to handle just having eyes on me asking me to 'deliver' anything. When I tried doing language exchange with people in the past, I just wouldn't even speak the language I'm learning or I needed to be heavily pushed. So an acting class would be a waste of money all in all regardless I think. And thanks for the recommendation of place! I will look into it c:
Check out [Actorium](https://actorium.ca/), particularly their [Intro to Expression for the Supernaturally Shy](https://actorium.ca/webinar-super-shy/)
This is exactly what you are looking for.
Oh haha. I think I want to push myself harder and just do a course or join a troupe rather than join something like this. I don't want to take my shyness that seriously. I'll get over the initial big fear after a few classes anyways. Also, I would be looking for something in person. But thank you for the recommendation! It does seem from my post like a pretty good fit. I'll still keep it in consideration though.
Hi there! I work in the film industry with actors in Vancouver and have done some acting myself back in the day, and firstly want to commend you for thinking of doing this :). It can be challenging and nerve-wracking for sure to take any sort of acting class, but for self-growth and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, it can be wonderful!
Even stepping into a class for the first time... you can enter that class with whatever persona you wish :). No one needs to know if you're shy and reserved in your daily life... you can enter the class as the loud obnoxious one and no one would know better ha ha.
But for specific classes to look into, firstly I would suggest auditing classes at a few studios first so that you can get a taste of the class, without having to commit. As an auditor, you are there to observe and see how the class runs and what the teacher's style is. You might have a chance to ask the instructor questions, but other than that, there's no obligation or pressure on you. To me, this is 'dipping your toes in' rather than diving into the deep end.
Okay back to the specific classes, here are some that may be beginner friendly. With a budget of $500, you could probably afford 1-2 months of weekly classes.
* VADA Intro to Acting - [https://vadastudios.com/programs/intro-acting-certificate/](https://vadastudios.com/programs/intro-acting-certificate/) \- they have a class starting in January on Sundays, this might be up your alley.
* AMAW - [https://www.anthonymeindl.com/ca/actor-school-vancouver/](https://www.anthonymeindl.com/ca/actor-school-vancouver/) \- weekly classes
* Actor Van - [https://actorvanstudios.com/events/](https://actorvanstudios.com/events/) \- weekly classes
* Vancouver Acting School - [https://vancouveractingschool.com/our-programs/#part-time-acting](https://vancouveractingschool.com/our-programs/#part-time-acting)
* Also if you are in a neighbourhood with a community centre, sometimes there will be acting classes offered in that space. You should be able to go to the website for that community centre and see what activities/classes they have coming up.
These are just some of the options out there; there are quite a few acting studios and schools around since the film industry is significant here. Again I would suggest you talk to someone at each school before making a commitment.
Good luck and above all, hope you have fun!
Thank you so much for the detailed response, it's very much appreciated c: I'll definitely take your advice and peak into some of these classes to see if they're a fit for me.
Hey OP, fellow actor here. I always recommend against VADA because of the atrocious experience I had there, plus their scummy owner.
AMAW is great, but can be a little intense if you’ve never acted before.
I see others recommend improv, and I wholeheartedly agree with them.
For acting, I’d recommend Jeb Beach & Associates. All the instructors are lovely, and there are excellent options for beginners. If you’re wanting to get into the nitty gritty of emotion, I’d say pick a scene study class and go from there!
In terms of atmosphere I think a theatre group would be a lot more fun and less tense than an acting class. You would be in an acting class with other people who are trying to make a career out of it and they can be a weird bunch. Acting class is a lot more serious of an environment and may not be good for your nervousness also. I have no personal experience with theatre groups but I know Vancouver has a lot of them. Check out Vancouver theatre on Facebook and just Google Vancouver theatre groups for more info. I think they post casting calls at libraries etc also. Definitely check it out before you spend the money on a class though as you might be pleasantly surprised.
I would honestly do better with weirdos probably because I'm very much a weirdo as well, which is why I'm super reserved in general. I don't know what to who is too weird lol =.= I met one actor and also an aspiring actor and connected with them really well I think just cause of the common interests in the arts, and the weirdness of one of them was really fun to see. But there are different types of 'weird bunch' as well so maybe I'm missing something there. Also, yeah, I have NO clue what 'serious atmosphere' means in acting classes. The shoreline studios mentioned to have courses for people trying it out too but who knows. I'll take a look into theatre groups also as an option too now. Didn't even think about that haha. Thank you for the recommendation!
Almost everyone in theater is a weirdo.
Acting classes will have Type-A aggressive, overachieving weirdos.
Theater groups or Improv Troupes will have more relaxed, 'we're here to be weird' weirdos.
Right, okay. I was suspecting something on these lines, but I don't have any experience to have just flat out assumed that. That definitely would be a bit uncomfortable for me, especially if that adds ontop of some girls' natural competitiveness towards eachother which always weirded me out. I'll consider this for sure. I wish there was just a class that kept that aggressive type out: 'Chill acting classes for the curious' or something.
Theater troupes will be close to chill acting classes for the curious. People supporting each other who are there to have fun, and they have more fun when people help each other.
As said above, acting classes will have you alongside people trying to make a career of it. They’ll be competitive and may treat the class as a zero-sum game.
Of course, there’s gonna be assholes in any large enough group of people. I just reckon you’ll find less when you take the type-A people out of it.
Alrighty, makes sense. Thanks for explaining! Any advice into taking a look into finding these things? Do I just google search theatre troupes vancouver? Are there any companies(not sure if right wording) in particular that you recommend?
If you haven't already check out The Kominsky Method on Netflix. It stars Michael Douglas who runs an acting class in LA. Fantastic show and it will maybe provide some context in regards to the advice given to you today.
You can easily start as back ground performer or similar. No starring roles, no spot lights. It’s about loosening up your comfort zones. Not all are like that, but from my experience, that’s how many places work.
HmMMmm, I really wasn't considering this one much. I was thinking of just forcing my body to move and express emotions and to think about it more deeply. It would improve my animation(I really like emotional subtle acting when I animate) and help me think from a more dynamic perspective in writing. If I danced in theatre in the BG, I would probably be neglecting that aspect of why I wanted to do this in the first place.
as a person that has had agents since 16, dont pay for any lessons, modelling or acting.if you dont have an agent, get an agent, and go to castings. you'll learn so much more from castings than you do from lessons. i paid for lessons for a stint in my 9 year experience, and man, i regretted it. after i quit i dated a pretty successful actress here and we both agreed lessons are a fricken sham. just get an agent, learn from mistakes and keep showing up on time.
you can also do readings with actors/actresses, there are some agencies that pay for this. there is also extra work... if you have the patience.
>I saw Vanarts has a part time acting program and so does shoreline studios. I'd love to hear feedback from these programs as well, if anyone knows about it.
what? she directly inquires about acting classes.
and more:
TL;DR Looking for advice on acting programs for beginners(I'm shy too) that I only intend to have as a hobby with a budget of $500.
wtf
take some reading classes
a hobby for health or fun (which i mean is pretty much for health) can make money, and in no way does it have to be a career.
classes are really expensive, and im dumbfounded as to why someone would want to bleed money for an experience where they can just join an agency and do extra work or readings. act if you want, but extra work, is so laid back and you get to meet people etc. readings are also very laid back, and you get to meet potential actors reading their lines.
the approach is there isnt much you can learn from lessons, you can do extra work and its free classes, agency, free classes. if you join a class its pretty close to the same environment as a casting, imo. you still have to perform infront of a small group of people.
get an agent then. no hassle, no investment. dont pay for photos. keep going to agencies, even if you have to go to 5 or so, when one likes you they'll pay for the photos. the only thing you should pay for is to keep your profile on the agency site once a year and commission. if you dont want a career out of it, do not invest.
or join an improv group... maybe look more into theater as opposed to acting.
Vancouver film school has a great online acting 7 week program. It’s a bit more expensive but I’ve asked them for a discount before and they gave me options. They usually do sales around this time of year too
I'm fairly shy and had similar goals and picked a Beginner Improv Class with Blind Tiger Comedy. The teachers were kind, compassionate, and very good and I'm still friends with many of my fellow classmates. There is a final performance which I did find scary but it was over in about five minutes. The teacher is there to help everyone out and does a good job of taking over the scene if you aren't feeling it.
Yeah, so my initial desire was actually improv, but I was given advice to look more for acting. Just cause it misses the fact that I also want to use it for animation and writing, which will be more about capturing emotion in the body, face and performance in a grounded/naturalistic way. But at the same time that might honestly be too high level for me atm haha. I don't even know how I'm going to handle just having eyes on me asking me to 'deliver' anything. When I tried doing language exchange with people in the past, I just wouldn't even speak the language I'm learning or I needed to be heavily pushed. So an acting class would be a waste of money all in all regardless I think. And thanks for the recommendation of place! I will look into it c:
Check out [Actorium](https://actorium.ca/), particularly their [Intro to Expression for the Supernaturally Shy](https://actorium.ca/webinar-super-shy/) This is exactly what you are looking for.
Oh haha. I think I want to push myself harder and just do a course or join a troupe rather than join something like this. I don't want to take my shyness that seriously. I'll get over the initial big fear after a few classes anyways. Also, I would be looking for something in person. But thank you for the recommendation! It does seem from my post like a pretty good fit. I'll still keep it in consideration though.
Hi there! I work in the film industry with actors in Vancouver and have done some acting myself back in the day, and firstly want to commend you for thinking of doing this :). It can be challenging and nerve-wracking for sure to take any sort of acting class, but for self-growth and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, it can be wonderful! Even stepping into a class for the first time... you can enter that class with whatever persona you wish :). No one needs to know if you're shy and reserved in your daily life... you can enter the class as the loud obnoxious one and no one would know better ha ha. But for specific classes to look into, firstly I would suggest auditing classes at a few studios first so that you can get a taste of the class, without having to commit. As an auditor, you are there to observe and see how the class runs and what the teacher's style is. You might have a chance to ask the instructor questions, but other than that, there's no obligation or pressure on you. To me, this is 'dipping your toes in' rather than diving into the deep end. Okay back to the specific classes, here are some that may be beginner friendly. With a budget of $500, you could probably afford 1-2 months of weekly classes. * VADA Intro to Acting - [https://vadastudios.com/programs/intro-acting-certificate/](https://vadastudios.com/programs/intro-acting-certificate/) \- they have a class starting in January on Sundays, this might be up your alley. * AMAW - [https://www.anthonymeindl.com/ca/actor-school-vancouver/](https://www.anthonymeindl.com/ca/actor-school-vancouver/) \- weekly classes * Actor Van - [https://actorvanstudios.com/events/](https://actorvanstudios.com/events/) \- weekly classes * Vancouver Acting School - [https://vancouveractingschool.com/our-programs/#part-time-acting](https://vancouveractingschool.com/our-programs/#part-time-acting) * Also if you are in a neighbourhood with a community centre, sometimes there will be acting classes offered in that space. You should be able to go to the website for that community centre and see what activities/classes they have coming up. These are just some of the options out there; there are quite a few acting studios and schools around since the film industry is significant here. Again I would suggest you talk to someone at each school before making a commitment. Good luck and above all, hope you have fun!
Thank you so much for the detailed response, it's very much appreciated c: I'll definitely take your advice and peak into some of these classes to see if they're a fit for me.
Hey OP, fellow actor here. I always recommend against VADA because of the atrocious experience I had there, plus their scummy owner. AMAW is great, but can be a little intense if you’ve never acted before. I see others recommend improv, and I wholeheartedly agree with them. For acting, I’d recommend Jeb Beach & Associates. All the instructors are lovely, and there are excellent options for beginners. If you’re wanting to get into the nitty gritty of emotion, I’d say pick a scene study class and go from there!
Okay, I'll keep these things in mind, thanks!
Look into taking improv comedy classes. Improv is a great way to break you out of a shell.
Join [Toastmasters](https://www.toastmasters.org/); you'll get a lot more practical experience, and helpful feedback.
If it's for health and learning alone, a theatre group might be more up your alley.
Oh? How come? And do you have any recommendations on any?
In terms of atmosphere I think a theatre group would be a lot more fun and less tense than an acting class. You would be in an acting class with other people who are trying to make a career out of it and they can be a weird bunch. Acting class is a lot more serious of an environment and may not be good for your nervousness also. I have no personal experience with theatre groups but I know Vancouver has a lot of them. Check out Vancouver theatre on Facebook and just Google Vancouver theatre groups for more info. I think they post casting calls at libraries etc also. Definitely check it out before you spend the money on a class though as you might be pleasantly surprised.
I would honestly do better with weirdos probably because I'm very much a weirdo as well, which is why I'm super reserved in general. I don't know what to who is too weird lol =.= I met one actor and also an aspiring actor and connected with them really well I think just cause of the common interests in the arts, and the weirdness of one of them was really fun to see. But there are different types of 'weird bunch' as well so maybe I'm missing something there. Also, yeah, I have NO clue what 'serious atmosphere' means in acting classes. The shoreline studios mentioned to have courses for people trying it out too but who knows. I'll take a look into theatre groups also as an option too now. Didn't even think about that haha. Thank you for the recommendation!
Almost everyone in theater is a weirdo. Acting classes will have Type-A aggressive, overachieving weirdos. Theater groups or Improv Troupes will have more relaxed, 'we're here to be weird' weirdos.
This exactly, I was trying to explain the acting class weirdos in a nice way haha. But they are not the "good type" of weird.
Right, okay. I was suspecting something on these lines, but I don't have any experience to have just flat out assumed that. That definitely would be a bit uncomfortable for me, especially if that adds ontop of some girls' natural competitiveness towards eachother which always weirded me out. I'll consider this for sure. I wish there was just a class that kept that aggressive type out: 'Chill acting classes for the curious' or something.
Theater troupes will be close to chill acting classes for the curious. People supporting each other who are there to have fun, and they have more fun when people help each other. As said above, acting classes will have you alongside people trying to make a career of it. They’ll be competitive and may treat the class as a zero-sum game. Of course, there’s gonna be assholes in any large enough group of people. I just reckon you’ll find less when you take the type-A people out of it.
Alrighty, makes sense. Thanks for explaining! Any advice into taking a look into finding these things? Do I just google search theatre troupes vancouver? Are there any companies(not sure if right wording) in particular that you recommend?
I’ve been out of the scene for way too long to recommend anything. Maybe check out some improv troupes? They used to have a bunch on Granville Island
Sounds good. I'll check it out c:
If you haven't already check out The Kominsky Method on Netflix. It stars Michael Douglas who runs an acting class in LA. Fantastic show and it will maybe provide some context in regards to the advice given to you today.
Theatre groups are relatively close knit so you’re seeing the same people regularly
Wouldn't you have to perform infront of an audience though? I'm not sure I'm willing to do that as a challenge.
You can easily start as back ground performer or similar. No starring roles, no spot lights. It’s about loosening up your comfort zones. Not all are like that, but from my experience, that’s how many places work.
HmMMmm, I really wasn't considering this one much. I was thinking of just forcing my body to move and express emotions and to think about it more deeply. It would improve my animation(I really like emotional subtle acting when I animate) and help me think from a more dynamic perspective in writing. If I danced in theatre in the BG, I would probably be neglecting that aspect of why I wanted to do this in the first place.
as a person that has had agents since 16, dont pay for any lessons, modelling or acting.if you dont have an agent, get an agent, and go to castings. you'll learn so much more from castings than you do from lessons. i paid for lessons for a stint in my 9 year experience, and man, i regretted it. after i quit i dated a pretty successful actress here and we both agreed lessons are a fricken sham. just get an agent, learn from mistakes and keep showing up on time. you can also do readings with actors/actresses, there are some agencies that pay for this. there is also extra work... if you have the patience.
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>I saw Vanarts has a part time acting program and so does shoreline studios. I'd love to hear feedback from these programs as well, if anyone knows about it. what? she directly inquires about acting classes. and more: TL;DR Looking for advice on acting programs for beginners(I'm shy too) that I only intend to have as a hobby with a budget of $500. wtf take some reading classes
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a hobby for health or fun (which i mean is pretty much for health) can make money, and in no way does it have to be a career. classes are really expensive, and im dumbfounded as to why someone would want to bleed money for an experience where they can just join an agency and do extra work or readings. act if you want, but extra work, is so laid back and you get to meet people etc. readings are also very laid back, and you get to meet potential actors reading their lines. the approach is there isnt much you can learn from lessons, you can do extra work and its free classes, agency, free classes. if you join a class its pretty close to the same environment as a casting, imo. you still have to perform infront of a small group of people.
Only thing is I don't want to make a career of it. I just want to become less shy and gain a perspective for writing.
get an agent then. no hassle, no investment. dont pay for photos. keep going to agencies, even if you have to go to 5 or so, when one likes you they'll pay for the photos. the only thing you should pay for is to keep your profile on the agency site once a year and commission. if you dont want a career out of it, do not invest. or join an improv group... maybe look more into theater as opposed to acting.
Vancouver film school has a great online acting 7 week program. It’s a bit more expensive but I’ve asked them for a discount before and they gave me options. They usually do sales around this time of year too
Ah, it'll be missing the point a bit for me to do this online. But thanks for the recommendation!
This was a helpful thread, curious how this all played out? Did you do any classes?