History and Overview
The Stonestreet Film & Television Acting Workshop (FTW) was founded by Alyssa Rallo Bennett in 1990 so that drama students would have a professional environment in which to continue and broaden their training, adapt their theater skills and embrace the art of film acting and directing, and experience the film and television mediums, from the audition phase through to the production and post-production phases, completing their first or early professional work before they graduate.
FTW 1 & 2 is conducted at Stonestreet's state-of-the-art film and television studio, where many professional directors, producers, and casting directors develop and produce films, pilots, television shows and commercials. Students train and work in the same environment with professional directors, casting directors, and agents. With access to full production and post-production facilities (including several editing systems and editors), students learn the unique demands of the camera, film and television scripts that may not be rich or scant, and set work. Stonestreet students experience the real challenges of the film medium by acting in production level short movies, dramatic series, sitcoms, soaps, and commercials with the guidance of professionals/teachers who help deepen their understanding of process and performance and learn to contribute, touch and inspire an audience. All production level work is edited, material that can be used for actor reels, usually made in FTWII or Independent Stonestreet, and often broadcast on Stonestreet's movie website: www.stonestreet.tv
All kinds of dramatic material from all periods and cultures are invited and embraced cinematically. Stonestreet students learn to become professional auditioners and self-sufficient creative actors who are both believable and interesting on camera in all areas. Additional classes include: Career Management and the Business, the History of Film Acting, Voice-overs and Voice in Film, and our Audition and Showcase Class prepare students for the professional world and expose students to industry professionals on a weekly basis.
Audition Process
Stonestreet Studios Film & Television Acting Workshop has an interview process where prospective students learn more about the program and the studio and Stonestreet gets acquainted with the student's goals, interests, and past experience. Students should call Stonestreet Studios at 212-229-0020 and make an appointment with the assistant managing director for an interview. If necessary, students may register first, but must then schedule their interview before attending.
Each semester Stonestreet accepts some directing and design students, as well as acting students who wish to broaden their experience and job potential to film production, directing, and producing in addition to or instead of an acting focus.
Current and Past Television and Film Productions
Please see our film streaming website at: www.stonestreet.tv for movies and student work
Brian Baer, a 1995 Tisch graduate, had this to say about his two semesters spent at Stonestreet:
"The training I received at Stonestreet Studio's Film and Television Acting Workshop not only enriched and challenged me in my development as an actor, but also prepared me in more ways than I ever knew for the real world of film and television acting. The day-to-day studio work, not only in front of the camera but behind the camera as well, gave me the solid instruction and confidence I needed to get work in the business. From learning audition techniques to the not-so-subtle differences between stage and film acting, I was more than ready to begin my career in this field. I have often said, without exaggeration, that it was my training at Stonestreet that not only helped me land my first major role in a television series but also kept me in favor with the producers. It may be who you know that opens the door, but it is what you know that keeps you in."
To see what other graduates say and are doing see The Stonestreet Gazette:
