With Acting Coach Mel Churcher Introduction This Zoom course will offer ways to tap into your confident, powerful self; preparation for filming challenging self-tapes; new thoughts on screen work. Resist the idea of typecasting! You can play the roles you find difficult, or have never had the chance to work on. You can surprise yourself; find the joy of stepping into an unfamiliar self. Let’s open the gates and explore the deep or wild unknown – in a positive way. This course offers guidance, tips and exercises to enable your unique charisma to shine through in any role you play. Suitable both emerging talent and working professionals looking to improve. Meet Your Tutor Mel Churcher A-Lister Coach Mel Churcher is an international acting, dialogue and voice coach who has worked with companies including the Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and coaches a wide range of professionals from budding newcomers to top film stars like Daniel Craig, Angelina Jolie, Keira Knightley and Jet Li; from presenters like Raymond Blanc and Goldie to singers like Tricky and Joss Stone. Mel's Work Course Outline This course will increase your confidence with all aspects of screen work and with self-taping scenes for auditions. We’ll also work on a monologue that you film yourself during the course. This course will offer guidance, tips and exercises to enable your charisma to shine through in any role you play. All sessions are recorded and students expected to watch any filming done of themselves each evening. Also, during the course, to self-film a monologue, and work on a scene to self tape and submit to Mel at conclusion of the course. Day 1 -Monday | Time (UK) 10:30am – 1.00pm & 2:30pm – 5.15pm You will be introduced to the course, discuss screen acting, self-taping and talk about the actors’ toolbox. Mel will then invite you to each share a real-life story and do your given monologue. Here you will observe how specific you are, and how much muscle memory you still have in your body from your real experiences. You will explore games and techniques that allow you to find the same life and truth when you are using learned lines. Homework: Students to watch their work on playback. Day 2 -Tuesday | Time (UK) 10:30am – 1.00pm & 2:30pm – 5.15pm On day two you will continue on your real life stories and monologues. Continuing work on real stories/ monologues. Each actor will get individual time within the group. (all present can see but participant is filmed as solo performance to watch later.) Homework: Students to watch their work on playback. Scenes sent after class; partners chosen – these to be learned and self-taped after the course. Day 3 -Wednesday | Time (UK) 10:30am – 1.00pm & 2:30pm – 5.30pm On day three you will complete your individual monologue. Mel will also give you self-tape technical tips, elements toolbox and scenes read with partners. Homework: Studio watch their work on playback. Day 4 – Thursday | SELF WORK DAY – MEL NOT PRESENT Actors to film their monologues and send to Mel by 2pm latest! Scenes to be worked on in pairs (if possible) or explored alone. Day 5 – Friday | Time (UK) 10.30am – 1:00pm & 2.30pm – 5.15pm Watching filmed monologues together, with feedback. Toolbox, any remaining thoughts and games, feedbacks. roundup of the course. Homework: Students to film their scenes and send self-tapes within the next fortnight. (If no reader, course partner (or someone else) can read in remotely.) Every participant will have individual feedback on these self-tapes via a personal recording. Additional Information Features Intensive Short Course Small Class Size Held online via Zoom Suitable for all levels of ability Suitable if you are (17 yrs+) and committed to improving your screen acting skills Attracts a varied age range from 17 yrs+. International Students Welcome The course is taught in English, so it is important that you have proficient English language skills Learning Outcomes Increase your chances of getting work Add real life experiences to your acting performance Experience of working with an A-Lister Acting Coach Course Location Live Online Course Via Zoom Stable Internet Connection Required Webcam and Microphone Required Please log in at least 10 minutes before each session begins. A strong internet connection is required to join our live online courses and workshops. Please test your internet connection before booking as we cannot refund due to technical issues. Please familiarise yourself with Zoom before attending your workshop. Your camera will be required to be switched on during the workshop.Students will receive a Zoom link via email to join the workshop. Please log on at least 10 mins before the workshop begins.
What you Will Learn Plan and prioritize each day's activities in a more efficient, productive manner Establish strategies to execute priorities and overcome procrastination Understand how to make trade-offs when faced with fire drills How to set and communicate boundary conditions Getting Started Introductions Course orientation Participants' expectations Foundation Concepts Exercise: A day in your life Resources to implement change Mind-set Tool-set Skill-set What is your time really worth? The dynamics of procrastination The myth of multi-tasking Brain Rules - how to optimize your efficiency Organization and Prioritization Time management best practices Goal setting Exercise: Identifying your priorities The importance of organization Time management framework Prioritizing time Time Management Techniques Tips for managing time Nine ways to overcome procrastination The STING technique Managing your time o Handling unplanned urgencies o Dealing with information overload Delegation and managing others' time Creating your personal action plan Summary Course summary and next steps Applying what you have learned
The Art of Negotiation: In-House Training Confidence, rapport, curiosity, and patience are essential ingredients to successfully handling a difficult conversation and negotiation. In this course, you will learn to identify and manage aspects of a negotiation, distinguish needs from wants, and manage expectations. The course will cover communication best practices, strategies for handling difficult conversations, and the basics of the art of negotiation. What you Will Learn Master the different ways to say 'no' Determine negotiation strategies based on typical client strategies Develop solutions to break deadlocks Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Establishing personal learning objectives Foundation Concepts Exercise: Most Challenging Scenarios and Outcomes Debrief: Impact versus intent Addressing customer expectations Needs versus wants Key skills for managing customer relationships Elicitation (requirements gathering) Communication and active listening Sensitivity and empathy Handling Difficult Conversations Saying 'no' The Ladder of Inference 4-Step approach for handling difficult conversations Characteristics of a trusted advisor Communication Best Practices Attunement and active listening Exercise: Identifying Effective Techniques Communication pitfalls and best practices Building rapport and influence Words of wisdom Exercise: Reflection on Challenges Negotiation Strategies Negotiation basics Five phases of negotiation Identifying different strategies Traditional versus Progressive Hard - Soft - Principled Exercise: Your Preferred Techniques Selecting appropriate strategy for project negotiations Common pitfalls to avoid The impact of culture on negotiation Looking at conflict through the lens of negotiation Exercise: Mapping a Resolution
The Art of Negotiation: Virtual In-House Training Confidence, rapport, curiosity, and patience are essential ingredients to successfully handling a difficult conversation and negotiation. In this course, you will learn to identify and manage aspects of a negotiation, distinguish needs from wants, and manage expectations. The course will cover communication best practices, strategies for handling difficult conversations, and the basics of the art of negotiation. What you Will Learn Master the different ways to say 'no' Determine negotiation strategies based on typical client strategies Develop solutions to break deadlocks Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Establishing personal learning objectives Foundation Concepts Exercise: Most Challenging Scenarios and Outcomes Debrief: Impact versus intent Addressing customer expectations Needs versus wants Key skills for managing customer relationships Elicitation (requirements gathering) Communication and active listening Sensitivity and empathy Handling Difficult Conversations Saying 'no' The Ladder of Inference 4-Step approach for handling difficult conversations Characteristics of a trusted advisor Communication Best Practices Attunement and active listening Exercise: Identifying Effective Techniques Communication pitfalls and best practices Building rapport and influence Words of wisdom Exercise: Reflection on Challenges Negotiation Strategies Negotiation basics Five phases of negotiation Identifying different strategies Traditional versus Progressive Hard - Soft - Principled Exercise: Your Preferred Techniques Selecting appropriate strategy for project negotiations Common pitfalls to avoid The impact of culture on negotiation Looking at conflict through the lens of negotiation Exercise: Mapping a Resolution
The Art of Negotiation (Virtual) Confidence, rapport, curiosity, and patience are essential ingredients to successfully handling a difficult conversation and negotiation. In this course, you will learn to identify and manage aspects of a negotiation, distinguish needs from wants, and manage expectations. The course will cover communication best practices, strategies for handling difficult conversations, and the basics of the art of negotiation. What You Will Learn You'll learn how to: Master the different ways to say 'no' Determine negotiation strategies based on typical client strategies Develop solutions to break deadlocks Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Establishing personal learning objectives Foundation Concepts Exercise: Most Challenging Scenarios and Outcomes Debrief: Impact versus intent Addressing customer expectations Needs versus wants Key skills for managing customer relationships o Elicitation (requirements gathering) o Communication and active listening o Sensitivity and empathy Handling Difficult Conversations Saying 'no' The Ladder of Inference 4-Step approach for handling difficult conversations Characteristics of a trusted advisor Communication Best Practices Attunement and active listening Exercise: Identifying Effective Techniques Communication pitfalls and best practices Building rapport and influence Words of wisdom Exercise: Reflection on Challenges Negotiation Strategies Negotiation basics Five phases of negotiation Identifying different strategies o Traditional versus Progressive o Hard - Soft - Principled o Exercise: Your Preferred Techniques Selecting appropriate strategy for project negotiations o Common pitfalls to avoid o The impact of culture on negotiation Looking at conflict through the lens of negotiation Exercise: Mapping a Resolution
Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving (Virtual) Two critical skillsets for the future of work are critical thinking and creative problem solving. These modes of working and thinking intersect and overlap; both are necessary and both can be taught. Having the ability to exercise creativity while at the same time applying structure and discipline to the thinking process is a key competency in the twenty-first century workplace. This course explores the interplay between critical and creative thinking, and the necessity of each to effective problem solving and decision making. Participants will learn a variety of techniques to apply critical thinking to real-life scenarios. They will experiment with different problem-solving approaches and will learn about cognitive influences on our decisions and choices. The course delves into the business value of creativity and involves participants in actively integrating criticality, creativity, and problem solving. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Explain basic concepts of problem solving Infer types of cognitive biases that impact decision making Utilize types of root cause analysis Differentiate among obstacles to sound decision making Apply a variety of problem-solving approaches / processes to existing challenges Evaluate alternative solution methods using various techniques Analyze real world problem scenarios to determine the lateral thinking type needed to address them Getting Started Foundation Concepts Definitions Thinking modes and cognitive bias Basic problem-solving framework Problem Definition and Solution Generation Root cause analysis Basic problem-solving obstacles Generating alternative solutions Evaluating Alternatives Critical thinking guidelines Obstacles to sound decision making Tools for evaluating alternatives Exploring Lateral Thinking Problem-solving challenge Workplace application Summary and Next Steps
Managing Stress and Building Resilience: Virtual In-House Training Stress has an impact on all of us at some point in our professional lives. Learning how to manage stress and build resilience will result in higher professional productivity, better health, and more sustainable living habits. It will also help us create a physical - and emotional - work-life balance. In this one-day workshop, you will learn practical solutions to sustain behavior change that can positively impact your life on both a professional and personal level. When you are able to reduce the level of negative stress that affects you, your performance improves, along with your health and happiness. The objective of this course is therefore not only to create awareness around emotional well-being in a work context, but also to help participants create a better overall balance between the investment they make in their personal and professional lives. This course covers how our perceptions affect our beliefs and how our beliefs affect our actions. You will learn a host of stress-reduction techniques, while exploring your own stress triggers and responses. Highly interactive, the sessions cover a blend of theory, discussions, and exercises. You will explore concepts with fellow participants within a safe environment where skills and habits can be developed, sharpened, and improved. What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Identify what stress feels like and what the typical symptoms and reactions are to stress Analyze your own responses to stressful events and the consequences of those reactions Organize your work structure to reduce stress and build resilience Recognize activities that drain you and those that give you energy Generate relief from stressful events Cultivate a mindset of resilience Better manage your time, work commitments, and personal boundaries in order to be most effective at your job Getting Started What is stress? Beliefs and thinking errors Work-life balance Drainers and energizers Stress reduction techniques Time management Summary and Next Steps
Managing Stress and Building Resilience: In-House Training Stress has an impact on all of us at some point in our professional lives. Learning how to manage stress and build resilience will result in higher professional productivity, better health, and more sustainable living habits. It will also help us create a physical - and emotional - work-life balance. In this one-day workshop, you will learn practical solutions to sustain behavior change that can positively impact your life on both a professional and personal level. When you are able to reduce the level of negative stress that affects you, your performance improves, along with your health and happiness. The objective of this course is therefore not only to create awareness around emotional well-being in a work context, but also to help participants create a better overall balance between the investment they make in their personal and professional lives. This course covers how our perceptions affect our beliefs and how our beliefs affect our actions. You will learn a host of stress-reduction techniques, while exploring your own stress triggers and responses. Highly interactive, the sessions cover a blend of theory, discussions, and exercises. You will explore concepts with fellow participants within a safe environment where skills and habits can be developed, sharpened, and improved. What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Identify what stress feels like and what the typical symptoms and reactions are to stress Analyze your own responses to stressful events and the consequences of those reactions Organize your work structure to reduce stress and build resilience Recognize activities that drain you and those that give you energy Generate relief from stressful events Cultivate a mindset of resilience Better manage your time, work commitments, and personal boundaries in order to be most effective at your job Getting Started What is stress? Beliefs and thinking errors Work-life balance Drainers and energizers Stress reduction techniques Time management Summary and Next Steps
Writing Clear Business Communication (Virtual) Effective writing seldom, if ever, 'magically materializes' on the spot. In reality, it is most often the product of planning, writing, and rewriting. This is why writing is called a process; it must go through a series of steps before it is clear and complete. This program is about learning about the writing process and covers the full spectrum of documents used when corresponding in the workplace. The ability to write effectively comes naturally to some people, but for the vast majority, it is a task often approached with a mixture of trepidation and dread. However, the ability to communicate in the written word, for whatever purpose, is an important part of our working and personal lives and can have a direct impact on our ability to persuade, gain commitment or agreement and enhance understanding. Good writing sounds like talking on paper, which is why this program is focused on getting the message across and achieving the desired results using the 'keep it simple and direct' approach. What You Will Learn You'll learn how to: Plan and prioritize each day's activities in a more efficient, productive manner Establish strategies to execute priorities and overcome procrastination Understand how to make trade-offs when faced with fire drills How to set and communicate boundary conditions Getting Started Introductions Course orientation Participants' expectations Foundation Concepts Exercise: A day in your life Resources to implement change o Mind-set o Tool-set o Skill-set What is your time really worth? The dynamics of procrastination The myth of multi-tasking Brain Rules - how to optimize your efficiency Organization and Prioritization Time management best practices Goal setting Exercise: Identifying your priorities The importance of organization Time management framework Prioritizing time Time Management Techniques Tips for managing time Nine ways to overcome procrastination The STING technique Managing your time o Handling unplanned urgencies o Dealing with information overload Delegation and managing others' time Creating your personal action plan
Facilitating Effective Meetings (Virtual) Billions of dollars and exorbitant amounts of time are wasted annually across the globe because of organizations' meeting practices. This contributes to serious performance problems for both organizations and employees, and it has a serious impact on culture and morale. But despite the costs and consequences, every-day people in any role have the ability to change that. They can reduce cost, improve productivity, and enhance their workplace cultures by improving their meeting facilitation skills. And that is because facilitation skills start in the planning stage, not in the live meeting stage. In this course, participants will learn that their responsibility as a facilitator is to be a steward of time, money, relationships, and performance. To do that, they will learn to estimate costs of meetings and practice a variety of strategic thinking and analysis tasks to effectively plan results-aligned meetings. They will also apply several techniques and strategies to proactively prevent and deal with conflict in meetings, as well as give objective, constructive feedback to others in order to create behavior change during meetings. Participants must bring laptops with them and have internet access during the course (both virtual classroom and traditional classroom). The laptops are needed for specific activities. Also note that this course pairs well with IIL's Conflict Resolution Skills and Decision Making and Problem Solving courses, which go much deeper into related skills and tools that support effective meeting facilitation. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Estimate the financial and time costs of attendance for real-world meetings Use a performance formula to define the purpose of meetings Describe the responsibilities and qualities of an effective facilitator Analyze situations to determine when a meeting is necessary Articulate performance-driven meeting goals and results Align meeting goals and results Strategize to invite, involve, and exclude appropriate attendees Explain research-based best practices for meeting decisions and agenda development Create an effective agenda for a results-driven meeting Apply proactive tools and strategies for relationship-building dealing with meeting conflict Give constructive behavioral feedback using the Situation-Behavior-Impact® technique Getting Started The Business Case for Effective Facilitation Embracing the research on meetings Estimating the real costs of meetings Determining a meeting's performance value Clarifying the meeting facilitator's role Facilitating the Meeting Plan Determining if a meeting is necessary Aligning meeting goals with meeting types Identifying the right attendees Creating a strategically effective agenda Facilitating the Live Meeting Building relationships from the start Dealing with conflict proactively Giving feedback on unproductive behavior Summary and Next Steps