On Camera Workshop for the Actor

On camera workshops are everywhere. Sporadically over the last ten years I've had one that gives participants more on camera time than most. I'm going to begin new sessions on Jan. 4.  I'm also doing this to help hone my own on camera skills by working with accomplished actors.

It's helpful to get instant feedback from the videotape. You walk with a VHS and can access the Digital tape for your use for reels or whatever. You will also be taught the basics of camera work, framing and composition.

We'll be using small pro camcorders. They're easier to use and I've found that newbie camera ops are more able to achieve good composition with them than with the studio rigs that I have. They allow the camera ops (often you when you're not acting) to reframe and compensate for actors' movements during a scene.

During each scene, each camera is recorded in its entirety without switching so all of your performance will be on your tape. When played back immediately after the scene is shot, both actors will be seen on separate side by side screens. The other actors present in the workshop watch as you perform. They view your performance two ways, live and/or the live pictures from the cameras on the monitors.

Once you see your work, you'll perform again later in the evening or immediately after incorporating whatever changes you wish to make in your performance. Sometimes other participants may offer constructive comments about your work.  Depending on the number of participants, it's possible for you to do your scene several times in one evening.

All of your work will be on your tape for you to study later or to share with other professionals you know to get their opinions on it.  Scenes should be short - around three minutes - sometimes up to five minutes, but short is good.

Once we have worked together for a while, I might put a pamphlet together on how we do this that might be published. It could help other actors set up their own on camera workshop.

I want to get a group of up to 20 who'll take part when they can. Out of that 20, we might get 6 to 8 in any week on the night we decide upon. We need at least four participants in any session.  Two will shoot and two will perform and then switch. Those who have performed could become camera operators or watch the monitors as others perform. There's a lot to be learned in watching others act. The short comments after scenes are played back should also be a learning experience for all participants.  If you are participating in the workshop, you'll be expected to be in for the two to three hour sessions. Please don't expect to show up just to do your scene and then leave.

Here are some answers to the many questions Ive been receiving:

The address is:

Otterson TV

251 West 30th Street

Suite 14W

NYC   10001

Once again, the total charge for you and your scene partners is $20 per session.

Thats $10 each.

It will take place on Tuesdays at 7PM.  We are considering running it on other days such as Mondays and will entertain suggestions for other days as well.

The workshop is set-up for two character scenes.  You will be expected to be off book.  Those that aren't will be expected to learn their lines by the following week.

Some of our screenwriters have scenes they would like to see performed and videotaped.  Well put you in touch. 

If you bring a monologue, you'll get one run through of it.

You'll be expected to participate for the 2 ½ to 3 hours of the workshop.

You will be given basic instruction in camera operation and are expected to run a camera at times during the workshop.

You will be given a VHS tape.  It will be used to record your on camera work.  Please bring it to each session.

If you don't have a VHS machine to play it, I'll give you one.

You will do your scene and then it will be played back on side by side monitors.  You will be seen on one and your partner will be on the other.  The monitors will be arranged in such a way that you and your scene partner's images will face each other.

That's why I want simple blocking at the beginning.  If you want to sit, that is fine.

Keep you scenes under 5 minutes.

Those who have brought two character scenes and are off book will always be given preference.  It is possible for you to run your 2 character scene several times and try it different ways in one session.

Well often have screenwriters and filmmakers working with us who will be looking to cast their projects.

Yale Latino Alumni (YLAA) & YAAMNY invite you to a festive and collaborative event to promote the marvelous exhibition:

NUEVA York: 1613 - 1948

Register here at http://yaamny-ylaa-museodelbarrio.eventbrite.com/ and you will be treated to light beverages and hors d'oeuvres, small guided tours of the entire exhibit with professional Art Educators, as well as a special invitation to an exclusive After Party at New York's "latest Latino discovery," The FB Lounge (on 106th St near Third Ave) -- providing the very best in live Latin music, exotic cuisine, and bodacious beverages.

Tickets for the reception, exhibition, and guided tours are priced at $35 and will include your first cocktail at The FB Lounge, free of charge, along with all the wonderful Latin music you can stand. Additional drinks and delicious Latin meals and/or snacks are not included, but will be available.

NUEVA York: 1613 - 1948

A joint venture of El Museo del Barrio and the New York City Historical Society, which sheds new meaningful light on the more than 300 year history leading to the development of North America, and New York City in particular, as an international iconic city.

This is not our parents' history lesson: deeply rich paintings and other artistry, books, textiles, and many other historically significant artifacts will unveil the many lost secret and little known facts regarding the presence and the roles of Spanish-speaking people from the Caribbean, Central and South America in the vibrant history of the most vibrant city in the world.

The Public Service/Social Justice Committee of the Yale Alumni Association of Metropolitan New York is proud to join the Prospect Park Volunteer Corps in their Mulchfest 2011.

We are looking for 10-15 volunteers to assist Prospect Park staff in collecting and pre-processing discarded holiday trees and wreaths for chipping and mulching done by park staff.  The resulting mulch would then be spread around designated locations in the park and distributed to the public by volunteers.

Hot chocolate will be made available as well as lunch.  The famous Litchfield Villa will serve as the break room during the lunch break. 

The shifts are as follows:
Volunteer Shift A: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Volunteer Shift B: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
(Actual Event Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM)

If you wish to register, or for further information, please contact Andrew Burgie.

Additional information can be found at www.prospectpark.org/calendar/event/mulchfest.

Litchfield Villa

The Educational Programs Committee of the Yale Alumni Association of Metropolitan New York is engaged in planning educational enrichment programs for New York City area alumni and the general public. If you are interested in crafting first-rate, thoughtful, and intellectually stimulating programs with fellow Yale alumni, you are warmly invited to the join the Committee. If you would like to join, please contact the Committee with your name, Yale affiliation, contact information, areas of intellectual interest, and if applicable, any specific specialized skills that you may contribute to the Committee. Among specialized skills of value to the Committee are: graphic design, web design, information technology, social media, and audio and video recording. The Committee also welcomes overtures from Yale alumni involved with any educational or cultural institutions in the metropolitan New York area that may prove possible partners in developing, presenting, or hosting enrichment programming. The Committee endeavors to highlight the intellectual and cultural richness of the cityscape in its programming and partner with institutions as it shares Yale faculty, alumni, and resources with New York audiences. You can reach the Committee via e-mail at: This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript . 

Success under Stress for Yale Women: 

3 Strategies to "Get out of your own Way" and Have the Quality of Life you Seek 

YaleWomen NYC and co-sponsor YAAMNY invite you to join us for an evening with Sharon Melnick, PhD (Yale '88) 

You will also have an opportunity to view the beautiful Carlisle Collection after the presentation

Date: Monday, January 10th, 2011

Time: 6 pm

Place: Carlisle Collection at 16 East 52nd St.

RSVP: This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript

We will gather a special group of Yale women for an insightful and intimate evening.  Join us to hear what  dynamic speaker Sharon Melnick, Ph.D. (Yale 88) learned in her research at Harvard Medical School about the #1 factor that makes talented and successful women get in their own way...and how you can quickly remove any remaining blocks to your success and fulfillment.   She will show you how to:

Increase your self-trust and 'own your value', so you can spend your time on the right things and make career and life decisions with conviction. 

Have the courage to feel right about where you are now or go for the next chapter in your career and life without worry about what other people will think or fear of making a mistake.

AND because she is a stress expert,  she will also share with you some tips for Success under Stress, such as how to get the same calm and focus you get in a 90 minute yoga class in 3  minutes or less while sitting in a meeting with colleagues. 

Control your day instead of your day controlling you - discover usable insights to improve your personal productivity when you face constant interruptions from others' urgent requests. 

Dr. Sharon Melnick is a psychologist/consultant dedicated to helping talented and successful people get out of their own way. Informed by 10 years of research at Harvard Medical School and trained in cutting edge stress resilience techniques, she is a leading authority in helping business professionals move to the next level and feel secure about themselves in insecure times. 

Special thanks to Leena Gorevich , NY Showroom Director of the Carlisle Collection for hosting us in her showroom.

Sharon Melnick, PhD

This eight-week internship is appropriate for those interested in education and reconciliation in a post-conflict post-genocide multi-ethnic society.


Bosnia Initiatives for Local Development (BILD) is offering summer internships in northeastern Bosnia. Qualified interns will join the staff of the Tuzla Summer Institute (TSI). TSI is a multicultural intensive educational program that takes place at the Behram-begova medresa, a high school that is part of the Islamic Community of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Participants are from all of Bosnia's main cultural groups including high school students, university students and business professionals. Topics taught at TSI include information technology, business skills, English as a Second Language and civic leadership. For a full description of the internship, visit this webpage:
http://www.bildbosnia.org/internship_announcement.html
Informational videos are available here:
http://www.bildbosnia.org/tsi_videos.html .

If you are interested in an informal individual meeting during the day on Tuesday (Jan. 11), contact Christopher Bragdon at This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript . 

Please join a special Multi-Ivy League event (with alumni from Stanford, Columbia, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, UPenn, etc.) with alumni, family & friends on Wed., January 12, 2011, 7pm for: 

 

The world premiere of Blood from a Stone by Tommy Nohilly 
with a special talk-back afterwards with Ethan Hawke and other cast and crew members of this exciting new play and THE NEW GROUP.  
 

 

The talk-back, after the theatrical performance, will be co-moderated by Jeanine Jeo-Hi Kim (Yale '89, Columbia MBA '95), Founder of The Metropolitan Arts League, a charitable organization of art patrons. There will be a happy hour before the show at Dalton's Bar & Grill for people to meet & talk (See details below).

 

THE PLOT...

Blood from a Stone is an electric and darkly comic portrayal of a troubled working-class family in New Britain, CT. Travis visits his parents home to check on his brother Matt and his mother, only to find himself sucked into intractable conflicts, and a whole household on the verge of implosion. Blood From A Stone is a stunning and shattering debut by talented actor and writer, Tommy Nohilly (MFA Columbia).

 

THE ENSEMBLE

Directed by The New Group's Artistic Director, Scott Elliot (Producer of Avenue Q), the exquisite ensemble includes Ethan Hawke, Natasha Lyonne, Gordon Clapp, Thomas Guiry, and Daphne Rubin-Vega, with sets designed by Tony award winning designer, Derek McLane (Harvard BA, Yale MFA)

 

WHEN & WHERE

Join a Yale UNICEF - sponsored team of students on a trip to Ghana this summer!

May 11 - May 27, 2011

Support a new SOS Children's Village in Kumasi through the development and implementation of a literacy project as well as in general English and science education. Experience Ghana's rich cultural and historical heritage in the markets of Accra, canopy walkways over lush rainforest, white sandy beaches, as well as slave castles and meetings with government officials. 

Come to our information session on Tuesday, January 18 at 7PM in WLH 116 for detailed information about the trip and application. 

Find out more on the SOS Children's Village model here: http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/Where-we-help/Africa/Ghana/Kumasi/Pages/default.aspx

Email trip leader Zahra Baitie at This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript for more information. 

After a hard day at the office, there is nothing better then great music and a well made cocktail to set your evening off right. Well we have it for you!! Join Dandy Wellington and the Made to Measure Band as we team up with Ella Lounge to provide a stylish dose of evening Jazz every Thursday. Free to the public, we invite you to come by, grab a drink and give a listen to that sweet music from the most stylish band in Manhattan, Dandy Wellington and the Made to Measure Band.

Every Saturday in the Dwight Hall Common room, students are welcome to help volunteer with the Yale Children's Theater in the hands' on program from 10am - 2:30 pm. Please contact for more information. 

with the Yale Whiffenpoofs Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. The University Glee Club of New York City The University Glee Club of New York City is an all-male singing group founded in 1894 to encourage male voice singing of the highest excellence. Since that time, more than 1,000 singers have signed the Clubs membership book, and the UGC presently has 125 active singing members ranging from recent college graduates to men who have sung with the group

for over fifty years.

Many members of the UGC sang in college glee clubs and still actively participate in small

group and quartet singing. The Clubs repertoire covers a wide range of music including

classical, Broadway musicals, sea chanteys, spirituals, and traditional college songs.

Only five conductors have led the UGC since its inception. We are fortunate to have as our

present conductor Franscisco Núñez, also the founder and artistic director of the famed Young

People's Chorus of NYC and a leading figure in music and music education. Francisco is now

in his 12th year as our conductor.

The Yale Whiffenpoofs In January 1909, five members of the Yale Glee Club convened at Morys Temple Bar to escape the frigid weather outside. Louis Linder, the barkeep and a music aficionado, welcomed them,

and the quintets weekly meetings at Morys soon became a hallowed tradition.

Over 100 years later, the Whiffenpoofs continue to provide outstanding musicianship and

exceptional entertainment. Each year, fourteen of the finest male singers in Yales senior class

are chosen to be members of the Whiffs, which annually perform over 200 concerts at a wide

range of venues including concert halls, private events, country clubs, schools, and churches.

Armed with a diverse repertoire that includes everything from traditional Yale songs to original

compositions to hits from every decade, the Whiffs guarantee a dynamic and exciting

performance.

For more information: Visit the UGC website:

www.ugcofnyc.orgwww.whiffenpoofs.comFor tickets Lincoln Center / ATH box office: www.lincolncenter.org

Visit the Whiffenpoofs website:

UNIVERSITY GLEE CLUB OF NEW YORK CITY

233rd Members Concert at Alice Tully Hall

Come to an informational-training session to volunteer with Yale UNICEF members at our local community partner, the federally-funded New Haven Head Start preschools. This years curriculum, which focuses on nutrition, will teach preschoolers to make healthy food choices. Our activities will include reading the book The Fruit Flies Picnic, helping the kids make healthy food collages, and talking with them about healthy lifestyle choices. 

      Email  This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript  for more information.

 Come to the first meeting of the new Global Health and AIDS Coalition on Tuesday, January 18, 2010 from 5.30-6.30 in LC 317.  All interested in global health/activism are welcome to attend. 

Join the Rudd Center for their first seminar, featuring Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, on Wednesday, January 19 at 12:30 pm. His talk is titled " Advocacy Lessons from the Battle to Reduce Tobacco."

Commit to service in 2011 and pursue justice in the New Haven and global communities.  Meet representatives from over 100 community-based agencies and student-run member organizations. Don't miss out!

The Public Service/Social Justice Committee's Haiti Assistance Task Force will be discussing the following service projects for 2011:

 Forming a big sib/lil sib program with the Edeyo School.  The project will be focused initially through letter writing.

 Preparing a report focused on education for UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in collaboration with the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (http://ijdh.org/).

  Day of Service Project (5/14/11) -- Dwa Fanm -- Annual Day of Respite Project.

As a follow up to our November Panel Discussion, we are also contemplating having two more educational panel discussions in 2011.  Lastly, we will be discussing options for a service trip to Haiti in 2011.  

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to  This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript .

 

 

  All members of the Yale community are invited to attend the annual Open
Meeting of the ACIR <http://acir.yale.edu/>. The ACIR is comprised of
students, faculty, staff and alumni representatives. The ACIR is charged
with making recommendations to the Yale Corporation that further Yales
goal of investing its Endowment assets in an ethical and socially
responsible manner. The Meeting will begin with a brief overview of the
Committees responsibilities and activities. Following this there will
be an opportunity for members of the Yale Community to make
presentations and proposals to the ACIR.

If you would like to make a presentation or proposal to the Committee,
please contact Jonathan Macey, the Chair of the ACIR
(* This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript  <mailto: This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript >*) prior to
the meeting so that you or your group can be included in the Meeting
Agenda. Please note that the Meeting is open only to members of the Yale
community. In your e-mail, please note your Yale affiliation and the
general topic or issue that you or your group would like to address.
Presentations may be limited to 10-15 minutes so that everyone can have
an opportunity to speak. PowerPoint presentations are welcome but not
required.

The meeting will be held in room 127 of Yale Law School from 4-5 pm on
Thursday January 20th.

Every Saturday in the Dwight Hall Common room, students are welcome to help volunteer with the Yale Children's Theater in the hands' on program from 10am - 2:30 pm. Please contact for more information. 

Do you want to make a change this year?

How many times have we all made New Years resolutions that just don't work?

This year do something different. Take Kate Sandberg's Make It Happen Now! workshop.

By formally setting goals and focusing on the benefits, you increase the likelihood that you'll reach them and make 2011 the best year of your life!

In just four hours you will:

-- identify goals you haven't considered before
-- learn how to prioritize your goals
-- define success and be able to measure it
-- identify obstacles and make a plan to get around them
-- develop partnerships to help you keep on track
-- come away with the know-how and handouts to keep setting goals

A $50 investment gets you:
-- 4 hours of instruction
-- a workbook to use on your own at home
-- a one-on-one follow-up phone session with Kate

It's the best investment you will make in yourself this year!

Click here to sign up today!

More details are available at www.katesandberg.com

Kate Sandberg (SY'98) is a professional life coach who spent several years as an actress and improvisational comedian before making the transition to coaching and training. She studied coaching at NYU and the Coaches Training Institute.

What past participants are saying:

"I am an actor. I usually just take direction, but in my life I was losing my way. Kate is helping me learn how to be the director of my own life." --  Rhonda D.

 "Your seminar helped me to focus on the blocks [I had put in my way] and come up with a plan to make some changes, and move forward. Now I feel like I am on a roll!" --  James E.

"It really has made a difference! Thank you Kate!" --  D.V.

Celebrate a fusion of Art and Design with the Unveiling of APOLLO  

A new life size bronze by Noted Sculptor

SABIN HOWARD

See www.gallery300.net

www.sabinhoward.com

Interested in educational equity? Interested in socioeconomic, race, and gender issues? Interested in early childhood? Don't miss this opportunity to hear from Janna Wagner '95 and Jessica Sager LAW '99, co-founders of All Our Kin, a local non-profit organization whose mission is "To educate and empower parents and teachers, give families child care choices, and expand access to high-quality early care and education."

Learn why early childhood education will be a key element of school reform, and the important impact of early education policy on socioeconomic, race, and gender issues. 

This event is sponsored by the Dwight Hall Early Childhood Education Fellowship, a program designed to create future leaders with hands-on experience in New Haven child care programs. If you'd like the opportunity to work in a local preschool for 4-6 hours per week, and attend twice monthly seminars about child development and education policy, APPLY TO BECOME A FELLOW! Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors are welcome to apply.

Get more information about joining our group by coming to this event, visiting our table at the Dwight Hall Bazaar, or emailing the coordinator: This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript

Interested in sustainability? Looking to travel in Latin America? Want to spend your  summer doing hands-on work teaching and community organizing in an Ecuadorian coastal town? Apply for internships in marketing, sustainability,and mural projects with project oscar. Project Oscar is an organization that collaborates with the town government of Puerto Cayo, Ecuador, a coastal fishing town, to start sustainability projects and build ecotourism projects to support the community. Interns will lead and develop a specific aspect of the project and will teach English, environmental education, and/or computer classes. Lasting nine weeks, the internship includes one week of orientation at a beachfront hostel and seven weeks in Puerto Cayo homestays punctuated by a one week break for travel.

Join us for Q&A and snacks on Sunday, February 6 at 1pm in BK-E32.

To apply, visit our website: projectoscar.weebly.com {due Tuesday, February 15 at 11:59pm}
Questions? Email This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript  

Interested in international human rights? Children's rights - their survival, development and protection?

Come to the first Yale Undergraduate Students for UNICEF general meeting of the year! Learn about our fundraising and educational campaigns, advocacy, and even hands-on public service work. Sign up for the Tap Project training trip in NYC and add your "drop in the bucket" of ideas for an upcoming World Water Week. 

Tuesday, January 25 @ 7PM / Dwight Hall Library

NOTE: POSTPONED DUE TO SNOW STORM.  NEW DATE WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER IN THE SPRING

Please join Ilyon Woo (1994) at the New York event for her newly published book, THE GREAT DIVORCE, recently featured on NPR and in The New York Times, The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal.   

6:00-8:00, with a dramatic presentation at 6:30.  Actors will deliver authentic testimonials by characters such as Eunice Hawley Chapman, the fiery mother who fought the Shakers for her children; her husband James Chapman, who stole the children from their home and secretly fled the state; Mother Lucy Wright, the supreme leader of the Shakers; New York Assemblyman Nathan Williams, who decried Eunice Chapmans sexually inappropriate behavior; and Thomas Jefferson, who weighed in on the controversial affair.

For more information, please visit www.ilyonwoo.com.

...a lively, well-written and engrossing tale....
--The New York Times Book Review

...a superb book--masterfully written, deeply suspenseful....
--Debby Applegate, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Most Famous Man in America: A Biography of Henry Ward Beecher

....This is what history is all about.
--Nathaniel Philbrick, winner of the National Book Award, author of In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex

FIRST ANNUAL MBA NIGHT
GET ON THE PATH TO ADMISSIONS SUCCESS!

The First Annual MBA Night will be an opportunity for you to meet informally with alumni of MBA programs (Cornell, Stern, Kellog, Sloan, Darden, Ross, Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, UCLA, and many more). Youll get a feel for different programs, get your questions answered, and start building what business school is known for a strong network with whom you can have a great time.  

Be sure and pre-register here while space is still available:
bit.ly/blueprint_yale

This is the last evening of the 5 night series about all things related to Business School admissions! 
To find out more about the entire series, go to:

Youth Together Middle School focuses on mentoring and tutoring in language arts and creative writing. Join us for our first tutoring trip of the semester to Fair Haven K-8! We will meet at Phelps Gate on Friday at 12:45 and walk over to the bus stop together to go to Fair Haven. We will also ride the bus back together and be back on campus between 3:00 and 3:30 PM.

  Do a 180: The Chaplains Office invites you to do 180 minutes of community service on Friday, January 28th from 2:00-5:00 pm. Open to grads & undergrads of any or no faith tradition. Well cook dinner at Ronald McDonald House and Fellowship Place and get to know some of our neighbors in New Haven. To sign-up, click here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGNCMFVSQmRPbmt3Q292MjNoUzl4N2c6MQ. More info:  This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript .

Please join MEChA de Yale in the conference "Youth Inherit el Movimiento: Youth Leadership through Art and Community Organizing". With speakers ranging from political muralist Maceo Montoya from California to local Fair Haven youth group 'Youth Rights Media' to the President of the Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF) Tom Saenz, this conference promises to offer a wide variety of perspectives on the role of youth in contemporary grassroots activism. Network with student representatives from Harvard, Cornell, Swarthmore, UConn, UPenn, and many other colleges that will also be participating in the workshops and presentations taking place on February 5th. Check out the facebook event for further information: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=158599430844138. 

Every Saturday in the Dwight Hall Common room, students are welcome to help volunteer with the Yale Children's Theater in the hands' on program from 10am - 2:30 pm. Please contact for more information. 

The YAAMNY Arts Committee provides a forum where alumni can learn from leading practitioners in the world capital of fine and performing arts and support those in the entertainment industry. Whether you have won a Pulitzer and travel by limousine or are pushing cabs between auditions, come share your ideas and help create a resource to assist us all in our work.  Please RSVP to This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript .

Want to save lives? Want to beat Harvard?

Come donate blood at our biggest drive of the year! Be entered to win prizes from Yorkside, Ashley's, Campus Customs, Laila Rowe, Zaroka, and so much more!!

Connecticut is experiencing a severe blood shortage, so any donation is greatly appreciated. One pint of blood can save three lives. Please take this opportunity to make a difference and support a great cause!

To sign up, please go to www.yale.edu/redcross/signup. Making an appointment will help with planning and reduce your wait time.

To volunteer, email: This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript , This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript , or This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript

Thank you so much, and we hope to see you at the drive!