Acting for Screen and Stage
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Program Overview
Do you have a passion for performing? Fanshawe’s Acting for Screen and Stage program inspires students to develop their talents and lays the foundation for a successful career in the screen, stage and voice industries. Through work with industry professionals and collaboration with other Fanshawe media programs, students will gain creative and technical understanding of the actor's process across various media.
Program Details
Program Code
ATS1
Credential:
Ontario College Diploma
Duration
60 weeks
Canadian Students
Start Dates
Locations
Availability
Full Time Offerings
2027 September
London
Open
2026 September
London
Closed
International Students
Start Dates
Locations
Availability
Full Time Offerings
2027 September
London
Open
2026 September
London
Closed
Your Learning Experience
This comprehensive two-year diploma program is designed to prepare you for a career in the performing arts.
Throughout the first year, you will learn the core principles of performance, honing skills in the foundations of acting, character development, movement, and speech. Building upon this groundwork, the second year offers more practical experiences and dynamic opportunities for students to showcase their talents on various platforms, including stage performances, film productions and motion-capture projects, while also learning about the business of being a working actor. You will delve into the intricacies of voice acting for animation, commercials and narration, as well as combat techniques for both stage and screen. An integral aspect contributing to the success of this acting program is the many collaborations we foster with other specialized Fanshawe programs. These collaborations extend across various disciplines such as filmmaking, audio recording and animation.
Your learning journey will take place in state-of-the-art facilities, including Fanshawe’s London campus film studio and the London Downtown campus theatre and motion-capture studio. Additionally, you'll benefit from engaging guest speakers and enriching field trips that offer invaluable insights into the professional landscape of the entertainment industries.
Upon graduation, you will leave with a personalized website showcasing your impressive portfolio, featuring an on-camera demo reel, filmed monologues, professional headshots and voice demos, all essential tools for securing acting opportunities and representation by agents.
Notably, program graduates have the opportunity to join ACTRA as apprentice members, a privilege exclusively available to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
With a focus on practical experience and industry-relevant training, this acting program ensures you'll graduate well prepared confident to embark on your journey in the competitive field of performing arts.
Career Information
Graduates of Fanshawe’s Acting for Screen and Stage program are prepared to pursue diverse creative careers using their performance skills, training, and industry knowledge. Career opportunities extend across theatre, film, television, voice performance, animation, gaming, motion capture, and other emerging forms of media and entertainment.
Here are some examples of career opportunities for graduates of Fanshawe’s Acting for Screen and Stage program:
Stage Actor
Bring characters and stories to life through live theatre. Use voice, movement, emotion, imagination and collaboration to communicate directly with an audience while working with fellow actors, directors, designers, and production teams.
Screen Actor
Bring characters and stories to life through film, television and other recorded media. Use many of the same skills as stage acting, adapting them for the subtle details captured by cameras and microphones. Work effectively with different camera angles, repeated takes and scenes filmed out of sequence.
Voice Actor
Voice actors use vocal expression, emotion, imagination and storytelling to create believable characters for animation, video games, commercials, audiobooks and other recorded media. They adapt their voice to communicate character and meaning without relying on facial expressions or physical movement.
Motion-Capture Character Performer
Bring characters to life through physical performance captured by specialized technology. Motion-capture performers use movement, body language, imagination and acting skills to create characters for video games, film, animation and other digital media. They adapt their performances to technical environments while creating believable physical choices that can be translated into digital characters.
Standardized Participant
Bring realistic situations to life in educational, healthcare and professional training environments. Standardized participants use acting, improvisation, communication and observation skills to consistently portray a specific person or scenario, giving learners the opportunity to practice interpersonal, interviewing, assessment, and communication skills in a supportive simulated setting.
Standardized Participant Training in Simulated Emergency Scenarios
Each year, Fanshawe hosts a two-day Emergency Response Exercise, giving students from various programs the opportunity to take part in realistic, simulated emergency scenarios. Acting students bring these scenarios to life by portraying victims, patients and bystanders, helping student emergency first responders practice their skills in an immersive environment. This large-scale exercise provides Acting students with a unique opportunity to apply their performance and improvisation skills in a dynamic, real-world simulation.
Learning Outcomes
1. Perform in a range of roles for screen and stage, adhering to professional standards, ethics, and industry requirements.
2. Analyze and interpret written material for screen and stage in order to contribute to the character and story development.
3. Develop a believable character appropriate for the role in a given medium.
4. Convey and sustain truth of character with appropriate emotional depth and clarity throughout the production to engage the audience.
5. Work collaboratively with other actors, agents, casting directors, producers, directors and crews to create a cohesive production.
6. Develop and apply strategies for personal and professional development to enhance employability and maintain currency within the industry.
7. Employ improvisational skills for character and story development to meet the demands of the production.
8. Develop a portfolio showcasing entrepreneurial skills required to be successfully employed in the industry.
Academic School
Program Coordinator:
Romy Goulem
Pathways
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Admission Requirements
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), or equivalent,
or a
mature applicant with the following course:
- Grade 12 English (C or U)
- In addition to meeting the academic requirements,
applicants must submit a supplemental form and receive a minimum
score of 60 to be eligible. Applicants will be sent an email with
instructions for completion.
Students who do not meet the admission requirements are
recommended for academic
upgrading. A conditional offer may be possible with proof of
enrolment.
International Admission Equivalencies
Admission equivalencies for Fanshawe depends on your country of study. Please enter your location to see the requirements for your country below.
English Language Requirements
English Language Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate proficiency in English by one of the following methods:
- A Grade 12 College Stream or University Stream English credit from an Ontario Secondary School, or equivalent, depending on the program's Admission Requirements
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test with a minimum score of 79 for the Internet-based test (iBT), with test results within the last two years
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic test with an overall score of 6.0 with no score less than 5.5 in any of the four bands, with test results within the last two years. SDS Program Requirements.
- Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) test with an overall score of 60 with no score less than 50 in any of the four bands, with test results within the last two years
- Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE) with a minimum score of 53, with test results within the last two years
- A Cambridge English Test (FCE/CAE/CPE) with an overall score on the Cambridge English Scale of 169 with no language skill less than 162, with test results within the last two years
- Fanshawe College ESL4/GAP5 students: Minimum grade of 80% in ESL4/GAP5 Level 8, 75% in ESL4/GAP5 Level 9, or 70% in ESL4/GAP5 Level 10
Recommended Academic Preparation
Recommended Academic Preparation
- A Pre-Media Ontario College Certificate.Recommended Personal Preparation
Recommended Personal Preparation
- Involvement in community theatre, dance, and music
- Participation in community television as a performer, host or interviewer
- General experience in presentation as an emcee or speaker
Applicant Selection Criteria
Applicant Selection Criteria
Where the number of eligible applicants exceeds the available spaces in the program, the Applicant Selection Criteria will be:- Preference for Permanent Residents of Ontario
- Receipt of Application by February 1st (After this date, Fanshawe College will consider applicants on a first-come, first-served basis until the program is full)
- Achievement in the Admission Requirements
Courses
| Level 1 | ||||
| Take all of the following Mandatory Courses: | ||||
| WRIT-1037 | Reason & Writing 1-Contemporary Media | 3 | ||
| This course will introduce contemporary media students to essential principles of reading, writing, and reasoning at the postsecondary level. Students will identify, summarize, analyze, and evaluate multiple short readings and write persuasive response essays to develop their vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, and critical thinking. | ||||
| ARTS-1095 | Acting Fundamentals | 3 | ||
| Students are introduced to the personal and group dynamics of actors' work, as well as, to professional industry standards. This course teaches the emerging actor foundational concepts and techniques: neutral mask work, zones of silence, the application of the essential questions based on Stanislavski's, Uta Hagen's and Meisner's methodologies. The emerging actor is also introduced to Viewpoints, a physical approach to acting. These techniques create the toolbox for the training process and a professional acting career. | ||||
| ARTS-1096 | Movement 1 | 2 | ||
| A heightened awareness is necessary to develop the actor's body. This course introduces the concept that the actor is the instrument and the container for stories. Through dance techniques, Elements of Dance and Authentic Movement, the aspiring actor develops a physical awareness without whole-body inhibitions that impede the imaginative process. The student begins to incorporate and practice warm-ups and full body work as part of the acting process. The understanding of the body as an instrument and in relation to space will be developed and explored. | ||||
| ARTS-1097 | Intro to Performance | 2 | ||
| This course introduces students to performance, exploring scenes and monologues from a variety of plays ranging from classical to contemporary works. Students will learn, then apply to their work, principles of relaxation, concentration, specificity, objectives, actions, and moment-to-moment spontaneity. History, significance, text analysis, performance practice, along with intensive background research will also be addressed. | ||||
| ARTS-1098 | Speech 1 | 2 | ||
| This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of a clear and healthy speech process. Students will learn to recognize and overcome unwanted habits and patterns of speech through exercises revealing and releasing physical tension, freeing the breath, and practicing natural articulation. Through an understanding of process, students will work to neutralize unwanted regionalisms or speech habits, opening up opportunities for the actor across various forms of media. | ||||
| DEVL-1063 | Development for Screen & Stage 1 | 1.5 | ||
| In this course, students will experience a variety of events related to and complementing the foundational basis of this term. With a focus on stage performance and careers, events will include guest speakers, workshops, and field trips. Students will also begin to develop their electronic portfolio. | ||||
| FILM-1001 | Film Criticism 1 | 3 | ||
| This course is designed to develop a critical approach to the medium of film; to examine individual creative expression in the films of important directors from various countries, with emphasis on cinematic history and theory; to develop the ability to identify technical aspects of film and to discern mediocre and excellent use of filmmaking technique. | ||||
Tuition Summary
London
[1] Total program costs are approximate and subject to change. They do not include additional fees such as the health and dental plan, bus pass, or general expenses. Learn more about ancillary and additional fees.