What Vinny's students are saying...
"THE SPORT OF ACTING gives you what you need to be on the winning team; taught by an actual working actor keeps you fit with your finger on the pulse."
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"Passionate and Working! Two things very rare in a teacher. Vinny's classes are very intense. If you're not prepared to get up every class and do it, don't bother coming."
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"Vinny is relentless in getting the best out of his actors. Like any "sport" he coaches with a keen eye and will not let you get away with anything but your best. I never thought you could work and play at the same time until I discovered this style of acting."
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"Vinny teaches with the perspective that skills are tools. His approach has trained me to be flexible in my work and craft, a skill that is invaluable in this ever changing industry."
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"THE SPORT OF ACTING keeps you light on your feet and ready to work. Vinny Guastaferro's passion for his craft coupled with his enormous breadth of experience as a working actor and his gift for mentoring others makes this one of the most exciting arenas for an acting workout."
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"Learned so much from you and will apply everything when I am auditioning here in Australia!"
"Vinny is not only a great and passionate teacher but he is also an inspiration in life. He not only taught me to push past my boundaries that I was afraid to do but he also taught me how to hone my craft and how to do one thing a day to keep myself active and fresh."
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"Vinny not only has credits miles long, but is still working often and brings what he learns on "the battle field" back to his students. Good friend great teacher. That's Vinny."
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"Vinny is simply, the best. He is passionate, humble, experienced, fun, encouraging, smart, funny, and talented. He gets actors, he gets acting. He is patient, but he also knows when someone needs a ''push.'' No one cares about actors and artist the way Vinny does. No one."
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"Vinny keeps you on your toes and puts you through acting exercises that make you find something new each time to store in your actor toolbox. Whether you are advanced or a beginner Vinny teaches at a level that any skill level is able to achieve the same acting goals and have the same learning experiences."
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"Well what can you say about Vinny...He is the best...You want to up your game in all areas of acting..Vinny is the Man !!! With many years of experience and knowledge he will get you to bring what you got and work his craft on you. Vinny is one of the best teachers you'll ever have and makes you enjoy developing the craft at THE SPORT OF ACTING."
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What Vinny's students are saying...
"I miss your classes so much. You are absolutely a great teacher. I've been taking some classes down here but nothing compares to your energy and enthusiasm."
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"Before I met Vinny, I thought that improvisation was something only comedians did. Through his teachings, you quickly learn that improve is one of the major skills in an actor's toolbox."
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"I have been with Vinny for nine months; his classes continue to challenge and inspire me. He has shown me that there is always more to explore which is exciting. He has also taught me how to examine the material further (for action). You are never finished, in the same way that an athlete never stops training!"
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"No other acting class I've been to offers the support, information, business experience, personal career experience and passion that you do. You regularly have these amazing, inspiring events...casting workshops, guest speakers, Hynotherapy (loved that). You're just on a completely different level. Your passion is contagious. You treat everyone equally. You inspire."
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"Thank you for being such a wonderful teacher and inspiration."
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"One of the first things you notice about Vinny is his passion for actors and acting. He creates a supportive, safe and fun classroom - or "gym" - to work out in."
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"Classes with Vinny are passionate, thought-provoking, challenging, supportive and most of all fun!."
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"Vinny is enthusiastic, energetic and generous in sharing his wealth of knowledge about both the craft and the industry. His will to make an actor work hard in order to succeed is truly inspirational. He knows the right time to nurture and the right time to push, all the while tailoring his approach to the actor's skill level and individual needs."
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"His approach is 100% what I need to improve my skills and I couldn't ask for more. I find myself using the methods practiced in class whilst on set and in auditions, isn't that the whole point of a coach? So you can take their teachings and apply them to the real world. Vinny is so full of energy and you won't leave his class feeling overlooked, he gives everyone the time and attention they deserve."
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"Never met a teacher who is so passionate about his craft and so involved with getting his people to the top of their game. If you're up for it then he will take you to your next level of acting and he certainly is one of the reasons I feel so much more confident performing now."
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Essential Sport of Acting
Essential Sport of Acting is is the main course at SPORT. Everyone takes this class.
In Essential SPORT you will:
- Do improvisation.
- Play theatre games.
- Do voice and speech exercises.
- Work on a monologue at all times.
- Work on scenes.
- Work in multiple partner scenes.
- Have at least one on-camera class in an 8 week session.
- Meet a guest artist or an industry professional either for a Q & A and/or a workshop.
- Work on contemporary material that you would plausibly be cast in.
- Be encouraged to bring in an audition you may have to work on in class.
- Work every week if you want to.There is no one dominant methodology taught at SPORT. It is a lab course dedicated to experimentation and exploration. My training was comprehensive and multi-faceted in that I was exposed to many different approaches; Spolin’s games, Grotowski’s physicality, Uta Hagen’s acting exercises, Bobbie Lewis’ text analysis, and David Mamet’s practical aesthetic. I was also fortunate to continue learning while on the set, having worked with world class talent, top directors, renowned cinematographers and award winning screen-writers. I am still active in my profession and I pride myself in bringing that front line experience to my class.
My class is small. Maximum enrollment is 16, at any given time and I never have more than 12-14 students; often the class is smaller because the working actors and international students in my class travel to jobs and to visit families.
My mentoring approach is very hands on; I take a personal interest in my students and act as a mentor for several who include me in their journey. Everyone in my class has my personal cell phone number and is encouraged to have a continuing dialogue with me; they can call me anytime for any reason. I do not have a staff so there is no huge organization or bureaucracy to navigate. You talk to me.
Inclusive, not exclusive: when I have in a guest artist, whether for a Q & A or workshop session, I do not charge extra; rather we dedicate that night's class to that event. Specialty classes are created based on demand. If my students say they'd like to spend one whole day doing improvisation, or one whole day with an expert on dialect coaching, or a day focusing on a movement intensive, the class is created and offered on a schedule that accommodates those who've asked for it and they may be charged a minimal fee.
Moving Train: my class, being a lab, is an ongoing project. Like a moving train that started its journey a long time ago, and every once in a while I slow it down just enough to have newcomers get on board, but we never stop completely. The long time passengers welcome the energy of the new and the new passengers are made to feel comfortable and welcome by the veteran travelers. New students add new energy and new ideas. Veteran students are excited by the presence of new people and as their journey gets a refreshed they pull the newcomers on board, and the train picks up momentum generated by the new combo of talents in the class. During the journey we always revisit fundamentals.
You may also book me privately for coaching; whether auditioning for a play, a pilot, or for a role you've already booked - I make myself available to you because I want to help you.
I empower you to be yourself; I am not a moralist or a babysitter.
There is no teaching hierarchy. There are no lower levels to work through before you earn the right to study with the guy whose name is on the label. If you come to SPORT, you study with me.
I draw on my vast network of longtime friends, who are among the top working professionals in Hollywood, to come in as guest artists and share their knowledge, story approach, secrets, techniques, and their industry savvy with the SPORT students; always an amazing exchange.
There is no hierarchy for students; from beginners to professionals, all students work in the same class.
In my experience, on every set of every play, movie and TV show I've ever worked on I've always had to do scenes with the lead actors and, sometimes in the same day, do a scene with an actor who is on a set for the first time. It's the way it is. You work with all levels of skill all the time. Even the crew has a 2nd AD who is way lower on the experiential scale than the 1st AD, or the UPM.
You are welcome to audit a class. Contact me and set up a time to do so. I audit prospective students to see if we are a good fit. When there is an opening, I will welcome you to the class.
Thanks,
Vincent Guastaferro"And remember...you are one thousand times more interesting than anyone you can pretend to be."
Contact us to audit a class
THE SPORT OF ACTING
Phone/Fax: 818-782-7231
Email: thesportofacting@aol.com
All content and material © to Vincent Guastaferro, 2009