INVITING THE CAMERA with Kamal Sehrawy

“Inviting the Camera” is a single-session, no-prep-required acting class interested in investigating one of the most powerful tools available to an actor—the camera—to uncover what unique information working on screen provides the actor. The idea for this class arose out of several myths around acting on film frequently circulated among actors: the idea that they are “too big” for camera, that they “don’t have a face” for film, or that acting prowess is determined by one’s natural, charismatic magnetism that only some people have. In this class, we tackle these myths plainly and directly, using the camera as our guide. Rather than focusing on “how to act on camera,” we will ask what we can learn about acting through the lens of screen production.

In the process, we will additionally discover the principle tenets of screen acting: how to modulate your performance for screen, understand the differences between screen and stage in the audience’s access to your performance, how to use blocking within the camera’s frame to your advantage as a visual storyteller, inject human behavior and active thinking into a scene, and confront the physical control required for the camera. We will “invite” the camera as our scene partner.

Working on camera provides opportunities for new actors and seasoned veterans, and the Lab firmly believes in the democratization of performance - these lessons can be used by any actor, regardless of skill level.

About the Teacher:

Kamal Sehrawy is an actor, coach, and teaching artist in New York City. He received a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and has since taught classes around the city, including as an artist-in-residence at PS3: The Charrette School and guest lecturer at NYU Tisch. Credits include: Frank Finger in It’s Only a Play (Theater Workshop of Nantucket), Claudius in Hamlet (Shakespeare in the Square), and Leontes in The Winter’s Tale (The Classical Studio). You can find more information and contact Kamal directly by visiting kamalsehrawy.com.