The Torch

Issue date: 6/4/09 Section: Arts

Chas King and Kim Wilson perform scenes from "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" on camera in Patrick Torelle's acting for video class. The class, founded this year, teaches students the subtleties of performing on film. Photo by JAVIER MAGALLENES/The Torch

Photo by JAVIER MAGALLENES/The Torch

Andy Hettle and Leela Gouveia perform scenes from "The Princess Bride." Photo by JAVIER MAGALLENES/The Torch

LCC instructor Patrick Torelle has given many aspiring actors the skills to take to the stage, but a career in acting doesn't always lead to Broadway. Torelle also provides students with skills to act in a different kind of medium: the camera.

The third class in Torelle's intermediate acting series deals with acting for video and film.

"I just teach it in the spring," Torelle said. "I developed it over the years."

Unlike other acting classes, the acting for video class includes involvement from media arts students. Media arts students, usually enrolled in video production classes, film the students' performances and edit the footage to replay to the students.

This class is also unique in that its format changes year after year due to rapid advances in film technology and the competence of the students handling the technology. Some years, the class used a simple hand-held camcorder and other years the students have had a semi-professional setup.

"Sometimes it depends on who we get from the media arts," Torelle said.

Torelle started the class about 20 years ago when home video recording equipment wasn't widely available. Now, students from the media department can film, edit and present footage to the class overnight on a laptop.

"Technology has changed and we've adapted," Torelle said. "If anything. it's made it easier for us."

Usually, Torelle enlists the help of one or more students from the media arts department for the filming end of the class. They aren't officially students in Torelle's class as it is an acting, not a filming, class, but, there are some exceptions. This year, the film crew is enrolled in the class.

"Normally, he just has volunteers," film crew member Adam Lindsey said. "We were actually cleared to take the class for credit. Instead of being on the acting side of it, we're doing the filming side."

In previous years, the film crew only showed up on important filming days. Lindsey and his crew attend every class along with the other students, so Torelle thought it only fair to give them school credits.

Torelle has a few methods for finding a film crew. Sometimes filmmakers hear about the class and offer their help. Sometimes Torelle must go recruiting in the media arts department.

"We may just have some students in the class who also happen to be filmmakers," Torelle said. "When we first started, there was no media arts at all. One way or another it gets done."

This year, Torelle's film crew was already set up from the previous term. Lindsey and two other students were introduced to Torelle through a final project for Video Production 2.

"We had to do a promotional video for one of the departments," Lindsey said. "We chose the theater arts department."

Torelle approached the group after the project and enlisted them on the spot to help with his class the following term.

Lindsey found the experience invaluable to his film career. "It's good to get out of the classroom and into more of a business environment," Lindsey said. "It's a great class for a transition from assignment-style projects to client-oriented projects."

Even though Lindsey has had experience with editing technology in the media arts department, working in Torelle's class has introduced him to new uses for the technology.

"I've gotten to experiment with stuff I've never heard of before," Lindsey said.

Lindsey recommends the class to any media arts student who is seriously considering a career in film editing. As the film crew must edit footage on an almost daily basis, the media arts students stay in practice.

"There were a couple points where it got to be a bit too much," Lindsey said. "But the projects aren't so in-depth, like the ones we're used to. These are quick little scenes that are already made. It takes a lot of the pre-production planning out of the picture."

Lindsey found that working with stage actors has been easier since their performances are consistent and easy to splice together.

"It shows that great editing can make the scene," Torelle said.

Unlike stage acting, students in video acting have to look at their performance and craft it based on what they see on screen rather than audience reaction. "You start talking about yourself in the third person," Torelle said. "To really be an artist you got to shape yourself to the moment."

Intermediate Acting 243, otherwise known as the acting for video class, will be offered again in Spring term 2010. Intermediate Acting 241 and 242 are prerequisites for the class, although Torelle may make exceptions to let students in under special circumstances.

Any media arts students may contact Torelle if they are interested in helping out with the class. For more information, call Torelle at (541) 463-5648.

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