Career Essentials

The Career Essentials program has been carefully designed to lay a foundation for the rigors of a career as a professional entrepreneur, as well as to continue to nurture and refine the artist’s strengths.

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Course Overview

Taught by Drama, Inc., this workshop is for soon-to-be-grads and alumni of TKS, and other actors looking to expand into the world of TV and Film. We will cover AUDITION TECHNIQUE for CAMERA, how to SELF TAPE and the adjustments required from theatre to nail the subtly of On-Camera work. All students will work on-camera each day using assigned tv/film scenes.

- Other topics we will cover:
  - Eyelines – where to look when speaking
  - Marks – where to walk and “land”
  - Cues – when to walk, when to talk
  - Auditions – when to memorize, how to memorize. how to audition with script in hand
  - Ad-libbing – if and when it is acceptable
  - Slating – how to slate
  - The difference between stage acting and on-camera acting
  - Quick turnaround auditions
  - How to quickly do script analysis on audition sides
  - Actor’s Access, Headshots, Resumes, Social Media, Websites and
  - Reels
  - Agents and Managers and being repped in different markets
  - Unions – when to join
  - Differences between LA, NYC and Atlanta markets
  - And much more…

WHEN:

Friday 7/31/26 – Sunday 8/2/26 from 10am-5pm each day with a 1-hour lunch break. Then, on Monday 8/3/26, between 10am-4pm, each student will receive a semi-private career consultation.

COST:

$1,000 + $75 admin fee* for non-TKS grads (must have attended an acting conservatory, BFA, or MFA)
$950 + $75 admin fee* for TKS grads
*Admin fee waived if enrolled by 6/1/26
$900 for TKS 2026 grads

Audit price: $450

Email Kevin to enroll Non-TKS Actors – Apply Here Learn More About Drama, Inc.

TRANSFORM

Meet Your Instructor

Jason MacDonald

Jason MacDonald began his professional career in New York City with stints at LaMama, Circle in the Square, Lincoln Center, and opposite Frank Langella in the Roundabout Theatre Company production of The Tempest.

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What You’ll Learn

In today’s entertainment industry, the modern actor is challenged with maintaining their artistic identity while simultaneously running their own business—marketing themselves as both an artist, and a savvy craftsperson capable of consistently delivering on promised work.

More than making a name for oneself, actors these days are called upon to create a brand for themselves and to balance the vulnerability of creativity with the practical need for logistics, strategy, and fairly paid work.

That’s why we’ve created our Career Essentials: How to be a Successful Working Actor program, where TK Studio can help you step firmly into this duality of roles. We will prepare you to draw upon your life experience and creative energy, and advocate for yourself as a human being and a talented, contributing member of the industry.

We will cover auditioning skills, self-taping and turning around work fast, how to know what headshot works for you, websites, and reels and the differences between the markets of NYC, LA and Atlanta.

Most important of all, we will help you identify your niche and own your “sweet spot” in the industry. What makes you unique? What kinds of material light you up? What are you not? What’s your elevator pitch, who are you?

The workshop includes Q and A with industry guests from LA, NYC and Atlanta and concludes with a one-on-one session with the faculty where you will develop your individualized plan for success.

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