My first day at the studio was August 6th, 2016 and let me just say that I am fortunate to be a student at Alza studios. My experiences have been wonderful. My fellow classmates continue to captivate and empower me to be better. It is a magnificent feeling to be surrounded by students and instructors who share in the same passion. Walter Alza, Tim, and Dean (The Trinity) constantly push me to become a better actor. The private coaching sessions are a must! They seem pricey but 45 minutes of quality 1-On-1 time with the instructor have been extremely valuable to me. I CAN LITERALLY FEEL AND SEE MYSELF IMPROVING.
Thus far, I've had over 41 private sessions throughout the course of 29 weeks and I highly advise others to consider taking them as well. Each session goes by fairly quickly and there are days where you might wish for more time. I find that by the end of the 45 minutes I am sometimes overwhelmed with knowledge, and that it is better to spread out the Privates rather than have a 90 minute session. From the privates one can expect to learn but are not limited to: the art of movement (primary vs. secondary objectives, subtleties, etc), proper delivery of lines (voice intonation, tempo, rhythm, etc), and how to control bad habits (blinking, improper breathing, lip biting, lip licking, etc). The coaching is designed to address the actor's individual needs. I've also attended Walter's Blueprint seminar and Audition Do's and Don't seminar. Both were full of useful expert advise for landing the audition and promoting yourself as a business.
It was a privilege to be invited into the "Craft Class". It is an invitation only workshop where a select few students are hand-picked by Walter. Walter's techniques were extremely interesting and unique. They require the actor to be in a healthy state of mind so that he/she can explore and learn to trust his/her thoughts and emotions. I cannot discuss the techniques in detail because Craft Class members are sworn to secrecy. The techniques learned are what set us apart from the other actors in the industry. The first rule of Craft Class, "DON'T TALK ABOUT CRAFT CLASS!"
These past 2 years at Alza studios have been crucial towards my growth. I started off in the Saturday morning and Sunday 2pm classes and have slowly worked my way up to the Friday night class (over the course of 20 months of hard work). I consider myself an eternal student of The Craft and can envision myself enrolled at the school for many years to come. It is important to keep your instrument/tools sharp for when the audition comes along. Every school has it's group of loyal, dedicated students who keep coming back and Alza studio is no different! We're a pretty close bunch of actors. We cry, we laugh, and we empower each other. I absolutely love my fellow classmates and we all know that this is the best school in the city. Having moved to Toronto to study acting, the studio is my home-away-from-home. They don't call it "Home of the Crafted" for nothing!
-December 12, 2018 read more