| Established | 2000 |
|---|---|
| Location | ,, Australia 33°54′57″S151°13′31″E / 33.9158°S 151.2252°E /-33.9158; 151.2252 |
| Website | http://www.screenwise.com.au/ |
Screenwise is an Australian film and television school for actors[1] based in Surry Hills, Sydney. The school, established in 2000 and using onlyAustralian Film Institute Award winners as teachers, is overseen by actorDenise Roberts. By June 2010, Screenwise was considered one of Australia's leading film and television schools for actors.[2]
In 2000 in a church hall inCrows Nest,Sydney, actor and directorDenise Roberts began giving private acting lessons to around eight students.[3] That led to the 2002 opening of Screenwise, a working industry, film and television school located in Sydney to provide specialist, career-focused training in acting for film and television.[4][5][6] Noting that she "opened it because there are a lot of students who learn all their stuff about stage, but put them in front of a camera and they're just too big," Roberts limited the teachers toAFI Award winners,[6] including actorsVictoria Longely,Tina Bursill,Henri Szeps,Simon Burke,Nico Lathouris,Lucy Bell,Patrick Dickson,David Field andRowena Wallace, and directorsScott Hartford-Davis andRobert Klenner.[7] Providing courses that devote enough time to film and television, the school is designed to meet the needs of actors looking to sustain a career in acting: "It started out because I didn't think there were enough courses that devoted enough time to film and television. Considering TV is generally an actor's bread and butter, theatre might be the ultimate, but you need television to sustain a career," rather than "spend an age unemployed" after drama school waiting to "work with really fine actors and directors."[8]
In May 2003,Lauren Lillie, a model and actor who was Bartercard Miss Indy 2003 and featured in the top 20 sexiest women for bothInside Sport andRalph magazines that same year, enrolled in acting classes at Screenwise.[9] By August 2004, the school had become one of Sydney's most productive originators of young acting talent, includingAshleigh Cummings andStef Dawson, and "chalked up an impressive list of TV and screen credits," including placing graduates in top-ratingsoap operas such asNeighbours,Home & Away andAll Saints, and a variety of television commercials.[3] In February 2007, Screenwise Acting School graduateIsrael Cannan landed a role inNewcastle, a 2008 Australiandrama film set in theNew South Wales city ofNewcastle.[10][11]
In May 2010, Screenwise supported the Dungog Film Festival[12] discover new acting talent with the Screenwise Speed Auditions.[13] In 2010, Screenwise became a Government accredited RTO offering the two-year full-time Diploma of Screen Acting amongst its many courses and is now considered Australia's leading film and television school for actors.[2][14]
For the past five years, Screenwise has been the major sponsor for the Heath Ledger Scholarship inLos Angeles.[15] Established in memory of Australian actor Heath Ledger, the prize has become an indelible fixture in the industry landscape and an incredible opportunity for emerging Australian actors aged between 18–35 years, who show potential for great career longevity.[16]
Screenwise Studios are located at 84 - 86 Mary Street,Surry Hills. Screenwise consists of three working studios that facilitate a learning environment and studio hire. The studio is equipped with a Green Screen.
Notable past and present tutors include:
Notable students from Screenwise include:
