ADVANCED ACADEMY
The Young Performers Advanced Academy is a 13-week training program that offers a deeper and more specialized training ground for experienced young performers, ages 10-17. The Advanced Academy takes everything you loved about your first Academy experience and enhances it with elevated training and exciting new areas of film exploration, with each semester focusing on a specific area of training.
Options for specific areas of training include:
Filmmaking (Including making your own short film!)
Dramatic Acting
Comedic Acting
Cold Reads
Auditioning
Commercial Acting
Improvisation
Workshops with a variety of professional teachers.
Each semester, the teaching team will determine which area we will focus on and parents will be notified via email.
Advanced Academy Prerequisite:
Every student begins in the Young Performers Academy, regardless of their prior acting experience. The move to the Advanced Academy is a significant step that follows the completion of our introductory program, ensuring a solid foundation before delving into more advanced training.
Advanced Academy enrollment requires completion of Young Performers Academy and special permission. To apply for one of the limited seats in the Advanced Academy, please fill out this form.
If you believe your student is an exception to this guideline, reach out to chris@actorfactory.net for further discussion.
ACADEMY DATES
The Advanced Academy is offering one session this fall:
Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Beginning Sep. 11, 2025
12-Student Limit
ACADEMY HIGHLIGHTS
Students at the Advanced Academy embark on another journey that builds connections and grows their acting skills- culminating in a showcase at the end of the semester! Highlights of the Advanced Academy include:
Comprehensive acting training encompassing advanced on-camera skills, specialized audition techniques, and more
Immersive experiences with industry professionals
A showcase for actors to demonstrate their advanced skills
Intimate class sizes, ensuring personalized attention
Take the next step in your acting journey—become part of the Advanced Academy for an enriching and fun experience!
Weeks 1-4 | Acting for Camera
Students will jump right in with acting for camera techniques! This fun and informative section will teach students on-camera skills such as:
Working within the frame (Crossing, eye lines, hitting marks, etc.)
Taking direction
Character development
Differences between film and theatre performing
Film terms and industry vocabulary
Scene work
Weeks 5-7 | Improvisation
Explore the fun side of acting with this important skillset: Improv! These three weeks of training will focus on improvising skills where students will learn:
Over three weeks, students will hone improvising skills, focusing on:
The fundamentals of improv
Improvising in auditions (it happens more than you'd think!)
Working with scene partners and collaborating while improvising
Scene work
Weeks 8-10 | Auditioning for the Camera
Studying with working professionals in the casting office is the best training around! Casting associate Tiffany Feese and casting assistant Bethany Bourland will work with students on:
Understanding the dos and don'ts of audition’
Taking direction quickly
Applying on-camera acting techniques to auditions
Mastering cold reading
Scene work
Weeks 11-12 | Workshop & Rehearsal
Casting Director Chris Freihofer, CSA, will join the students for a mock audition, offering a unique chance for actors to experience the feel of a real audition.
Then, it's rehearsal time! The group will work on their best scenes from the course and practice their favorite improv games for the showcase.
Week 13 | Showcase
Join us for an exciting showcase where families and friends are invited to witness the incredible achievements of our young performers!
SNAPSHOT OF WHAT'S AHEAD
Our young performers are in for an exciting journey! Throughout each week, students will work on scenes from film and television, pushing their craft forward. Here's a breakdown of what to expect each week:
MEET YOUR TEAM
Discover the team behind the Young Performers Academy! Explore below to meet our dedicated staff, each bringing unique talents to create a fully rounded semester.
Clarissa Cozzoni
Professional Actor, Emmy-winning Producer, Award-winning Filmmaker
Clarissa Cozzoni is an Emmy-winning prioducer at Prairie Surf Media, a professional actor and a multiple award-winning filmmaker. She has been a class assistant in several Factory classes for the past few years, including Audition for Film & Television with Chris Freihofer. She holds her BFA in Acting from the University of Oklahoma She recently starred in the film Minding Your Business, due for release this fall. She teaches Audition for Camera at Academy.
Kerynn Eckenrode
Improvisor & Professional Actor
Professional actor, improviser and young performer acting teacher, Kerynn Eckenrode holds her BFA in Acting Performance from the University of Oklahoma. She has appeared in film and professional stage productions. She joined the Academy team last year where she served as the improv teacher for summer film camps. Academy segment: Improv
Emily Bertlels
Professional Actor & Oklahoma Film and Broadcast Educator
Emily Bertels is the head of Film and Media Production at Puntam City West High School. She is a longtime Factory teacher, working film camps and tht4e Young Performer Academy. She has also worked on countless film & television sets as a stand-in, body double and background performer, and can be seen in principals roles in Lifetime's Deadly Seduction, the 360-degree VR feature All Terrain, ABC's The Last Defense, and many more.
Academy segment: Acting for Camera
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Chris Oz McIntosh
Actor, Award-winning filmmaker & Young Performer Academy Director
Chris Oz McIntosh is a Young Performer favorite, and Director of the Young Performer Academy, beginning his 12th year of teaching kids at The Factory. He is a multiple award-winning filmmaker and editor with a degree in Broadcast & Electronic Media from the University of Oklahoma. He is currently editing the Christmas film THE ONE, starring Martin Sheen. Acting roles include the films INFAMOUS with Bella Thorne, and the upcoming NEW YEAR'S REV with Green Day, Mason Thames and McKenna Grace.
Academy segments: Acting for Camera, Audition for the Camera
PRICING
We understand the importance of financial considerations, and our payment policies are designed to provide clarity and flexibility for your child's participation in the Young Performers Academy. To make the journey more accessible, we offer flexible payment plans, ensuring your investment in your child's artistic growth is both valuable and considerate.
$475
A non-refundable $100 deposit is required upon enrollment to secure your child's spot.
Payment Plans: We understand the financial commitment, and to assist, we offer flexible payment plans. The remaining balance can be conveniently paid in monthly installments.
Got a question?
Not sure where to start? Fill out the contact form, and we will get back to you. For more answers, check out our FAQs and Policies page.