Interested in becoming a screen actor?
You’ve come to the right place! Here you can find out everything you need to know on your way to becoming a professional film actor - always up to date and from first-hand experts. We connect you with professionals, teachers, and students. Join in, ask questions, and take part in the discussion.
✶ Working in Film: A Conversation with Ella Rumpf
We are very pleased to welcome César Award winner Ella Rumpf as the opening guest of this year’s webinar series for aspiring film actors. Drawing on her professional career, she will discuss with Kai Ivo Baulitz the working realities of the international film industry, casting processes, collaboration on set, and working in different cinematic and production contexts. The session will conclude with an open Q&A for participants.
Ella Rumpf
...was born in Paris in 1995 and grew up in Zurich. She made her feature film debut in 2012 in Draussen ist Sommer by Friederike Jehn. She gained international attention for her role in Simon Jaquemet’s Chrieg (2014), for which she was nominated for the Swiss Film Award. In 2016, she achieved her international breakthrough with Julia Ducournau’s Cannes hit Raw (Grave) and was subsequently selected as one of the César “Révélations”. In 2020, European Film Promotion presented her at the Berlinale as one of the European Shooting Stars. Since then, Ella Rumpf has appeared in numerous international productions, including Tiger Girl (2017), The Divine Order (2017), Asphaltgorillas (2018), Sympathy for the Devil (2019), Soul of a Beast (2021), and Northern Comfort (2023). She has also appeared in series such as Succession, Tokyo Vice, and the Netflix production Freud. For her leading role in Le théorème de Marguerite, Ella Rumpf received both the Swiss Film Award for Best Actress and the César Award for Most Promising Actress in 2024. Her current projects include, among others, the films Des preuves d’amour and Couture (2025), alongside Angelina Jolie.
Wednesday, 10 June 2026, 7–8 pm CEST
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✶ Working with Actors: A Conversation with Film Director Nora Fingscheidt
In this webinar, Nora Fingscheidt offers insights into her approach to working with actors, from casting and character development to the practical collaboration on set. Drawing on her work on films such as System Crasher (Systemsprenger), The Unforgivable, and The Outrun, she discusses trust, improvisation, rehearsal processes, and the development of a shared cinematic language. At the centre of the conversation is the question of how complex characters and believable relationships emerge through the interplay of directing and acting.
Nora Fingscheidt
...spent her school years in Germany and Argentina and was involved from 2003 onwards in building the self-organised film school filmArche e.V. in Berlin. At the same time, she trained as an acting coach with Sigrid Andersson and worked as an assistant director intern on the feature film Goethe!. From 2008 to 2017, she studied Directing at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. Her documentary Without This World received, among others, the Max Ophüls Prize and the First Steps Award in 2017. Nora Fingscheidt gained international recognition with her feature film debut Systemsprenger (System Crasher), which premiered in competition at the Berlinale in 2019 and received numerous awards. This was followed by the international productions The Unforgivable (2021) and The Outrun (2024). Nora Fingscheidt lives and works in Berlin.
Wednesday, 17 June 2026, 7–8 pm CEST
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✶ Information Event Master Acting for Screen & Digital Media
All you need to know about the prerequisites, course content, study planning (part-time option), and career prospects of the new HKB degree program for performing artists.
Thursday, 25 June 2026, 7–8 pm CEST
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✶ Between Self-Tape and Set: A Webinar with renowned casting director Cassandra Han
This online workshop is designed for actors interested in understanding the differences between European and international casting processes. We will explore both procedural and philosophical differences, including auditions, self-tapes, callbacks, chemistry reads, and the varying expectations actors encounter across territories. The workshop will focus on what casting directors are actually looking for, how actors can navigate international productions professionally, and how to position themselves more strategically. Importantly, we will discuss how actors can remain connected to their craft and sense of freedom within a process that can sometimes feel highly controlled or restrictive – and how to continue bringing the fullest version of themselves to the work.
Cassandra Han
...is a two-time Artios Award-nominated casting director based in Europe since 2003. After more than a decade casting in New York, she became known for building creative bridges between Europe and the US. Her recent work includes The Weight starring Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe, The Physician II (Constantin/Amazon), the Netflix feature She Said Maybe, and the Lionsgate/Yes Studios series The German. Italian casting highlights include James Mangold’s Oscar-winning Ford v Ferrari, Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life (Cannes 2019), and two seasons of Gaumont’s Netflix hit Barbarians. Most recently, she completed German casting for The Nightingale for TriStar Pictures and Left Seat starring Richard Gere and Michelle Rodriguez. Cassandra Han is President of the Global Chapter of Casting Society (CSA) and a member of the European and German Film Academies.
Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 7–8 pm CEST
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✶ Online Presence for Actors: A Webinar with Andreas Dendorfer (e-TALENTA)
Today, most casting work takes place online. What can actors do to make themselves visible to casting directors, producers, and directors? What tools and strategies are available? What has become industry standard, and what is no longer necessary? How can actors attract attention in an increasingly competitive environment? Are there clear conventions when it comes to headshots, showreels, about-me videos, and online profiles? These and other questions will be discussed by Kai Ivo Baulitz and Andreas Dendorfer, who will use the non-profit platform etalenta as a case study to demonstrate how casting professionals search for actors online and make their selections today.
Andreas Dendorfer
...co-founded the German-language casting platform CASTFORWARD together with Andreas Lademann in 2008. In 2012, the platform merged with the European platform e-TALENTA. Today, the two continue to run the platform under the joint brand “etalenta”, with more than 90,000 members including actors, agents, casting directors, producers, and directors. Available in 20 languages, the platform has become one of the most important tools for professional casting in Europe. etalenta follows a non-profit approach with the aim of supporting a fair and sustainable casting infrastructure across Europe.
Wednesday, 30 September 2026, 7–8 pm CEST
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✶ Intuition & Flow: A Conversation with Film Director Jakob Lass
Acting without fixed dialogue? For Jakob Lass, this approach is a way of creating greater authenticity and immediacy on screen. This webinar focuses on his improvisation-based approach to filmmaking. The aim of this working method is to create authentic and vivid scenes. Lass works with status dynamics to shape a narrative, explores together with the actors how relationships emerge from concrete needs, and investigates how active listening and openness can lead to believable reactions and cinematic presence.
Jakob Lass
...was already making his mark on the stages of the Bavarian provinces at a young age. After several rejections from German film schools, he made the mockumentary Bademeister Paul in 2007, which won his first festival awards. In 2009, he began studying directing at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf. Already during his first year, he directed Frontalwatte starring Franz Rogowski. Jakob Lass gained international attention with Love Steaks, which won several awards at the Munich Film Festival in 2013 and was nominated for the German Film Award. He completed his studies with Tiger Girl, which premiered at the Berlinale in 2017 in the Panorama Specials section. This was followed by the improvised adaptation So Was Von Da and the comedy series How to Dad (2022), produced for the ARD Mediathek. In 2019, Jakob Lass received the Villa Aurora fellowship in Los Angeles.
Wednesday, 7 October 2026, 7–8 pm CEST
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Paths to Becoming a Film Actor — Explore Your Options!
Where can I study film acting?
In the German-speaking area, there are few training programmes focused on film, such as those offered by the Academy of Performing Arts Baden-Württemberg and the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf. The situation is different in English-speaking countries, which feature comprehensive training programmes in film like those at the GFCA - Giles Foreman Centre for Acting, as well as a wide range of film workshops in the framework of further education courses by private providers. While these international offers may provide insights into the craft of acting in front of the camera, they cannot substitute for a thorough academic education. Furthermore, the fees for such training are usually very high.
What is taught at a film acting school?
- Camera Acting
- Acting Techniques (e.g., Method Acting, Meisner Technique, Chubbuck Technique, Malmgren Method)
- Body and Voice Training
- Microphone Speaking
- Motion Capture, Green Screen
- Casting, E-Casting, Showreels
- Film and Screenplay Analysis
What requirements have to be met?
Important qualities certainly include acting potential, both on stage and on camera. Other personal attributes required are strong motivation, spontaneity, discipline, resilience, imagination, a solid general education, the ability to concentrate, the capacity for dialogue, the skill of giving and receiving criticism, joy in trying new things, observational skills, empathy, potential for physical, linguistic, and artistic expression, and the ability to reflect on a text.
Generally, a highschool diploma or equivalent, with specific prerequisites completed depending on the programme (in Switzerland, Matur or equivalent secondary education diploma) is required for a BA programme. If a special talent is recognized, some state schools may also admit students without a university entrance qualification. For a MA program, a BA degree or equivalent is generally necessary.
What does a film actor do?
Professional film actors work in film, television, radio, theater, or in the production of gaming and animation film. The field for actors has grown and diversified in recent years, especially with the increased production of film and series by streaming providers and the growing gaming industry.
What does an audition process look like?
Each film acting school has a different admissions procedure. Generally, a motivation letter and a video application are required, which may be supplemented by an aptitude test on-site or online. Often, an individual interview is also conducted. Learn more about the audition process for the HKB's Master in Acting for Screen and Digital Media here.
When can I start?
Courses and workshops are offered throughout the year. For higher education programmes, the academic year usually starts in either spring or autumn. The starting date for the HKB Master's programme in Acting for Screen and Digital Media is in February; you'll find the examination dates here.
Which film acting school suits me best?
It is worth thoroughly researching the institution or university you want to study at. Each acting school has its own profile and focuses on different aspects. In the Master in Acting for Screen & Digital Media at HKB, you learn what it takes to act professionally in various settings related to film and digital media. Moreover, the training at HKB is internationally oriented and the teaching language is English.
Can I discuss my options and prospects with someone?
You have the opportunity to participate in one of our webinars to answer specific questions related to a training in film acting and to ask your own questions. If you are interested in the Master's program Acting for Screen & Digital Media, the best way to proceed is to attend one of the upcoming information events or get in touch with us directly at: theater@hkb.bfh.ch.
