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.
✶ 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
Learn more and register
✶ 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.
Wednesday, 18 November 2026, 7–8 pm CEST
Register
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.
