About Screen Actors Group Ōtautahi

Get ready, Christchurch! We're seeing a real flurry of projects in and around Christchurch in the last few months, and more opportunities are coming. A brand-new film studio is being constructed, and Screen Canterbury is working hard to bring a slew of productions to the region. Major US production companies are showing renewed interest in working New Zealand. It's an exciting time to be a part of the film and television world right here in Christchurch.

The opportunities are coming, and we need to be ready.

Use it or lose it

To be a successful actor, it's important to consistently train and practice your craft. If you go too long without acting opportunities, you may lose your edge and struggle in auditions. However, by attending acting classes and regularly working on your skills, you can see long-term improvement and success in your career.

Who is it for?

More than anything, we want actors who are committed to learning. Enthusiasm and hard work go a long way. If in doubt message us.

We support and encourage diversity, and welcome people from all walks of life. Our aim is to make these classes available and accessible to everyone. That includes offering reduced fees to anyone experiencing genuine financial hardship. To find out more, please contact us.

We aim for the acting classes to be rewarding for everyone involved. Please, read more about what is expected.

How does it work?

Each block lasts for 6 weeks, and is run by one director, sometimes with an assistant or camera operator. Each block is different, tailored by the director to work on one or more aspects of the acting craft.

In all cases, you will be required to learn scripts, and should be prepared to make the time to do this seriously. Not only will you benefit more from the teaching once you have the script down, it's also very important when working in a dialogue with one or more of the other actors.

Scenes are filmed, and provided to the actors for them to review.

Enrolment

Check out the class schedule for more class details. The current class will be listed at the top along with a link to the enrolment form.

Directors

Our aim is to expose the actors to a variety of directing styles and ideas, so if you are an experienced director we are keen to work with you. Please see the directors' info page for more details.

Background

SAGŌ was established by Jonathan Briden and Rush Jopson in 2021. Our aim is to create a great learning environment for screen actors to learn and to build those acting muscles. It's also an opportunity for local directors.

We have aimed to keep the class sizes small and prices low, while still being able to pay a reasonable fee to the director for their work.