SCENE STUDY in Los Angeles
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Raise the Bar
Los Angeles | In Person | Ages 18+ | Tuesdays, 7:30-10:30pm
The Scene Study Class is not a place to build your foundation. It's a place to test it, stress it, and find out what you're truly capable of.
This is an advanced studio environment for actors who have developed strong technique and are ready for work that demands more. More preparation, more commitment, more range. The standard here is high and the expectations are clear. Actors who thrive in this room are the ones who show up fully prepared and ready to be pushed.
Going Deeper
Learn more about
why actors choose BLS.
What Happens in Class
Scene Study Class covers advanced terrain: challenging auditions, chemistry reads, scene staging, advanced emotional triggers, mimicry, dialects, and more. The work is rigorous and the feedback is direct.
If you're prepared, you work every week.
Bonus:
Clients who are actively enrolled in a class at BLS receive Craft Development Coaching and Career Guidance Coaching at 50% off.
Who Scene Study Class is For
Scene Study Class is for working actors, advanced students, and actors preparing for significant professional projects who are ready for a high-level, high-accountability environment.
Admission is by invitation only. Before extending an invitation, Braden evaluates each actor individually through 1-on-1 coachings, a reel review, or time in the Technique Class. This keeps the ensemble strong and the work meaningful for everyone in the room.
A High-Level Community
Like all work at BLS, Scene Study Class is collaborative rather than competitive. The actors in this room hold each other to a high standard and push each other forward. The difference from Technique Class isn't the spirit of the room, it's the level of the work and the standard it's held to.
Not Sure if You're Ready?
If you're earlier in your training or want to build toward Scene Study Class, the Technique Class is where that foundation gets built. Many Scene Study Class actors came up through Technique Class first. Start with an Intro Eval and Braden will give you an honest read on where you are and what the right next step looks like.
- Online Options for Remote Actors -
To ensure a dedicated and compatible ensemble, admission requires an Intro Eval, 1-on-1 Growth Coaching or Audition Coaching.
Joining Scene Study Class
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Looking to do online acting coaching? BLS works with actors worldwide through virtual coaching sessions.
Pricing
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$300 / four consecutive classes
The BLS GUARANTEE
If you attend your first cycle of four classes, put up work each week, and feel you haven't grown or learned anything of value, your class tuition will be refunded in full.
No argument or conditions. Just send an email with your intentions within two days after your 4th class..
What is the BLS Scene Study Class?
Scene Study is ongoing acting training built around applying your technique to scenes. The focus is on understanding the material, understanding the character, making specific choices, and developing the ability to actually inhabit the role.
The class is primarily geared toward film and television acting.
Who is the Scene Study Class for?
The Scene Study Class is for actors who are ready for a more focused level of training. You do not have to be a working actor, but you do need to have enough training and experience to come into the room prepared to do substantive scene work.
Do I need previous acting training to take Scene Study?
Yes. Everyone needs to have a one-on-one evaluation or coaching session with Braden before joining. Scene Study has higher preparation expectations than Technique Class, so Braden needs to determine that you're ready for the work.
What should I have prepared before arriving for class each week?
You should come in with your material prepared and a focused reason for wanting to work on it.
You should understand the scene, know what you're trying to accomplish, and have done the basic preparation yourself. You should not need the class to teach you how to read a script or memorize your lines.
That doesn't mean you need to arrive knowing exactly how to fix every problem. That's what coaching is for. But you should arrive having done the work necessary to identify what you want to explore.
Do I need to memorize my scene?
You should be sufficiently prepared with the material to perform and work on the scene rather than spending your class time learning the lines.
The goal is not perfect memorization for its own sake. The goal is having enough command of the material that you can focus on the character and the scene.
Can I bring any scene I want?
Generally, yes. Scenes can come from film, television, theatre, or other appropriate material. The important thing is that the material gives you something worthwhile to work on and is appropriate for your current training.
What if I'm completely lost on my scene?
Bring that problem to class. You are not expected to have solved everything yourself.
There is a difference, however, between being genuinely stuck on a difficult piece of material and arriving without having done the basic preparation. Scene Study expects you to do the foundational work before asking for help with the deeper work.
How often will I get to work?
If you're prepared and want to work, you can work every week. I never tell an actor they cannot go up simply because the official class time has ended. If necessary, I'll stay late to give actors the opportunity to work.
What kind of work happens in Scene Study?
The work can involve anything that helps you understand and inhabit the scene more fully. That can include advanced script analysis, character psychology, personalization, relationships, emotional work, physicality, vocal choices, impulses, circumstances, obstacles, and the specific choices you're making in the performance.
Is Scene Study only for film and television?
The class is primarily focused on film and television, but the underlying acting work applies across mediums. Theatre material can be used when appropriate.
Can working actors take Scene Study?
Absolutely. Working professionally is not a requirement, nor is it a separate category of class. Actors who are currently working can train alongside actors who are not currently booking.
What matters is whether you're ready for the level of training and preparation expected in Scene Study.
How is Scene Study different from Technique Class?
Both classes develop acting technique, but they approach the work differently.
Technique Class gives actors more room to explore whatever aspect of their craft they need to develop. You can arrive with a broad question, a problem you don't understand, or even a scene you're completely lost on, and Braden can lead you through the work.
Scene Study expects more preparation. You should arrive with your material substantially understood and with a more focused purpose for the work. The class is about applying and deepening your technique through scenes rather than relying on the class to do the basic preparation for you.
Is Scene Study different from private coaching?
Yes. Private coaching is completely individualized and can be built around whatever you specifically need at that moment. Scene Study provides ongoing training through scene work in a group environment.
If you're trying to decide between the two, BLS also has a guide explaining the difference between acting class and private coaching.
How much does Scene Study cost?
Scene Study is $300 for four consecutive weeks. You can continue from one four-week cycle into the next, and many actors train for months or years as they continue developing their craft.
Do I have to stay in Scene Study long term?
No. You can take one four-week cycle and stop. There is no requirement to make a long-term commitment.
Can I take both Technique and Scene Study?
Potentially, yes, with Braden's approval. Whether taking both makes sense depends on your current level of training and what you're trying to accomplish.
What makes BLS Scene Study different from a typical scene study class?
The goal isn't simply to run a scene repeatedly until the performance feels familiar.
The work is about understanding what is actually happening in the material, thinking critically about the character and circumstances, making specific choices, and then inhabiting those choices truthfully.
The BLS approach has roots in Stella Adler's work, though can be more accurately described as a combination of critical thinking and human psychology.
Can Scene Study help me become better at auditioning?
Yes, because strong auditioning depends on the same underlying abilities: understanding material quickly, making strong choices, understanding character, and inhabiting the role.
However, Scene Study is not specifically an audition-prep class. It is ongoing craft training.
Can I work on physicality in Scene Study?
Yes. Physicality can be an important part of understanding and inhabiting a character, particularly when the physical choices affect how the character behaves or relates to the circumstances of the scene.
Can I work on accents in Scene Study?
Yes, when an accent is relevant to the character or scene. Accent coaching is also available separately when an actor needs more concentrated work on an accent.
Do I have to be working professionally to belong in Scene Study?
No. You simply need to be ready for the level of preparation and training expected in the class.
What if I don't know whether I'm ready for Scene Study?
Start with a one-on-one evaluation or coaching session, bookable through the menu above. Braden can assess your current training and determine whether Scene Study is the appropriate class for you.
