What would we do without AFA???!!…read more We have worked with Shayla, Abbie and Devin. The crew here is nothing short of amazing. I hate doing my daughter's self tapes (mainly because I don't feel equipped with my camera, backdrop and lighting...AND, I couldn't coach my daughter half as good as AFA Studios can) to get a tape worthy of submitting. Now, I don't have to worry. They do it ALL in an hour! And they are amazing!!! They also offer coaching, acting and business coaching. I will definitely add those to our daughter's development. So, thank you guys for your coaching and expertise. I am proud to add her tapes and reels to her Actor's accounts because they are fantastic!

I am so grateful I found AFA! I've booked more with them than any other place--what I love the most…read moreis that each of their teachers and coaches are working actors so I feel like I'm getting advice that's current and specific to what's actually happening now... The team is fantastic, and my agent LOVES the tape quality every time he sees the tapes I turn in. Highly recommend!

I took Hal's Commercial Acting Workshop via Zoom in the second quarter of 2021. I thoroughly…read moreenjoyed it and learned A LOT! I've been in the industry since 1998 in another discipline and have been called to a few commercial auditions but have never taken a commercial acting class. His 'pearls of wisdom' definitely shone a new light on commercial castings for me. I've taken from a few studios in the Los Angeles area during the pandemic and this was the first time I had an experience where the teacher put their ego aside to help his students. He created a safe environment for us to explore, be vulnerable and most importantly have fun! Hal was able to cultivate an environment where we, as students, felt comfortable to ask questions and give each other, our peers, constructive criticism. The class was intimate in size so we each received individual attention and didn't feel like another face in the crowd. After completing his workshop, I feel way more confident walking into a casting and/or submitting a self-tape knowing I applied a majority of what I learned. Hal has a great energy about him and I would definitely recommend his workshop to anyone who asks.

What can I say? I was attracted to Hals workshop from the yelp reviews and I decided to join, I've…read morehad cringing acting class experiences so I was nervous. The first day of class Hal made us feel very comfortable. He's such a great listener and extremely positive. He challenges you and teaches you various techniques of acting! I studied in both commercial and theatrical workshops and started booking! Couldn't be more grateful. Do yourself a favor and sign up! Thanks Hal!

This class allows actors to access their imagination and find their character artfully. Any actor…read morethat knows how to work this Chekhov method is so well stocked to go out into the world and perform. This class enriches my whole week.

If you are searching for an acting class, look no further! Marjo-Riikka Makela is so amazing. I…read moreusually don't write long reviews, but I truly believe that she is such a great teacher and that you are missing out if you don't work with her at least once in your life! She encourages, empowers, and uplifts you and helps you to grow. To be honest, you could take a class as a way to unconventionally process through any trauma triggers that come up during class. You can't not grow while working with her. It doesn't matter if it's in person or through zoom. Working with her is great! Her zoom class was so good! You will gain so much valuable information whether you are local or not! She has the sweetest smile and you can really tell that she cares for her students and is invested in helping them to grow. Let this be the review you needed to make the decision to work with the Chekov Studio!

I've been working with Jen and Paolo since February of 2024. They are pros. I audited a class for…read morefree and immediately recognized the value of their expertise. The community of actors is the best. Many of my closest friends I have are from this studio. I'm in Jen's instinct class on Thursdays. Come check it out!

After a long time away, I have finally been able to find it in me to come forward. Krater is a good…read morestudio. I believe that Jen is a good teacher. However, I had to leave classes quite some time ago due to two traumatic incidences that I experienced within the Instinct Class. Firstly, I am an African American man. I was placed into a scene in which I was heavily interrogated by a Police Officer. I had an involuntary freeze in my Nervous System and could barely get through the scene. Upon the talk back, and being vulnerable about what I was experiencing, Jen dismissed this, telling me how I shouldn't feel this way because it's Acting Class and it's not real. Though I see her point, the Nervous System scientifically cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality. Regardless, the fear and freeze that I felt were real, regardless of the source. It was wrong of her to make me believe that I was in the wrong for feeling this way. The second incident, I was paired up with a much older Actress. The exercise was going well at first, but near the end of the scene, this older Actress pulled me into her and inappropriately touched me and aggressively kissed me. Her reasoning for doing this in the talk back was, "I felt his energy and knew it would be okay." This was a misread. I never gave consent for that. No one should ever have to be subject to that kind of interaction anywhere at anytime. This is why Intimacy Coordinating is important. Due to these two incidences happening in a period of a few weeks, I lost all trust and sense of safety within the Studio. Because of these losses, I felt that my growth would be stunted, so I made the decision to part ways. I do not wish ill will, but this had to be said. Objectively, I can understand and appreciate the good this studio has done for many Actors, a good few of which are friends of mine. And admittedly, I myself gained some valuable lessons in the months leading up to these events. However, this is my truth, and after quite some time of healing and mending my Nervous System, it needs to be spoken. Jen is a wonderful teacher, but far from perfect and I hope that these things never happen again to anyone else.

I recently completed the online Intensive Acting Class with Jo-Ann Pantoja, and it was an…read moreincredibly valuable experience. Jo-Ann creates a supportive yet challenging environment that really pushes you to grow as an actor. Her feedback is specific, honest, and always geared toward helping you improve. Throughout the course, I saw a noticeable difference in my confidence, emotional depth, and overall performance. Jo-Ann has a great ability to bring out authentic work while also giving you practical tools you can apply immediately in auditions and on set. What stood out most was how invested she is in her students, she truly cares about your progress and takes the time to guide you individually. The class atmosphere was motivating, and being surrounded by other dedicated actors made the experience even better. If you're serious about leveling up your craft, I highly recommend Jo-Ann Pantoja's online Intensive Acting Class. I'm grateful for everything I learned and will definitely continue training with her.

I've been an actor for over twenty years and Jo-Ann is by far one of the most incredible teachers I…read morehave ever had the privilege of learning from. Her approach to script analysis is truly unmatched, and working with her has truly re-sparked my love for this craft. I just finished her Mixed Level Online class. It's a six-Sunday class that covers everything from self-tape etiquette to single/multi-cam comedies to the business side of acting. It's the perfect all-in-one class for those both newer to the industry and those actively working, and I cannot recommend it enough! I wish all actors had the chance to work with Jo-Ann!

I took an acting class here (I don't even want to see how many years ago) but at that time it was…read morecalled the "Film Industry Workshop". It was very well run and we actually got to do some scenes on soundstages and NBC studios. I Remember Dave Madden walking into the class one day and saying he had a few extra seats in his voiceover class. I didn't take it but I have regretted it ever since. To learn from and hang out with Mr. Kincaid from The Partridge Family would've been a hoot. He passed about ten years ago, rest his soul.

My experience today with Industry Workshops was strong and positive enough that I am actually…read morewriting a review the very same day as the event. (I'm a week after Yelper) Today's was "How to Package and Sell a TV Show", and the guest speaker was John Smith from HopLite. This guy is a BEAST. One of the biggest kudos I can give, is that John is secure enough to share ACTUAL, WORKING, USEFUL (insert other positive adjectives here) insider information! And some of it was the total opposite of the information that we first timers have been getting. Not only did he tell us "what", he told us "why" and it all made total smack-on-the-forehead--aha!" sense. Really glad I found this group, and am very much looking forward to attending future events.

Raquel is such an amazing acting coach. My son just started auditioning for commercials and her…read moresessions have helped him get several call backs! She Is so supportive and has 30+ years in the business as an actor in movies and commercials and she was also a booking agent. It is very helpful to have her extensive knowledge of the business as she helps steer us in the right direction!

I have such a tremendous appreciation for Raquel and her expertise! Not Only is she a phenomenal…read moreteacher but a fantastic person! She is prompt, compassionate, professional, kind, and a bad ass that knows how to pull the very best out of you! Raquel is so invested in her students which is hard to find in LA. She is solely responsible for helping me put together my "actors package" and get representation in this town. She is also the reason I've gotten several Call backs. She's been my main coach for about 2 years and still is the only person I seek out for private coaching during major auditions. When ever someone asks me who they should study with, I do not hesitate to refer her. If you want to grow and evolve as an actor that can and will stand out in any room, The Actors Mark is were you need to be.

I just finished shooting my first real acting job (student film) and I suppose now would be the…read moreperfect time to give my long overdue review for Doug. Doug is more than just an acting teacher - since he has a background in psychology, he is really good at helping actors deal with the many mental blocks and self-sabotage that get in our way when trying to perform, especially when under the pressure of auditions. But he's not just some rah-rah guy. He's had a pretty successful acting career himself, and he understands how to immerse oneself in the circumstances and life of the character so as to make a performance as truthful as possible. He will ask you all the right questions about what you know about your character, and soon you'll begin to ask yourself those same questions. I first became interested in Doug's classes because I heard that he gears everything towards getting work in TV/film. I think it may have been fate that I decided to start taking lessons with him because he's exactly the type of coach I needed. Acting for TV/film has a lot of specific techniques that I had no idea about until I started working with Doug. Maybe more importantly, some actors tend to have bad habits that need to be trained out of them to read properly on the big and small screen. Besides the technical stuff, Doug is super chill, funny, and he cares about all his students.

Seriously meeting Doug and taking his classes is one of best things that happened in my life!…read more I can't even express how much I appreciate Doug Warhit. He's a legendary coach and actor, he genuinely cares about everyone he works with, and he knows how to get the best out of people. His precision is so amazing because there will be tons of things from little to big that we don't notice we do on camera but Doug helps bring awareness to it and correct it. His techniques are amazing and help a person actually give a realistic performance and express legitimate emotions when acting rather than trying hard to fake a certain emotion. So many thanks to Doug Warhit!