This guest post is by Ren Tomovcik, an arts nerd, writer, radio host, and contributor to several awesome local websites, including girlaboutOtown. She has very recently moved to London to follow her dreams, but has promised to stay in touch.
Ottawa actress Claudia Jurt has a great passion for her art, and it’s a passion she’s been sharing, teaching, learning and nurturing for most of her life.
In 2001, Claudia co-founded Ottawa’s training school for screen actors, A.C.T. (Acting for Cinema and Television). She is now the school’s president and one of its main instructors. A.C.T. courses are all tailored and taught by professionals who work in the industry, enabling them to share a wealth of experience and talent with their students. While pursuing her love for acting though her own projects, Claudia also assists in the support and development of actors of all ages in the Ottawa and Montreal area through her work with A.C.T.
Most recently, Claudia played a supporting role in the acclaimed independent flick The Wild Hunt, which won the award for Best New First Canadian Feature at 2009′s Toronto International Film Festival. The film is set in the midst of a live-action role-playing game, as conflicts and intrigues from the characters’ real lives threaten to make their way into the game and blur the lines between fantasy and reality.
In the wake of The Wild Hunt’s success on the festival circuit, Claudia kindly agreed to provide girlaboutOtown some insight into her lifelong love for acting, the art of the independent film, and her various upcoming projects.
Claudia, did you always know you wanted to be involved in film? I think the passion for acting started when I moved to Canada at age 7 and saw my first film, Bedknobs and Broomsticks. It was the most amazing experience for me – the whole concept of going to a video store and renting a movie! We got our first VCR at the time. It was new and exciting and I wanted to be part of those fantasy worlds.
Having been involved in both theatre and film, what do you find are the major differences between acting onstage and acting for a camera? In theatre, it’s live, so the audience is inevitably part of the show. There’s no going back and doing something over again because it wasn’t satisfactory. In film, you can do take after take (time and money permitting of course) until you have what you want. The goal is to be present, always. Truthful and organic – in either medium, it’s a constant challenge. A great actor needs to have an open heart.
Do you prefer to play characters who have a lot in common with you? Thanks to my wonderful acting teacher, Michèle Lonsdale Smith, I have discovered that the character is not separate from me, the character is me. I can identify with every character I play. If I judge my character then I cannot defend it. So, I make a list of all of the qualities the character possesses and then compare them to mine. I always discover that I have the exact same ones – the only difference might be that I have to turn the volume up on certain traits in order to portray the character. If a situation is out the realm of my personal experience, I simply translate it to an experience that’s personal to me.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get started as an actor for stage or film? Get as much training and experience as you can. As an actor, the learning never stops, I will teach and study acting in a classroom until the day I die.
You’ve been involved in various aspects of film and television production, from casting to acting. Is there anything you haven’t done yet that you’d like to take on in the future? Absolutely, I would love to produce and direct a feature film that I’ve written. I currently have a feature film script in the works. Now, if I could just sit down and finish writing that first draft!
Tell us a little about the history of the A.C.T. program and your involvement in it. A.C.T. was founded in August of 2001 by myself and Peter Dillon. I am now the sole owner of the school and its main instructor. Teaching is something that I was always meant to do and will do for the rest of my life. It gives me great joy to get into a classroom and work with actors to explore the art of acting. I have been teaching intensive acting classes on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights since the end of November. I’ve been very fortunate because most of my students come through word of mouth. I am much more interested in teaching than administrating, and that is why my website is not always up to date! I post all the upcoming class information and audition notices on the A.C.T. Facebook group. In the Summer of 2010, I hope to run a 10-day Actor’s Retreat. I just need to find the perfect location with sleeping accommodations, forest and water!
Do you have any upcoming projects in 2010? Yes, I’m acting in and co-producing a feature film, Infringement, with writer/producer, Bruce Davis. Principal photography is scheduled to begin in May.
What do you learn from working with other accomplished creative people? Always choose love. You have to fall in love with all of your scene partners. You must defend the character at all costs and above all, you must be fearless. You can be afraid, but you must use that fear and jump off that cliff, without apology. That is courage.
Tell us about your role in your last film, The Wild Hunt. How did you get the role? What did you do to prepare for it? For the role of Tamara in The Wild Hunt I prepared a few scenes that were provided from the script and drove to Montreal to audition. I put on a druidess-esque costume and allowed myself to be silly in the role. It was a lot of fun. I hired my acting coach, Michèle Lonsdale Smith, to work with me on the character and the story.
Where and when can people in Ottawa see The Wild Hunt? A limited theatrical release in Canada is slated for February 2010 – so stay tuned!
The film has already been recognized with several honours. What do you think makes it stand out? There are so many things that make it stand out, but one of the things that I love is that you don’t always know whether the players are ‘in character’ or not. The other thing is that this film was made with love. The cast and the crew and the fantastic background performers came to set with integrity and commitment.
What do you feel is unique about independent film as opposed to Hollywood mainstream features? I think that independent films take more artistic risks and don’t follow a formula just to make money. Art first, money second.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten? Always choose love. It’s none of your business what other people think. Listen with your heart, not your brain.
For more information about A.C.T. classes, check out the A.C.T. Facebook group or drop by the website at actottawa.com.
