Central Academy Of drama alumni interview

Guest Edward Ma, provided us with a thorough interview regarding his performing arts major.

Question: In the field of performing arts, what types of courses are primarily studied, what

aspects does the daily training include, and what preparations should be made to

become a performing arts student?

Answer: The curriculum in performing arts can be categorized into two types:

professional cultural courses and core professional courses. Professional cultural

courses mainly cover the history of Eastern and Western theatre and the analysis of

significant representative works. Core professional courses are divided into vocal music,

script dialogue, physical training, and acting. Our daily training mostly involves physical

fitness and vocal technique. To become a student in performing arts, one should start

focusing on developing professional skills, specifically in vocal music, script dialogue,

physical training, and acting.

Question: During your studies, what opportunities were there to participate in actual

performance projects, such as theater productions or short film shootings? How did these

practical experiences help you apply the skills and knowledge you learned?

Answer: During our academic journey, our university scheduled final exams at the end of

each semester from the first to the fourth year, which were completed in the context of

theater performances. In the third and fourth years, there were full-length drama

performances. We had opportunities to work on original plays, internship productions,

and graduation projects. During holidays, we typically engaged in practical work,

including participating in the filming of TV dramas, web series, online feature films, and

cinema movies. The essence of an actor job is to shape a character or let the character

shape the actor. In practice, integrating our prior training allowed us to naturally

incorporate acting skills and knowledge into our performances.

Question: What are the employment opportunities after graduating from a performing arts

program? What kind of jobs can one pursue?

Answer: Typically, during their studies, talented students might attract the attention of

reputable talent agencies, or scouts may discover promising students during the

graduation play performances. Graduates can join musical troupes or drama groups, and

the range of jobs they can pursue includes roles such as director, theater actor, film and

television actor, and acting instructor at arts examination training institutions.

Question: In a film or television production, are there many types of actors? Are roles

classified in any way? How do actors compete for the roles they desire?

Answer: There are indeed various types of actors, which differ according to the genre of

the film or television project. Typically, roles are categorized as lead male (male lead),

lead female (female lead), second male lead, second female lead, and so forth. In special

cases, there are also roles like the antagonist male lead and antagonist female lead.

Additionally, there are supporting actors, extras, guest stars, cameo actors, body

doubles, stunt doubles, and minor roles, among others. To secure a desired role, actors

usually go through an audition process, which is a preliminary step in the preparation of a

film or television project. During the audition, the production team provides actors with

character biographies and scenes that showcase the character’s personality and

emotions. The director, screenwriter, and producers then select actors for the roles based

on their performances.

Question: In the era of rapid internet development, what impact does it have on the film

and television industry? What are the differences between new internet short dramas and

traditional film and television dramas, and how do you view this emerging market?

Answer: The development of the internet has not significantly negatively impacted the

film and television industry; on the contrary, it has played a positive role in promotion and

distribution. The newly popular internet short dramas differ greatly from traditional film

and television works. Firstly, in terms of the investment and production cycle, internet

short dramas typically have a production cycle of about one week, whereas traditional

film and television projects usually span 3-4 months. Regarding investment, the cost for

short dramas is about 80,000 to 200,000 Canadian dollars, which is significantly lower

than that of traditional film and television productions. In terms of material selection, short

dramas are generally adapted from novels, while traditional works have a broader range,

including realistic and biographical themes. In filming techniques, traditional works favor

long shots, medium shots, and close-ups, with a preference for landscape orientation,

whereas short dramas generally use medium shots and are filmed in portrait orientation.

The acting style in traditional works focuses on the actors reactions, emphasizing

authentic listening, watching, and feeling, while short dramas prefer to directly convey the

plot, with fewer actors reactions due to their fast pace and emotional intensity, providing

a thrilling experience for the audience.

Personally, I believe short dramas can significantly consume actors creative abilities.

Currently, the market prospects for short dramas are very promising, but they do have

some impact on the traditional film and television industry. Many investors are moving

towards short dramas, which could lead to a decrease in the production of traditional

works over time. The limitations of short dramas in material selection mean they struggle

to effectively convey cultural values and establish positive values. While they exist within

a certain niche, they cannot replace traditional film and television works and are more like

a passing shower phenomenon.