PRICE
$600 + GST (Payment Plans Available)
DAY
Monday Nights
DATE
9th of November - 14th of December
TIME
6:30pm-9:30pm
You know how to act. You’ve done the classes. But are you actually building the skills to become a working actor?
This course is about getting you off the couch and onto set.
Ready to Role is a practical intensive focused on creative skill building for the working actor. Through continuous, hands-on work, you’ll strengthen your creative instincts, build new neural pathways for creativity and originality, and develop the confidence to take risks in your work.
This isn’t about sitting in a classroom talking about acting. You’ll be doing the work.
You’ll dive into auditions and full scene work, learn how to break down scripts and characters quickly, develop your own creative voice, and discover how to make choices that move beyond safe, predictable performances. You’ll learn to trust your instincts, take meaningful creative risks, and create work that is truthful, original, and memorable.
But being a working actor takes more than a great performance. You’ll also gain practical insight into working on set and the business of building a career — from professional set etiquette and industry relationships to agents, managers, showreels, casting, and creating a clear career plan.
This is about building the creative and professional skills you need to keep working.
Led by Andy McPhee, a working actor with 36 years of industry experience and approximately 174 credits across film and television, this intensive is grounded in real-world experience. Andy brings the lessons of decades on set into the classroom, challenging actors to get out of their comfort zone, trust their instincts, and create work that stands out.
Following the huge success of his previous Actors Bootcamp, described by participants as life-changing, Andy returns with a new intensive designed to help actors stop waiting for their next opportunity and start actively building the skills to be ready for it.
Get off the couch. Build your skills. Take the risk. Get onto set.
ABOUT THE COURSE
This 6-week practical training program is designed to build the creative skills, instincts, and industry knowledge actors need for a long-term career.
This is not theory. Every class is about doing the work. Through practical exercises, scene work, audition preparation, and real-world industry skills, you’ll develop stronger creative instincts, learn to trust your choices, and build a toolkit you can take into any audition or onto any set.
The course takes you from the creative foundations of acting through to auditions, full scene work, creative risk-taking, working on set, and the business of building a career.
1. SKILL BUILDING — THE FOUNDATION
All creative work is skill building. The more you train your creative instincts, the more naturally and confidently you can access them when it matters.
Practical creative exercises designed to increase your creative output
Building original thought and strengthening your creative instincts
Training your intuition and gut instinct
Developing stronger creative neural pathways
Learning to trust your own choices and instincts
2. AUDITIONS & FULL SCENE WORK
Learn how to approach a scene from the inside out, giving you the tools to work quickly and deeply — whether you're self-taping or auditioning in the room.
Full scene and script breakdown
Understanding story structure and the world of the scene
Character breakdown and development
Building backstories and your character's before-story — who were you before the scene began?
Understanding emotional stakes and intentions
Self-taping techniques — how to tape quickly while remaining truthful and original
Applying preparation directly to your performance
Learning how to make choices that casting directors want to see
3. CREATIVE RISK & ORIGINALITY
The actors who stand out aren't necessarily the ones playing it safest. Learn how to move beyond predictable choices and discover what makes your work uniquely yours.
Learning when and how to take creative risks
Moving away from safe, “same-same” auditions
Developing confidence in your unique creative voice
Finding your individual creative strengths
Making bold, specific choices
Creating work that is original, truthful, and memorable
4. GETTING ONTO SET — PRACTICAL INDUSTRY SKILLS
Being a working actor isn't only about the performance. Understanding how to conduct yourself professionally on set is an essential part of building a sustainable career.
Understanding how a professional set operates
Professionalism and set etiquette
Understanding what is expected of you as an actor
Developing the skills and mindset required to work consistently
Understanding what it takes to move forward in your career
5. THE BUSINESS OF ACTING
Acting is a creative career — but it is also a business. Just as every successful business needs a plan, actors need to understand where they are going and what steps will help them get there.
Building professional networks and relationships
Understanding the business side of the industry
Agents, managers, casting, showreels and other career tools
Identifying what you need to develop and where to focus your efforts
Understanding how to move your career forward
Creating your own practical career plan
The GOAL
By the end of the course, you will have:
Stronger creative instincts and neural pathways
A practical toolkit for breaking down any scene or character quickly
Greater confidence in your ability to take creative risks
The skills to create original, truthful and compelling work
A stronger understanding of what it takes to work on set
A clearer understanding of the business of acting
A practical career plan and a clearer idea of what to do next
This isn't just about preparing for your next audition.
This is skill building for a lifetime in the industry.
MEET ANDY
Andy McPhee is an Australian actor and acting coach with 36 years as a working actor and approximately 174 credits across film and television. With extensive experience working both in Australia and internationally, Andy brings genuine, on-set industry experience and insight into every class.
Andy has appeared in a wide range of acclaimed Australian and international productions, including Sons of Anarchy, Wolf Creek, Animal Kingdom, Saving Mr. Banks, Pacific Rim: The Black, and most recently, Insidious. He is currently based in Los Angeles, where he is completing work on an independent feature film before returning to Australia in October for another feature.
Alongside his acting career, Andy is a dedicated acting coach passionate about helping actors develop the creative skills, confidence, and resilience required for a long-term career in the industry. His teaching focuses on getting actors off the couch and onto set, building creative neural pathways, taking meaningful risks, and creating original, truthful work.
Andy also brings first-hand experience in guiding young actors through the industry. Both of his children, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Sianoa Smit-McPhee, are working actors, and Andy has supported and mentored actors from a young age, including working with Sydney Sweeney early in her career.
His approach to coaching goes beyond the craft itself, drawing on decades of professional experience to help actors understand what it takes to stay working, build sustainable creative skills, and navigate both the creative and business sides of a long-term acting career.
Andy teaches from experience — what actually happens on set, what the industry demands, and how actors can develop the skills and mindset to create truthful, compelling work and build a lasting career.
“My dad’s acting career had a domino effect on my career, I always try to honor the craft he taught me.” - Kodi Smit-McPhee/ The NewYork Times
“No one knows this but Kodi’s dad, Andy, was a mentor to me, and he was the one who started my process of acting,” Sweeney shared. “He taught me to separate myself from my characters.” Sweeney took this advice in stride and began her process of creating books for all of her characters"/ Showbiz Cheatsheet
This is more than training. It’s your commitment to your career.
Ages: 16 +
Student Reviews:
“Every audition and day on set going forward is so much easier after Andy’s bootcamp - ‘cause he has already isolated and warmed up the appropriate creative muscles for you. Amazing stuff. Highly recommended for beginners who want to thrive in the deep end, working actors who want tailored challenges and every creative in between.” - Past Student
“Andy identifies the importance of the entire creative spectrum, through poetry, stories, music and imaginative expression. He deeply values the importance of the characters driving passion, allowing for creative freedom and human sincerity as we transport our script to screen.” - Past Student
“Andy does so much more than teach you acting techniques, he allows you to become the artist you are meant to be. He focuses on training your creative brain, and stopping habits that have been holding you back. The creative skills you gain allow you to build and understand characters and enter auditions with new found confidence. I cannot recommend him enough.” - Past Student
'“This course far exceeded my expectations! Andy is an incredible coach. His approach and a care in guiding and pushing us has helped me explore my skills as an actor in ways I’d never thought to. His technical advice has been invaluable but beyond all that, his wisdom, words of encouragement and industry insight will be a key takeaway for me. Throughout the course I feel like I have gained so much confidence in myself and the ability to explore creative choices, as well as a major shift in my mind set and approach to auditions and the industry as a whole. Thank you Andy and TAFTA!” - Past Student
“I thought the course was going to be just analysing scripts and a lot of talking about scripts and scene work. It’s EVEN BETTER. This is the best class I’ve ever attended, it’s so free to get as creative as you want. I love the homework and story writing. Learning the backstory of your character, who you really are was so helpful to me because I had an audition before this course started and I wish the audition was after I started these classes because I have learnt so much. The script writing and improv has been so helpful with building confidence in all of us to trust ourselves as actors!” - Past Student
"This course is a truly comprehensive and immersive introduction to the world of acting. From the start, we were guided through how to source scripts (with plenty of helpful website suggestions), how to break down a script and dive deep into character analysis—asking essential questions like, “Who are they?”, “What’s their background?”, and “What were they doing just before this scene?”
We explored creative prompts using images, poems, and short stories, and even got to work on voiceover scripts. One of the highlights for me was experimenting with costumes and outfits to bring different characters to life—something I hadn't considered before.
The course doesn’t just focus on performance, but also gives a realistic look at what it means to be a working actor. We learned about daily routines to stay on track, how to prioritise acting in our day-to-day lives, and where to find work through industry-specific websites.
Be prepared—this course is not for the faint-hearted! There’s a lot of homework and self-directed work, but it absolutely pays off. You’ll walk away with practical tools, increased confidence, and a much clearer understanding of what’s expected in auditions.
Andy is an incredibly passionate teacher who is generous with his time and knowledge, and genuinely invested in seeing each student succeed and find work in the industry. I highly recommend this course to anyone serious about pursuing acting." - Past Student
“My confidence, creativity, and ability to lead with intuition have all increased as a result of my work with Andy.”
- Past student
“Andy’s there for us around the clock. He creates a space where actors can explore, trust themselves, and discover what truly works for them.” - Past Student