Brian Reise Acting Studios

Brian is the coach who will tell actors what they need to hear, not what they want. He cuts through all the bullshit and knows how to teach in the context of how the industry and business works. Highly recommended!

I am a working actor who hit a snag in my career (hey, it happens). I’ve studied with the greats in Los Angeles. The protégés of uta Hagen. The devotees of Stanislavski and meisner. But my career was going nowhere. I can do the repeat exercise with the best of them but that doesn’t help when your phone is not ringing. Then I came to Brian’s class. And, needless to say, my career began to skyrocket (just imdb me). And I owe it all to Brian and his no nonsense approach to acting in Los Angeles. He increased my confidence. He improved my auditioning. He is the real deal. I’m here to stay. Is he arrogant? Yes. Does he trash Stanislavski? Yes. Does he tailor his class specifically to the marketplace of Los Angeles? Yes. Did my bookings increase exponentially, nearly doubling my IMDB page… yes!!! (At least one person has asked why «Bob G.» does not appear in the IMDB. The last name is «Glouberman»).

If you want to increase your bookings, take this class. You can throw a rock in any direction in this town and hit an acting teacher. Few have been in business as long as Brian Reise. I wish I had taken his class sooner because as soon as I started putting into practice the concepts he teaches, my job-​getting skills improved immensely. You work every class, every week, with new material, and you don’t work on scenes for weeks with your scene partner, waiting to get scheduled to «put your scene up». I’ve never been in a class with so many working actors. In my class, I’ve seen prime-​time series regulars, and commercial icons. That means you can get first-​hand information and advice from real working actors in your class. Do yourself a favor and take this class. You will get practical experience on how to book jobs while you build a network of other working actors.

I recommend this class to every actor I meet because I LOVE it! It’s simply the most practical approach to acting, auditioning and booking I’ve experienced in LA. Brian is a great teacher because he truly enjoys his life’s work and wants his students to succeed! He passionately educates us on the reality of this business while exposing a lot of misconceptions we’ve all been taught in classes that were more focused on stage acting. Don’t get me wrong, the stage is wonderful but most of us are here in LA to book roles on TV and in Film. Brian’s class has helped me do just that and I’m forever grateful.
Here are some of the things that make this class AWESOME:
1) Each actor works every week. That’s not always the case at other studios. The more we all work our actor muscles, the better.
2) The class size is manageable (see above) and full of great people at many different stages of their careers. I learn so much by watching others perform!
3) Each class focuses on a different aspect of the Biz; for example ‘Horror/​Sci-​Fi’ Day – on this day all the scenes are from this genre. I had never before worked on this type of scene yet these shows/​movies make up a huge percentage of projects made each year. PRACTICAL education! Now I’m ‘bookable’ in this area.
4) On-​camera & green screen experience! Brian keeps the class up to date to reflect the industry as it evolves. Where else can you do a green screen scene except if you’ve booked that job? How will you book that job without the experience?
5) **This one is huge!** Brian shows partial episodes of award-​winning shows/​films and has us watch them for structure, not story. Meaning – what are the actors actually doing? Hint – 90% of the time they are speaking conversationally and standing still. Even in sitcoms! The ‘louder, faster, funnier’ direction we often get in theatre DOES NOT APPLY. The first time I saw this, I practically fell out of my chair as that saying has been imbedded in my brain for years.
6) I HAVE FUN! Yes, the Biz can be strange, unpredictable and fickle, but we’ve chosen this path. We might as well enjoy it!!!
If you’re looking for a professional, practical and affordable acting class, join me at Brian Reise Acting Studios!

There is a reason Brian has been voted one of the BEST ACTING TEACHERS in Los Angeles in the Backstage West Reader’s Choice awards for 3 years. It’s because he IS the BEST. Brian KNOWS the business and knows what he is talking about. Don’t take my word for it — just go check out his list of current successes. You can pretty much pick any show/​movie currently running and he’ll probably have at least one student in it in a starring or recurring role.
First, let me tell you what Brian is not. He is not a teacher who asks for people to vote for him for awards, they just DO because he is FREAKING RAD. He is not the teacher for you if you want a theater class or if you want to spend 40 hours working on every 4 page scene (unless you’d like to learn how much rehearsal time you actually get on a real TV or film set). He is not the teacher for you if you want to be the best actor there is at home in your living room and you don’t care if you ever get a job to show for it (although I haven’t yet met an actor in this town who doesn’t want a job acting…).
Now I’ll get to what he is. Brian is a super cool, happy, humble, sane teacher who is HILARIOUS and makes class FUN! He teaches a different format for class each week that is REAL and APPLICABLE to the CURRENT market and working environment in TV/​Film. He gives honest criticism at the amount and level people are ready for without ever tearing anyone down. He has a good heart and genuinely cares about this students. He rejoices in successes, helps protect against the evils of the industry, and invests in the passion of his students. Brian is legit, and students in class book jobs ALL THE TIME.
I am a firm believer that different processes and different teachers work for everyone, and that you need to find the balance of learning that speaks to you. But I also believe EVERYONE can (and should) learn something from Brian. See you in class!

I went to the seminar Wednesday & was unsure but finally went to the course– of course being new to LA I was skeptical of any acting class. Man, I am so happy I went. I love love LOVE the class. I come early and stay late-​both Elizabeth & Brian teach you how to act professional. They know their shit and they will help you in every way possible. They are both fantastic people and they know how to work in this industry– with headshots, in audition rooms, in front of the camera, with people– etc.
You will get your side– perform, get critiqued– and do it all over– and try to perfect it. Skipping class due to work/​visiting home is the worst! They teach you so much– ugh, I can go on about this class & the amazing things that they offer. It’s just fantastic. Basically– if you’re looking for a class– go. Go to this class– it’s amazing.

If you want to be a ‘day player’ who can say one line and not pull focus, this is the class for you. If you want to be an actor that can bring a character to life, avoid this charlatan. He is all ego and no soul. Don’t miss the class where he passes around a picture of Stanislavski and demands that you laugh at ‘how un-​commerical he is and wouldn’t book a job in the Hollywood of today’! Or the class where he shows you his screeners of Emmy nominees and talks about ‘how easy what they do is’! Or his class showing gag reels of movies to show that actors are ‘real people’ too! He’s a total fake and knows nothing about what he is supposed to be teaching.

It’s funny how all the compliments seem to have no substance, yet the criticisms seem to be consistent and detailed. I would write a much more in depth assessment, but just trust me… working a outdated scene ONCE because the class is too big TO DO IT TWICE AND GET DIRECTION is all I really need to say. This class is about making money for the teacher and really nothing else. And if you’re unhappy, of course there is no refunds. The guy was actually shocked when I showed up after asking for a refund for the rest of my classes that I PAID FOR. I surely did, pretty much out of spite. He finally gave me $ 50 back to get me out of there, but the reality is this… If a school doesn’t give refunds AND doesn’t allow you to audit, aren’t they hiding something? At Brian Reise «Acting» Studios, they have a lot to hide.

Fun, fun studio providing realistic film and television working scenarios. A safe place for actors… I highly recommend it! You will laugh a lot and learn too.

I just recently moved here and I have been in certain entertainment divisions around the world and decided to go to Hollywood and try out what is available.
Had my first class tonight… I’m full out ready to ROCK and this is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Didn’t even have to look any further at any other acting studios. If you want praise and baby love, don’t go here.
This place is FULL on, no bullshit and TONS of GREAT talent in his class and they are VERY inspiring to watch and learn from. It really all in all from my first class tonight, is a very positive and great group effort and i believe we all learn from each other as well as getting SUPERB notes on everything. It’s going to be great. I can’t wait until next week’s class. DIG IT.
Bring it ON!

Brian has a very practical approach to becoming a working actor… HELLO, every other frustrated, thespian gone acting teacher seems to have confused the objective… or substituted their own in lieu of the actors. This is a great class, no power trips, just very practical information you can actually apply to the real world. Wish I had found this class along time ago, but I guess I found it when I was supposed to because it is exactly what I needed at this time. He is very knowledgeable and he’s freakin funny!!!

Sounds like a lot of bitter people writing poor reviews…
I’ve been taking Brian’s class for just over two years.
Ultimately, what I see Brian doing is teaching actors how to get jobs,
not teaching actors how to act.
Ultimately you are being cast in a role because of «you», and what your personality brings to the role and not for your grandiose version of the character that you learned in theater class.
Th people who like and recommend Brian are usually the ones that are working, or will be…
Eric

Feedback that is given isn’t helpful for improvement. Also the location is so tiny that we had to practice outside on the curb. The outside can be really noisy. Also you need to be prepared with random strangers walking through and staring at you while you try and rehearse. Felt like the focus was on quantity of students instead of quality of service.

I’ve been taking classes here for a little over a year. As a stand-​up comedian, I’ve always been comfortable as a performer– but I had no idea what to actually do when it comes to acting. Brian really makes it easy to understand what the industry is looking for, and how you can help give it to them. Each week he’ll have a different theme for the class, such as on camera, standing on your mark, casting director session, horror/​sci-​fi, etc. So each class you’ll get to actually practice in a form that is pretty much exactly what you’ll get when you’re on a set or in an audition. I highly recommend Brian to anyone that is interested in film/​television acting.

I’d heard a lot of praise about Brian’s class, but I think the only reason anyone thinks he’s a great teacher is because A/​Brian likes to talk himself up (although he’s a very nice man) and B/​The actors are already talented and well trained far before they land in Brian’s class.
As an earlier review stated, the class is pretty devoid of substance and really really lax. Except for being late, for whatever reason. Brian’s a real hard-​ass about being late, but usually the class let’s out at LEAST 15 minutes early, but usually more than that… so I don’t see what the big deal is about time…
Anyway – you’re paired up with a partner and work on the scene for a while and then present it ONCE. Brian critiques you, sort of, either in that «I didn’t like this very small thing you did so I’m going to talk about it instead of focusing on the bigger picture.» or «You did awesome, just awesome, you’re coming so far.» Neither of which is helpful at all really. And that’s it, you’re done. But you’ll probably spend at least 15 minutes talking about whatever famous person Brian went to set to visit or just some absolute crazy thing that has nothing to do with anything interesting, like the LA real estate market.
I expected a class with such a reputation to actually teach me something, but let me save you the trouble of going to the class – here’s all Brian will ever say — «Just say the lines, don’t act, just say them.»
Which is great for all the theater actors that need to be brought down a notch, but honestly, when you just say the lines, does it ever sound real? So if you’re a trained film actor and do this, he’ll tell you that you’re low energy… anyway, its all just one big confusing mess and sort of a rip off. Skip it.

As an aspiring actor, I had the incredible good (or dumb) luck to stumble across Brian Reise Acting Studios because I was referred by a friend that happened to be a casting director. I was as green as they come and the quality of work done in his class was as intimidating as hell! But, I stuck it out because Brian made the class so much fun and again, watching working, recognizable actors was so entertaining! That was nearly 10 years ago and I still attend weekly classes. Of course, because of Brian’s great teaching I am no longer green and have had a pretty decent career including appearances on NYPD;Blue, The West Wing, Malcolm In The Middle, Cold Case, reccuring role on ER, Dirty Sexy Money, Private Practice and many other network series. I have also had numerous appearances in features such as Coronado, Hesher (w/​Natalie Portman and Joseph Gordon Levitt), Beginners (w/​Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer) and more. Most importantly, I go into auditions prepared and confident because of Brian’s technique. I can’t speak of too many other classes but if you want results that show up in IMDB, Brian is THE MAN! Tell ‘em Rafael sent you!

I attend this school several years ago, and I wanted to stop by and say that this class set me up for the rest of my acting career. I have been a costar on several shows including Pacific Blue, Sunset Beach, Baywatch, VIP, Suddenly Susan, Jessie, VH1’s Wild On, MTV, hosting jobs include on air promotions for Westwood One, co hosting the Hollywood Christmas Parade, and over 5 national commercials, etc… I also have my own hit show for German TV in it’s third season.
Brian Reise teached cold reading, and that is what I needed while attending his classes. This is not a scene study class, nor does he ever say it is. But it is a class any actor will get plenty of training toward their career with. I had not worked, nor had an agent before taking this class, which taught me all types of auditioning skills, as well as gave me the confidence to knock em dead on castings.
Thanks Brian, for being such a great teacher!

I must say that this was NOT the acting school for me. The concept and approach of this studio is meant to be helpful — and for some it might be — but for myself I found it to be waaaaaay too casual, informal and devoid of any substance. The classes focus mainly on cold reading technique. You start the class by being paired up with someone else, sometimes with an ensemble of 3 or more. You study what you’ve been given for roughly an hour and then you get called upon by Brian or one of his associates and you read with your partner both in chairs facing each other illuminated by what look like small 500watt tungsten set lights. You read, lights up and get a critique.
Every persons read was very short (like an audition) and so was the critique. If it’s this industry aspect they’re trying to re-​create then they’ve done it successfully. The problem I found was that the critiques commented too much on HOW you did and not enough on WHAT you did. The teacher was concerned more with praise for the student and how far they’ve come but not hitting on anything specific at all. There is no emphasis on character development, making the hottest choices or even somewhat dressing like the character. I understand the approach/​concept of what the school is trying to say in «out with the whole acting class BS» but sometimes its that «acting class BS» that makes you a better administrator and actor for your career. I found the critiques to be very brief and not touching on where you need help. For the teacher/​owner its a great, efficient system due to none of the typical acting school trappings and logistics of extra time, meeting outside class or having to watch lengthy scenes.
Also, we got out 15 minutes early from class the only time I was there! I’m not one to squabble over 15 trifling minutes but that’s time that I paid for and could have been used to lecture, do exercises, etc.
For the whole 3 hours I was there it just seemed like there was little organization and that it really didn’t matter if you attended class or not. The room is very small and the stage intimate. Usually its a packed house. There is NO AUDITING of this school, however, if you do go to the first class and not like it, they usually will rip up your enrollment check and only charge you for that one class. In the end rehearsal, character development and an ongoing study of the craft of acting is absolutely essential. There are actors in this town who have always and continually study up. James Franco, Jeff Goldblum, John Glover, Doris Roberts and many more are just a few who attend class on a regular basis whenever they’re not working. Cold Reading success is vital to getting the job but if that’s all you know how to do you’ll never pass a screen test…

«I can’t, I have to go to acting class.»
I hate saying that. I mean, I dunno, if you are in New York or somewhere else… perhaps it doesn’t matter, but for some reason, whenever I think about acting classes in LA, I think about acting teachers who assign scenes and monologues and work them for a really long time, working on that scene for weeks with a partner outside of class, putting it up and then just being criticized and broken down by said teacher, only to get back up and do it all over again.
Okay, so maybe this works for theatre. I mean, sure it does. You’ve done plays, you know how it goes, you get the scene, you rehearse, you pick it apart, you find your beats, you work on the blocking, and you put it up for a crowd of delighted theatregoers. You have time and that’s what you do with this time.
But now you are in LA and none of that is applicable. Really. You know how it is; you get called at work for an audition the next day and if you are lucky, there are sides that you can download from LA Casting or someone faxes a few pages to you. But most of the time, you show up, the sides are in the waiting room, you have a few minutes, you read it over, and then you go in and do it.
Very different than stage auditions, where you get to present your squeaky-​clean monologues that you have always done, that you worked on in your acting class, that you can do in your sleep.
Then there’s the whole challenge of being in the room with the casting director, or the producer, or the director (or all three) and how you present the material under that kind of stress. Or when you to Network and audition with a ton of people in the room who are all busy eating and using their laptops, talking on the phone… sleeping, you get the picture.
So that’s what these studios focus on. Getting the job. Yes, the teachers give you a chance to act, but they also make sure you are ready for all the various situations you will face during your career. You get a script when you arrive, you work on it for about 45 – 50 minutes, then you put it up. There are all kinds of different formats and they are all very useful. There’s no going home and rehearsing for a week. There’s no do-​it-​yourself blocking (never gonna happen in the real world anyway). You just show up and get a chance to work. Which is what you want to do anyway, right?
That’s pretty much it. This is a fantastic place to «work out», to build skills that will help you be a more professional film and television actor, from the audition to the callback to in front of the camera. Very highly recommended!