Inside Our On-Camera Scene Study Class: Acting Tools That Transform Your Performance

If you’ve ever wondered what you’d actually do in an On Camera Scene Study class with me and Tom Lenoci, here’s a taste.

In class, we’re not just running lines. We’re storytellers. That idea grew from years of work with actors like Shea Whigham, where we’d walk through every beat of a scene—who says what, who thinks what—and rehearse it until it lived in the body. We’re out on the streets doing “walk and talks,” drilling TV scripts full of beautiful writing so they’re second nature.

We use exercises like “the De Niro,” pulled from Tom Lenoci’s training, Meisner repetition, the “FU” hack to ground language with visceral energy, the classic yes/no game to trigger authentic impulses, and reading all your lines as one monologue to reveal your character’s arc. We even throw in bat slams, back-to-back scenes, and tricks for phone call or intimate moments.

It’s all about knowing your story inside out—and living it truthfully on camera.

Join us Tuesdays at 7:30 PM or Saturdays at 12 PM at The Acting Project in Valley Village.

– Tom Draper, acting coach Los Angeles