Burt Reynolds Institute Opens Third Location for Classes

The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre (BRIFT) announced a third location for classes at the Lake Park Town Hall - 535 Park Avenue, Lake Park, Florida. Lake Park is easily accessible from the I-95, cutting travel time for students living in south Palm Beach County, Broward and Dade counties.

Among the classes presently offered are a six week Teleprompter Proficiency Course on Monday evenings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The cost of the complete course, which provides instruction in host technique, cold read preparation, walk and talk, ad lib and on the set dos and don'ts, is $120.00

Teleprompter proficiency, taught by Patty Serrano of Little Panther Prompting, is the most requested skill by talent agents and casting directors in South Florida. Managing Director Donna Carbone said, "You may think you will never need to deliver a speech. You're wrong. We deliver impromptu speeches every day in non-threatening situations. Offering a toast at a wedding is public speaking. Anyone can hire a speech writer to put words in their mouth, but it's up to the individual to give them back to the audience. How to do that effectively falls under Patty's area of expertise."

Also at Lake Park is Writing the Feature Screenplay, taught by Shawn Fornari, M.F.A., and Donna Carbone. Screenplay meets on Thursday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Unlike most courses, this is not an instructor/student classroom setting, but rather a roundtable discussion wherein each writer has an opportunity to present his/her work on a weekly basis. "We're unique," said Carbone, "in that our writers actually have an opportunity to hear their scripts read out loud and get feedback from other writers as well as from Shawn and me. We've got some talented people gathered at our table, who continually impress me with their abilities and imagination." The class is $20.00 per week with the first half of the class dedicated to beginning writers and the later portion for more advanced writers. Carbone said that this method allows for both new and experienced writers to grow and advance in a nurturing atmosphere.

Carbone hinted that "exciting news" will soon be announced about the revival of their very popular Saturday Spotlight Series. The family and cost friendly offerings were popular destinations last summer and, now, with the availability of the beautiful Mirror Ballroom in Lake Park, the Institute is planning a whole new series of events. Visit www.brift.org for updates and details on dates/times/tickets.

The Burt Reynolds Institute also offers classes in acting, improvisation and film making at its northern location in Tequesta - 304 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta, Florida and a Master Acting Class at the Flagler Center in Stuart.

For information and registration at either location, please call 561 743-9955.