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Actors do not create in a vacuum. Every generation of filmmakers, playwrights, actors, and directors builds upon the work that came before them. To understand where cinema is today, an actor must first understand the artists who shaped it.
At Maggie Flanigan Studio, we believe a serious actor should possess more than technical skill. They should be culturally literate, artistically curious, and deeply inspired by the history of their craft. Film History is designed to cultivate that foundation.
Building an Artistic Vocabulary
Professional actors collaborate with directors, writers, producers, and fellow artists whose creative language is often rooted in the history of cinema. Whether in rehearsal, on set, or during an audition, shared artistic references become part of the conversation.
Knowing the work of Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Chloé Zhao, or Kelly Reichardt is not about memorizing names—it is about developing an artistic vocabulary that allows you to contribute meaningfully to the creative process.
A serious actor should not only perform great stories. They should understand them.
Studying the Evolution of American Cinema
This ten-week course explores the major movements of American film beginning with the arrival of synchronized sound in 1927 and continuing through contemporary filmmaking.
Students examine landmark films, influential directors, groundbreaking performances, and significant cultural movements that have shaped the language of cinema.
Historical periods include:
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The Classical Hollywood Studio System
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Film Noir
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Post-War American Cinema
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The Hollywood Renaissance of the 1970s
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Independent Film in the 1980s and 1990s
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Contemporary Independent and Studio Filmmaking
Along the way, students develop a deeper understanding of how cinema reflects history, culture, politics, and the evolving human experience.
Learning to Watch Like an Artist
Each week, students view a significant film outside of class before returning for discussion and analysis.
Rather than simply asking whether a film is "good," students learn to observe how filmmakers use performance, cinematography, editing, sound, production design, and visual storytelling to create meaning.
Films become laboratories for artistic investigation. Class discussions encourage students to think critically, communicate clearly, and engage thoughtfully with some of the greatest works ever created.
Inspiration Through Great Art
Watching great films is one of the most powerful ways an actor develops taste, imagination, and artistic ambition. Throughout the course, students encounter landmark works such as Casablanca, On the Waterfront, Bonnie and Clyde, Taxi Driver, and Do the Right Thing, while exploring the filmmakers, actors, and artistic movements that continue to influence contemporary storytelling.
Exposure to great art expands creative possibility. It challenges assumptions, inspires risk, and reminds actors what is possible when artists commit themselves fully to their craft.
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Educating the Whole Artist
At Maggie Flanigan Studio, training extends far beyond technique.
We believe actors should leave our conservatory not only as stronger performers, but as thoughtful collaborators, engaged citizens, and lifelong students of the art form.
Film History provides the cultural foundation that allows actors to participate confidently in conversations about cinema, contribute meaningfully to creative collaborations, and draw inspiration from the extraordinary artists whose work continues to shape our own.
In addition to weekly film screenings, students complete assigned readings, short quizzes, class discussions, and a written essay designed to deepen their understanding of cinema as both an art form and a cultural force.
STUDENT TESTIMONIALS
“The Film History course is a great (and necessary) resource for all actors. Jeff, the teacher, is not only passionate about the subject he teaches but provides a safe space to discuss, ask questions or even make suggestions about topics to cover in class.”
Kimberly Spohn
“The Film History I course entitled American Cinema is a course every actor should consider completing. It offers an introduction to the history, language, and the theory of film making in order for the actor to have a clear understanding of film making from inception to present day.”
Selena Staley
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ACTING STUDIO NEW YORK NY
The Maggie Flanigan Studio is the leading acting studio in New York City where professional actors train for long careers. The acting programs at the drama school are based on the Meisner Technique and the work of Sanford Meisner. The two year acting program includes acting classes, movement classes, voice and speech for actors, commercial acting classes, on camera classes, cold reading, monologue, playwriting, script analysis and the Meisner Summer Intensive.
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OUR CLASSES
FILM HISTORY
Great artists are students of great art.
JEFF RICHARDSON
Jeff Richardson is a dedicated scholar of cinema with a wealth of knowledge gained from decades of immersive study and extensive film research. He teaches Film History in a professional actor training program, focusing on helping actors understand cinema as an art form and build a strong foundational knowledge of film history. Jeff believes that culturally literate actors who respect the legacy of their craft can engage more meaningfully in the cinematic conversation.
