Emma Balcazar The Nordic Film Acting Institute

BALCAZAR TEKNIK

The BALCAZAR TECHNIQUE ® gives the actors necessary tools to improve their performance in front of the camera. The technique also helps to remove the inner and outer creative block, which an actor often experiences. With focusing on training the actors’ development of emotional communication, great emotional affluence is created that becomes visible for the camera and moves the narrative to a deeper level.

The BALCAZAR TECHNIQUE ® was developed by film director Emme Balcázar, who has 20 years of experience in training and working with actors on an elite level. The Balcázar Technique was researched and documented under The Danish National School of Performing Arts’ (DASPA) Artistic Research division.

BALCAZAR TEKNIK The Nordic Film Acting Institute

BALCAZAR TECHNIQUE ®
& ACTING

With the BALCAZAR TECHNIQUE ® the actor enhances its ability to create, use, and transform their emotional energy in terms of text and character work.

It is the approach to the dramatic work, that significantly differentiates from other acting techniques. The literary approach has been replaced by an emotional and intuitive approach. The actors’ focus and development are aimed towards amplifying and dramatizing the emotional universe which occurs in the character and text work. 

BALCAZAR TECHNIQUE ®
& PERFORMANCE

With BALCAZAR TECHNIQUE ®, the audience also gets an opportunity to experience the narrative in a kind of “eternal here and now”. The audience experiences the actor’s performance on a psycho-emotional level rather than being presented with a more rational and analytical rendition of the material which easily can appear expressionless or too exaggerated.

The actor is trained to deliver a performance that strongly resonates with the audience: The individual viewer’s emotional system is activated and experienced in its own unique way in line with the actor conveying and involving the audience in the drama through the use of emotional tools.

BALCAZAR TEKNIK The Nordic Film Acting Institute
Vores studerende Nordic film acting institute

Research

Artistic research with a focus on film acting is an important part of N.F.A.I’s culture. We believe that this century’s humanistic paradigm shift has a lot to offer to practicing artists in terms of their performative work.

Many film acting techniques, in many ways, seem to be outdated as they are based on Konstantin Stanislavskij’s work and practice. These techniques focus on the analytical approach to the narrative, the actor’s actions, and the use of their emotional resources as an important part of the acting work.

Today we know that the brain’s capacity in connection with art and the creative processes is very limited, as concerning the left cerebral hemisphere, where the analytical part is rooted. We also know that the creative processes require a release of the actors’ consciousness.

N.F.A.I is interested in developing the film acting profession in line with the new knowledge in brain research, consciousness studies, quantum physics, and bioenergetics process so that the actors can release their potential and at the same time make their work process more healthy, effective, and sustainable.

ARTISTIC RESEARCH

Artistic Research is art-based research that takes place at all the higher artistic educations in Denmark. This consists of teachers themselves conducting artistic generating activities as well as reflecting and documenting the projects. In Danish, the initiative is called ‘Kunstnerisk udviklingsvirksomhed’ (KUV). In short Artistic Research focuses on art practice as a knowledge-producing act.

With the position as a teaching assistant professor at The Danish National School of Performing Arts, Emma Balcázar received a KUV research fellow for her own technique. The Research project was called The Magic Circle and is an immersion in methodology, pedagogical development, and artistic practice of the BALCAZAR TEKNIK ® which is the knowledge basis of our programs.

KUV ddsks

OTHER PROJECTS

In N.F.A.I we are always open to research and do projects that shed light on the interplay between audiovisual media, the film industry, and performing artists. This can for example be about studying the text, experimental acting, or screen testing et al. 

Do you have an idea for a study or a project that you think will be suitable and is not commercial, then you are welcome to contact us with a proposal. This can for example be about text research, experimental acting, or screen testing.

CHARACTER STUDY

A project in collaboration with scriptwriter Rum Malmros 

BALCAZAR TEKNIK The Nordic Film Acting Institute

Rum came to us with an original chamber play about difficult family relationships. Actors used BALCAZAR TEKNIK® to open up the character’s 3 dimension and explore new possibilities.

“On several different projects I have received help from Emma Balcazar and her students from the Nordic Film Acting Institute to develop my film scenes. With the acting ensemble’s natural and empathetic improvisations on characters, dialogue and key scenes from my treatment, I have been able to test and nurture even more infants and the sustainability of fragile ideas. The fact that as a screenwriter you get the opportunity, already at an early stage in the writing process, to see different bids on the film’s most important moments, is incredibly rewarding for the writing process: The characters get a pulse. instantly a sense of the potential and shortcomings of ideas.In short, the technique is a gift for the writing process that can save the author several rewrites in different directions – and at the same time a booster for creativity, as you can quickly try out different ideas and get new and interesting offers. the inner and outer life of the characters.If you are an instructor or screenwriter and have not yet tried to develop your idea at the Nordic Film Acting Institute, give yourself the chance! There is a great opportunity to get writing alleys cut away at an early stage. And there is nothing better than noticing when the dramatic potential of one’s ideas gives goosebumps! “

Malmros Room

Screenwriter

COLLABORATION WITH BRAIN BAR STUDIOS

Project in collaboration with motioncapture artist Ricardo León
Imagen 1

Acting is an industry that must keep pace with technological developments. Therefore, it is important that actors update their methods and instrumental work to the new demands of the market. At NFAI, we did a pilot project with Ricardo León and Brain Bar studio, where our actors had the opportunity to work with motion capture and tune their acting instrument to this new technology. Our hope is that this collaboration will open doors to new job markets for our actors

Drawings & Emotions

A project in collaboration with Ole Comoll Christensen

How are facial emotions drawn? Can the subtle changes in the actor’s body be registered  and drawn in real-time while they work with the BALCAZAR TEKNIK®. 

Web

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bodily maps of emotion