About
Labs
What is the structure of the lab?
Each Lab consists of two intensive working sessions, followed by an optional professional filming session the following week.
During the Lab sessions, actors work closely with Adam to develop and refine a scene partner performance specifically designed for camera. The filming session is where that work culminates—actors perform fully realized scenes that are professionally filmed and delivered as reel-ready material.
How many Actors are in each Lab?
Each Lab is intentionally limited to 10 actors. (12 maximum)
This allows for meaningful, focused attention on each actor’s process and ensures an environment where actors can take risks, deepen their work, and receive specific, individualized direction for meaningful blocks of workshop time.
The Lab is designed to be intimate, rigorous, and deeply collaborative—not a lecture or large classroom. As actors we don’t just learn from doing our work, we learn from watching others grow, expand, and breakthrough.
What kind of scenes will we be filming?
The Lab focuses primarily on film and television scenes, as the goal is to develop material suitable for your professional reel and to strengthen your on-camera work.
After you sign up, you’ll receive an intake form / questionnaire designed to gather information so that Adam can help select material that aligns with each actors goals and strengths while expanding their range and setting them up to succeed.
How are scene partners assigned?
Actors are paired thoughtfully based on a number of factors, including experience level. The goal is to create partnerships that challenge and support both actors, and that result in the strongest possible work for each individual. Actors that sign up together do have the option to request a specific scene partner.
How professional is the filming process?
The filming portion is approached with the same care, preparation, and standards as a professional film production. Actors work alongside a full crew of 8–10 experienced industry professionals, including a Director of Photography, camera operators, camera assistants, a gaffer and lighting team, sound designer, boom operator, and Adam directing the performances to get your absolute best take on the day.
The production team meets in advance to prepare each scene—designing lighting, testing cameras, and building an environment that allows actors to do their best, most truthful work on camera. We rent high-end cinema cameras, professional lens packages, and a full lighting and sound package, sparing no expense in creating footage that meets true industry standards.
We will have a professional hair and makeup designer on set, that actors can elect in advance to work with for an additional cost, ensuring they look fully camera-ready and represented at their highest level.
This is not a classroom exercise—it is a fully realized production environment. When paired with the refined performances developed in the Lab, the result is cinematic, reel-ready footage designed to represent you competitively and authentically, and to give you the strongest possible material for agents, casting directors, and professional submission.
The goal is simple: to give you the highest-quality footage you’ve had to date—footage that reflects not only how you look, but the depth, presence, and truth of your work.
We understand that actors are often gig workers, and schedules can shift quickly due to auditions, bookings, travel, or other professional opportunities. It’s completely understandable that circumstances may change after enrolling.
At the same time, InTheLab is intentionally designed as a small, curated workshop. Actors are carefully paired with scene partners, material is assigned in advance, and filming and production planning begin well before the first session. Because each participant plays a vital role in the structure and experience of the group, late cancellations can significantly impact fellow actors and the overall integrity of the work.
To balance flexibility with fairness and to protect the experience for all participants, the following policy applies:
• Full refund: Cancellations made 14 or more days prior to the Lab start date
• 50% refund: Cancellations made 7–13 days prior to the Lab start date
• Non-refundable: Cancellations made less than 7 days prior to Lab start date
Participants may also request to transfer their enrollment to a future workshop (subject to availability) with at least 7 days’ notice.
These policies allow us to maintain the intimate, professional, and highly prepared environment that makes the Lab such a meaningful and effective experience for every actor involved.
What is the cancellation policy?
Where are labs and filming weekend held?
The two Lab sessions are held at the ACME Annex in Minneapolis. Filming takes place in a location tbd.
What will I receive after filming?
Actors who participate in the filming portion will receive professionally filmed, fully edited scene(s) tailored specifically to you. Unlike most independent projects—where the edit often favors one character—each scene in the Lab is edited individually for every actor. This means you will receive your own custom edit in which your performance is the editorial focus, ensuring your work is fully visible, emotionally complete, and optimized for your reel, submissions, and professional use. Delivery timelines will be communicated clearly following filming.
Who is the lab designed for?
Actors of varying experience levels are welcome, though the Lab is really set up for individuals committed to meaningful, focused work who are serious about their craft and their professional development, including:
• Working film and television actors
• Emerging young actors seeking to learn more about the On-Camera experience
• Actors preparing to pursue agency representation
• Actors seeking to elevate the quality of their reel and on-camera work
• Theatre-trained actors looking to transition into film and television
• Dedicated beginners who are serious, committed, and ready to engage fully
No specific level of experience is required. What matters most is a genuine commitment to the work, a willingness to prepare, and an openness to growth.
This Lab is not a traditional weekly class.
It is an intensive, focused experience designed to:
• Develop professional-level on-camera performance
• Provide direct access to real industry process
• Create high-quality reel material
• Work in a small, highly attentive environment
The focus is on depth, specificity, and meaningful artistic growth.
How is this different from a regular acting class?
No. Actors at different stages of their development are welcome.
What matters most is a genuine commitment to the work and a readiness to engage fully in the process.
Do I need to have experience to participate?
Because each Lab is limited to only 10 actors, availability is extremely limited.
Once a Lab is full, additional actors must wait for future sessions.
Actors are encouraged to reserve their place once they are confident in their availability.
How quickly do Labs fill?
What is the time commitment?
Each Lab consists of two in-depth working sessions, once a week for two weeks. Actors will be asked to meet outside of the lab with their scene partners to rehearse prior to the first working session, and in-between sessions and filming weekend to implement the feedback they receive.
Filming Weekend takes place the following week and is scheduled intentionally to allow actors time to fully absorb and deepen the work before they bring it to camera.
Each pair of actors will only be filming on ONE of the two filming days scheduled. Actors can request which day works best in advance of the weekend.
What happens after I sign up?
Once you register, you’ll receive an intake form designed to help Adam understand your experience, goals, and the kinds of roles and material that best serve you.
From there, Adam will:
• Select appropriate scene material
• Assign scene partners thoughtfully
• Provide preparation guidance leading into the Lab
The process is collaborative, intentional, and designed to set each actor up for meaningful, successful work.
Will I be expected to memorize my scene?
Yes. Actors are expected to arrive fully prepared and off-book.
This allows the Lab to focus on the deeper creative work—exploration, specificity, emotional truth, and developing a performance that translates powerfully on camera.
Actors are supported throughout the process, but preparation is an essential part of the experience.
Yes. Actors receive fully edited, professionally filmed scenes and have full permission to use the footage for:
• Acting reels
• Agency submissions
• Casting submissions
• Personal websites
• Professional social media
Can I use the footage professionally?
While no program can guarantee representation, the Lab is designed to strengthen the two most important factors agents and casting directors respond to:
• The quality of your work
• The quality of your footage
Professional, authentic, reel-ready material—and deeper on-camera experience—can significantly strengthen an actor’s readiness and competitiveness.
Will this help me get an agent?
Is the filming portion optional?
Yes. Actors may participate in the Lab for the craft experience alone (though there are only 2 slots available per lab), or they may choose to participate in the professional filming session and receive professionally shot footage from our incredible team of filmmakers.
The filming portion is where actors leave with professionally filmed, reel-ready scenes suitable for submission to agents, casting directors, and industry professionals.