Interview with Paul Kampf, Founder and Acting Teacher – PAI Training – Part 2

As we enter 2012, PAI Training and Breadline Productions continue to grow. I thought this might be a good time to rewind and share Paul’s story about moving from theater in Chicago to film and theater in LA, and how his unique approach to teaching acting sets him apart from the myriad of other acting teachers in LA. What follows is part 2 of a two-part interview that I, the Director of Social Media (DSM), did with Paul Kampf.

DSM: Speaking of acting student success, you have quite a choir of praise for your work from current and past students.

Paul: I am very grateful for the comments and word of mouth that continues to grow. The most important thing is the impact on those you work with. I’ve seen actors careers launch, rekindle or grow in ways that they didn’t expect. That is the most satisfying part of teaching.

DSM: You work with actors ranging from well-known to just starting out. Is your approach different?

Paul: The approach, essentially, is very much the same. I focus on each actor’s instrument. It’s so crucial to know the notes the actor can plan and if the actor knows how to play those notes. Award winning actors have a different instrument, developed and honed over years of work. I put my focus on the notes and triggers that are in their blind spot, as I do with talented, soon to be known actors.

DSM: It sounds more like a music lesson than an acting class. How is your work different than all the other teachers out there?

Paul: I do think of acting like a music lesson or a sporting activity. Each requires the participant to know HOW their instrument works, WHAT needs to be done to gain control of those assets, and WHERE to work to expand the notes or build the muscles necessary for success.

DSM: Where did your approach come from? Do you come out of a specific ‘School’ of acting or method?

Paul: Hmm… I would say that my approach comes from two different sources: My own experiences as an actor and my desire to find a personalized approach to inspire the actor to teach himself. I started out deeply in Meisner Training while an undergraduate. During that time I also studied Stanislavski’s system (well, as much as you can through American translation). By the time I was in Graduate School I was immersed in all theories and approaches from Artaud to Michael Chekhov.

At that time I really started finding the power in the imagination, the image, and connection to the body. I came to the conclusion that an actor’s whole life should be focused on cultivating a tremendous imagination. He then has to be able to imagine and feel. Imagine and feel. If the bridge is there, anything is possible. So, I started a personal journey to develop techniques, exercises, and processes that allow the actor to achieve the above.

DSM: So, you have your own system?

Paul: Ughhh… I shutter at that thought since ‘The System’ has so many connotations. I will say that I have developed an approach that builds the actor’s instrument no matter the approach he or she follows. If the instrument is in tune, Meisner, Adler, Hagen, Boleslavsky, or anyone’s approach will serve the actor well. But if you believe in digging into the actor’s personal, painful, conscious life experiences, you won’t find my approach effective. I teach ‘what could be’ for the character, not ‘what was’ for the actor.

DSM: How does an actor reading this interview, or going through your website get a chance to consider working with you?

Paul: I will tell you up front that I’m a little different in that way as well. If an actor is interested in potentially working with me, they should send an email. We then set up a meeting over a cup of coffee and I talk. I listen. I ask questions. I answer questions.

An actor spending $1.00 on training has to believe he will get a minimum of $1.01 back. By sitting down and talking we each get a clear sense of the other. It’s a personal relationship and if it doesn’t feel right, then why would you go forward?

If it feels mutually right, then I will suggest the actor take a one on one intensive with me for 4-weeks to prep him with the basis of my approach. From there, they step into an Ongoing Master Class.

At times, actors have stepped right into a class, but I don’t want anyone not to have the base tools that I teach. I do cover/review them in class from time to time, but it’s not the focus of the Master Classes.

DSM: What is the actor’s commitment to your classes? Do they have a short-term contract?

Paul: I know a lot of places do that, or they have your credit card on file for automatic charge. I don’t do this. An actor’s commitment to class is month to month. If the work, their growth and the atmosphere aren’t giving more than they are paying, they shouldn’t come back next month. Incidentally, I’ve never had one-month actors.

To find out more about Paul Kampf’s Master acting classes, check out the website for PAI Training, or email him at asst@breadlineproductions.com – PART 1 of interview with Paul Kampf, LA Acting teacher

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