Private Coaching · Los Angeles + Online

Mason Richards
Studio

Directing-level attention, one actor at a time. Private coaching from a director who's spent twenty years building performances from the inside out.

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The Approach

The same process that gets a performance ready for the camera — aimed at you, before the room, not after.

This isn't a class. It's private, one-on-one work with a director's eye — scene by scene, choice by choice — rooted in Uta Hagen's technique: identity and true human behavior over performance. The same approach Mason teaches at Emerson, equally at home on stage and on screen.

Work With Mason

Two ways to train

In-Person — Los Angeles

One-on-one sessions on a working Hollywood sound stage. Scene work, audition prep, and camera-ready notes — delivered the way a director gives them.

Book In-Person

Online — Anywhere

The same process, over Zoom. Built for self-tape prep, ongoing scene work, and actors training from outside LA.

Book Online
See the Process
VIDEO PLACEHOLDER
Studio reel — filming after Aug 15 sound stage shoot
Mason Richards
About Mason

Trained in the technique. Tested on set.

Mason's coaching pairs Uta Hagen's approach — identity and true human behavior over performance — with a director's eye, shaped by over two decades in the industry — directing actors on stage and screen, and teaching at Emerson College-LA. His short film THE SEAWALL, shot with a cast of non-actors, premiered at Cannes in 2011 — proof the notes hold up under real pressure, not just in theory.

  • Approach rooted in Uta Hagen's technique — identity & true behavior
  • THE SEAWALL — Cannes Film Festival, 2011 (cast of non-actors)
  • MFA, Directing — California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)
  • Faculty, Emerson College-LA — Directing Actors for the Screen
  • Creator, Acting for Writers — Emerson low-residency MFA
Who This Is For

Built for actors who want a director's eye, not just another class.

Prepping for a specific audition

Focused, high-stakes prep before a callback or booking — the notes you'd get on set, before you're on set.

Building ongoing scene work

Ongoing 1:1 training for actors who want a consistent creative partner, not a rotating classroom.

Working actors, second opinion

Established actors who want a trusted outside eye before stepping onto a new set.

Length

60 minutes, in-person or over Zoom.

What to Prepare

Bring a scene, sides, or whatever you're working toward — we'll shape the session around it.

Format

One-on-one, camera-ready notes, no observers.

Ready When You Are

Let's get to work.

Sessions are available in Los Angeles and online. Choose a time that works for you.

Book a Session