Stranger Scenes & The Upside Down of Acting On Camera (Grades 6-8)

Step in front of the camera—and into a world of mystery, imagination, and sci-fi adventure! Constellation’s Stranger Scenes & The Upside Down of Acting On Camera is a 7-week on-camera acting class for Middles (Grades 6-8) that introduces students to the fun, creative, and technical skills actors use on film, television, and green screen sets. Inspired by the high-stakes worlds of sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery series and films like Stranger Things, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Super 8, and Ender’s Game, students will learn how to create believable performances in imaginary environments, react to unseen creatures and digital effects, and bring bold screen moments to life.

Through acting games and drills, character-building exercises, and scene study inspired by middle school-centric films and series like Super 8, Stranger Things, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Harry Potter, and Ender’s Game, students will build confidence and strengthen important acting skills including focus, memorization, collaboration, vocal clarity, physical expression, emotional connection, and character development. They will also practice essential on-camera techniques such as hitting marks, maintaining eyelines, adjusting performance size for the camera, matching actions across multiple takes, and responding truthfully to off-camera cues or imagined CGI elements. By the end of the class, students will apply their skills to film a cinematic scene, gaining a stronger understanding of screen acting, green screen performance, and how to create clear, imaginative, and believable work on camera.