THE LANGUAGE OF THE LENS
Actor. Director. DP. One Vision.
An Interactive Two-Day Master Class with Emmy Award-Winning Actor, Director & Producer Obba Babatundé
Three artists. Three perspectives. One unforgettable scene.
Saturday, November 8 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Courtland Grand Hotel | Downtown Atlanta
What happens when an actor, director, and cinematographer all approach the same scene—but see it through completely different eyes?
“The Language of the Lens: Actor. Director. DP. One Vision.” is an immersive, two-day filmmaking master class led by Emmy Award-winning actor, director, and producer Obba Babatundé.
This is not a traditional panel discussion. It is a live filmmaking laboratory designed to help emerging and working actors, directors, filmmakers, and cinematographers understand how great performances are shaped through collaboration between performance, direction, camera, and visual storytelling.
Emotional truth, character intention, physical life, listening and performance.
Performance communication, creative adjustments, blocking and unified vision.
Framing, coverage, camera motivation and visual translation of emotion.
INSTRUCTION + THE SCENE LAB
Day One establishes the foundation. Obba will lead participants through an interactive exploration of performance, directing, character development, scene interpretation, blocking, camera awareness, and communication between departments.
- Breaking down a dramatic scene and identifying its emotional objective
- Understanding character motivation, intention, conflict, and subtext
- Performing for the stage versus performing for the camera
- How actors understand what the director is asking for
- How directors communicate adjustments while protecting creativity
- Blocking for both performance and camera
- Framing, coverage, close-ups, reaction shots, and visual emphasis
- How camera placement changes emotional meaning
- Maintaining emotional continuity through multiple takes
- Building trust between actor, director, and cinematographer
THE WORKSHOP
The classroom then becomes a working set. Selected participants will have an opportunity to workshop the scene directly with Obba, applying the principles discussed during instruction.
Obba will observe the work, provide adjustments, challenge creative choices, and demonstrate how small changes in intention, direction, blocking, or camera awareness can dramatically transform a scene.
Participants won’t simply hear how the process works. They will experience it.
ONE-ON-ONE WITH OBBA
Day Two moves from group instruction to individual development. Each registered participant will receive dedicated one-on-one time with Obba Babatundé for personalized instruction, feedback, and creative coaching.
ACTORS
Character choices, emotional truth, authenticity, camera awareness, taking direction, scene preparation and audition technique.
DIRECTORS
Communicating with actors, directing performance, translating script to screen, blocking, coverage and collaboration with the DP.
FILMMAKERS & CINEMATOGRAPHERS
Visual storytelling, framing performances, camera motivation, shot selection, coverage and using the camera to support emotional intention.
SEE THE ENTIRE SCENE
Participants will gain practical insight into Performance. Direction. Camera. Collaboration. Communication. Visual Storytelling.
An actor begins to understand the director. A director begins to understand the actor. Both begin to understand what the camera needs. And all three begin working toward the same goal:
ONE SCENE. ONE STORY. ONE VISION.
BUILT FOR STORYTELLERS
This master class is designed for actors, directors, filmmakers, cinematographers, content creators, film students, producers, and emerging storytellers who want a deeper understanding of what happens between performance and camera.
Whether you’re preparing for your first professional set or looking to sharpen years of experience, the class provides practical techniques that can immediately be applied to your work.
OBBA BABATUNDÉ
Emmy Award-winning actor, director, producer, singer, dancer, and accomplished storyteller Obba Babatundé brings decades of professional experience across film, television, and theatre to this intimate master class.
Rather than simply discussing his career, Obba will use his experience in front of and behind the camera to teach participants how professional storytelling is built through preparation, communication, collaboration, and intentional creative choices.
Two days. Group instruction. Interactive scene work. Individual feedback.
RESERVE YOUR SEATTHREE PERSPECTIVES. ONE VISION.
THE LANGUAGE OF THE LENS • A PVIFF MASTER CLASS EXPERIENCE