MasterClass Review 2023: Best Online Acting Courses, Directing Classes

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If you have any storytellers and budding filmmakers in your life, a Masterclass course makes for the perfect personalized and thoughtful gift this holiday season.

MasterClass’s courses cut a swath through almost every industry, from cooking and interior design to writing and sports, but some of their most popular and star-studded classes are catered towards those within the entertainment industry. Spike Lee, Aaron Sorkin, Martin Scorsese and David Lynch are among the industry vets who have exclusive classes on writing, acting, and filmmaking. Titanic director James Cameron, meantime, teaches a 15-course class about directing that you can watch and learn through your screen. And actors like Jodie Foster, Samuel L. Jackson and Natalie Portman shares their best audition tips and acting tips for both established and up-and-coming thespians alike.

MasterClass Annual Subscription $180 Buy Now

Unlike traditional continuing education classes, which require in-person attendance and tuition fees, MasterClass courses are available as part of an annual subscription for $180 (for access to all the classes on the site). The fee gets you lifetime access to the course videos and materials, so you can reference the lesson plans and tips at any time.

MasterClass says it has a “robust pipeline” of new courses and categories set to launch in the next few months, which will bring its catalog to more than 100 classes, and more than a thousand lessons. Best of all, it makes an awesome gift for the film buff on your list that you send easily and instantly online (which is how most of us are gifting these days). Prices start at $15 per month or $180 for an annual subscription, which gets you unlimited, on-demand access to all the best MasterClass courses.