Browse Items

Dialect & Accent Coaching -- From Caribbean to Classical

I rebuilt my voice from a thick Bahamian accent to classical American diction. I can teach you to do the same with any accent. We work on vowel placement, consonant precision, and rhythm. The goal isn't to erase where you're from -- it's to choose how you sound for each role.

Film Directing Fundamentals -- Telling the Story Through the Lens

I directed nine films. The trick is knowing what the camera should see versus what the audience should feel. Those are often different things. We work on shot selection, actor direction, and visual storytelling. Bring a short script and we'll storyboard it together.

Autobiography Collection (The Measure of a Man + This Life)

Both my memoirs. The Measure of a Man won the Grammy for spoken word. This Life tells the full story -- Cat Island, the tomato fields, dishwashing in Harlem, and every role that mattered. Read them in order.

Physical Acting Masterclass -- The Body Tells the Story

I never went to acting school. I learned by doing. My body was my instrument -- the way I scratched, squatted, spat, laughed. Kurosawa once told me to watch how animals move. A tiger doesn't announce itself. It moves, and you KNOW it's a tiger. We work on physicality, gesture, and primal energy.

Samurai Armor Set (Reproduction Do, Kabuto, Menpo)

Full reproduction samurai armor: chest plate (do), helmet (kabuto), and face guard (menpo). I wore gear like this in Throne of Blood and Samurai Trilogy. It changes how you stand, walk, and breathe. Tip: Wear it for an hour before filming -- let your body adapt so the armor disappears.

Film Directing Masterclass -- Composing with the Camera

I teach directing the way I learned painting -- through composition. Where is the eye drawn? What is the relationship between foreground and background? We use storyboards, not shot lists. Every frame should be a painting that moves. Tip: Use multiple cameras. Actors perform differently when they don't know which camera is live.

Storyboard Workshop -- Drawing Your Film Before You Shoot

I painted full-color storyboards for every scene in my later films -- Kagemusha, Ran, Dreams. They're works of art on their own. You don't need to be a great painter. You need to THINK visually. We work with watercolors and ink. Bring your script and we'll draw your film.

Film Editing Workshop -- The Invisible Art

Editing is where the film is truly made. I'll show you how a two-second cut changes everything -- mood, pace, meaning. We work with actual footage. I cut on a Moviola for forty years. Digital is faster but the principles are eternal: rhythm, contrast, surprise. Tip: The best cut is the one the audience doesn't notice.

Watercolor & Ink Set (Kurosawa's Storyboard Kit)

Professional watercolor set, sumi ink, and 50 sheets of storyboard paper with the frame templates I used. This is the exact setup for the Ran storyboards now in museums. Tip: Use big brushes. Small brushes make you fussy. Cinema is bold.

Kurosawa Film Library (Criterion Collection Box Set)

Twenty-five films on Blu-ray. Rashomon through Madadayo. Every film has commentary tracks and my own notes. Watch them in order and you'll see an artist evolve over fifty years. Start with Stray Dog if you want noir. Start with Ikiru if you want to cry.

Suspense Filmmaking Masterclass -- The Bomb Under the Table

I'll teach you to terrify an audience without showing them anything. We study the shower scene in Psycho (70 cuts, no knife-on-skin contact), the crop duster in North by Northwest (silence is scarier than music), and the dinner party in Rope (one continuous take). Tip: Always give the audience more information than the characters have. That's where suspense lives.

Storyboard & Shot Planning Workshop

I planned every frame before we rolled camera. By the time we shot, the film was already made -- the set was just a formality. We'll storyboard a five-minute suspense sequence from your script. Every shot has a PURPOSE. If it doesn't build tension, cut it.