Meet David Rountree of LA Acting Studios in North Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Rountree.

Rountree is co-owner LA Acting Studios, which is a professional on-camera acting class. He began as a full-time actor, but began working his way to the other side of the camera. He has produced five completed feature films, four of which, he directed. He has also written 5 feature film scripts, which were all bought and completed and has directed nearly 30 commercials.

Rountree’s latest two films, 108 Stitches and CUT! which he wrote, produced and directed, both had theatrical releases and CUT! was picked by MRankings.com (Movie Rankings) as one of the TOP 5 HORROR FILMS of 2014. He is listed 10th in the Top 20 Up-and-Coming Hollywood Directors Under 40 and was recently featured on the front page of the Hollywood Reporter.

He teamed up with partner Jeremy Jordan to create an avenue for actors to get real on-set acting training, which is an advanced method involving aspects that cover so much more than just acting.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The studio has continued to grow over the past year. Rountree taught a “regular” acting class years ago, but by adding the on-set experience, it has given a new element that most other classes do not offer. They get notes from a working director and get to see a different perspective of what is really needed and expected. This includes the technical side of the trade, which better prepares the actors to, not only get the job, but what to do, when they arrive to actually shoot. The uniqueness of this format has led to increased numbers and even resulting in Rountree adding more days to the weekly schedule.

Just like anything, there are some obstacles that arise. Since Rountree is a working director, his schedule is not 100% flexible and with several upcoming feature films on his agenda, it may cause times in the future where his availability might fluctuate. So far, Rountree works to alter his schedule to be available and really enjoys working with actors throughout the week.

Please tell us about LA Acting Studios.
LA Acting Studios is very unique in that we offer something that no one else does around town.

Sample Video from class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnfvtEDMZIo

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
In 7th grade, I convinced my teacher to allow me to make a film, instead of having to write a paper for a history project. The film received an A and was so much fun to put together. I had to comprise my edit by filming the moments I wanted directly off of the television playing the recorded VHS tape. I had to record my master tape by using the exact moments that I wanted. The quality was terrible, but I am proud of the creative problem-solving efforts that allowed me to put it all together.

Contact Info:

• Address: 5250 Vineland Ave.,
  North Hollywood, CA
• Website: http://laactingstudios.com/
• Phone: 424-279-8132
• Email: LAActingStudios@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LAsPremieronsetactingstudio/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/laactingstudio

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.