MONROE - On stage or behind the camera, local students have a chance to jump start their entertainment careers. Central Academy of Technology and Arts will host a 14-week acting and filmmaking program, open to all Union County students ages 13 to 18.

CATA drama teacher Larry Robinson said this is something students shouldn’t pass up.

“I don’t care how good students think they are (at acting),” he said, “there’s always room for improvement.” Robinson continues to attend workshops to better his teaching techniques and pass new methods on to his students.

Classes start Tuesday and consist of beginner acting and scene study and filmmaking and editing. They are offered through Learn with Laughter, a nonprofit organization that helps educate and promote programs for children. This will be the first time the program is offered in Union County.

Linda Watt, a Learn with Laughter board member, will teach the acting classes. “Your best shot at being a successful actor in the industry is the earlier you get trained,” she said.

Watt has appeared in film, television and national commercials and studied method acting with Lorrie Hull, one of Lee Strasberg’s teachers. She later helped produce educational DVDs on method acting, which focuses on concentration and sense memory to realistically portray characters.

Watt also owns Corlin Productions, the broadcast production company that will provide equipment for the program. The company, founded in 1987, has offices in Los Angeles and Weddington.

“Her approach is going to strengthen students’ acting abilities,” Robinson said, adding that her focus on method acting will help students delve deeper into their characters and better relate to other actors.

“My curriculum complements the UCPS curriculum in drama,” Watt said. “I teach what professional ... actors use to create realism in their roles.”

Cory Riback will teach filmmaking and editing. Riback also works for Corlin Productions and has helped produce, direct, write and animate for film, television, documentaries, commercials and music videos. He has produced several children’s segments for PBS member stations.

Although there isn’t much exposure to filmmaking in UCPS, Robinson said students are more likely to see a film versus a live play. The former is “a media that they’re much more exposed to” and more likely to relate to. He expects Union County to have several students interested in this half of the program.

Corlin Productions will provide students with broadcast cameras, lighting, sound and editing equipment. Benton Heights Elementary School of the Arts is supplying Mac computers for students to use Final Cut Pro and Pro Tools in filmmaking.

Learn with Laughter received a grant from the Union County Community Arts Council and N.C. Arts Council to lower program costs.

The cost is $16 per session for acting and $18 per session for filmmaking. Scholarships are available. There were 10 spots open for acting and seven open for filmmaking as of Tuesday evening, Watt said.

Classes will meet on Tuesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at CATA.

An intermediate acting and scene study class will be offered at Cuthbertson High School starting in February for students who complete the beginner class.

For more information about the program, call Learn with Laughter at 704-849-2025. For biographies on Watt or Riback, visit corlinproductions.com.