In 2013, the venerable 3-month Diploma Course at BJAS became the Diploma in Film Acting course. The original Diploma Course had been offered, first at Imago School of Acting and then Barry John Acting Studio, for about 15 years. Prospective students and graduates were clamoring for a revision that included more work on preparing for roles in. feature films, TV series, short films and web series.

Barry John set out to revise the syllabus. He didn’t just include new work on filming scripted scenes. New international techniques and exercises were added which enhanced the work on filmed scenes, and all of these included filmed scene work. These included exercises from Steven Book, highly regarded acting teacher from Hollywood, and projects and scene work based on exercises adapted from the work of Sanford Meisner, the influential New York acting teacher whose students included Leo DiCaprio, Alec Baldwin, David Duchovny, Robert Duvall, Tom Cruise, and John Turturro, among many others. 

The revised syllabus also includes a final short film, written and directed by the students. This project incorporates what the students have learned about film production, story and character development, and of course, film acting.

All of the BJAS faculty were (and continue to be) trained to effectively oversee the Diploma in Film Acting course.

In 2014, the DFA course was again modified by student demand. A six-month version was opened at the Mumbai Studio. This six-month DFA is now widely known as one of India’s best full-time acting courses, and has become BJAS’s most popular course. 

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