Carissa Dalton is a professional actor, writer, director, teacher, and coach. She has over twenty years of commercial, television, film, and stage experience as an actor. She has appeared in projects for Volkswagen, Teleflora, Amtrak, Mitsubishi, Sony TV, National Geographic, and more.

As a writer, actor, and director, she co-wrote, starred in, and directed the feature film All The Dragons. She has also directed thirty short films. As a teacher and coach, Carissa has worked with actors and directors, helping them elevate their skills through the CFTN Film Lab—a collaborative class of actors, writers, and directors working to create film organically, of which she is the co-founder and co-director.

Carissa is also a well-trained vocalist, tap dancer, and theater performer.

This past year, she has taught film acting at CYT, producing two original short films, and at Arcadia Christian Academy, writing and producing two original one-act plays and two original short films.

She is currently getting her Master’s Degree at Flourish Institute of Theology.

Chris Dalton is a professional writer, author, teacher, and mentor. With over twenty years of experience as a writer, he began in marketing and then moved into the non-profit world. He is a published author, appearing in Group magazine, Relevant magazine, The Story Warren, and other publications. His novels, Nicholas and the Keeper of Names, a middle-grade fantasy-adventure, The Lantern Heart, a modern-day fable,  and The Sumo and the Akita, a young readers’ fantasy-adventure, are all in print.

Chris has written several feature films for various production companies and independent producers in the entertainment industry. While working in Hollywood, he consulted on numerous feature films and television shows, mentored dozens of professional writers, provided script coverage for three hundred scripts, read over four hundred scripts for film competitions, and oversaw the writing program for Act One from 2016 to 2018.

Chris co-founded and co-led the CFTN Film Lab with Carissa, overseeing twenty-nine short films from development to production. He also co-wrote the feature film, All the Dragons, with Carissa Dalton.

This past year, Chris has taught English Language Arts at Arcadia Christian Academy, helping the students write and shoot a dozen short films.

He is currently getting his Master’s Degree at Flourish Institute of Theology.

Both Chris and Carissa have worked with children and teens extensively over the last twenty eight years. They have worked in children’s ministry, as youth pastors, held film labs for young adults, taught at Christian Youth Theater, and currently teach English Language Arts and Film at Arcadia Christian Academy.

Our 5-day acting and writing intensives cost $350/student. Our 2-week Film Lab costs $600/student.