Professional, practical, small-group on-camera classes for young actors. Six students max. Instructors are all working actors. Classes are held at a working casting studio, Beatty Street Casting Studios at 788 Beatty St, B2 Level, at Robson St in downtown Vancouver.
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Mission: To prepare young actors to audition and work in BC’s film and television industry by providing professional, practical on-camera training.
Classes are fun and supportive, with a focus on putting in the work to be professional and developing a strong work ethic. Our actor training builds skills like self-confidence, self-awareness, listening skills, self management and emotional availability — valuable life skills at any age, and a real advantage for young actors. |
Very Small Class Size: Six students maximum.
Holistic Approach: Small classes allow our instructors, all veteran actors, to cover a range of skills in a holistic way that includes *all* the interconnected parts of the actor’s craft. Each class includes elements of scene study, audition technique, script analysis, emotional access, and exercises drawn from disciplines as diverse as Method, Meisner, Improv, Expressive Art Therapy, Lecoq Clown, Fitzmaurice Voicework and more.
Professional: Instructors are all working actors. Classes are based around the skills students need to audition and work on set.
Practical: Classes are held in a working casting studio at 788 Beatty St in downtown Vancouver. Video from class is uploaded to the website so you and your agent can track your progress. Students without an agent are included in our online showcase, and are regularly signed by local agents.
Class Levels
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Many actors study with us over a course of several years, working on progressively more sophisticated material. Returning students always start from wherever they finished at the end of the previous session, regardless of which “Level” class fits their schedule.
Progress in acting, like in any professional skill, is incremental. Our goal at Biz Studio is to demand the highest level of performance from our students, while still encouraging their love of acting by balancing discipline with fun. We are passionate about good acting. And fun. |
Level 1 Students: Confidence on Camera. New actors, actors building confidence, and actors transitioning to film & TV from other performing disciplines (dance, singing, theatre, etc.). Students work to master honesty, camera & audition technique with Actor (1-2 Line) and Principal (3-6 Line) scenes.
Level 2 Students: Bold, Personal, Appropriate Choices. Actors with the training/experience to do an honest, emotionally committed, on-camera Principal (3-6 Line) scene without coaching. Students work to master script analysis, story structure, and bringing their full emotional and personal lives to the character using Principal (3-6 Line) and Large Principal (6-10 Line) scenes.
Level 3 Students: Raising The Bar. Actors with the training/experience to do an honest, emotionally committed, on-camera Large Principal (6-10 Line) scene without coaching. Students work on full audition scripts for Large Principal, Guest Star and Lead roles.
Instructors
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Michael Bean: Founder and principal coach at Biz Studio, Michael has an irrepressible and energetic teaching style. A classically trained actor, Michael’s recent film credits include roles in “The Big Year” with Steve Martin & Jack Black, “Love Happens” with Jennifer Aniston, “Case 39″ with Renee Zellweger, and “The Day The Earth Stood Still” with Jennifer Connelly. Michael is based out of Vancouver, BC in Canada. |
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Julie Patzwald: Julie’s career started at age fourteen and has taken her to LA (2yrs), London (1yr), and most recently to Tokyo and through Asia working on a docu-drama for National Geographic. She has two Leo Awards (BC’s top award for acting in Film & Television), the last of which was for her supporting role on Global TV’s The Guard. Julie is a passionate and articulate coach, with a direct personal understanding of what it takes to be successful as a young actor. |
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Laura Bertram: Laura was on set full time from age twelve to seventeen as one of the leads on the Canadian TV series “Ready or Not”, and has been working steadily ever since (Andromeda, Robson Arms, Supernatural, more). Recently she worked with Canadian comedy icon Seth Rogen on his new film “50/50″. In addition to having first hand knowledge of what it takes to be a young actor, Laura is a licensed and practicing high school teacher in the Province of BC. |
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Shelene Yung: A professional actor and stunt performer, Shelene has taught acting, stunt performance, fight choreography and movement training with the Fight Directors of Canada, Duelling Arts International, The International Order of the Sword and the Pen, The United Stuntmen’s Association, Vancouver’s Arts Umbrella and Theatre in the Raw, and Regina’s Globe Theatre and Hectik Theatre Company. She’s a champion wrestler, teaches Jui Jitsu, climbs, scuba dives, and is familiar with a wide range of weapons. Her professional stunt credits include Smallville, SGU Stargate Universe, Fireball and Fear Itself. Check out her stunt demo on YouTube |