Studio Location in Vancouver, BC, Canada:
The Casting Place (a professional casting studio)
33 E. 7th Ave, Vancouver (Map)
All class times are in Pacific Standard Time; UTC-8
Contact Us
Michael
Michael Bean | Head Coach
Founder and principal coach at Biz Studio, Michael is one of the best-respected coaches and teachers for young actors in Vancouver. A classically trained actor with an extensive film and television resume (IMDB), Michael is the author of “Confidence on Camera: A Handbook for Young Actors”, which is used by many local talent agents as a primer for clients new to the industry. Michael brings the same attention to detail as an instructor that he expects from his students, and his teaching style is characterized by an infectious enthusiasm.
“We always know when one of Michael’s students walks in the room; they just know what they’re doing.” -Casting director Kris Woznesensky
Sydney
Sydney Bell | Coach + Teacher
Sydney’s first love was the theatre, and then grew to include working professionally in film and television, voice-over and commercials. A graduate of Ryerson University’s theatre program, Sydney has lived and worked as a professional actor in Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver, and knows each city’s arts scene intimately. She continues to work regularly in film and television (“Arrow”, “Hell on Wheels”, supporting role in the Lifetime MOW “Cradle Will Fall”, more on IMDB). A lifelong learner, Sydney is always taking classes herself, expanding her range as an artist and learning new tools. As a teacher she’s extremely supportive and encouraging, and focuses on helping students ask “How can I relate to this character and make it as authentic as possible?”
Anja
Anja Savcic | Coach + Teacher
Anja is a veteran teacher and working actor, whose resume includes twenty episodes as one of the leads on comedy series Loudermilk (AT&T), and recurring roles on Sacred Lies (FB), Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (BBC America), Strange Empire (CBC), The Magicians (CW), and more (IMDB). She first found her love of teaching through volunteering with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, where she still runs an in-school self-esteem program for girls ages 10-12, and through years of teaching film and television acting at Arts Umbrella, including their full year “Film Actors Clinic”. Her teaching style is precise and straightforward, balanced with lots of support and empathy.
Leanne
Leanne Lapp | Coach + Teacher
Leanne began her acting career as a teenager. She has since amassed a large body of work, ranging from feature films such as Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount), recurring roles in TV shows including iZombie (CW), The Magicians (SyFy), and Rogue (DirecTV), and leading roles in multiple Hallmark movies (more on IMDB). She has studied at Circle in the Square Theater School in New York City, and improvises with The Groundlings School in Los Angeles. Leanne is passionate about offering guidance and support for young actors. She works closely with students and parents, advising on how to read an audition breakdown, what to expect on your first day on set, and everything in between. Her goal as a teacher is to take the fear out of pursuing a career as an actor. It’s all possible for those who are willing to put in the work!
Emily Tennant | Coach + Teacher
Emily started in commercials at age five, booked her first lead role in a movie at age ten, and has been working regularly ever since. Young actors might remember her as “Ivy” in the series Mr. Young, or “Amy Walker” in Flicka 2, but her resume ranges from dramatic television (Supernatural, Dark Angel, Kingdom Hospital), to feature films like the Oscar-winning Juno and lighter fare like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and multiple Hallmark movies (more on IMDB). She’s a busy audition coach, and works regularly as a reader for local casting directors Sean Cossey and JJ Ogilvy. Emily’s teaching style balances technical precision with warmth and easy humour.
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