Screenwise Film & TV School for Actors

What Screenwise Film & TV School for Actors does

Screenwise Film & TV School for Actors is a private, for-profit acting school headquartered in Surry Hills, Sydney, founded in 2000 by CEO Denise Roberts. The institution specialises exclusively in screen acting — film and television — distinguishing itself from Australian competitors that primarily focus on theatre. It operates as a government-accredited Registered Training Organisation (RTO Code 91699) and is described as the only provider in Australia of the two-year full-time Advanced Diploma of Screen Acting (11352NAT). The core curriculum is built around the proprietary Roberts Method, a screen-specific training philosophy that combines academic rigour with professional on-set preparedness.

The school's portfolio includes the flagship two-year full-time Advanced Diploma (valued at ~$38,000), a one-year part-time Showreel Course, six-week short courses at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, Screenteens for ages 12–16, Masterclasses for professional actors, private one-on-one coaching via Zoom, and a corporate training vertical. Revenue is generated through upfront tuition fees, payment plans facilitated by TLC Education Finance, and ancillary income from studio hire (five on-site studios rented to casting directors and production companies) and corporate engagements. The school's GTM is sales-led and audition-based for flagship programs, supported by organic search, social media, alumni word-of-mouth, career expos, and earned media (notably Channel 7 Sunrise in February 2025).

The business model is a multi-segment consumer and B2B education services operation, with operating geographies restricted to Australia (in-person at the Surry Hills studio, with select Zoom-delivered offerings). The customer base is highly fragmented across individual aspiring actors, teenagers, working professionals, and corporate clients. Headcount is 11–50 employees, and the company is privately held by founder Denise Roberts with no disclosed external funding or institutional investors.

Name

Screenwise Film & TV School for Actors

Legal name

Screenwise Pty Ltd

Website

https://screenwise.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Screenwise is a Sydney-based, government-accredited acting school founded in 2000 that delivers screen acting training — from six-week short courses to a two-year Advanced Diploma — plus corporate and teen programs, serving aspiring actors, working professionals, and organisations in Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Training

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE)

Keywords

• Screen acting training
• Acting school courses
• Advanced diploma acting
• Showreel production training
• Corporate presentation coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Surry Hills

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Short Course Fees: Screenwise generates revenue from six-week short acting courses (Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced Series) priced at $605 standard or $499 earlybird per course. Additional short-format offerings include Screenteens ($460-$499 per term, $295-$330 per holiday workshop), the Showreel Audition Unpacked workshop ($55), and Masterclasses (pricing varies).
2. Full-Time Advanced Diploma: The two-year full-time 11352NAT Advanced Diploma of Screen Acting is a government-accredited program. The full course tuition is valued at $38,000 (Founder's Scholarship valued at $38,000 covering full two-year tuition), with payment plans available through TLC Education Finance. VET Student Loans and FEE-HELP are not available for this course.
3. Showreel Course: The one-year part-time Showreel Course is priced as an all-inclusive package covering 12 months of tuition, an on-location shoot with professional directors and crew, and post-production of a high-resolution digital showreel. Payment plans are available through TLC Education Finance — from as little as $20/week for a single term or $70/week for the full course. An audition workshop ($55) serves as a lead-in, with the fee waived for those who subsequently apply for the course.
4. Private Acting Coaching: Screenwise offers private one-on-one tutoring sessions with industry professional tutors across film, TV, and theatre. Pricing: 1x 1hr Session $130; 3x 1hr sessions $360 ($120/hr); 6x 1hr sessions $690 ($115/hr). All prices inclusive of GST. Sessions held virtually via Zoom.
5. Corporate Training: Screenwise Corporate delivers tailor-made on-camera communication, presentation, and screen training programs for organisations across the private and public sector. Programs are delivered on-site, off-site, or digitally via Zoom. Pricing is customised based on organisational needs and group size.
6. Studio Facilities Hire: Screenwise rents out its five studio spaces to casting directors, corporations, writers, directors, and producers for workshops, rehearsals, and self-tape recording. Studio hire rates: Studio 1 (White Room) $50/hr, Studio 2 (Blue Room) $70/hr, Studio 3 (Green Room) $80/hr, Studio 4 (Self-Tape Room) $60/hr, Studio 5 (Studio Space) $70/hr. Camera package add-on $30/hr. Day rate (9:30am-5:00pm) attracts a 15% discount.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Screenwise Film & TV School for Actors is a Sydney-based private Registered Training Organisation (RTO 91699) that delivers screen acting tuition, from a two-year full-time government-accredited 11352NAT Advanced Diploma of Screen Acting and a one-year part-time Showreel Course, to six-week short courses, teen programs, masterclasses, private coaching, corporate on-camera training, and studio hire. Instruction is delivered in-person at its five Surry Hills studios (and selectively via Zoom) by working industry professionals using the proprietary Roberts Method.

Product overview

Screenwise Film & TV School for Actors is an educational institution offering a portfolio of screen acting courses delivered primarily in-person at their Sydney studio with some online components. The core offerings include the two-year full-time 11352NAT Advanced Diploma of Screen Acting (the flagship program based on the Roberts Method) and the one-year part-time Showreel Course that combines training with professionally produced showreel footage. These are supplemented by six-week short courses at Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels, Screenteens for ages 12-16, Masterclasses for professional actors, Private Acting Coaching via Zoom, and Corporate Training programs. The institution also offers the Founder's Acting Scholarship valued at $38,000 for the Advanced Diploma. All programs are taught by working industry professionals including award-winning actors, directors, and casting directors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 11352NAT Advanced Diploma of Screen Acting A two-year full-time comprehensive creative and technical screen acting program based on the Roberts Method, providing total focus and immersion training in the skills and techniques required for screen acting. Targeted at aspiring professional actors seeking a career-launching qualification.
• Showreel Course A one-year part-time immersive on-camera training program that culminates in professionally shot showreel scenes including an on-location shoot with professional directors and crew and post-production of a high-resolution digital showreel. Designed for working adults and students who want hands-on training and a tangible industry output.
• Screen Acting Beginners Course A six-week part-time thorough and practical introduction to screen acting in a supportive atmosphere for beginners aged 17+.
• Screen Acting Intermediate Course A six-week part-time course for actors ready to sharpen screen acting skills and go beyond acting basics through scene work.
• The Advanced Series Six-week part-time practical courses providing actors with advanced technical skills to enhance their creative toolkit, including Accessing Emotions and American Accent modules.
• Screenteens Acting classes for young adults aged 12-16, teaching professional screen acting techniques for a successful move into the Film & TV industry, available during school terms and holidays.
• Masterclasses Intensive one-off workshops for professional actors led by heavyweight industry tutors such as Susie Porter, Denise Roberts, Felix Williamson, providing advanced skill refinement.
• Private Acting Coaching One-on-one private tutoring sessions with industry professional tutors across film, TV, and theatre for audition preparation, HSC preparation, or skill honing, offered online via Zoom.
• Screenwise Corporate Training Tailor-made communication, presentation, and on-camera training programs for businesses delivered on-site, off-site, or digitally over Zoom by film and television industry professionals.
• Studio Facilities Hire Hire of five professional studio spaces (Studio 1 White Room, Studio 2 Blue Room, Studio 3 Green Room, Studio 4 Self-Tape Room, Studio 5 Studio Space) plus optional camera package, with hourly and discounted day rates.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of an actor's career-long income is derived from film and television (MEAA statistics), making screen-specific training essential for career viability
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AFTRS (Australian Film & Television Radio School)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScreenwise students collaborate with AFTRS directing students on upcoming film and TV projects, providing real-world production experience and industry exposure. This partnership gives Screenwise students opportunities to work alongside the next generation of filmmakers at one of Australia's premier film schools.
• UTS (University of Technology Sydney)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScreenwise collaborates with UTS as one of the leading film and TV education institutions, providing opportunities for students to collaborate with the next generation of filmmakers. This extends Screenwise's industry network beyond AFTRS to include other tertiary film/TV programs.
• Casting Directors and Production Companies (via Denise Roberts network)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDenise Roberts actively refers Screenwise students to her personal contacts list of directors, casting agents, and production companies. Wherever possible, Denise recommends students for professional roles alongside their studies. This informal but powerful network partnership provides direct industry access unavailable through formal partnerships alone.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Victorian College of the Arts (VCA): University of Melbourne's performing arts school offering accredited acting training with screen and theatre streams. Competes for Australian acting students, particularly in Victoria, and operates as a comparable accredited tertiary alternative to Screenwise's RTO pathway.
• National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA): Australia's premier tertiary drama school offering accredited acting degrees. NIDA is the most direct competitor for aspiring Australian actors, though historically stronger in theatre than screen acting, which is precisely the gap Screenwise's Roberts Method and screen-specific diploma addresses.
• Atlantic Theater Company / Atlantic Acting School: New York-based acting school with a defined methodology (Practical Aesthetics). Comparable to Screenwise in combining a proprietary teaching approach with part-time and full-time actor training programs targeted at career-track performers.
• Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS): Australia's national screen and broadcast school. While primarily focused on filmmaking and broadcast, AFTRS offers acting-adjacent training and is an explicit Screenwise collaboration partner, making it both a partial competitor and ecosystem partner for screen-focused students.
• Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute: Internationally renowned acting school with a strong film-acting methodology (Method acting). Operates a comparable boutique model focused on screen and stage craft, with similar workshop and conservatory structure to Screenwise's programs.
• National Theatre Drama School: Melbourne-based drama school offering accredited acting training. Comparable to Screenwise as an Australian provider of professional acting education, with overlap in part-time and full-time program structures.
• Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA): Performing arts school at Edith Cowan University offering acting degrees across theatre and screen. Directly comparable in offering accredited acting training to a similar Australian student demographic, with comparable program structure and tuition.
• 16th Street Actors Studio: Melbourne-based screen acting school offering Meisner-based screen training with similar boutique positioning to Screenwise. Closest direct competitor in methodology and market niche, differentiated mainly by geography.
• Stella Adler Studio of Acting: NYC-based acting conservatory offering professional actor training. Comparable to Screenwise as a private acting school serving both aspiring and working professionals, with a curriculum covering screen and stage technique.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA): UK-based world-leading conservatoire offering accredited acting training across stage and screen. Comparable as a globally recognized, accredited acting institution, though much larger and broader in scope than Screenwise's screen-focused boutique.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ScreenwiseAustralia
• Instagraminstagram.com/screenwise_australia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/screenwise

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Screenwise Film & TV School for Actors