What Susan Batson does

Susan Batson Studio is a privately-held, single-location acting studio headquartered in New York City, co-founded by Carl Ford and his mother, the renowned acting coach Susan Batson. The studio is the institutional home of the proprietary "Batson Technique," a character-creation methodology built on three pillars: Need (the character's primal unfulfilled desire), Public Persona (the hidden mask), and Tragic Flaw (the confrontational behavior that erupts when Need and Persona clash). The technique is codified in Susan Batson's book "Truth: Personas, Needs, and Flaws In The Art of Building Actors and Creating Characters."

The studio's product portfolio centers on three revenue-generating services: live group acting classes delivered via Zoom (10–20 classes per month), one-on-one private coaching sessions booked via email, and self-tape audition recording services. Supporting offerings include an M1 International Student Visa Program, downloadable Industry Sides, creative consulting for film and theater productions, native iOS and Android mobile apps, and a published methodology book. Class scheduling and billing run through the Mindbody platform, with pricing set at $50 per single drop-in class and $375 per month for an unlimited Zoom class package. Go-to-market is community-led and referral-driven, anchored by the studio's roster of A-list alumni (including Oscar winner Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey, and Lady Gaga) who generate word-of-mouth demand.

The studio operates as a family-controlled LLC with no disclosed external institutional investment, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. The team comprises eight employees operating across a NYC physical studio and global Zoom distribution. Operating geographies span North America, Australia, and the United Kingdom through past coaching engagements, though formal geographic expansion is limited. Ownership and creative direction remain concentrated in the Batson/Ford family unit.

Name

Susan Batson

Legal name

Susan Batson Studio LLC

Website

https://susanbatsonstudionyc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Susan Batson Studio is a New York City acting studio offering group classes, private coaching, and self-tape services built around the proprietary Batson Technique, serving professional and aspiring actors globally via Zoom and in-person instruction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Class Fees: Revenue from single drop-in classes and monthly unlimited class packages offered via Zoom. Classes are scheduled through Mindbody platform.
2. Private Coaching: One-on-one coaching sessions with teachers/coaches for audition preparation, role preparation, and technique development. Rates and availability provided upon email inquiry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Susan Batson Studio is a private acting studio in New York City that delivers group acting classes, one-on-one private coaching, and self-tape audition recording sessions built around the proprietary Batson Technique. It also offers creative consulting for film and theater productions, downloadable industry audition sides, and the founder's acting methodology book "Truth." Classes and coaching are delivered live via Zoom and in-person at the New York studio, scheduled through the Mindbody platform.

Product overview

Susan Batson Studio is a single-location acting studio based in New York City offering a unified portfolio of services centered on the proprietary Batson Technique. The core offering consists of live Zoom group acting classes (10-20 per month), private one-on-one coaching, and self-tape audition recording sessions, all taught by a roster of professional actor-teachers. Supporting offerings include a book authored by Susan Batson (Truth), downloadable Industry Sides for audition preparation, creative consulting for film and theater projects, and a mobile app available on iOS and Android. Class pricing includes single drop-in classes ($50) and a Monthly Unlimited Package ($375). The studio was formerly known as Black Nexxus and was co-founded by Carl Ford and Susan Batson in 1996.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zoom Acting Classes Live online group acting classes delivered via Zoom with no prerequisites, offered as single drop-in sessions or a monthly unlimited package covering 10-20 classes per month.
• Private Coaching One-on-one coaching with studio teachers for audition preparation, role preparation, and technique development, booked by email inquiry.
• Self-Tape Sessions Studio coaches assist actors in recording self-tape auditions, read with them on camera, then email or upload the finished tapes to casting directors.
• Creative Consulting Services Consulting services provided to film and theater projects at all stages of development and production, supporting creative direction and talent development.
• Truth: Personas, Needs, and Flaws in the Art of Building Actors and Creating Characters A book authored by Susan Batson distilling her methodology into a step-by-step character creation process, available for order on Amazon.
• Susan Batson Studio Mobile App Native mobile application available on Apple App Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android) for studio access, class scheduling, and student engagement.

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Black Nexxus (Formerly)minorOthers · 1 January 1996Susan Batson Studio was formerly known as Black Nexxus, a bi-coastal production company and acting studio founded by Carl Ford in 1996. Black Nexxus developed and nurtured talents such as Adepero Oduye (Pariah, 12 Years a Slave) and Angelique Zambrana (Precious). After closing Black Nexxus in 2010, Carl Ford co-founded Susan Batson Studio LLC with his mother Susan Batson.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Actors Studio: Iconic NYC acting membership organization originally associated with Lee Strasberg's Method. Susan Batson herself is described as a member. Comparable as a single-NYC organization serving professional actors through technique-driven membership and workshop programs.
• Upright Citizens Brigade Training Center: NYC improv/comedy training center offering multi-level classes and workshops to aspiring and working performers. Comparable as a multi-level, class-based performing-arts training business with subscription-style progression.
• Second City Training Centre: Chicago-based comedy/improv training center offering multi-level classes and conservatory programs to aspiring performers. Comparable as a single-location, class-and-workshop-based performing arts school with structured curricula and a strong brand.
• Atlantic Theater Company Acting School: NYC acting school affiliated with the Atlantic Theater Company, offering technique-driven classes and conservatory tracks (Practical Aesthetics). Comparable as a methodology-anchored acting school with both professional training and open classes.
• Stella Adler Studio of Acting: NYC-based acting school offering classes, workshops, and conservatory programs built around a named acting methodology (Stella Adler technique). Directly comparable as a single-location, methodology-driven acting school serving both professional and aspiring actors in NYC.
• Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute: NYC acting school built around Lee Strasberg's Method Acting technique. Comparable as a methodology-anchored, single-location acting conservatory serving professional actors and aspiring students with classes and private coaching.
• HB Studio: Long-running NYC acting school offering classes, workshops, and private coaching in acting and related disciplines to a mix of professional and aspiring actors. Directly comparable in service offering (classes + private coaching) and single-NYC-location operating model.
• Groundlings Training Center: LA-based sketch/improv school offering multi-level classes and a Sunday Company performer track. Comparable as a celebrity-pedigreed (broad alumni), single-location performing-arts training school with both aspiring and working actor segments.
• The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre: NYC acting school famous for the Meisner technique; offers full-time conservatory training plus evening/continuing-ed classes. Directly comparable in market position (single NYC location, technique-driven, mixed professional/aspiring student base).

Broad incumbents

• Tisch School of the Arts (NYU): NYU's performing-arts school offering degree programs in acting, drama, and film at much larger scale. Comparable as an acting/performing-arts training institution in NYC, but operates as a degree-granting university rather than a private studio, representing a broader incumbent in the same end market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/susan-batson

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 Susan Batson