First Stage Talent Agency Inc.

What First Stage Talent Agency Inc. does

First Stage Talent Agency Inc. is a privately held bilingual voiceover and on-camera talent agency headquartered in Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario/Québec, Canada. Founded in February 1996 by actor and drama teacher Leonie Gardner, the agency represents a curated roster of 14+ professional voice actors and on-camera performers offering English, French, and bilingual capabilities for commercials, corporate videos, e-learning, documentaries, audiobooks, video games, animation, and government communications. The agency differentiates itself through an explicit anti-AI positioning ("Real people, real voices, no AI") and deep entrenchment with federal government departments, financial institutions, telecom companies, and cultural institutions across Canada.

The business operates on a project-based transaction-fee model where clients submit briefs and receive curated talent shortlists, with fees negotiated per engagement based on talent experience, usage rights, and licensing requirements. Beyond core representation, the agency offers production support services including session booking, remote recording coordination via Source Connect and SessionLink Pro, talent negotiations, and in-studio direction. Agency Director Shelley Cohen also provides structured voice acting coaching as a supplementary professional services revenue stream, leveraging her certification as a Langevin Learning Instructor. Distribution is direct via website inquiry, phone, and email, with no platform technology, no app presence, no API, and no third-party marketplace integration.

Ownership transitioned to Shelley Cohen on January 1, 2026, following nearly two decades under Dominique Soutif (who acquired the agency in September 2001). The company is owner-operated with no institutional investors, no parent company, no funding rounds, and no disclosed headcount. Geographic reach spans North America with documented engagements extending to Bermuda, Brazil, and Barbados, though the operational base remains firmly in Canada's National Capital Region.

Name

First Stage Talent Agency Inc.

Legal name

First Stage Talent Agency Inc.

Website

https://firststage.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

First Stage Talent Agency Inc. is a privately held bilingual (English/French) voiceover and on-camera talent agency based in Ottawa-Gatineau, representing a curated roster of professional performers for government, corporate, and advertising clients since 1996.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Talent Representation and Casting Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Agency & Representation Services (HSACAHAK)

Keywords

• Voiceover talent representation
• Bilingual voice casting
• On-camera talent agency
• Voice acting services
• Production support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa-Gatineau

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Talent Representation and Casting Services: The agency earns revenue by representing voice actors and on-camera performers, connecting them with clients for various projects including commercials, documentaries, corporate videos, e-learning, audiobooks, video games, and animation. Fees are negotiated on a per-project basis.
2. Production Support Services: Additional revenue from production support including session booking and scheduling, remote recording coordination, studio recommendations, pricing and licensing guidance, talent negotiations, and in-studio talent direction.
3. Talent Coaching: Voice acting coaching services provided by Agency Director Shelley Cohen, including script analysis, audition techniques, breathing and mic techniques, demo production guidance, and business of voiceover training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

First Stage Talent Agency represents and casts bilingual (English/French) voiceover and on-camera talent for commercials, documentaries, corporate videos, e-learning, audiobooks, video games, animation, and broadcast projects. The agency curates a roster of professional performers and provides end-to-end production support including session booking, remote recording coordination, studio recommendations, pricing and licensing guidance, talent negotiations, and in-studio direction. Operating from Ottawa-Gatineau since 1996, the agency explicitly positions itself around real human talent rather than AI-generated voices.

Product overview

First Stage Talent Agency Inc. operates as a talent representation agency offering a unified service portfolio centered on bilingual voiceover and on-camera talent casting. The core offering comprises Voiceover Talent Services and Casting Voice Talent, supplemented by Casting On-Camera Talent, Production Support, and Talent Coaching services. The agency serves government, corporate, marketing, and ad agency clients in the Ottawa-Gatineau region since 1996, positioning itself explicitly against AI-generated content with real human talent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Voiceover Talent Services Representation and casting of experienced, trained voice actors for film, video, podcasting, online, and multimedia projects, with the company explicitly positioning its services as human talent only, not AI-generated.
• Casting Voice Talent Casting services for commercials (radio, TV/video, online), documentaries, corporate explainers, e-learning, training, over-dubs, characters for video games and animation, and audiobooks.
• Casting On-Camera Talent Casting services for on-camera talent including hosts, MCs, news anchors, and podcasters.
• Production Support Support services including session booking and scheduling, remote recording coordination, studio recommendations, pricing and licensing guidance, talent negotiations, and in-studio talent direction.
• Talent Coaching

Quantifiable outcome

• Fast turnaround for project completion
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Edge Studio: Voiceover talent agency and production studio providing representation, demo production, and direction services. Comparable to First Stage as a full-service voiceover agency offering both talent representation and production support.
• Such A Voice: Voiceover training and talent agency that coaches aspiring voice actors and represents graduates for paid work. Highly comparable to First Stage given the combined coaching and representation model run by Shelley Cohen.
• Heyman Talent Agency: Multi-discipline talent agency representing voice actors, on-camera performers, and broadcasters across the U.S. Midwest. Comparable to First Stage on representation of voiceover and on-camera talent with integrated booking and production support.
• Voice123: Online voiceover marketplace that lets clients post projects and receive auditions from a large pool of professional voice actors. Comparable to First Stage's core matching function, differing in being a global self-service platform rather than a curated boutique agency.
• Big Mouth Talent: Voiceover talent agency representing professional voice actors across commercial, narration, and corporate projects. Directly comparable to First Stage as a boutique-style voiceover representation agency.
• Voice Talent Inc. Voiceover agency providing talent representation and production services for commercials, narration, and corporate projects. Comparable to First Stage as a North American voiceover representation agency with end-to-end production support.
• Voices.com: Canadian-founded online voiceover marketplace connecting clients with freelance voice actors globally. Directly comparable to First Stage as a bilingual-friendly North American voiceover matching platform, though larger scale and self-service rather than curated boutique agency.
• Acme Talent Agency: Independent talent agency representing voiceover and on-camera performers for commercial and corporate work. Comparable to First Stage as a boutique agency offering curated talent representation and casting consultation.

Emerging players

• The Voice Realm: Online voiceover marketplace focused on connecting clients with professional voice actors for commercial and corporate projects. Comparable to First Stage on the talent-matching axis, though operating as a digital platform rather than a curated agency.

Broad incumbents

• William Morris Endeavor (WME) Voiceover Division: Global talent agency whose voiceover division represents high-profile voice actors for commercials, promos, and broadcast. Comparable to First Stage on the core representation function, though operating at a vastly larger scale with broader entertainment industry reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 First Stage Talent Agency Inc.