What the warehouse workshop acting studio does

The Warehouse Workshop Screen Acting Studio is a privately held, founder-owned screen acting school founded in 2012 by casting director Tom McSweeney and located at 3/9 Millennium Circuit, Helensvale, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It delivers in-person screen acting training across a tiered curriculum spanning weekly adult classes (beginner to advanced), youth classes for tweens (8-12) and teens (13-17), 15- and 30-week intensive showreel production courses, one-day masterclasses (US accent, audition technique, self-taping, comedy acting), school holiday programs, one-on-one coaching, and studio hire services. Training is conducted by working industry professionals using professional production equipment (Canon XA40 cameras, RODE NTG2 microphones, Godox VL300/VL150 lighting, edit suites, and mounted TV monitors). The studio has trained 1,500+ actors since its founding and operates fifteen weekly classes on a term-based schedule.

The revenue model is multi-stream: (i) recurring term-based subscriptions for weekly adult ($550-$600 per 8-10 week term) and youth classes; (ii) one-time fees for intensive showreel courses ($3,500 for the 15-week program that replaces the legacy 30-week program); (iii) one-time masterclass fees ($170-$440 per workshop); (iv) usage-based private coaching starting at $80/hour; and (v) transactional studio hire at $65-$165/hour. Payment plans and early-bird discounts are offered to lower commitment barriers. Go-to-market is reputation-led, driven by Tom McSweeney's 50+ years as a casting director, four Artios nominations, an Emmy nomination, and alumni outcomes; channels include the studio website (Wix), Facebook and Instagram, direct contact with a Student Liaison Manager, and industry showcase events where graduate work is screened to agents and casting directors.

A structural feature of the business is the operating tie to McSweeney Newman Casting, a sister casting organization co-founded by McSweeney. Student footage from classes and workshops is retained in casting databases for 12 months and referenced in active casting decisions, creating a closed-loop talent pipeline that functions as both a marketing asset and a competency advantage. The company serves individual consumers (aspiring and working screen actors) exclusively within Queensland, has no app, no API, no external funding, no parent company, and no disclosed headcount; its competitive position is concentrated in the Gold Coast/Southeast Queensland market and is materially dependent on the continued involvement of the founder.

Name

the warehouse workshop acting studio

Legal name

The Warehouse Workshop Screen Acting Studio

Website

https://warehousestudio.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Warehouse Workshop Screen Acting Studio is a founder-owned, Gold Coast-based training school delivering in-person screen acting classes, intensive showreel courses, and masterclasses to adult and youth (ages 8+) segments, leveraging founder Tom McSweeney's 50+ years of casting director experience and a structural tie to McSweeney Newman Casting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Screenwriting Workshops (Film/TV/Web) (EDAMAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual Training, Workshops & Masterclasses (Interactive Sessions) (MPAGAOAJ), Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM)

Keywords

• Screen acting classes
• Acting training programs
• Showreel production
• Youth acting courses
• Audition coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Helensvale

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Weekly Acting Classes: Recurring weekly class fees for adult and youth screen acting courses. Courses run in terms (typically 4-10 weeks per term) with per-term pricing.
2. Intensive Showreel Courses: 15-week and 30-week intensive programs that include professional showreel production. Students receive filmed, edited showreel scenes shot with professional crew.
3. Masterclasses & Workshops: One-time fee workshops taught by industry professionals on specialized topics (accent training, self-taping, audition technique, comedy).
4. Studio Hire: Rental of professional audition/casting rooms and warehouse studio space to external actors and productions. Hourly and block bookings available.
5. Private Coaching: One-on-one coaching sessions with tutors for self-taping, audition preparation, and performance coaching. Fee starts at $80/hour depending on tutor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Warehouse Workshop is a screen acting training school located in Helensvale, Gold Coast, Queensland, that delivers in-person acting classes, intensive showreel courses, masterclasses, school holiday programs, private coaching, and studio hire. Training is conducted exclusively by working industry professionals in professionally equipped studios, with courses structured as progressive pathways from beginner to professional level for adults, tweens, and teens. The studio also provides professionally produced showreel footage and serves as a talent pipeline to McSweeney Newman Casting.

Product overview

The Warehouse Workshop Screen Acting Studio offers a comprehensive suite of screen acting training programs. The portfolio includes weekly acting classes for adults (beginners through advanced levels), weekly youth classes for tweens (8-12 years) and teens (13-17 years), intensive showreel courses (15-week and 30-week programs that produce professional showreel scenes), specialised masterclasses (accent/dialect, audition technique, self-taping, comedy), school holiday programs, one-on-one coaching, and studio hire facilities. The training is delivered exclusively by working industry professionals and is designed to take actors from beginners to working professionals, with courses structured as progressive pathways from foundation to advanced levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• McSweeney Newman Casting: A multi-award winning casting organization operated by Tom McSweeney and David Newman, mentioned as a sister company that uses footage from the studio's classes and workshops.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,500 actors trained since 2012 with graduates working worldwide in film, television, radio and theatre

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• McSweeney Newman CastingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcSweeney Newman Casting is the sister casting company founded by Tom McSweeney and David Newman. Student footage is kept in databases for 12 months and used as a reference for casting decisions. The studio hosts masterclasses with McSweeney Newman Casting directors, and the studio hire facilities serve casting needs. This creates a closed talent pipeline benefiting both organizations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Howard Fine Acting Studio: Los Angeles-based screen acting studio renowned for working-professional faculty and audition/self-tape coaching. Highly comparable to The Warehouse Workshop in operating model: in-person classes, professional showreel production, premium pricing, and a founder-led brand built on industry casting credibility.
• Stella Adler Studio of Acting: NYC acting school offering screen and stage training with a strong brand and faculty of working actors/directors. Comparable in product breadth (multi-level classes, intensives, youth programs) and premium positioning, though larger and more established.
• Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute: Internationally recognized acting school offering film and stage training across beginner-to-professional levels. Comparable in tiered class structure, intensives, youth programming, and a methodology-led brand identity.
• Margie Haber Studio: Los Angeles-based acting studio specializing in audition technique and on-camera training. Closely comparable in product focus (audition coaching, self-tape, on-camera technique) and in the founder-as-brand model.
• Lesly Kahn & Company: LA-based acting school focused on audition technique and on-camera work for working actors. Comparable in targeting adult career actors, premium pricing, and self-tape/audition specialization.
• Ivana Chubbuck Studio: Internationally recognized technique-driven acting school with a strong brand and high-profile alumni. Comparable as a founder-led, technique-based acting school with premium positioning and global name recognition.

Broad incumbents

• National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA): Australia's premier tertiary drama school. Comparable as an Australian acting training institution but operates at university degree level and serves a different (full-time degree-seeking) segment rather than the part-time adult and youth market The Warehouse Workshop targets.
• Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA): Edith Cowan University's performing arts school — an Australian tertiary training institution. Comparable as an Australian screen/stage training brand but serves degree-seeking students rather than The Warehouse Workshop's part-time cohort.
• Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS): Australia's national film school offering professional screen education. Comparable as an Australian screen training brand with industry connections, though focused on graduate-level and shorter professional programs rather than ongoing weekly classes.

Regional players

• 16th Street Actors Studio: Australian acting studio offering screen and stage training in Melbourne. Comparable as an Australian screen acting school with multi-level classes and youth programs, but based in a different city and serving a different geographic market than The Warehouse Workshop.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/warehousestudio.com.au
• Instagraminstagram.com/warehouseworkshop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-warehouse-workshop-acting-studio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about the warehouse workshop acting studio