Creative Directors

---

Renee Ritchie career began  at Jeninaʼs Dance Workshop in Tasmania (Australia) at 17. After moving to Sydney NSW to study Full-Time at Brent Street Dance Studios, Renee continued to pursue her training and career all the way to Los Angeles in the USA. With hard work, persistence and continuing to put herself out their Renee made it onto television show SYTYCD Season 3 (Australia) Top 12 which catapulted her very successful career as dancer and choreographer. Renee has worked with artists in Australia such as Kylie Minogue, Reedfo, Kelly Clarkson, Tina Arena, Jessica Mauboy, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Timomatic and more; and has performed on TV shows like X-Factor, Dance Academy, Australiaʼs Next Top Model, Mardi Gras, Footy Show Australia and Young Talent Time. Just to name a few. Renees dedication and perseverance, along with applying her skills and talents has successfully led her to work for international artists such as J-LO, Paula Abdul, Chloe Flower, Major Lazer, MO, J-Balvin, Farruko, Wisin, Nicky Jam, Omi, Fitz and the Tantrums and more. Renee has been also featured on The Ellen Show, James Corden, Latin Grammyʼs and Peoples Choice Awards.  
Renee’s professional performance career also stems to being a renown choreographer! Having choreographed on seasons 4 SYTYCD Australia, Music Video for Australiaʼs pop star artist Dami Im “Fighting For Love”, Paula Abdul's 2018 "Straight Up" Tour and LA pride performance. Renee has been also been assistant choreographer on J-LO “All I Have” and Britney Spears “Domination” Las Vegas show.  Travelling around the USA teaching and judging competitions for multiple companies, Renee continues to share her knowledge with the younger generation of today. Renee has a passion for teaching and mentoring anyone with the driving desire of becoming a professional dancer. Not only Australian wide but also internationally. Renee has mentored and guided many dancers such as Michael Dameski, Tash Marconi, Bec Morris, Chris Tsattalios, Laura Spence and more. Renee offers the tools and skill set it takes to become a professional in this industry, and looks forward to guiding many more young performers on their international journey’s. 

Ever since completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) at NIDA, Julian has balanced a love for actor training; coaching actors regularly with NIDA (Open) and The Factory (Brisbane); and masterclasses with the students of QUT Fine Arts (Acting), Toni Higginbotham Casting and MEAA. Private clients are current regular and recurring actors across Australia and the U.S with networks including Netflix, ABC (Australia) and CBS. 

Julian’s philosophy is about demystifying and simplifying your acting process. At the center of the work is always you and your point of view. It is your life experiences and stories that should aide your script analysis to create real and unique characters that no-one else can. Through deep self-evaluation, we discover what holds us back and more importantly what can propel us forward. He asks his students to stay inquisitive, accept feedback with humility and be authentic - the messier the better. 

As an actor, he just finished filming ‘The Battle of Bushy Run’ (2021) and made his directorial debut with ‘Just Deal With It’ (2022). 

Stage credits include his Matilda winning performance as Austin in 'True West' (Brisbane Powerhouse), ‘Dead Devils of Cockle Creek’, ‘The Glass Menagerie’ (Laboite), ‘Gallipoli’ and ‘Embers’ (STC), ’25 Down’ (QTC) ‘Savage in Limbo’ (Big Scary Animal), 'Magpie' (Playlab Theatre), ‘Shakespeare’s R&J’ (Riverside National Tour), ‘Harriers’, 'Cock' (Metro), ‘Something to Declare’ (QAC), ‘Wuthering Heights’ (Shake & Stir) to name a few.
 

Television credits include 'The Hopsters' (WB animation pilot), ‘A Knight’s Heart’ (TBS pilot), 'Adam Ruins Everything' (TruTV), 'Acting Out' (MTV), ‘Spooked’ (HULU), ‘Dance Academy’ (ABC), ‘The Britishes’ (Direct TV), ‘Rescue Special Ops’ (NINE), ‘East West 101’ (SBS), ‘Legend of the Seeker’ (Disney) and MOW ‘Twister Warning’ (ION). He has appeared in films 'Poster Boy', 'Wish Man', ’48 Shades’, ‘The Middle’, ‘Last Call In The Doghouse’ and ‘Captured’; and past Screen QLD/NSW shorts ‘For a Good Cause’, ‘Italian Fair’, ‘The Killing Room’ and ‘A Burning Thing’. He has appeared in New Media content for companies including College Humor, Geek & Sundry and Rise TV; and video games ‘Call of Duty’ and ‘Final Fantasy'. Julian won the Marten Bequest Award for Acting in 2012.
 

As a writer, Julian has been produced twice by Screen Queensland: ‘Power the Kid’ (w/ QPIX) and ‘And the Winner Is’ – where he was flown with the creative team to Los Angeles for the Screamfest 2018 premiere. ‘Tallest Poppies’, a web series he co-wrote and acted in, was awarded a finalist at the world’s most prestigious comedy festival Just for Laughs Montreal in 2013. The play ‘Legacy’ started life when on salary at University of Queensland before being accepted into the National Workshop via Playwriting Australia. It was performed as at LaBoite HWY in 2019. 

Emma Fleming is a casting director and acting coach who has worked in the film and television industry for over 10 years as in Casting, Coaching + Costume Design in Melbourne, Sydney, Berlin, London and New York. Now based in Los Angeles, Emma has worked on numerous features most recently including ’Snow Valley’, the directorial debut for Brandon Murphy of ’The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife’ and ’The Immaculate Room’ starring Kate Bosworth + Emile Hirsch. Her work on ‘The Immaculate Room’ resulted in her being inducted into the Costume Designer’s Guild of America under her Costume Design alias ‘ Alabama Blonde’.  Emma's career in Casting is guided by a passion for storytelling and the authentic need to express these stories through the perspective and interpretation of the human condition; via the actor. "I have a deep and genuine love of film and television, escapism, the human psyche and the infinite possibilities which lay within total freedom of imagination.” Emma was nominated for the ‘Achievement in Casting Award’ by the Casting Guild of Australia in 2017 for the show ‘Testament’, she remains a proud member of the Casting Guild of Australia. In 2020 she was appointment Casting Director for Schön Magazine, where she has cast + produced feature covers + editorials for the likes of Maggie Daddario, Karen Gillan, Kelvin Harrison Jnr, Letitia Wright + Victoria Pedretti, to name a few.  Emma has trained in several acting techniques and methodology’s; namely the Meisner Technique and Alexander Techniques. She has also studied in the work of Michael Chekov, the Chubbuck Technique at 16th St in Melbourne, and the Mike Leigh Method with Robert Marchand. Recently she was selected for Carol Rosenfeld’s esteemed teachers lab, where she will train in the work of Uta Hagan.  Recognizing that no two actors are alike Emma offers a variety of techniques, method’s and ideology's so that actors can develop a process and approach to the work, which resonates with them as individuals. She believes that it is not a process of putting on masks which allow us to become a character, but rather peeling then away, layer by layer, in order to unmask oneself and reveal character. In 2019 Emma was one of 15 teachers selected to train and work alongside Alexandra Billings (USC), Hugh O’Gorman (SCU/MICHA), Gregory Wallace (Yale), David Bridel (USC) and Kenneth Noel Mitchel (NYU) at the University of Southern California with the National Alliance of Acting Teachers. She is now a proud member of the National Alliance of Acting Teachers of America.

As a leader in the Australian dance industry, Michelle has worked extensively in the performing arts for more than 20 years. Her career has seen her work with the world’s best directors and choreographers including Baz Lurhmann, George Miller, David Atkins, Kelley Abbey, Wade Robson, The Squared Division, John O'Connell, Jason Coleman and Dein Perry. With a career spanning over two decades, Michelle secured roles in major stage productions including Singin’ in the Rain playing the role of Cyd Cherise and Grease Arena Spectacular. She was cast in feature lms including Moulin Rouge, The Great Gatsby, Happy Feet 1 and 2, Goddess, The Son of Mask and performed on screen at the TV Week Logie Awards, Helpmann Awards, X Factor, Australian Idol, MTV Music Awards, Aria Awards, The Nickelodeon Awards, Rove Live, SYTYCD, Hey Hey It’s Saturday, DWTS and the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. She has performed with leading music icons including Kylie Minogue, Jessica Mauboy, Tina Arena, Guy Sebastian, Boyzone, Vanessa Amorosi, The Rogue Traders, Gabriella Cilmi, 30 Seconds to Mars, Cobra Starship, Macy Gray, Danni minogie, Adam Lambert, Sheena Easton, Gloria Gaynor, Wynter Gordon, The Veronicas, and Sneaky Sound System.

The Film and Television industry is a family business for Tony, with both his father Calvin and grandfather Jack being accredited cinematographers. From a young age Tony knew he wanted to work in the family business. Starting in the camera department at Panavision Australia then moving up through the camera department to become a director of photography. In his career as a DOP Tony has had many career highlights including winning best cinematography at the worlds largest short film festival "Tropfest". Tony has also won multiple Australian Cinematographers Society awards for his work in commercial and drama. After 5 years of shooting Australians highest rated drama "Home and Away" Tony turned his mind to directing. After a successful attachment on Home and Away Tony went on to direct 35 episodes of "Home and Away" and more recently moved to another Australian classic drama "Neighbours" with his most recent episode becoming the highest rating episode in several years both in Australia and the UK. Tony is currently developing a series created by well known Actors Brenton Thwaites and Tai Hara.