OUR TEAM
At YAS Studio, our team is made up of working professionals who are passionate about sharing their craft with the next generation of creatives. They’re actors, photographers, filmmakers and animators who are active on real projects and bringing that energy into the studio.
Daniel Fischer
Founder & Acting Teacher
Daniel Fischer is a Melbourne-based actor and creative industries professional with more than 15 years’ experience across Australian screen and theatre, and a decade of leadership experience in higher education and creative arts engagement.
As an actor, Daniel has appeared in major Australian productions including Love Me (Warner Bros), Summer Love (Gristmill), The Clearing (Wooden Horse), and Dear Life (Gristmill), with work featured on Binge, ABC, Disney+, Stan and Netflix. His theatre work spans new writing and development across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, working with major theatre companies including Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company, and the Brisbane Powerhouse. He is a graduate of the 16th Street Actors Studio full-time program and has trained under world-renowned coaches Larry Moss, Elizabeth Kemp and Lisa Robertson.
Beyond his work as an actor, Daniel has built a significant career in the creative education sector. He most recently served as Head of Engagement at Collarts (Australian College of the Arts), leading state-wide Schools & Community Outreach, Industry Partnerships and Major Events. In this role, he forged high-impact collaborations with major cultural organisations including the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), ACMI, the Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF), Melbourne Fashion Week, and the Australian Photography Awards. Daniel’s leadership work connected thousands of young people across Victoria with real-world creative opportunities and strengthened Collarts’ profile within the national arts and cultural landscape.
With a deep blend of industry knowledge, educational expertise and creative practice, Daniel founded YAS Studio to fill a gap he witnessed firsthand: the lack of an ongoing, dedicated space where young people can explore acting, filmmaking, animation and photography — not just at tertiary level, but during the formative years where curiosity shapes identity.
Casey Longfield
Photography Teacher
Casey is a multidisciplinary photographer and creative educator with over a decade of professional experience behind the lens. Her work spans weddings, commercial campaigns, and creative agency projects, with a focus on storytelling through powerful visual imagery. She has collaborated with brands, artists, and cultural institutions, with her photography published across both print and digital platforms.
Holding a degree in Early Childhood Education, Casey brings a blend of industry expertise and developmental insight to teaching. This background informs her approach to program design, helping her create learning experiences that are age-appropriate, confidence-building, and creatively enriching.
Casey will guide students through photography not just as a technical skill, but as a way to bring their stories to life. Her classes will encourage young people to explore their creativity, learn technical skills and find joy in the act of self-expression. Through lessons in light, composition, technique, editing, and communicating to the world through image, she’ll help students develop the tools to express themselves, capture meaning, and bring their ideas into focus.
Passionate about helping young people connect with their creative voice, she believes photography can help us see both the world and ourselves with greater clarity, curiosity, compassion, and confidence.
Adrian Ortega
Filmmaking Teacher
Adrian is an award-winning narrative and documentary filmmaker based in Melbourne. A proud first-generation Australian from an Italian/Spanish migrant family, Adrian burst onto the scene with his first two documentaries, Bodycrash and Modus Operandi, which were met with critical acclaim and featured across Junkee, VICE, The Daily Mail U.K., and Channel 10 News. His third documentary short, They Call Me Spiderman, was selected for the prestigious St Kilda Film Festival in 2016, and his debut feature, Cerulean Blue—which he wrote, directed, and produced—premiered to sold-out audiences at the 68th Melbourne International Film Festival in 2019. The film went on to win the El Rey Award for Excellence in Film Directing at the Barcelona International Film Festival, and is now streaming on Stan (Australia) and Amazon Prime (US & UK).
In 2016, Adrian founded Proud Wing Films, a production company dedicated to championing bold new voices in Australian cinema. Under this banner, he produced Alba, the debut short from Senie Priti, which earned a Special Mention in the Rebel8 Award for Outstanding Emerging Female Director at Flickerfest 2021. More recently, Adrian produced Aarushi Chowdhury’s debut short Clown, which premiered at SXSW Sydney before screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Darwin International Film Festival, the Byron Bay Film Festival, and the Australian Women in Film Festival.
In August 2025, Adrian’s second feature film, Westgate, had its World Premiere at the 73rd Melbourne International Film Festival, marking another milestone in his career. The film has since been acquired for distribution by Madman Entertainment, cementing Adrian’s reputation as a daring and distinctive voice in Australian cinema.
Oscar Ramos
Animation Teacher
Oscar is a rising animation artist with a distinctive, contemporary visual voice shaped by mentorships with leading creators. He trained under Ethan Becker (Voltron: Legendary Defender, The Legend of Korra) and studied with Rad Sechrist (K-Pop: Demon Hunters, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts), and holds a Bachelor of Animation from Collarts (Australian College of the Arts).
He has worked professionally across visual development, character design, and key art on productions in Australia and overseas (currently under NDA). Oscar is a Lead Visual Development Artist on The Mothmen (upcoming), a project helmed by Michael V. Schrayder (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; Hotel Transylvania 3; The Emoji Movie) and Tristan Torg (host of The Indie Magazine podcast). He is also directing and co-writing an independent project with collaborator Chelsea Merk.
At YAS Studio, Oscar brings a generous, process-driven approach to the classroom— combining industry craft in character design and visual development with clear, practical pathways. His experience in modern independent pipelines has honed the skills needed to reach professional standards quickly. He’s passionate about helping young creatives build confident fundamentals while discovering a bold, authentic visual voice.
Ra Chapman
Acting & Filmmaking Teacher
Ra Chapman is a multidisciplinary writer, actor and filmmaker whose work spans film, television, documentary and theatre. Informed by her Korean adoptee background, she creates cross-cultural work that challenges existing narratives around identity and explores underrepresented perspectives.
Having recently been selected for Screen Australia’s Talent USA: NY and recognised as one of IF Magazine’s 2024 Rising Talents, Ra garnered a 2025 Australian Writers’ Guild (AWGIE) Award nomination and was shortlisted for the prestigious Betty Roland Prize for Scriptwriting for her TV comedy series White Fever, which she created, wrote and starred in. Ra was Artist in Residence at Malthouse Theatre, and her play K-Box debuted on the main stage in 2022 to critical acclaim.
Ra’s other notable work includes the SBS digital horror anthology Night Bloomers and the documentary series Adoptee Voices: Women of Melbourne. She recently secured a Director’s Attachment with Nina Buxton on the ABC Series Separated at Birth.
Ra’s acting career began on stage in London, playing Celia in the Jacobean classic Volpone. Since then, she has won Best Actress at the 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival for her role as Therese in David Williamson’s film adaptation of Face to Face, and was nominated for an IF Award for the same performance. Ra has filmed five seasons of Wentworth as prisoner Kim Chang, stars alongside D’Arcy Carden and Will Forte in the recent Stan series Sunny Nights (Stan), and can also be seen in Dear Life (Stan).
Aarushi Chowdhury
Filmmaking Teacher
Aarushi Chowdhury is a filmmaker whose work spans short film, commercial directing and television development. Her award-winning short film Clown, which she co-wrote and directed, has screened at major festivals including SXSW Sydney, Melbourne International Film Festival, the Australian Women in Film Festival, and Cannes Indies Shorts Awards. In 2024, Aarushi was named “One to Watch” at the Australian Women in Film Festival, recognising her as one of Australia’s most exciting rising voices in filmmaking.
Alongside her narrative work, Aarushi has directed commercial campaigns for brands including Intrepid Travel (MIFF collaboration), Snooze, and KGM SsangYong, as well as creative projects for the Melbourne Women in Film Festival in partnership with ACMI. She has finished directing and co-writing a new short film, Phorid, funded by Creative Victoria.
Aarushi began her career working across all departments of the screen industry including Art Directing, camera and lighting, editing and assistant directing. Aarushi’s broader screen experience also includes working as a research writer in television, as well as roles in the casting departments for the international production Shantaram. She has also directed branded content and corporate storytelling for organisations including AAMI Insurance & M&Ms.
Harvey Zielinski
Acting & Filmmaking Teacher
Harvey Zielinski is an award-winning actor, writer and director working across film, television and theatre. A two-time Heath Ledger Scholarship finalist and winner of the Casting Guild of Australia’s Rising Star Award.
Harvey recently wrote, directed, produced and starred in his debut feature film Sweet Milk Lake, an Originate Feature backed by major Australian screen organisations including VicScreen, Screen Australia and SBS. The film will premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2026. He is currently developing his second feature film, Thugs, with Screen Australia support.
For television, Harvey is best known for his series regular role as Charlie in White Fever, which he also wrote for, earning an AWGIE nomination and Betty Roland Prize shortlist recognition. His additional screen credits include Deadloch, Don't Look Deeper opposite Don Cheadle and Emily Mortimer, as well as Love Me, Spreadsheet and Why Are You Like This.
Alongside his screen work, Harvey is an accomplished playwright and theatre-maker, with commissions from Malthouse Theatre and stage credits including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? for Sydney Theatre Company. He was also Director’s Attachment to Emma Freeman on The Newsreader Season 2.
AJ
Photography Teacher
AJ is a multidisciplinary photographer whose work is grounded in experimentation, storytelling, and creative collaboration. A graduate of Collarts and recipient of the Photography Course Highest Achievement Award, her work spans portraiture, events, product photography, nature imagery, and mixed-media projects. With a passion for analog cameras and macro photography, AJ is drawn to the details, approaching her work with curiosity, mindfulness, and a keen eye for observation.
Alongside her photography practice, AJ has experience working within a university environment and mentoring emerging creatives. Her work has also extended into filmmaking, with a music video she directed, shot, and edited screening on ABC Rage. Having begun her creative journey shooting on analog, her teaching philosophy is shaped by the belief that creativity thrives through play and experimentation.
At YAS Studio, AJ encourages young creatives to explore different photographic genres and techniques while discovering what excites them most behind the lens. Through storytelling, experimentation, and mindfulness, she helps students build confidence in their ideas, embrace creative risks, and take pride in the work they create.
Industry Guests
Our guests are working industry professionals who collaborate with YAS Studio across the year. When schedules align, they may join us for special workshops, holiday programs or one-off sessions during the term, giving students the opportunity to learn directly from other people actively working in the creative industries.
Writer, Director & Actor (Clickbait, Fires, FAKE)Award Winning Photographer
Amy Mete
Danielle Pears
Hallie Mckeig
Hamish MacGregor
Talent Agent (Creative Soul Management)Award Winning Filmmaker
Vicki Bell
Taylor Ferguson
Actor & Photographer (Human Error, Surviving Summer, Neighbours)Casting Director (Amy Mete Casting)
Tavis Pinnington
Cat Jones
CinematographerTalent Agent (Filmbites Youth Talent Agency)
Sam MacDonald
Photographer