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 & Senior Acting Teacher
Daniel is an accomplished actor with over 15 years of professional experience in the Australian screen and stage industries. His acting credits include roles in acclaimed productions such as Love Me (Warner Bros), Summer Love (Gristmill), The Clearing (Wooden Horse), and the soon to be released Dear Life (Gristmill). His work spans major platforms including Netflix, Stan, ABC, Disney+ and Binge, where he has performed alongside some of Australia’s most celebrated actors.
A graduate of the prestigious full-time program at 16th Street Actors Studio, Daniel has continued to refine his craft through advanced training with globally recognised acting coaches Larry Moss, the late Elizabeth Kemp, and Lisa Robertson.
In addition to his work as an actor, Daniel has built a successful parallel career in the higher education sector, at various Creative Arts institutes. Over the past decade, he has held key roles at institutions such as Collarts (Australian College of the Arts), where he held a senior management position overseeing School & Community outreach programs, major events, and strategic industry partnerships. His work in this space has fostered long-standing relationships with secondary schools, youth organisations, and leading creative industry bodies across Victoria including Melbourne International Film Festival, Melbourne Fashion Week (City of Melbourne), Australian Photography Awards and Melbourne International Animation Festival.
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Daniel’s vision for YAS Studio is driven by a deep commitment to empowering the next generation of creative talent. With his combined expertise in performance, education, and industry engagement, he is uniquely positioned to create an inspiring, inclusive, and professionally grounded environment where young people can explore their artistic identity and future career pathways.
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.
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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. Through her role at YAS, she looks forward to nurturing emerging storytellers and supporting them as they grow into bold, thoughtful photographers who make people feel something.
CASEY LONGFIELD
Photography 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—where Chowdhury won the “One To Watch” award, presented by Leah Purcell.
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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.
Adrian’s filmmaking is driven by a passion for telling raw, character-driven stories that explore flawed individuals in search of salvation. His films aim to spark conversation, empathy, and a deeper reflection on what it means to be human. At YAS, he is excited to inspire the next generation of filmmakers to tell bold, authentic stories.
ADRIAN ORTEGA
Filmmaking 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 the 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.
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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.
OSCAR RAMOS
Animation Teacher
We’re currently curating an exciting line up of guest teachers for the April 2026 school holidays. Be sure to keep an eye on our socials to be first to find out!