ONALEE AMES

I grew up in Winnipeg, acted in high school plays, and then went to St. Olaf's College in Minnesota. After that, I transferred to Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, where I got my BFA in theatre. But the thing is, this was never intentional. I never dreamed of becoming an actress when I grew up. I became enthralled with theatre while at Simon Fraser, and I decided then and there that I wanted a career in film. I moved to Los Angeles, where I suddenly found myself studying stand-up comedy alongside Seth Rogen. Seth and I were the only two selected out of the class to go on and perform at the local Punchlines and Yuk-Yuk's comedy clubs. I performed stand-up for the next ten years. Again, this was not intentional. I just kept going where there was energy, and where there were doors opening up for me. I returned from Los Angeles in 2000 with a young family and started the school because I wanted to help Winnipeg actors be more professional, and to help the film industry in Winnipeg grow.

I think teaching gives me as much as I give others. Film is a very hard industry to be in, but it can be very wonderful for someone with the right mentorship. For those people who think they could never do this, it is beautiful to see them shift from depressed or anxious to succeeding in an environment that is artistic. It is very rewarding.

I think there's a great deal of practicality here that other schools might not teach. You just have to show up and walk the next walk, do the next thing. It's all about energy, and when you persevere and get to work on a film set it feels like the most amazing gift on the planet. We are also partnered with Farpoint Films as their in-house casting director, and I produce there, so we can give opportunities to those who are starting their careers. We also have one of the best training programs in Winnipeg. Having Steven Bernstein on our roster has definitely helped our training program grow to an LA level. It is amazing for students to be able to stay in our city and train at such a high level. The only thing they need is commitment.

I feel like there are people in the world who may get stuck in a certain life-narrative, and so with what I do, I'm able to push them outside of that, to make them realize their possibilities. In fact, I've had a lot of psychologists and psychiatrists send clients to me over the years because I'm able to push buttons emotionally that therapists can't push, and so I gently push them to a new place. Acting can be therapeutic, and I've done this long enough that I know when to push and when not. So sometimes it's just about finding a place, like a film acting course, to get rid of your psychological garbage and then move to your next thing. I think life is really all about that. Film acting is about trusting your intuition. Contrary to what some traditional drama teachers may tell you, film acting is not just about knowing what your character wants or needs. It's about showing up, giving your energy to another person and seeing what happens. This can easily be translated into life skills for many.

Some people assume because I'm an actor, I must be a great liar. In fact the reverse is true. You have to be very truthful to be a film actor, because the camera is a magnifying glass. It knows if you're not telling the truth. It is a magnifying glass into your soul.

Diversify. A lot of the time you need to anyway, and that's one reason the school offers diverse courses. We reflect that real-world situation, knowing you may need to diversify, like I did in my career. That's how I discovered that I loved to do other things, like screenwriting. I was like, wow, I can do this. Then I started doing stand-up. Wow, I can do this too. Actually, I think if you can do stand-up comedy, you can do almost anything. My thinking is: just dabble. Try things. Get scared. Lean into that, and it will make your creative energy better.

You can only teach what you know, and write what you know. So maybe you, the student, want to do it all. Here, you can. It's just a canvas, and something is going to stick.

You mean is it like an extension of my career? Yes. Our school is a diverse, safe space for Manitobans to find their way through the creative process. You would be so shocked at the kinds of people who come to train just for fun as well. Doctors, lawyers, ballet dancers, professional athletes. These are just a few examples. I always tell people I cannot promise work in film, but I can promise a better life. This work hits your soul at a place where it generates hope again.

There's a diversity here that's exciting, as well as watching people who weren't the cool kids in school growing up now have hope in getting work. We have so much fun. With all the work in town growing at such a huge rate, we see people get work every day. We all gather together and help each other audition.

We have an A-list of Winnipeg teachers, but we also have a partnership with people from LA. Sean Garrity teaches the screenwriting course, Lara Rae teaches comedy and Arron Merke teaches the improv and stand-up courses. This year we have award-winning LA coach Steven Bernstein. Our reach is expanding as the reputation of the studio has grown outside of Winnipeg. We also bring in US casting directors and local casting director Jim Heber. The support of the professionals in town for the studio is immense. We also have local directors such as Shawn Linden, Ryan Cooper and John Barnard teaching at the studio as guests. It is very exciting to train with us, meet all these people and be up close and personal with them.

Just show up, even when it's hard. I equate this business with the Olympics. If you look at the discipline of Olympic athletes versus the discipline of the average potential actor, it is miles apart. Personally, I need to do things like yoga, dressage, networking and being seen, all these things to push my creativity forward. So it's all about staying with it, especially when it gets hard, because it's never going to happen when you expect it. Be bold, be strong, and forget all your self-criticisms. Granted, you may have to supplement your income from time to time with something like bartending, but that's true of LA as well. Who knows what's coming up in this business? You could get a part tomorrow. You could get a series. You work hard but you are enjoying your life.

My husband from DIN Architecture designed the building. It reminds me that we don't dream big enough. Talking of dreams, here's a true story. Years ago I'd been flying back and forth from LA to Vancouver on acting jobs, and then I got married and we moved back to Winnipeg. I'd just had my baby and one day I was standing in the grocery store and thought, I don't know how I'm going to do this in Winnipeg. I started to cry. I actually said to myself, I'll never work with Susan Sarandon in Winnipeg. Well, you know what happened. I got a role in Shall We Dance, playing opposite Jennifer Lopez, Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon. All here in Winnipeg. That's the film I'm proudest to have been in. That's right when I thought, the sky's the limit. So the studio is an extension of this idea: do not hold yourself back, do not limit yourself just because you live in Winnipeg. Let's stop doing that.