Located in the heart of Studio Row in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, Cody Mayo Studios is a premier Film Acting & Comedy Studio. They provide top-tier professional training programs and personalized coaching for adults and young actors, led by industry professionals from the front lines. Whether you join in Tulsa or online, you’ll become part of a vibrant community of artists dedicated to elevating their craft together.
Can you tell us how and why you started your business?
At the end of 2021, my family and I decided to move back to Oklahoma after a decade in Los Angeles. Fortunately, my career was at a point where this transition was possible, and my team agreed it was in my best interest to bring my kids closer to family.
In the spring of 2022, I opened Cody Mayo Studios in downtown Tulsa to offer Oklahoma a studio experience comparable to those in larger markets. My goal was to create a space that serves as a bridge to the industry, preparing the local community for the professional opportunities heading our way. It was crucial to me to provide elite-level training taught by industry professionals who are actively working on the front lines. I grew up around the teaching profession and even started coaching 12 years ago. My mentors pushed me to open the Studio in Tulsa and I haven’t looked back since.
What services do you provide within the film/music industry?
Cody Mayo Studios offers professional film/tv acting classes, industry professional intensives and improv comedy classes for adults and young actors. We pride ourselves on bringing in top-tier artists and industry professionals to lead our classes and offer personalized guidance to our clients. Our studio’s foundation is built on extensive experience and the mentorship of some of LA’s most influential celebrity coaches, ensuring our curriculum is up to date and tailored to the needs of each artist.
How has your company grown to meet the needs of Oklahoma’s film and/or music industries over the last 3-5 years?
Since opening, we have witnessed an incredible community of artists come together and elevate their craft. The quality of acting overall has significantly improved, meeting and often exceeding industry standards. Many of our actors have even gone on to successfully sign with agents and book commercials, films and even network TV roles.
What are the benefits of basing your company’s operations in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma is our home, and it was essential for us to give back and invest in our community. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see our actors’ work transform at our studio and to watch them thrive in classes taught by industry professionals, including casting directors, writers, directors, producers and more. Tulsa specifically has an incredibly talented art scene and being able to be a part of that community has been amazing.
What would you consider your business’s greatest accomplishment to date?
Seeing our actors book jobs and create their own material has been truly inspiring, but I believe the greatest accomplishment is the vibrant community we have built. The artists here have come together to create a space where they can elevate their work surrounded by coaches, who are incredible teachers with well springs of experience and a heart to empower others. I am also particularly proud of our collaboration with the Cherokee Nation and the opportunity to offer a few intensives with them.
Are there any recent successes your company would like to highlight related to work within the Oklahoma film and music industries?
Recently, several of our actors have booked network TV roles, independent films and commercials. Some of our coaches and guest artist teachers have also gone on to work on various shows. One of our classes even created their own short film from start to finish, which has been successfully placed in the festival circuit!
What are you working on now/next?
Currently, a WGA writer is teaching a TV writing class in our online studio, which is an incredibly unique opportunity for our community. We also have a few surprise special guests lined up for later this year and even a few new classes!
What is your goal/vision for the future of your company?
My vision is for Cody Mayo Studios to remain a premier studio dedicated to providing top-tier training led by industry professionals. Additionally, we aim to actively contribute to the advancement of film in Oklahoma and to continue to be a destination where actors and comedians can elevate their craft. These past two years have been incredible, and we’re just getting started!
What advice do you have for others who are considering starting a film or music business in Oklahoma?
Film is here to stay and the local community is more than ready and able to be a part of it. Dream it. Create it. Live it. Right here in Oklahoma.
What opportunities do you believe await Oklahoma’s film/music industry in the future?
The opportunity is endless if we continue moving forward, keep creating, strengthening the incentive programs and building each day. Oklahoma has always been a part of film, but we are now at an interesting crossroads where the industry is looking to the midwest and there are several Oklahomans that are locking arms to bring this industry forward. The best is yet to come and I think a few really cool opportunities may be headed our way.
Each featured individual or business is given the provided questions to answer in their own voice. Other than formatting and grammar, the answers are personal to each featured voice, and are not provided by the Oklahoma Film + Music Office.
