About Todd Babcock
Founder & Artistic Director | Head Instructor
I was fortunate enough in my early Hollywood days a few people took some chances on me. It was Bill Condon on 'Gods and Monsters' that gave me the invite to be in his company of such greats as Ian McKellan, Lynn Redgrave and Brendan Fraser. It was the classiest, most interesting film school one could ever dream of and landed a few Oscar nominations and ruined my expectations for film sets ever on. Quickly following were great stints on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Frasier'. A beginning trifecta to make anyone's eyes glassy with envy. The talent and professionalism of those early projects would serve me for the many productions to come over the years.
Yet, one of the strongest perceptions I had during these early years was a deep, inner notion I didn't really know what I was doing.
I came to Hollywood, like many, with various acting degrees. A BFA from Michigan State and MFA work done on scholarship at Temple University in Philadelphia. They were fine programs that taught classic techniques we've all come familiar with in Stanislavsky, Meisner and Chekhov among many other disciplines. Upon graduating these institutions one would think they were ready to start their career. In truth, my learning had just begun.
When I booked my first budgeted short film through a self-submission I was excited to show what I could do. It was on the first take of the first scene that I wandered over to the monitor and saw what I was doing and went, "Oh, no...I'm ACTING!"
What followed was a steep and fast learning curve of dashing my preconceived notions of acting ideas. It seemed all my studies until then were suddenly useless and I had to figure things out quickly or that job in the mailroom was going to become a career. As I immersed myself in film technique I wondered why no one had prepared me for this eventuality? The shocking wake-up call that all my techniques had failed to prepare me for.
I then began an immersive and at times obsessive journey into training for film acting. Exploring a variety of classes, I found myself at one of the premiere acting studios in Los Angeles that was highly respected in the industry. I went to every class and sat in the ones I wasn't in. I spent six years so devoted to study, I was then invited in 2004 to teach at the studio. After my first day, I was hooked. Soon enough I was taking not only the techniques I had learned over the years but also the hard-earned lessons from being on set after set. After several years of teaching, I finally realized my voice had become too specialized to stay under another's roof.
In 2012 I opened Babcock Studios in Los Angeles and Pasadena. An acting studio that aims to bridge the gap between acting theory and the nuts and bolts of what it is to act in the television and film industry. A place where the practicalities of technique are implemented and then tossed away in favor of what works. Acting on a set is result oriented, but the art of acting is not. The studio is where actors prepare like artists and perform like professionals.
From this work I was invited to teach various workshops, including the rewarding opportunity to join FACT (Family Adult and Child Therapy) for individuals on the Autism Spectrum and other disabilities. The workshop that was meant to teach these young people in turn taught me more about being human and humanity than any class I've ever taken.
In creating Babcock Studios it was my hope to create the type of environment I would want to be in. A concentrated, playful and creative studio that has the virtue of real technique and experience along with a lifelong passion to engage with willing actors.
Meet The Instructors
About Kimberley Pember
Acting Instructor
Kimberley Pember is a veteran theater and film actor with over 30 years of professional experience. She stars as the lead actress in the feature film Sweetwater and appears as Bruce Willis's ex-wife, Camila, in Lionsgate's Detective Knight: Independence. Her theater credits include Nora in A Doll's House by Ibsen, Mary Page Marlowe in Mary Page Marlowe, directed by Robert Walden (All the President's Men, Love & Death), and performing alongside Tony Todd (Candyman) and Neil Sandilands (Sweet Tooth) in the independent feature Destination Marfa.
Kimberley received her B.F.A. in Acting & Directing from Texas Tech University. While earning her degree, she directed and produced productions ranging from Shakespeare to Tony Kushner. She continued her professional training through intensive study in voice, movement, classical and contemporary performance, including multiple workshops with the late Harry Mastrogeorge, renowned acting coach to Ray Liotta, Brit Marling, and many other Hollywood actors.
In 2021, Kimberley moved with her family to Boulder and joined Babcock Studios.
"I was desperate to find an acting studio—but not a studio where I was only exposed to one teaching—Meisner, Strasburg, or The Method—because I feel like the craft of storytelling isn't just a 'one size fits all' art. I yearned for a studio, a mentor who would not only support me but would dare me—no, insist I fall hard on my face. I wanted a tribe, a community of professional players who were just as passionate about storytelling as I was, one that would force me to up my game. Above all, I wanted a fearless, supportive family. I found it."
Kimberley's upcoming projects include portraying the wife of Harvey Keitel and the mother of Emile Hirsch in The Good Side of a Bad Man, currently in pre-production. She is also starring in the feature Speed Humps, which she co-wrote with fellow studio teacher Kat Wilson and is currently in development. Most recently, Kimberley was selected to participate in the prestigious Sundance Institute Directors Lab, one of the film industry's premier creative development programs.
Kimberley brings the same passion, curiosity, and fearless commitment to storytelling into every class, challenging actors to take creative risks while providing the support and community that helped shape her own artistic journey.
About Kathleen Wilson
Acting Instructor
Kathleen "Kat" Wilson is an actor, director, filmmaker, and dedicated acting teacher whose warmth, insight, and intuitive approach have made her a beloved teacher at Babcock Studios.
Kat's journey began at age eleven when a friend invited her to an improv class at The Drama Studio in Springfield, Massachusetts. From the moment she stepped on stage, she knew she had found her life's calling. She spent her formative years immersed in acting, improvisation, puppetry, and musical theater, appearing in a wide range of stage productions and developing a lifelong love of storytelling.
Kat earned her Associate Degree in Theater Arts before moving to New York City to study Musical Theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). There, she immersed herself in the works of Chekhov, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Eugene O'Neill, and August Wilson, further developing her technique while deepening her commitment to emotionally truthful storytelling.
In 2018, Kat relocated to Denver and became part of the Babcock Studios community, where she continues to train under the mentorship of founder Todd Babcock. It was through this continued pursuit of the craft that she discovered a passion for teaching. Beginning in 2020, Kat quickly became a standout instructor, known for her clarity, compassion, and the grounded, artist-centered environment she creates in every class.
In addition to acting and teaching, Kat is an accomplished filmmaker. Through her production company, she has written, directed, and produced multiple short films and original series pilots and is currently developing her next feature project. As both a storyteller and filmmaker, she brings a unique perspective to the classroom, encouraging actors to think beyond performance and understand the collaborative process of bringing stories to life.
Kat brings deep respect for the craft, a collaborative spirit, and an infectious creative energy into every class. She encourages students to explore fearlessly, stretch beyond their comfort zones, and bring their full selves to the work. She often shares, "I've never learned more about acting than I have through teaching," a reflection of her belief that great teaching and great artistry continually inspire one another.
About Carly Stanton
Voiceover & Improv Instructor
Carly Stanton is a professional voice actor, actor, comedian, and content creator with over eight years of experience in commercial, animation, narration, and character-driven voiceover. Her voice has been featured in campaigns for brands including Lucky Brand, Uber, and Indeed. Her work spans animated shorts, dubbed series, audiobooks, guided meditations, commercials, and long-form narration, building a thriving voiceover career with clients around the world.
What Carly loves most about voiceover is the creative freedom it offers. Behind the microphone, an actor isn't limited by age, appearance, or type—they can become anyone. Whether performing in a national commercial, bringing an animated character to life, or telling a deeply personal story through narration, Carly believes the heart of every great performance is authenticity. Her teaching emphasizes truthful storytelling, specificity, and the confidence to make bold, creative choices.
Outside the recording booth, Carly is an accomplished comedian, writer, and digital creator. Her original comedy content has attracted more than 350,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, with one video surpassing 62 million views. Her ability to create memorable characters and connect with audiences across multiple platforms has become an important extension of her creative work.
Carly also works professionally in front of the camera. Her credits include Waco: The Trials (Paramount+), Big Sky (ABC), the feature film Grounded, and the upcoming horror feature Killer Kafe. She continues to sharpen her craft through ongoing acting classes at Babcock Studios, where she has been a member of the community since 2023, believing that great actors never stop learning.
A lifelong performer, Carly's background in musical theater spans more than two decades, with favorite roles including Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins, and the Witch in Into the Woods. She is also a professional vocalist and songwriter, performing regularly at nonprofit events throughout the Denver area.
Carly is passionate about helping actors discover the creative freedom that makes voiceover so exciting. She creates a supportive, technique-driven environment where students are encouraged to trust their instincts, embrace their individuality, and take creative risks behind the microphone. Whether students are recording their very first script or pursuing voiceover professionally, Carly is committed to helping them develop not only their skills, but the confidence to find their own unique voice.
About Kate Mazzotta
Screenwriting Instructor
Kate Mazzotta is an award-winning writer and actor with nearly two decades of writing for the stage, screen, and all things in between. Her writing career started when she was a teenager and an aging, chain-smoking editor asked if she could write marketing copy for "that new Facebook thing." Her career has since expanded into writing fiction, narrative nonfiction, long-form journalism, stage plays, radio plays, TV pilots, micro dramas, and feature films.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Florida State University and a Master of Arts in Broadcast Literacy from Queen's University, Belfast. Her film and television work has been optioned by HBO and the BBC. Highly influenced by early modern theatre works by Middleton and Marlowe, her work often explores themes of morality, ethics, gender, and the cost of ambition. As a hobby historian, she often pulls from the past for inspiration and specializes in writing and script doctoring what she calls "historical adaption."
Kate spent several years abroad as a playwright and working in television production, contributing to productions including Game of Thrones, The Fall, Vikings, and The Witcher. She first received acclaim for her play John II. Written in iambic pentameter and in the style of a Shakespearean history play, it chronicled the tragedy of JFK Jr. and the ambition of Caroline Kennedy. Another of her plays, The King of Nothing, was initially panned by critics but has since received renewed interest and appreciation. In addition to writing her original works, she also works as an editor, proofreader, and script doctor.
Kate came to acting by way of the theatre, filling in for her own plays and those of her friends. After moving to Denver, she decided it was time to formally study acting and discovered Babcock Studios. She found that acting made her a better writer, and writing made her a better actor. She also found that writing empowered her and gave her more agency as both an actor and creative. She believes every actor benefits from understanding story from the writer's perspective and that writing can open doors both creatively and professionally.
Now, Kate is passionate about empowering other actors to carve their own path in this ever-changing industry. She believes anyone can learn anything through consistency, curiosity, and dedication, and encourages her students with warmth, vulnerability, candor, and humor. Her hope is that writing opens as many doors for her students as it has for her.