From Acting Class to Assistant Director: Phoenix Tsang’s Story

Six months after signing up for an acting class, Phoenix Tsang was on set for the first time. She’d wanted to act since she was young, but her path to the screen industry took a few turns along the way.

After moving to Canada from Hong Kong at 11, Phoenix worked in hair and makeup before moving into healthcare and leadership roles. When she started acting classes at the Orange Hub in September 2024, she found a community of people with different levels of experience, all putting themselves out there together.

“When I realized that we’re kind of all in the same boat of putting ourselves out there together, we became this really close-knit community,” she says.

As Phoenix spent more time around productions, she became interested in directing. Her healthcare experience had taught her to coordinate moving parts, work with people and keep the bigger picture in mind. She began to see how those skills could translate to a film set.

In 2025, she joined the first cohort of Greenlight Alberta’s assistant director stream, building her knowledge of the role while making connections across the industry.

Learning by doing

Edmonton Screen’s Greenlight Alberta program combines training and workshops with hands-on experience on working productions.

Phoenix’s acting teacher, Nikki Rae Hallow of Actor’s Toolbox, brought her onto a short film as a second assistant director after learning she was part of Greenlight Alberta. She learned from J.D. Schroder on set, while a Greenlight workshop with a location scout who had worked on The Last of Us offered another perspective on the work behind the scenes.

She continued building that experience on Room 309, a Brimstone Pictures short film that received investment through Edmonton Screen’s short film call out, which creates on-set opportunities for Greenlight participants.

With guidance from Brimstone Pictures co-founder and producer Preston Ewasiuk, Phoenix took on first assistant director duties and contributed input on shots.

Leading under pressure

On the final night of filming Room 309 at Fort Edmonton Park, the crew had to be off location by 10:30 PM. At 9:30, they still had shots left to film.

Phoenix worked with the crew to determine what tasks or scenes could be delegated differently, so they could finish on time. They wrapped before the deadline.

For Phoenix, the job involves more than keeping a production on schedule. It also means understanding the pressure people are under and treating everyone on set with respect.

“Yes, I’m stressed, but so is my crew. So is my cast,” she says. “In that stress moment, I still try to find my way to give grace and respect to people.”

That respect extends to everyone involved in a production. “Everybody is talent,” she says. “No matter if you’re just a PA running the coffee machine, you’re still talent.”

Since joining Greenlight Alberta, Phoenix has worked as an assistant director on four short films, including Room 309 and If Nothing Changes, while continuing to pursue acting opportunities. She also appeared in Whatcha Want, directed by Mina Shum, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2026.

Her advice to people starting out in Edmonton’s screen industry is to stay open, take care of yourself and not dismiss opportunities just because they aren’t where you ultimately want to be. The experience you gain along the way may lead you somewhere unexpected.

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About Greenlight Alberta

Greenlight Alberta supports the development of film and TV crew across Edmonton and Northern Alberta through training, industry connections and hands-on experience.

Learn more about Greenlight Alberta.