Now, the all-female Vancouver group that features Jackie Blackmore, Iva Kapsikova, Sidika Larbes and Lauren Martin are putting the finishing touches on their newest show, Strapless: Unstrapped, set for Friday, March 11th at The Evergreen Cultural Centre.

We spoke to them to find out more about their gutsy and gut-busting sketch comedy ways.

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Why don’t you start by telling us a little bit about you?

Strapless Comedy is four fearlessly funny females who enjoy acting silly, pushing boundaries, and dressing up like men. Individually we are Jackie Blackmore, Iva Kapsikova, Sidika Larbes and Lauren Martin. We’ve been together since 2013 and have enjoyed entertaining  audiences and selling out shows across Canada. We’ve been described as the all-female ‘Tits in the Hall!’

How would you describe sketch comedy to someone who has never seen or performed it?

Short, scripted, self-contained, comedic scenes. Strapless writes, acts and produces their own sketches and performs regularly in front of a live audience. Some examples of sketch comedy are: Carol Burnett, Monty Python, SNL, Portlandia or Key & Peele.

What inspired you to get involved with sketch comedy and what do you get from it?

We all watched sketch comedy as kids, so seeing strong, funny female characters on television was a huge influence and made us all want to follow in their footsteps while also  seeking out our own unique voices as writers.

What we get from sketch is the gratification of making our audiences laugh, forget their troubles for a while and hopefully afterwards see them all in a twisted new light!

How did Strapless come about?

Strapless was formed as a pop group in 1998 by a Swedish music producer. After losing ‘Best New Artist’ at the Grammys, and grappling with Lauren’s cough syrup addiction, they lost a founding member when Beyonce decided to go solo. Her loss, really. Strapless regrouped in 2013 as a sketch comedy troupe and have been living ‘tits-to-the-wind’ ever since.

Tell us about Strapless: Unstrapped and what audiences should expect.

Strapless was thrilled to be asked by The Evergreen Theatre to perform a Mainstage show as part of their Comedy Series on Friday, March 11th, 2016. We started writing our new show last fall but don’t worry there will also be a couple of fan favourites from our wildly popular Fringe Tours!

You won’t want to miss The Golden Girls doing The Godfather! The Voice Over audition from Hell! Or a performance from your friendly neighbourhood Butchershop Quartet!

Not to mention, our Strapless Riverdance has to be seen to be believed!

From your standpoint, what makes for an effective sketch?

A clear, strong comedic premise. Jokes that continue to build, develop and evolve. Well-crafted, fun physical characters. And the willingness to take big risks.  Boobs also help.

What is involved with the preparation of a show?

A lot of chin-ups and squats with some binge eating between rehearsals. Strapless has a firm rule that all tears due to exhaustion must be shed in the cry room/bathroom.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get involved with sketch comedy?

Just Do It! Please don’t sue us, Nike.

What books and authors have been influential in your career so far?

Born Standing Up – Steve Martin

Bossypants –Tina Fey

Tragically, I Was An Only Twin – Peter Cook

Chelsea Handler, and of course, the Coles Notes version of Hamlet.

Where can we find out more information about you?

Find out more about us and get info & tickets to our upcoming show at: StraplessComedy.com!

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Thanks to the ladies of Strapless – Jackie Blackmore, Iva Kapsikova, Sidika Larbes and Lauren Martin – for speaking with us!

Buy tickets for their March 11th show at StraplessComedy.com.

The post The Biz Interview: Strapless appeared first on Biz Books.

Film festivals, press junkets, and media pitches are all in a day’s work for Angie Burns, so we wanted to take a closer look at why publicity matters for actors and filmmakers today.

Angie Burns took a break from her continuously busy schedule to give us the goods on the finer points of how the entertainment publicity machine works and what the life of a publicist is really like.

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Why don’t you start by telling us more about you and what projects you are involved with right now?

At the moment, I am in full-on TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) mode! It’s that time of year we entertainment publicists dread, and yet thrive on. This is my first TIFF working with Strut Entertainment, an amazing boutique PR agency in Toronto. Strut specializes in music, brand and lifestyle PR, and I have joined the team to build the film and TV division.

What inspired you to get involved in public relations and promotions for entertainment?

I fell into it quite by chance. After working and going to university full time (studying art history and women’s studies), I decided after graduation to take a breather before moving on to post-graduate work. I applied for a receptionist position at an office that advertised in the classified section of the paper (Google it, kids) but didn’t name itself. I arrived for the interview and the company was the newly formed Lions Gate Films. I never went back to school. It took me a few years to begin working film publicity, which I am eternally grateful for, as the different positions at Lions Gate taught me so much and gave me a multi-faceted understanding of film distribution in Canada.

I love film and my skill set made me a fit for the publicity and promotions department. I never would have considered a career in PR if I hadn’t (luckily, thankfully, happily) stumbled upon it.

What is a typical day like for you?

It’s rare that one day is the same as the one before it – and I love that about entertainment PR. Mornings can be spent escorting talent to morning shows for interviews or screening new films for press. Sometimes, especially on Fridays, they are spent sending out film breaks and reviews to the client.

I’m a big believer in taking a break away from your desk mid-day, so I try to schedule meetings over lunch. These can be with clients, members of the press, or promotional partners. If I don’t have a meeting, I take a walk to stretch the ol’ pins!

Afternoons can be spent pitching interviews, editing reports, building itineraries, crafting proposals, or meeting Tom Hardy for a cocktail. That last part isn’t true, but let’s just leave that in there.

Evenings often involve attending industry events or, more commonly, advance film screenings. Luckily I love what I do, because long days come with the job.

How can promotion and publicity be valuable for actors and filmmakers?

It’s absolutely vital to the success of filmmakers and actors, whether they engage a publicist to handle it – I highly recommend this option – or pursue it on their own, getting word out is essential. Established publicists have spent years getting to know the media – what specific writers’ interests are, who best to connect with regarding a specific project. It can save the client a world of frustration and time by having a publicist represent them and their work. We know what events are on the horizon, who the players are, and how best to navigate opportunities and challenges.

What are the most important factors for actors and filmmakers to consider when they are looking to hire a publicist?

In a word – chemistry. You can have the most skilled publicist in the world, but if they don’t connect with you or your project, those skills mean nothing. I recommend taking the time to research potential publicists; see what they’ve worked on previously, talk to others in the industry if you can. Good word of mouth is critical to a publicist’s success. Have a preliminary conversation to get to know each other … and follow your gut.

How has the landscape of entertainment publicity changed since you first started in the industry?

Night and day! When I started, we were mailing out physical black and white photos and BetaCam tapes to newspapers; now we are emailing links and jpegs to bloggers and social media influencers.

Many boutique and indie distributors have been swallowed up by the larger ones, and the shift from print to digital have greatly impacted our day to day.

Oh – and smart phones! The thought of not being able to text or email someone during an interview on a press day actually gives me hives. We used to have to excuse ourselves and (GASP!) use the phone. I know it sounds like I’m a dinosaur, but seriously, this wasn’t all that long ago.

What is the biggest misconception about entertainment publicity?

Probably that publicists spend our nights rubbing elbows with celebrities, attending all the cool parties and generally leading glamorous lives. Again, I love my job – and I’m not denying that there are perks – but entertainment publicists are some of the hardest working, most organized people I know. You have to check your ego at the door and be prepared to have your successes sometimes ignored, because our jobs are to make our clients shine without showing the hard work that goes into it.

What have been a few of your biggest career highlights so far?

Oh wow – so many! Working with Jon Stewart last year at TIFF on his film Rosewater was definitely a major highlight. He is one of my favourite celebs I’ve ever worked with – and what he does is so brilliant. It was an incredible honour.

Other highlights have been taking films to the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal. Watching the filmmakers and cast literally weep when they receive the Fantasia ovation is just amazing – it can be a bit overwhelming. You can’t leave that festival without falling in love with it.

Finally, working on films with a message are definitely at the top of the list. Whether it’s the Planet in Focus or Regent Park Film Festivals, or the award winning docs The Cove and Deliver Us From Evil, getting the message out is an incredibly rewarding experience.

What books have been influential to you in your career?

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are my heroes – their books are not only hilarious, they are inspiring. I will pretty much read any autobiography penned by a comedian, but these two are tops!

I also loved Down and Dirty Pictures by Peter Biskind, Weird Sex & Snowshoes by the amazing Katherine Monk, and Raising Hell: Ken Russell and the Unmaking of The Devils by Richard Crouse is a must-read for fans of genre cinema.

Where can we find out more about you?

My Twitter handle is @Angabama_Burns and I’m on LinkedIn! You can also check out Strut Entertainment’s Twitter, Instagram and website (strutentertainment.com).

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Our thanks to Angie Burns for speaking with us!

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Recommended Reading

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Bossypants
Tina Fey

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Yes Please
Amy Poehler

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Down and Dirty Pictures
Peter Biskind

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The post The Biz Interview: Angie Burns appeared first on Biz Books.