We caught up with them to find out everything there is to know about The Support Group and why fans of quirky, kooky comedy web series should most definitely check it out.

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

Sydney Doberstein: I’m originally from Vancouver Island and grew up on a dairy farm in a small town called Black Creek. While growing up there, I performed in many community musical theatre shows and school performances. My first leading role was at the age of 13 when I starred as “Charlotte” the spider in Charlotte’s Web. Now living in Vancouver, my primary focuses are developing my film and television resume and dabbling in motion capture. When I’m not immersed in the industry, you’ll find me being entertained by my 3 month old schnauzer puppy named Darwin, eating a gluten-free diet (for over 10 years now… I started before it was cool), singing and playing guitar in the comfort of my apartment with my husband, crafting beautiful and hilarious Snapchats of my life and spamming my contact list, and biking all year round (I have a bright purple rain suit).

Lily Zarif: I was born in England, went to university in Canada and am now going back and forth between the two to work in the film industry as much as possible. I’m a reader, which is why I get so excited to write, and love binge-watching Parks and Recreation which is where a lot of my humour inspiration came from. 

Laura Carly Miller: I grew up in Maple Ridge and from an early age, I loved the stage. I began dancing when I was five years old. During high school I decided to take drama and that’s where I really realized my passion for acting. At first I was more interested in the theatre, but I had always been interested in film so I applied to Capilano University’s Acting for Stage and Screen program in hopes to try out both mediums. Since university, I have been auditioning for film, television and theatre.

I met Sydney Doberstein and Lily Zarif at Capilano U and we graduated with diplomas in acting. We became friends through school and continued our close friendship after the fact. Our coinciding love for acting led to us deciding to create our own company, Beyond Theatre Productions to continue being creative. Before creating The Support Group, we created sketch comedies and even a theatre piece about racism that we performed for the South Okanagan Immigration Society. The reason we created The Support Group was to continue being creative and gave us an opportunity to make our own work. Also I personally love comedy. So this project has been the ultimate blast being able to not only write, produce, but also star in my own series.

What is The Support Group and how did it come to be?

Sydney Doberstein: The Support Group is a series about three unlikely friends, each facing their own challenges and coming together to save their beloved support group.

Laura Carly Miller, Lily Zarif and I had just finished touring with our production company, Beyond Theatre Productions, and we wanted to create our next project. We got together for a brainstorming brunch and came out with a plot line and potential character ideas for each of us. It was fun because we wanted to create something that we could all star in and we wanted to play characters that would be interesting for each of us.

Lily Zarif: It came to be after we’d been performing sketch comedy for about a year and had just had our first paid gig, a theatre piece we performed in Penticton. We decided it was time to take the next step and take on a whole series. We were chatting about ideas when one of us said “What about a support group, but you never find out what the group is for?” And the idea just grew from there.

What can audiences expect from The Support Group?

Sydney Doberstein: Audiences can expect to laugh, either at how funny it is or how awkward it is – especially if you know one of us. Since it is a comedy, there’s many truthful moments and teamwork in the show that I think audiences will enjoy.

Lily Zarif: Laughter! It’s a comedy, so they can expect some great jokes, and also a few heartwarming moments.

Laura Carly Miller: Laughs, romance, and tons of friendship. It’s a lot of fun and has some real kooky characters.

What are the benefits and challenges that you’ve found so far in developing a web series?

Sydney Doberstein: Benefits – bottom line, nothing really compares to creating your own project. This project has taught us a lot about what type of people, how much work and the amount of hours it takes to create something like a web series. The Support Group has given us a wide range of experience in producing, writing and acting, which most young actors can’t get from the industry. Another major benefit for us was spending all summer doing what we love and living out our dream of running Beyond Theatre Productions. We’ve been able to tap into the indie Vancouver film industry and work with some very talented people, which has helped us grow as actresses and as a production company.

Challenges – there are many challenges when starting your own creative project, let alone an ambitious one like The Support Group. We decided that the only way this was going to get made was doing it on a micro budget and getting ultra thrifty with our options. We were able to bring together a crew of over 30 people to help us, which definitely gave us a leg up in finishing this web series on time. The other major challenge was dealing with locations. The final three locations we were shooting at lost power on our final day, forcing us to rely heavily on our biggest fans – our parents!

Lily Zarif: The benefits of developing this series are so vast. I’ve learned so so much. Learning what it’s like to be on the other side has already helped me as an actor. Acting as a casting director, writer, producer and even sitting in on editing has all been so eye-opening.

The challenges were also vast, but I’m grateful for them, because that’s what helped me learn. Finding equipment and crew were probably two of the biggest challenges as we decided to film during one of the busiest summers in Vancouver.

Laura Carly Miller: The benefits of creating a web series have been outstanding. Not only has it given us as actors a lot of notice but also has been a great opportunity to learn the everything behind the camera. Something every actor should take the time to do. I’ve learned that every single job on set and off is incredibly important. I suggest if an actor gets the chance to sit in on the editing of a project they should do so. You learn a lot about acting and how story telling works.

Some challenges for us throughout this project have been pretty silly and out of our control. One weekend that we were filming in the summer there was a massive power outage across the city. Three out of four of our locations were without power. Luckily, my parents’ house out in Maple Ridge had power and they said all 30+ people could come and film there. It definitely saved us! Throughout this project I’ve learned that there is always something that comes up that’s out of your control but it still will always work out in the end. 

Where do you find inspiration for acting and writing?

Sydney Doberstein: I try to find inspiration from everyday life and hope that my work reflects a very real, honest experience. Obviously, some of my work is a stretch from my personal experiences, but mostly I use my experiences to bring a character to life.

Lily Zarif: I find inspiration from people who I feel have walked a similar path to me. When we started writing I’d just finished Mindy Kaling’s book where she discusses her early years, acting in a show she’d co-written. I then was reading One More Thing by BJ Novak while writing. It’s such a fantastic collection of short stories that while I was reading it, all I wanted to do was try to create something half as funny.

Laura Carly Miller: I find inspiration from my friends. They always make me want to be silly and create funny things. Also a lot of comedy shows that I watch. New Girl, Happy Endings, etc.

What are the keys to creating an effective comedy scene?

Sydney Doberstein: Timing. Comedy is all about timing the jokes, pacing them out, editing and making sure the scene flows smoothly.

Lily Zarif: High stakes! In writing, it was whatever made us laugh the hardest. One of us would make a suggestion and we’d keep building it up until we couldn’t stop laughing. And that made it into the script.

Laura Carly Miller: For us it was staying up writing until 4am and beginning to get silly from exhaustion.

What’s the best advice you’ve received in your career?

Sydney Doberstein: Do what scares you the most and let fear be your compass in life. That’s how I know acting is what I want to do. Acting terrifies me and puts me in a very vulnerable position, which I struggle with in my everyday life. It continues to challenge me and test my type A personality.

Lily Zarif: The best advice I’ve received in my career is to stay honest. In the work and in myself. And I think doing that has helped me to keep working and to work harder because it comes from a powerful place.

Laura Carly Miller: The best career advice I have received is to not take this industry personally. So many actors think it’s always their fault they’re not booking or that they weren’t pretty enough etc. But it’s never the case. So much is out of your control and you could have done a fabulous job, but it could honestly come down to something as silly as you look like the love interest’s sister. And unless it’s Game of Thrones that might not be okay.

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

Sydney Doberstein: The Intent To Live by Larry Moss is a book that I easily relate to in life but also my career. This is definitely one of those books that every actor should own.

I find myself constantly watching documentaries, interviews and biographies, which have been influential in my career. The Hollywood Reporter Actors Roundtable interviews are one of my favourites.

Lily Zarif: The ones I mentioned before, I would say were the most influential for my career. I read a lot of Jacqueline Wilson books when I was young too, which gave me a desire to chase adventure and a larger than life lifestyle.

Laura Carly Miller: Honestly not as many books have impacted me as a writer. I’m much more affected by television and films. I’m a sucker for cheesy teen romance shows. I can guarantee no one has watched The OC, Gossip Girl and the new 90210 as many times as I have. The over the top drama always gets me.

What other projects are you involved with?

Sydney Doberstein: This project has been a full-time job but I do still find time to model for a very special non-profit jewelry line called Global Wonders from Servants Anonymous Foundation. Modeling for a cause has given me some wonderful experiences and I recommend it to any actress. I also continue to audition and work on my own personal professional development.

Lily Zarif: I’ve been working on a few independent projects while recently visiting the UK, but am currently traveling, so I’ll be taking a little break before returning to work in Vancouver in the spring.

Laura Carly Miller: Currently none. I had been doing a lot of indie films and shorts but we’ve put a lot of energy and heart into this project recently. Otherwise, mostly auditioning as an actor whenever I have the chance.

Where can we find out more about you?

Sydney Doberstein:

Website: SydneyDoberstein.com | Twitter: @syddoberstein | Instagram: @sydneydoberstein

Lily Zarif:

Website: LilyZarif.com | Facebook: Lily Zarif | Twitter: @lilyzarif | Instagram: @ellzee93

Laura Carly Miller:

Website: LauraCarlyMiller.com | Facebook: Laura Carly Miller | Twitter: @laura_carly | Instagram:  @lauracarlymiller

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Our thanks to Sydney Doberstein, Lily Zarif, and Laura Carly Miller for speaking with us!

The Support Group premieres January 6th on the Beyond Theatre Productions YouTube Channel.

The series also features the contributions of Tammy Gillis (Director, Executive Producer, Actor) and Jim Thorburn (Executive Producer, Actor). You can see more of the cast and crew at TheSupportGroupTheSeries.com!

For more information about Beyond Theatre Productions, please visit BeyondTheatreProductions.com.

Photo Credits: Karolina Turek (Sydney Doberstein),  Brandon Hart (Lily Zarif and Laura Carly Miller), True Grit Productions (Stills), George Lawson Photography (Poster).

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Recommended Reading

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The Intent to Live
Larry Moss

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Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
Mindy Kaling

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Matt & Ben
Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers

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The post The Biz Interview: Sydney Doberstein, Lily Zarif, and Laura Carly Miller appeared first on Biz Books.

Steve Kaplan has been the world’s most respected and leading teacher of comedy for over 15 years. His former students have won 43 Emmys, 6 WGA Awards and an Oscar, and have written such commercial and critical hits as Big Love, Ugly Betty, Rescue Me, Mean Girls 2, Sex and the City, The Class, Friends and more. Executives from Dreamworks, ABC, Disney and others regularly send their top writers, directors, producers and animators to his classes in LA and NY, as do top production companies in cities like Sydney, Singapore and London.

Kaplan brings his class for the first time ever to the Hyatt Regency Vancouver the weekend of June 20-21, 2009. Steve sat down with us to answer some serious questions about comedy.

What makes for a successful comedy?

I think it always starts with characters, the honesty, the truthfulness and the specificity with which they’re created and developed. After that, it depends on the medium. In a feature, it helps to have a strong comic premise, what’s called “the lie that tells the truth.” Place your characters inside this incredible, almost impossible situation, and then follow them honestly and organically, moment-by-moment, as they try to work their way out of it. This way, the comedy-plot, complications, set-pieces-come out of character and relationship, as opposed to gags that seem forced and false.

Recommended Reading The Comedy Improv Handbook Click a cover for more details The Comedy Bible We Killed Recommended Reading The Comedy Improv Handbook Click a cover for more details The Comedy Bible We Killed

Is there a difference between writing for the big screen versus sitcom writing?

As opposed to features, half-hour comedies rely less on the premise, the “high-concept” as it were, and more on creating a kind of charming dysfunctional family – kind of like your own family, in that everyone (except you, the lead) seems to be crazy, but better than your own family, in that you don’t have to live with them, you just have to visit them for a half-hour every week..

Another difference is that in features, you establish and complete character arcs over a two-hour period, whereas in sitcoms, characters still change, but in very tiny increments, over long periods of time. Ongoing relationships ebb and flow, but character and character dynamics remain the same for much of the life of the sitcom. Just like in life, people rarely change and when they do, not by much.

Everyone has a different opinion as to “what’s funny,” so how do you teach comedy?

Funny is subjective; what’s funny to you might be off-putting to me. What makes my seven-year old nephew laugh might not amuse an adult. So rather than try to teach what’s funny, (subjective) we focus on universal principles of comedy (objective). And in doing so, we focus on what comedy is, how it works, why it works, and more importantly, what’s going on when it’s not working, and how to fix it. That’s where the “Hidden Tools of Comedy” come in—tools and techniques designed to complement and support your own talent and creativity.

You’ve given your Comedy Intensive class around the world – the US, Asia, Australia, Europe. Why is comedy so universal or do you find yourself having to adjust the material to accommodate the audience each time?

When I first was given the opportunity to present around the world, I have to admit, I was a bit concerned… Clips, which are a large part of the Intensive, are shown to illustrate the Tools. Naturally, most of the clips come from American television and Hollywood films. When I first presented in England, I thought, “Who am I to show comedy clips to the British, the land of Fawlty Towers and Monty Python?” It’s literally bringing coals to Newcastle! When I was invited to speak in Singapore, I thought, “Oh my gosh, they caned a kid just for chewing gum in public. When they see some of the clips I have, I could be executed!” But in each case I was pleasantly surprised at the response to the clips and to the Intensive in general. Customs and mores may change from place to place, but human nature is universal. Audiences laughed at the very raunchy humor of the Farrelly Brothers and Bob Odenkirk and David Cross as loudly in Bristol, England and Singapore as they did in New York and Encino. I’ve found that I’ve had to do very little to adapt the material. Instead, each place I go, my audiences introduce me to new writers and comedians from their neck of the woods. So going around the world has been delightful in the way that I keep acquiring new appreciation for the depth and breadth of the art of comedy.

Recommended Reading The Comedy Improv Handbook Click a cover for more details The Comedy Bible We Killed Recommended Reading The Comedy Improv Handbook Click a cover for more details The Comedy Bible We Killed

A major Australian newspaper said, “Steve Kaplan is the funniest man NOT on TV.” Do you think you have to be funny to teach funny?

Well, I’m not COMPLETELY unfunny! But yes, I’m not a performer. My background is that of a teacher, director and theatre producer, and later as a talent development executive. In that capacity, I’ve worked with literally hundreds of writers, seeing what worked and what didn’t, and helping to shape and edit scripts, screenplays and stand-up performances.

What’s the #1 biggest mistake you see comedy screenwriters make when starting or working on a script?

Thinking that they’re superior to the characters they’re writing, not believing in the humanity of their own characters and working overtime to invent ridiculous behavior in a strained effort to “be funny.” Look around. People are already pretty ridiculous without any help from you. As Edward Albee has said, “Let your characters do the work,” meaning that if you create vibrant, flawed characters, give them their head, follow and see where they lead you to. When Tony Kushner was writing Angels in America, a powerful, but still very funny play and screenplay, he found himself stuck in the middle of the play. He’s quoted as saying, “I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing. So I thought, I’m gonna ask a character. Who’s most like me? Louis. So I sat down, and I asked, ‘What is this play about?’” The answer was got him a slew of Tonys and Emmys.

In your class you explain that soap operas are a great way of demonstrating and teaching comedy. Why is that?

Soap operas, no matter what you think of them personally, are great comedy teaching tools precisely because they are, in many ways, the antithesis of comedy. Soap opera is an art form in which everyone – writers, directors, craftsmen, DP, actors – are dedicated to creating drama. By analyzing their choices, we can see, as if in a negative image, some important truths and principles about comedy.

How important is rewriting to comedy?

Pretty important. Without it, the actors will be saying all the typos.

With the exception of possibly “Tropic Thunder,” why don’t they make more politically incorrect comedies like “Blazing Saddles” anymore?

Actually, I think they still make politically incorrect comedy and satire, only they call it The Simpsons, Family Guy, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. The trouble with politically incorrect features is that it generally takes between two and a half to five years to go from first draft to distribution. Five years ago, they didn’t have Twitter, and Facebook was only for frat boys. The world changes so quickly now that what seemed like a good idea four years ago is already passé by now. Here’s a hint: dump your “Octomom” screenplay – it’s already over.

Complete this sentence: “Comedy is….”

Dying is hard. Comedy is harder. Seriously, comedy is telling the truth, and specifically, telling the truth about people.

When “punching up” a script, what are the most important things to look for or accomplish?

Assuming that there aren’t major story or structural problems, a punch up generally consists of “killing your darlings” by cutting weak and unnecessary gags and sequences, and sharpening your characters’ moment-by-moment perspective. It’s instructive to look at a screenplay like Groundhog Day, for instance. You can download an early draft online, and compare it to the completed film. The draft is full of jokes – in fact, in this draft, Bill Murray is NEVER at a loss for a quip, a put-down or an insult. What is revelatory is how little of it survived the final cut. The jokes might have made it “funnier,” but it also slowed down the story and undercut our belief in the characters, which ultimately hurts the comedy. The biggest laughs in Groundhog Day come not from quips, but from fully defined characters perceiving the world through their own point of view: When Bill Murray, dejected in a bar, describes his metaphysical plight by asking, “What would you do, if every day of your life were exactly the same, and nothing you do matters?” he’s answered by a trucker sitting next to him one who says morosely, “That about sums it up for me.” The comedy comes not from a quip, but from a character seeing the world through his own unique prism, and responding accordingly. While there are a number of successful approaches to structuring a joke, the first and most important thing to work on is character.

During your class, people get into groups to come up with a funny comic premise. What’s the best premise you’ve heard? The worst?

I don’t think I can remember the absolute best. It’s only an exercise, and so the premises are all, by design, pretty raw and underdeveloped. The exercise is designed to show the power of a strong comic premise-the ability to explode the story in the imagination of the writer. One example comes from a workshop a few years ago. A group came up with this premise: “A losing college football team discovers that the only way they can win . . . is to get the nerd . . . laid.” The room gave a small chuckle, and I posed a simple question: “What are some scenes that might be in this movie?” Almost immediately, the audience started shouting out a dozen possible scenes, and coming up with the probable characters: The nerd, the team’s quarterback, his best friends, a big lineman and a speedy wide receiver; the somewhat addled coach; the coach’s daughter. The point is that a good premise has the power and potential to start writing itself. It can be a potent counterbalance to every writer’s dread: the writer’s block, and the blank screen or page that accompanies that block.

What’s the #1 rule to follow when pitching your comedy screenplay or sitcom script?

The #1 rule? Talk to the experts, or better yet, buy their books or CDs: SELLING YOUR STORY IN 60 SECONDS by Michael Hague; SMALL SCREEN, BIG PICTURE by Chad Gervich; or Robert Kosberg’s SELL YOUR IDEA TO HOLLYWOOD.

What advice would you give for aspiring comedy writers?

Hang around with other funny people. There are two great ways to do that. One would be to join an improv group or take improv classes. Since much of comedy is character based, the best way to get inside a character’s head is to be one. Even if you’re not interested in being a performer or stand-up, the comic skills you’ll pick up are invaluable when writing material, whether it’s long form or short form, or just a set-up and punch line. The second piece of advice would be to form or join a writer’s group. Once you’ve written your material, it’s imperative to hear the material read out loud in front of even a small group of friends and colleagues. It’s basic to comedy: the interaction between script/performer and audience. You’ve got to hear how those golden pearls play when read by humans to humans. You’re not looking for hours of rehearsal and polished performances, but just an intelligent read can tell you what’s alive and kicking in your script, and what’s dead as a doornail, only you don’t know it yet. So, in a nutshell: Funny people get funnier when in the company of other funny people.

The Vancouver Comedy Intensive marks the first time you’ll have given the class in Canada. What can we expect?

You can expect a weekend full of fun, comedy, information and illumination. The Intensive originally began as part of a class I was teaching to actors in New York. At the time, I was working in a theatre called Manhattan Punch Line, a theatre completely devoted to comedy, where we were involved in producing plays, readings, sketches, improv shows and stand-up evenings. Some nights we got laughs, and some nights we didn’t. I began to wonder why something that was incredibly funny on Thursday night would get no laughs on Saturday. At the same time, I was teaching classes in improv. Without telling the actors, I started inventing improv games in order to experiment with comedy: what was it, how does it work, why does it work, why does it stop working, and what the hell can you do about it when it does? These experiments led to the discovery of a series of techniques, which in turn led to a forty week Master Class in comedy. When I moved to LA, I continued giving the classes to actors. But given the, shall we say, reduced attention span of the inhabitants there, the 40 week class had to be reduced to a single weekend. Since a few of the participants were unaware of some of the classic comedy references I made during the class, I started showing clips from various films and TV shows I referenced as part of the weekend. A friend suggested that I should start gearing the seminars to writers. We called it the Comedy Intensive, geared mostly to writers (many coming from top studios like Disney and DreamWorks), but also regularly attended by directors, producers, and actors.

The class retains a lot of the flavour and fun from the original days when I was experimenting – we still do a lot of exercises and activities, as well as show a healthy dollop of comedy clips to go along with the lecture part of the weekend – with the ultimate goal of giving you the tools and principles you’ll need to understand, write, direct, produce or perform comedy.

The post The Biz Interview: Steve Kaplan appeared first on Biz Books.