Her newest project is YVR Screen Scene, a brand new site and podcast platform that represents the next evolution of her commitment to bringing the inside stories of Vancouver’s entertainment industry to life.

We spoke to Sabrina Furminger about YVR Screen Scene, the ever-changing entertainment media landscape, and what her work means to her.

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Can you start by telling us a little bit about you and YVR Screen Scene?

I’ve been covering the Vancouver film and television industry for more than five years now, mostly through Reel People, a weekly column I wrote for The Westender from March 2014 until the paper shuttered in December 2017. I love writing stories about storytellers; I’m not interested in gossip or box office receipts. I love the substance of screen stories – be they web series, shorts, television shows, documentaries, animation, or feature films – and I am forever fascinated by the people who nurture them from concept to the screen. Film and television is a people-powered, storyteller-driven endeavor, and through YVR Screen Scene, I aim to pull back the curtain on the local industry and reveal its beating heart: the people who power it.

What can readers expect from YVR Screen Scene?

I’ll be publishing two interview-driven feature articles per week (at least!) featuring insights and anecdotes from artists who work in the Vancouver screen scene, be they established or emerging actors, directors, writers, producers, or crew. I feel like we really set the tone for YVR Screen Scene in its first few weeks: interviews with Amanda Tapping, John Cassini, Agam Darshi, Lee Majdoub, Christopher Russell, Vincent Tong, Christina Sicoli, and the filmmakers behind Adventures in Public School and Scout & the Gumboot Kids. Every single interview went beyond the “I made this show and here’s what it’s about” level that permeates entertainment journalism, whether it was Amanda talking about the sexism she faces as a director, or John talking about his troubled teen years and finding his purpose through acting. I want to appeal to fans, industry insiders, and people who just love reading about other cool human beings.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be introducing our first columnist (I’m keeping his name under my hat for now, but I’ll tease that he’s a well-regarded film, TV, and stage actor and playwright who will be writing on social justice issues; I’m next-level excited to share his work with YVR Screen Scene readers). And in March, I’ll be launching the YVR Screen Scene podcast, which will bring listeners into my funny, revelatory, engrossing, inspiring, and illuminating conversations with Vancouver’s shining stars.

I’ve developed trust and genuine relationships with many people within the film and television industry. This isn’t just the industry I cover; this is my community, and I take my role in the community very seriously. I follow careers; I celebrate milestones and seek to understand and contextualize challenges and setbacks. What this means for YVR Screen Scene readers is that they’ll find insights into the business and the work that they won’t find anywhere else.

How did you get started in the media and what inspired you to cover entertainment?

I’ve always been a writer, and I’ve always been a storyteller; I “published” my first magazine when I was 8-years-old, writing articles about my family and dogs on my grandma’s old typewriter and then begging my dad to photocopy them at work. My journey to this particular moment in my life has included stints as a student journalist, an evenings-and-weekends reporter at Canada’s oldest daily newspaper, a jack-of-all-trades freelance writer, a 5-year detour into arts publicity, and then to what I consider my calling: entertainment journalist. Entertainment journalism found me.  My husband works in the industry (Paul Furminger of Fish Flight Entertainment), and the first person I ever got to observe working in the film industry was his best friend, actor and stunt artist Darren Shahlavi, who died in 2015. Through Darren, I saw how thoroughly unglamorous a life in the ’biz can be; how many times people usually hear no before they hear a single yes (and how much time can pass between those yeses); how much resolve and chutzpah is required to stay the course and build your skills. My Westender column was called Reel People, and Darren was the first reel person I ever knew.

I started writing about the industry in earnest during the dry days of the #saveBCfilm campaign, when studios were sitting empty across the city and other media outlets were cutting back on their film and TV industry coverage. But – and here’s where I must give credit to Martha Perkins, my first editor at The Westender who green-lit Reel People and pulled me to this next level of my career – I pitched and wrote story after story about the film and TV workers who were creating their own work, who were compelled to create in the hungry moments because they’re artists, and their work matters, even when there’s not a ton of money behind them. My admiration for these artists is endless. Sharing their stories is my raison d’être.

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“I’ve developed trust and genuine relationships with many people within the film and television industry. This isn’t just the industry I cover; this is my community, and I take my role in the community very seriously.”

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 What’s the most rewarding thing about your work?

I love the interviews most of all, especially those hour-plus conversations where we go deep and a portrait of an artist begins to emerge. They’re the part of the work in which I feel most inspired, and they don’t feel like work at all. While I do prepare questions in advance (and conduct an appropriate amount of research in the process), the questions are more of a suggested roadmap than anything else. My interviews are often difficult to transcribe because they’re organic and free-flowing. Sometimes, they’re even true heart-to-hearts where we both share something of ourselves (as happens with dear Amanda Tapping every single time. Every. Single. Time).

I love drawing attention to film, television, and digital projects that deserve more eyeballs. I love exploring social justice issues, whether they’re the driving theme of a film or someone’s off-screen life, be it poverty, sexism, racism, post-partum depression, body image, grief, or the challenges associated with being an other or staying true to who you are. I love when I’m telling someone about an article I wrote, and they exclaim, “That was you?! I read that!” Writers need people to write about, and they need readers. I cherish both.

Which career highlights are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of the numerous articles I’ve written in which the interview subjects have trusted me with their deeply personal stories, including Amanda Tapping, Nicole Oliver, John Cassini, and Attiya Khan.

I’m proud of the cover story I wrote in October about the #metoo movement which featured several brave women – Chelah Horsdal, Enid-Raye Adams, Sarah Deakins, Jacquie Gould, and Lisa Ovies – speaking out about sexual harassment and violence they’d faced on set and in the industry. I am proud of those women, full-stop. Also: interviewing Star Trek icon Nichelle Nichols and broadcasting legend Peter Mansbridge were dreams come true. Oh, and interviewing the OG cast of Degrassi Junior High! And Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Yeah; I’m a nerd. I’ll cop to that.

I’m proud to have hosted the Q&A after the screening of Rachel Talalay’s film On the Farm, about the women who were preyed upon by serial killer Robert Pickton. I was changed by the presence that night of so many brave family members whose lives were forever changed when Pickton stole their mothers, daughters, aunts, and sisters from them. You can read more about the film here and watch it here.

I’m proud to have been the first recipient of Women in Film and Television Vancouver’s Iris Award for shining a spotlight on female filmmakers, performers, and storytellers in my column.

What’s the best thing that someone can do to be prepared for an interview with you?

Don’t be scared! I’m not looking for a “gotcha!” moment, or to make you look bad. It’s not a test; you can’t fail an interview with me. Trust that you have something to share. Be prepared to have a conversation with someone who is genuinely interested in your work and ideas. Be flexible to go with the flow of the conversation.

Recommended Reading You Can Act On Camera Click a cover for more details The Art of Voice Acting Secrets of Screen Acting

From your standpoint, where do you see the future of the entertainment media going and how does YVR Screen Scene fit in with that?

We are in the midst of a seismic shift. Traditional media (print, radio, and television) is scrambling to adapt in the age of social media, smart phones, and limited attention spans, and we are losing some important media outlets in the process (my previous employer among them). But it’s also an exciting time, for me and other independent journalists and podcasters looking to own our content and reach a wider audience. I’m looking at my numbers for these last couple of weeks, and at least half of my readers are located outside of Canada. So while our stories are hyper-local – because they’re about Vancouverites, and work created in Vancouver – there’s an interest in these stories that extends around the world.

I’ll also add that I’m not the only journalist covering the Vancouver film and television industry, but I’m one of the few covering it from the inside and centering it on the people who push it forward.

What’s the biggest misconception about entertainment journalists?

There are many misconceptions: We’re all interested in gossip and red carpet fashion. We value big names over working actors, and films and network television over web series and indie projects. We’re ignorant and superficial. We’re not Serious Journalism.

How has the Vancouver film and television industry evolved during your time covering it?

When I started covering the industry in earnest, it was during the #SaveBCFilm campaign, and obviously the service side of the industry has bounced back since those hungry days. What I’m noticing now, however, is how difficult it’s becoming for independent filmmakers to make their projects. The service side is almost too busy. Indie productions can’t crew up. They can’t secure locations or talent. They can’t compete with The CW and Hallmark, and they shouldn’t have to; in a perfect world, the service side would feed the indie side, but there’s almost no time for that to happen. This should concern those of us who care about local stories. Local stories matter. They need to be valued and celebrated and nourished as much as the service work. For the culture!

In your opinion, why has Vancouver remained a successful industry hub?

It begins and ends with people – the reel people. Yes, sure, Vancouver has killer natural beauty, top-notch studio infrastructure, and tax benefits, but our most important feature is our concentration of industry professionals.

Do you have any favourite books and authors relating to the film and television industry?

Unsurprisingly, I love memoirs. Favourites include Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher; Lauren Bacall’s By Myself; Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories by Nichelle Nichols; Bryan Cranston’s A Life in Parts; Where There’s Smoke…: Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man by Vancouver’s own William B. Davis; and Which Lie Did I Tell? More Adventures in the Screen Trade by The Princess Bride screenwriter William Goldman.

Where can we find out more about you and keep up with YVR Screen Scene?

Oh, I’m all over the place! YVR Screen Scene can be found at YVRScreenScene.com. I’m also on Twitter (@sabrinarmf and @YVRScreenScene) and Facebook. And if anyone would like to join the YVR Screen Scene Patreon community, they can find information here.

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Thanks to Sabrina Furminger for speaking with us! You can read her amazing work on YVRScreenScene.com.

The post The Biz Interview: Sabrina Furminger appeared first on Biz Books.

This is the pitch for How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Really Acting, the new book by actor, coach, and now author Peter Skagen which taps into his many years of industry experience and conveys his wisdom in ways that are inspiring, informative, and practical for today’s actors.

We spoke with Peter Skagen to give you a peek into his experiences in the industry, the insights waiting inside the book, and to find out more about just how to succeed in Hollywood without really acting.

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What was your inspiration for writing How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Really Acting?

I came to feel I was done with acting after 35 years and as many movies, and wanted to summarize everything I learned, without any agenda, into a book that would actually be useful, honest and hopefully inspiring.  It became a kind of thesis project, or maybe a letter to the young me.  Before it was even finished, it started taking on a life of its own.  I got a call from the Dean at the University of Lethbridge, whom I know, asking if the book was done.  I told him it wasn’t.  He said ‘we’ll take it anyway.’ They’re still using it, and since then, I’ve just been hanging on as it grows.  I get glowing reviews from casting directors all the time, and I’ve won a couple major book awards already.  I won Best Book in Performing Arts in California for 2015, and I’m a finalist in the Foreword Indie book awards, which is like the Oscars for indie books.

What are some of the recurring lessons that readers will learn from reading it?

Wow.  Well, there are a lot.  First of all, I think you need to be called to it.  Most successful actors I know can point to the very moment they woke up to themselves as actors.  That inspiration has to be strong enough to carry you to the bitter end, so it has to be huge.  Then, they have to know how the Biz works so they’re not going in blind.  Most actors take about 10 years just to figure out how it all works, so I want to save them that time.  Then story.  Story, story, story.  And craft.  Technique.  Nuts and bolts how to do the job.  Craft is the difference between working actors and wannabes.  Finding their brand, or signature character is crucial.  Then they need to know how to package and sell it.  And then it’s all about the audition.  Probably 98% of actors fail badly in the ‘room’ cause they don’t know what they’re doing; they think it’s about acting.  If they really take in all the secret info in the book on the audition process, they’ll never go wrong.

How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Really Acting

What do you think the biggest mistake is that new actors and performers are making when they try to enter the industry?

Giving it a try is the first mistake.  If you’re trying to be an actor, you should maybe move on.  You have to know.  You should have a ton of raw talent and unshakeable faith to start with because those things will be assumed throughout your career and you have to deliver them time and again without fail and without notice.  You gotta have the goods off the top.  If the industry–not necessarily acting coaches, but industry people like casting directors–if they respond to you early, that’s a good sign.   Love is another problem.  Many actors come to it thinking they’ll get love and admiration and all their problems will be over.  The Biz will never give you those things.

Who are the people that are going to get the most out of reading the book and applying the knowledge that you are sharing?

Anybody coming up, their parents, college students and professors, coaches and teachers, stage actors, comics, singers, anybody planning on moving to Los Angeles or New York to get into it, writers are loving the book, and you wouldn’t believe how many working actors in the Biz contact me saying how much the book helped even them.  Also, anybody who’s just plain interested will find the book very easy to read and very informative.  I hear it called a page-turner a lot.

 One of the themes of your book is the idea of not thinking like an actor, but instead thinking like a filmmaker. As you see them, what are the differences in how actors think vs. filmmakers?

Actors are all about themselves.  Filmmakers are about story, financing, making the day, and making a dollar at the end of it all.  They look for actors who understand their pain, and know how to help out in all those ways, and many others.  The acting is only a small percentage of the job.  Example: do you know how to talk to a potential investor in the movie in question?  If the answer is no, you have learning to do.

What inspired you to get into the film industry?

I started writing plays when I was about 9.  I made a movie when I was 14.  It was just always in there.

How would you describe the state of the film industry now? How has it evolved since you first became involved and where do you see it going?

This is a huge question which I address in the book.  I’m not a Hollywood insider by any means, but it’s clear that the actor has to think about his or her career more like a band does these days.  You have to become successful on your own.  It’s all about your social media following, your YouTube presence and so on.  And your knowledge and skill of the Biz, and ability to join the party seamlessly without having to be a beginner (somehow).  I came up during the ’80s, before the internet.  One of my classmates said she was thinking of getting into a new thing called rock videos.  Movie stars were really movie stars, and it was all about movies.  Nowadays, if you tell an agent you want to be a movie star, he might drop you.  There’s no money in it.  The big corporations running the studios don’t even want stars.  They want interchangeable young people as Spider-Man.  They want sequels, and remakes, and animation, and knock-offs.  The money is in television, and increasingly on the internet.  So, a lot has changed.  I see China becoming a much bigger player in the Biz, and I see the potential for a new renaissance of micro-studios making movies all over the world similar to Hollywood in the ’20s.  The major studios will continue only with giant blockbusters leaving room for new moguls around the world to fill the gap, and distribute on the web.

What books have been influential to you in your creative journey?

I’ve read everything on the subject I think.  I love the books of William Goldman – like Adventures of the Screen Trade – who wrote The Princess Bride and about 50 other major movies.  That’s for story.  Michael Caine’s book on acting – Acting in Film – is still one of the best.  And I love True and False by David Mamet.  Patrick Tucker’s book – Secrets of Screen Acting – is really good. And I would suggest reading books on film production including biographies, like The Kid Stays in the Picture by Robert Evans who produced The Godfather. And so on. You can’t read enough. And just really good fiction.  One of the first books I ever read was The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. It became a movie in my head.

What other projects are you involved with right now?

I’m writing a sci-fi thriller to be shot in China in 2016.  Right now it’s called Dead Still, but that title will change.  It’s a little like Jurassic Park but the dinosaurs are something else, and much worse.  And, crazy as it sounds, I’ve started writing a stage show based on the book.  It’ll be a musical with songs like I Wanna Be Rich, Would You Like Cream With That (from the book) and Oh, my God, it’s Johnny Depp.

Where can people find out more about you and your work?

They can go to PeterSkagen.com.

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Our thanks to Peter Skagen for speaking with us! You can check out his book right here!

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Recommended Reading

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Adventures in the Screen Trade
William Goldman

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Secrets of Screen Acting
Patrick Tucker

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The Kid Stays in the Picture
Robert Evans

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The post The Biz Interview: Peter Skagen appeared first on Biz Books.