From Northern Ontario Canada To Los Angeles: An Actress's Journey | Interview

From Ontario To Los Angeles: An Actress’s Journey

July 11th, 2011 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Featured Posts | Interviews | Movies

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ACTRESS
GENEVIEVE FARRELL

It’s hard enough to make it in the film industry when you are born and raised in Los Angeles but the difficulty is raised significantly if you’re from a small town in Ontario. However, anyone with a dream will tell you that difficult is not the same as impossible. Actress Genevieve Farrell made the move to Los Angeles and proves that in order for your goals to be reached, you have to go for it.

Being from Northern Ontario myself, I was curious to see how her journey has progressed since the big move.

How did you first become involved with acting and filmmaking?

When I was a child, I was really shy and started taking dance and acting classes to break out of my shell. I fell in love with performing and started auditioning. I booked my first open call audition for a McDonald’s commercial. From there, I worked on the Emmy winning TV show Zoboomafoo. I say ‘work’ but it never really felt like work, it was so much fun to be on set. Zoboomafoo was a kid’s dream because each episode I got to learn and play with different animals. I even got to hold a snake!

How did growing up in Northern Ontario influence your career?

Growing up in Northern Ontario and Ottawa influenced me a great deal. Although I was on a television series and in movies, my friends and family did not treat me any differently. I still went to school, took dance lessons, and had sleep-overs with my friends. The friends that I had prior to acting are still my closest friends, and they are not in the entertainment business. I am so grateful to have such a diverse group of friends because living in L.A., almost everyone you meet works in the film industry.

What sparked the move to Los Angeles?

I moved to Los Angeles to attend The University of Southern California’s Film School. Having worked throughout my childhood as an actor, I was curious to expand my knowledge of the other roles on a film set. USC provided me with these opportunities. In film school, you get to write, produce, direct and edit. It really allowed me to appreciate all of the work and components that go into making a film. Now, I am able to make films on my own with the friends I made at film school. It is really creatively fulfilling.

While at USC, I got to learn about producing as well. I interned at Relativity Media, which produced “The Fighter”, and The Mark Gordon Company, which produces “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Criminal Minds”, and worked for Columbia Pictures. I also had the amazing opportunity to intern on “Mad Men”, which is one of my favorite shows and is created by fellow USC alumni Matthew Weiner. I just finished interning for independent producer Lynette Howell who produced the Oscar nominated films, “Blue Valentine” and “Half Nelson”.

What was it like making the transition from Sudbury to the highly competitive world of Hollywood?

Since I moved to Los Angeles to attend film school, my transition into the Hollywood world went smoothly. I had just graduated from boarding school in Italy, so I was used to living away from my family. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, I entered into a learning environment, where I could hone my craft and where I was able to meet peers with similar goals. Film school was not competitive. We all worked on each other’s film crews, so it was very collaborative. Most of the crew from “ Angela Wright” were my classmates at USC, it is a wonderful network of talented people.

Tell me about your experience filming The Perfect Gentleman?

The Perfect Gentleman was a wonderful experience. It is set in the 1950s and the crew did an amazing job making the film look like that era. I learned how important it is to make sure that everyone on a crew has the same vision for a film. The 1950s has many specific connotations, so it is vital that everyone understands the look and tone of the film so that the film is cohesive. Michael Rohrbaugh, the director, did a great job of communicating his vision of the film.

Having shot a lot of films on digital formats recently, I loved working on “The Perfect Gentleman” because it was shot on film — anamorphic 35mm. It gave the film such a beautiful, grand look. The cinematographer, Matthias Koenigsweiser, was so talented.

You have taken on multiple roles on your new film Angela Wright (writer, producer, actor). What challenges did you face with each?

The biggest challenge was acting and producing. When I’m on set, I am so focused on my character that it is difficult to manage the producing duties. My performance becomes my number one priority. I was very fortunate because I had worked with Mu Sun and Sloane Skala, the other producers on “Angela Wright”, before and I completely trusted in their abilities and they trusted in mine. The rest of the crew was exceptionally talented, I was really inspired by their creativity and commitment to the film.

Writing for myself isn’t a challenge. I cherish it because it I have control over the character that I will play. On “Angela Wright”, the story evolved as the director, Mu Sun, brought ideas for the film. It was really collaborative.

What challenges did you face getting the film off the ground? (funding, production costs, logistics etc…)

Funding is difficult. Angela Wright was very low budget so we struggled to find a high school that would trust us to film in their school on such a small budget. That is the tricky thing about filming in LA, since it is such a film-centric town, businesses aren’t always open to helping low budget films when they can be paid by studios. I think the best way to get a film off the ground is to have a great script. If you have a strong story, people will want to work on it and help you even if you can’t offer a lot of money.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists from the Sudbury/Northern Ontario area?

The technology to make films cheaply is available. People shoot films on their iPhones now! My advice is if you want to work in film, make a film. You don’t have to wait for people to hire you. By making films on your own, you are able to get experience and learn. Each project I do, I gain so much knowledge about filmmaking and acting, it is the best way to improve.

I also suggest getting involved with film organizations. I am alumni co-chair of a Women of Cinematic Arts group, based in Los Angeles, which organizes events for filmmakers and has its own film festival. Each of our events allows for networking which is a really essential part of the film industry.

What’s next for you?

Now that we have completed “Angela Wright”, we are submitting it to film festivals. I have a pilot and a feature entitled “Mother Theresa” that I have written and am currently pitching. In the meantime, I have been cast in a webseries based on a blog, www.onedw.com.

Special thanks to Genevieve Farrell for the interview, be sure to check out her official site
www.genevievefarrell.com