Thank you all for being a part of this incredible community. We are living in a difficult time, and we are all in this together. From our Founder, Helenna Santos: With everything in our world being so uncertain at the moment, we have decided to pause the publication of articles that would have been going out to you all in March and April. We’ll return with the wonderful new pieces our contributors have written when things settle down a bit. In the meantime there are over 2,000 incredible articles to read on our site if you are looking for a distraction from the news…
Author: Helenna Santos
Helenna Santos
Helenna Santos is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Ms. In The Biz. She is also an actor and producer with Mighty Pharaoh Films and can often be found on panels at conventions such as San Diego Comic-Con, and has been interviewed by major press outlets including CNN. Her work as a contributing writer has been featured in MovieMaker Magazine, Backstage Magazine, IndieWire and BUST Magazine. She has produced numerous award winning short films, digital series, and feature films. As an actor, she can be seen in CW's "The Flash," as well as ABC's "A Million Little Things" and "The Good Doctor", and the highly anticipated Netflix limited series "The Baby-Sitters Club". Her latest feature film as producer and actress "The Shasta Triangle" is now available via VOD.
I’m going to be 40 years old on August 8th and until recently I was feeling all sorts of messed up about it. As a woman in the entertainment industry, it has always been a bit hard for me to admit my age. In part, because as an actor I generally play younger than I am (thanks to my half-Asian genes and rather energetic demeanor), and also because of a self-inflicted pressure for where I thought I “should” be by this point in my career. My reason for writing this article is two-fold. One: because there is true discrimination that…
I first met Alayna Silverberg at a screening in Vancouver, BC for a fantastic sci-fi/thriller she was an Associate Producer on called Woodland starring Richard Harmon (CW’s The 100). Her warm and inviting personality drew me in immediately and I wanted to know more about this awesome woman! Alayna’s short film B-Side is screening at the Whistler Film Festival in December, and after following her on social media since they started filming, I’m very excited to talk to her about this project. Hey Alayna! So, let’s just go for it! Why did you decide to write and direct B-Side? What…
I first learned about Emily Skye through director Ryan Little. I saw him post on Instagram that he was interviewing her for his Filmmaking Friends podcast and I was immediately drawn to her. Not only is she a writer and a director, but she is a cinematographer who camera operates on her shoots as well. She is a quadruple talent and I’m honored to feature her on Ms. In The Biz. So, let’s dive right in! ______ Hey Emily! Really excited to talk to you. Let’s start at the beginning. I know that you started in the business as a…
Deborah Lee Smith is not only a phenomenal actress and producer, she is a dear friend of mine and a Ms. In The Biz contributor. She is also the Founder of a fantastic new website and community called “More Than You See”. I’m going to just dive right in so you can learn about this amazing resource from her! First off, where did the name “More Than You See” come from? As an actor, I got really good at putting on an inauthentic face, after all, that was my job. But as things got really tough over the past year,…
Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Sarah Moshman is a true force of nature. I had the pleasure of meeting her years ago through fellow Ms. In The Biz contributor Leah Cevoli and I was incredibly impressed by her. We are also all a part of a female filmmaking group in Los Angeles centered around supporting one another and helping each other thrive, which is truly at the heart of the messaging behind Sarah’s films. Sarah’s second movie Losing Site of Shore (available on Netflix) is an incredibly powerful documentary about four women who set out to row across the Pacific Ocean,…
Welcome back to our interview series featuring some of the fantastic women in the Vancouver, BC film and TV industry. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Candice Elzinga (Casting Director) and Martina Smyth (Associate Casting Director) in their downtown Vancouver office. These women are veterans of the business with an impressive array of experience. From overseeing Canadian casting for Amazon’s breakout hit “The Man in the High Castle” to CW’s “The 100”, Hallmark’s “When Calls the Heart”, and now the highly anticipated “BatWoman” for the CW, Candice and Martina are women who display not only consummate professionalism,…
At Your Own Risk is a movie born out the pure joy of finding adventure in the craft of filmmaking and also a love for the great outdoors. It’s a story that I am very proud to bring to audiences all over the world which shows multifaceted, capable women braving the unknown, all with the will to survive.
I’ve been familiar with Tammy Gillis’ work for a number of years now and have become even more of a fan after seeing her as Deputy Marissa Staub in Freeform’s TV series, Siren (nominated in 2018 by the Teen Choice Awards for Choice TV Breakout Show). She has over 50 major acting credits including CW’s Supernatural, E! Network’s The Arrangement, ABC’s Once Upon A Time, Spike’s Blue Mountain State and the SYFY series Ghost Wars. Tammy is an actress who is not only a veteran of the industry, but also someone who embodies the Ms. In The Biz mantra of…
“If there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.” Elyssa Philips is not only an actor, writer, and contributor to Ms. In The Biz, she is also the new Artistic Director of The Pack Theater. Elyssa is killing it in the comedy world so without further ado… here’s Elyssa! How does it feel to be the first Artistic Director of The Pack Theater? Pretty damn great! It’s a killer feeling to be able to support the crazy ideas of our writers, performers, and producers. The Pack represents a community of bad-ass artists who challenge each other – and…
I recently met Casting Director Lisa London through Ms. In The Biz’s Alexandra Boylan. Lisa is the Casting Director who put together the phenomenal cast for Alexandra’s newest movie Switched which recently completed principal photography in Kentucky this past May. From casting The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Hannah Montana to a plethora of feature films including House Bunny, Grandma’s Boy and the upcoming psychological thriller, Freaks, Lisa has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience. May I present to you, Lisa London! Hi Lisa! So exciting to get to talk to you! Let’s start at the beginning.…
As many of you know, two years ago I relocated back up to my hometown of Vancouver, BC Canada after a decade in Los Angeles. I was immediately excited to find that not only was “Hollywood North” (as many Vancouver-ites call it) still thriving, it was in fact BOOMING with business, and there are amazing women here doing phenomenal work. Among those women are fantastic Casting Directors who cast not only Canadian productions, but also oversee all local casting for US productions. I thought what better way to introduce the Ms. In The Biz community to these women than by…
I met Carolyn Saunders recently through mutual friends and we hit it off instantly. I knew immediately that she was a woman that we absolutely had to feature on Ms. In The Biz. As a writer and director, Carolyn has a passion to tell stories that push the envelope and bring women’s stories to the forefront. So here we go! Hi Carolyn! I know you have lived all over the world and am curious about your background. Where did you grow up and where you are now based out of? My dad was a fighter pilot in the RCAF and…
I met Vancouver based writer/director Meeshelle Neal a couple of years back at a Vancouver Women in Film event. I was instantly drawn to her passion and professionalism and she became a fast friend. May I introduce you all to the awesome Meeshelle Neal! Having started off as an actor and then transitioning into writing and now directing, is there a particular job of all of these that you prefer? I enjoy each of them for different reasons. Each one informs the others. I’m focusing on directing right now, but I will always love to act — and I write…