Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanie Schwartzman.
Hi Shanie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in New York but my family moved to Texas when I was almost eight years old. It was definitely a transition as a young Jewish girl moving to an area of the country where there wasn’t a large Jewish population. But I’m an extrovert and even at a young age, I loved meeting new people, sharing my story, and learning about someone else’s. I found my love for acting at a really young age. I would always be playing dress up and trying to put on little shows for my parents. One day my mom finally said, “I think you need to be in an acting class”. I don’t remember exactly what kind of acting class it was but the instructor had us put on a short play for our parents. We had a few weeks to rehearse. I somehow memorized everyone’s lines so when someone didn’t know what they were supposed to say, I was backstage whispering their lines to them. And that was it! Performing in a real show for an audience was the most fun I had ever had. I really felt like I had found what I was supposed to do with my life (which is pretty crazy to think about when you’re only ten years old). I was in all the shows in middle school and even participated in Oral Interpretation competitions. You perform different monologues or scenes to judges and there are prizes at the end. I would try to participate in every category I could. I couldn’t get enough of acting. In high school, I auditioned for every school musical and was even part of my community theatre as well. I knew when I was applying for college I wanted to go back to the Northeast and attended Emerson College in Boston where I got a BFA in acting and found my love for not just performing on stage but also in film. However, I couldn’t take the winters anymore and I made the transition to sunny LA in 2016. I feel like I have really built a life here. I got involved in theatrical combat training as well as other acting classes, rediscovered a love for writing, and realized how capable I am at creating my own work. I feel really grateful that I get to pursue what I love to do.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have to admit it hasn’t always been easy, but I think that’s true for most things worth doing in life. There have definitely been times (there still are) when I feel like I’m wondering aimlessly, uncertain of what steps to take. What helped me when I first moved out here is that I had a core community from college that was already settled in the area. Without that built-in network, I think my move to LA would have been much harder and lonelier.
It’s really all about balance. As an actor, you’ve got a ‘day job’ so you can pay your bills and take the classes you want to take, while also maintaining a flexible schedule in case you get any auditions. I find it hard to juggle everything and not get burn out. There’s so much I want to do and I never feel like I have enough time to get it all done. One aspect of my career that has felt like a learning curve is the business aspect of being an actor. It isn’t just about going to acting class and auditioning. You are your own product and business. You need to know how to market yourself and network.
When the pandemic hit and everything became self-taping and zoom auditions, it was an adjustment. I like being in the room with people. It’s like instant feedback of energy and I always felt I had a better understanding about how an audition went. With self-taping, it feels like I am sending it into a void of nothingness and you just have to move on. As an actor, you really have to keep your ego in check, you can’t compare your career to someone else’s, every journey is different, but it can be hard to face the potential of a lot of rejection. You have to stay grounded in your work and the passion you have for this craft.
A huge shift that helped me in my career was deciding to create my own work rather than wait for the auditions to come to me. I used to love writing when I was a kid but I let it go for a long time. In 2018 I rediscovered my passion for it and found writing really fulfilling. It felt like I had some power and control back in my career. And once I had something concrete in my hands I was able to build a team and produced my first short film ‘Because of This’ which was such an amazing experience.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Until recently I would have considered myself only an actor, but after going through the process of creating ‘Because of This’ I am really trying to take on the titles of writer and producer as well. I used to do a lot of writing as a kid but as I got older, I let it go to focus on my acting. We are all multifaceted people who are capable of doing many things and I believe something I am meant to be doing is not just acting but creating.
‘Because of This’ is the story about an estranged father and daughter struggling to reconnect. My character, Sasha, has developed telekinesis and only her father can teach her how to control her newfound powers. They spend a weekend together trying to teach Sasha how to manage her abilities while also trying to heal from deep-rooted scars in their relationship. It is inspired by my own relationship with my dad and has been a cathartic and educational experience to make.
The short film came about at the end of 2020, a transformative year for most people I think. There was very little I felt that I could accomplish during lockdown and what was most important was taking care of myself and remaining grounded during such a difficult time for the world. I focused on taking acting class over zoom with my acting coach Craig Archibald at the Archibald Studio. A truly wonderful place for actors to challenge themselves and grow in their craft. Craig is also a great encourager of making opportunities happen for yourself. There is no right or wrong way to navigate this business but you do really take power into your own hands when you create something for yourself. He is one of the reasons I got back into writing.
I wasn’t even trying to write ‘Because of This’ when I started working on it. For most of 2020, I couldn’t even think about writing anything but one night, I felt an urge to put some words on paper. It was an imaginary conversation of things I had wanted to say to my dad that I never had a chance to say. Then I found myself writing what I thought his response would be and three days later I had the first draft of my short film. It was raw and vulnerable and had a lot of my personal truth in it. I was incredibly nervous to share it with my co-producer Geoff Hale. He and I met back in 2018 when he casted me in a music video he was directing for artist Ayline Artin. It was a dramatic and sensitive project and it felt incredibly important. I loved working with Geoff, he is a director who really knows how to work with actors and get the best out of them. Since then we had been trying to find the right project to collaborate on.
To my surprise, he loved the script and was ready to take it to the next level. The next thing I know we’re creating a crowdfunding during the holiday season of the pandemic! I had never created a crowdfunding campaign before, it was like learning to swim without a life vest. However, the immense support and positive feedback from my community made me feel like I was on the right path and this was supposed to happen. There were a lot of people who worked on this film that felt connected and seen by the story. I feel very fortunate for the team that was put together to bring it to life. I know I wrote, produced, and starred in this film but I couldn’t have made this happen without brothers Geoff and Jonathan Hale.
Geoff and Jon co-directed the project. Jon was also the cinematographer and editor and Geoff helped me produce and did the audio mixing for the film. There are so many layers that go into creating the quality of a film and I am so excited to share this project. Not just for me but for everyone who worked on it and made it what it is. We shot the film in 2021 and have just finished post-production. We are now ready to submit the project to film festivals everywhere!
I learned from this process how ambitious I can truly be. Since shooting ‘Because of This’ I have created my own production company Scarlet Maze Productions. I have co-produced and acted in a mini-short called ‘Thirst Trap’ with Vanessa Boss, a dear friend of mine from Emerson College who is also a brilliant and talented actor, writer, and producer. I have co-written a pilot with actor Rick Worthy. He is most known for his work in ‘Supernatural’, ‘The Man in the High Castle’, and ‘The Magicians’. It has been really exciting to work with an actor who I have admired for a long time and really encouraging about my abilities in this career path.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
To anyone starting out, I would say just focus on the training and the craft. Learn as much as you can and most importantly have fun! We’re artists, we do this work because there is a deep need and passion to share some part of ourselves with the world.
Surround yourself with like-minded people who are going to lift you up and inspire you to move forward. Don’t let fear get in your way. It happens to all of us, we feel that little voice creep in telling us we are too late or not good enough and you can’t listen to it. You can’t compare yourself to anyone else also going through this process because everyone’s journey is different.
It took me time to understand that there are a lot of aspects about this career that is out of your control, in some ways that is very frustrating but on the other hand it takes a lot of pressure off of you. Focus on what you can control and enjoy the process. The longer you’re in this industry, you’ll find your community and learn about navigating it as a business but you have to first and foremost get started. One step a day that allows you to move forward in your journey and feel fulfilled.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shanieschwartzman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shhh_kneee/?hl=en, https://www.instagram.com/becauseofthis2021/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Shanie-Schwartzman/100055747669008/, https://www.facebook.com/Because-of-This-105625924763113
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7071910/
Image Credits
Featured photo: Casey James Knight Green jacket: Pedi Missaghi and Jonathan C. Fernandez Pink with blue shirt: Bryce Polinko Poster: Sierra Shay Film Stills: Geoff Hale
