We were lucky to catch up with Victoria Bennett recently and have shared our conversation below.
Victoria, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Abosolutely, my current project, Beverages with Bevin on Tubi is perhaps most personal project yet I have produced.
Created for both the casual gamer and the ultimate geek, the show pairs its guests with their drink of choice, inspiring more of an informal fireside chat over a red-carpet interview. It’s my love letter to the fandom community that is currently going through a rough patch. From a pandemic to strikes to low box office returns, the comic con crowd still remains vigilant but sorely needs more of a spotlight on how they are the blood that keeps the heart of Franchise IPs alive.
The show’s mission is to highlight trailblazers in the fandom space from the ground up, including staff that run the events, writers, artists, production professionals, cosplayers, and fans on top of the billboard names that draw in the crowds. For years, I worked in press at these cons and would grab a beverage with people once the cameras stopped rolling in the press rooms and noted how candid they became when you slid a drink in front of them. It’s very entertaining. So this show is about highlighting the person over the product they represent at the cons. I simply ask guests to meet for a drink, and cameras happen to be rolling while we chat.
Victoria, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Sure can. I’m one of those entertainment artists with a passion for Batman (don’t tell Han Solo)
My certification for being able to belt high E’s was given to me at the American Music and Dramatic Academy in NYC. You’ll find me exercising my pipes and geeking out about men in capes in my creation of the Award Winning SAG Web Series ‘ADULTish’ (soon to be rebooted as Geek Play Love).
My character from ADULTish, “Bevin”, has been one of the leading reporters for Den of Geek and Fanbolt. I also podcasted with Ming Chen & Mike Zapcic from AMC’s ‘Comic Book Men’ at A Shared Universe Podcast studio and at Electric Entertainment for a Star Wars podcast called ‘The Rebel and The Rogue’. You can also hear her chat about toys on Nacelle Company’s newest podcast, ‘A Toy Store Near You’ – Created by Brian Volk Weiss. I can be seen on VICETV on Nacelle’s newest show, ‘Icons Unearthed’ talking Star Wars, Marvel, Lord of the Rings and more I can’t legally say…yet.
Currently, I collaborate with Jeff Gomez’s company, Starlight Runner, in story development in the fandom space. We currently have two shows in the pre-production phase. I also write for the reputable YouTube Channel ScreenCrush
When not in front of the camera I have been seen performing at 54 Below and the Duplex under the jazz/eclectic band name ‘On the Rocks’. Plays include Independence, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, and The Body Stories. Film: Gender Bender, Starving and Borrowed Plumes.
Just in case you’d to learn more info, I have a link.tree that I update regurlarly here – https://linktr.ee/
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Quite frankly, there’s a lot of gatekeeping in the industry. On the surface, I understand why; many aspiring artists are thirsty and therefore present themselves with anxious, desperate energy to any person of power they happen to meet. I’d also avoid that energy if I were a distributer, investor or representation.
The way to fix this is with more education and more resources. Most artists now have to, at first, be their own LLC, so they must learn the business of show business. With more education comes more understanding of how someone is hired in their perspective field which can relax the mental anxiety of needing to book what ever they can.
They could produce their own with the right amount of resources if they learn how to fundraise and obtain distribution. In order to do that, they need education how what legal paperwork is required before approaching investors, where to find investors, how to court them professionally, and then how to find and obtain distributors for a healthy ROI for their investors.
That also means that the powers must be willing to schedule more opportunities for the smaller fish to mingle with the big fish at selective times. If they don’t, the industry won’t thrive and will continue monopolizing itself.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My parents.
When I was a kid, my dad dreamed of being the next Alan Menken. He was a brilliant composer, musician, singer and comedian. Very sadly, he passed away when I was 15 in a car wreck and never fulfilled his dream. I stay in the game because he never got to finish his. I am only able to stay in the game though because of my mother. She has been incredibly supportive threw out these years; nurturing me, counseling me, and cheering me on. She is a true inspiration, she went back to teaching after an over 20 year hiatus and has been named teach of the year, hired at a prestegious highschool and her classes win Science Olympiads. She’s proof its never too late to go after what you want.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/victoriacheri
- Instagram: https://tr.ee/pwYrnVIkNq
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victoria.c.bennett
- Linkedin: https://tr.ee/onM8GHbhlM
- Other: https://linktr.ee/beverageswithbevin
Image Credits
Natalie Shmuel