Hi Scott, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Great thank you. Great to chat to you.
Can you tell us something about your life growing up?
I grew up in Cheshire, just south of Manchester. My Dad was an electrician and mum ran small shops. My mum and sisters were very into performing arts so I spent a lot of my childhood at the theatre, doing performing arts classes and amateur dramatics. But I also worked with my Dad a lot so one day I’d be working on a building site and the next day in a ballet class! So quite an unusual mix.
You’ve had several careers now, did any event or person in particular inspire you to become an actor/director/coach?
I was obsessed with film from a very young age. I would watch films over and over, especially sci-fi: Dune, Aliens, Terminator 2 and learn all the lines, so my love of film and acting was there from a young age, and I went on to study photography and cinematography in my late teens. The change came when I was in the show Chicago on the West End as ensemble, I met Terence Maynard who was playing Billy Flynn, but he was primarily in film and TV starring opposite Ray Liota in Guy Richie’s Revolver and Tom Cruise in the Edge of Tomorrow. He said to me “Scott, you should be a screen actor.” And from that moment I started my screen journey. As soon as I began working as an actor in TV, I wanted to be on the other side of the camera, I wanted to write and make my own stuff, so I began studying screenwriting, directing, producing, doing short films anything I could get my hands on. My coaching began while I was playing a regular role on the continuing drama River City. I was in it for 4 years and the work rate was through the roof, sometimes I’d be doing 50 scenes a week and learning scripts for the following week at the same time. I developed techniques for myself like how to learn scripts fast and deliver the best possible performances under such tight time constraints. One day an actress asked me to support her with a huge scene that she was struggling with, I took her through the method I used and it worked for her, and that’s simply how I started coaching.
Can you tell us a little about InterAct and how it’s different to, say, drama school?
I founded Interact because I saw a gap in the market – professional and highly practical TV and Film training and coaching delivered by working TV and Film Directors such as me, Andrew Gunn, Ade Bean and Terrance Maynard to name a few of the team. We all offer coaching and training around our filming commitments – so our availability can be quite erratic at times, but all of us are passionate about equipping actors with the practical stuff that is not delivered at drama school! As directors we want actors to come on set and succeed, to enjoy the experience, to be at their best and in the moment. It’s nothing to do with talent and everything to do with experience, exposure, guidance and support.
Our Interact Mindset offering – training and coaching is the other thing that has us stand out from the crowd. Mindset is a fundamental aspect of the actors performance, and although there are many different approaches and people out there offering mindset training – most of it not good. I founded Interact with my wife Nicola, who is a business psychologist and world renowned mindset expert. We are therefore in a position to offer cutting-edge approaches to working with mindset that is normally reserved for business executives, sports people and the elite echelons of our industry. We’ve had some very exciting success stories where some of our Interactors have transformed their anxiety and self-doubt using our techniques and delivered performances they are proud of, landed jobs they were not expecting to and enjoyed the whole experience – which really matters to us.
Finally, and this has been an organic unfolding of what we offer and what sets us apart is our Interact Showreel Retreat. We always anticipated given we are directors and have access to outstanding DP’s like Ian Livesey and professional crews that actors might want to shoot scenes for their showreels or even short films they want to get made. What we didn’t quite anticipate was how popular this service would become. We now offer a showreel retreat, where actors come and stay at an outstanding venue for a few days, having worked with me on original scenes created for them, and spend time with the other actors learning, practising and also staring in some of their scenes. So it’s a really amazing opportunity for our Interactors to be working with a professional crew, working direct on-set and for them it’s like they are taking a lead role on a TV show. At the end of the retreat having had an incredible experience and professionally shot and edited footage for their reel.
What advice would you give to young people starting out?
Get yourself on a set doing whatever you can. Short films, running on a commercial production, assisting a production company. The best training is doing.
Where do you live now and what do you like about it?
Cheshire. I came home to set roots for my family. Its beautiful part of the world, lots of countryside and not too far from Manchester City Centre and Manchester Airport.
How did you find lockdown?
I wrote a few scripts, including a movie about a commercial dancer that we’re trying to get going at moment, set up Interact, wrote, directed and filmed a pilot episode of a mockumentary called #ACTORS with the most fabulous team including Francesca Kingdon, Austyn Farrell (our own Instagram legend) and the wonderful Alexa Lee in lead role – so it was pretty busy! Both my wife and I did a lot of travel for our jobs pre-covid, so the best thing about lockdown was the unexpected quality time I got to spend with my family – we did lots of walking in the Peaks, did a lot of toddler crafting and playing – oh and we have another lockdown project coming to fruition – a second baby about to arrive any day now! So – it was a productive time but not without challenge – every piece of work I had booked for 2020 and then into 2021 was cancelled – so I’ve needed to be resourceful and make things happen. It’s been hard for our industry and the people in it! I truly hope that’s the end of lockdowns– I’m so ready to be back out there doing what I love!
What are you most looking forward to now things are opening up?
Shooting films and TV again. I have so many projects lined up. I formed a great relationship with a DP called Ian Livesey who is the most talented DP I’ve ever worked with, I think we’re going to make some incredible stuff together. We’re actually about to shoot an action short film in Manchester called G-Angel this week.
Follow Scott
http://www.scott-vickers.com/
Twitter @ScottRVickers
Insta @scottrvickers
FB @ScottVickersDirector
https://interact-hq.com/
Twitter @Interact_HQ
Insta @interact.hq
FB @InteractHQ
Hi Scott, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Great thank you. Great to chat to you.
Can you tell us something about your life growing up?
I grew up in Cheshire, just south of Manchester. My Dad was an electrician and mum ran small shops. My mum and sisters were very into performing arts so I spent a lot of my childhood at the theatre, doing performing arts classes and amateur dramatics. But I also worked with my Dad a lot so one day I’d be working on a building site and the next day in a ballet class! So quite an unusual mix.
You’ve had several careers now, did any event or person in particular inspire you to become an actor/director/coach?
I was obsessed with film from a very young age. I would watch films over and over, especially sci-fi: Dune, Aliens, Terminator 2 and learn all the lines, so my love of film and acting was there from a young age, and I went on to study photography and cinematography in my late teens. The change came when I was in the show Chicago on the West End as ensemble, I met Terence Maynard who was playing Billy Flynn, but he was primarily in film and TV starring opposite Ray Liota in Guy Richie’s Revolver and Tom Cruise in the Edge of Tomorrow. He said to me “Scott, you should be a screen actor.” And from that moment I started my screen journey. As soon as I began working as an actor in TV, I wanted to be on the other side of the camera, I wanted to write and make my own stuff, so I began studying screenwriting, directing, producing, doing short films anything I could get my hands on. My coaching began while I was playing a regular role on the continuing drama River City. I was in it for 4 years and the work rate was through the roof, sometimes I’d be doing 50 scenes a week and learning scripts for the following week at the same time. I developed techniques for myself like how to learn scripts fast and deliver the best possible performances under such tight time constraints. One day an actress asked me to support her with a huge scene that she was struggling with, I took her through the method I used and it worked for her, and that’s simply how I started coaching.
Can you tell us a little about InterAct and how it’s different to, say, drama school?
I founded Interact because I saw a gap in the market – professional and highly practical TV and Film training and coaching delivered by working TV and Film Directors such as me, Andrew Gunn, Ade Bean and Terrance Maynard to name a few of the team. We all offer coaching and training around our filming commitments – so our availability can be quite erratic at times, but all of us are passionate about equipping actors with the practical stuff that is not delivered at drama school! As directors we want actors to come on set and succeed, to enjoy the experience, to be at their best and in the moment. It’s nothing to do with talent and everything to do with experience, exposure, guidance and support.
Our Interact Mindset offering – training and coaching is the other thing that has us stand out from the crowd. Mindset is a fundamental aspect of the actors performance, and although there are many different approaches and people out there offering mindset training – most of it not good. I founded Interact with my wife Nicola, who is a business psychologist and world renowned mindset expert. We are therefore in a position to offer cutting-edge approaches to working with mindset that is normally reserved for business executives, sports people and the elite echelons of our industry. We’ve had some very exciting success stories where some of our Interactors have transformed their anxiety and self-doubt using our techniques and delivered performances they are proud of, landed jobs they were not expecting to and enjoyed the whole experience – which really matters to us.
Finally, and this has been an organic unfolding of what we offer and what sets us apart is our Interact Showreel Retreat. We always anticipated given we are directors and have access to outstanding DP’s like Ian Livesey and professional crews that actors might want to shoot scenes for their showreels or even short films they want to get made. What we didn’t quite anticipate was how popular this service would become. We now offer a showreel retreat, where actors come and stay at an outstanding venue for a few days, having worked with me on original scenes created for them, and spend time with the other actors learning, practising and also staring in some of their scenes. So it’s a really amazing opportunity for our Interactors to be working with a professional crew, working direct on-set and for them it’s like they are taking a lead role on a TV show. At the end of the retreat having had an incredible experience and professionally shot and edited footage for their reel.
What advice would you give to young people starting out?
Get yourself on a set doing whatever you can. Short films, running on a commercial production, assisting a production company. The best training is doing.
Where do you live now and what do you like about it?
Cheshire. I came home to set roots for my family. Its beautiful part of the world, lots of countryside and not too far from Manchester City Centre and Manchester Airport.
How did you find lockdown?
I wrote a few scripts, including a movie about a commercial dancer that we’re trying to get going at moment, set up Interact, wrote, directed and filmed a pilot episode of a mockumentary called #ACTORS with the most fabulous team including Francesca Kingdon, Austyn Farrell (our own Instagram legend) and the wonderful Alexa Lee in lead role – so it was pretty busy! Both my wife and I did a lot of travel for our jobs pre-covid, so the best thing about lockdown was the unexpected quality time I got to spend with my family – we did lots of walking in the Peaks, did a lot of toddler crafting and playing – oh and we have another lockdown project coming to fruition – a second baby about to arrive any day now! So – it was a productive time but not without challenge – every piece of work I had booked for 2020 and then into 2021 was cancelled – so I’ve needed to be resourceful and make things happen. It’s been hard for our industry and the people in it! I truly hope that’s the end of lockdowns– I’m so ready to be back out there doing what I love!
What are you most looking forward to now things are opening up?
Shooting films and TV again. I have so many projects lined up. I formed a great relationship with a DP called Ian Livesey who is the most talented DP I’ve ever worked with, I think we’re going to make some incredible stuff together. We’re actually about to shoot an action short film in Manchester called G-Angel this week.
Follow Scott
http://www.scott-vickers.com/
Twitter @ScottRVickers
Insta @scottrvickers
FB @ScottVickersDirector
Twitter @Interact_HQ
Insta @interact.hq
FB @InteractHQ