Sydney Scotia joins ReVamp to talk about her latest Christmas-themed movie "Our Holiday Story", her overall creative process for the project, her most memorable sequences from the film, and what she considers to be her comfort movie; also delving a bit more into her highly-anticipated directorial debut, and several other significant insights into her professional journey. 

Hi Sydney! So glad to have you here on ReVamp! How are you doing? 

Now that we are almost approaching the end of 2024, what has been the most memorable experience for you in the entirety of this year?

Hi! Thank you so much for having me on ReVamp! 

I'm in New York right now with my family for the holidays. This time of year is a lot of fun. All the store windows are beautifully decorated and the sidewalks are crowded. I love the hustle and bustle.

2024 was a great year with many memorable experiences. Working on Our Holiday Story was an absolute highlight. Sawtooth Mountain was also a standout for me because it was my first time as a lead while also producing. 

Outside of work, going to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Toronto was unforgettable! 

I obviously would love to start our conversation by asking what it really was that lured you closer to the landscape of entertainment. 

Was pursuing acting professionally something you decided at an early age or did this passion emerge at a later stage of your life? 

My parents enrolled me in a gymnastics class when I was very young. It was next door to a dance studio so we would watch the company dancers practice. After that, I desperately wanted to be a company dancer but, at seven years old, I was starting late! I took many private lessons as well as daily group classes and eventually caught up. I danced competitively and lived for it. I loved performing on stage. One of my dance teachers, Olga Korbut, was the 1972/76 olympic gold medallist in gymnastics. She took me and two gymnasts with her to perform in Hong Kong before the Beijing Olympics. A documentary film crew filmed us while we were there and I was fascinated by their process. That experience as well as a small role that I booked in a music video caused a shift in direction for me. I took some local acting classes and then surprised even myself by passing on the Dance Nationals competition for the opportunity to go to acting camp in Los Angeles.  That was it! I desperately wanted to pursue acting seriously and that meant moving to LA where I could train with coaches, agents, managers, producers and casting directors. I was 13 when we loaded up the car and moved to studio city for, what we thought, would be 3 months. My family made it work. There were many sacrifices, tons of school work, pages of script to memorize, and 7 hour drives between LA and Scottsdale but no regrets!  I loved every minute!

Let's talk about your recent project 'Our Holiday Story'. First of all, huge congratulations on your involvement and massively amazing portrayal! 

Talk to me more about how you initially got to know about this wonderful project and how the audition process went for you? 

Thank you so much! I was visiting my family when the audition came in so I didn't have my usual bluescreen and ring light available to tape my audition. I taped two scenes in my parents' dining room and sent them with a slate to casting. I loved the story and the role and felt a connection with this character.  Plus, I was super excited auditioning for a Hallmark holiday film. A few weeks later, I found out I was close to booking it. I was so hopeful, I could hardly stand the wait! Fingers and toes crossed!

Not only would this be my first Hallmark holiday movie, it was an opportunity to portray the same person at two different stages of life—16 and 26. It felt like a unique challenge and one I was excited to take on.

What was it like stepping into the shoes of your character for the first time? Do you remember your first day on set and getting to meet your fellow co-stars and crew members as well?

Your question is perfect because "stepping into my character's shoes" literally and figuratively helped me get into character. The wardrobe crew helped transform 16 year old Jo into 26 year old Joanna. Trying on suits and heels for the older version, then switching to youthful skirts, sweaters and boots for the younger version, really highlighted the differences between the two timelines.

My first day on set was so memorable—I worked closely with Warren Christie, who plays my dad. That day was instrumental in building the father-daughter dynamic, and it set the tone for the rest of the shoot. The cast and crew were so welcoming, which made the entire experience even better. We filmed in beautiful Kelowna, BC and despite a busy schedule, the cast and crew found time to go to Karaoke and dinners together. This was one of the warmest, most supportive casts and crew I've worked with. 

Kindly walk me through the overall creative process. Did you have any specific acting ritual that you loved immersing yourself into in order to ensure you had the correct mindset of your character before going in front of the cameras?

My process changes with each project and character. For Our Holiday Story, I read through the script multiple times and worked with different readers to explore how the lines could feel in various contexts. This helped me discover new layers in the character, lock in the intentions and get very familiar with the scenes and lines. After that, everynight I would review the next day's scenes to refresh. When we could, my scene partner and I would review the next day's scene together and that helped with the characters' chemistry.  
Beyond that, I try to stay flexible and open—sometimes the best moments come from reacting to your scene partner and the spontaneous choices made on set.

Did you face any kind of challenges or encountered any obstacles in terms of your portrayal during the production stage? If so, how did you overcome them? 

The only challenge during this production was finding time to have some fun with the cast and crew in the beautiful city of Kelowna, BC! It's idyllic. The shoot days were full and schedules varied, so we would grab a dinner here or there with whomever was free, and a group of us had a good laugh at Karaoke. This isn't the case on every set, but this group was so much fun and we were all in this beautiful setting that we wanted to experience.

Sometimes the biggest challenge is the short prep time between booking a role and going to camera. For some projects, you only get a few days to prepare.
To manage this, I focus on breaking down the shooting schedule and prioritizing the scenes we're filming first. If I have those early days fully prepped, I can build momentum and stay ahead of the curve as the shoot progresses.

This project has a plethora of fascinating sequences but I would love to know which scene was it that stands out personally for you as well as was your most favourite one to shoot? 

Every scene in this project had its own charm, but a couple of favorites stand out for me. The opening sequence where I am rushing to get the train home for the holidays was especially memorable—it set the tone for the entire film and gave us a chance to really dive into the heart of the story. The garage scenes with Warren and the family chair were a lot of fun.  We had the opportunity to take our time shaping the characters and exploring their dynamics, which allowed for a lot of creative freedom and playful experimentation. Those moments felt authentic and really brought the characters to life.

Christmas films are just the best! They provide such a cozy and warm feeling but are there any other specific projects (Christmas-themed or not) that you consider to be your comfort watch? 

One of my favorite comfort movies is The Holiday. I watch it every year.  The quaint winter setting and warm hearted tale get me every time. One of my early projects, A Mermaid's Tale, is definitely a comfort watch. It's a feel-good story about a young girl that discovers she's part of an underwater world. It's lighthearted and magical, which makes it the perfect escape.    

For the people who are yet to be introduced to 'Our Holiday Story', what can you tell us about your character and the general plotline of the film?

Our Holiday Story follows Dave and Nell's tumultuous past as they reminisce about how they first met and fell in love. The narrative alternates between the past and present, weaving together their love story and the challenges they faced along the way.

I play Joanna, Dave's daughter, who feels a deep sense of responsibility to ensure her dad's happiness—especially during the chaos of preparing for the Christmas festival. In the present day, Joanna is navigating her own personal dilemma: deciding if her boyfriend is truly "the one." You can sense a parallel between Dave and Nell's challenges and those of Joanna and Chris. It's a story full of love, reflection, and the magic of Christmas.

You are also all set to mark your highly-anticipated directorial debut next year and that too in the horror genre. Massive congratulations on that! 

What made you decide this was the perfect time to pursue this exciting new endeavour and what can your fans expect from you pertaining to this immensely new chapter of your life? 

Thank you so much! Directing has been a dream of mine since I produced my first short film at 17. Later, I created and directed a feature length documentary, This Hits Home, and in doing so, learned a lot about producing and directing.  I realized early on that if I wanted to direct, I would have to find projects that I'm passionate about and what better way to do that than to write them myself. I have completed two scripts with two more on the way.

The script for the horror film was inspired by a haunting museum I visited in Massachusetts. I've been developing the story since that day. I'm beyond excited to bring this vision to life! I'll keep you posted with the timeline!

Ending Note: Thank you so much for joining us on this lovely interview, Sydney! Wishing you lots of luck with the success of this film as well as your future projects! 

Lastly, I'd love to know what's next for you, Sydney. Any other projects you're currently working on that you'd like to tell us or your fans about? 

Thank you! Up next, I'm excited about Sawtooth Mountain, a thriller/horror film I produced and starred in—it's my first time wearing both hats on a feature! Also, I recently shot an episode of a network series I'm thrilled about. I'll share more about it on Instagram when it airs, so stay tuned! 

Thank you for the great interview! I'm so grateful for your time and interest!! Happy Holidays!--Sydney