Crystal Chappell chats about Venice, her fans and the magic of being happy

November 25, 6:55 PMVenice the Series ExaminerMary Montanari

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Venice Examiner: You have always mentioned in the press how grateful you are to your fans for their support and how overwhelmed you were back in the hay days of the Otalia love story when so many of those fans shared personal experiences with you about their own relationships. When you announced the fact that you were working on a web series, you opened up a dialog with those fans to capture their ideas and give them an opportunity to voice opinions, contribute a Venice logo, and a Venice theme song. Have you been amazed by the creativity that is out there (I am sure you saw so much of it via the YouTube videos celebrating Otalia) and how much of a response did you receive from fans after putting out that call for suggestions and contributions?

Crystal Chappell: It hasn’t been surprising by the amount of creative talent out there. It has been fun to watch other people be inspired. It’s contagious that way. As far as asking for contributions and suggestions, it seemed like a fun and natural thing to do given how passionate and supportive this fan base is. From the beginning we wanted this to be everybody’s show and there is nothing like discovering new fresh talent and there is a lot of it out there.

Venice Examiner: We know Venice is about relationships and romance. Gina’s struggle to gain her father’s acceptance where her lifestyle is concerned is front and center and certainly complex. Guiding Light’s Olivia was complex to say the least and the character was great at seeking out creative ways to cope with her anxieties that were so often brought on by sexual tension. Some of my favorite Olivia scenes in Springfield included her running into Doris at ladies’ night at Farley’s, her shopping trip to purchase a battery operated adult toy only to be caught in the act by Blake, her futile attempts at yoga and her scenes with Joshua when her car broke down. The man was dying to pull out all his tools to jumpstart Olivia’s vehicle. Will we Venice have some edgy comedic moments tossed with all the romantic bliss and struggles? And do comment on your own personal favorite Olivia slapstick scene if you feel inclined.

Crystal Chappell: At this point, I mean yes there are more subtle comedic moments in Venice. We wanted to establish the dramatic tension in the first season. But there are so many colorful characters that surround Gina. As far Olivia is concerned, I have always appreciated her one-liners, so we will probably be seeing more of that in Venice in the future.

Venice Examiner: With the first season of Venice in the can so to speak—you have now had the amazing experience of writing, producing, acting and directing this series and you and your talented sidekicks can truly call this show your own. Producing and directing in this Internet medium is relatively young. It certainly affords actors, producers, writers and directors a chance to take off in new directions without dealing with network executive and advertising constraints. You have assembled an amazing cast to appear on Venice. Have you seen this new avenue of creativity make a difference in how actors perform? Also, which role—writing, producing, acting or directing posed the greatest challenge for you?

Crystal Chappell: Well I discovered in regards to the actors, there is much more freedom in the performances, because we can say and do more things that are not censored. It is also how, as producers, we chose to move forward. We wanted to set a very creative tone and bring to the table the freedom of interpretation so the actors could contribute in the fullest way. The greatest challenge is in the acting because it is a very different mindset to just be performing and it is another to be thinking about production values, story arcs, etc. It really is a combination so the acting became the most challenging.

Venice Examiner: Aside from the roles mentioned above, you have also become a marketing genius. You have managed to paralyze thousands of successful individuals who happen to be fans of yours by compelling them to sit glued to their computers while hanging out on Twitter waiting for one of your mega Venice announcements. Has this amazed you and how did you become so good at building anticipation? Please explain in 140 characters or less!

Crystal Chappell: Well it is simply that I enjoy hanging out on Twitter with a group of people and the simple fact is that I am a tease. I like anticipation and I am excited about the project.

Venice Examiner: Share one of your beauty secrets with us. SoapQuiring minds want to know how you maintain that flawless look of yours. We are all familiar with your inner beauty, but just one skin or hair tip would be a gift!

Crystal Chappell: You know I stay hydrated and I moisturize daily. I wish I could say I get a lot of sleep, but I don’t. I hear that is important too!! I think for me, the biggest secret is that everything I am doing in my life, I am really enjoying and that is a choice. Basically what I am saying is that I am happy.