Local Producer Samar Anthony Creates New Series 'Marina' as a Nighttime Soap Opera

Samar Anthony always saw real life drama taking place at her charter boat business in Hawaii. Then one night during a particular drama filled evening with clients, an idea then came to her to create a nighttime soap opera TV series called: “Marina.”

She had plenty of experience from being a producer at Cannes in the Short Film Corner of her “Coming To Hollywood.” It was from Anthony’s careful research of industry professionals who explained the way the system works, defining problems actors often face and offering practical solutions and ways to avoid them. This is where Anthony focused on what would be the most constructive, positive, upbeat and fun.

“I wanted to tell the actors’ journey like it is and be a positive testament for anyone from making the trip to Hollywood even with stars in their eyes, says, Anthony. The film is now a DVD and being updated and redistributed. “It was a great success and continues to inspire aspiring actors from all walks of life,” remarks Anthony.

She was raised in London’s West End and attended an all girls’ school and excelled at team sports and drama. But then by the age of 12, she spoke four languages and by the age of 16 she had written her first novel, “Park Lane W1.”

Her first move to Honolulu and had her studying acting with Scott Rogers at the Hawaii Academy of Film & Television. Then Anthony moved to Hollywood and befriended star maker, Jay Bernstein who offered her an acting scholarship. She decided instead to launch her own son’s career and established him as a signed client with Ford Models and Abrams Artists. Anthony furthered her acting studies at The Beverly Hills Playhouse and took audition technique classes with Craig Wallace.

She knew acting was not her first passion. So Anthony returned to Honolulu and ended up in the boat charter business. While working at the marina she came up with a new TV drama “Marina” where the stories behind each story would give audiences real life drama.

Anthony contacted her friend Scott Rogers and pitched the TV idea and Rogers said you would need a script, which she then wrote and developed.

“Having lived in Hawaii for many years where I spent a lot of time around the Ko Olina marina surrounded by the beautiful boats, the drama that goes on between the vendors and the people who work at the marina and even the tension between all the people on all the different boats, it was very easy for me to see the potential in creating a real TV drama series out of everything that was going on,” remarks, Anthony.

Q & A with Samar Anthony . . .

Tell us about your background in how you became a producer?

I first produced Coming To Hollywood a 60 min DVD on how to break into the acting industry in Hollywood, that was dubbed into French and went to the Cannes Short Film Corner the week it was finished. The reason behind my decision to create and finance that video was because I saw the wealth of information in the market place for actors about how to break in to Hollywood but there was not a single dvd, lots of books but nothing on tape .I am currently updating and re editing that video for a new release.  The whole process was fun, from writing the dialogue, to interviewing people to shooting at different locations, then into the editing room and watching the whole process unfold and coming together was a great experience and I vowed that one day I would do it again, and here I am.

What is the story behind your TV Series: “Marina”

Having lived in Hawaii for many years and spending a lot of time around the ocean and especially in the Ko Olina marina around the beautiful boats and all the drama that goes on day today between the vendors and the people who work at the marina and even the tension between all the people on all the different boats,  it was very easy for me to see the potential in creating a real drama series out of everything that was going on.

How has the process in Hollywood for breaking in been?

I must say that I am very blessed because it has been rather easy for me to connect to people in high places in this town, I have a great team of people behind me who believe in my project-actors and industry people alike, and I think with so many shows being cancelled and television dominated by crime and medical room shows people are looking for something fresh and new to be a part of-and seriously-who doesn’t want to be working in sunny Miami or Hawaii as opposed to New York City?

Who do you surround yourself with in your projects?

I know this is very cliché but I am surrounding myself with a lot of boating people to constantly come up with new idea and people who understand this production process- at nothing happened overnight but persistence and believing in yourself and your project is what it takes to get you from the  idea to the green light.  

Did you find the writing process hard or difficult:

The writing process is certainly not an easy one and it makes you really appreciate why writers get paid so much money. It is really easy to watch a TV show or a movie and not think twice about structure and dialogue and how hard it really is to come up with new stuff and to keep each line interesting and to keep constant conflict in each scene-writing is not something I would ever consider for a career but the main reason why I was compelled to write this show was I could not find a writer in the writers guild who shared my creative vision to produce the pilot script for me, so it was through serious trial and error and classes like David Freemans Beyond Structure course that I finally figured it out.    

Who do you admire in the Entertainment Industry:

I really admire people who create content themselves then set out and produce, direct and even act in their oun productions, people like Clooney, Michael Douglas & esp Drew Barrymore. 

Do you have a mentor?

A mentor I would say my director Chuck Braverman and also writer and teacher David Freeman.

What other projects are you working on?

Currently I am re editing Coming to Hollywood for a formal release obviously this is not a TV show but more of a documentary so it is very different from Marina, and I have various other projects in the works.