For Marjorie Barbe, childhood movie nights were the spark that ignited a lifelong fascination with storytelling and the magic behind the scenes. Growing up in a family where film was a shared passion, Marjorie’s love for cinema only deepened over time, eventually leading her to take the leap and pursue a career in Vancouver’s vibrant film industry with determination and hope. In this interview, Marjorie shared with us how she got started, what diversity and inclusion mean to her as an emerging professional, and why programs like Creative Pathways™ have been valuable in opening doors and creating connections.
Can you tell us about your background and how you began pursuing a career in the film industry?
I was born in Vancouver to French parents. Movies were often a family activity growing up, especially with our father whom, as we got older, would let us watch not only Disney films, but action films. He’d explain how no one ever really got hurt, the blood we’d see was ketchup and everything was carefully set up by many professionals. He himself has a film credit for a small speaking role as a Maitre D’ in the BC shot film “Bird On A Wire”.
As I got older and my passion for films and filmmaking grew (I was going every week to see any film on cheap Tuesdays when it was regularly $5 and starting buying DVDs when they started coming out with “Behind the scenes featurettes”), I expressed the interest to my parents of pursuing a career in film. They unfortunately discouraged me from that and instructed me to go to university and get a “real” degree.
My love of movies never ceased and I continued regularly going to mainstream movie theaters as well as art house theaters showing older films and attending various film festivals to discover independent films. As the COVID pandemic was winding down, I began to question if I still wanted to stay in the career I was currently in or if I wanted to try and finally pursue my teenage dream of working in film. Of course, I decided on the later and in the beginning of 2023 started taking the online ActSafe courses. Unfortunately, when I got my TCP in May 2023, we all know what happened and how we’re still feeling the effects. However, I am still hopeful that Hollywood North will live up to its name again and that I can enjoy a fulfilling career on various projects within our beautiful province.
What does diversity and inclusion in the film industry mean to you, especially as someone starting out?
For me, it means that I can meet different people of many different backgrounds and learn about the paths they took to get into the film industry. Everyone has a story to tell and everyone can help make a story come to life. It takes more than a village to put a production together, so it also requires great collaboration between many people with different skill sets. The more you work with different people with different ways of creating, the more your own creative skills are expanded, yet also refined because it helps you to discover what you’re really good at doing. There are so many ways to help put a production together that it can be daunting starting out, so having the opportunity to discover that within a space of accepted diversity and inclusion removes the added stress that your gender or cultural background could single you out for stereotypical work instead of being able to try out anything that interests you and find out where your impact will be most made.
What drew you to Creative Pathways™, and what stands out from your time with the Creative Pathways™ Team?
I was drawn to Creative Pathways™ because it seemed like a great resource for me to tap into to find work as well as make connections within the film industry. I was fortunately accepted into the Warner Brothers Discovery Access to Action initiative, which helped me to defer the initial 30 days of PA work to register as a Permittee Logbook Holder with the DGC. This was a great step closer for me to find work and something great to add to my resume.
What stands out for me are also the networking opportunities that I am invited to attend. I can meet people who work in different departments and ask them what they do and how they got there. Some of these people I may even would run into on set and they could put in a good word for me if they see that I am actively interested in finding work and serious about learning everything I can.
In your opinion, what impact do Creative Pathways™ equity programs like Meet 10 and Setwork have on early-career professionals in film and TV?
It definitely helps early-career professionals develop their networking, communication and collaboration skills that are required for working well on set. You are also introduced to all kinds of people and possible job roles that could interest you. It especially helps to get your face and name known to more people than if you weren’t a part of the programs. The more you put yourself out there and make those connections, the greater chances you have of building a good reputation, which will in turn get you calls for work.
Looking ahead, what kinds of projects or roles are you most excited to pursue?
I would love to work on a project that requires some stunt work. Action films remain my favourite genre and projects with elaborate camera shots, practical effects and stuntpeople are something I would love to help put together and see the magic happen in person.
I am aiming for a 1st AD role, but I will need to fill many other roles to get there. If something on the way happens to light me up, I might stay there for a while, but I will eventually keep going just to see if being a 1st AD is right for me or not. That’s what appeals to me a lot about working in the film industry, it’s the opportunity to go back and forth between roles depending on the project, the demand or the experience you have acquired that permits you to move up.
Setwork gave Marjorie the confidence to take the next step in pursuing a creative career. Equipped with hands-on knowledge of production and its ins and outs, she now has the momentum to move forward with purpose. Learn more about Setwork and Creative Pathways™ programs here.