Casting agency FILM CASTING BG is conducting a series of interviews with people who have roles in “Lying Rhymes”. Everyone receives the same questions, and the answers are published unedited. Subscribe to the “Lying Rhymes” YOUTUBE channel, where you will be able to watch the series online – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMPCTqcf5dUdVy8y-FYayTQ Interview with Viktoriya Yaneva – appearing in “Lying Rhymes”. 1. Tell us briefly about yourself. My name is Viktoriya Yaneva. I am originally from Sofia. After I finished secondary school (a language school specialising in Italian), my whole family moved to Kocherinovo, a picturesque, peaceful town at the foot of the Rila Mountains. In 2010, I graduated in Acting in Professor Dimitrina Gyurova’s class. Since then, I have been a permanent actress at the Nevena Kokanova Municipal Drama Theatre in Dupnitsa. This is my seventh year living in the town, which I can somehow now call my hometown. In 2012, I filmed 2 episodic roles in “Condominium”. In 2016, I played 2 leading roles in the reality series “True Stories” and “Destinies at a Crossroads”. I have directed several plays with secondary-school pupils through the “Your Class” project and within the 3 editions of the Nevena Kokanova Festival of Theatre and Film Arts. That sparked my love of directing, so I enrolled in a master’s programme in Theatre Directing. Besides the series premiere, I will soon have a play premiere as a qualified director. :) I love doing many different things: singing, dancing, having fun with friends, cycling, reading, knitting, sewing... watching clouds form different shapes in the sky... I love life and try to take it in with both hands, sift through what I learn and use it personally and professionally. My friends describe me as “a splash of colour in a grey society”. 2. Was this your first casting, and did you think you would be selected? As a professional actress, I often attend castings; it is part of my job. This time, I was more confident and honestly believed I would be chosen. I felt it from the first stage, the online castings. 3. What do you think about paid castings, and have you taken part in any? Every casting agency decides how to run its castings. Some charge a small registration fee, others take a percentage of the fee after someone is selected for a project. Everyone decides for themselves whether to pay the amount. I see nothing wrong or illegal. I knew the conditions from the very beginning, as did all the other candidates. I do not understand why there was so much fuss, accusations and so on. 4. What do you think of the reports by “Gospodari na Efira” that tried to tarnish the series’ name, and what would you say to people who believe them? Again, it is a matter of personal choice: whether to take everything offered to you at face value. I always check information. I have not watched television for a while. “Gospodari na Efira” was one of the programmes that made me switch it on, but this time they disappointed me a little. After the first report, I did some research and found many untruths. The first thing that made me think was the flood of fraud accusations: they take people’s money, but there are NO castings. Yet the report itself was made during a CASTING. From there, after searching online, I found quite a few things that reassured me I had not been “cheated” out of 10 leva. What puzzled me most was the way they treated Stelian Dimitrov as a complete stranger, when he had actually been part of the programme’s team as a scriptwriter. I cannot explain it. I would advise people not to believe blindly everything they hear, or even see. Unfortunately, we live in a world where a lie repeated twice becomes the truth. People, trust yourselves! 5. What emotions did you experience at the casting and during filming? The castings surprised me more than pleasantly! Besides putting all the candidates at ease, the tasks were truly interesting. Rarely has a casting director relaxed me enough to make me give everything. In this case, it was actress Gergana Kostova. At the final stage, I met the series’ producer and director, Stelian Dimitrov, who is first and foremost an actor, certainly a huge advantage! He was an excellent dialogue partner during the casting, which of course helped me perform better. Before filming, we had many conversations about the series’ plot and specifically the character I was to portray. By the time we filmed, I had no questions left; everything was so clear! What am I doing? Why am I doing it? As for “How?”, fortunately we combined work with fun, interwoven with comic situations, sleepless nights and long journeys. I love my work! 6. How would you describe the organisation of the casting campaign and the filming of “Lying Rhymes”? The organisation was of a very high standard, and I congratulate the whole team! I had quite a few commitments outside the series, but together we arranged the schedule so things worked well for everyone. I encountered understanding, which unfortunately is rare these days. Thank you! 7. Why do you think the same familiar faces appear in most Bulgarian productions? I do not know why. Bears, bunnies, foxes, wolves. I have stopped asking myself that question and constantly looking for different answers. Now someone like Stanley has appeared, giving opportunities to unfamiliar faces too. There are probably others like him. I know it is not an easy task, but if it were easy, it would not be interesting ;) 8. From your experience, do you know of many cases where Bulgarian producers give new and unproven faces a chance? My previous answer shows that I do not, but let them follow Stelian Dimitrov’s example. There are so many capable actors across the country, professional and non-professional. And viewers really are tired of seeing the same faces on screen. My mother says she does not watch Bulgarian series and films because she gets the characters mixed up. It is like watching one production: the characters’ names change, but the actors stay the same... haha. She is probably right. 9. Would you recommend the casting agency Film Casting BG, and why? Of course!! Organisation, fairness, professionalism and one quality we have rather forgotten, though it matters: HUMANITY. Look out for the first Bulgarian hip-hop series, “Lying Rhymes”, in September 2018. The production is produced by Plovdiwood Ent. and Devil Cinema. You can apply for the new productions, the reality show “I Am Becoming a Star” and the children’s and teen series “Talent Academy”, at www.akademiazatalanti.com. These productions are produced by Exclusive Media Entertainment.