A Movie Blog by Craig Koban [ ARCHIVES ]
ASK NAOMI KYLE: THE LUMINOUS AND TALENTED IGN HOST DISCUSSES HER LIFE'S ACHIEVEMENTS, PASSIONS, AND FUTURE CAREER GOALS.
September 24, 2013 |
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There are arguably not enough superlatives that exist to fully encapsulate Naomi Kyle. It's also impossible to not be a little – okay, scratch that…make that very – star struck upon meeting her, as I certainly was a month ago in San Francisco. She’s a person that positively exudes natural beauty and a movie star-like radiance. Yet, there is
certainly much more to this Ste-Agathe-Des-Monts, Quebec-born IGN
personality than her limitlessly appealing façade: Beneath all of that
lurks a swiftly independent and motivated woman with a singular and
assured grasp of her present and future career goals.
Even better is that Naomi – despite her enormous popularity all
over the globe – is one of the most down-to-earth and charmingly
vanity-free people that I’ve have had the pleasure of meeting and
speaking with, and one that’s disarmingly gregarious, kind-hearted, and
self-effacing. Within a
few scant minutes of being in her presence she innately makes you feel
like you are the most important person in the room, which is a thanklessly
altruistic trait for a famous industry person to have.
To watch Naomi on-screen – as I have for quite some time now – in her various gigs for IGN a few things become apparent: (1) The camera loves her and her thousand watt smile, (2) her fondness and unbridled enthusiasm for the material she covers – in all various forms – really shines through, and (3) she’s a genuine pop culture geek at heart. You can't fake the latter. She also has that ethereal "it" factor. I can't describe it. I can't really put it into words. All I know is that she has that intangible array of attributes that so many in front of the camera only wished they had...but regrettably don't. In short: she's got it. Most definitely. If you need more
proof of this then look no further than just about any episode of CHEAP
COOL CRAZY, an IGN program that she hosts, which has just recently
returned from hiatus.
This show is so delectably involving for how Naomi – in every episode
– covers three products from either the video game or movie world: one
that's dirt cheap, one that's undeniably cool, and one that's
freakishly and crazy expensive. Whether
joyously pedaling the outlandishly nifty (like, for instance, STAR
WARS-themed lightsaber popsicle trays or rubber MINECRAFT axes) to the
insanely cost-prohibitive (like an actual working TRON light cycle or a
pitch perfect replica of Jon Snow’s sword from GAME OF THRONES),
Naomi’s borderline infectious, inner giddy child spirit comes to the forefront. I screened all of the show's episodes again before writing this blog
and one thing remains after a second viewing: Naomi is an authentically passionate and
wholeheartedly motivated host. It’s so damn
hard not to like her on this or any of her other programs.
Success seems to
gravitate towards Naomi in just about every possible form.
There just may not be an achievement barometer large
and all-encompassing enough to measure the amount of success that Naomi is
going to attain going forward in her career.
For a woman in her mid-twenties, she has
already achieved so very much in such a relatively short time.
After just a year of being in Montreal and pursuing her
post-secondary education she went on to sign with Next Canada, one of the
most prestigious and well established modeling agencies in the world (for
a glimpse of Naomi in action, check out a truly remarkable 2010 modeling
shoot she did for Elegant Wedding Magazine, which can be seen HERE). By the young age of 22 she was a gaming podcast co-host with
Gameloft. Soon after that she
became the face of IGN Entertainment as their on-screen media
host/presenter. Today,
there’s no argument that she casts an incomparable and omnipresent
shadow over the gaming industry and has developed a ferociously loyal
social media fanbase following not just in North America, but all over the
world (her recent travels to Dubai – which she reflects on below – is
a testament to just that). She
has over 76,000 followers on Twitter alone, and for very good reason:
Naomi cares for her fans, and something that she never seems to get enough
credit for is being so personally giving with her time to all of her
tweeps, responding to their queries ranging from the innocently trivial to the
austerely noteworthy. In an
age when so many celebrities barely muster the time of day to connect with
their respective fanbases, Naomi’s expressed loyalty back to her followers is
nothing short of endlessly commendable. Next on her radar
of career goals to conquer are the areas of writing, editing, and even
producing, which seems – from my chat with her – like a natural
off-shoot of her on-camera duties with IGN.
She yearns to be more fully multifaceted and savvy on the media front, and
will indisputably go far in this area based on her eagerness and drive
alone. Oh, and acting on the
silver screen is way, way high up there as well for Naomi.
She has appeared in the yet-to-be released short film WORST DATE EVER (stills
from the film alone unequivocally prove her on-screen glamour street-cred
in spades) and GEEKS (written and directed by Al White, a film that will most assuredly show a decidedly different side to Naomi’s
personality, which the screenplay that I’ve read
numerous times from cover-to-cover indicates). To simply look at her and witness her complete command of her
presence in front of a camera on IGN, there are no doubts in my mind
whatsoever that we’ll be seeing the title card “Starring Naomi Kyle”
quite often in cinemas in the foreseeable future.
I will certainly be the first in line to buy a ticket to screen
whatever she appears in. College educated…world-class model…video game podcast host…renowned and respected IGN personality…and future movie star. All in all, not bad for a small-town French Canadian gal. Not bad at all. En fait, c'est merveilleux, Naomi. Describe
your upbringing in Quebec? Being French Canadian - and bilingual!
- must be something that you're really proud of. It's still
kind of startling how so many of your fans are surprised that
you are a Canuck. I
very much agree. It sometimes boggles my mind when I get a
tweet from someone saying, "Hey, I just found out you're
Canadian. That's awesome!" It's always nice to hear
validation of my feelings towards my country, not to mention that someone
took the time to read my bio. But I am indeed very proud and still
very much miss where I'm from. I guess part of that is the fact that
I rarely get to speak French anymore. It only happens on occasion
and is almost always when I meet someone from Ubisoft (go figure!).
Quebec is special though in that bilingualism is very prominent
there. You hear both languages being spoken all the time, which can
sometimes get confusing for out-of-towners. Growing up in that
environment, however, it's become second nature to me. An example I
always use is from when I was a baby: My first words were literally "Daddy
amene." Daddy being the obvious English word and "amene"
being the French meaning of "bring." Basically, making me
the epitome of bilingualism...since the day I was born! You
spoke to me regarding your writing pursuits while you were in
University. Can you elaborate more on that and towards what
you
studied while in your post-secondary studies? How has that shaped
you current role at IGN? A
lot of people don't know that I actually started my college days studying
to become a Jazz singer. Random, I know. There isn't much else
to say about that other than it was a one year venture and when I
switched to study film I never looked back. Only now do I
occasionally break out into song mid-prompter read. Anyway,
my writing pursuits only came during my second year when I joined a
script writing course. My teacher at the time strongly believed I
should consider a career in writing, but my passion lied
elsewhere. Editing was what I really loved. Looking back now I
can see how these paths helped me to get where I am now. My role on
the video team - although unique - has allowed me to exploit every one of
those past avenues, like that time I sang during an UP AT NOON bit,
editing my own vlogs, and now writing articles...I can honestly say that I
utilize at least some aspect of what I learned back in college.
Money well spent I suppose! You worked
as a model early in your career (and still do to an extent). Was
there ever a period in the past when you thought that it was ostensibly going
to be your primary vocation in life or was
it but a stepping stone towards your other professional pursuits/goals? When
I decided to try my hand at modeling I only ever saw it as a
means to an end. I was realistic that I might never be able to
pursue it full time, so I focused primarily on my studies.
Modeling proved to be more beneficial to me than I had expected because it
got me my first gig as an on-camera host. Funny how that works. What's
the grind like producing daily shows like the DAILY FIX and weekly
segments like WEEKLY 'WOOD? It's
my general understanding that producing is always a hard feat no matter if
it's a feature film or a simple daily news show you're producing; there
are always hiccups along the way and moments of stress. Producing
'The Fix' however - and I can only speak for my two years at IGN - has
become somewhat of a routine. We know what everyone's role is and
what needs to get done before we start shooting. Script is being
written by our dedicated writer at 9 am. Crew is working in studio
for set-up at 10. And on my end, usually around the 10-10:30 mark,
focus is heavy on reading the script, making adjustments, and prepping my
emotional state. Silly to be talking about emotions for a news
video, but trust me, it's integral, especially if I'm experiencing a less
than perfect day. To make sure every episode has a consistent amount
of bubbly authenticity I have to prepare myself both mentally and
physically. A number of voice/breathing exercises later and I'm
ready to shoot. Of course, hiccups do still happen, Avid crashes or
lighting is finicky, but we simply tackle those once they arise. All
in all, our grind is pretty organized. Any
chance that we are going to see you in more gaming videos in the near
future? I loved the one you did for TOMB RAIDER and SIM CITY (the
latter one was a hoot!) Firstly,
thanks for liking them! I always enjoy working on off-the-cuff
productions. Secondly, and to answer your question, there is definitely a huge chance
of there being more of gaming videos in the future. For now you can catch
the non-scripted me on Podcast Unlocked. You
also blog on IGN and I find your style to be so agreeably personal,
spunky, and deeply inviting. Your voice really comes
through in them. Do you plan on writing more in the near future? I
do! My lack of posts has almost entirely been due to the exuberant
amount of travel I've been on lately. I haven't had a chance to sit
down and think of my next post, something I plan on doing right after I
send in these questions. There is also the dream of writing my own
scripts and maybe even a book down the road, but for now my blog is where
you can find the bulk of my writing explorations. You
have also told me that you have a passion for editing and producing. How
so and are
you hoping that this will be explored more beyond your job as a daily
on-screen personality/host for IGN? When
I first joined IGN I thought, "This is great! I can work as a host
and become a video editor to serve as a bigger part of the
team." Nope. Turns out being a host is very time consuming and
so editing my vlogs is as far as it goes. As for producing, I've developed an
understanding as well as a passion for it through the two years I've
worked here. Seeing productions happen on a daily basis you
naturally learn the inner-workings of it and gain a certain
confidence. I'm looking forward to flexing those muscles in the
coming year producing videos within the context of the company. I
watched your appearance on a recent - and highly fascinating - podcast
where you discussed gender roles in video games, in particular as it
related to male/female violence in the yet-to-be-released CALL OF DUTY:
GHOSTS. To me, it seems like games are trying to level the playing
field for female characters and female gamers, but there still remains
some nagging double standards in this regard. Do you foresee
the playing field leveling even more in the next little while in the
industry? I'm
glad you enjoyed our podcast! Though I'm relatively new to the
discussion, I think it's highly probable that female gamers will be better
represented in games in the coming years. Just how gaming has become
more mainstream, more games are being made to appeal to women now
(i.e. CALL OF DUTY GHOSTS) and so the natural progression will be that
women will no longer be an afterthought and rather just a part of the
status quo. It
began in Montreal when I started working my first gig as a host for
Gameloft. As an addition to my work there I took on acting classes
to hone my on-camera presence. When I moved to San Francisco I
continued those studies and my acting confidence grew exponentially once I
began hosting CHEAP COOL CRAZY; I could actually see the results and it
was my manager's belief in me that finally got me to take acting seriously
and start working in that field. Outside
of being, of course, limitlessly photogenic, you really have such a
natural, easy-going, and understated charm and allure on-screen in your
work on the DAILY FIX, 'WEEKLY WOOD, and - my personal favorite!
- CHEAP COOL CRAZY (which I miss terribly, but I'm so relieved that it's
on the way back!). Do you feel that your work in front of the camera
on your IGN programs will provide a natural extension into your
hopeful and future career in film acting? To
a certain extent, I think it already has. I haven't acted in any
high level production (yet), but I am making headway. What's great
about hosting a show everyday - especially one that is based off of
personality more so than let's say any old news show - is that I
technically get to act everyday. Exercising at least one of those
muscles daily until it reaches perfection. And with my continued
study of the art of acting I should be able to develop a pretty solid
skill set that I think can then benefit me on every audition and every set
I go on. A future career in acting, whether big or small, I think is
highly achievable given the opportunity I've been given working for
IGN. Oh and just so you know, I
miss CHEAP COOL CRAZY terribly as well, but there are more episodes coming
soon! Stay tuned.
You've
already appeared in the upcoming GEEKS, written and directed by Al White. What was the experience like working
on a short film? The experience was extremely fun, but also hugely beneficial to my development as an actor. GEEKS was my first time working as a professional actor, so it was a learning experience as much as it was a dream realized. Everyone on set loved what I brought to Alyx and were immensely supportive. I really took away something special from that shoot. I personally
had the pleasure of reading Al White's screenplay for GEEKS - which
is gangbusters awesome! - and have also seen the film's internal sizzle
reel (which totally blew me away). Describe the character of Alyx
and what you hope that your fans will take out of watching you play the
role? Alyx
is the quintessential tomboy
of the GEEKS bunch. She has a troubled past and might be little a
too anger fueled when it comes to conflict. I like her character
because it brings out that side of me that I never get to explore in real
life: an angry, slightly disturbed girl who has a grudge against
humanity. Then there is the complete opposite side to her,
which you only ever get glimpses of...the moments when she becomes more of
a reincarnation of me: bubbly, shy, and little awkward at times. I
very much enjoyed playing her and I hope my fans get a kick out of her
being such a badass. On
a more personal note, you recently traveled to Dubai for IGN for their
convention and it was quite extraordinary to see the extent of your
fanbase all over the world. Flashback, say, to the point when
you were just starting out in the gaming industry; did
you ever see yourself back then as someone that would go
on to be as respected and loved by so many people from so many walks of
life as you are right now? Never. I certainly dreamed about it. Who doesn't? But I never believed it would actually happen. It just blows my mind sometimes when I think about how I got here. Just a small town girl who loved games, movies and everything in-between. Now a performer, never shy in front of the camera - I couldn't say that was me three years ago, not even in the slightest. Outside
of working for IGN, the video game industry and
your pursuit of acting, what other things are you passionate about that
perhaps many of your fans are not already aware of? Well, I think it's quite obvious that my career is my passion at the moment, but it used to be and still is in doses, music. I love discovering new tracks and staying on top of what is happening in the music industry. I even worked in a music store for four years and used to attend concerts as a hobby. But I realize that I can't devote as much time to it as I used to, which isn't necessarily a bad thing: the more passions I get to experience in life, the better! Imagine
that you have a special portal into the future: Where do you see *the*
Naomi Kyle in the next, say, five-plus years? Where is this portal? No seriously, I need to know. But in all honesty, I see myself still at IGN producing videos with a recurring role on some sci-fi channel TV series. Maybe even with a starring role in a Marvel feature film? Who knows?! The sky's the limit! I'll just be happy if I'm still doing what I love and still have the energy to do it! One
final TOUGH and DEEP question: Canada - great country
OR greatest
country? Lorne Michaels, John Candy, Jim Carrey, Splinter Cell, Bioware .. need I say more? We're number one ;)
A very special thank-you to Ed Carlo Garcia and Al White for their photo contributions to this blog. |
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