Amira Shaunice is the author of fiction novel “Silence”, creator of the highly popular web series New York girls tv, and Founder of Amira Shaunice Films, LLC in Brooklyn, New York. Amira has a Master’s degree in business and a Bachelors in Tv and Film. With her creative talents on the lips of so many in the black lesbian community, we thought it would be great to talk with her about her experiences, creative exploits, and what she has planned in the near future.
By Michelle Reed, July 21st 2016
So Amira, what influences caused you to start writing?
Life in general. After viewing films I knew I wanted to write fiction. I’ve been inspired by other stories and wanted to tell my own.
What would you say is your core audience?
Women.
I guess that should have been Obvious.
Yea. (She laughs)
NYGTV is extremely popular with more than 50,000 subscribers; did you expect such success?
I didn’t. I mean I knew it would be good, not to be cocky. But I didn’t expect people to respond so well.
I spoke with some of the cast members and they confirmed how funny and cool you are. What is it like on set?
On set is fun. It depends on my mood and the crunch for time. During filming I like to be straight forward and focused but overall I want the girls to love coming to the set.
In real life, are the cast members anything like their characters?
Each of them have a part of their characters which added on to stories. But no. I would say the only one who is exactly like their character is Stacey.
In your line of work, does it get difficult to separate business and personal?
I function best when I don’t distinguish between work and play. However, I’ve learned in order to be respected I must keep my interaction with my cast and crew to a minimum. I can’t party with them then expect them to be alert and on time to film the next day. It’s all about finding a balance. As far as writing I often take experiences from my personal life. It helps to make a better story.
Does your success have a positive or negative effect on your love life?
I would say negative. Not only because I am super busy as far as giving individual time, but also working with a lot of females and the stories that I tell. Trust can become an issue. But for me it’s professional.
Have you ever gotten involved with someone you were working with?
Yes, I have but it was short lived because we both wanted to maintain a professional relationship.
What do you look for in a woman?
I look for substance and depth. I like a woman who knows what she wants and makes a daily effort to obtain it. She has to stimulate me mentally. Support my work and motivate me, but also maintain a life of her own.
How does your family feel about your preferences?
They aren’t too keen. They respect my lifestyle but if they had their choice I would be with a man. But it’s been over 10 years so they’re used to it. I’ve even brought women around them.
The show has a lot of love scenes. I can only imagine the aura it creates on set. Women are naturally intense.
Women are intense, but love scenes are quite awkward to film. The cast makes it look great on film but they all struggle to be comfortable with those scenes.
So in your book “Silence”, everything seems centered around KJ. How much do you relate to your main character?
A lot of ways. I’ve always center characters around myself. I just embellish to tell a good story. KJ and I relate because she’s found herself creatively but she’s having trouble finding love and staying in a committed relationship.
What’s the screening process when it comes to your production company?
Pitch me. Email ideas or stories and we can set up a one on one. Once we are face to face I literally pick their brains and if interested we move forward with production, marketing, etc.
What projects can we expect from you in the future?
I have a few short films, I’m directing a documentary, and hopefully another season of NYGTV. I am also writing my memoirs and have been for a couple of years.
Do you have a list of people you have always dreamed of working with?
Oh, there’s so many. Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Shonda Rhimes, I would love to write something with her, and Angelina Jolie. That’s what I can think of off top
If you could get one message across to your fans, what would it be?
Never doubt yourself.
I actually see a lot of motivational quotes like that on your Instagram.
Yes, I try to be inspirational. Not just for myself but for others. It could be something I know I really need to hear, but others might be feeling the exact same thing.
Amira’s book is on sale on Amazon (hardcopy and ebook) and catch up on her web series on YouTube right now.
https://www.youtube.com/user/NewYorkGirlsTV
https://www.amazon.com/Silence-Complete-Journey-Amira-Shaunice/