Camera Ready

Camera Ready: An interview with

Isabella Pasco,

the host of Flavour Passport: JourneyBy Brittney Hall

If you are a foodie in Niagara, you are likely familiar with Flavour Passport, the ultimate guide to all the restaurants in the area. Featuring hundreds of restaurants, Flavour Passport is boosting their user experience with Flavour Passport: Journey. This new video series will feature restaurants across Niagara, giving audiences the opportunity to experience the ambiance of these establishments through their screens! I caught up with Isabella “Bella” Pasco, the host of Flavour Passport: Journey. She is probably the hardestworking high school senior you’ll ever meet, juggling dance, work, family and friends, all while taking on this massive project. With everything going on in her life she is not slowing down anytime soon.

Can you tell me a bit about Flavour Passport and what inspired it? Flavour Passport is a unique online media site that advocates for the unique dining options available in the Niagara region. It was inspired from the exploration of what the Niagara region has to offer.

What excites you most about filming the Flavour Passport: Journey videos? Trying the food, and meeting new people! The conversations take off and it’s exciting to hear and see what their opinions are […] It’s really exciting to dive into an entirely new environment and see people’s passion shine through as I interview them!

What do you want your audience to take away from these segments? I want the audience to take away the genuine excitement both the restaurant and I share for what they have to offer. Each restaurant has a unique aspect to offer and I want the audience to see the genuine positivity and enthusiasm depicted in each segment.

What’s your all-time favourite food? I would have to say that pasta is one of my favourite foods. There are so many ways in which one can make a pasta dish entirely innovative. It’s like a different meal every time!

What’s your routine to making sure you’re camera ready? A good night’s sleep is the best thing prior to camera time as it allows for you to be energized and ready to adapt to whatever it is the director needs you to do.

I loved your outfit in the first segment. What are your favourite shopping hotspots? Thank you! I love getting little pieces from small boutiques. I find that they offer unique pieces that one wouldn’t necessarily find with a larger retailer.

What pieces do you think every young woman should have in her closet and why? I think every young woman should have her basics! A white turtleneck can go a long way. It’s easier to accessorize and add points of interest to a basic piece of clothing than it is to create an entirely innovative outfit.

The holidays are right around the corner. What are some holiday traditions in your family? Holidays, for me, are always spent with family as much as possible. Our annual gift exchange and large Christmas dinner is one of our favourite traditions.

What do you look forward to most about the holidays? During the holidays I mostly look forward to spending time with family that I don’t get to see on a daily basis. To me, there is nothing better than creating quality memories with the people I love.

If you could give someone looking to get into hosting three tips, what would they be? Three tips I would give to someone looking into hosting would be one, to always go with the flow. If you feel as though the question you have allocated for this part of the segment will sound choppy or won’t highlight the right point of interest, jump to another question. Two, be genuine. The more genuine you are the more the positivity of the segment will be illustrated to the audience, making the restaurant look good and you will avoid making yourself look frantic. Three, have fun with it! The more fun you have the easier the conversations will develop and the better the entire segment will look. Afterall, it is a very fun gig!

What does the future hold for Isabella Pasco? As time progresses, I will be furthering my studies in international business and working further with Flavour Passport to find new ways to enhance the unique dining options offered here in Niagara.