Did you know that there’s more to Snapchat than just keeping streaks with friends and updating about your everyday life?
The app’s Discover page is literally a whole other world. Unlike most platforms, Snapchat’s Discover page is free for all accounts and features tons of different things, including Snap Originals.
For those of you who don’t know, Snap Originals are shows made exclusively for Snapchat and created by some of the world’s greatest storytellers and made for the unique behaviors of mobile. They are vertical full screen, fast-paced and hyper-visual, featuring graphics, split screens, quick cuts and more — and it’s been a huge success. One of their most popular shows is The Dead Girls Detective Agency, which is for anyone who’s a sucker for a teen drama and murder mystery.
Making its debut last fall, the series is an adaptation of the 2012 book of the same name written by Suzy Cox, as well as its 2014 follow-up, Dead Girls Walking. Featuring a predominately female cast and crew, the show stars Vanessa Marano (Gilmore Girls), Gia Mantegna (The Middle), Aparna Brielle (A.P. Bio) and more, and has an audience of over 14 million unique visitors.
Back for a third season this month, the new episodes follow Charlotte Feldman (Mantegna), who, after solving the mystery behind her own death, decides to put the afterlife on hold in order to help other teen ghosts solve their murders. The continuing adventures of The Dead Girls Detective Agency begin when Charlotte, Nancy (Marano), and Lorna (Brielle) investigate the mysterious death of the Hotel Atessa’s newest arrival: Grace, the heiress to one of Manhattan’s biggest fortunes.
Celeb Secrets caught up with Mantegna and Marano recently to chat about the new season’s twists and turns, as well as some behind-the-scenes secrets from filming that you wouldn’t know when watching. You must read the Q&A below for more!
New episodes of The Dead Girls Detective Agency air daily, and you can watch episodes that have been released directly in Snapchat (on the Discover page, to the right of the camera) or by searching for the series by name.
Let us know what you think about The Dead Girls Detective Agency by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
The Dead Girls Detective Agency is back for another season on Snapchat. Without giving too much away, can you tell us more about what we can expect from the third season?
Gia Mantegna: “We tie up some loose ends from Season 1 and 2 and meet new characters the fans might have heard of from previous episodes! You’ll also be introduced to new guests at the Hotel Atessa. New murders, new drama!”
Vanessa Marano: “New faces! And answers to a lot of unanswered questions from the previous seasons.”
What’s really cool about this series is that it is short form, vertical, AND on Snapchat. Are there any differences when filming a project like this, or is it pretty similar to the previous work you’ve done?
Gia Mantegna: “Shooting for a vertical format is a completely different undertaking. Because the viewing experience is so intimate, so is the shooting experience. There is less room for actors to play, and the smallest of movements and nuances translate differently. It was a fun and interesting challenge for all the actors!”
Vanessa Marano: “It’s actually pretty different. Because everything is viewed vertically by the audience, we have to shoot the whole show with that in mind. It creates challenges for sure, but you get the fun of finding creative solutions to things.”
Your first season was a huge hit, as it drew in over 14 million unique viewers watching your show. Is there one message you hope fans take away from watching the third season of The Dead Girls Detective Agency?
Gia Mantegna: “Seeing that this is a new and groundbreaking way of viewing shows, I hope fans enjoy the experience and become more open to different ways of viewing content.”
Vanessa Marano: “I just hope everyone likes it! It such a fun and unique show, and the third season is very special.”
Have you seen any personal growth from working on this show? If so, how have either you or your character grown from your first day on set to now?
Gia Mantegna: “The first 2 seasons were a learning curve for myself and all the production. None of us had shot for a vertical, fast paced platform before, so the stakes were high and unexpected. The success of the first seasons lit a fire under us and helped motivate the future season. Being able to work more confidently in this new realm of content has allowed me to focus on the more human aspects of the character and less on the logistics. Knowing that something like this is possible has given me more confidence on every set I walk on.”
Vanessa Marano: “Well, I can’t give too much away. But season three is a big season for Nancy. She has been stuck in the hotel for the longest out of the girls and that weighs pretty heavily on her. She does her best to distract herself with solving other people’s cases because she was never able to solve her own. This season, we get to see her come to terms with that.”
After watching the trailer, it looks like your character and the rest of the girls are taking on new adventures. What’s one thing you can hint at that you want fans to look out for?
Gia Mantegna: “Fans will finally get to meet characters that were mentioned in previous seasons. It will be very exciting for the fans to finally put a face to the names!”
Vanessa Marano: “All I can say is, all of the girls’ lives…or undead lives rather…are about to change dramatically.”
Do you have a favorite moment from working with the other girls on set?
Gia Mantegna: “Vanessa and Aparna are not only two of the most talented women I have ever worked with, but they are wonderful people. Everyday I was met with such generosity and positive energy. I couldn’t have been luckier to be able to share the frame with two leading ladies that I now call dear friends.”
Vanessa Marano: “Just getting to sit and talk with them everyday is my favorite part of the experience. Last time we shot, we were all getting to know each other, this time it was like getting the old gang back together.”
If you were to come back for another season, what would you like see happen to either your character or the storyline?
Gia Mantegna: “I’d like to revisit Charlotte’s family and see what they’ve been up to since her crossing to the other side.”
Vanessa Marano: “I want to see what’s behind the red door!”
For Celeb Secrets, what’s a behind-the-scenes secret from filming that we wouldn’t know when watching your show?
Gia Mantegna: “I was originally cast as the role of “Ali”, and 3 days before shooting, was re-cast as Charlotte!”
Vanessa Marano: “The hotel we shoot at is actually two separate mansions in Hollywood.“
