tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29405231421104009332024-03-13T20:49:16.241-07:00Blue Carp's Corner<big>A Showcase for Asian American artists in the performing and literary arts</big>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-45148792171741616382020-10-23T14:12:00.013-07:002020-10-23T14:23:10.616-07:00Feature Friday: Amelia Fei<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RXD72uHU-AY/X5NG5xhJ9vI/AAAAAAAAmWY/eEP-F3cBGdYZIn9FVmqUxs3WDoDFhAZOACLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/image3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RXD72uHU-AY/X5NG5xhJ9vI/AAAAAAAAmWY/eEP-F3cBGdYZIn9FVmqUxs3WDoDFhAZOACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image3.png" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Meet Amelia Fei! She voices the roles of Anna Woo, Ling Soo, and </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Quan Yee in The Angry Angels of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Chinatown trailer. Here is a little </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">more about her. </span></p><p><b id="docs-internal-guid-73dbd057-7fff-7f03-2451-23d5eddf773c" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1) Why did you choose to be a part of the Angry Angels trailer?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">We've rarely seen productions of stories that accurately portray Asian </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">culture and historical events, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">especially about women. So I find it refreshing </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">and empowering to see such a movie being made while </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">having the honor to be </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">a part of it. Representation matters. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">2) What do you love about your characters?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I got to voice three different characters for the trailer, and though they're quite </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">different in many ways, they </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">all, one way or another, show bravery to fight for </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">what's right instead of bowing to fate. This was extremely </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">difficult back in the </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">day considering their social status and them being women, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Asian women, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">and I find </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">this kind of persistence and courage is </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">especially crucial in the world we're living today. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">3) What do you love about what you do?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Because of the nature of my job, I'm required to do a lot of research </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">studying for </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">my characters. And </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">to me, it is always delightful to </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">have the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">opportunity to learn </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">about new stories or just things I didn't </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">know </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">in general. </span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Afterwards, having the opportunity to share the stories with the rest of the world </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">through my perspective </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">simply feels magical.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">4) </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Fun Fact: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Since I was fortunate enough to pick my own English name and all, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I used to attempt to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">obtain a pilot license while waiting for my artist visa to get </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">approved (thinking it wouldn't), and it did! </span></p><p><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Website link:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://ameliafei.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ameliafei.com</a></span></p>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-31467052562461368102020-10-16T14:13:00.011-07:002020-10-16T14:20:14.949-07:00Feature Friday: gMichael Nicolosi<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TJIBm2fQhyQ/X4oMninxSPI/AAAAAAAAmPo/vHOnbfgy2ikBmr81TTxxfu8h3jSHN1HAACLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/image14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TJIBm2fQhyQ/X4oMninxSPI/AAAAAAAAmPo/vHOnbfgy2ikBmr81TTxxfu8h3jSHN1HAACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image14.png" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Meet </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>gMichael Nicolosi</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">He voices the roles of the narrator and Officer Jack Manion in </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Angry </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Angels of Chinatown </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">trailer. Here is a little more about him -</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1) Why did you choose to be a part of the Angry Angels trailer?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I won the roles as part of a package bet in a very lengthy Texas </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Hold 'Em tournament in Rio. I thought it </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">was a timeshare, so I called. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Turns out, it was a voiceover job. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I figured, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">“why not.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">2) What do you love about your characters?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The two characters I ended up voicing were quite a bit of fun. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">They were </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">both better fishermen than me, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">but I didn't have to provide </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">the boat or fuel, so ... Win-Win.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">3) What do you love about what you do?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I have absolutely loved working as a voiceover artist. I've been </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">told I have the perfect face for it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4) </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fun Fact: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I've been a drummer for almost as many years as I've been alive.</span></p>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-35887471952810023432020-10-09T14:20:00.005-07:002020-10-16T14:16:06.073-07:00Feature Friday: Robin Mazer<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CTpML1Rxqw/X4DT4lBk9xI/AAAAAAAAmG0/v16ggcl_kC0ZPnJJas0UKDiMUusXKzItQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/image1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CTpML1Rxqw/X4DT4lBk9xI/AAAAAAAAmG0/v16ggcl_kC0ZPnJJas0UKDiMUusXKzItQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image1.png" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meet Robin Mazer! She voices the characters of Donaldina Cameron. Here is a little more about her -</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) Why did you choose to be a part of the Angry Angels trailer?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Donaldina Cameron was a real person. A historical, female hero, that up until I was chosen for this project, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I had never heard of. I am drawn to strong, ambitious, and intelligent characters, so I was beyond thrilled to</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">voice Donaldina. Stories of historical women are not told as often as those depicted in film of historical </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">men, and this was a remarkable opportunity to shed some light on a real-life female "Avenger" who chose </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to be outspoken and take action in the days of long skirts and the role of wife/mother as the only thing a </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">woman was fit for.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">2) What do you love about your character?</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Donaldina moves forward. Everything she does is in service of a super objective to make the world better, safer, and more equal. She sees something wrong and she does something about it. She has zero complacency or apathy. She is unbridled strength and justice.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">3) What do you love about what you do?</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of my acting professors at Ithaca College, Cynthia Henderson, said: “acting is living truthfully through given circumstances.” I love being a storyteller and telling the truth via the vehicle of someone else. It's a really special thing to immerse yourself into an entire spectrum of someone else's emotion.</span></p><p><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4) </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fun Fact: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I'm a singer/songwriter. I've been singing/studying voice my whole life and writing music for most of it, and hold a BFA in Musical Theatre from Ithaca College. Also - I am a certified spin instructor! I started teaching in college but have been spinning since high school!</span></p>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-64855040369039302272020-10-03T12:42:00.000-07:002020-10-03T12:42:03.788-07:00Feature Friday: Meet Tom Zhang <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-prByWT1fcoQ/X3jT0RTPCvI/AAAAAAAAl3Y/FWNxyHKjqcI--QNvpAHZIAqI8n6PJxRggCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/image13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-prByWT1fcoQ/X3jT0RTPCvI/AAAAAAAAl3Y/FWNxyHKjqcI--QNvpAHZIAqI8n6PJxRggCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image13.png" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meet Tom Zhang! He voices the characters Wong Luck and Matthew Chin. Here is a little more about him - </span><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7b211148-7fff-6710-f4f4-12dd9b2f3b04"><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) Why did you choose to be a part of the Angry Angels trailer?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I chose to be a part of the Angry Angels trailer because it serves an important story about a little-explored aspect of Chinese American history. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2) What do you love about your characters?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love the variety in the characters I got to voice. I will say I enjoyed Matthew's lines most though because he's every bit the charming lead I've always wanted to play.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3) What do you love about what you do?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love taking part in telling the diverse stories I never saw growing up - as an actor, I do my best to seek out projects that engage issues of social justice and social change.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4) </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fun Fact: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I can lick my nose and elbows! I probably shouldn't right now because, you know, COVID, but still!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Website:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.tomleezhang.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.tomleezhang.com/</span></a></span>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-73958024896945057702020-09-10T16:36:00.000-07:002020-09-10T16:36:33.936-07:00New Disney princess in Disney's upcoming film: Raya and the Last Dragon<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UE9L_OleWpI/X1qHd49fMWI/AAAAAAAAljg/0395mTjC1ak0hjJpnbboZXNtK4ajqq9-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1416/Raya-and-the-Last-Dragon-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UE9L_OleWpI/X1qHd49fMWI/AAAAAAAAljg/0395mTjC1ak0hjJpnbboZXNtK4ajqq9-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Raya-and-the-Last-Dragon-2.jpg" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p>Look out for Raya and the Last Dragon, a story heavily inspired by East Asian mythology, in theaters March 12, 2021! Raya is a fearless warrior on an adventure, searching for the water dragon, Sisu. It was recently announced that Kelly Marie Tran will be the first Southeast Asian actor to lead the Disney animated film; she will be voicing Raya! Cassie Steele who is known for work in “Degrassi: The Next Generation” and Awkwafina who is best known for her work in “Crazy Rich Asian”, “Jumanji: The Next Level, and “The Farewell” will also star alongside Kelly in this upcoming film. Awkwafina will be voicing Sisu, a water dragon in human form. </span><span id="docs-internal-guid-3272cdce-7fff-b0df-9e7d-350263226caf"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This story will take place in the fictional kingdom of Kumandra. Dragons and humans lived in peace until the Druun monsters invaded and forced the dragons to sacrifice themselves for humanity. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) will help Sisu (Awkwafina) reclaim her power to become her true dragon self to defeat the Druun monsters. </span><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-37f41458-7fff-2b35-0b50-f58a4ca89e69"><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m1DpAuHbeKM/X1qIDZlcfrI/AAAAAAAAljo/vYWiMjx0udEouhAGlMH6BO4T7lSWliaMACLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/slack_imgs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="1024" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m1DpAuHbeKM/X1qIDZlcfrI/AAAAAAAAljo/vYWiMjx0udEouhAGlMH6BO4T7lSWliaMACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/slack_imgs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Produced by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moana</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> veteran Osnat Shurer and written by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crazy Rich Asians </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">scribe Adele Lim, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Raya and the Last Dragon </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is directed by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frozen</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Big Hero 6 </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">head of story Paul Briggs”</span></p><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-62579317250910033962020-09-04T22:36:00.000-07:002020-09-04T22:36:08.219-07:00NEW Epic Fantasy TV Series: "The Wheel of Time"<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazon Studios is partnering with Sony Pictures Television to shoot its first season of their new epic fantasy TV series “The Wheel of Time.” Furthermore, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD screenwriter Rafe Judkins is the leading producer for this new series! </span></div><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YAE2ndPqN0s/X1LX2sm4-qI/AAAAAAAAlQ8/E35woOid5jIRVdylGZH1PJueWI9rpBh_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/D9cAal3UYAUrEyZ.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1366" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YAE2ndPqN0s/X1LX2sm4-qI/AAAAAAAAlQ8/E35woOid5jIRVdylGZH1PJueWI9rpBh_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/D9cAal3UYAUrEyZ.jpeg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">“Set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it, the story follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lSlnopLvIeM/X1LYEW-4kUI/AAAAAAAAlRA/TxtUI5g8qMo3swuSnr76MolWnhLs4LKxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/2104544030_WheelofTimeTV.jpg.3915b21371d2cb66e00ca79ba31c4ca5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lSlnopLvIeM/X1LYEW-4kUI/AAAAAAAAlRA/TxtUI5g8qMo3swuSnr76MolWnhLs4LKxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2104544030_WheelofTimeTV.jpg.3915b21371d2cb66e00ca79ba31c4ca5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Recently, Sophie Okonedo, an Academy Award nominee, and Kae Alexander, a former Game of Thrones star, have joined the cast of “The Wheel of Time.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bmb1A6P0XaA/X1LYOshOEyI/AAAAAAAAlRI/Mco_y3T5Rjk_vzzU0su5MoNwQYeVDMyaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1137/TWOT15-1200-Detail_98e82d05-c1ce-45d1-be5f-735657c398c4_1200x.jpg.44fa591c41fc15b147e6fac71d12a0a4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="1137" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bmb1A6P0XaA/X1LYOshOEyI/AAAAAAAAlRI/Mco_y3T5Rjk_vzzU0su5MoNwQYeVDMyaACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/TWOT15-1200-Detail_98e82d05-c1ce-45d1-be5f-735657c398c4_1200x.jpg.44fa591c41fc15b147e6fac71d12a0a4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The new TV series is based off of the 14 Wheel of Time novels by "Robert Jordan", a.k.a, James Oliver Rigney, Jr. This</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> upcoming new TV show could be the next big fantasy show. What are your thoughts?</span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-21118228005644996412014-04-15T11:15:00.000-07:002014-04-15T11:25:16.028-07:00Frozen, Starring Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, Turns Stereotypes on Their Heads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love how this Disney princess movie turns stereotypes on their heads. Anna, second princess of Arendelle, falls in love with a handsome prince and plans to marry him. But Elsa, first princess of Arendelle, forbids their sudden marriage, unleashes her frozen power on the kingdom, then flees. Anna leaves Arendelle to find her sister with the help of Kristoff, an ice seller, who falls in love with Anna. <br />
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When Elsa accidentally strikes Anna in the heart with her frozen power, the only way Anna can be saved from death is by an act of true love. Thinking she must be kissed by her handsome prince, Anna pleads for him to kiss her. But he refuses, and turns out (spoiler alert) to be evil, bent on taking over the kingdom. He charges her sister Elsa with treason for Anna's impending death.<br />
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Then Anna realizes Kristoff truly loves her. She sets off across a fjord to find him. At the same time, Hans chases Elsa onto the same fjord, intent on killing her. Anna reaches Kristoff, but sees Hans is about to kill Elsa. She throws herself between the two and freezes solid, blocking the blow. As Elsa grieves the loss of her sister, Anna begins to thaw. Her sacrifice for her sister constitutes an act of true love. <br />
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It surprised me how the handsome prince turned out to be evil, breaking a stereotype. The screenwriters thought of a great twist in making sisterly love the key to saving Anna and subsequently Elsa instead of the love of a man, as it usually is in Disney princess movies. Frozen is my favorite movie of 2014 so far.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-4244930069995715152014-04-15T10:04:00.001-07:002014-04-15T11:25:59.358-07:00Noah, Starring Russell Crowe, directed by Darren Aronofsky<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="http://www.beyondhollywood.com/uploads/2014/01/Noah-2014-Movie-Poster-650x962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.beyondhollywood.com/uploads/2014/01/Noah-2014-Movie-Poster-650x962.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I saw this movie with a group of Christian and non-Christian friends. All agreed that Noah was entertaining. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From a screenwriter’s point of view, the writers had to expand the traditional Biblical story to fit three-act structure and give Noah and other cast members character arcs. Conflicts had to arise on the ark or else it would be a boring trip. While some ridicule the use of “rock people,” I thought they made the story more realistic. How else could Noah and two grown sons have built the huge ark in such a short time? (In the Biblical account, it took about twenty years for four grown men to do it, but screenplays usually condense timelines).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a Christian, I have no problem with the writers adding or changing elements of the original story to elucidate the meaning of the story. How many times have preachers implored their listeners to “use their imaginations” to fill in what Bible characters could have been thinking or saying during their conflicts? Hopefully, viewers will be drawn to look into the original source of the story in Genesis chapters 5-10 and spiritual conversations can be started.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While the story carries an environmental message, it also conveys one of hope and restoration. Mankind was given a second chance to “do things right.” Wouldn’t most of us take advantage of a second chance to avoid mistakes of the past?</span></div>
<a href="http://www.noahmovie.com/">http://www.noahmovie.com/</a> Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-51085010178267219242013-10-23T23:53:00.000-07:002013-10-23T23:53:02.546-07:00Dream High, Starring Suzy Bae and Kim Soo HyunI really loved this show. The music was awesome, the characters well-rounded, the plot well-told. It didn't end the way I thought it would, which is good, because I like to be surprised. I even enjoyed the adults' stories. <br />
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I liked the fact that the main character was a girl jerk and the two boys nice guys, different from the usual nice girl falls for the jerk guy. So you don't know who she's going to end up with. <br />
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The joy and passion these young people have for their music is inspiring. Dream High is not only for young people, but for old people with dreams too.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-63969666251801375812013-10-19T10:14:00.000-07:002013-10-19T10:14:43.258-07:00Linsanity the Movie--An Inspiring Asian American Success Story about Jeremy Lin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tML5kAwtuj8/UmK8wdPydeI/AAAAAAAAXNQ/hOTyASjox9I/s1600/1-CIMG5062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tML5kAwtuj8/UmK8wdPydeI/AAAAAAAAXNQ/hOTyASjox9I/s1600/1-CIMG5062.JPG" height="320" width="225" /></a></div>
A week and a half ago, I watched Linsanity the Movie about NBA basketball player Jeremy Lin. In February of 2012, he shocked the sports world with a five-game winning streak for the New York Knicks. <br />
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More shocking was the fact that he seemed to come out of nowhere. Undrafted and unwanted by the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets, he ended up with the Knicks and fully expected to be sent home. Then several New York players became injured or sick and Lin got his last chance to show what he could do. He amazed his teammates, opponents, fans, and the sports world by sinking baskets left and right, tearing up the court. <br />
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Sports commentators didn't know how to describe him. Unfortunately, some ugly racial stereotypes came out that actually started a dialogue on how Asians have been ignored or misrepresented. But the movie doesn't dwell on this. Lin credits his parents and his Christian faith for seeing him through good times and bad. His God gave him strength to do what he needed to when he needed to.<br />
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This inspiring movie gives hope to anyone the world has written off. No matter what your skin color or others' perception of you is, your dreams still can come true.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-18470843079887341622013-10-11T00:51:00.000-07:002013-10-11T00:51:06.636-07:00Creating Destiny, Starring Yoo-Jin and Tae-young KiThis drama was hard to get into. It seemed to move slow and some parts were hard to understand the logic. Why would the protagonist agree to travel to Korea to become betrothed when she already had a boyfriend? The bloodline excuse the mom gave was not fully explained. Was she afraid of hereditary diseases, unwanted character traits passed down the family line, inherited debt? And Sang Eun's biological mother's name was never mentioned. Nobody in either family bothered to ask her it or what she or her family did for a living.<br />
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I did enjoy seeing the romance grow between the two main characters. The second storyline with Yeo Joon's sister was interesting, yet in the end, we still don't know if she was really in love with the father of her child. The other romances were kind of unbelievable. And why was Yeo Joon's uncle even in the drama? He didn't really contribute much.<br />
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Maybe some things were lost in the translation. In fact, whole lines were missing from some scenes. Maybe because the drama was translated by volunteers.<br />
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I really wanted to like this drama more. I like the actors and actresses. I wish more of the scenes could have been shot outdoors or in places other than restaurants and coffee shops.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-74450651788163495842013-09-30T22:52:00.000-07:002013-09-23T22:59:54.421-07:00Shining Inheritance, Starring Han Hyo Joo and Lee Seung KiAfter the first episode, I had decided not to finish it because when they introduced all the characters at once, it was very confusing. I finally took it up again after watching several more other dramas. The first half went by slowly and I wasn't that excited. But after about halfway, the plot sped up and I began really enjoying it. The characters were well-developed. The jerk gradually changed his attitude in a natural way. The heroine had her faults and wasn't all goody-two-shoes. The antagonist was definitely shrewd and calculating and really made it difficult for the heroine. But she was motivated by love for her daughter as well as her love of money and was a complex character. The heroine had many helpers including the nice guy, whom I felt sorry for because (spoiler alert) the heroine rejected him. Even the secondary characters had complete arcs that resolved in the last episode.<br />
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All in all, I really liked this drama, despite it's confusing and slow beginning. I felt for the characters and really wanted the good guys to win.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-22795146886096093952013-09-26T22:52:00.000-07:002013-09-26T22:52:00.129-07:00The Great Queen Seondeok, Starring Yo Won Lee, Ko Hyeon-jeong, Park Ye-Jin, Uhm Tae Woong, and Nam-kil Kang<span class="first-half">This very long, intricate story is worth seeing to the end. At first, they introduced so many characters, it was confusing. And when some of the characters aged, others didn't, which also led to confusion. But don't let that stop you. I really enjoyed the setting, costumes and pageantry of the begin</span><span class="read-more" style="display: none;">...read more</span><span class="second-half" style="display: inline;">ning. The character arcs and plot were so interesting, one weekend, I watched ten episodes! The last third of the series I didn't enjoy as much as the first two-thirds, but it was still engrossing. This makes me want to find out the real story of Queen Seondeok. </span>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-85969734381106096702013-09-23T22:40:00.000-07:002013-09-23T22:59:25.533-07:00Spring Waltz, Starring Do Young Suh, So-yeon Lee, Daniel Henney, and Bo-ra GeumI liked this series, but thought it spent too much time on the backstory as
children. If you only saw Episodes 2 and 3, you'd think the story was about the
kids. However, I got back into it when the adults arrived full force. Phillip
was so handsome and nice, of course I would have liked to see him and Eun-Young
get together, but it's always the jerk who gets the girl. Even though I have
these criticisms, I give it 4 stars for the emotional rollercoaster it puts you
on. The last episode was kind of anti-climactic. SPOILER ALERT! It would have
been better to see Song Ina let go of Jae Ha instead of her telling Eun-Young
about it. All in all, I thought it was a great k-drama and would recommend it.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-36927565215194000622013-09-19T22:28:00.000-07:002013-09-23T22:59:08.039-07:00My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, Starring Lee Seung Ki and Min-a Shin<span class="first-half">I really really really really like this kdrama. Mi Ho was so pretty and adorable. At first I thought Dae-Woong looked goofy, but as the series moved on, I realized he really has a nice smile. The fact that they both were willing to give up their lives for each other was so touching. I'm not sure if </span><span class="read-more" style="display: none;">...read more</span><span class="second-half" style="display: inline;">something got lost in the translation, but I didn't understand where Park what's-his-name came from. I also thought he had ulterior motives and wanted Mi Ho for himself. This drama made me laugh and cry, especially the last two episodes. The grandma showing up in the last episode was kind of deus ex machina to make everything all right, but I would have been disappointed if Mi Ho didn't come back. Did anyone besides me catch Go Mi Nyu and Jeremy from <em>You Are Beautiful</em>? Even some of the music was familiar from either that drama or Heartstrings. I would highly recommend this show, especially if you liked <em>Secret Garden</em> or <em>49 days.</em></span><em> </em>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-78924618336266722562013-09-16T22:16:00.000-07:002013-09-23T22:58:36.436-07:00You Are Beautiful Starring Jang Keun Suk and Shin-Hye Park<span class="first-half">I have watched three kdramas and they all had musical settings: <em>Heartstrings</em>, <em>You are Beautiful</em>, and <em>The Musical</em>. <em>You are Beautiful</em> was my favorite. I liked how the mean character changed by the end. It was the only one in which I felt physically sick before the last two episodes wanting to know wha</span><span class="read-more" style="display: none;">...read more</span><span class="second-half" style="display: inline;">t happens, but not wanting the series to end. Yikes, does that mean I'm addicted?</span><br />
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<span class="second-half" style="display: inline;"></span><br />Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-42148053841582815422012-06-23T11:21:00.002-07:002012-06-24T00:10:08.813-07:00<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fiercecompassionbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ddcam-200x300.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://fiercecompassionbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ddcam-200x300.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donaldina Cameron</td></tr></tbody></table><b><a href="http://fiercecompassionbook.com/" target="_blank">Fierce Compassion</a>: The Life of Abolitionist Donaldina Cameron, by Kristin and Kathryn Wong</b><br /><br />Can one ordinary person truly make a difference? In turn-of-the-twentieth century San Francisco Chinatown, Donaldina Cameron did just that. Fighting against racism, gangs, and her own self-doubt, Miss Cameron freed thousands of Chinese slave girls from prostitution and dealt a huge blow to human trafficking.<br /><br />From Scottish ancestry and born in New Zealand, Donaldina moved north from Southern California to 920 Stockton Street to teach sewing for a year, but ended up staying for forty-six. She also became an advocate for the Chinese living in America and traveled to many cities speaking on the topic.<br /><br />This biography by a mother-daughter writing team captures readers' imagination and takes them to the streets of Chinatown exploring not only Miss Cameron's life, but the lives of the many girls and women she saved. Most were tricked or coerced into prostitution or sold as house slaves by desperate parents in China. The book portrays their struggles to escape slavery and adjust to life as free women.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/projects/6847/posts/245886/image-125805-full.jpg?1339556087" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/projects/6847/posts/245886/image-125805-full.jpg?1339556087" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kathryn (r) and Kristin (l) Wong, Authors</td></tr></tbody></table>Today, a hundred years later, human trafficking again has risen to the forefront of the public eye. Fierce Compassion is must-reading for anyone interested in modern-day slavery, Chinese-American history, Christian biographies, San Francisco Chinatown, the Presbyterian Church, the abolitionist movement, inspirational stories, women's issues, Donaldina Cameron House and more.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-18892082831610737432012-03-16T14:57:00.007-07:002012-03-17T17:11:14.529-07:00GCB: Hell Hath No Fury<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ujrFQuCnoo8/T2PJufLz5QI/AAAAAAAAWgo/TsxR5btgx7A/s1600/Leslie%2BBibb.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 314px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ujrFQuCnoo8/T2PJufLz5QI/AAAAAAAAWgo/TsxR5btgx7A/s400/Leslie%2BBibb.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720637752172864770" /></a>On March 11th, I watched the second episode of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GCB_(TV_series)">GCB</a>. In the first episode, the protagonist, Amanda Vaughn, played by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Bibb">Leslie Bibb</a>, seemed to be the only positive major character in the show set in a mainly Christian community in Texas. I was hoping the second episode would introduce more positive Christian characters. I missed the first five minutes, but viewers did get to see some of the major characters change for the better.<div><br /></div><div>Heather the realtor, played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0629653/">Marisol Nichols</a>, finally accepts Amanda's apologies and befriends her, even openly defying Carlene. Cricket the businesswoman advises her daughter Alexandra, played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2160156/">Alix Gitter</a>, to be nice to Amanda's daughter Laura, played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4106240/">Lauran Irion</a>, and not throw mud on her in a mean girl ritual.</div><div><br /></div><div>The strained relationship between Amanda and her mother Gigi, played by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Potts">Annie Potts</a>, is explored. Gigi is portrayed as a prudish, self-righteous Christian and Dallas socialite whom Amanda had vowed she would never be like. But Amanda finds herself in the same situation with her daughter, when Laura vows never to be a mean girl like her mother was in high school.</div><div><br /></div><div>The wacky characters introduced in the first episode seem to be getting rounded out. Hopefully, as the show progresses, all the characters will become more developed and show both good and bad characteristics.</div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-23536949665374485432012-03-16T13:27:00.009-07:002012-03-16T16:11:29.588-07:00GCB: Soap Opera or Real Life?<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4PrK7ZOKo8M/T2O2EXzZt_I/AAAAAAAAWgc/nMA_65kRGUk/s1600/270px-Good-christian-belles.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 152px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4PrK7ZOKo8M/T2O2EXzZt_I/AAAAAAAAWgc/nMA_65kRGUk/s400/270px-Good-christian-belles.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720616137916004338" /></a><br />On March 4th, I watched the first episode of <a href="http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/gcb">GCB</a>, a new soap opera on ABC. Surprised? I don't normally watch soaps, but I was curious to see how network television would portray Christians. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004753/">Leslie Bibb</a>, as Amanda Vaughn, a former mean girl, returns home to a suburb of Dallas, Texas, after her husband dies in a car crash. <a href="http://www.kristin-chenoweth.com/">Kristin Chenoweth</a>'s character, Carlene Cockburn, now the queen bee in her town and at her local church, who had been mistreated by Amanda in high school, plots revenge, all in the name of God. <div><br /></div><div>To say the least, my gut reaction to the characters and situations was that I was highly offended. I don't know any adult Christians who would act the way Carlene and her gang would act or say the things they said ("Cleavage makes your cross hang straighter"). The characters seemed to be no different from the exaggerated negative stereotypes that are portrayed in the majority of mainstream television and movies, if Christians are seen at all.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nonetheless, I asked myself, "Instead of bashing the show, what good can come out of it?" I thought about how African-Americans were first portrayed on television as maids, butlers, and negative stereotypes. But now they play important roles and star in shows (although lately the number of them has waned, but that's another topic). Perhaps for Christians, this is a start. There have been other shows in which Christians were portrayed as "the good guys," such as Touched by an Angel and Father Dowling Mysteries, but not in a while. Hopefully, GCB will open the door for more shows and movies with positive Christian characters (and not more stereotypes.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Another thought: Soap operas are not real life, but lend themselves to over-the-top characters. To have drama, you need conflict, hence, the highly exaggerated Carlene. The pilot introduced Carlene's friends, <a href="http://www.jenniferaspen.com/">Jennifer Aspen</a>, as Sharon Peacham, a former beauty queen who is now overweight, <a href="http://www.marisol-nichols.com/">Marisol Nichols</a> as Heather Cruz, a successful real estate agent, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Shor">Miriam Shor</a> as Cricket Caruth-Reilly, a strong-willed businesswoman, and<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001633/"> Annie Potts</a>, as Amanda's mother Gigi Stopper. Each of these women has her own problems. </div><div><br /></div><div>It will be interesting to see if some of these negative characters will change and exhibit good characteristics. </div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-16084145263246752262011-08-23T08:48:00.000-07:002011-08-23T09:21:47.380-07:00Fremont Area Writers' Triple Play Workshop<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Just a head's up: On Saturday, Sept. 24,<a target="_blank" href="http://cwc-fremontareawriters.org/"> Fremont Area Writers</a> will present not <i>one</i>…not <i>two</i>…but <b><i>three</i> mini<i>-</i></b>workshops in one morning!<span> </span>All for the bargain price of only $25.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p> </o:p><b>Topi</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>cs:</b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>
<br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p> </o:p><b>“My Point of View on Point of View”--</b><b><span>Geraldine Solon</span></b><span> is the author of </span><b><span style="font-style: normal; ">Love Letters</span></b><span> which has been optioned for film. She is the winner of the 2011 Beach Book Festival-Romance category. She just released her new novel, </span><b><span style="font-style: normal; ">Chocolicious</span></b><span>.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Geneva; ">“</span><span class="Apple-style-span">10 Ways to Get an Audience for Your Writing</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Geneva; ">”--</span></span></b></span><b><span>Art Carey</span></b><span> is th</span><span>e author of </span><b><span style="font-style: normal; ">The Gender War</span></b><span>. His sci-fi, humor and mainstream fiction has appeared in a variety of Internet and print publications.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span>
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Geneva; ">“</span><span class="Apple-style-span">The Volcano Method of Self-Editing</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Geneva; ">”--</span></span></b></span><b><span>Carol Hall</span></b><span> is a freelance writer and author of </span><b><span style="font-style: normal; ">For Those Who Serve: A Devotional for Church Volunteers</span></b><span>. She’ll demonstrate how to harness creative eruptions and use quiet analysis to make writing sizzle and flow.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Time:</b> 9 a.m. to noon</span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;color:black">Place:</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;color:black"> Room 204 at DeVry University, 6600 Dumbarton Circle, in Fremont.</span><span> </span>Register by Sept. 7<sup>th</sup> for a chance to win $25 (The cost of the workshops!).<span> </span>Please contact Geraldine Solon at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:gsolon082007@gmail.com">gsolon082007@gmail.com</a> if you’re interested in joining this workshop or mail a check to Fremont Area Writers P.O. Box #32 Fremont, CA 94537.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-__xv_sXg9pk/TlPQEzV0jFI/AAAAAAAAWYU/IPzgIcMGNj8/s400/WorkshopSept%2BFinal.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644083538945150034" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 400px; " /></span></span></span></p><div></div><p></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">
<br /></span></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoSubtitle"><span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoSubtitle"><span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoSubtitle"><span><o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-57006673571357807482011-08-19T14:22:00.001-07:002011-08-19T15:15:20.589-07:00A Week at the Squaw Valley Screenwriters Workshop<img src="http://www.squawvalleywriters.org/images/ws_screen1.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 430px; height: 230px;" border="0" alt="" /><span class="Apple-style-span">In May, I received a call from Diana Fuller, director of the
<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a href="http://www.squawvalleywriters.org/images/ws_screen1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}">Squaw Valley Screenwriters Workshop </a> and was ecstatic to be </span>invited to participate.<span> </span>The workshop has been held every summer in the Lake Tahoe area since 1985 under Diana’s helm. From August 6-13<sup>th</sup>, twenty-two screenwriters plus ten staff participated in informative workshops, inspiring speeches, eye-opening panel discussions, and getting-down-to-brass-tacks mentoring sessions. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; ">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; ">Morning workshops covered topics like beginnings and endings, theme and structure, characters, sub-plots and backstory and panel discussions. Afternoons were reserved for individual conferences with our mentors.<span> </span>I had applied to the workshop with a completed screenplay. My mentor, Lisa Rosenberg, had read the manuscript before the workshop and critiqued it. </span><span style="line-height: 115%; ">During the week, s</span><span style="line-height: 115%; ">creenwriters took time in the afternoons and evenings to revise their work. Lisa and I met five times to discuss my revisions and she helped me take my screenpla</span>y to the next level.</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; ">
<br /></span></span></p><div></div><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yzuAvg3EbEs/Tk7ZxQ7duNI/AAAAAAAAWXA/Ib9cBsOjCNU/s200/CIMG9793.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642686823523006674" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; ">One evening, before dinner, we played a pitching game in which teams voted for </span></span>o<span style="line-height: 115%; ">ne </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; ">screenwriter from each team to represent them in a pitch-off.<span> </span>Four screenwriters then </span>pitched their story before the whole group and participants voted on which screenplay they would most like to see on film. My roommate, Mary Park, won for a screenpl<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; ">ay about the Korean War.</span></div><div><div><div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; ">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; ">For breakfast and lunch, we were on our own for the most part. Dinner was provided at the Olympic Village Lodge where we mingled with fiction and non-fiction writers who were participating in separate workshops being held concurrently with ours.<span> </span>After dinner, we listened to speakers or viewed movies made by participants, staff, or guests.<span> </span>Pamela Gray, screenwriter of <i>Conviction</i>, starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell, screened her 2011 movie and spoke about the writing process to a receptive audience.</span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">
<br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><img src="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjEwNzUzNTk0Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDE1MTk1Mw@@._V1._SY317_CR0,0,214,317_.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 317px; " /></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; ">The week w</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; ">as n</span>ot all<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "> work. If you were not meeting with your mentor or working on your screenplay,</span>th<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; ">e afternoons were free to enjoy the facilities at Squaw Valley. Some people took the tram up the mountain for spectacular views of Lake Tahoe. Others hiked with a naturalist on one of the many trails. Squaw Village is filled with shops and restaurants suitable for all budgets.<span> </span>You could even rent a bike and enjoy many flat trails around the valley.</span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; ">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; ">Screenwriters were given the opportunity to have scenes from their screenplays acted out in front of a cam</span>era so they could evaluate whether or not the dialogue worked. Sessions began with table reads of their scripts. Dialogue was changed as needed before filming. A director blocked the scene (decided where the actors would stand) and the actors rehearsed a couple of times before being filmed. My scene was filmed three times. I enjoyed seeing my work on film and learned a better w<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; ">ay to end the scene. Unfortunately, the video cannot be given out and was only to be used that day.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Wednesday night, the screenwriters held a pizza party at one of the houses. Friday afternoon, we enjoyed a lunch with producers who came up for the day and had a chance to discuss our projects with them. Friday night, the staff and screenwriters celebrated our last evening together with a sing-along. By the end of the week, I was ready to go home, but eager to implement what I learned into my work. I would recommend anyone serious about writing to check out The Community of Writers at Squaw at <a href="http://www.squawvalleywriters.org/">http://www.squawvalleywriters.org/</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div></div></div></div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-18984920313968579592011-02-13T21:59:00.000-08:002011-02-13T23:06:36.385-08:00Su-Ling's Treasure, by Ina Hsiung Wong, Is a Breath of Fresh Air<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nV7cL9GPD6A/TVjO5PVg9CI/AAAAAAAAVXI/YgOef17ihXw/s1600/Su-Ling%2527s%2BTreasure.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573432021635626018" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nV7cL9GPD6A/TVjO5PVg9CI/AAAAAAAAVXI/YgOef17ihXw/s320/Su-Ling%2527s%2BTreasure.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/LINGS-TREASURE-Ina-Hsiung-Wong/dp/1612153593">Su-Ling's Treasure</a>, by Ina Hsiung Wong, is a fascinating novel for 8-12 year olds. This coming-of-age story chronicles the trials and triumphs of Su-Ling Chang, a twelve-year-old orphan from Taiwan, who is adopted by an American family in the 1960's. From enduring a bully's taunts to competing in a spelling bee, her courage and determination carry her through.<br /><br /><div>Wong combines Chinese culture with Christian values. Her authentic voice is a breath of fresh air in children's literature.</div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-12879393576712214992010-08-25T10:40:00.000-07:002011-02-13T23:03:29.266-08:00Formula for Danger, by Camy Tang<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JxRWxIgD7mc/THVc3oXcJEI/AAAAAAAASUE/OKcQaArUL1c/s1600/FormulaForDangerweb.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509411829955961922" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JxRWxIgD7mc/THVc3oXcJEI/AAAAAAAASUE/OKcQaArUL1c/s320/FormulaForDangerweb.jpg" /></a> Camy Tang's latest release, <a href="http://www.camytang.com/" target="_blank">Formula for Danger</a>, takes place in the Napa Valley wine country of California. The mystery suspense novel focuses on Rachel Grant, dermatologist, and her formula for a breakthrough scar-reduction cream. Rachel is the sister of Naomi Grant, protagonist of the previous book, <a href="http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-sold-to-steeple-hill.html" target="_blank">Deadly Intent</a>.<br /><div></div><br /><div>Someone is trying to kill Rachel and steal her formula. Every chapter has non-stop action and keeps you guessing who the culprit is. At the same time, Rachel falls in love with a man who seems to push her away emotionally, but shows up when she needs him most.</div><br /><div></div><div>An intriguing subplot revolves around Rachel's relationship to her father and her need to please him. Rachel's deceased mother was Japanese, and her father is Caucasian, yet some of his attitudes are typically associated with Asian males. I think one of the strong points of Camy's fiction in that she writes from an Asian American perspective, yet doesn't make it obvious.</div><br /><div></div><div>The official release month of the book is September, but I was able to obtain an advance copy. It's a quick read that can be enjoyed any time of the year and would make a great gift for the Christian suspense or Camy Tang fan.</div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-13633108793792866702010-07-02T17:22:00.000-07:002010-07-02T18:11:31.692-07:00Dining on a Budget at South Lake Tahoe<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JxRWxIgD7mc/TC6Njdhp25I/AAAAAAAARsE/ZmrC1pAH3Ds/s1600/CIMG5807.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489480636171934610" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JxRWxIgD7mc/TC6Njdhp25I/AAAAAAAARsE/ZmrC1pAH3Ds/s320/CIMG5807.JPG" /></a> Vacation wouldn't be a vacation without dining out. Who wants to cook? Here are some places we found great deals:<br /><br />1) <strong>Embassy Suites Hotel</strong>: All guests enjoy complimentary made-to-order and/or buffet-style full breakfasts. I loved the scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, aromatic country potatoes, fluffy French toast and pancakes. Baked goods, cereal, yogurt, and fresh fruit were also available for the taking along with a variety of beverages. My favorite drink was the fruit punch. Very sweet, but I added ice. Who can resist a free breakfast?<br /><br />2) <strong>Echo Restaurant in the Embassy Suites</strong>: We found a $35 coupon online from Restaurants.com for this pricey establishment. Some of our dishes were better than others. My husband's steak and garlic potatoes were scrumptious. I wasn't too hungry and only ordered basil tomato soup and a scallops appetizer. The soup was great, but the three tiny scallops were overcooked and came with an overly sweet and salty soy sauce. The coupon would have been worth more if we had a smaller party.<br /><br />3) <strong>Lakeside Inn's Timber Room</strong>: This restaurant in a small casino at the end of the Strip was surprisingly uncrowded. We had eaten here two years ago and had to wait an hour to be seated. Prices are reasonable and the quality good. I ordered a hamburger with avocado and grilled mushrooms for $7.50 and my husband had the tri-tip special for $8.50. Both were delicious.<br /><br />4) <strong>Harrah's Forest Buffet</strong>: Instead of going here on Father's Day Sunday, we waited till Monday and arrived a little before 5:00 when it opened for dinner for two reasons: one, it would have been more crowded on Father's Day and two, weekdays are less expensive than weekends. Adult dinners are $18.95 on weekdays. We were seated fairly quickly and went to town on the international smaogasbord: fresh sushi, steaming pizza, hand-cut roast beef, steamed shrimp, Chinese food, Mexican dishes, American. But my favorite area was the desserts: mini chocolate eclairs bursting with Bavarian cream, tiny fruit tarts with custard, lemon cake, chocolate cream pie--yum-yum!<br /><br />5) <strong>Fenton's Ice Creamery</strong>: Located in Vacaville in the new Nut Tree shopping area, we stopped off here on the way back to the Bay Area. If you like the one in Oakland, you'll like this one even better. The clean, air-conditioned eatery welcomed us from the heat of the day. Besides frozen concoctions, they serve soups, salads, and sandwiches. I ordered half a crab sandwich with chicken gumbo soup. The sandwich was made with REAL crab. I was saving my stomach for dessert, but ended up sharing a chocolate shake with hubby. Prices are reasonable.<br /><br />A Tahoe vacation has become a family tradition we look forward to every year. We treasure the time we can spend with our extended family to forge even closer ties. As the teens get older and everyone is busy, purposeful time spent together will help us stay close.Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940523142110400933.post-41368324809630534932010-06-30T23:05:00.000-07:002010-06-30T23:30:59.916-07:00The Heavenly Gondolas at South Lake Tahoe<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JxRWxIgD7mc/TCw089HozlI/AAAAAAAARp4/oP3qRhZw0gY/s1600/Lake+Tahoe+II.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488820267661184594" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JxRWxIgD7mc/TCw089HozlI/AAAAAAAARp4/oP3qRhZw0gY/s320/Lake+Tahoe+II.jpg" /></a>Although our family is on a budget, it doesn't mean we can't spend money. Three activites we were deciding between were the Heavenly Gondolas ($32/adults, $26/teens), MS Dixie Paddlewheeler ($35 w/AAA discount), and renting a speedboat for two hours ($340/ten people or $34 each). While none of these was cheap, we chose the Heavenly Gondolas not only because it was the least exepnsive, but because most of us had not gone on these particular gondolas before in good weather.<br /><br />The enclosed tram took us up 9000 feet to an observation platform. We experienced spectacular views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding mountains. Blue skies reflected in the lake and we could clearly see boats, Tahoe Keys, and the casinos at Stateline. We enjoyed posing for a professional group photo ($20 for four photos of various sizes in a keepsake folder), petting a baby raccoon, browsing the gift shop and drinking hot chocolate at the snack bar.<br /><br />We reboarded the gondolas and traveled further up the mountain to Adventure Peak. During the winter, skiers disembark here for intermediate and advanced downhill skiing. But in the summer, visitors can hike the trails, as well as climb a rock wall ($10), or eat at the Adventure Grill. Some of us took naps in the sunshine on comfortable Adirondack-style chairs while others hiked to a point overlooking Carson Valley. In the middle of June, snow still covered some of the trails. If our teens were younger, they would have enjoyed climbing a net maze to glide down a giant slide (free for kids 12 and under).<br /><br />Traveling to the top of the mountain on the gondolas was the highlight of our trip. The great weather and scenic beauty combined with friendly rangers and amenities made for a great family outing.<br /><br />Next: Dining on a Budget at South Lake TahoeCarolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01837167365807718899noreply@blogger.com0