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Independent Filmmaking – Webisodes -The Sequel…

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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webisode
Gustavo The Great, 52 Films/52 Weeks, Angeles Crest, 4am, 2011.

Our second episode about episodic’s!

What stunning thematic dialogue we are having!

So, since we have already covered a little about the creative side of web series in the first article, I wanted to talk about money, marketing, resources and where to place you content when completed.

Money

We all need it, and although web series can be extremely inexpensive and the costs are spread over a longer period than other formats, there still are costs, so you will need some money.

As very, very independent filmmakers, we are all used to coughing up the cash ourselves, and because of that it can be harder to get our heads around actually raising money. But the thing about a web series is that it lends itself quite well to crowd funding, you can shoot a couple of episodes and then use them to help raise the money to finish the series.
Crown funding sites like kickstarter http://www.kickstarter.com and indiegogo http://www.indiegogo.com are a great way to raise some cash and also to promote your show. My son often browses kickstarter to see whats being created, and once you have your project up, linking that to Facebook etc is very simple. You can use the ongoing nature of a web series to support the marketing, and even include the fans in the creative process, asking for ideas for plot twists or characters. As incentives on kickstarter people often offer walk on parts as gifts to donators.
But you don’t need to raise a ton of cash to begin with, just make sure you have a very good story, with something compelling to say, otherwise no one will be interested enough to help you make it, let alone watch it!

Although money is a concern, if you do good work and you are consistent, the money you need to help you continue will come, people recognise great programming, especially amongst so much not so great programming! I have had many ‘down to the wire’ moments filmmaking, not sure how I was going to find the money for food etc, but, someway, somehow, something turns up, it neve fails to amazes me, but it’s true!

Marketing

….hmm….not my forte to be honest. I only wish that we had someone to help with marketing when we made 52 films/ 52 weeks in 2011. We were so busy making the films, we just couldnt keep up with it. but these days, with so much content floating around on the inter-web, you must have some kind of campaign, or no one will know you are there and that would be a terrible shame after all the hard work of making the show!

Get yourself a website.

You no longer have to sell your first born to be able to do this, no need for a web designer even, unless there are your cousin or something and will work for fried rice.

Ahh the joys of wordpress…
Free, simple-ish to use, and strewn with helpful hints and lovely templates. Get good at it!
You an even buy a url, very cheaply, so no one need even know you made it yourself!
A bit of a bio, a bit of background on the project and an imbedded video and you are off!
Its well worth the effort, and it will give you a base for your project, a home page if you will, a shop front even!
This website will be the center of your production, keep it updated with your on going filming process, casting, location scouts etc, and use it to launch the show you are creating.
Just because you are your own studio and have no money, doesnt mean you cant compete with the big guys!
Remember, you are building your fan base, your audience, and, potentially, your support system, which includes resources, locations, props etc, even financial donations.

Speaking of resources, there are many on line right now, desperate for you to visit and plunder them.

You tube has its own tutorials http://www.youtube.com/yt/creators/ on filmmaking, designed to help potential content creators produce quality shows, all of this as well as the thousands of uploaded filmmaking tips from world wide contributors.

2 Reel Guys http://2reelguys.com is a series of videos hosted by Norman Hollyn, industry professional and USC professor and Larry Jordan, post-production consultant and producer. This series of videos explores the process of visual storytelling, every episode covering topics from story, lighting, collaboration, music, and working with actors. These are an invaluable resource and well worth watching.

Vimeo Video School http://vimeo.com/videoschool is another resource for help and inspiration. Filmmakers of every level can benefit from these detailed and informative films made by in-house Vimeo staff, you are also invited to submit your own ‘how to’ tutorials, a great way to expand your network!

There are also some great post production resources that are quite affordable and can really help you make the most of the look and sound of your project. Remember, your audience is pretty sophisticated, many years of watching CSI and Bones has ruined them for us low budget filmmakers! So a little tweak here and there could make all the difference, and even if your CGI space ship is a little on the ‘Doctor Who’ side, your fans will appreciate the effort!
So here are a few affordable post production destinations for you!

Video Copilot http://www.videocopilot.net specialises in after effect, and has a simple catalogue of motion graphic or plug in products.

Video Hive http://videohive.net is another great resource, with lots of great stock footage and graphics, very reasonable!

Music Alley http://www.musicalley.com is a wonderful place to find music directly from musicians looking to exchange their catalogue for exposure and credit, some really interesting stuff here.

Audio Jungle http://audiojungle.net is a stock house full of music loops and sound effects.

Free Sound http://www.freesound.org is exactly what it says! Excellent place for sound effects and completely free….just what we like to hear!

Remember, if you do use music, make sure you have permission, or it’s not copy written, and, while I’m talking about legal concerns, don’t forget to have everyone you work with, actors or crew, sign a contract. Even though you might not be able to pay anyone yet, you could if you raise some money through all their hard work, so you can work in a deferred amount to the agreement if you want to, but get everyone to sign a release allowing you to use their contribution, be it actors, crew or location.

So thats it!

I am sure there’s more I could say, but there’s a world of information out there to help you!

Don’t feel overwhelmed or discouraged by the huge amount of content online right now, good work always finds an audience, quality filmmaking of whatever variety will always be found, even amongst the many thousands of websites and video outlets.

The internet is a gift to low budget filmmakers, a distribution platform that can host your beloved piece of art in perpetuity, with access to anyone on the planet, and beyond.

After all, isn’t that what we all want in the end, immortality!

Now go and pick up your camera, you’ve got some great work to do!

Interior Design – Upholstered walls, the wallpaper alternative. Pt 1

Christopher Porikos
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Many times over the years, clients wanted to use something other than paint to jazz up a space. Most of the options or alternatives seem a little too permanent for some. But have you ever thought of upholstered walls? I bet not. So lets investigate this viable option.

One way to adhere the fabric to the wall is to use liquid starch. Yep, starch. It’s a simple process that lets you take it down without much mess or work. This process works well with lighter weight fabrics such as muslin, tulle or lightweight cotton.

First you’ll need the following tools; fabric, liquid starch, utility knife, plastic and or fabric drop cloths, masking tape.

Step #1 – Prepare your fabric

• Determine square yardage you’ll need (add 5%-10% just to be safe)
• Iron seams from fabric
• If fabric has a pattern, pre-cut several panels for matching

Step #2 – Attach your fabric

• Wash walls thoroughly
• Tape plastic drop cloth to baseboards and cover with fabric ones
• Using a sponge or paint roller, spread wall with liquid starch
• Starting in a top corner, press fabric to wall, rubbing with sponge to smooth it out
• Leave about an inch overlap at floor or baseboard level
• Use tacks if necessary to secure fabric while it dries
• When starch is dry, trim excess fabric with utility knife

Next article, I’ll explain another way to upholster your walls a more permanent way.

Enjoy!

Movie Review – 12 Years a Slave; Last Vegas

Mike Peros
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12 years a Slave is a noteworthy film in many respects: as an intense, gripping exploration of slavery in the antebellum South; as an examination of man’s inhumanity to man, as well as the indomitability of the human spirit, albeit at tremendous cost; and finally, as the film that will bring long-overdue acclaim to the acting powerhouse that is Chiwetel Ejiofor. Directed by Steve McQueen and written by John Ridley, the film is based on Solomon Northrup’s memoir in which he recounted his years as a slave after having lived as a free man in the North.

The film begins with Solomon already a slave, trying to eke out a message in the dead of night; there follows a flashback wherein we see Solomon’s prosperous life in 1841 New York, complete with wife and children, social status…and some unwanted freedom when his wife goes on a trip. This leaves him open to the genial machinations of two white men who convince the talented violin-playing Solomon to accompany them to Washington for a performance. A night of carousing ends with Solomon chained and forced onto a boat bound for New Orleans and the slave trade. Solomon’s pleas for freedom based on his status as a free black man not only fall on deaf ears but earn him contempt and increased lashings. The journey forces Solomon into cramped, squalid quarters with other once-free blacks, and in some cases, their families. Brutal behavior by the white masters is the norm, interference brings forth execution, and Solomon realizes he doesn’t just want to survive—he wants to live. He also is made to understand that if he continues to demonstrate his intelligence and sense of pride—indeed if he goes against the whites’ stereotype of the black as deferential and ignorant—it will only render Solomon as a marked man.

Scene after scene following Solomon’s arrival in New Orleans depict the indignities heaped upon prospective slaves—indignities that show a redeeming humanity to be rarely in view. A venal slave trader (Paul Giammatti) sells his captives regardless of family status, so that children are wrenched from their crying mothers’ arms; Solomon’s first owner, an outwardly sympathetic Benedict Cumberbatch, is at a loss to help the woman because it means endangering his own financial status, and his own dealings with Giammatti. The film also posits the notion that even if a slave were to end up on a plantation with a decent owner, there will still be overseers (embodied by a venomous, cowardly Paul Dano) who will be nothing short of barbaric toward their slaves. One particularly harrowing sequence has Solomon forced to stand for hours under the hot sun, noose around his neck, uneasy with his feet just reaching the ground, as everyone willfully ignores his plight. In this animal kingdom, everyone is prey to savagery or self-interest in order to survive.

The bulk of the movie finds Solomon in conflict with a new master Epps (McQueen muse Michael Fassbender), a driven, drunken, sadistic slave owner with a proud wife at home and a victimized slave Patsey who is the top cotton-picker in the fields and the unwilling pick of the master off the field. Solomon struggles to find the right balance between dealing with the whims of Epps, his critical, vengeful wife, and his own solicitude toward Patsey. However, Solomon’s concern for Patsy won’t extend to helping her end her miserable existence–even though she pleads that it will be the humane thing to do—a choice that will prove to have horrific repercussions.

12 Years a Slave can be painful to watch at times, not only because of the effects of the violence (namely the incessant whippings) and the reactions they provoke in others—but also because of the movie’s complete, unflinching depiction of a dehumanizing system that tainted or scarred all involved. Chiwotel Ejiofor is riveting throughout as a man who struggles to maintain his dignity and sense of humanity; the power isn’t just in the few scenes where he rebels but in the scenes where he is trying to navigate his relationships with his overseers; in a short but telling scene where he is on the verge of escaping and comes across a hanging party; in different conversations with whites (including Brad Pitt) where you see the glimmer of hope in Ejiofor’s eyes. If there is salvation at the end, it has not arrived without huge personal cost, as we see in the end.. Life itself has provided the ultimate coda, as the lessons brought forth by these events still not been entirely absorbed by subsequent generations.

LAST-VEGAS-Poster

In my desire not to leave you on a somber note, I direct you to Last Vegas, a light-hearted frolic about a bachelor bash in Vegas that might lead you to think is a Hangover for the geriatric set, what with a cast consisting of Michael Douglas, Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline, as well as plot developments that were clichéd by the time talkies came around. Yet the movie is actually enjoyable and quite entertaining throughout. Kline is in particularly good form as he amusingly tries to cut loose and embrace a weekend away from his patient wife (Joanna Gleason). Mary Steenburgen is also a welcome sight as a saloon singer who attracts the attention of both DeNiro and Douglas, and in the process reopens some unresolved tensions between the two. While there is some talk of mortality and the injustice of getting old, the main appeal is in watching some old pros go through their paces with charm and a great deal of humor.

 

Music – Dick Dodd

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The recent World Series triumph of the Boston Red Sox reminded me of one of the unlikeliest pairings ever in rock and roll. Nine years ago, when the curse of Babe Ruth still haunted Red Sox fans, the team invited the Standells, a Southern California-based group from the 1960s, to perform their 1966 hit “Dirty Water” in Fenway Park before game two of that World Series.

No city contains more Los Angeles Lakers haters per square mile than Boston, yet residents have embraced the Standells as if their name was actually Aerosmith or the J. Geils Band. The reason is simple: Beantown pride. “Dirty Water” features the snarling vocal of drummer Dick Dodd singing the line “Boston, you’re my home.” Based on a real encounter near the Charles River involving Ed Cobb, writer of the song and the group’s producer, “Dirty Water” reached #11 on the national charst in July 1966. Nearly 40 years later, the song became part of the magic of 2004 when the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years.

Surprise has been a critical factor in white r and b and rock and roll since Elvis Presley recorded “The Sun Sessions” in 1954. Many first-time listeners assumed Eric Burdon, Mick Jagger, the Young Rascals, the Average White Band, and countless others to be black. After being found out, these performers explained that they weren’t wannabes or deceivers, but honest interpreters. Other than purists, the white audience didn’t much care and bought the records anyway.

The Standells didn’t sound like black performers but ticked-off white guys who were raised in dull, smoggy, stifling suburbs, which could well have represented the truth. They were reacting to California-as-paradise—along with Camelot, one of the prevailing myths of the early 1960s. Both ended due to acts of violence: the assassination of President Kennedy in November 1963, and the Watts riots of August 1965.After “California Girls” was released that summer, for many years, the Beach Boys stopped releasing songs in which cool cars, beautiful young women, or sunshine received top billing. Angry blacks, drugs, and “Rubber Soul” compelled Brian Wilson to become a different, and many would argue better, pop composer.

The Standells did not have to break from their past: “Dirty Water,” the group’s first single, was recorded several months after Watts. Portraying a version of urban/suburban angst—women with a midnight curfew, a polluted river, dangerous excursions after dark—“Dirty Water” hinted at a menacing turn in America’s cities. Boston could stand in for Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York.
That song gave the Standells an attitude and pose from which they rarely deviated during their three-year run on the chart. The word “punk” has been applied, although one should not confuse this band of modish rockers with the bleeding, bare-chested nihilists who emerged out of London and east Hollywood a decade later. The two were as different as the latter half of the 1960s were from the latter half of the 1970s.

Like the Beach Boys, the Standells (Larry Tamblyn, Tony Valentino, Gary Lane, and Dick Dodd) recorded singles in which the titles gave it all away: “Riot on Sunset Strip,” and “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White,” plus “Have You Ever Spent the Night in Jail,” and “Why Pick on Me,” neither of which was asked as a question.

“Riot on Sunset Strip,” inspired by a real-life series of confrontations between long hairs and law enforcement in the fall of 1966, blames the cops for ruining the neighborhood with their heavy-handed and unnecessary tactics. As riots go, this one wasn’t much: a thousand or so youths lined the streets to protest a 10 p.m. curfew and loitering laws. There were arrests and pushing and shoving.

But with civil disturbances, as with much else, location is everything. Among the people gathered along the Strip were fledgling musicians and filmmakers in search of ideas. This comparatively minor incident generated two notable songs—the one by the Standells, which was recorded for a movie also called “Riot on Sunset Strip” and “For What It’s Worth,” a top 10 hit for the Buffalo Springfield in January 1967.

“Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White”—the group’s best single in my opinion—features a surging organ, haughty crashes of the cymbal, and a cocky vocal that taunts straight society for presuming every girl wants to date the prototypical nice boy. Here the Standells don’t question authority: they trample over it.

In “Have You Ever Spent the Night in Jail,” the establishment pushed back. But the song’s jaunty beat suggests that 24 hours in the slammer is more of an inconvenience than a trauma. And after you’re released, there are great stories to tell.

“Why Pick on Me” is issued as a challenge. The bullies who go after this kid might want to consider a more compliant target.

During the mid and late 1960s, rock bands didn’t so much hang around but come and go. In just the period from 1965 to 1968, the music changed from folk rock to raga rock to hard-edged blues to acid rock to punk to psychedelic to back to the basics—plus any number of minor trends in between. Songwriters and producers were under great pressure from record labels to keep pace while not sacrificing integrity and quality. Even the Rolling Stones cracked under these conditions, although I think “Their Satanic Majesties Request,” the LP released in December 1967, is far better than the disaster proclaimed by many critics.

The talented groups that went to an early grave in ’68 included the Association, Lovin’ Spoonful, Mamas and the Papas, and the Standells. Their places were taken by a new batch of performers who had been impatiently waiting on the sidelines like basketball teams at a crowded high school tournament. Change came so quickly to rock and roll in the 1960s that the audience hardly had time to mourn the passing of one band before turning its attention to another.

Not until the advent of CDs and the rediscovery of these bands—mostly by the estimable Rhino Records, which in 1989 released the 18-song “Best of the Standells”—did the group receive a proper tribute, and new royalties.

But along with the music, the Standells had the added distinction of being the early exemplars of a new attitude, sound, and look for a region that had been busily peddling its own mix of healthy hedonism and sweet dreams, especially to young people. After Watts, Los Angeles went mad for a few years: the assassination of Robert Kennedy (1968), the Manson murders (1969), and the Chicano Moratorium (1970), which included looting, burning, and four fatalities.

The street tough stance of the Standells, echoed by the Seeds, the Music Machine, and other Strip-centered groups at that time, was an ideal match for LA during the mid and late 1960s. Some 48 years after the release of “Dirty Water,” the career arc and music of the Standells are one of many symbols of a dangerous and exhilarating period in LA history.

Still, on the other side of the country, they think about the group and its biggest-selling single in a different way. “Dirty Water” is not just the official song of the Boston Red Sox, but the Boston Celtics and the Boston Bruins as well. Dodd, who was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, took it a step further, recording “Tough Like Boston” with his band the Dodd Squad in 2011—two years before the Boston Marathon bombing gave added meaning to the title. You can learn more about the song, and Dodd’s progress, by going to www.dickdodd.com.

The next time the Celtics play the Lakers in the NBA finals, which may not be for a while, through the taunting, name calling, and challenges to manhood, remember that there once existed a band that somehow managed to bring these warring cities together.

 

Gotta Dance – Stepping Off Stage: BODYTRAFFIC’s Lillian Barbeito talks about her performance retirement

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October 13, 2013 at The Broad Stage, Lillian Barbeito, co-artistic director of the successful LA-based contemporary dance company BODYTRAFFIC, had her final on-stage performance. 
Gratefully, she was able to make this decision on her own accord, and with optimism and grace, after a 22-year long performing career.

I first met Lillian Barbeito, co-artistic director of the successful LA-based contemporary dance company BODYTRAFFIC, in 2008 while I was working at CalArts. She was hosting Nina Wollny who was teaching a Countertechnique master class for our dance students. Since then, my path with BODYTRAFFIC has crossed many more times. Several weeks ago, I received a voicemail from Lillian inviting me to the company’s show at The Broad Stage. She mentioned the particular relevance of the show – it was to be her final dance performance. She was retiring from the stage! I knew I had to talk to her further and share her story with you all. She faced what all dancers have to face at some point in their careers – the final show. No matter what end of the spectrum you are on – whether you’ve had to face this already, are staring at it in the eyes as you read this, or have hopefully another 15-20 years before you ever have to contemplate this reality – each of us have a tie in to this subject.

Lillian and I met near Loyola Marymount University, on her break from her full teaching load there. Over lunch we discussed her recent changes, her hopes for the road ahead, and the path that shaped her into the artist and teacher she is.

This October 13 was the grand finale of her 22-year long performance career, which started off in New Mexico. After graduating from The Julliard School in 1998, she stayed in New York (after a small stay in Europe) to live out her dream of dancing professionally. By night she would work the vast restaurant circuit as a hostess, so her days could be available for auditions and training. She worked mostly as a freelance dancer, working gig-to-gig and biding the time in between with nighttime eatery work. For her first few years, she booked gigs but still had unmet goals and auditions that didn’t land. She lends that experience to her own feelings of dissatisfaction due to conditioned thinking about what “qualified” as successful. We agreed that all of us have a preexisting notion of what it means to be thriving. Maybe this seed gets planted from a mentor or a famous role model we want to emulate. But these expectations may keep us from identifying our true victories or never feeling happy despite all of our hard work. Lillian shared that once she figured out that the key lie within herself, and became thrilled with the process of dancing, she felt more balanced and at ease with herself and her artistry. As a “whole person,” she was more attractive to choreographers and audiences and that’s when her performance career really took off.

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Lillian’s move in 2001 to Los Angeles with her husband brought her to an unfamiliar performance landscape. With the help of a colleague she interviewed and landed a teaching position in the World Arts and Cultures program at UCLA. Since her days as an undergrad she would teach classes at the local studio on her trips back home while on break. She always knew she wanted to be a dance teacher thanks to the influential role her dance instructors always had on her, in addition to her parents. Teaching at the college level introduced her to the challenge of teaching through a syllabus, which is a different teaching environment from professional classes or studio classes. She loved the puzzle of developing a course outline and relaying information over a period of time versus packing everything into a master class. As her roots grew in Los Angeles, she also began teaching at Loyola Marymount University.

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As several great articles describe, Lillian met Tina Berkett, also an East Coast transplant, in ballet class soon after moving to LA. Their vision was to create a strong company that would perform high quality dance despite many warnings about the obstacles and difficulties of having a contemporary dance company in Los Angeles. This gave rise to the inception of BODYTRAFFIC in 2007, each woman acting as both performer and co-artistic director, commissioning choreographers to set work on the high-caliber troupe. The company has been a conduit for Lillian and Tina to wear many hats, all of which they’ve been more than happy to put on though switching back and forth between roles has presented its challenges. Their similar tastes and inspirations have made them a dynamic duo, on and off the stage, each even taking on motherhood at nearly the same time.

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So with a toddler at home, co-running an increasingly thriving professional dance company, and a growing teaching schedule, Lillian had rightfully been feeling the pressure of her multi-faceted life. She knew something had to come off her load, and performing kept ending up on the bottom of the pile of the things she was able to put her energy into. She had contemplated retiring from performing about a year and a half ago and had announced it to the company then. She became known as ”Cher” amongst them for her comeback to work with some irresistible choreographers this past year who were commissioned to work with BODYTRAFFIC. At Jacob’s pillow this summer, she began thinking about retirement again. It was sealed with the offer for a full time teaching contract at LMU. With BODYTRAFFIC’s expanding schedule and her commitment to providing consistency for her students, the decision became cemented to Barbeito in July. Still in disbelief about the news, Tina asked her co-hort if she really was going to quit about a week before she made her final performance at the Broad.

In the few weeks before and since her final performance, Lillian has had a lot of emotions about her decision. Most importantly, she has built up her professional scope and has many pathways to pursue and continue to share her passion for dance. When asked if she will miss performing, she has an interesting and informed perspective on why people get so “hooked” on being on stage. “Maybe people get a little confused as to why they love performing so much. It’s a consolidated amount of time where you are forced to be extremely present” she states. She suggests that you can have that euphoria no matter what you are doing. She’s found a lot of excitement from choreographing and watching it on stage from which she’s found herself even more nervous about than if she was performing it herself. From teaching, she has received ten times the reward from her students with what they’ve done with the information she’s been able to convey to them.

Her plan is to delve further into her goals and dreams. She looks forward to developing the outreach programs for BODYTRAFFIC to bring dance to populations that would otherwise not have access to it. Additionally she’s excited about being the concentrated outside eye for the company, and elevating their performances from the front of the house as director. “Each aspect of the process is magical. The beauty of being the person who is responsible for bringing people together to witness something worthwhile for people to attend is fantastic, and very rewarding. “

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While her exploits still keep her completely under the dance umbrella, she offers that “a total departure from dance can lead to the discovery of other underlying gifts that may have been lying dormant and need to be cultivated.” On the other hand, she has known many dancers who have taken on successful second careers in very different fields, but then they never take class or dance again. “Why go cold turkey?” she posits. “Once a dancer, always a dancer. I’m going to take class until I’m 80 years old. If I can still walk I’ll still be in dance class!”

I hope that in reading this you will find inspiration and camaraderie in another dancer’s story. In a path that can be so hard to navigate, it is uplifting to realize and remember how many choices we really do have. Make everything a dance, and your life will be a happy one.

copyright 2013 Kate Fox

 

gott

 

Spanish Version of “Menopause The Musical” A Big Hit In Los Angeles

NoHo - North Hollywood
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Menopausia Final Week Flyer Spanish

MENOPAUSIA EL MUSICAL®
Oferta Limitada de $25 Para La Última Semana
www.MenopausiaElMusical.com

La obra musical se extenderá hasta el 10 de noviembre de la siguiente manera:
Jueves 7 de noviembre, 8pm
Viernes 8 de noviembre, 8pm
Sábado 9 de noviembre 3pm y 8pm
Domingo 10 de noviembre, 5pm

Los boletos están disponibles por $25 en la taquilla Montalbán,
o llamando al 323-870-3043.
Para obtener más información, visite: www.MenopausiaElMusical.com

Menopausia El Musical- Theatre Review by Brandon Scott
NohoArtsDistrict.com
HOLLYWOOD, CA . (6 de noviembre de, 2013) – Última Semana para disfrutar la obra Menopausia El Musical®, en el histórico Teatro Ricardo Montalbán.

Esta producción de “Menopausia El Musical “ es espectacular! Le recomiendo a toda la comunidad de habla Hispana que no se la pierdan y apoyen este show.
Con mucha suerte alcance a ver este musical el fin de semana pasado, y doy gracias por haber podido asistir. “Menopausia El Musical “ es un ejemplo estelar de la excelente cualidad de producción que demuestra el gran talento latino que tenemos en el teatro, en Los Angeles. El elenco es espectacular. Las 4 actrices trabajan juntas de una forma formidable y cada una de ellas es un gran talento, como actrices y cantantes.
Después de haber visto muchas producciones en Broadway, fue un deleite ver que esta producción en Español tiene todo lo que una producción musical debería de tener. Con música que incluye temas de los 60´s, 70´s y 80´s, “Menopausia El Musical “ narra la historia de cuatro mujeres que casualmente se encuentran en un centro comercial y descubren que tienen muchas cosas en común al estar pasando por el período de “cambio de vida”. Diana Burbano, Marabina Jaimes, Paloma Morales y Graciela Valderrama hacen un excelente trabajo desempeñando sus personajes . A testimonio de su gran talento como actrices, cada uno de los personajes es chistoso y ágil. Son impresionantes cantantes.
Ingeniosamente dirigida por Seth Greenleaf y con coreografía de Daria Lynne Melendez; las cuatro actrices comandan el escenario bailando y cantando a lo largo de la obra.

Pienso que todas las mujeres no so lo disfrutaran del entretenimiento pero podrán relacionar sus propias vidas con el tema de la obra. En cuanto a nosotros los hombres, bueno yo, me divertí muchísimo y aprendí un poco mas sobre que es lo que les pasa a las mujeres cuando les llega “el tiempo de su cambio”, lo cual me va ayudar a entender y tener mas compasión. Así que les súper recomiendo a todos que son esposos o que serán futuros esposos que acompañen a sus mujeres y se diviertan con “Menopausia El Musical “.

Esta es la ultima semana así que obtengan sus boletos ahora.
Están disponibles por $25 en la taquilla Montalbán, o llamando al 323-870-3043.
Para obtener más información, visite: www.MenopausiaElMusical.com

Síganos en Facebook en www.facebook.com/MenopausiaElMusical
y en Twitter@MenopausiaEM>

Vea Video de la obra :
here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l4fck7SHP4&feature=youtu.be
Vea las imágenes de la obra musical aquí:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l4fck7SHP4&feature=youtu.be
Vea los testimonios de la obra musical aquí:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QS4LUc698k&feature=youtu.be

“¡Me divertí tanto! Que chistoso todo lo que hacemos nosotras como mujeres. ¡Las actrices excelentes! Me divertí mucho con todas las mujeres que estaban aquí ¡Que lindo este show!”
-Gloria Molina, Supervisora del Condado de Los Angeles
“¡Venga a ver este show! ¡Es increíble! ¡Extraordinario!” -Ernie G., Comediante
“Una manera muy divertida de contar la honesta realidad de los cambios emocionales y físicos de la mujer después de los 40”.- Isis Sauceda, People en Español
“¡No pude dejar de bailar y cantar desde mi silla! ¡Me encanto, es muy divertida!”
– Kikey Castillo, CBS Hola LA
“Hace tiempo que no me reía tanto. ¡Es un musical con una energía única!”
– Diego Varas, MundoFox
“¡Con Menopausia, no necesitas ir al sicólogo para aceptar el cambio!”
– Tommy Calle , HOY Los Ángeles

Sobre GFour Productions
Los éxitos más recientes de GFour Productions son: el aclamado por la crítica 50 aniversario de Edward Albee WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, que ganó 4 Tony Awards®, 5 veces ganador del Drama Desk Award® y 7 veces ganador del Oliver Award® por el mejor musical, MATILDA THE MUSICAL, y la reactivación de la aclamada THE GLASS MENAGERIE, protagonizada por Cherry Jones y Zachary Quinto, que el New York Times recientemente llamó “Glorioso y precioso”. Su aclamada continuación de MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL®, MOTHERHOOD THE MUSICAL, recientemente a entretenido al público en Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Atlanta, Dallas-Ft. Worth y Philadelphia y está viajando en una gira por 65 ciudades australianas. Ellos comenzaron a producir en 1981, con NINE, ganador del premio Tony Award® ese año por el mejor musical. Entre sus producciones favoritas de Broadway están MY ONE AND ONLY protagonizada por Tommy Tune, ZORBA THE GREEK protagonizada por Anthony Quinn, THE RINK protagonizada por Liza Minnelli, BABY, GRAND HOTEL, GRIND, BIG, TRUE WEST, el original y reestreno de LA CAGE AUX FOLLES donde ganaron Tony Awards por mejor musical en 1983 y mejor reestreno en 2004. Sus espectáculos combinados han sido nominados por 115 Tony Awards®, ganando 44 y 110 Drama Desk Awards®, ganando 56. Para más información, por favor visite

Health – Making yourself “Crazy” over Health and Fitness?

Jack Witt
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If you just can’t seem to get the momentum on your exercise program going, and find a million excuses to skip the gym and eat bad things, it may be time to make yourself a little crazy! Yeah, that’s right – wacky, insane, and wildly weird about exercise and eating well. As adults we may have a tendency to over think things, dwell on the past, beat ourselves up, or worry about the future. To an extent we must do those things to be realistic about where we’re going and what we’re doing in our lives.

But give yourself permission to just let loose when it comes to your health (in a positive way). Don’t expect or demand instant results when starting an exercise program or improving your food intake. Don’t dwell on what you are giving up (time and/or money). Don’t even worry about what other people think. Just be crazy by trusting and embracing the process, which in turn will stir around those positive brain chemicals called endorphins that will be dancing and prancing around from your healthy and active lifestyle, and in turn will get you “in the zone” of doing the right thing for your body and your mind.

You’ll start to hit a stride, and the physically, mentally, and emotionally positive results will start to trickle in and culminate. You’ll begin to have extra energy, extra focus and clarity, extra strength, flexibility and range of motion, to get through the normal challenges and obstacles of everyday life. Then the cosmetic changes will start happening and your body will start taking shape, just the way you want it. But notice, I said all this good stuff would start “trickling” in. This isn’t a miracle pill or a potion, or a 7-steps-to-change-your-life-in-a-week type of scam. It’s a one-day-at-a-time type of “inch-by-inch” approach that is realistic for an everyday, average person like me, and you, and it stays true to your human body, mind, and soul.

Each day will build on the last. Each positive change will snowball into several other positive changes, and a solid foundation will be laid for you to construct yourself into exactly what and who you have always wanted to be. You can’t build a house overnight and expect it to be solid, strong, and last a long time. You have to lay the foundation brick by brick. I promise being a little crazy about health and fitness during the process of building YOU day by day does truly work! It might take longer than you want, or it might come sooner than you are ready for. Think about that one…Deep, ay?

(The excerpt you just read is from Jack’s up-coming e-book(s) available on Amazon.com Nov.4th called “Tight, Tone, and Trim: How to get rid of Cankles, Bat Wings, Thunder Thighs, and Muffin Tops” and “Cut, Cool, and Confident: How to get rid of Beer Belly, Chicken Legs, Wimp Arms, and Man Boobs”.)

Cheers,

Jack Witt, MS, CPT
Fitness and Health Coach
818.760.3891 Main
310.562.5629 Cell
www.getfitwithWitt.com

Monthly Free Movies at J.E.T. Studios

NoHo - North Hollywood
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Monthly Free Movies at J.E.T. Studios – 5126 Lankershim Blvd. (cross street Hartsook)

Nov. 16 opens the series with “Lawrence of Arabia,” the 1962 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture.

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Director David Lean follows the heroic true-life odyssey of T.E. Lawrence in this dramatic portrait of the famed British officer’s journey to the Middle East.

Assigned to Arabia during World War I, Lawrence courageously unites the warring Arab factions into a strong guerilla front and leads them to brilliant victories in treacherous desert battlefields where they eventually defeat the ruling Turkish Empire.

Free Screening begins at 7pm.
Doors and concession opened at 6pm
20 minutes intermission after 2 hrs. of screening
End time 10:50pm with intermission.”

RSVP http://lawrenceofarabia1962.eventbrite.com/

Music – ““Sound City” and “Tom Dowd & The Language of Music” – 2 Documentary Movies That Inspire, Educate, & Entertain”

Caroline McElroy
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““Sound City” and “Tom Dowd & The Language of Music” – 2 Documentary Movies That Inspire, Educate, & Entertain”

Recently I was very lucky to have been given a set of music documentaries to borrow from a very close musician friend of mine who knows my broad taste in music and music history. I personally fair to steer a bit all over the place in genre, history, and continent when it comes to my tastes (and career) in music and rightfully state this as I essentially love any and all good music (and creative art and culture) from just about anywhere from anytime from around the world. Now when a good story accompanies this music (or other creative format), I’m ALWAYS, like some many people, that much more drawn in. In the case of the two music documentaries “Sound City” and “Tom Dowd & The Language of Music”, the stories in both are COMPLETELY AMAZING and are literally two of the best music related movies I’ve personally seen in years. Both tales are COMPLETELY unique in that so much history, not just musically but socially and culturally, is inside each film. Anyone, musician or not, will walk away inspired and informed by the central figures and stories of these two films and, more than likely, will discover they have ALREADY been inspired as the history involved in each movie encompasses the very fabric of the entire span of American music and it’s intertwined affect on American society and pop culture as a whole.

“Sound City”

This movie came out this year (via Roswell Films, 2013) and is directed by musician/rock icon Dave Grohl (of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame) and tells the story of San Fernando Valley-based recording studio Sound City. It has an all-star, who’s who of Rock and Pop icons who have recorded numerous classic albums each telling their own histories along side of Grohl’s incredibly detailed direction of the story of this legendary studio.

Artists featured in the film who have recorded at Sound City include Fleetwood Mac (who were essentially created at Sound City!), Neil Young, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Rick Springfield, Pat Benatar, Barry Manilow, REO Speedwagon, Fear, Metallica, Slipknot, and Nirvana JUST TO NAME A FEW! Importantly here is Nirvana having recorded their then groundbreaking, now-classic album “Nevermind” as this was Dave Grohl induction into the walls of Sound City.

As the story in the film plays out, it is Grohl’s idea behind the film to purchase the legendary, one-of-a-kind original Neve mixing board (originally designed by audio wizard Rupert Neve who’s interviewed in the film!) at Sound City that was behind the sound and the hits of the studio and re-unite an all-star cast of Sound City alumni to pay a musical tribute with new recordings done on this console that is relocated to Dave Grohl’s own personal studio.

“Sound City” is a tale of constant inspiration around every corner as the story unfolds in showcasing the music industry and it’s constant high’s and low’s, how music used to be made and how it’s made now (for both good and bad), all yielding top name performer after performer, both old and new, to guide the viewer through, as according to Dave Grohl, “the truth, the craft, and the integrity of Rock & Roll”.

For more info, insight, and where to purchase this movie go here.

See the trailer to “Sound City” here.

Recently the high-end audio equipment retailer Vintage King put up two YouTube videos of going into Fairfax Recording Studios (owned and operated by engineer/producer Kevin Augunas who is featured briefly in “Sound City”) that is now located at the original Sound City location. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (and free!) viewing here (Part 1) and here (Part 2).

“Tom Dowd & The Language Of Music”

This film came out in 2003 (via Language of Music Films, 2003) and is directed and produced by Mark Moormann and tells the incredibly amazing story of musician/engineer/producer Tom Dowd. Having started as an engineer in the early history of fabled record label Atlantic Records, Tom Dowd’s career in the music industry is truly one for the ages. He spanned, and helped pioneer, multiple genres of music from Jazz, R&B and Funk, to Classic Rock, Southern Rock, and Hard Rock, all the entire time staying utterly relevant to the constantly shifting music industry around him.

The scope of artist featured and mentioned in this movie that Tom Dowd has either recorded or produced is a stunning who’s who of each musical genre they come from. Be it John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, or Ornette Coleman from Jazz, to Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Otis Redding from R&B, to Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Allman Brothers Band (this is literally only naming a FEW!), EVERYONE has only the highest praise for Tom Dowd and his personality and professionalism for his rolls in their lives and careers. This all simply comes down to the fact that the viewer of this film cannot miss Tom Dowd’s infectious personality, inspiring spirit, and brilliant intellectualism that all fully inform his incredible stories as he guides you through his career’s history.

As this film progresses, on top of the who’s who of artists that come forward about Tom’s history and importance in their lives and in the music industry, another side of what is showcased in this film are the numerous technical achievements Tom Dowd brought to recording technology as a whole (introducing faders instead of knobs to be used on a mixing console for instance!). His inventions and modifications to devices used throughout ALL recording studios around the world are priceless and only add to another layer of intrigue inside of this man’s incredible story.

“Tom Dowd & The Language Of Music” is a film and story of the power of one person who can, and did, go on to inspire so many by being the best they could be at all times with anyone no matter the circumstances. Tom Dowd truly is a one-of-a-kind not only as the acclaimed musician/engineer/producer he would go on to be, but also as the person and human being he always naturally just was. His down-to-earth spirit will most certainly be inspiring to anyone, musician or not, in watching him tell in his own words “The Language Of Music”.

For more info, insight, and where to purchase this movie go here.

See the trailer to “Tom Dowd & The Language Of Music here.

Gotta Dance – Conversations Inside and Outside the Box: Expanding the Presence of Dance in LA

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Attending the Dance Community Event: Conversations Inside and Outside the Box: Expanding the Presence of Dance in LA

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The half-day gathering titled “Conversations Inside and Outside the Box: Expanding the Presence of Dance in LA” was held as a dance community forum on Saturday, October 12, 2013 at the Wilshire Boulevard headquarters of the LA County Arts Commission (LACAC). This call together is a continuation of public meetings that began with the LA Dance Summit in June at the JACCC and the annual Western Arts Alliance conference held here in late August. I had to be there to share it with you.

Leaders from LACAC, Dance Resource Center (DRC), and Pentacle were responsible for hosting the event. Shayna Keller, Executive Director of the DRC, had this to say about the intention that guided their preparation: “Anji Milanovic [LACAC], Felicia Rosenfeld [Pentacle], and I began planning this event nearly a year ago. The initial conversation started with an interest in a dance-specific gathering to provide information and resources to our community, and then began to evolve as we thought about the need for more in-depth conversations about the sustainability of our field. Artists are often presented with ‘best practices’ and over-simplified ‘shoulds’ that may not apply to their unique needs, and may not be as relevant within LA’s arts ecology. Anji, Felicia, and I wanted to carve a place for dialogue where both emerging voices and seasoned leaders could generate new ideas, share knowledge, and develop solutions.”

As a result of this aim, the layout of the day’s program was unique. Rather than lectures or a professional panel, the agenda held two breakout sessions for the group discussion of four relevant topics. LACAC’s Professional Development and Programs Manager, Anji Milanovic spoke to the decision to format the event in this way. “Our goal in planning this convening with our partners, Pentacle and the Dance Resource Center, was to provide an opportunity for deeper conversation. Very often at events like this everyone is rushing from one workshop to another and here we wanted to offer the space for participants to network, share resources and discuss challenges and successes as well as look at opportunities for creative collaborations.” The agenda allowed for participants to mingle and even an additional space was offered for “break off” conversations to continue and take a life of their own.

After an initial period of introductions and welcoming, the assemblage of about 50 administrators, teachers, choreographers, performers and other media artists split into 2 groups for the first breakout session to discuss either bringing dance into the community with Melanie Rios Glaser, co-CEO of The Wooden Floor, or to discuss bringing dance to the public through technology and media with Francesca Penzani, director, choreographer, producer, and dance for camera faculty at CalArts. Both groups met in the round with the presenters and the floor was open for everyone to speak.

The technology and media forum quickly brought up the challenges and desires for artists to bring their dances from the stage to the screen. Two distinct voices were formed in the group – those wanting to make work specifically for the camera and those desiring video representation of their work for documentation and marketing purposes. Choreographers mentioned their concerns about having the time and/or skill sets needed to direct shoots and edit footage for their projects. The process for transforming the impact of the physical, 3-dimensional performance experiences of dance into shorter excerpts on a flat screen were not necessarily intuitive. Some felt that they would like to collaborate with other artists and delegate these tasks, but were limited on resources to fund or connect with such persons. One solution offered was to look into “time banks,” where hours of professional services are traded for sought after services, for example two hours of digital editing for two hours of yoga private lessons. Ms. Penzani, who facilitated the discussion and has over 15 years of experience teaching courses on dance for the camera, commented afterwards that while she felt that no one issue really got resolved, what became apparent was that these artists desired more discussion and information on the subject. Her bi-annual workshop series on video documentation for dance and dance for the screen may be a worthwhile undertaking to ride the technology wave (write franpenz@yahoo.com for more info). Attendees were given a list of resources for finding dance on camera links and videos to refer to as well.
The dance in the community discussion was concurrently facilitated in the adjacent meeting room.

The second breakout session was combined so the whole group could discuss avenues for getting work presented and out there in the world. Rachel Cohen, Executive Director of Cadence Arts Network, Inc, Allen Moon Director of Sales at David Lieberman/Artists’ Representatives, Julie McDonald, Senior Agent and Founder of McDonald/Selznick Associates, and Felicia Rosenfeld, Director of Programming at Pentacle, facilitated this round robin. The group was first asked to brainstorm on the assets Los Angeles offers such as good weather, lots of public space, and dance advocacy via local institutions. This quickly led to a discussion about working with entities such as museums and art galleries, and some critical points were raised from the group’s collective experience. Some had found the language gap between the needs of the venue and performing artist created miscommunications or changes to the artistic vision. Funding was another issue raised – do museums have money to commission works in addition to providing the space and insurance coverage for the event or is it up to the artists to find other sources of funding to complete the projects. David Mann, a free-lance curator who has worked with LA monoliths such as LACMA, said much of the success of working with galleries and arts organizations has to do with who is curating their programming. Cohen and Moon advised in all of these instances to ask critical questions about the expectations of both parties involved, know who is the audience, and be clear about why that piece belongs in that space. Similar to curators, presenters each have a particular way they prefer to be contacted, though they all are going to expect a technical rider, quote sheet and electronic press kit at the very least. Dance companies and choreographers are encouraged to reach out to spaces for performance opportunities once they’ve completed this package to meet the professional standard.

The discussion continued on playing outside the proscenium to taking corporate engagements. From one-offs in nightclubs to commercial events, the benefits of the enhanced exposure and additional income these performance opportunities offered were highlighted. According to a show of hands, all the dancers and dance companies were willing to expand their performance rosters but many didn’t know where to source these types of gigs. For the companies who were raising funds through off-stage events, they said the income looks great to grant funders, the hosting parties can write-off the costs for hiring a 501(c)(3), and their broadened audience base has led to more contacts, potential funders, and more opportunities.

The day came to a close after each person was able to share what stood out to him/her most from the day’s events. In general there were reciprocating responses – the attendees want to keep discussing the needs and issues of the dance community while also feeling gratitude for the opportunity to speak and be heard at this occasion. When asked to share her view of the outcome of the day, Shayna Keller said it most eloquently, “One of our facilitators, Melanie Rios Glaser of The Wooden Floor, said she left with more questions than answers. I think many of us would echo this sentiment. There are ongoing resource scarcities, audience development challenges, shifting definitions of ‘community’ and ‘engagement,’ and rapidly changing developments in technology; navigating these will require innovation and entrepreneurship. Luckily, we have artists at the helm.

At our closing feedback session, there was a resounding call for more opportunities for the community to convene, which I have taken to heart and look forward to facilitating in the coming year. There was a supportive quality to the gathering overall, and I think people understand the necessity of sharing and helping one another during lean times. Artists, as engaged citizens, are embracing their roles as change-makers. We all possess the common bond of a shared love for dance and vision for the growth of Los Angeles dance.

As with many of these gatherings, some of the most fruitful conversations happened informally, between sessions, and over coffee. These “water cooler” exchanges are often where we see the seeds of collaboration are planted, and I look forward to witnessing these connections grow in the years to come.”

It seems like each avenue of our community is taking a stand to fortify and unite forces. If you haven’t jumped on this wagon, the time is now. Community advocacy is the only way we can make the necessary paradigm shift to create a thriving dance scene here in the city of angels. With artists taking control we are in the best position to succeed. Thank you for reading, spread the word, and see you at the next event!

 

Interior Design – Interior Design and Reality TV

Christopher Porikos
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I usually write about a new trend, color or money saving design tips. But this time I wanted to write about the effects reality television has had on the design industry. At first, some shows allowed the average consumer the ability to see some of the ‘behind the scenes’ work we do. From the fabric selections, initial interviews, work room meetings to the final installation day and reveal with the client. While other shows provided great ‘how-to’ tips or unique garage sale finds.

A few shows would use an inspiration room and replicate it with a much lower price tag. The space would seem to be completed by the days end. This actual scenario happened to me with a client about ten years ago. We went over the budget and rooms to be designed and time frame. The client brought up the new show she had just seen and questioned why so much time and money to complete her task. She wasn’t aware, as I explained, that there is/was product placement, trades people who are on the shows payroll, etc. I explained my workrooms deal with many other designers, ordered fabrics and furniture pieces take time to arrive and all the work prior to the installation date. In other words, you’re not going to have a hundred people working on your house only to reveal something shiny and new after a bus moves away.

The real process takes time. The average lead-time on a custom piece of furniture can take anywhere from four to about sixteen weeks given the detail and intricacy of the design. During that time, rooms can be painted and new flooring is laid along with the installation of window treatments. While reality design shows can provide many design ideas, insight and inspiration, real life has a much longer timeline.

Spotlight – An Interview with Actor Val Lauren of the biopic Sal

NoHo - North Hollywood
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Resurrection of Hollywood Hero Sal Mineo
An Interview with Actor Val Lauren of the biopic Sal

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You’ve probably heard the name James Dean once or twice. He’s the iconic 1950’s Oscar-nominated actor, best known for his captivating performance in Rebel Without A Cause, who tragically met his death in a car accident on September 30, 1955. And even with an unusually brief career, having made only three films in as little over a year before his death, James Dean is still considered legendary due to his angst-ridden, brooding on-screen persona in Rebel Without A Cause. But one Rebel alumni whom your knowledge of is almost certainly limited, even though his career spanned three decades, earning him great success in film, theatre and music, is the twice Oscar-nominated Sal Mineo.

At his peak in the 1950’s, Sal Mineo was an in-demand movie star- with an Oscar nomination for his performance as Plato in 1955’s Rebel Without A Cause, as well as a pop star, having found time to record and release a solo album in 1957 in between starring in films Dino and The Young Don’t Cry. He earned his second Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination for his role as holocaust-survivor Don Landau in Exodus in 1960, for which he also won a Golden Globe.

And though he never marched in any gay pride parades, the rumors and insinuations that he had been sexually involved with James Dean and other men in Hollywood did little to tone down his unapologetically flamboyant lifestyle- returning to the stage to direct and star in the gay-themed prison drama Fortune and Men’s Eyes in 1969. And in almost story-book fashion, the same stage where he created what some would call his greatest achievement is also where he met his greatest love Courtney Burr, Mineo’s long-term partner until his tragic death in 1976 due to an armed robbery incident.

Yes, Sal Mineo may just be one of the industry’s most underrated stars, leaving it to pioneers like Director James Franco to shed light on his gripping story, making Mineo relevant once again in his new biopic Sal, starring Val Lauren. Available October 22nd on VOD and iTunes, and in select theaters starting November 1st, Sal unfolds rather beautifully, capturing the last day of Mineo’s life- no longer a teen idol at 37 years old- as he maneuvers his way back into the world of acting and directing.

A Reintroduction

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“When I started working on the film and researching Sal Mineo, I kept wondering why he wasn’t more well known,” Val says during our interview. “When I was a kid, my mom showed me all of James Dean’s movies from the 50’s, so I knew who Sal Mineo was, but it wasn’t until I started working on the role that I really learned all of these things about him. And why didn’t I know? That’s a really good question.” A rising star in his own right, with the same dashing Mediterranean looks that Mineo once possessed, Val’s no stranger to some of the challenges that Mineo faced. Having written, directed and starred in his debut short film Help in 2008, along with directing long-time friend Scott Caan’s play No Way Around But Through just last year in 2012, Val isn’t necessarily a household name either despite the success he’s had in dozens of films, television shows and plays. But like Mineo, Val is making a difference in places he can’t imagine just by lending his undeniable talent to such a complex and illuminating role that calls attention to the power of being truthful as apposed to trendy.

“All of the things I have in common with him, our lifestyles and choices of work, and our passion for our work, those things were huge for me. And it was very reassuring because as far as our personalities are concerned, there are various aspects where we couldn’t be more different,” Val shares. “But I put in a lot of work to be able to represent him accurately and pass along that same light and spirit that he had.” And Val was nothing if not committed in terms of the work he put in, dropping 20 pounds in order to capture Mineo’s lean look, devouring everything written about Mineo and captured on film that he could get his hands on, plastering his pictures all over his house, doing voice work to capture Mineo’s specific speech pattern and accent, and even visiting all the locations where Mineo had once lived and frequented throughout Los Angeles.

“One of the most interesting things I did was going to the actual apartment building where he was murdered,” Val remembers. “I found myself lying down in the spot where he fell for about five minutes, thinking about how someone like him who had gone around the entire planet and been seen by the entire world had died right there in that driveway. It was a moment of personal connection of some sort, and one of the last things I did before we started filming.”

Walking the Walk

Probably one of the most remarkable things about Val’s participation in Sal is the fact that his journey began with no script in place, but just a single text message from James Franco. “I got a text from him saying, ‘You’re going to play Sal Mineo, cool?’ And I just sort of stared at it and answered, ‘Yes,’” he recalls. “He said that we were going to make an unconventional movie about an unconventional man who lived an unconventional life. And that’s all I really knew.” Val had met Franco several years back at acting school and repertory theater Playhouse West in North Hollywood, CA., where they were both students. And after seeing example after example of Franco’s un-matched talent and tireless work ethic earn him coveted roles and a Gold Globe, Val knew he could count on his long-time friend to deliver something amazing, whether a script was in place or not.

“I trusted James because I have an admiration for his talent as an actor, but, more importantly, our tastes are by and large the same,” he says. “When he did the James Dean movie, I was there for all the research he did on all the people that James Dean knew, all the work he did on the accent and dialect, all the studying he did on the script- and I saw first-hand how he approaches working on a character and representing a real human being. So to have him now directing a movie about a real life person, I felt safe, and there’s trust and camaraderie as friends and artists that we’ve developed over the years where I would jump off a bridge for James, and I did with Interior. Leather Bar.”

Sans Safety Net

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Interior. Leather Bar is the gay, erotic indie film that rests somewhere between a documentary and a fictional piece, based on lost S&M footage that had originally been cut from William Friedkin’s 1980 film Cruising. Co-directed by James Franco and starring Val Lauren, it pushed the envelope earlier this year on the festival circuit due to its explicit, unsimulated sexual content. But in the end, it was a film about the rejection of censorship much in the way that Sal is about a character’s fight for full self-expression. “Learning about Sal and all of his trials and tribulations gave way to the reaffirmation of never giving up,” Val confides. “The world gave up on him, but he never gave up on himself. And he never let anyone or anything force him to hide who he was, even though he had so much to lose. And he did lose a lot because of his honesty about his sexuality, ”

It’s true, Mineo did lose some things, unable to obtain even an audition for 1969’s Midnight Cowboy. But he gained some things as well, pushing the envelope with his version of Fortune and Men’s Eyes, featuring a young Don Johnson, with an added rape scene in the prison shower and full-frontal nudity. “And people at the time had never seen anything like that,” Val says. “It was absolutely ground-breaking and shocking and true to what he was bringing to theater. Everything he touched was consistently innovative.”

Val, having been in love with the art of acting since 5th grade, is pursuing nothing less than innovation as well. He’s starring in the upcoming film The Last Knights, also starring Morgan Freeman and Clive Owen, which follows a group of warriors out to avenge the death of their master. And he’ll be directing a series of plays with another Playhouse West alumni and long-time friend Scott Caan of Hawaii Five-O fame. “Scott’s written about a dozen plays that we’ve performed over the past decade or so,” he says, “and we’re doing a project where we’re taking 30 actors from Playhouse West and giving them a chance to perform in those same plays, and we’ll be directing.”

For now, Val’s excited about breathing life back into Sal Mineo’s story. And with spreading the word about one of the world’s most deliberately distinctive artist comes the challenge of performing at the same level. But make no mistake, with such thoughtfulness and originality behind Val Lauren’s flawless performance in Sal, it’s clear he’s already there.

“Again, I don’t know why Sal Mineo isn’t more well-known, but I guess my only answer is to use this film to reintroduce him to people because he was really a one-of-a-kind, special guy who deserves to be remembered just as much as James Dean or Elvis or any iconic artist that we look up to. He was extremely brave, and someone like that should be remembered; I know I’ll never forget him.”

For more information on the film Sal, please click here.

 

Movie Review – Captain Phillips; Enough Said

Mike Peros
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Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips is a riveting, suspenseful thriller, especially in light of how well-publicized the real-life events portrayed in the film and the eventual outcome are to the general public.

Tom Hanks does his best work in years as Captain Richard Phillips, skipper of the American cargo ship, the MV Maersk Alabama, who has a date with destiny in the form of some relentless Somali pirates off the coast of Somalia. After some early scenes establishing Phillips’ relationship with his concerned wife, his not particularly friendly working relationship with his primarily union crew, and the motivations of the Somali plunderers, the film gets down to business…and what a taut, compelling business it is. The sections onboard the ship, where Phillips and his crew take on the pirates, are about as gripping as these thrillers get. The sequence where the pirates, led by the emaciated, fearsome Muse (the unknown Barkhad Abdi– who is sure to become known), first advance toward the ship and are undone by a combination of skillful stratagems and mechanical issues is a marvel of frantic action and rapid editing. Later when the pirates return (as we all knew they would) and are met with more resistance before finally being able to board, Phillips and the pirates come face to face (with crew safely stowed away—for now) for an extremely riveting game of cat and mouse. Muse and Phillips prod and test each other, with Muse in search of money and hostages, while Phillips (as well as his crew) tries every evasive tactic within reach to safeguard his ship. 

Eventually the pace slackens a little when the pirates and Philips are face to face on a cramped lifeboat as various US military forces try to bring about a peaceful (if possible) resolution to a potentially bloody hostage crisis. Still, Hanks and Abdi do some stellar work here, even as the screenplay (by Billy Ray, based on Phillips’ own book) marginally weakens the character of Muse by attributing his actions to other, more predatory individuals. One telling exchange has Muse admit to grabbing millions off an earlier hijacked ship, while Phillips replies “Six million…then why are you here?” The film rebounds though for a nail-biting climax, followed by a surprisingly moving payoff that brings home the emotional toll on its central character. Captain Phillips is a terrific movie—one of the year’s best.

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If you haven’t seen Enough Said, then you may want to treat yourself (and perhaps a date) to a charming romantic comedy for grown-ups featuring two remarkably winning performances by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini. Writer-director Nicole Holofcener ((of Walking and Talking, among others) has crafted a lovely film about a divorced masseuse (Louis-Dreyfus) facing an empty nest (as her college-bound daughter readies herself for departure) who meets a fellow divorced empty-nester (Gandolfini). These two semi-lost souls (Gandolfini in particular is adrift in the aftermath of a scorching break-up) find no small degree of happiness with each other, in spite of some firmly entrenched lifestyle choices. However, since this is a romantic comedy, there are further complications in the form of their respective daughters, as well as a new friend/client of Louis-Dreyfus’ (Catherine Keener) and her own connection with Gandolfini. The movie is satisfying in so many ways: the tentative steps that Gandolfini and Louis-Dreyfus make in advancing their romance; the fear of abandonment, not only on the part of the parents, but also on the part of the children; the fragility of relationships, whether friendly or romantic. Gandolfini and Louis-Dreyfuss are so likable and so endearing despite (or perhaps because of) their individual quirks, that one can’t help but hope for a satisfying resolution.

Health – Why making a Lifestyle Change can be so Difficult

Jack Witt
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20% of people are ready to take action and make a change in their lives at any given moment. But why does it take a lifetime for some people to make a change, and others simply act on it and swiftly make lifestyle changes?

The Transtheoretical Model for change is a venerable framework that describes the 5 stages that people go through when making a lifestyle change and/or breaking a bad habit.
The stages are:

1. Precontemplation. People in this stage are not considering, nor do they recognize, the need to make a change in the near future. This stage is sometimes referred to as “denial”. Many people in this stage are engaged in risky or unhealthy behavior.
2. Contemplation. People enter this stage when they become aware of a desire to change a particular behavior.
3. Preperation. The pros of changing have outweighed the cons and people are ready to start action on changing their behavior or habit within 30 days.
4. Action. People in this phase are in the middle of their action steps and daily rituals and good habits of change. This can be a very precarious phase however, as regressing and relapsing to an earlier stage is common, especially if the person hasn’t prepared properly or outlined a clear and consise path to action.
5. Maintenance. People in this phase have maintained and sustained succesful change for at least 6 months. It is here where individuals need to exert less effort in the change process and therefore, aren’t as likely to regress. This phase can last for the rest of one’s life.

It isn’t always just about willpower when making a change in your life, it’s also about the willingness to make that change, from deep inside yourself. Studies show that people who are succesful at change are:

* Focused on scuccess
* Persistent
* Practice change regularly
* Change their beliefs about themselves

Change is a process that occurs over time, it can progress in a linear fashion as well as a nonlinear fashion. It typically happens in short bursts more often than at a consistent rate. And, It is not unusual for somebody to spend years in precontemplation or contemplation before moving on to the Action phase of change.

Understanding the process and steps to changing, as well as preparing and committing to change will make your transition less difficult and ultimately more prone to succesful completion.
And remember the old saying, “whatever you FOCUS on GROWS”!!

Source: UMBC.edu & Fit Social Conference lecture w/Dr. Denise McGuire

Cheers,

Jack Witt, MS, CPT
Fitness and Health Coach
818.760.3891 Main
310.562.5629 Cell
www.getfitwithWitt.com

Independent Filmmaking – To Webisode, or not to Webisode…

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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The Web series

Choosing to make a web series is a very big subject and as such I have decided to write about it over the span of two articles, so you don’t get bored, and I don’t get lost…

sam
52Films/52 Weeks, The Robbery, 2011

As a filmmaker and a storyteller, its well worth considering the different types of delivery for your fabulous creations before you begin the production process. If you plan well enough you really could, even on a very low budget, make a feature length film, or a short films, TV series, or a web series.

Choosing the best way to present your truly original ideas can be tricky, and deciding on a web series is a completely different approach to a feature or a short film thats for sure.

But, in the world of very independent filmmaking, where the burden of the budget falls mostly upon the filmmakers themselves, it can offer a less pressured and stressful way of affording to make something more than a couple of minutes long.

Spreading the costs, however small, over a period of time, is like movie making lay-away, and what’s more, it can make your ‘big idea‘ truly attainable.

So what do you need to think about when considering a web series rather than a film.

Well, story is obviously the first thing to consider, it always should be.
But in the case of a web series, or any series really, the story you tell can be much longer and evolve more and therefore could have several other stories within it, ‘sub plots’ and they can vary from the characters relationships with each other, while they are stranded on the spaceship that is rapidly deteriorating while they are running out of….whatever, to illnesses, struggles with hair loss, finding a new religion, loosing it again, to pretty much anything that can add flavor without distracting us from the main story line.

Since this medium is still growing it is extremely open to a broad variety of content, so if you have original stories to tell, that are outside the mainstream, then the Web is your place to shine!

But just because its ‘web’ doesnt mean you can be lazy when it comes to being creative in your story telling, the story has to ‘move’, it has to have a traditional three act structure, beginning, middle and end, and every scene must mean something and move the story forward….if its not about anything, regardless of how great it looks, you wont be taking your audience anywhere but back to endless repeats of ‘Friends’ and ‘Bones’ marathons on ‘Netflix’.

Its also important to know what you want to say, which also applies to anything you make.
It can be very tempting and dangerous to start shooting without really thinking ahead. When you embark on a web series its even more critical to have everything planned out perfectly, your beginning middle and end will span several months of filmmaking, and will add up to maybe a feature length amount of footage, the break down of every episode should be fluid from show to show, but also self contained, just like the best made TV series.

The other extremely important thing you need to think about well before shooting is finding your audience.

You may well have the best and most hilarious/scary/dramatic and original piece of work, but if no one ever sees it, then, although it may well be meaningful to you, it might not make much difference when you want to use this project as traction into the business and other projects.

Not that its all about the numbers, but if you want to get it ‘out there’, numbers do matter.
So when you consider what you are going to make, consider your audience.

Who are they?

What age group?

What are their interests?

Where do they go online so you might lure them into your series ‘web’ for the duration of your show…

All good places to begin.

Once you have ‘found’ your people, then go to them, their sites, their forums, their conversations and tell them about your amazing web series, you could even take out paid advertising, google ads are ridiculously cheap….

But thats marketing, and thats something we can talk about in the next article, amongst other things.

Remember this….no one still knows what they are doing in this business really…

No one knows where its all going and where and when the people will finally go permanently on line and off network, but its coming, and soon.

It’s the wild wild west out there!

So go out there and stake your claim!!

Interior Design Ceilings; the forgotten surface.

Christopher Porikos
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During a design project, it seems the ceiling is the last thing anyone thinks about. But in reality, it should be one of the first surfaces dealt with when working on a design plan. It is also the largest open space in a room. Aside from a chandelier, pendent lighting or even recessed lighting, not much else happens there. Now I’m referring to the average room or home, not a multi-million dollar home with tray or coffered ceilings.

Many homes of the past have the popcorn ceilings we have all come to dislike. Scraping it off to create a clean, smooth area is the trend. It allows you to really change the look of a room with an updated look. Adding moldings and recessed lighting to a smooth ceiling are highlighted even more. This is something you can tackle on your own providing you do a little research and homework. Not knowing the correct techniques can cause damage and cost a bit more than anticipated. I, personally, would hire a professional the scrape my ceilings to achieve that smooth, polished look.

A few inexpensive thoughts to rev up your ceiling are to add crown moldings. Nothing too crazy, just something that will compliment your space. If you have the average 8’ ceiling, be careful to use the appropriate size molding. Too thick, and your ceiling will seem too low. You may also try adding trim pieces to create the look of a tray ceiling without the huge cost or even add a medallion around a chandelier.

Next, think about paint. Adding a soft color will create a unique and interesting space. Try using a color that is one shade darker than the wall. It does work.

Enjoy!

Dance – Interview with the producers of the 3rd annual World Dance Awards: Allen Walls and Carey Ysais

nohoarts
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Photo 1 WDA logo

The 3rd annual World Dance Awards for choreography will be held at the Belasco Theatre on Sunday, October 13 at 7pm. NoHoArtsDistrict.com is a proud co-sponsor of the event. I was delighted to have been able to speak with Allen Walls and Carey Ysais, the co-producers and co-founders of the WDA, in this special interview. Both men have extensive resumes from their many years of working on stage and screen. Below we learn about their recent projects, the makings of the World Dance Awards, and their mission to serve and preserve the dance community. This comical exchange happened under the trees at Priscilla’s Coffee in Toluca Lake, nodding once more to the amazing city we live in and the wonderful people who live in it.

PHOTO 2 A C at Priscillas
(Allen Walls & Carey Ysais at Priscilla’s)

KF: We’d love to hear about your recent projects. Carey let’s start with you because you just had a wonderful Carnival show last night at the Avalon Nightclub in Hollywood. The Carnival: Choreographer’s Ball is in its 15th year, can you tell us how the show went?
CY: We are in our 15th year; we started on December 10, 1988. Last night was a phenomenal show. It’s almost always a phenomenal show, but last night was a little above bar – which is pretty hard to beat. We had some extraordinary choreographers, the crowd was super receptive, and it was an emotional night because we lost a part of our dance family. We lost a friend of ours, Rob Peters, who just passed the other day. A lot of people came out to support each other and it’s a very important event to the community. It is the grandfather of everything and it was a great and very fulfilling night.

KF: Sorry to hear of the loss, but congratulations on that support and successful event. What projects have you undertaken in 2013, in addition of course to the WDA? Anything about to start or just wrapped up?
CY: I actually have two weekly nights for dancers opening up. Thursday nights at the Infusion Lounge at Universal we’re going to have a weekly dance contest so dancers come out and do your thing and win $100. Also kicking off after the World Dance Awards at the Belasco Theater, I’m going to do Saturday nights downstairs, like a downtown underground hip-hop night for dancers. You can find out more about it by going to ChoreographersCarnival.com and it will link up there. What else? Just working – just choreographing and acting and dancing and directing and creating projects and trying to make a movie happen, as always. Trying to get to the next level.

Photo 3 Carey Ysais 
(Carey Ysais)

KF: Of course! Always! And Allen, what has 2013 held for you project-wise?
AW: I’m mostly spending time producing and directing. I’ve had a couple of shows that I produced and directed this year. One was called Rhythm and Passion at the Alex Theatre about 4 or 5 months ago. I went on tour with that for about 4 weeks through some spots in South Florida and the Caribbean. So that’s always fun to get out and do some work like that. I actively choreograph and dance. I had done a couple of spots on Dexter and Two and a Half Men this year.

KF: So after the awards, anything on deck for you?
AW: A vacation! A well needed vacation.

KF: In your bio you have an amazing list of acting and dancing roles, choreography credits, and then it mentions very modestly your role as director and producer for events and shows. Can you tell us what other events and shows you’ve directed and produced that have lent to your experience for creating the World Dance Awards?
AW: Good question. Well, I think everything entails helping you understand the next step and you never can be too ahead of the game. I mean, you’re always playing catch-up and trying to organize things better or get things across better or have better accomplished what you did the year before or the time before or the show before. So it’s always one of those little things that you can never have enough experience I don’t believe.

Photo 4 Allen Walls
 (Allen Walls)

KF: Can you both share with us what was the impetus for creating the World Dance Awards?
CY: It grew out of a need – which our community needed very badly. Allen and I actually came up with it almost simultaneously. We kind of suggested it to each other. Small minds think alike I guess (laughs). We approached each other about this with some tequila and beer saying, “Hey, we need to do something here that is missing.” There were the American Choreography Awards that were around for a while and I personally always felt that it was kind of a one-sided affair and could have been broadened and could have been more “urban” friendly. It was a great show and they always got a lot of great talent and it was needed. But I always think I can do it better – it’s just a fault of mine. Or, you know, maybe a good thing.

Allen and I have worked together before and love working together. We knew that the awards hadn’t happened for seven years, and that we needed to do it so that it’s more worldwide and more open to everybody. The last ones did not feel closed off as much as not as broad as they could have been. So we just felt that we would take it and broaden it and try and better it – even though it was a great show and it was produced very well and it was a very classy event. We are doing our best to expand it and really strive to give our dance world a voice and honor the people that do their best work. It’s needed badly. We are here to do it right and big and beautiful.
AW: Agreed. I think the specialty that Carey and I bring together is that we bring in the old guard and the new generation together. We are kind of in-between and the last show fell more upon the old guard – doing it the old way and not really reaching out to the young kids and trying to get them involved, or having a good portion of them being involved in the show. So I think maybe that’s where they fell short on that show. I used to be a producer on that show so I was very intricate in the makings of it …
CY: …and being 19, I come with a very young perspective! (both laugh)
AW: …and I was only 22 so no one wanted to hear my opinion!

KF: (To Allen) Ah, so you were the one buying the beer and tequila for him right?
AW: Actually the other way around (winking at Carey).
CY: Fake ID!

KF: What is your history together? How long have you known each other and what other projects have you worked on?
CW: We worked on a movie 100 years ago and then we worked on another movie 50 years ago (both laugh). We were always friends through association, through work, and had admiration for each other. Then, actually 14 years ago, KSA wanted to celebrate something at Carnival, which the show was pretty young back then, and I said “Yes” to get all the help I could get and they said “Great.” They asked if they could bring in Allen to co-direct. We ended up with a great show and decided we needed to work together as much as we could. We try to hire each other as much as we can for whatever projects we have, use each other as actors all the time, co-direct some plays together and some Carnival productions, and now this giant undertaking.
And now we’re best of buds! (laughs)
AW: Yes a match made in heaven! (laughs)

KF: Well when you find those good partnerships, you have to hold onto them. A little tighter at times I’m sure!
AW: Over the years, Carey and I have been on the same direction and there are only so many people who make a career out of it. I mean, a real career.
CY: Yes, lifers.
AW: Exactly. I was just thinking we should have a “Lifers” award because there are only so many people that dedicate their whole life to dance. I met him over 20-something years ago and there are only so many people that continue on. Everyone kind of falls to the side.
CY: Everyone else seems to grow up. Some of us just keep dancing.
AW: And mind you – you just never know. It’s funny because I was thinking about that last night when I saw an old friend of ours, who’s been with us through it – Troy [Burgess] who is in Rock of Ages in Las Vegas. I mean, 25 years later we are still involved in the game and still working it out.
CY: Exactly we are still playing the game, the great game.
AW: And that’s not as easy as it sounds.
CY: No it’s very hard to do this forever.

KF: With the World Dance Awards being held for the third time in just a few weeks, what has stayed the same and what has progressed?
CY: I think the intent has stayed the same; our mission has stayed the same. Our integrity for what the project is and our love and passion for what we are trying to do: to get the full exposure for these beautiful choreographers who mold dancers into beautiful forms on film and on stage. You know a lot has been done lately – with the Emmys for example. That’s been amazing that we are getting that recognition now, finally. There is a slot in the Oscars for choreographers now, not on the main stage, but under “technical.” We are slowly getting there and we are hoping that this will become televised and be a world-renowned event as the Oscar’s for the dance world. We are just trying to make it better is what is changing. But everything else is staying the same. We are just making it bigger and better. The intent and the integrity behind it – I don’t think that will ever change.
AW: I agree. I think that as we push forward and every year we figure out a little bit more about how to be exact about what we want to do and how to really get it out there. We try to broaden that reach every year, and bring in new groupings of people who will not only understand a little bit more about what we are trying to get accomplished but actually help us, too. You know, two guys don’t build a road. A village builds a freeway and that’s what we are looking for! (laughs)
CY: Yeah, two guys build an alley in the back of a house! We need some help getting there!
(laughs)
AW: But our integrity has stayed there. We are trying to reach out and make it a world-based event where we can get people from around the world involved and get them recognized as well along with, of course, the people here in the United States. The US is the broadest based, but our intent when we originally started was to get out to the world.
CY: We are trying to get more people from China and London and Australia and everywhere. We are trying to get those people to submit and get involved more.
AW: Yes, and to get the art from around the world recognized as well.
CY: We are getting some but Hollywood is the antithesis and the center of dance. Unfortunately there is a lot of run away work these days in Hollywood. Which I’ll talk to the mayor about because something needs to be done (chuckles), but this is where the greatest people come to excel, especially in dance. So of course the biggest amount of work is going to come from Hollywood. Most of the work we’re going to get, that’s hands and feet above anything else, is going to be from here. But we are really trying to reach out to the world and really make this a world event, as the World Dance Awards should be.

KF: The actual award that winners receive is in the shape of a top hat. What is the story behind that?
AW: That was Carey’s idea! (Laughs)
CY: (laughs) Yes, may I interject? We went back and forth about a lot of stuff. Speaking of old guard and going back to that, I think it’s important that the younger generation doesn’t ignore this. If you can walk up to young dancers and say “Have you ever seen a Fred Astaire movie?” they say “”Who?” Or “Have you ever seen Gene Kelly dance with the Nicholas brothers?” and they say “Who? What?”
Ok, it’s not about YouTube. We have a very rich history of American dance on film. All popular dances in the last 100 years have grown out of this country and Hollywood. The history of that alone needs to be understood if you are going to be a professional dancer. I have a very old school mentality even though I’m kind of new school hearted. When I was a kid, I would go to the discotheque. When I was really young I would go out to the nightclubs and I would dance all night. When I would come home and the only things that were on channel 13 or channel 11 at 2 or 3 in the morning were horror flicks, kung-fu movies, or musicals. I would stay up and I would watch these musicals and I was just blown away by the beauty and technique and talent of these people. So the top hat is to make people see a little history of what we are trying to honor, plus it just looks so cool. (laughs)

KF: How excited are you to have Carmit Bachar and Robert Hoffman host this year’s show?
Are we going to get to see them perform, perhaps a little razzle-dazzle for the audience?
CY: Well, we haven’t gotten that far into the scenario as of yet! Of course we do want to have them do something. Initially we had thought of perhaps a little surprise from one of the hosts. Not that that won’t happen – we always like to have them involved in some way. Last year Chris and Robert did a little gangnam style satire with the ladies in lace – it was great. They were so awesome. And you can never go wrong with Robert, ever. We are also so excited that Allen got Carmit on board this year. We are trying to figure it out. We’ve got two weeks, we’ll get it! (laughs) The rest of the show is already set and done and is beautiful. Now that we’ve gotten through Carnival and all the other madness we are getting to the segment.
AW: As the elements have come together, now we can focus on it. Now that we have the performers locked in, the hosts locked in, the presenters locking in now. Then the show starts to take form and we can add the adhesive glue that makes it what it is. I think that with the talent that we have with Carmit and Robert – their personalities and of course the improv between them being the talented performers that they are – is just a rarity to have two people like that on stage next to each other.
CY: And they are very pretty! One’s prettier than the other… (both laugh) Oh that Robert!

PHOTO 5 A C K

KF: The line up of guest performers is stellar! Many notable greats and also the 2013 Next Generation award winner, Kyle Hanagami, who was judged along with others who submitted videos to the WDA website.
AW: Yes a stellar line-up. This year Cheer Factor Inc. has picked up a little bit of giving the [Next Generation] award on their behalf. They are designing a warm-up [suit] with Kyle’s input. It will be a bonus for winning [in addition to] being able to put his piece into the show so that all the top choreographers in the world can look at his work.

KF: Another part of the mission of the WDA is to bring light to and support issues that the dance community faces. Can you speak about that aspect of your efforts?
CY: [The award show] is a community event and we’re trying to be as altruistic as possible. We always strive at Carnival, and of course at the WDA, to be relevant on what matters to dancers and how we can improve our living situation. Whether promoting Dancers’ Alliance, getting awareness to talk to your agents about stuff, and any particular hot topic that needs to be talked about at that time, we will address. Presently we’ve make making a lot of strides, SAG-AFTRA has gotten on-board with a lot of stuff with the Dancers’ Alliance. Some of it I’m behind, some of it I don’t know – I thought could have been better thought out – but I’ll save that for another interview. Thank God that we have unions and agents that care because as we were talking about earlier, it’s a very transient career for most people. Most people aren’t lifers. Most people are in it, they do videos, and then they go home and teach in Oklahoma and say “I was in a Missy Elliot video” and now that’s their credit to go and teach the next 500 kids for the next 10 years. But to be out here for life and really live this – it’s important that we set standards and a legacy for people who are still coming in the door. So any hot topic that needs to be discussed and is relevant to the issue at hand, of course we’ll talk about and will always be relevant to our events.
At the moment things are going pretty good. I mean there should be some more work. Like I said, runaway productions and casting here to take dancers to Baltimore to do a movie and they have to put themselves up and pay for their own food as though they are locals is something that I think should be addressed next, but we will talk of course to the Dancers’ Alliance and the agents and see if there’s anything that needs to be discussed and go from there.
AW: It’s also a momentous occasion just to have all of those people in the same room at one time. That’s part of what this event was really built to do is have all of the elements that are out there doing their own things most of the time, be in the same room so they all can be listening and celebrating what they have created and what they would like to move forward and better. So it’s constant, as anything is, in re-designing and refocusing and re-projecting where you would want to move into the next millennium or the next year or anything down the line.
It’s always a process to get creative people to agree how to move forward. As we do move forward, it is part of our understanding to have those people involved so we do have the influence of everyone in the community to help us also understand what is going on out there and what the issues are as Carey was just speaking about. We like to honor the past, celebrate the future as the present, and try to move forward with the understanding that we are all in this together.

Make sure you get your tickets now to this amazing show and not only witness history in the making, but also support the community that is keeping dance alive! Thank you Allen and Carey. We will see you on the 13th!

Gotta Dance – Interview with Aaron Turner – So You Think You Can Dance Top 4 Contestant

nohoarts
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Aaron and Kate Sept 2013

Well, you’ve seen him on this season of So You Think You Can Dance, rise to the top 4 – the first tapper to get this far in the competition to date! Aaron Turner is as warm and charming in person as he is on stage. I’ve had the pleasure of having Aaron as a body work client this season, and he so graciously accepted to share his experiences with us in this interview.

 

KF: On the show you have to perform in so many different styles of dance, what do you have to say about the importance of being a versatile dancer?
AT: I think that that’s probably the most important aspect of the show that you are adjudicated on. I have seen some of the best dancers in their certain style get cut early on because of that exact thing. They only give you the first week to do your own style and after that it’s all about whatever card you draw. But literally for this show – probably the most important aspect of the entire thing is being a versatile dancer – there’s nothing more important.

KF: Do you feel versatility comes from taking a variety of classes or something more?
AT: Yes. Training, classes, having an open mind. Some of the stuff you just really can’t prepare for. On the other hand I think training and how seriously you’ve taken a world dance form in comparison to just your own style makes a difference. Definitely getting in there and taking classes and being open to styles of dance that you normally wouldn’t see yourself in.

aaron-turner-so-you-think-you-can-dance

KF: Let’s take a look at what the daily/weekly life was during the show. Can you share that with us?
AT: We would have Wednesday off because Tuesday was the show. Thursday we would start learning our duet or duets in the first day – that’s the day they taped. So we got three hours – one and a half in front of the camera and then one and half hours for interviews after. You literally have to learn your dances in an hour and a half no matter how many you have to do. The weeks of the finale or the top 4, I had six numbers. We had to do 5 of them in front of the camera for an hour and a half. Then the next day the duets are supposed to get a five-hour block. If it’s a regular duet you get a five-hour rehearsal. If it’s a duet with an all-star, you get a four hour rehearsal, an hour break, and then a two hour rehearsal with just the all-star. When it was the week of the top 4, we got three-hour rehearsals for all of our numbers. Those were the days when I would go from 6am to 10pm. That’s Thursday to Friday. Saturday to Sunday we learned group numbers, either multiple group numbers or most importantly the opening of the show. That’s a 9am-6pm day on Saturday, on Sunday its 9am -2pm. On Monday we had camera tech, walking – you do the whole show on the stage. That’s an all day thing. Usually 9am-6pm or 9am-8pm but sometimes earlier. Tuesday is the hardest. You have to wake up at 4:15 in the morning and get taken to the studio at 5am for hair and make up. You prerecord your opening number at 7:30am. After that you run your solos and after that you go back into camera blocking and you have full dress rehearsal at 2:30 -4:30pm. Then you get a 30-minute break before the whole show starts at 5pm.

KF: Wow! When you do warm up and take care of yourself before you start?
AT: Warm up? That’s a joke. On Monday you get a group warm-up with Jess. Every other day you are required to get there 15 minutes early before your call time so it’s very difficult. Keeping warm and warming up your body and your that muscles that are necessary is the most difficult thing on the show and it’s the number one thing that leads to injury on the show. You don’t have time for it; it’s just the way the game goes.

KF: What good habits do you have that made it possible for you to give your best performance each week and keep up with such a rigorous schedule?
AT: Mental resilience I feel. Every week, throwing away everything that happened – whether it was good or bad – you had to let it all go and restart, literally reset your mind. Determination too – it became hard for everybody on the show. I am a quick learner, I’ve always been a quick learner even back when I was just taking classes at conventions so that was very helpful. And also Jasmine and I, we are perfectionists, so we had a formula of how we wanted our numbers to look and I think the formula we created was what enabled us to do so well. We used it week after week. That helped. We were very open with each other – we had no problem telling each other what was wrong or what was right. We would rehearse in our rooms; we would rehearse sometimes in the streets. Outside rehearsals we would watch ourselves on videotape and view it critically. We did it for every dance, every time, and we did it together. I think that type of honesty helped.

KF: Now a little bit about the performance side: you played such a variety of characters with each performance. What is your process behind your acting and expressivity? What can you share with other dancers about the balance between technique and theatricality?
AT: I feel like I am a stronger performer than I am a technician. You always want to sell yourself in this competition so [I did that] by always taking the character that I needed to play very seriously. First and foremost, that was very important. So the instant that I stepped onto the side of the stage to walking onto the stage prior to the dance, I was already in character and I would never break. And for the balance, I’d say, mostly true to this competition, is that personality wins over somebody who can do 15 pirouettes. I mean both of the guys in the finals were a tap dancer and a street dancer and you have somebody like Tucker who went to Julliard. So I think it was pretty obvious that the character wins over the hearts of the voters and the performance is then relatable in comparison to showing technique that is so incredible it almost seems impossible.

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KF: What advice do you have for dancers about working with so many different choreographers?
AT: The thing you have to be able to do is you have to be able to adapt. I can’t dance like Aaron, you can’t dance like you. That’s not what they want, unfortunately. I mean that is initially what they want, but once it’s their turn to put their work on you, it’s very important that you learn to adapt. You need to be someone different every time. I think that by far is the most important thing that I learned.

KF: What past experiences did you hearken back to that helped you the most through this season?
AT: When I felt like giving up, I would always remember when I got cut both times and I think that definitely kept me going. When performing I would think about my dad and the way he performed and the way he could captivate an audience. I think for different instances I would pull from different past experiences. I know that there was one dance that I dedicated to my mom because it was from a story that my mom used to read to me. Anytime I tap, I like to pull from a mixture of Gregory Hines and the hoofing of Savion Glover. Being older and being more mature I have more experiences and I pulled from as many as I possibly could all throughout my life depending on what the dance asked for.

KF: Now that the show is done, you and the cast are rehearsing and about to start the North American SYTYCD Live tour. What are you inspired and excited to do once the tour is over?
AT: Sleep! I am excited to seize other opportunities to see how far I can take them and see how well I can do with them considering I did well on the show and I didn’t necessarily anticipate that.

Thank you Aaron for your hard work and inspiration! We are all excited to see what you do next!

Phil Torres brings bugs, technology, science and Al Jazeera to NoHo

Lisa Bianconi
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Phil Torres and His Team of Scientists Bring Al Jazeera America to NoHo

Phil Torres Al Jazeera America Techknow NoHo Arts DistrictThere are so many interesting facets to our booming one-mile North Hollywood neighborhood, but the most interesting are definitely, hands down, the people who work, live and play in the NoHo Arts District. So when we caught Al Jazeera America’s show Techknow, we saw that they filmed right here in NoHo at the Republic of Pie. What was even more impressive was host Phil Torres and his team of other easy-to-relate-to scientists helping us understand the bridge between science and technology. But TechKnow is staged and produced in a way everyone can understand and, even more, enjoy. You have to see for your self on Sundays at 4:30PM Pacific time on the new Al Jazeera America network. So NoHo, we’d like you to meet Phil Torres, scientist, bug man, TechKnow TV host and all around fun guy.

So, “only tough guys catch butterflies?” What is your scientific background?

I’ve been running around outside catching butterflies and other insects since I was seven, so I like to consider job as a scientist as being a professional seven-year old. I studied entomology at Cornell University and have been able to work on scientific expeditions in some very exciting places like Mongolia and South America. Most of my recent work had me living in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador and Peru for two years. My research focuses on how odd behaviors- like butterflies drinking turtle tears or spiders creating big fake spiders in their web- are shaped by evolution and how to understand that behavior in the context of conservation. When I’m not filming with TechKnow, I’m working on my PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Rice University and doing scientific expeditions to various rainforests. And I’m loving every nerdy second of it.

We have to ask the yummy question: what’s the most delicious bug you’ve ever eaten? Do you think Los Angelenos will ever start eating insects like we do In n’ Out?

Freshly hatched cicadas sautéed with garlic are really quite delicious- reminiscent of mushrooms with a hint of almond; I highly recommend trying them. There are hundreds of reasons why we should be eating more insects, ranging from health to economic interests to pollution to even taste- but getting people over the “ick” factor is very tricky. I’m convinced insects as food just need a giant PR campaign, maybe instead of In ‘n Out we’ll need an Insects ‘n Out to get people talking about it and trying it.

Phil Torres Al Jazeera America TechKnow NoHo Arts District


How did you go from science guy to science news guy?

I loved doing the science but during college I found it felt very unrewarding if people I met weren’t talking about science in their lives or if my research didn’t really get communicated to them. What started as a passion for getting people to say “oh, that’s cool!” about a scientific fact turned into a realization that there are career opportunities in that field. There’s no better way to teach a lot of people about science than by using television and the internet, so I dove headfirst into it alongside my research in the field.

What were some discoveries you’ve made and outrageous things that have happened to you on your journalism /scientific adventures?

My favorite discovery I’ve made is a spider that makes a bigger, decoy version of a spider in its web, likely to confuse predators. This behavior isn’t just unique amongst spiders- there is no other animal, besides humans, that can construct a bigger version of an animal from scratch.

I’ve been held at gunpoint a couple times, bitten by an anaconda, and lost in a forest full of quicksand, all in the name of science. Every scientist has a little Indiana Jones in him/herself, so I like to think I’m taking these risks for a worthy cause.

How did you land the opportunity to host Al Jazeera’s Techknow?

I had worked with one of the producers a few years back for an episode of another show. They got in touch with me when I was remote in the field in the Peruvian Amazon and I managed to have a blurry Skype conversation from the field with Executive Producer Steve Lange. When he said it was “a show about science, by scientists” I was sold. It’s such a great environment to work in when they appreciate and support our scientific, geeky excitement.

Phil Torres Al Jazeera America TechKnow NoHo Arts DistrictWhy did you choose to film Techknow at the Republic of Pie in the NoHo Arts District?

The producers were looking for a place that had a cool, creative environment that would bring out some great conversations- we use the coffee shop segment of the show to discuss and opine on each others stories. The combo of great coffee and really tasty pie seems to be the perfect recipe to get us chatting about science, and their Thanksgiving pot-pie is the best lunch break meal I could ask for.

Can you tell us about the Techknow’s format and why it works so darn well? (we love it and we are all age ranges and backgrounds!)

The producers had a great vision for it and we’ve been so happy to see how well it works. The show revolves around the correspondents (all young, active scientists) having conversations in the coffee shop about our science stories that we shot in the field, and doing a little show and tell and discussion as we then show the segments to the viewers. The field stories are always amazing- the team really loves finding unique science and technology innovations that have strong meaning to us as humans, from inspirational stories about robots helping paralyzed people walk again to debates about genetically modified food.

What advice would you give to encourage young folks to study science? Any advice to make young girls not afraid of bugs?

Science is simply cool. You get to do things like use lasers, fly planes, build robots, chase animals in the rainforest, discover new species, etc. The older you get, the more you realize the value in having your brain tingling and stimulated by trying to solve scientific questions, and the more your peers can realize how awesome it is to be driven in that way. When I was young I was made fun of on occasion by kids in my school for having a butterfly collection. But in the end I’m the guy who gets to ride on canoes to track jaguars and call it a job, and for all I know they’re just as mean and sitting bored in an office somewhere. Even for my scientist friends who work in labs or offices, it is amazing to be able to wake up every day and be excited to see what we can solve using science.

Many of the most amazing, talented entomologists I know are women. Bugs are fascinating, interesting, and it is absolutely worth getting over being afraid of them. My advice to make young girls not afraid is to have them see what entomologists like Susan Finkbeiner or May Barenbaum get to do and who they get to influence. Also, look at an insect and ask a question. What makes it jump when it does? Why does it eat that plant and not another? Why does it have those bright colors? The more curious you get about something the more you get over the spiny legs!

We are an arts district afterall so we have to ask. Is there a scientific way to help tone-deaf singers become Aretha Franklin? Seriously, we’re interested to know if you have anything coming up where science can help the arts! Any teasers?

Science helping the arts! That is a fascinating subject. I see science and technology as being enablers or trainers for artists- there are iPhone apps you can use to bring out your inner Aretha Franklin, and you can use the scientific method to determine the best vocal techniques or paints, to predict the catchiest songs, or to create a piece of art itself. I even know of a device that helps a graphic designer continue to create art despite becoming paralyzed by tracing his eye movements. Can science make art from scratch, or make unartistic people artistic? That’s a bit of a philosophical debate that I’ll need some coffee and pie to think about.

There is also something wonderfully creative about a great science experiment. While I am admittedly quite the terrible artist, I like to think my artsy side comes out in developing a dynamic, interwoven science project.

Phil Torres Al Jazeera America TechKnow NoHo Arts DistrictMake sure to follow Phil Torres on his jaunts around the world and in our world, the NoHo Arts District.

Phil Torres on Twitter @phil_torres
Website: http://therevscience.com/
Al Jazeera America TechKnow @AJTechKnow

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com.  

Toluca Lake Pumpkin Festival-Haunted Maze-Petting Zoo-Coupon

NoHo - North Hollywood
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TOLUCA LAKE PUMPKIN FESTIVAL

toluca-lake-pumpkin-festical-coupon-voucher

pumpkin patch north hollywood and toluca lakeVoucher cost is $8 (a $16 value. You save 50%)
Can be purchased at the festival with this print-out towards:
One Admission to Pumpkin Patch+Petting Zoo+Haunted Maze and
a $5 credit towards a $10 pumpkin or larger at Toluca Lake Pumpkin Festival

(No cash value/cash back
Entire value must be used in one visit
Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion
Tax and gratuity are not included)

Instructions
1)Print out page or right click on voucher- save and print and bring to establishment or display iPhone/Android
2)Present when you arrive
3) Enjoy!

We have all kinds of fresh pumpkins in many different sizes

Toluca Lake Pumpkin Patch Haunted Maze North Hollywood Halloween

Kids and adults love to take their picture with Halloween Pumpkins. North Hollywood, Toluca Lake, Studio City, Valley Village and families from all over the San Fernando Valley are celebrating autumn with a visit to the Haunted Pumpkin Patch-Haunted Maze and Petting Zoo in Toluca Lake.

October isn’t complete without a family trip to an authentic pumpkin patch, and this one is photo-op heaven! You’ll find everything from huge 150-pound pumpkins down to teeny gourds in weird colors.

The Haunted Maze (semi-scary during the day, spookier after dark)
The Petting Zoo (featuring goats, sheep, pigs, ducks and chickens) is a special favorite with children and adults.

 

Toluca Lake Pumpkin Festival-Haunted Maze-Petting Zoo-Coupon

Location

10601 Riverside Dr.
North Hollywood, CA 91602
818-505-8039
Website:
http://tolucalake-pumpkins-christmastrees.com

Map
Click here

Music – “Salvador Santana – Musical Heritage”

Caroline McElroy
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Music is a burst of choices, not only what note to play when and with what instrument, but whether to play a note at all. Salvador Santana, the 29-year-old keyboardist, vocalist, composer and songwriter with strong Bay Area roots, knows what it means to navigate the infinite options of music.

Salvador began playing the drums at age three–sitting on his father’s lap, controlling the snare and tom, as his father worked the hi-hat and kick drum – but his true love was discovered when he began taking piano lessons when he was six. Later, he studied at the heralded Ruth Asawa School of the Arts before attending CalArts in Valencia, CA. His education, passion and lineage have turned Santana into a monster on the keys. Music truly thrives in his veins. His maternal grandfather was blues pioneer Saunders King and his paternal grandfather was the internationally celebrated violinist and mariachi bandleader Jose Santana. His father is Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana with whom Salvador co-wrote the Grammy-winning “El Farol”, from the 1999 smash album Supernatural.

With his current solo project, Salvador Santana has truly become a brand of his own. He has spent a good part of the past two years performing live at venues and outdoor festivals throughout the U.S. garnering new fans and inspiring old ones. His 2008 project with the Salvador Santana Band–simply called SSB–pursued the scope of his ability. Collaboration has always been the centerpiece of his creations and this passion manifested his solo debut Keyboard City (released February 2, 2011 via Various Music/Quannum Projects) around the inspirations of a few legends: Bay Area MC/producer Del the Funky Homosapien (who helped hone in Santana’s writing skills,) Beastie Boy studio wizard Money Mark and GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. This spontaneous meeting of the minds demonstrated Salvador’s magnetic ability to connect every kind of artist on any dynamic level.

On June 11, 2013 Santana released his new 5 song EP Rise Up, containing the previously released singles “Mi Tesoro,” “Into The Light” and “Rise Up” as well as two new songs “It’ On” and “Gimme Your Best.” 2013 has also found Salvador Santana on the road again touring through the Northwest. In addition to his musical desires, Santana has worldly efforts on his mind. After a trip to South Africa with Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA), where he met Nelson Mandela, something triggered inside of Santana to make sure his music wasn’t only about personal glory. Salvador has posted various non-profit organizations on his website that will receive a percentage of his music sales’ profits.

B.C./N.H.A. – Obviously coming from a major musical family, tell me about your own early musical history and development where you grew up in the San Francisco Bay area.

S.S. – Growing up in the Bay Area at an early age I was exposed to so many different styles of music. For those that have lived there or visited they can agree that the Bay Area is kind of a melting pot…you get a little bit of everything. From art, to history, to culinary, to culture…it’s all there as not only accessible but also tangible to experience. I think that played a huge part for me because you hear a lot of different styles and genres of music in my sound.

B.C./N.H.A. – Now a lot of people would make immediate associations with your father being an obvious heavy musical influence on you. I’d like to take the time to hear about your grandfathers and their influence on you as a musician.

S.S. – Well my maternal grandfather Saunders King was a renowned blues guitarist, vocalist, and bandleader from Louisiana. He not only inspired famous names like BB King, but also was a huge inspiration to my father. And my paternal grandfather José
Santana was a renowned violinist, vocalist, and bandleader in the mariachi world. Just like I had the opportunity to perform in my dad’s band, my father got to perform both guitar and violin in my grandfather’s band. Both were major musical influences for my father, therefore huge influences for me as well. I’m honored to share this incredible lineage and to continue the legacy.

B.C./N.H.A. – You’ve been exposed to so much music, new and old, for so many years, so, besides your father and grandfathers, who are some of your biggest musical influences and heroes and why?

S.S. – One of my greatest influences as a pianist, keyboardist and overall musician is Herbie Hancock. From his extensive body of work covering most genres in music combined with all the big name artists and musicians he’s worked with throughout his career, to me he truly is the entrepreneur in music. I remember when I was first learning how to play the piano I was learning a couple of tunes by Herbie. One was “Maiden Voyage” and the other was “Dolphin Dance”. Another great influence for me was hearing Herbie incorporate the vocoder on is record Sunlight. That was huge and opened up a whole new world for me. It inspired me so much that I wanted to feature the vocoder in my own music. I had that opportunity to do so on a couple of songs in my album titled Keyboard City. And I also enjoy playing it when I perform live on stage with my band. I’ve had the pleasure to see him perform many, many times and he never ceases to amaze me.

B.C./N.H.A. – So with all these influences, what was the defining moment (or moments) in your own history of when you chose the path to become the artist you are today?

S.S. – I’m honestly not sure if there was a specific moment that made me decide to be the musician that I am today. I think somewhere between my years in college and finishing school to form my band I thought, “Hey being a musician isn’t just what I’m supposed to do…. it’s what I want to do”.

B.C./N.H.A. – In knowing and hearing your music, I know you draw from multiple musical genres. How would you describe your signature sound?

S.S. – Well sense I present myself as a piano player and a lyricist, there’s no doubt that you can hear a heavy influence of Jazz and Hip-Hop in my music. But I’ve recently been on a path to try to invent a new genre of music that’s just as original as the sound I strive to create everyday. I call it “life”. Basically it’s combining the best of the best from every genre of music ever created from all over the world.

B.C./N.H.A. – With all your performance history, what have been some of your favorite career highlights so far?

S.S. – Wow! There are so many to choose from. I’d have to say a highlight for me was early on in my career I had the honor to play the piano and share the stage not only with the incredible Dr. Dennis Chambers on drums and Benny Rietveld on bass but also with the amazing Ravi Coltrane on saxophone at the “Hymns For Peace” concert in Montreux Switzerland and back in 2004. Wayne Shorter, John Mclaughlin, Herbie Hancock and the late Claude Nobs were some of the many names that were in attendance.

B.C./N.H.A. – You recently released a new EP of material called Rise Up. Tell us about the making of this album.

S.S. – It was really a fun and amazing process from beginning to end. I got the chance to collaborate with a few very talented artists and producers such as Klaus D, Barrett Yeretsian, and Asdru Sierra from Ozomatli. This record is basically a small collection of songs that I have been working on for the last 2 years. Now that it’s complete I’m very happy and couldn’t wait to share it with the rest of the world.

B.C./N.H.A. – I know there’s a very positive message within the EP title track (and video) “Rise Up”, and that positive messages like this exist within your material. What is, or has been, your lyrical inspiration for songs like this?

S.S. – In the making of this EP I wanted to encapsulate some of the more recent and inspiring moments that I was able to experience first hand. When I was composing lyrics for the single “Rise Up”, I thought about my trip to South Africa back in 2006. During that time, my family and I had the privilege to meet in person Mr. Nelson Mandela. That was truly a moment I will never forget. When I came back home, I wanted to learn more about him and his life. I came across a collection of quotes by Mandela. There are so many amazing quotes but one quote totally stood out to me, “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.” As soon as I read that I immediately became inspired.

B.C./N.H.A. – What’s currently on the horizon for you both on the road and in the studio for 2013/14?

S.S. – I’m excited to finish off 2013 on high note and take that momentum straight into 2014. I’ll continue to compose new material in the studio on my own and plan to continue to collaborate with different artists as well. I’m also looking forward to getting back out onto the road to perform some live shows with my band in the Southern California area. One show in particular that I’m very honored and excited to be apart of is a benefit concert at Los Globos in Los Angeles that’s happening on Oct. 12th titled “Burn It Down”. It’s a concert dedicated to those who have been or know someone who’s been affected by cancer. It’s a cause that’s very dear to me because I’ve lost dear friends and family to this disease, so I feel honored to have the opportunity that evening to help fight cancer with music. You can check out http://salvadorsantana.com/tour-dates/ for more info about where I’ll be performing around the LA area and abroad. And for more info about the benefit show on Oct. 12th check out https://www.facebook.com/BurnItDown 

B.C./N.H.A. – Lastly, with all your professional experiences and history, what would be some go-to advice of yours to any up-and-coming musicians and artists getting started in the music industry?

S.S. – My advice to those that are just getting started in the industry would be short and to the point. This is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt that was passed along to me when I was first starting out in the industry:

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

What I gained from this was basically as long as you believe in yourself and never give up, you can accomplish anything that you want.

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To see more about Salvador Santana check out these videos:

“Rise Up” Official Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEEcyo71gM0

“Into The Light” Official Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuG4EfemrWU

“California Love” In-Studio Performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgNdqE9AGa4

“Light At The Edge Of The World” Hymns For Peace Concert Performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6nF3rNYcro

Lastly, follow Salvador Santana and his work here and here.

(Our over-the-hill sister) – Beverly Hills artSHOW turns 40!

Lisa Bianconi
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The 40-year-old Beverly Hills artSHOW features new artists, new demonstrations, and some returning favorites.

Beverly Hills Art Show, www.nohoartsdistrict.comThe Beverly Hills Art Show will be back on the third weekend of October, and she is turning 40. The show is held in the center of Beverly Hills, along four leafy blocks of the linear landmark park known as Beverly Gardens – Beverly Gardens Park was founded over one hundred years ago in 1911 and is aging as splendidly as the Art Show.

A national recruitment process brings 240 new and returning artists from around Los Angeles and the rest of the country to this long lovely garden twice a year. From traditional painting to completely digital work, from tiny to massive ceramic, glass and sculptural pieces, artists personally represent and sell their work in eleven media categories. The show is known to feature stylistically adept work ranging from sharp, clean urban Pop objects to virtuosic California Plein Air painting. Patrons will find everything in between when they take their artSHOW stroll – it’s a top spot to meet a diverse group of artists, imbibe their art, and buy uncommon holiday gifts. The art show roster changes at every show, so you are sure to spot art and artists brand new to the event, along with previous exhibitors and award-winning favorites.

Fabulous food trucks, the relaxing Wine & Dine Garden, the all-new Beer & Brat garden on the Rodeo Block, art demonstrations, and atmospheric music provide additional delight. Up to 50,000 patrons attend each show, but despite the crowds, the ambience is elegant and unhurried.

Continuing the show’s year-long-theme, Games and Puzzles in Art, special exhibits and games will again be featured, as will absorbing yet puzzling art for the curious.

beverly hills art show, www.nohoartsdistrict.comThe Los Angeles Art Association is sponsoring an installation, in and around a giant cypress tree near the center of the show, by artist Brandon Hudson, who will display structures which seem simultaneously man-made and natural, part computer and part garden. The LAAA is a featured gallery and arts partner to the Art Show. The gallery will also exhibit the highly unexpected, stunning objects of glass artist Rachel Kaster.

Plan to drop in on both days, invite your friends and family; the show site is a wonderful swath of lawn, park paths and greenery; parking is easy; and the show is free!

The show has a number of sponsors and partners. Media partners include the L.A. Weekly, KPCC, arts magazine Fabrik, and Yelp. Sotheby’s International Realty returns as an important show sponsor. The Paley Center for Media, located in Beverly Hills, the Beverly Hills Conference and Visitor’s Bureau, Whole Foods, and Beck’s Beer are Art Show supporters. The BHCVB will offer a fun, informative tour of the nearby Beverly Hills gallery scene on Saturday at 11 a.m., 12 noon, and 1 p.m. One can sign up for the tour on Saturday morning near the main information booth of the Art Show. The Children’s Hospital – Los Angeles along with Healing Arts Reaching Kids are the charitable partners of the Art Show, and always offer art projects for children at the show site, as does Whole Foods of Beverly Hills.

 General Information:

  • The Beverly Hills Art Show is produced by the City of Beverly Hills.
  • It will take place Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, 2013. General show hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • The show is free to all and the artworks are reasonably priced!
  • Activities occur at historic Beverly Gardens, which is located along Santa Monica Boulevard, along four blocks between Rodeo and Rexford Drive. The Art Show address is 9450 North Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.
  • Inexpensive parking is available during the show at many City structures on the opposite side of Santa Monica Boulevard, conveniently located across from the Art Show grounds. For more information, please visit www.beverlyhills.org/artshow or call (310) 285-6830.

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com.  

Movie Review – Prisoners; The Family: Crime and lots of Punishment—Ours

Mike Peros
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Prisoners has some creepy, unsettling moments, but not enough to justify devoting 153 minutes of your life to it. The set-up involves two families whose lives are torn apart when two of their children (one from each family) are kidnapped on Thanksgiving. Fingers are pointed at the slow-witted driver (Paul Dano) of an RV that was parked in the area but the local police (led by Jake Glyllenhaal as a troubled, twitchy police detective) can’t make the charges stick, so Dano is released—to the everlasting wrath of one of the grieving fathers (Hugh Jackman). The religious, blue-collar Jackman, ultimately abetted (albeit reluctantly) by Terrence Howard as the other father, decides to take matters into his own hands, firmly believing that justice will be done. And when conventional interrogation techniques prove ineffective, Jackman decides to employ other, more questionable methods…meanwhile Glyllenhaal sifts through his own conflicting emotions and other leads in his own pursuit of justice.

The movie unfolds at a deliberate pace, hoping to envelop the viewer in the myriad emotions and issues that come to the surface. Yet the pitfall of this approach is that, lacking a strong script (by Aaron Guzikowski) and firm direction (by Denis Villenueve), the mind is left to wander…and wonder. For example, why is Glyllenhaal so twitchy, considering his flawless record in solving cases? If he is so good at his job, why do clues that scream out at the not-so-casual viewer manage to elude our ace detective Jake? How can this police department be so inept as to not follow certain persons of interest or even stake out a vigil for the victims? (I tell you, this particular police department is so woeful that Mayberry’s Barney Fife would be their star detective).

Prisoners has a lot of Oscar-caliber players being encouraged to give their all at every moment—there is very little modulation there. Hugh Jackman, fresh off his thesping as the most Miserables-est of them all, gets to endure another lifetime of agony, only within the span of a few days. Yet one remains curiously unmoved, especially when he is unleashing a verbal barrage at detective Jake. The tirade feels too precise for the viewer to think there’s anything behind it, other than the need for another try at that gold statuette. Likewise, Maria Bello are Viola Davis are forced to suffer nobly as the spouses, while only Terrence Howard brings any sort of recognizably human agony to the proceedings.

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For all of you who have been waiting for Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese to reunite, the good news is they’re together again (along with Michele Pfeiffer and Tommy Lee Jones) in The Family. The bad news is that this time, there’s a middleman here—Scorsese only executive produced, with the directing (and co-writing) reins handled by Luc Besson. Under Besson’s flaccid direction, the movie generally just sits there, or ambles along from set-piece to set-piece (Spoiler alert: I’m going to spill practically everything, but if you really want to enjoy the movie, don’t see the movie—see the funny, fast-paced trailer instead).

DeNiro and Pfeiffer (along with their offspring Diana Agron and John D’Leo) are a former Mafia family who are now moving to Normandy as part of the witness protection program—having previously outlasted their stay in another part of France. Tommy Lee Jones picks up his check as their dour, wary handler who advises DeNiro and familia to ingratiate themselves with their neighbors by any means necessary—namely throwing a big house-warming barbecue. In the meantime, the family’s “friends” are in very hot pursuit, and are finally alerted to the family’s whereabouts by a plot development so outlandish that the movie wallows in it.

The Family’s big problem is with the family members themselves—they’re too self-indulgently violent to be laughed at—rather the viewer is left to suffer their excessive outbursts which are usually not justified by the perceived insults. Early on DeNiro is viewed disposing of a pretty dead body, then soon after, beating a hapless plumber to a bloody pulp for trying to pad his bill. Pfeiffer blows up a grocery store for some anti-American slights, while daughter Diana savagely beats a would-be teenage seducer with a tennis racquet. The camera lingers on the brutality, while insisting this family is worth preserving in some form or other. At the end, after a huge amount of carnage, the family unit emerges stronger than ever, ready to move elsewhere. Yet my lingering feeling is that it is the world that should be placed in protective custody from them. Under the circumstances, the performers do what they can, but there is little you can do when the DeNiro character is made to watch Good Fellas. It’s a vivid reminder that you can wring humor out of violent situations in a way that’s missing from The Family.

 

Health – Going Green is Nuts

Jack Witt
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Nuts are a healthy snack, chock-full of ingredients to help you stay in shape and lower your risk of heart disease. They do contain fat, but it’s the good fat your body needs a certain amount of.

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Sometimes though, when we snack on nuts, we tend to eat too much of a portion size since they are “good for us”. The great thing about Pistachios is they are lower in calories and fat than the other nuts. A 1-ounce serving of dry-roasted pistachios contains 160 calories, 6 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and 15 grams of fat, including only 2 grams of saturated fat.

Here’s some terrific benefits of Pistachios:

* Helps to lower Bad Cholesterol and increase Good Cholesterol
* Helps improve Blood Vessel Elasticity, (May decreas Blood Pressure)
* Great for your Skin as they contain Vitamin E
* Good source of Fiber (Nature’s Broom!)
* Contain Antioxidents, which defend tissues from free radical damage.

So while Almonds, Peanuts and Walnuts remain a popular healthy choice for snacking, don’t forget about the little green powerhouses called Pistachios. Ask Kermit, he knows!

Tip: If you get them out of the shell and roasted, make sure they are unsalted. Otherwise, that nullifies many of the heart health benefits.

Cheers,

Jack Witt, MS, CPT
Fitness and Health Coach
818-760-3891 Main
310-562-5629 Cell
www.getfitwithWitt.com

Theatre Review – Lake Anne at The Road Theatre

nohoarts
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Theatre Review>>Lake Anne at The Road Theatre

Road Theatre CompanyThe Road Theatre Company is one of the NoHo Arts District’s long-time theatre companies, making North Hollywood their home for more than 15 years. They are known for doing world premiere productions and their latest production, “Lake Anne,” is on the top of the list for me. It is by far the best drama I have seen in many years!

The play is about a former prima ballerina teetering on the edge, her fragile damaged son, a protege/relative who may be offering more than a dance and a mother with her own agenda. I don’t want to give a more detailed description….you must see the show.

Every component of the play was excellent. Playwright Marthe Rachel Gold has been a long-time physician but, before her health career, she was an actor and playwright. Fortunately, she decided once again to enrich her life and ours with writing “Lake Anne.” Marthe Rachel Gold has written a play that is capable of personally touching the heart and soul of every audience member. John Frank Levey (Director) is the four-time, Emmy Award-winning casting director but returned to his first professional love, the theatre to direct “Lake Anne.” He is a stellar director. The cast features: Laurie O’Brien, Laura Gardner, Michael Traynor, Alex Smith and Stephanie Michels. Their performances were magnificent. These actors are extremely talented which the audience attested to with a standing ovation.

This production had the award-winning design team the Road Theatre is known for. The scenic design is by JR Bruce. The lighting design is by Derrick McDaniel. The costume design is by Lyn Paolo. The sound design is by David B. Marling. The prop design is by Rich Kerns. This design team needs to be acknowledged for an extraordinary job. Also, the show was certainly enriched by the creative choreography done by well-known choreographer Cate Caplin.

I would like to give special thanks to the executive producers, Taylor Gilbert and Sam Anderson and the producers Sean Spann and Miles Warner for bringing such quality theatre to the NoHo Arts District. BRAVO!

Please note that this production is at the Road Theatre’s SECOND theatre space, The Road On Magnolia at the NoHo Senior Artists Colony at 10747 Magnolia Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91601. This is a brand new theatre space in the NoHo Arts District!

This show should not be missed. Get your tickets HERE>>

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com.  

Spotlight – Crime in the Arts District

NoHo - North Hollywood
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A Profile on LAPD Senior Lead Officer John Catalano

Since the advent of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which brought the subway to L.A. County in 2000, a change has been on the rise in the NoHo Arts District. On its way to being a transit community, in large part due to the subway bringing in 34,000 people daily, the Arts District is steadily growing with more restaurants, theaters, apartments, dance and recording studios, and even a farmer’s market peppering an area that used to be plagued with gangs and graffiti. But while the ushering in of a well-received arts community has upgraded the popularity and property values of the community, the upgrade has fallen short regarding some of the moral values people have in and around the growing neighborhood.

It would seem the old adage “the more things change, the more they stay the same” rings true when discussing crime in the NoHo Arts District, as the gangs and graffiti have been traded in for car break-ins and burglaries. Yes, such opportunities for new businesses as well as new customers have created big breaks for new criminals as well. And it’s this move away from the homicidal, into the direction of non-violent crime that creates new challenges for law enforcement, forcing them to change with the times.

One person benefiting from the Arts District’s newfound fame as much as he is responsible for combating the crime that comes with it is Senior Lead Officer John Catalano. And after 16 years in North Hollywood, a transplant from New Jersey- where he previously worked as an insurance fraud investigator- John Catalano is tasked with creating relationships between the LAPD and the community. And for this reason, he was the perfect person to speak with in regards to the criminal activity taking place in North Hollywood, and how such activity has effected, and been effected by the rise of the NoHo Arts District. I had the pleasure of participating in a ride-along with John during his patrol, where we discussed this issue in detail. Below is his candid response to my questions:

• What’s a typical day like for you?

I get a lot of direct contact with the residential community, the business community and the politicians in the area, and I’m responsible for the crime reduction. So every month, we meet with the chief of police during Comstat, and if we see crime spiking, say there’s a bunch of burglaries involving motor vehicles in the area, it’s up to me to figure out why it’s happening, what to do about it and reduce the crime no matter what it is. I see every police report that comes in, all the crime statistics on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, and I know if crime is going up or down and where the crime clusters are occurring.

• How have the crime levels changed since the dawn of the NoHo Arts District?

We’re actually now starting to see crime go up. North Hollywood, year-to-date, is up about 3% in crime right now. And it’s the shortage of police officers combined with the bad economy, and then we have issues with overcrowding in the prisons where a lot more prisoners are being release, that all contributes to the problem. But the inception of the subway is when it all started because with the subway came massive growth to the area, and it’s endless. North Hollywood is the last train stop coming from Union Station, it’s the last stop of the Orange Line, which extends to Chatsworth from the West Valley over to North Hollywood, you have a major bike path coming all the way from the city of Burbank through the West Valley, and now they have all these new bicycle lanes coming in. And then there’s the Greyhound Bus terminal at Magnolia and Tujunga. So you have all of these things bringing in more and more people everyday. It’s the busiest station out of all the Red Line stations. And a lot of the issues are from people coming into our community via the subway, committing a crime and then leaving.

The good news is it’s not violent crime for the most part. We’re not having people getting shot or gang violence; we’re having cars being broken into and stolen, and some homes as well. But the car break-ins are our biggest challenge; we actually lead the city in property crime. And it’s because there are so many people here in a relatively small area, which creates an abundance of victims to choose from. If there’s a bad guy who wants to steal something, he’s going to go to the area where there’s an abundance of opportunity. And you can take a walk in any parking lot here and look inside ten cars and three of them will have something sitting in that car that can be stolen. It can be something as simple as a GPS device.

• What are some of the other issues you deal with besides criminal activity?

It’s not just criminal issues, but it’s social issues too. For instance, there were some violent crimes on Hollywood Blvd, and they increased the number of police officers there. So the presence of the LAPD has pushed a lot of those problem people off Hollywood Blvd and forced them to come here to the last stop of the Red Line. Also, if they’re trying to clean up skid row in Downtown L.A., we’ll start seeing a sudden influx of homeless people coming in off the subway. The other day, there was a camper in the park that had been there for three weeks, and it was brought to our attention that there was a three-month-old, a five-year-old and a mother and father who had all become homeless, living in this camper at the park. Because I’ve been here for a while and I’ve seen that problem before, I went to my friends over at Hope of the Valley and that night, they were in a shelter and out of the park. And you don’t learn that in the academy; that’s not a police officer’s responsibility, but it’s a human responsibility.

• What do you have in place to lower criminal activity?

We educate the community on a regular basis between the Internet and the billboards; we have neighborhood watch meetings where we educate them on ways to avoid being a victim, we teach crime prevention techniques for businesses and residents. We have this Lock It, Hide It, Keep It campaign all over the city where we’re encouraging people not to leave valuables in their cars. And we’ve created incredible relationships with the property managers in a lot of the residential buildings in the Arts District as well. In our kit room where we assign police officers cars and all of the toys that we use, there are keys for all of the apartments in the Arts District, so we have access into the underground parking structures inside each unit. We also have BID (the Business Improvement District), so if you’re walking along Lankershim, you’ll see guys in yellow shirts riding bikes, and they are our eyes and ears in the community, much like our residents? And as far as reducing crime in certain gang-infested, violent areas around North Hollywood, where people were afraid to be inside their own homes, we would make an arrest of the person involved in the gang activity, narcotics or violent crime- and we would follow up that arrest with an eviction of that person’s family. And it’s unfortunate that we had to do that, but that’s how we cleaned up a lot of the areas and got rid of a lot of the problem people. 

• What are some of the factors working against you?

Right now, we’re working with the same amount of police officers today that we had in 2000. We haven’t grown as a police department, and that’s been our biggest challenge. We have about 240 police officers working the streets, give or take. And part of my job is to put something together to show this massive growth in the community so that we can get more officers from the LAPD assigned into the North Hollywood community on a permanent basis. And that’s been a real challenge.

• What are some misconceptions people have about the police?

We’re police officers. Yes, we take bad guys to jail, but there’s so much good that we do in the community outside of what is seen on the news. North Hollywood Park, for example, has one of the highest increases of crime year-to-date. And it’s because so many people are having hard times and are using the park and the library for shelter. The other day, a man was beaten up and hospitalized because he borrowed a library book from someone and didn’t return it. And we were able to go to him- he had fallen on hard times and was homeless- and because of the one-on-one relationship that I built with him over the last three months of him living in the park, we got enough information to ID and arrest the person by the next morning. So on the positive side, we’re making a ton of arrests, and with that, we’re hoping that the numbers start coming down and bring us to a negative number.

• Do you feel any fear at this point in your career?

You have to be afraid sometimes. I’ve had my name spray painted on walls with messages saying they wanted to kill me. And we respond to those types of situations collectively as a police department. We had a woman walk to a police station to give me a heads up that they were planning something. And that person came forward because I gained her trust; she saw changes happening in her neighborhood. And because of her, we were able to go after that person. So it’s working with and showing respect for the community and they show it back.

• How are you able to work with people who may be afraid of talking to the police?

That’s why we use the Internet system, or even calling somebody up and saying, ‘Hey, I’m in your neighborhood right now; I know you had a problem the other day. Do you have any additional information for me?’ But it’s the community contact that really keeps our neighborhood crime numbers falling. And it doesn’t have to be in person either; it can be via email, or they can call my work phone. And they can always remain anonymous and call the 1-800 number, and it will eventually get to us.

• What have you learned doing this work?

I’ve learned how to deal with a diverse community. We have a melting pot in this area, and I’ve learned a lot about myself. I think this job has made me a nicer person because I empathize with people and with different communities now, and I’ve learned how blessed I am with what I have. It’s really about doing something positive for someone else.

• Why do you want to do this work?

I’ve been in North Hollywood 16 years now, but I’ve been a police officer for 18 years. I worked the Venice Beach area for a while before I came out here. And I just really enjoyed the community; it’s very diverse. You can go from one extreme to the other. And I keep promoting, and I do a job that I really like. I probably have one of the best jobs in the city. I have a lot of responsibility as far as reducing crime, but I get to talk to people in the community on a one-on-one basis, which gives me the opportunity to help. It’s really about doing something positive for someone else.

For more information on the Los Angeles Police Department, or for ways you can get involved, visit their website at lapdonline.org.

So you think you’ve got the best sauce? Prove it.

Lisa Bianconi
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On Your Mark, Get Prepped and Start Cooking!

Feast of San Gennaro HollywoodWe all love the magical red sauce we pour over a steaming plate of pasta, and each of us can make our own yummy version. But if you’re Italian-American, the big question has always been do you call that magical concoction that you pour over your pasta “GRAVY” or do you call it “SAUCE?” That question will be answered at The 12th Annual Galbani Cheese Italian Feast of San Gennaro Los Angeles GREAT GRAVY/SAUCE COOKING COMPETITION!

So if you think you can make the best sauce/gravy, it’s time to break out the “secret family recipe” or wow the judges with your very own creation. Get your entry forms in by September 27.

For complete rules and to fill out the quick application, CLICK HERE>>

– Entries must be a traditional “Sunday Dinner” tomato-based red gravy/sauce only (with or without meat) – no cream or pesto

– Two finalists will be chosen through blind taste tests at 6 PM on 9/28 and will then compete against each other in a head-to-head cook-off on 9/29

– Chef Marco from Galbani Cheese will choose a winner at 8 PM on 9/29

– Winner of the 2013 Gravy vs. Sauce Competition will be presented with a trophy and prizes on the main stage immediately following the selection.

May the Best GRAVY or SAUCE win!!!

So, what is the Feast of San Gennaro?

In September of 2002, some of Los Angeles’ most prominent Italian American citizens got together and produced the first annual Feast of San Gennaro in Los Angeles, offering three days of enjoyment for the entire family. Just like the 80+ year old New York City tradition, the Galbani Cheese Italian Feast of San Gennaro Los Angeles celebrates Italian culture, food and entertainment, and features live music, street performers, strolling musicians, a kid’s corner, and many rides and games. In addition to sampling wine from local wineries and food from some of Los Angeles’ best Italian restaurants, guests are invited to learn recipes from the cooking stage and play bocce ball and bingo with some of Hollywood’s Italian American celebrities and much more!

Have you liked their Facebook page?
For more information on the 12th Annual Galbani Cheese Italian Feast of San Gennaro Los Angeles visit http://feastofla.org

Dates:
Friday September 27, 2013 (11am – 11pm)
Saturday September 28, 2013 (11am – 11pm)
Sunday September 29, 2013 (11am-11pm)

Cost:
$5.00 – Adult General Admission
Free – Kids under 12 yrs old

Enter Feast from either entrance:
1651 N. Highland Ave. (between Hollywood Blvd. & Sunset Blvd.)
1651 N. Orange Ave. (between Hollywood Blvd. & Sunset Blvd.)

Metro Red Line:
Exit Hollywood Blvd./Highland Ave. ($1 discount off entrance fee with Metro receipt)

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com.  

No Cars Sunday, NoHo

Lisa Bianconi
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No Cars Sunday, NoHo

Carfree Day = No Car Day = No driving the 405 day when there’s no Carmageddon. Every year on September 22, we leave our cars at home, walk or bike in our neighborhood to shop, visit, picnic, exercise, run errands, and, ultimately, help the environment.

We can do this, North Hollywood. The NoHo Arts District is a one-mile neighborhood so we can walk, ride our bikes, skate, etc. We have a fabulous park with a variety of sports, dance studios, specialized fitness classes, one-of-a-kind restaurants and bars, tons of fun events and 20+ theatres. We can definitely ditch our car in NoHo.

The purpose of World Carfree Day is to raise awareness about the need to reduce traffic congestion and create a greener environment in our communities. It was established in 2000 as a grassroots movement by the World Carfree Network to coincide with the European Mobility Week. It has grown to involve official and unofficial participants in over 1,000 cities in 40 countries.

If you are looking for some planned things to do, a group of Studio City and Sherman Oaks residents have organized a car free day with a community hike, free yoga and BYO picnic and participants receive discounts at participating retailers.

Carfree Sunday

WHEN: Sunday, September 22, 2013

WHERE + FUN THINGS TO DO:
10 a.m.-3 p.m: Information about Car Free Sunday activities and special promotions will be available at the LA River Big Toad Gate (at Laurel Cyn. and Valleyheart).

8:30 a.m.: Early morning hike on the Fryman trail (meet at the entrance of the trail at Wilacre Park at the corner of Laurel Cyn. and Fryman Rd)

9:30 a.m.: Free yoga at Lululemon (12199 Ventura)

11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Community BYO picnic at the LA River (on Valleyheart between Laurel Cyn. and Radford). Several of our community supporters will have information and representatives in attendance. The picnic is BYO. Entertainment provided by Jenni Alpert

11 a.m.-5 p.m. (or regular business hours): Visit local retailers below and get great Car Free Sunday discounts if you go car free and WEAR BLUE.

Visit CARFREESUNDAY.COM for more information on our car-free day in the East Valley!

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com.  

Traditional Design.

Christopher Porikos
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Traditional design at times can be a bit formal. Furniture pieces tend to have fully rounded arms, skirted bases, rich and at times heavy fabrics like damask and velvets.

Silks, cashmere and even linen fabrics play a role as well.  Tassels, tufting and claw feet are part of the classic design elements that add to the grace, charm and charisma of this style.  Camel back, Winged backed chairs, Queen Anne, Chippendale, Sheridan and French County are a few of the design styles closely associated with traditional design.  Architectural elements such as crown and base molding are a part of traditional design along with great moldings that surround doors and windows.

Beautiful hardwood floors topped with classic Persian or Oriental rugs play a big part in this style.  The rich colors mixed with wool and silk always add that perfect touch to any room.  Artwork with animals, botanicals and ornate frames are also associated with traditional design.

Making Art: NoHo’s Teen Art Classes

Lisa Bianconi
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Making Art: NoHo’s Teen Art Classes

North Hollywood has many up and coming visual artists and Carter Sexton Art Store is helping to hone the skills of our young artistes! We always say “what separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” Well that hard works starts in NoHo. The NoHo Arts District is just one-square mile but we are actually an arts training center. We train actors, musicians, dancers and singers and also the visual artist.

Teenagers and young adults are finding a place to learn advanced techniques and portfolio development at Carter-Sexton Art Store and Gallery in North Hollywood. They have a chance to explore a myriad of art techniques and materials under the guidance of professional artist Margie Murray. They explore watercolor, acrylic, mixed media, pen and ink, pastel, graphite and various painting and drawing surfaces. The advantage of the class is that students have the time to develop artwork at their own pace and the freedom to create without being graded on their work. Their art classes are:

Mondays (Grades 7-12) 4:30 – 5:30
Tuesdays (Grades 6-10) 4:30 – 5:30

Their art class show will celebrate their students’ achievements. Join them on Saturday, September 21 from 2-5PM at Cater Sexton at 5308 Laurel Canyon Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Carter Sexton NoHo Arts District Teen and Kid Art Class

“It is exciting to guide and observe the development of young artists as they find their creative voices through the visual arts,” says art instructor Margie Murray. “My favorite quotes if from William Wordsworth – ‘The Child is the Father of the Man. I am filled with joy when I see their artistic endeavors come to life and hope that I have been a positive influence in their artistic journey.’”

Margie Murray is a painter living in the San Fernando Valley and is inspired by the natural beauty of the California landscape. She works mainly in oil and pastel but as a teacher, she works with her students in watercolor, ink, pastel, acrylic and various forms of mixed media. She is currently teaching two teen art classes at Carter-Sexton Art Gallery. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California, and has had art training at Associates in Art, Sturcke Studios, the Kate Sammon’s Atelier, and the Los Angele’s Figurative Academy. Her pastel painting “Ocean’s Gifts” was selected as a finalist in the December 2011 Still Life competition by Artist’s Magazine. Her classes have been increasing in size and she will now be teaching the class with her award winning painting partner Otto “Tito” Sturcke. They will be teaching in all media and doing workshops together and portfolio development for teenagers entering into the arts for High School and College. You can view their biographies by going to www.margiemurray.com and www.sturckestudio.com.

Here are just a couple of samples of the artworks from the Carter Sexton teen art classes.

noho teen painting and art class north hollywood noho arts district   

Zhanel Madiyarova
Ninth grade, North Hollywood High School
“Pink Flamingo” – in pastel

noho arts district teen kid painting and art class north hollywood
Eliza Remillong
Eighth Grade, Laurel Hall
“Donner Lake” – acrylic

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com.

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