Quality Children's Entertainment Family Movie Reviews

Archive for the 'Interviews' Category

Mike Elliott, Director and Visionary, Shares His Trade Secrets

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Mike Elliott, the director of American Pie: Girls Rule. In our discussion, we discussed the challenges of continuing one of cinema’s most famous comedy series and how this film differs from his experience as both a director and a producer.

American Pie: Girls Rule is the ninth installment in the franchise. After nine films, the series has garnered a reputation and an expectation from its fans. So, Mike Elliott had to approach this film from two fronts. First, he had to keep in mind the “formula” that the American Pie series follows – a raunchy, but explorative and innocent story. Second, he had to find a way to separate this film from its many predecessors. To do so, American Pie: Girls Rule switches perspective and looks at the comedy of relationships from the female perspective instead of the male.

While American Pie is historically meant for older audiences, Mike Elliott has worked on films for much younger audiences, including being a producer of the kid’s film, Woody Woodpecker. While they may have different audiences, both have a similar style of physical comedy with a “pay off and set up of jokes,” Mike Elliott explained. Additionally, Mike tries to put a moral in every film, no matter who is its final audience.

Getting the comedy from script to screen is not an easy process and involves collaboration between the director and actors. While the director can ensure each comedic element is set up for the jokes, it is up to the actor to have the perfect body language and reactions to compliment that humor. “That’s the kind of thing you can’t teach anyone,” Mike explained.

Yet, the director’s focus goes from there. Mike listed three main areas of focus for film directors. First, they must know the story in intimate detail, from the large plot elements to scene-by-scene character developmental beats. Second, they must have a planning mindset where they keep in mind everything they need to do every day and throughout the production.

Lastly, the director must be a leader. A film set is comprised of producers, set designers, makeup and hair stylists, actors, special effects creators, cinematographers and more. It requires a strong and trustworthy leader to combine these many, often contrasting, elements into an entertaining and meaningful movie.

For more of my interviews exploring leaders in the entertainment business, make sure to check out my interviews with Glenn Ross, CEO Universal 1440 Entertainment; Scott Ross, VFX Specialist; Glenn Entis, former CEO Dreamworks Interactive; Maureen Fan, CEO Baobab Studios; Gary Gutierez, SFX Specialist; Cynthia Hsiung, Award-Winning Director/producer; and Steve Michelson, Award-winning Documentarian. And here’s a link to my playlist of over 300 interviews and reviews on the KIDS FIRST!  YouTube Channel.

By Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 17
Author’s Page – Amazon
World According to G

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Marlene Sharp * Ask Her About Sonic Boom and Other Duties at SEGA US

Sunday, May 31st, 2020

Originally from New Orleans, Sharp is now a (San Fernando) Valley girl, firmly ensconced in LA life and top dawg at Pink Poodle Productions. Clients include Rainshine Entertainment, Kinsane Entertainment, Netmarble, WeFixYourScript.com, and ToonBo. Prior to Pink Poodle, Marlene served as director of production at LEVEL-5 abby, home of YO-KAI WATCH and other hit video game-based franchises.

Marlene Sharp is a creative and business-savvy entertainment multi-hyphenate, former producer, TV Series, at Sega of America. Ms. Sharp worked on the Teen Choice Award-nominated Cartoon Network series Sonic Boom. In fact, her Hedgehog duties took her to the heights of nerd-dom as an official San Diego Comic-Con 2017 panelist.

As a freelance journalist, Marlene concentrates on pop culture for buzz-worthy fan destinations, such as DOGTV, ToonBarn.com, Geekified.net, and CultureSonar.com. As a short film auteur, she has snagged recognition at Los Angeles Shorts International Film Fest, KIDS FIRST! Film Festival, Canine Film Festival and the San Luis Obispo Film Festival. Marlene is the proud winner of 2019 LA Shorts International Film Fest Script Competition (Oscar and BAFTA-qualifying fest) at which her backdoor sitcom pilot received a staged reading by The Groundlings.

As a human being, basically, Marlene Sharp loves all kinds of pups. For proof of the aforementioned, please see her website www.pinkpoodleproductions.com.

https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/123843/marlene-sharp-milo-manheim-meg-donnelly-zombies-2-vast-of-night-jake-horowitz-sierra-mccormick

Interview by Calista B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 17

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Steve Michelson – From One Pass to Sustainable Tomorrows, Innovator Supreme!

Saturday, May 23rd, 2020

We have the pleasure today to visit with Steve Michelson about “Making Media That Matters.” Steve Michelson is the Executive Producer for The Fund for Sustainable Tomorrows, a 501©3 non-profit specializing in supporting engagement campaigns around cause-related documentaries involving health, social justice, sustainability and the environment. 

Two current projects that he is leading are the film Phil’s Camino and the mission to change the standard of care around cancer treatment.  The Fund is also managing the engagement around the release of the film 16Bars about the reentry of returning citizens to society from our prison system. Steve’s on line course, in association with Ringling College in Sarasota Florida, for the next generation of documentarians will launch this year as Making Media That Matters.

Michelson has functioned as Executive Producer on many award-winning films including: In Our Own Hands – How Patients are Reinventing MedicineThe Third HarmonyScarred Lands and Wounded LivesNature’s Orchestra, Walking in Two Worlds, River of RenewalPower PathsBurning the FutureCrude ImpactOil on Ice and more.

From 2006-2019 Michelson was the Executive Producer at the Video Project, specializing in educational and institutional distribution of documentary films. His production studio operates out of his Ranch in Half Moon Bay, CA. called Lobitos Creek Ranch. It has been redesigned recently to accommodate retreats for organizations and groups that come to strategize on some of the challenging problems society faces.  

Steve Michelson, co-founder of OnePass, former Executive Producer at Video Project and more.

Michelson was co-founder and president of One Pass, San Francisco’s largest production and post-production studio from 1975-85, before starting his own company in 1986. He is a recipient of the Gilbert Award for outstanding contribution to Northern California’s film community. He has served four terms as a Governor with the National Academy for Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS). Steve is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he attended The Annenberg School of Communications and the Wharton School of Business.

By Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 17
Author’s Page – Amazon
World According to G

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A remarkable woman! Halle Stanford, President, TV, The Jim Henson Company

Sunday, May 17th, 2020

What a wonderful role model for our young entertainment reporters! This week Katherine S. and Tiana S. spoke with Halle Stanford, a ten-time Emmy®-nominated television producer, who leads the Company’s development and production of all television, home entertainment, and digital media in animated and live-action formats establishing the company’s creative culture across all territories.

Stanford is currently executive producing the Netflix series The Dark Crystal:  Age of Resistance as well as The Dinosaur Train Movie for Universal Entertainment and PBS KIDS®. Her recent children’s programming executive producer credits include: the Netflix Original Word Party; the groundbreaking marine biology series Splash and Bubbles for PBS KIDS®; the NBCUniversal Kids/CBC animated series Dot., based on Randi Zuckerberg’s popular book; and the NBCUniversal/Hulu Original preschool show Doozers, inspired by the wildly popular characters from the classic series Fraggle Rock.  Stanford’s award-winning credits also include the Emmy®-nominated Sid the Science Kid and Dinosaur Train, which currently air on PBS KIDS® in the U.S. and in multiple markets around the world, the live-action puppet series Me and My Monsters for the CBBC and Network Ten in Australia, the Lifetime live-action holiday special Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow, as well as the Emmy®-nominated Sprout preschool series Pajanimals

Stanford joined The Jim Henson Company in 1993 and worked on beloved Muppet projects like Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets Tonight, and Bear in the Big Blue House, as well as the Sci-f cult classic Farscape. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degrees in Film and Theater from Wesleyan University, is a Cub Scout Leader, a proud mom to two sons (ages 8 and 21!) and is on an endless quest to enrich the lives of children around the globe. More at: https://g.co/kgs/7LwAmd


Interviewed by

Katherine S. and Tiana S.

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Ray Nutt, CEO, Fathom Events – A Leader That Brings Us H.O.P.E.

Friday, May 8th, 2020

From everyone at KIDS FIRST! we want to send you our love and support. These are challenging times as we deal with the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. We want you to know that our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics have continued doing what they do best, which is reviewing films and interviewing the talent behind them. Of course, there are no live event during this time, so we are reviewing films via online screeners and interviewing via Zoom. We’ve also added a webinar component to many of our interviews, adding a Q&A from our audience after the original interview. It’s been sort of cool to do that and more kids get to participate. This is a reminder that if you want to join our team, visit our website (www.kidsfirst.org) and click on the banner “Join Us.”

Today, we have an amazing conversation to share with you with the uber talented CEO of Fathom Events, Ray Nutt.  The eloquent Nathalia J. interviews Mr. Nutt and is joined by Katherine S., Tiana S. and Joshitha B. for the Q&A.

How familiar are you with Fathom Events?  It is one of the largest distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Ray Nutt brings more than three decades of experience in the entertainment business as former SVP at Regal Entertainment Group, former EVP at United Artists Entertainment and more.  Jump on in and enjoy this interview and webinar. Find out how cinemas are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, when and how they will re-open and what you might expect. And learn how Mr. Nutt has developed the H.O.P.E. campaign for Fathom Events to guide his team and customers through this challenging time.

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