Turning your TV Time into Quality Time
February 2, 2010 Issue #2
Christine L. Pollock, Editor Ranny Levy, Publisher
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Christine L. Pollock, Editor |
Ranny Levy, Publisher Granny Ranny's Addenda |
Entertainment Insider News
This month the Kaiser Family Foundation released its report on daily media use among children and teens. It probably comes as no surprise to anyone with children in their lives to find that the time spent on entertainment media has risen dramatically for our youth. According to the study, children between the ages of eight and 18 spend an average of seven hours and 38 minutes a day using entertainment media. If you factor in multitasking, the children consume approximately 10 hours and 45 minutes of media content during to seven hours and 38 minutes. Five years ago, children who multitasked spent eight hours and 33 minutes on media content.
The Kaiser Family Foundation report attributes the increase in media use to mobile media such as cell phones and iPods. It also discovered that only 30% of the youth in the study said that they had rules in their house for TV viewing, video game playing and computer usage. In households where parents did set limits, children spent less time with the media.
For the f irst time ever in this type of study, researchers found that children spend less time watching television. However, since children now watch television on the Internet, on their iPods and on their cell phones, there is an actual increase in the total amount of TV consumption. Television continues to reign as the most dominant type of media content consumed followed by music/audio, computers, video games, print then movies.
To read the entire report, go to http://www.kff.org/entmedia/8010.cfm
Plugged in Parents/Educators
Let the games begin! As the nation gears up for the winter Olympics, we are once again filled with awe over incredible feats of the athletes. What would it be like to perform in competitions with a severe handicap? Could someone skate at competition level if they were blind? This is the dilemma Alexis Winston (Taylor Firth) faces after a tragic accident that threatens her own skating career in the stunning remake of the classic film, “Ice Castles.”
Two-time Academy Award® nominated director Donald Wrye (Best Documentary, Short Subjects: "An Impression of John Steinbeck: Writer," 1969; "The Numbers Start with the River," 1971) returns to direct his classic tale of a young skater with Olympic dreams who is blinded in an accident and attempts to overcome the tragedy with the help of her loving boyfriend. Popular recording artist Britt Nicole re-records the Oscar® nominated ("Ice Castles," 1978) theme song “Through the Eyes of Love.”
Sony Pictures brings us this inspirational, heartwarming, romantic film on DVD just in time for Valentines Day and the opening ceremony of the winter Olympics. While the passion for skating and the beauty of the sport come through as clearly as in the 1978 version, this DVD also focuses relationships - relationships between Alexis and her dad and Alexis and her boyfriend Nick (Rob Mayes).
"Ice Castles" stars American figure skater Taylor Firth, who makes her film debut opposite Rob Mayes ("Brooklyn to Manhattan"). There are cameo appearances by Olympic Medallist Michelle Kwan, NBC News Olympics Correspondent Andrea Joyce, and U.S. figure skater Molly Oberstar.
This was Firth’s first movie, but she is no stranger to the ice. When she was 15, she was the second youngest senior lady to compete in the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Firth is very used to grueling work from her ice skating practices, but laughs during a delightful telephone interview when she reminisced about her introduction to acting. It was much harder than she thought.
Although she was used to working for many hours, she found this a very different type of work. When filming, she had to think about her voice and face and putting together all types of body language to demonstrate various emotions. She feels that she is a better skater now because of it. She has learned about the full presentation from facial expressions to body language.
Firth hopes to work in more movies in the future, preferably wholesome family-oriented films and Christian films. One of her favorite part of "Ice Castles" is knowing that she acted in a great family film that families can enjoy without worrying that any of the scenes are inappropriate for children.
The “Ice Castles” DVD will be available in stores on February 9, 2010.
February Sweepstakes
Enter our sweepstakes for a chance to win a free copy of one of the following fantastic KIDS FIRST! titles: Wow! Wow! Wubbzy: Go for the Gold. Anchor Bay Home Entertainment, March On: The Day my Brother Martin Changed the World. New Video or Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers. Universal Home Entertainment.
Congratulations to our January winners: Monique, Deborah, George, Caitlin, Edna, Alan, Justine, Gracie, M.A. and Brian.
Blogs: Up-to-Date News from our President and VP and Jury Manager
Granny
Ranny's Addenda
Great Films for Black History Month
A terrific collection of films for Black History Month comes from Scholastic, "March On! ... and more stories about African American History." It includes four stories on one DVD celebrating Martin Luther King, ... Read More
Jay,Jay The Jet Plane comes to DVD
Jay Jay The Jet Plane will be released in Dual Language with three of the new releases including both English and Spanish language versions. Additionally, three DVDs will contain special never-before broadcast episodes for the faith-based consumer. ... - Read More
Ann's Marketing Memes
One of the perks of this job is watching great films. Two animated, non-narrative films in the KIDS FIRST! line up are "El Salon Mexico", which is about the culture of fiestas in Mexico and "Un Duelo," from Mexico. ... - Read More
KIDS FIRST! Jury Blog From Jury Manager Lauren Longworth
Kids Make Great Film Critics
The other day I was puttering about the house, doing my usual ‘mom’ thing of laundry and tidying and breakfast-preparing, when I heard my four-year old daughter ask her two year old sister “Do you think your friends will like this video?” ... - Lauren's Blog
ABOUT CQCM AND KIDS FIRST!
The Coalition for Quality Children's Media is a national, nonprofit organization founded in 1991 whose mission is to teach children critical viewing skills and to increase the visibility and availability of quality children's media. . . . More.
