The Mystery Artist Show is a weekly program on TheSkyKid.com Radio. Each week Jeffrey, the program’s host, introduces a young artist. In June of 2012, TheSkyKid.com radio aired an exclusive interview (conducted by Jeffrey) with Yatharth Ratnum – a promising young singer and performer from the holy city of Varanasi, in the north-east of India. He was first introduced on TheSkyKid.com in 2009. In June 2010 we featured an exclusive interview with him following his recognition as Outstanding International Vocalist at the 31st Annual Young Artist Awards.
Sometimes one is fortunate to get access to a promising short movie while it is still in the Festival circles. Most times, however, as in the case of Topaz Adizes’s film Boy, one has no other choice but to wait until the film is released to the general public on the Internet. The wait is not always easy, especially if the director has released exceptional production photographs on the film’s website prior to its availability.
Last year, I introduced Jaron Natoli to the readers of TheSkyKid.com. His first album, titled It’s You and Me, which featured two original songs and five amazing covers of bands such as Coldplay, MGMT, Leonard Cohen and U2, lighted up my interest in Jaron’s music. He has a style of his own.Nowadays, many young singers can’t resist the urge to cover the latest song of the teen icon Justin Bieber, Adele or Bruno Mars – a shortcut to get noticed and showcase their talent. While such an approach works, after a while one gets tired of hearing the same songs over and over again, regardless of their otherwise excellent interpretations.
A task: discover short indie films that capture the essence of childhood.
Discovering the movies of Nicholas Santos: mission accomplished!
Nicolas Santos is a film maker based in New York City. His movies first came to my attention when I discovered his short film Things I Don`t Remember on the open film website, which has proven to be an invaluable resource for amazing independent movies. Impressed with his film making style, I soon discovered yet another film he wrote and directed titled Kiddo. On both films he was assisted by Kyle Kelley- a cinematographer who left his unique mark on them.
Note: KiDz HuB(tm) has partnered with Kids Inc., and its new children’s edutainment brand, Safety BratZ(tm) LIVE! KiDz Inc. has an overarching vision to Empower Children with life skills and empowering messages of safety around the world and, through Safety BratZ(tm) LIVE! …carrying out its mission to Educate, Entertain, Inspire and Empower!
David Lestrick is President of Kids Inc., is an experienced evaluator of young talent and has offered to provide tips to young people who are seeking to break into the performing arts. This is the first of what may turn out to be a series of articles containing such information, dependent upon reader interest.
When I was 14, I recorded my first record that was made of vinyl! The younger generation would be familiar with albums used by DJ’s, but probably not the old 45’s used back then! LOL! Parents, of course, know exactly what I mean. The story is similar with most young artists. I had the dream, passion and desire but lacked knowledge, and unlike today, opportunity.
Can you imagine a time when phones were all hard wired in buildings and there was no internet?
Unlike today, when you can run a quick Google search and find out anything imaginable on any topic and with a little technology plus internet access, and you’re sharing your talents with the world! My company Kids Inc. is a 501c(3) Edutainment Company founded in 1990 and works with young talents through our divisions Hollywood Kids Talent, a division that educates parents while packaging and promoting youth to industry, along with our children’s development division, Safety BratZ(tm) Productions.
In casting our upcoming show, I spent over 14 months to hand select the honorary cast for Safety BratZ(tm) LIVE! – Ambassadors for Childhood Safety, Worldwide. http://SafetyBratZ.TV
SafetyBratZ LIVE 2012 Honorary Cast
You can imagine how many videos were viewed, emails and bios sifted through and the number of similarities many young artist have online. Here’s the first tip to really understand. Your videos are your calling card and should represent who you are…not how cleverly ‘auto-tune’ technology is used on your voice. So many young artists have natural raw talent, and if only properly coached, would quickly excel to a level where directors and producers would give them a second look.
When I’m looking for young singers, I’m looking for their real voice. Goodness knows, if you’re a young male vocalist and you’re in the 12 to 15 year old range….expect the unexpected! There is challenge during the voice shift and learning how to control and mold the voice would do all young artists well.
So, as a Producer, my first tip to all young vocalists…work on your craft and perfect it. When you depend on technology to adjust what’s already perfect about you, you’re sending a message that you don’t have confidence in your natural abilities. If you have passion, live out loud! When you wake up in the morning and all you can think about is singing, you are supposed to be a singer. Embrace passion and harness education, remembering it’s still an extremely competitive business driven by time and money. During my search, I did find 12 of YouTube’s most passionate and talented young artists from around the United States who are collaborating to produce a series of children’s safety music videos, public services announcements, interactive gaming, web series and host a safety club for kids around the world — introducing a line of branded technologies we’ll discuss later.
During the casting process there were certain things that made each individual cast member stand out. I’m sure getting tips on how to be discovered, along with tips on effectively using YouTube, and answering the many other questions parents especially have, would be of value to everyone. Myself and a few industry friends invite questions that we will answer for you in forums and in discussion on our upcoming live radio broadcast on the KiDz HuB(tm) Radio Network, where we will be broadcasting a series of short segments with industry tips, news, interviews, promotion and opportunity for young artists.
Here’s one young artist I discovered on YouTube in my search. Allow me to introduce Alex B!, a 12-year-old singer and Honorary Cast Member in the new Safety BratZ(tm) LIVE! production at SafetyBratZ.TV.
Alex B- Shine
A funny story about Alex…
This morning I was on the phone with a colleague preparing the launch of our children’s radio station and he was demonstrating the ease of broadcasting live on the KiDz HuB(tm) Network of radio stations and I received an email from Alex. It happened to be a link to download his new vocal release, In My Head and, within moments, I forwarded the link to my colleague at KiDz HuB(tm) and within 10 minutes Alex’s release was played WorldWide and will now being programmed on KiDz HuB(tm) Network in the U.S. and Jamaica! Technology Rocks!
We’ll share more in our next brief. But, for now, here’s a little note I’d like to share from Alex:
“Hi I’m Alex, a 12-year-old from the Philadelphia area.
I’m just a normal kid who enjoys playing video games, skateboarding, hanging out with friends and of course the girls.
My goal in life is to share my music with the world and you know getting all “A’s” in school is pretty cool too.
My greatest love is being on stage! I’ve already performed in hundreds of shows around Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore with the band Lil Rock.
It’s been an awesome time.No matter the crowd size, big or small, I always bring 110% to my performance.
Please visit me and join my facebook and I’ll join yours! http://AlexB.info
Thanks Everybody! Alex B.
Thank You Alex for your support of Safety for Children and for being part of Safety BratZ(tm) LIVE! 2012! We look forward to working with you.
That’s a wrap!
# # #
I’ll continue posting great tips and short stories if you’ve found this of value and invite your questions through email: info@hollywoodkidstalent.com
Tell us what types of things you’d like to know…especially parents who need to learn the biz to help your kids. We’’ll answer all questions and help however we can.
Stay tuned for more information on our collaboration as KiDz HuB Junior Broadcasters brings you live media coverage to keep you up to date with riveting highlights on the new Safety BratZ(tm) LIVE! Ambassadors’ for Childhood Safety, Worldwide. Please check out our partner Kids Inc. and Safety BratZ TV and sign up to participate in helping KiDz HuB to get the word out about kids safety across the world. Lets make the world safer for our kids, our future.
The Mystery Artist Show is a weekly program on the radio at TheSkyKid.com. Each week Jeffrey, the program’s host, introduces a young artist from somewhere around the world. In June of 2012, TheSkyKid.com radio aired an exclusive interview (conducted by Jeffrey) with Dalton Cyr – a young singing sensation from Florida , USA.
Note: This publication is a transcription of the original interview aired on TheSkyKid.com radio. The clip included below features the whole interview and snippets of the songs that were played during the live broadcast. In this transcript, “TMAS” will represent the questions posed by the Mystery Artist’s Show and “DC” will be Dalton’s answers. Jeffrey has also provided some post interview commentary that was not part of the interview as aired, but rather represent his impressions of the interview after the fact. Those comments will be shown as “Jeffrey“.
Editor’s Note: A day ago (June 14, 2012), theSkyKid.com published a review of Jess + Moss. After reading that review, PhoenixEast, one of the regular contributors to the site, indicated that he had a different viewpoint on the film and asked if we’d publish his review of it. TheSkyKid.com has always welcomed opposing viewpoints and has encouraged dialogue/discussion among its readers. So, of course, we said yes. What follows, then, is a distinct viewpoint about the film Jess + Moss. We encourage you to read both reviews and judge for yourself which take on the film you agree with — or perhaps you have yet another opinion of it. After all, variety is what makes the world go ’round, as the saying goes. We’d love to hear from you in the “Comments” section.
Warning: This review contains spoilers.
I thought Jess + Moss beautifully captured so many defining childhood moments and the transition out of childhood. No, there is not a great deal of plot here. But, oh my! The characters are so rich in depth!
I don’t think there needs to be a breathtaking plot to the film at all. I think what we are shown is breathtaking in itself and, after all, life is not a plot. Life is built around memories and moments in life that define who we are and I think Jess + Moss really captured this well. Although a very different film, The Tree of Life also uses this style as a means to convey its story.
I loved the juxtaposition of the two main characters. One trying to hold onto her memories as she wants to perceive them while repressing the actuality of the situation, and the other trying to find lost memories in the midst of falsehood as well.
The film’s central theme is memories in themselves and the moments that make these memories. I think Moss is so troubled that he does not remember his parents that he has become obsessed with holding onto and remembering the moments that he has with Jess, hence the constant recording of their conversations and activities. I think he is building his life around that, and the need to have Jess in his life is so great that, by the conclusion of the film, she not only leaves for herself, but she also leaves for him. A life lesson in itself for Moss, as these moments, cannot last forever.
Austin Vickers as Moss in Jess + Moss
I think Jess has been burdened with the memory of her mother walking out on her and promising to return. In her constant recollection of this memory, she has built a hatred for herself — blaming herself for the situations that have unfolded in her life. I think she finds solace in Moss. She finds a companionship she has lost through time. Only once do we see the home lives of Jess and Moss. Jess is completely removed from the world around her — she is mistreated — but through Moss she finds an escape. I think she fears growing up because for so long she has lived in the hope that her mother will return. She has become almost dependant on that and, in a sense, she doesn’t know how to move on from that. She lives through Moss as much as he lives through her.
Sarah Hagan as Jess in Jess + Moss
There is a lot of visually metaphorical undertones in this film as well. For example, the scene where they light the big bon fire in the middle of a field. This is intercut with shots of a post office and a shot of a petrol station, both completely empty and still, representing that for Jess and Moss time is standing still in this moment. For them, nothing else matters in the world but this very moment. The outside world can go to hell as far as they are concerned, and this is a true feeling of childhood. As the film progresses, Jess must obviously come to terms with the fact that it just simply cannot always be like this, as much as we all would love it to be. This is also one of the most beautiful and free aspects of being a kid.
The love between Jess and Moss is so pure as well. Only once in our life times do we experience a companionship like that, and that is something we hold on to forever. For Moss, this has come at a tender age and I think his self discovery is subtly, but skillfully, shown. I think the microscope and the bugs is another great visual metaphor, representing the self-discovery of Moss in the environment that surrounds him.
I have to say that I adored the fact that this film was shot on 16mm film as well. I thought it was used perfectly. And, considering the main theme of memories and nostalgia, I thought it was a perfect choice. I loved how the director used the noise/gain aspect of 16mm and used it very appropriately.
Is this an experimental film? I would say no. I think the film’s messages and characters are very clear, and its progression is very clear. It uses a wide range of metaphorical images representing certain aspects of our characters and situations, but the film’s main points are visible. I would say it is technically experimental, in the terms that the visuals and camera work are but, as a whole, I would say no. I’d say it’s an abstractionist Coming-of-Age drama.
The ending was just so picturesque as well. Their acceptance of both who they are and of their lives’ misfortunes are represented in such an elegant manner. The fireworks at the end are almost a congratulatory celebration of this acceptance, the new memories they are about to create and also are a gorgeous representation of their love.
Lastly, I thought the acting was just brilliant. So raw, and so real. I think the fact that Clay Jeter was able to capture these moments in such a manner is a real testament to his abilities as a director. There was not one moment where I didn’t feel or believe the connection between the two characters. The chemistry was perfect. Two very talented actors in Sarah Hagan and Austin Vickers.
Overall, I thought a film was incredibly moving and beautiful in so many ways. I thought 80 minutes was a perfect runtime as well.
If you’ve been following my reviews for a while, you will have noted that I rarely, if ever, do a negative one. This, however, does not mean that I do not occasionally stumble upon movies that fail to impress me. Sometimes when that’s the case, I just opt to write nothing at all about them.
I had high expectations for Clay Jeter’s 2011 film Jess + Moss. When I saw its trailer and read several reviews, I could hardly wait to see it. At first, I thought that my expectations would be met.
Christian Bale is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished actors of his generation. He has mesmerized audiences over the past decade with haunting, well-rounded turns in films like American Psycho, Rescue Dawn and The Prestige. He is also the figurehead of modern cinema’s most lucrative franchise, Christopher Nolan’s reboot of the Batman movies. In 2011, he won an Academy Award for the performance of his career as a down-on-his-luck former boxer in The Fighter. But what most people forget is that Bale has had a long time to hone his craft. He has been appearing in movies since 1986, the year that he turned twelve. Before he turned eighteen, he moved audiences with the lead role in a Steven Spielberg movie Empire of the Sun. Bale is a rarity in Hollywood: A child actor who attained success in his adult career. It may just be because of his talent. If that’s the case, these five child actors may win Oscars themselves one day.
Five child actors who exhibit the talent that may win them Oscars one day
Thomas Horn in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Though this film does not come without its flaws, there is little bad anyone can say about the acting here, thanks to a stellar cast including world class talent like Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright and Max Von Sydow. But the star of this show is 14-year-old Thomas Horn, who delivers a knockout performance as an autistic child looking for one last connection with his father that died on 9/11. Horn has to balance a lot of complicated emotions and manage severe character tics, but he does it with the aplomb of an old pro.
_______________________
Max Records in Where the Wild Things Are
Taking on the role of Max in the adaptation of the classic Maurice Sendak children’s book would be a dream job for any child; at least it would have been for me. I guess it’s fitting it went to a kid named Max, and this young actor does the part beautiful justice. The twelve-year-old Records is funny and vulnerable all at once, and experiencing the wild rumpus through his eyes is a real treat.
_________________________
Saoirse Ronan in Atonement
Honestly, this spectacular young performer has more stellar performance on her resume than a lot of today’s adult A-list stars. But her finest work comes in the 2007 masterpiece Atonement. Ronan, who was thirteen at the time the movie was made, plays Briony, a socially awkward girl who commits a terrible mistake that has severe consequences for her family for decades to come. Despite her small frame, Ronan gives a very adult performance. Each line is delivered with icy confidence, every mannerism is well thought-out. Saoirse Ronan is a name I expect to see on movie posters for a long time.
________________________
Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit
The Coen brothers are legendary filmmakers, and are typically favorites of actors. But one quick glance at their filmography and you’ll discover they are unaccustomed to working with child actors. Their work with Steinfeld in their 2010 remake of the classic western would lead you to believe otherwise. Steinfeld is a pistol; she fires off a dialogue at a rat-a-tat pace that is explosive. Even though she is matched up against magnificent actors like Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon for a majority of the movie, she refuses to be shown up. If anything, she shows them up.
__________________________
Jamie Bell in Billy Elliot
I’m saving this performance for last for two reasons. 1. I’m cheating here. This film dates to a little more than ten years ago. 2. It’s the best of the bunch, and too good to ignore. Bell is electric as a British ballet prodigy, but pursues his “girly” hobby despite the wishes of his overbearing father. Bell does his own dancing too. You can’t take your eyes off the kid. This film came out in 2000, and Bell is grown now. He has done fine work in movies like King Kong and Defiance, but he has yet to top his stunning debut.
_______________________
Katharine Hepburn once said, “Acting is the most minor of gifts. After all, Shirley Temple could do it when she was four.” These five actors may have a minor gift, but they have major talent.
Guest article by Zack Mandell
Author bio: Zack Mandell is a movie enthusiast, writer of movie reviews, and owner of www.movieroomreviews.com which has great information on actors such as Christian Bale. He writes extensively about the movie industry for sites such as Gossip Center, Yahoo, NowPublic, and Helium.
What started as a laid back Coming-of-Age story, turned into a mystical and scary tale. A few months ago, I stumbled upon the book The Turtle Boy while looking for rite of passage themed stories that I might enjoy. When I found this book on Amazon, I was drawn to it by three things: its title, the cover and the price (as, at the time, the Kindle edition was listed as a free download).
Finding an excellent Coming-of-Age novel can be a hard task and reading a book usually takes much longer than viewing a film. Which is why, despite my best intentions to cover the Coming-of-Age genre in all areas of the arts, theSkykid.com’s book section has not been updated for a while.
That being said, I am often fortunate that when I choose a title to read, the story quite often grabs me and, as result, I can’t wait to share my impressions of it with the readers of TheSkyKid.com. I pick books that tell stories about growing up, Coming-of-Age and books in which the protagonist is invariably male. That gender decision has to do with the fact that I am much more likely to identify with a male character (being a male myself) and I consider character identification one of the most important benefits of a book.
When I selected The Tender Bar by J.R Moehringer, I didn’t know what to expect. I was drawn by the cover image, which portrayed a young boy peeking curiously from behind a bar counter. I knew the book was written as a memoir so, therefore, I expected the story to be told in the first person. And I was not disappointed.
The action takes place in the town of Manhasset, on Long Island in New York — a “hard-drinking town”, as the author describes it. And in that place, the young boy J.R., forms an intriguing relationship – one not commonly associated with the proper relationships that society imposes on youth – a relationship with a bar room (tavern) and the men who frequented it.
An only child abandoned by his father, J.R. needed guidance on his way to manhood — a model to follow…
“… I needed men as mentors, heroes, role models, and as a kind of masculine counterweight to my mother, grandmother, aunt….”
The bar is filled with colorful characters that amuse the boy, who was initially sent to it to get cigarettes for his uncle Charlie.
“At eight years old I began to dream of going to Dickens as other boys dream of visiting Disneyland.“
But despite the on-going presence of the bar in J.R’s life, he doesn’t spend his entire time there:
“..I went into the world, worked and failed, played the fool, had my heard broken and my threshold tested…“
And those voyages are what the book is really about – voyages representing the Coming-of-Age experiences of the author. He leads the reader through the story of his childhood years, through his time as a teen and in college, and then through the trials and tribulations of early adulthood. An engaging story filled with wisdom and funny passages — it will not only make you smile, but will bring back a lot of your childhood memories.
Most of us have special places that we identify with our childhoods. For me one of those places is the house of my grandparents, where I used to spend warm summer days swimming in the river and playing in the nearby hills.
Having a bar room as a memory anchor seems, at first, quite unusual and intriguing, but before you dismiss such a possibility the author informs us:
“Had I grown up beside a river or an ocean, some natural avenue of self-discovery, I might have mythologized it. Instead I grew up 142 steps from a glorious old American tavern, and that has made all the difference. “
James Michael Tyler interviews Pulitzer prize-winning journalist J.P. Moehringer author of The Tender Bar
The Tender Bar offers an immense account of interpersonal relationships as the young J.R. explores the world around him. He receives a lot of advice, makes mistakes and learns from them, and thus shapes his personality while simultaneously exposing the reader to what I believe to be invaluable lessons about life.
“You must do everything that frightens you, J.R., everything. I am not talking about risking your life, but everything else.“
I was able to find a lot of similarities between the J.R. experiences and my own — especially in regard to his relation with girls/women, his college days and his struggle to justify the years spent in preparing himself for a bright future. But even if you are not able to relate to J.R.’s experiences, you are guaranteed to appreciate the skillful way in which they are told, his tasteful humor and self-irony.
The memoir of J.R. Moehringer is a prime example of an excellent Coming-of-Age novel — a classic Bildungsroman – in which the goal is maturity and in which the protagonist achieves it gradually and with difficulty. It has a potential to appeal to a wide age range of readers from teenagers to elders and delivers hours of unforgettable reading experiences.
I remember well the very first time I heard Sam Verlinden sing. It was on a video on YouTube and the song was called Sweet Child of Mine. When I first listened to this song, it just BLEW me away! So after I found my way back home, I turned down the volume and listened to it again. I knew instantly this young man was destined to be a star! I was hooked! A Sam Verlinden fan I had become.
From there, I went on a quest to watch Sam’s many videos on YouTube, which have nearly two million combined views on them thus far. Being a True Rocker at heart, I instantly fell in love with two more of Sam’s famous songs, We Are the Champions and Stairway to Heaven! I also enjoyed It Will Rain, Hallelujah, One Voice and Forget You. It became abundantly clear that Sam has a natural ability to sing just about any type of song, with a vocal range that is virtually limitless. I tease Sam that he could sing the phone book and it would still sound great!
The Mystery Artist Show is a weekly program on TheSkyKid.com Radio. Each week Jeffrey, the program’s host, introduces a young artist. In June of 2012, TheSkyKid.com radio aired an exclusive interview (conducted by Jeffrey) with Yatharth Ratnum – a promising young singer and performer from the holy city of Varanasi, in the north-east of India. He was first introduced on TheSkyKid.com in 2009. In June 2010 we featured an exclusive interview with him following his recognition as Outstanding International Vocalist at the 31st Annual Young Artist Awards.
“Hi I’m Alex, a 12-year-old from the Philadelphia area.
The love between Jess and Moss is so pure as well. Only once in our life times do we experience a companionship like that, and that is something we hold on to forever. For Moss, this has come at a tender age and I think his self discovery is subtly, but skillfully, shown. I think the microscope and the bugs is another great visual metaphor, representing the self-discovery of Moss in the environment that surrounds him.
Thomas Horn in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Max Records in Where the Wild Things Are
Saoirse Ronan in Atonement
Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit
Jamie Bell in Billy Elliot
I remember well the very first time I heard Sam Verlinden sing. It was on a video on YouTube and the song was called Sweet Child of Mine. When I first listened to this song, it just BLEW me away! So after I found my way back home, I turned down the volume and listened to it again. I knew instantly this young man was destined to be a star! I was hooked! A Sam Verlinden fan I had become.