Darra's Daily Blog

thoughts on news, television, film, and puppets.

[disneybound]

[darrastone]

I love DisneyBound so much it is ridiculous!

[darktravelquotes]

[jameshance]

The secret of my success… ;) http://www.jameshance.com 

[darrastone]

So inspiring! #heart

[wdwpics]

[darrastone]

My perfect Easter would consist of receiving one of these. Heart!

[chrisclifton-blog]

[darrastone]

Those that fell in love with the 2007 indie film, Once, will be happy to learn that the theatrical adaptation is Broadway bound next year.

The thought of this poetic film turned into a Broadway musical has left me with mixed feelings. "Falling Slowly" and "When Your Mind's Made Up" have become two of my all time favorite songs. The thought of more people falling in love with these makes me elated, but I fear what changes they will make to the story. Part of the charm of Once is how authentic everything about the story feels. The love story in particular feels authentic because...well, it is! The actors fell in love while filming and are still together. Recreating that kind of chemistry, no matter how good the actors, is impossible.

But, I can see the fun that can be had with a musical like this. It would call for a simpler, low key staging. I picture it being very similar to a staging of The Last Five Years (which is one of my favorite musicals). We'll see how they produce it, but we can hope for the best.

[darrastone]

We learn more from making mistakes than getting things right. Sometimes, as an artist, putting your work out in the world is difficult. I know I find it a daily struggle. When you put your heart and soul into something, its hard to even think of people judging it.

But with out going through the process of rejection and criticism, we cannot grow. Those things cause us to either stick by artistic choices or re-examine and recreate a piece into something bigger and better than what we had imagined.

I love looking back on a project and realizing it is more than I could have ever initially conceived. And all those rejections, they become stories for ourselves and others to give as examples of perseverance.

[darrastone]

I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. ~Gilda Radner

[darrastone]

This stop motion animation music video is incredible. The amount of time and detail that went into making an entire background out of jelly beans is inspiring. Having a video that takes 2 years to shoot, that takes dedication. And maybe that's what I like most about stop motion animation, you can't just throw everything together in a few weeks for a shoot. Animations take years of hard work just for the initial shooting of the film.

So, why do it? I look at videos like this one and I do often ask myself, was it really worth all the work and effort for a 3 minute music video? And then I am disappointed with myself for thinking that convenience should be favored over beauty and art. Anything worth doing is worth doing well and with a passion and devotion. To have the smooth movements that this film does, it must have had both. 

The song is also catchy and worth listening to multiple times. Kina's voice and soft style make her pop and want to listen to her song. But it's really the animation that makes you want to put it on repeat.

[darrastone]

I turn this video on most mornings when I am getting ready for my day. I enjoy the studio versions of these songs, but there is something inspirational about a giant crowd sing-a-long! Even through a You Tube video you can feel the crowd's energy.

Sex on Fire is also one of my personal favorites to sing-a-long too in a crowd. Now, I haven't seen Kings of Leon live, but I have seen cover bands play their music, and what person in there 20s hasn't been at a club where they played this? Audience participation is fun and this song has a lot of it!

So, watch the video, sing and dance with the audience, and enjoy being a part of something that I have made a daily routine to get me pumped up for the day!

[darrastone]

So, as boring as a post about cleaning supplies may be...I am doing it anyway! I love my new green, plant based, cleaning supplies. I got the Seventh Generation cleaning supplies because they were on sale last week and I figured, why not save the environment for only 20 cents more than what it would cost to get a brand with harsh chemicals.

Whether you believe in going green or not, there are still many reasons for getting plant based products over chemical based ones. For me, it's the smell. I get headaches from normal cleaning supplies fairly easily. I did not have that issue with the green products. I cleaned my bathroom and kitchen without feeling sick. It made the weekly cleaning much more tolerable!

[disneybound]

[darrastone]

How much trouble would I get in if I did this to every stop sign in LA? Hmmm...tempting!

[darrastone]

Sometimes all you need to get you through the day is a little inspiration.

I have a friend that I read inspirational quotes with. When life is getting us down, we sit and read inspirational quotes over the phone to each other. It's nice to know that there are others out there going through the same struggles and overcoming those challenges that meet us daily.

I think it is important that we remind ourselves of the good in life and not focus on the bad. So, we read quotes or do silly things that will make us feel like tomorrow will be better and help us find the good in whatever bad might have happened today.

[darrastone]

My favorite shows are the ones that are the most balanced. As much I love to chortle at the antics and ridiculous situations, there is something that makes the humor all the more rich and real when the show has moments like this musical interlude. Good writing balances the humor with the serious so that they compliment each other. Both are heightened when done well.

Most people don't expect to have a television comedy leave them in tears. They are expecting the opposite. If they weren't they'd be watching Grey's Anatomy, not Scrubs. But that is the brilliance of Scrubs. The episodes were full of hilarious over the top jokes and humor. And then, every so often, they would throw in a moment that caught you off guard. A moment where the laughter stops and the audience is reminded that the characters doctors dealing with dying patients and situations that don't always have a happy ending.

When characters burst out into song in a comedy, the expectation is for it to be funny. I love this scene of Scrubs because it takes one of J.D.'s usual funny thought asides, and adds a musical element, and they make it serious and touching. They manage to flip our concept of the musical and aside situation into one where we expect funny, but are left with one of the series most poignant and heart wrenching moments.

[darrastone]

After years of negotiations the Fraggle Rock Movie has landed a home! New Regency has bought the rights to the film, which hopefully means writing will begin soon.

As happy as I am about this, one thing leaves me slightly worried...the possibility of CGI. I don't mind CGI as an enhancement tool. I think it adds a lot to movies. But to replace a Jim Henson puppet with CGI? It is unspeakable. The fact that are considering this at all is irksome. If this movie is made without full Creature Shop force I shall be quite disappointed.

Hopefully, New Regency will make the right choice and bring the Fraggles in puppet form to the next generation.

[darrastone]

So, after watching some of my favorite television shows for inspiration, and doing a little free writing, I needed a mental break. Thank goodness for Stumble Upon. Many of my hours have been wasted...nay...improved! by this wonderful site.

[darrastone]

I actually hope this isn't true. Oh, don't get me wrong, with a cast like that and Joss Whedon at the helm it would be amazing. But there is something wonderful about the internet and fans going crazy in minutes of this announcement if it is not true.

They would be making much ado about nothing! See, it's funny! ...and evil. It seems like just the type of thing Joss Whedon and his friends would try to pull off.

I'm not pessimistic, I just like a good joke.