Oh Hello.

Hey there! Welcome to my blog! 

At this point in time I am currently showing the audience my blog. Instead of using a Power Point slide to explain my blog, I shall actually use my blog.

Why is this blog so great?

• Blog on a daily basis

Freedom!

                                              

  Oscars, Hunger Games, Avengers.

Vlogs 

TOMORROW

Two More Weeks

Until my WISE presentation

Oh my God it's the Hiddles.

It's Been a Week Since I Last Blogged and I Need to Graduate So...

Yikes. Has it been a week since I last blogged? You're slacking Michaud...

Well not much has been going on on terms of my project. I still need to get some interviews done, as well as talk to my aunt about what I need for my presentation. But you see, I get so distracted by the internet...it's only ever interesting when you actually have work to do.

But alas, it will continue to get slower for another two weeks. I know. You all look forward to my fabulous entries. Well here's the thing: to make my self feel better about myself I took two AP classes. AP English I can handle...AP Environmental Science...no...bad move. Both APs are in two weeks and I feel utterly unprepared for them. So, since I want the credits in college, I have to do well on these exams. Journal time will have to be cut back to make way for studying. It also doesn't help that my senioritis is growing stronger and stronger each day. It's like the dark side...once you go lazy, it totally consumes you. I'm sorry that that episode of House is way more entertaining than writing notes on water quality. YOLO

What's up on the media front? Well, TV seasons are wrapping up. Once that happens then we sweetly enjoy summer movie season. And oh, how this is going to be a good one. Not only do we have The Avengers, a movie I've been waiting for since I was 14 years old, but alas, we also have The Dark Knight Rises. Now if you have seen my car (and by car I mean Nicest Car 2012), you know that I cannot wait for this movie.

And my mom said that I would look like a nerd driving this car!

Oh man once I start blogging I can't stop.

I mentioned about about The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. I have so many feelings about this. Both of these movies are sequels and continuations of movies that came out in 2008. 2008 was the year Iron Man came out. Believe it or not, that movie spawned my love of movies. No joke. I used to hate action films until I fell in love with Robert Downey Jr, and the rest is history. Now all I do is wait by the mailbox on Saturdays for Entertainment Weekly to come so I can get my media fix. I remember hearing that Iron Man was the movie to make way for The Avengers in 2012. That was so far away then...now that's in two weeks. 2008 was also the year I saw The Dark Knight three times in literally one week. Now that all these movies are coming back again, it's like reliving that awesome year of just watching movies. But you know what takes the cake? My favorite show of all time, Avatar the Last Airbender, ended in the summer of 2008. Now the next series just came out a week ago: The Legend of Korra. Is it awesome? Oh...it's more awesome than I ever imagined it to be.I know I'm a geek but the fact that all my favorite things are returning makes me really giddy. Is it bad that I'm more excited about these things than prom?

Big news!

So after weeks of stressing and picking between colleges, I have finally made my decision!

I will be gracing the one and only Boston University with my presence this fall! After studying for two years in the College of General Studies, I will be majoring in screenwriting (with hopefully a minor in film and creative writing) at the College of Communications, joining the ranks of Geena Davis, Mariel Hemingway, and Jonathan Goldsmith, aka:

That's right, I'm going to the same school as the Most Interesting Man in the World. 

Words cannot express how excited I am! It was a tough decision between Emerson and BU, both great schools for what I want to do. But after visiting BU, I felt I could see myself going there, and everyone I spoke to spoke highly of the film program. I even got a personal tour of the Communications building, and it's ah-mazing. They also have several student-produced shows that feature interviews with  people in the business, such as the True Blood and Man Men creators! Now, to convince Seth MacFarlane to come when I'm there...

Most girls love One Direction these days. I like the dude who gets paid millions to run fart jokes. 

You guys...I don't...like...cameras...

http://www.msgvarsity.com/westchester/somers/somers-erika-panzerino-1.1008016

Me interviewing my friend Erika about her WISE project.

Today is Thursday!

And what's on Thursday? All my favorite shows are on? That too but it's mentor day!

Today I had a mentor meeting with the lovely Mrs. Reilly. We haven't gotten to sit down since before break so it was nice to catch up. Upon meeting with her today we discussed my presentation on May 22 (eight period which is 12:30 if you didn't catch that). I told her I wasn't really sure how I was going to present. I'm a little nervous actually. I've done all these cool things...but how to put it all into a presentation? That's the thing...I have done a lot of cool things! On my first day I didn't know what to expect...the audience is going to be like me come time of the presentation.

All in all I shouldn't be too worried. As long as I know what I'm going to say and keep it entertaining, people will be interested.

Over break I watched this little video over here and it's a good example of ADR (Additional Dialogue Recording) sessions, which is an example of what they do over at The Audio Department (though what goes on here didn't actually take place there).

CHANGE OF PLANS

Sooooooooooooo since my mother cannot attend the May 4th presentation.

New presentation will be:


MAY 22ND 8TH PERIOD

Busy Busy Busy Day

That's right...we're live blogging this.

Here I am, awake before noon on spring break ready to conquer the day. Look! I have a computer today! Today is going to be a busy day...Jess isn't here so I'll be somewhat filling in for her (and trying not to wreck her desk) which means I may be answering phone calls. Awkwardness to follow.

Already a film crew is here to interview Sarah Jessica Parker. You know how if you're really bored and you'll watch the behind-the-scenes stuff on DVDs and you'll see the interviews with the cast? Yeah...that's going down today. I went downstairs just now (to introduce myself to the coordinator of press...stuff because you know, I'm an intern, and people need me) and they have tons of stuff set up in this tiny little studio. It's also funny because they've got the black backdrop going on and those directors chairs. I'm looking at behind the scenes...of behind the scenes...

BUUUUUUUUUUUUUM

So, Sarah Jessica Parker will come in shortly after this French actor (who apparently just won the French equivalent of an Oscar, name to follow soon) to be interviewed about the movie she will be providing her voice for (and I can't share that with you because it's TOP SECRET INFORMATION). Then they'll film her pretending to be doing her voice work. After acting...acting (we are just full of wonderful Inception-like situations here) she'll actually be recording. Brendan Fraser will then come in to do his lines as well.

People will be coming in and out and things have to be perfect so it may be a crazy day here. Usually I hate chaos, but this chaos I can deal with.


Keep checking throughout the day!


10:15: So Don had to test the mics...and guess who had to do the testing? I had to go behind the mic and say actual lines. It's weird. I had the clip infront of me, then after three beeps I had to exclaim then say a line. Needless to say I was totally off. It's so awkward and I felt weird, but that's why they're paying actors to do it...not me. Hey, I can now add "Sarah Jessica Parker Stand-in" to my resume....

10:55: Just tested again. This time it went much smoother...we had a second set of beeps so I knew exactly when to speak the line.

In animation, the talents are usually recorded first before the animation. Today the whole movie is pretty much finished, they're just recording simple reactions and things, like a gasp or a grunt.





Gah! So Sarah Jessica Parker just arrived, and of course I was cleaning in the room across so I didn't get to say hi! BUT ALAS, I will have more chances...

Indeed I do. Just handed her a copy of the script. She has this entire posse going on, people from the production company or what not. I just walked in like: "Heeeey I have a copy of a script? Does she need it?" At this point I have no idea if I should say Sarah Jessica Parker so I just said she. A lot of chaos but I guess she already had a script with he, and was confused when I handed it to her, but someone stepped in and I slowly walked out. Oh awkward me.

Playing the waiting game.

OK OK SOO just met Brendan Fraser. And I mean met him. He called me "Niece Intern Grace."  I showed him to his stash of Red Bull, then my aunt tells me he told her I was a "good student." So I'm leading Brendan Fraser to his Red Bull, when he gets one he goes: "Shouldn't you be telling me, 'No Brendan don't have another one!'" I just laughed because I had no idea as to what he was even talking about. But he was talking to me!  He asked if anyone else was in the recording studio, which I mistakenly told him just Don...when actually there were several. So many people walking in and out today...live and learn I suppose.

So I guess Brendan Fraser likes Red Bull

Also I had some redemption with Sarah Jessica Parker. I asked her to sign her time sheet and she smiled and me and thanked me. Mhm. Professional. She's actually really tiny in person, even with these giant high heels on. Actually, there were so many people around her she just looked tiny in comparison. But she's so sweet! She thanked us and said goodbye, she was eating chips too and talking about Kim Kardashian, and assured us that our bathroom was just fine to use. Pretty cool. And she had some really nice clothes...

Because I Cannot Let Down Vick!

This here is Vick, the man who started WISE and the reason why I am writing today. Seriously, he is the happiest man on Earth, as well as deeply passionate. Today at the WISE conference he instructed us all to write in our journals. So I won't let Vick down. I can't... I won't.


Me and the horror-movie crew climbed mountains and rain to get to a high school near New Paltz. Why make a potentially fatal journey? The 21st Annual WISE conference! Sadly we could not stay for too long since we live an hour and a half away, but what we did witness was very insightful.

Everyone there seemed to have a clear agenda and had pretty cool projects (one girl was doing a lip-dub...genius), and it motivated me to write...A TO DO LIST! I know that is just what you all hoped I would do, I bet you are all smiling now in satisfaction:

1. Schedule my presentation (this is of utmost importance).
2. INTERVIEWS (I need three people....three...people...)
3. Plan my presentation (Because as of now, I don't know how I'm going to approach this...any ideas?)
4. Blog more (I have so many entries I want to do but not enough time or motivation...curse you school)
5. Don't freak out.

Good. We're making progress. 

This is why I love WISE...I am completely in charge of it, and the only person yelling at me to get my stuff done is, well, me. Also, blogging about stuff you love is my homework. When we walked in (because the party don't start till Somers walks in), I managed to hear Vick speak about how WISE is more than just a "box." It's true. As seniors, we should be allowed to "cut holes in the box" because we're about to go out in the real world soon, and the real world isn't going to force us to sit down in a desk in a cramped classroom, making us memorize fact after fact. No. Real life is about getting out there and discovering things on our own. No grades. Just experience. That's why WISE is so important I think. I'm at this point in my life where I'm like: OK. I'm sick of hearing about things that are planned out for us to learn. I'm ready to get out there and try different things, see different things. 

Because if we don't, we could fall on our butts. 

I think I just found a part of my presentation just there. 

Pew. One slide down. 

Also at the conference I was amazed at how many people did volunteer or awareness projects. One girl organized a blood drive (and a bat flew in during it, I mean is that not the most hilarious thing you have ever heard?) and one organized a benefit concert. Hearing them makes them look at yourself in the mirror and ask what you're doing with your life. One kid was even doing skydiving for his project. Isn't that just amazing?

The trip was also a lot of fun, besides being very motivational, (because any day you get to miss APES, is a good one) everyone was very lively and a lot of students were participating in the discussion. It was too bad we couldn't stick around to interact with other students but it is quite alright. Thanks to the greatest WISE teachers Mr. Murphy and Mrs. Ferraro, we all got to sit down and eat pizza. Like, what's better than eating pizza? Nothing. 

Also, the whole bus ride was very similar to a horror movie (in the middle of nowhere, cloudy day, got lost, you know) and we all decided what actors we want playing in our movie (because it WILL happen):

Clearly, Nic Cage should play me.

Anyway, fun day. My best friend in the entire world, Erica Liu made a great vlog about the day, and I think you should check it out right hur:  http://ericaliuswiseproject.blogspot.com/ . This girl will be the next Glen Keane.

It was also a great day because my other really good friend Erika Panzerino gave me a whole bag of Tostitos. For reasons unknown (and many failed attempts on both of our parts) I can't access her WISE blog, but she's doing her reworked version of Antigone for her WISE project, and you should see it on May 3rd!

This girl is a blonde Wonder Woman.

   

I just really love chips...this and the pizza just made my day. 

You know what I miss? Video rental stores.

But Grace, you have Netflix and you love that thing more than your own dog! I know! It's perfect when you want to watch a television show, or some obscure movie, but they don't have all movies, and it get really annoying to wait in the mail for a movie. What if you want to watch a movie RIGHT. THIS. SECOND? I used to love video rental stores...my dad would go get pizza and pick up a movie. On rainy or snowy days I was down at the video store. But now, thanks to on-demand, they don't exist anymore. And it sucks. On-demand most of the time has recent movies or movies that are always on TV anyway, and I'm not paying for movie channels. Video rental stores were there to get it right now. But alas, the world of media is changing, and pretty soon, will we even have DVDs anymore?

Just wanted to point this out, since all weekend I just wanted to watch this one movie and it took me days to find. Days.

Anyway tomorrow is the WISE conference! We'll be cramming into a short bus, on our way to becoming wiser. WISER. Get it? Oh my goodness I am so funny sometimes I'm like an odd number because I can't even...

That's right Josh Hutcherson. Oh my God.

I went to see The Hunger Games last night, if you haven't already read my previous post. I believe I said that I have high expectations.


I am pleased to say that my expectations were met. Holy fish paste Batman! For one, it felt like a movie, not a movie based on a book but a movie. You know what I'm saying?

Now, I won't give away anything, just in case anyone has not read the books (but I expect you to have read them by my next journal entry) or seen the movie, so I'll try to go vague here. 

While The Hunger Games is a powerful book, the movie got more emotion out of me. It's because I have a visual. To read about poverty is one thing, but to actually see it takes a real toll out of you. Makes it more believable. Watching District 12 come to life made me understand more the suffering that Katniss and the people of her District went through. I found myself asking: Imagine if I lived there? I couldn't take it. Seeing children kill other children also made the movie more intense. When reading the book I imagine everyone as children, but they still in some way look like adults. In this we see kids as young as 12 die. And when I say die, I mean brutally murdered. Not only did the visuals help me understand the horror that all these characters go through, it made me think (which in my opinion, every good piece of literature or any good film should do). I mean, their lives suck back in the Districts; is it really worth going back to, when at the Capitol they have food to eat and look nice all the time? Isn't it just worth it to die? Then I thought...well, no. Katniss keeps fighting because she has a family she loves and needs to get back to. Basically, love is the reason why we are still alive, food or no food, great life or bad life.

Still on the subject, whenever they would show the whole "media" side to the games, it was disturbing at how their mannerisms are just like ours when it comes to what we watch. Jokes are always being made to lighten the mood when it's just masking the seriousness, and we find ourselves craving drama. The Hunger Games exposes how the media can brainwash us, it's just done in an extreme way. At one point, when this character dies, my audience was cheering and I just wanted to shout: NO! YOU ARE JUST GIVING THE CAPITOL WHAT THEY WANT! Though they were all too happy at the Breaking Dawn trailer and not enough during The Avengers...

Tony Stark is not amused.

The movie was true to the book in every good way. When it wasn't like the book, it fit the story anyway. We see not just Katniss's perspective like in the book, but we see what it's like from the point-of-view of the Gamemakers. It all added depth to this world and I enjoyed it. Everything else was just like the book, and paced perfectly where one part didn't go on forever or wasn't too short.

Jennifer Lawrence. That girl IS Katniss Everdeen. She completely melted into the role and created Katniss. I didn't find myself critiquing her acting or appearance, I fully believed she was Katniss. Perfection. She was kick-ass and she showed emotion (unlike some people who rhyme with Tristin Poowert). Everyone else was great too. I know a lot of people were iffy about Josh Hutcherson, but I thought he played a convincing Peeta (see, now you get why I brought pita chips don't you?). I've seen him in so many movies before this one though, I thought I wouldn't un-see that. Did I mention I have an autograph picture of him from when I was 12?

Because I do.

Gary Ross, you have done a great job my friend. You really have. All of your choices were the right ones, and you went and made a movie that is true to the tone of the books and didn't sell out to create some awful blockbuster (I'M LOOKING AT YOU MICHAEL BAY. TAKE NOTE HERE). PS: That soundtrack was fantastic. 

Hm. You know, I wish that my mind could be connected to this blog because as I was driving home I had everything planned out for what I had to say. Now I forget most. This is a problem.

*Interesting little thing. Ever since Liam Neeson came in to re-record lines, I always seem to notice when a line is higher and said with more force in a movie. I can tell now if someone recorded over. In The Hunger Games I can say I didn't notice it, so either they never had to record (which I doubt) or they just did a really good job mixing. 

Well you should see The Hunger Games right now. You should. I'm serious. Get up and go see it. You won't be sorry. If you like gore, then you'll enjoy this movie. If you like romance, then you too will like this movie. If you like drunk guys with awful hair, this movie is for you too. Don't let the teenage obsession thing fool you. The Hunger Games is so much more than some teenage craze, and I wish it didn't seem like that. I truly believe this movie and these books are similar to Harry Potter in that teens and adults can enjoy them, no matter if you're a bigger reader or not. It honestly has a story that is so relevant today, and it should seriously be discussed as if you were discussing Hemingway in English class. 

Overall thoughts:

Do you know what today is?
Do ya?
Do ya?
DO YA?

TODAY IS THE HUNGER GAMES!

That's right. At 12 am, I will be going to see The Hunger Games. For all who live under a rock, The Hunger Games is a book by Suzanne Collins (who was a writer for classic 90s Nick shows like Clarissa Explains It All). It's about this futuristic world where North America is now split into 12 different Districts, and then the Capitol, which rules them all. No one is allowed to visit other Districts, and each one is assigned a certain trade. That's where we meet Katniss Everdeen. In District 12, a District centered around coal-mining.

Played by the lovely Jennifer Lawrence

Each year two teens, a boy and a girl, are selected from each District to play in a fight to the death: The Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen is one of them. The games symbolize the Capitol's control over the Districts, since years ago there was an uprising.

It's an excellent book., I highly recommend reading the first two (for the third is a letdown) if you're like me and sick of reading about teenage romance and "teenage problems." It's refreshing to read about a girl who, when thrust into the good-life after years of poverty, doesn't go "OOO PRETTY THINGS!" No. This girl knows it's all an illusion, that her main focus is to survive. She's not some spoiled brat, and she doesn't complain.

The books are also extremely relevant. It portrays how we let the media control us, how when faced with death, we will do anything to survive. Anything. It's powerful.

And so, if you haven't read the book, I strongly suggest you do. And how will it be as a movie? I'm hoping amazing, because it looks amazing.

I got my PEETA chips ready...

Now I have high expectations. It seems like yesterday they were casting. If it's done in a rush to just get it in theaters, then we've got Twilight. But if we have a well-thought out movie that is true to the books, then we've got Harry Potter here. Collins has created this world, and the movie needs to not only capture that, but expand on that. 

It's a tough job. Gary Ross, the director, has a lot on his shoulders. You know people are going to go see your movie, because it's highly anticipated and a highly beloved book. You better make a good movie or you'll never work in the business again. Remind me to never take on that responsibility. I'd rather create my own pieces of work through trial and error.  

With that in mind, my friends and I are all now sitting around, waiting for it to be midnight! 

Have you ever noticed that...like...no good movies come out until May after the Oscars? It's like all freshman student films get thrown into the mix because the big guys are finished. It's really quite sad. I suppose because it is spring, and people don't go to the movies often. Or Hollywood is very picky about everything being in the right season (blockbusters go in summer, award winning movies go in winter).


But wait.


The Hunger Games


Guys, we have three more days until the midnight showing.

There. is. hope!


In other ranting news, why does Hollywood feel the need to remake everything? It's cool at first if you do a really good job, (Thanks J.J. Abrams!) but then it gets to the point where you're like:

Really? This happened?

Just come up with some good ideas! Has creativity been that slacking? I feel like (besides Harry Potter) there haven't been any really good movies in the past few years. I mean, this is coming from a girl who hated  Avatar. 

Why do I mention this do you ask? Because this happened.