Amidst all the fun, in a quiet corner at Disneyland near the Lincoln exhibit, I stumbled into some of the props and original concept art for the upcoming Aladdin movie, which releases this Friday in theaters. Staring Marwan Kenzari, Mena Massoud, Will Smith as the Genie, Billy Magnussen, and Naomi Scott as Jasmine, the live-action movie is a remake of the animated one by Disney, where young Aladdin embarks on a magical adventure after finding a lamp with a very funny, wish-granting genie inside. We were able to get so close to the carpet! I love the rich hues and…
Writing Insights from The Oscars – Makeup and Hair
Part Two of Writing Insights from two pre-Oscar symposiums. I once heard a speaker say that artists have a unique skill for interpreting their world through the visual medium. It’s how they take in the moments of life. I think the same is true for writers, who need that touch and feel to interpret what’s forming. It’s a screen through which they see life’s trials and challenges and dreams. At a recent pre-Oscars event discussing Makeup and Hairstyling, I found some similar aspects for the very talented people that are responsible for the physical look and feel of actors. From…
Dancing at The Oscars, Great Insights for Writers
Earlier this week, author Sandra H. Esch and I traveled to Los Angeles for an intriguing set of pre-Oscar meetings at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. We left very early morning, hoping to glean some insights as writers. Sandi is working on some screenplays, and as a fantasy writer that loves great visuals, I wanted to see things from the Director’s perspective, like learning an intricate dance. When I was an undergraduate, I took a wonderful cinema course at USC (before I realized I was really a Texan at heart and transferred to Baylor:). I learned to appreciate…
Relevant and Relatable?
How do you enter into your kids’ worlds so you stay close during the topsy-turvy times of puberty? Recently I was helping my son with homework, teaching him to make a list of what he had to do, then checking off each point. He nodded, smiled at me, then went to the bottom and penciled in “fun.” “Mom, after all the work, we get to have fun, right?” That moment struck a cord in me, as I watched his braces-filled smile and remembered these moments only come once. “You bet!” I replied. So in the busy hum of every week,…
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