By Audrey Larson

On Sunday, April 6th, I had a fantastic time at the “Mega-Awesome Adventure” author event presented by Wellesley Books and organized by Disney Hyperion. The event featured four super-cool and hugely successful authors: Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson), Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl), Jonathan Stroud (Bartimaeus Sequence), and Ridley Pearson (Kingdom Keepers). 

I arrived an hour early and a crowd had already lined at the Dana Hall School auditorium in Wellesley, MA. It was a beautiful day. I spotted excited kids in bright orange “Camp Halfblood” t-shirts (Percy Jackson fans). 

Author Ridley Pearson went down the line of people, shaking hands and taking photos with loyal fans of his Kingdom Keepers series. I overheard a girl shouting into her phone, “I just met Ridley Pearson!”

Once inside, volunteers threw candy at the waiting audience. Dance music blared. Anticipation filled the crowd. Finally, each author was introduced on stage and the audience cheered. Host Seale Ballenger (publicity director at Disney Publishing) introduced the authors and posed a few interesting questions. Mr. Ballenger asked the authors to describe their best moment as a writer. Rick Riordan told us about the time he got a call from his agent while in a car rental place in Las Vegas, sharing the news that Percy Jackson had made the New York times bestseller list. Rick said that he'd started dancing right there on the spot.

During the Q & A, Jonathan Stroud was asked what he’d tell his younger self. He answered: 

  “Enjoy it, keep going, don’t worry about what you’re actually doing; if it doesn’t actually work. I had endless projects that I started... and I used to think it was terrible; I’m never going to be a good writer. And slowly, all the time you’re getting better without realizing it.” 

As an aspiring writer, I have several unfinished novels, short stories, and screenplays saved on my computer. Jonathan Stroud’s words resonated with me. I realized that all those attempts were not failures. Each one had contributed to making me a better writer.

As for advice for other young writers? In the humorous words of Eoin Colfer: 

“Everybody’s got that funny friend, and they say something hilarious - and what happens to that thing? It usually just flies off like a butterfly or something, maybe it gets repeated by someone else once and mangled. But if you’re a writer, it’s up to you to collect all those things, write them down on your notepad, and then don’t pay anybody for them and keep all the money yourself. That is my literary advice.” 

Everyone left the event smiling - including me. I went home with a bagful of autographed books, the event t-shirt, and lots of inspiration to keep on writing. In other words, what a fantastic experience! 

By Audrey Larson and Shay Martin

This past Saturday night (Jan. 4th) we had the pleasure of attending the Milwood independent film premiere at the Arlington Regent Theater. Milwood, Produced by Roman Media and Directed by Jimmy Scanlon and Evan Goldman, is a mystery thriller about 11-year-old Nathan Perry (Christian Goodwin); an orphan who is assigned to the Milwood facility for young adults and becomes a victim of unforeseen terror and unusual behavior. Milwood first premiered last May at the renowned Festival de Cannes in France. 

We came just in time to see the cast arriving in a limo (pretty cool) to an applauding crowd. Cameras flashed as cast and crew posed on the red carpet in their sparkly gowns and tuxedos. The theater was packed and buzzing with people excited for the show to start.

We expected going to the premiere would be cool, but we did not expect it to be so touching. Before the movie started, the Producer, Michelle Romano, began speaking of Sierra Preveza, a 7-year-old girl who was suffering from cancer during the time they were filming Milwood. At the time, they had heard of her wish to be a movie star, and even though they were almost done filming, they created a part just for her. Romano then called up Sierra, (now cancer-free), to the stage and presented her with a check benefitting the organization Sierra started, Childhood Cancer Kids. Sierra spoke about her organization, generating many laughs from the audience when she began saying how she started Childhood Cancer Kids because she noticed that “breast cancer was more popular” and going on to say how all the money she saved up in her piggy bank she was donating to kids with cancer. Her words, though simple, made the audience both laugh and cry. By the time she was done speaking, the audience was on their feet clapping. It was amazing to see another kid, at only 7 years old, taking action and making a difference.

When the film began, we were impressed with the fabulous acting, the lighting and camera work, and how they used a low-budget to create such a professional look. We were particularly impressed by the main actor, 12-year-old newcomer to the industry, Christian Goodwin, a natural talent and joy to watch. Michelle Romano, who plays the character Judy, gave a stellar performance. It was also nice to see a large number of kids in the film. At the end, the plotline left us with many questions; we were hoping for a stronger resolution and more realism at certain moments.  

A question and answer session followed the film. We were able to identify with a lot Jimmy Scanlon (the Writer and Director) and Michelle Romano talked about. For example, both had central roles in the film in addition to their position as Producer and Director; this was something we had also juggled when filming Countdown (FYP’s debut film). 

Overall, kudos to Roman Media for it’s superb debut film. We’re so glad we had the opportunity to be guests at the premiere! 

To find out more about Milwood and watch the film's trailer visit their website, or become a fan on Facebook. 

Here we are posing on the red carpet!

How did you get interested in filmmaking:

I have been making films and messing around with cameras since I was little but I started getting 'serious' 3 years ago when I started my Youtube channel 'Perspective Pictures' (previously known as Nerf4hire). When I started on Youtube my videos were terrible but I made as many as I could with as many different people as I could and tried to improve while watching other channels like 'CorridorDigital' and their behind the scenes. 

 Do you have previous filmmaking experience? 

Well yes, I originally wanted to be an actor (and still do alongside directing) and have done some professional work here in the UK in film and television. I have found it really useful to watch professional film sets and as an actor you spend most of your time just sitting around waiting, now most actors hate this but I love it; it gives me the chance to really watch everything around me as it happens. 

Tell us about your web-series, “The Fallen”:

My web-series 'The Fallen' is about a young man trying to find his younger brother in a world with no water remaining after an 'alien' invasion removes all of it. The series tries to look at what we really are as people by putting characters in a situation with no boundaries. I shot the film on an ultra low budget and produced a series of behind the scenes episodes along side the series to show you how we produced the film on such a low budget. 

Why did you decide to do a web-series? Where did the inspiration for “The Fallen” come from?

The inspiration for 'The Fallen' came from a British tv show called 'The black mirror' I would highly recommend watching it. I was also inspired and motivated by other Youtubers who were producing web-series at the time.

“The Fallen” takes place in a dystopian world. Was this setting hard to put together?

Yes, the dystopain element was difficult to sell in the series, but we used genuine abandoned locations which I found extremely effective as the majority of our locations were genuinely dilapidated, and best of all free!

What was the hardest scene to film?

 The hardest scene to shoot was a battlefield scene. We hired a digger and dug a load of trenches in my parents back garden, then brought in a pyrotechnican who set off a load of explosives to try and sell the battlefield environment. It was pretty sketchy to be honest and we only had two takes to do it in but we did it in one! 

Where did the funds for the series come from? 

 I funded the project myself from revenue accumulated from the youtube partnership program as well as some help from my grandparents. 

What are some lessons you’ve learned from your experience creating “The Fallen”? What do you wish you knew before starting it?

The importance of sound, whether that be music, dialogue or effects-- good sound with bad picture is watchable but great picture and poor sound is awful. This is one of the biggest weakness's of the film however you generally learn more from your mistakes. Sound is more than just half of your film. Its a way of subliminally selling a higher level of production value. 

Do you have any role models or mentors in your life you can tell us about? 

I had a fantastic drama teacher at school who supported me when I was missing so much school and actually was the one who prevented me from being kicked out because she understood how important film is to me and that I wasn't just skipping school for the hell of it. I am inspired by a number of directors like Christopher Nolan who always avoid choosing the obvious when working on a film, and Freddie Wong (the youtuber) who has always said that anyone can make films you just have to borrow your parents/aunties/uncles/friends camera and have a go.

What’s the next step for you as a Director?

I just completed a short film called 'Flip', and am planning to take it around the film festival circuit. In the slightly more long term I am hoping to get a degree in film in the US then return to London for a year and study at the National Film and Television School to gain a masters in film production. 

What advice would you give to young and aspiring filmmakers?

Turn off your computer, laptop, iPad, phone-- whatever you are reading this on right now and go and find a camera (even on an iphone will do) and make a film, it can be a short like 20 seconds or it can be 10 minutes. You can make it funny, scary, weird or whatever you want as long as you have an aim. Then edit it on yours or a friends computer (there is plenty of free editing software out there) and show it to people; all your friends, family, whatever. Show it to as many people as you can and ask them what they really think and how you can do better next time. Then do the whole thing again. 

Thanks for the interview, Rupert. We wish you good look on all your future filmmaking ventures! To find out more about Perspective Pictures, or "The Fallen" visit their Facebook page. 

--Interview conducted by Audrey Larson

--By Audrey Larson

I recently attended a school-group performance of Wheelock Family Theatre’s rendition of the age-old Tolkien classic The Hobbit. Having read The Hobbit and seen all Lord of The Rings movies and the first Hobbit movie, it was hard not having unrealistic expectations. 

I was pleasantly surprised. The actors were good. I especially liked the portrayal of Bilbo Baggins, (Andrew Barbato) and his unique mannerisms and facial expressions which prompted many laughs from the audience of school children. Most dwarves were played by children, which I think was a good choice, though in some lines the supposed “dwarf” accent was a little off. It was exciting to see that many children involved in the production. The stage combat could use some improvement-- the sword-fighting scenes seemed a little slow and unconvincing. You may be wondering, what about the iconic character of Gollum? Well, does the actor compare to a computer generated figure in the multi-million dollar Hollywood hit? Of course not. But for a human being with costume limitations he effectively conveyed the slimy, half-human character. An adorable ensemble of younger children as hobbits and spiders was a fun touch as well, though the three trolls were my personal favorite- very true to the book with good “troll voices” and just as hilarious.  

The set was appealing-- a multi-level mountain-like scene made up of rocks with surprise doors. The staging worked for most scenes except the forest scene, where I would like to have seen more greenery. The dragon Smaug in the final scenes was a highlight for most, and definitely not a disappointment-- a huge shimmery red creature with a booming voice. Along with some nice touches of fog and lightning flashes, and background music, the lighting and set were quite well done. 

I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would definitely recommend seeing this production if you get the chance, though I think those who have read The Hobbit will better understand the story. Overall, kudos to the director and actors for an exemplary performance.

The Hobbit plays through November 24th 2013 at Wheelock Family Theater in Boston, MA. Tickets can be purchased through their website. 

Please tell us about yourself:

I’m fifteen years-old, and live in sunny California where I can follow my dream of having a film career. Having been homeschooled since I was twelve, I’ve been able to accelerate through my classes. So, while I should be going into my sophomore year, I’m actually starting my junior year of high school this fall! 

When did you start acting? What got you started? What do you enjoy about acting?

I started acting when I was around eight years-old. I started modeling at age seven and was fortunate to do seven seasons of Ralph Lauren until I was around ten years old. I loved being on set and working, but I wanted to do more. That’s when I started to transition into TV and movies. I enjoy everything about acting—it really tests who you are as a person, and uses all your skills. I love being able to take on different characters, and bring whatever I have to a role. It’s a great experience.

Tell us about your acting experience:

I’ve had an amazing acting experience so far. I did my first Disney Channel episode when I was twelve years old, and have been lucky to be welcomed so warmly into the Disney family. Disney Channel is such an amazing learning ground. They make it safe to be yourself. It’s also taught me to be comfortable in my own skin, and have a sense of humor about growing up—even when it gets tricky. I’ve also loved playing Mary in MARY LOSS OF SOUL, a character who’s grounded in reality—even though so much happens to her and around her that’s supernatural in nature.

You’ve worked on a couple Disney Channel shows. What was that experience like? 

I’ve had the pleasure of working on three Disney Channel shows which includes “Dog With a Blog”, “Kickin’ It”, and “A.N.T. Farm”. With every Disney show I’ve done, it’s brought me a new and different experience. I love that I always get to play fun, different characters—from a mean cheerleader to a dorky girl with a lisp!

Tell us about your experience filming MARY LOSS OF SOUL. How did you like staying in MA? Did you get to do some sightseeing? How long did the filming take? 

I loved so many different things about Massachusetts. We did a lot of filming on a lake and in the woods. The scenery is very different from California—it was picturesque and green! Sadly though with my crazy shoot schedule, I didn’t get to see much other than our set and my hotel room! I did have the pleasure of walking through Boston for a day and enjoyed being a tourist. We filmed for about 3 weeks. That being said, it doesn’t count all the amazing people who are still working today in post-production.

What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened while you were on set? 

I can’t say that there was just a single funniest moment! There are too many to choose from! I’d have to say that the funniest memories I have are all from our late night shoots when all the actors and crew got delirious! There was always that point in the night, when everyone has already worked so hard, and we’re all so tired and punchy, that everything seems hilarious! I think that those times were when we really bonded us as a cast and crew. 

What was the hardest scene you’ve ever filmed? 

My character is really multidimensional. It wasn’t just the emotional scenes that were challenging, but there were a lot of physical things I had to do. It gets exhausting running through the woods in the dark, taking a quick break and doing it again and again! Before filming,  I went running every day to build my stamina. Even with the extra training, I was still completely dead by the end of filming.

What is your dream acting job that you’d like to do one day? 

Honestly, I’m living my dreams right now. I’ve always had a love for Indie films—they are the essence of great storytelling mixed with the passion of filmmaking. If I could do films like MARY LOSS OF SOUL my entire life, I would. 

What advice would you give to young actors who want to pursue their passion? 

My advice would be to not be afraid. Be absolutely fearless and you will go far. Also you have to be passionate. There will be so many challenges that if you’re not seriously passionate about this job, it won’t be worth it.

Thank you so much for sharing with us, Kaylee! Find out more about the supernatural thriller MARY LOSS OF SOUL by connecting on Facebook and Twitter. You can also visit the film's website. The production company hopes for a theatrical release of MARY LOSS OF SOUL in 2014.

--Interview conducted by Audrey Larson

Please tell us about yourself:

Hello, my name is Alex Dhima and I am 11 years old. I live in Milton, MA. I just graduated from my elementary school, Collicot, which I spent 5 years at taking French alongside English. I also do a lot of other things when I’m not in school: I love to play soccer, football, basketball, bike and swim. Plus I enjoy drawing, Lego building, playing the piano at an advanced level, eating a lot of Provolone cheese and a bunch of food, studying a lot of math, and most of all acting.

When did you start acting? What got you started?

I started acting 4 years ago when I was 7 years old. Initially it started as a part to complement my piano recitals and my parents thought that the acting part would help me connect better with the audience and also express myself better.

Tell us about your acting experience:

While continuing with my piano recitals I decided to take acting more seriously and attended “Acting for the Camera”, a class taken a number of Saturdays at Boston Casting, to get more familiar in front of the camera. I got cast in 4 student films and one of them, WISHBONE, was nominated for “Best Drama” and I was nominated for “Best Actor” in the Campus Movie Fest in Los Angeles. I am also working on 2 web series; RED CIRCLES and FAMILY PROBLEMS. 

I found out that acting in a theater setting is different from acting in a movie when I was working on “Real Realism” (you can read an article about it here). This was a contemporary theater play and I was one of the 5 characters, staying on the stage the whole time for an hour and ten minutes. 

I enjoyed so much musical theatre with Boston Children’s Theatre over 3 consecutive summers performing in Footloose, Legally Blonde and currently Pippin. 

In addition to the above, I also got cast for a Care.com commercial and an educational video.

What’s it like working on a webseries as opposed to a film?

Working on a web series opposed to a film is actually not that different, but for filming a web series you need to film much more often than films. Usually, I film episodes every weekend or every other weekend and sometimes we don’t do scenes from the same episode when we film. Each episode takes an estimated 8 or 9 days (8 –9 weeks) to film. In some ways, I would have a deeper understanding of my character in a web series because since you film often and for a longer time, it gives you a chance to learn more about the character than films (as far as my experience with student films).

What’s your method for “getting in character”?

The way I usually get into character is by thinking about what is going to happen in the scene. Mostly, I think of what my part is and how I become part of the scene and then I usually adapt myself to it.

What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened while you were on set?

One of the funniest things that have ever happened to me while filming is me trying to “complete an obstacle course”. When we were filming once, I had to go out the door and the camera was right in front of me, so I bent down and went under the camera. Then when I came back in, I had to twirl around the camera, which was right in front of me again. After, the director yelled cut and said in jest to stop thinking it was an obstacle course. I started cracking up.

What was the hardest scene you’ve ever filmed?

The hardest scene I’ve ever filmed was the first episode of Season One of FAMILY PROBLEMS which was the last scene we filmed. That day, it was one of the coldest days and I had to wear a short sleeve shirt. The worst part is that it also started to snow.

If you could choose, what three actors would you really want to work with someday? 

Some day, I would really want to work with Mark Wahlberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Johnny Depp (Heath Ledger if he was alive).

What is your dream acting job that you’d like to do one day?

My dream acting job is to be in a well known Hollywood Movie that would require my BEST acting skills and all my efforts will pay off.

What advice would you give to young actors who want to pursue their passion?

My advice to young actors is to keep going and not give up. If you audition for a movie and you don’t get the part, it doesn’t mean that you are a bad actor, it’s just there was someone better than you. So keep on acting and practicing and you’ll soon find yourself improving and being number 1!

Thanks for taking the time to be interviewed, Alex! Stay updated with Alex's acting ventures be following him on twitter. You can also view past and present episodes of FAMILY PROBLEMS on the show's website. 

--Interview conducted by Audrey Larson

Meet Countdown cast member of the day… Maayan Ziv-Kreger!

Maayan, age 12, enjoys painting, drawing, and acting. She has some experience with acting and is excited to be a part of a movie! Maayan takes a drama class and has been in a few school musicals, such as The King and I, Peter Pan, and The Little Mermaid. She also performs in a chorus.

Maayan plays 10-year-old Tori in FYP’s first project, Countdown.

Please tell us about yourself:

My name is Gigi Cappetta. I'm 8 years old and I'm from Hershey, Pennsylvania (where they make the chocolate, I LOVE chocolate).

I have lived in California and Maryland, too.  I attend cyber school since October of this year when I filmed two movies and missed too much school to continue on in public school. I thought being home every day would be so much fun, but it's actually a lot of work. It turns out that I'm learning better at home, without all the distractions and noise in school.

My favorite hobbies are dancing and horseback riding and drawing. I love to travel too; the beach is a favorite place to go especially to see my relatives in South America.

When did you start acting?  What got you started?  
What do you enjoy about acting?

I professionally started acting at age 5, but my parents will tell you that I have been acting since birth! When I was little, around 3 and 4, in daycare, I used to stand on anything I could find and perform songs like "Copacabana" or "Bad Romance" or "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" for all the kids and staff. They would clap and cheer and I really loved that.  

Everyone kept telling my mom that I needed to be in show business. Mom laughed it off for a few years. 

My dad urged my mom to let me attend an open call and when I got on that stage (actually it was a catwalk) and I did my thing, I was the happiest I ever was.  They signed me to the agency that day. The rest is history! 

My first job was a modeling gig for the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia. I am the little girl (daughter) on their website. It's still up and will be for 4 more years. Shortly after this jobs just began to skyrocket for me. I have been busy ever since.

Can you tell us about some projects you're working on right now?

I'm filming a web series called LEGENDS - THE DARK KNIGHT.  It is an amazing series written and produced by the Poke the Bear team out of Ebensburg, PA. Poke the Bear team had cast me in their big suspense, thriller feature film MOREAU which is slated for release in Spring 2014 (after it does a festival circuit.)  In MOREAU, I play Young Charlie and that is my biggest role to date. 

We filmed MOREAU over a two week period in the gorgeous Allegheny Mountains in PA last fall. I was cast out of 700 applicants for the role of Young Charlie, but luckily they cast me in Legends with no audition! That was a first!

I filmed 8 movies in 2012, so am just waiting for stuff to start coming out! I did play young Mariska Hargitay in a film this year (DIAMONDS TO DUST), that was cool! And I worked with Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid) and Fatima Ptacek (who is the voice of Dora) on a feature film coming out this summer called A LITTLE GAME.  And I have a short film I played a lead role in called CHARITY CASE doing the festival circuit right now.

Aside from that, I'm not working on much other than preparing for our upcoming move to Los Angeles. 

Can you tell us about the auditioning process?  Do you get nervous?  Do you have any tips on auditioning?

YES! I got very nervous in the beginning. That's totally normal. The more you audition the easier it will get, I promise. I recommend to all kids who want to act to start with modeling. It's less pressure to start and you can ease into the process of being on stage, in front of people and all the things that go with the spotlight being on you. Also when you are in front of the camera, for an audition or filming, whatever - just pretend like it's you and the camera and no one else in the room.  It's really important to be able to clock out noise and other distractions.  

Once I had an audition where they had me reading a really serious script while someone next door was banging on pots and pans. It turns out the director was looking for a child who was very focused and could perform under such conditions…I didn't book that one!

What are some fun things you got to do on set?

Once I shot a scene where we played with a cotton candy machine and I ate and ate and ate pink cotton candy until I got sick. I also got to swim in a pool, roll down a hill in the leaves under moonlight, and shoot an Xbox video game scene with a bunch of cheering Italian soccer fans which was awesome. I also love going to make-up and getting made up with special effects. It's so cool. Acting is like playing dress up with slightly older kids. I love it!

What's the hardest scene you ever filmed?

There were a couple of scenes in MOREAU where I was in sort of scary situations with the lead character, Moreau, who was a very bad guy. We talked about it before the scene, everyone did, the actors, my parents, the director. We had code words that I could say if I was not comfortable and everyone made it a nice as they could. I'm not going to lie, it was still a bit uncomfortable, but as the filming went on I got better and better at it.  

It's almost a year since those scenes, now it doesn't even bother me to play scenes with bad guys. You can't just play the cute kid all the time. If you want to get better at acting, you have to take bigger roles and sometimes those roles will be challenging. If you make those scenes an opportunity talk with your parents about what's happening, you can actually come away with a great learning lesson and even some street smart skills in addition to acting skills. 

What advice would you give young actors who want to pursue their passion?

Tell your parents you really want to try acting. Take a class on acting, even some voice lessons if you want to do theatre and singing roles. Be serious about it and know that it's competitive because there's a lot of kids out there who want to act. So you have to really work at it. There's a lot to gain. Focus, have fun, be yourself - that's most important because casting directors are looking for the real you - don't dress up too much and never wear make-up or big bows for auditions, always look your own age and remember… there's enough work for everyone who has the passion to act!  And never look back after an audition. Forget you ever went in. This way, if they call you it's a bonus, and if they don't, well, you long since forgot about them. Be happy.

Thank you, Gigi! It was a pleasure interviewing you. You can find Gigi on Facebook and Twitter. 

--Interview conducted by Audrey Larson

Meet Countdown cast member of the day… Matt Keilty!

Matt is 12 years old and lives in New Hampshire with his mom, dad, brother, sister and cat. He has a passion for acting, filmmaking, and comic book history. Over the last year and a half he’s played lead and supporting roles in six college student films (see one here), a Hallmark film, an Italian restaurant commercial, a webtv documentary, and two stage plays.

In his spare time Matt enjoys creating lego stop action animations, pivot animations, and home-made movies that he posts on his own Youtube channel.


Matt plays 9-year-old Luke in FYP's first film, Countdown.

Kayla Schechter, age 9, is excited to be a part of Fountain of Youth Productions! 

Aside from acting and her passion for drama, Kayla enjoys singing and writing original short stories. Her other hobbies include reading and enjoying nature. Kayla is a 3rd grader at Striar Hebrew Academy in Sharon, MA.  She is in the middle of a brother sandwich with both an older and younger brother at home. In her own words, being involved with FYP “totally rocks!”

Kayla plays 7-year-old Riley, in FYP’s upcoming short film Countdown.