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Nicholas Downs Hollywood’s Hottest interview

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
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Nicholas Downs Hollywood’s Hottest interview

The temperature just keeps rising this week’s with our Hollywood’s Hottest week and you guys just can’t get enough.

Today’s Hollywood’s Hottest spotlight is moving onto the dashing and talented Nicholas Downs. A producer, writer and actor in Hollywood Nicholas enjoyed his breakthrough with the J.C. Calciano movie Is It Just Me?

We caught up with Nicholas to talk about the continuing rise of his career, find out about his web series Steam Room Stories, and to find out what he’s got coming up.

How are you today? Where does this Q&A find you?

Doing very well thanks. I’m in my home in Los Angeles between auditions and found some time to answer your questions while enjoying a cup of tea.

You first came to our attention in the romantic comedy ‘Is It Just Me?’ How important a role has that movie played in your career?

I’m very proud of Is It Just Me? and my role in that film. Not only did I get to play a character I’ve always wanted to play but I have had such great response to it. Weekly I get messages from fans telling me how much they like the film and my role in it. I appreciate each and every one of those messages.

Since ‘Is It Just Me?’ your career has been going from strength-to-strength. What has been your favourite job since then and why?

I have enjoyed working on films, TV shows, web series and a play since then. I’d say two that really stick out are a play I did in Los Angeles called The Girl Most Likely To, where I played three roles and my episode of Castle, where I got to work with Nathan Fillion and Susan Sullivan.

Your partner in crime on a lot of your projects is director, writer and producer JC Calciano. What is it about working with JC that you enjoy so much?

We pretty much agree on everything, we have a very similar way of working and vision. It’s actually a rarity when we don’t agree on something, and that’s a hard thing to find. JC is not only a collaborator but he’s also a very good friend. He’s very talented and I completely respect him as a filmmaker.

Nicholas Downs

You are a producer and writer for the hit online series ‘Steam Room Stories’ which we regularly feature. Tell us about the series and how it came to be.

It’s a web series that takes place in a steam room at a gym, need I say more? Ok I will…It came about when JC and I were looking to find ways to promote our films and get more fans. We came up with the idea for Steam Room Storiesand kept the setting simple with a little skin thrown in to boot. Before we knew it, it took off and had a life of its own and has become quite popular. You can check it out at www.steamroomstories.com.

What do you look for when selecting your next project?

Projects and roles that excite me are always great and if they can help to further my career and push me to the next level that’s a bonus. To be honest, work is work, but I have gotten to the point in my career that I won’t just do anything, I’ve been a bit discerning lately, I think one has to when building a career.

Do you have any desire to try directing in the future?

I’ve given that a lot of thought. And I’d say yes. It seems quite a number of actors have made that jump. It seems like a very fluid transition from acting. I feel acting will always be my number one, but directing does seem very creative and perhaps I could direct something I’ve written.

Something on the forefront of every American’s mind right now is the Presidential election and debates. What things do you want to see change post elections?

Less division. Right now it’s all about winning. It seems there is always a run off, or election. It would be great if it stopped being about who’s on top and who controls what house, and politicians get together and do the most good for the people. That’s what it should be about, but at the moment it’s about winning, not about the people.

Nicholas Downs

What are your plans for the next six months? What’s in the pipeline work wise?

To continue looking for good projects to act in. Continue to work with the various filmmakers and producers I’m currently working with on various projects, from web series to feature films. I’m currently working with four different filmmakers/writers/directors/producers on varying projects on both an acting and producing level. And to continue to push my own scripts and see about getting them made as well.

What will you be doing for the holidays this year?

Spending it here in Los Angeles with my family. I think we are hosting Thanksgiving again this year! That’s what I get for making a good turkey last year.

For more on ‘Steam Room Stories’ head over to www.steamroomstories.com and to keep up to date with Nicholas follow him on Twitter @NicholasDowns

Olly Murs – Happy Days review

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
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Olly Murs – Happy Days review

Olly Murs has become one of the most successful X Factor contestants to date since his stint on the show in 2009. Despite coming runner-up to Joe McElderry, Olly has racked up the success with his 2010 debut self-titled album and 2011’s follow-up In Case You Didn’t Know both being certified double platinum in the UK. He’s also found success back in his old stomping ground by presenting X Factor spin-off The Xtra Factor with Caroline Flack which he’s currently doing for the second year. As he prepares to release new single Troublemaker featuring Flo Rida and third album Right Place, Right Time Olly has released his first book Happy Days.

Happy Days is an autobiography of sorts, despite Olly saying contrary in recent press interviews. The hardback book contains around 100 pages of text with the remainder of the book a compilation of photos by renowned photographer Dean Freeman. The book opens with Olly’s recollectons of waiting to hear his fate at the judges’ houses stage of The X Factor in 2009. He describes being stood outside Simon Cowell’s house in L.A. anxious as he was the last in his category to find out if he’d made it through to the live shows or not.

From that point the book rewinds to the start as Olly talks about his childhood, growing up and his love of football. He recounts his first disastrous appearance on Deal Or No Deal before he became a successful singer before swiftly moving on to his beginnings in music. The details of his time with The X Factor will likely be what most fans will be interested in. He gives plenty of insight into his experience from his multiple auditions right through to coming second.

The experiences after The X Factor are what we found most interesting. Olly describes his journey from X Factor star to recording artist admitting he didn’t feel confident in the beginning as a songwriter after being thrown together with some of the biggest songwriters in the world. He goes on to talk about his success but also the decline in his happiness as his work schedule and pressures of fame began to take hold of him. There are some great celebrity stories in there too like Olly being speechless after Cheryl Cole complimented his live return to The X Factor and Michael Buble calling him to congratulate him on getting a number one.

The second half of the book is a collection of unseen photographs of Olly on and off stage. Photographer Dean Freeman catches Olly at his finest but manages to get some candid shots that show him being more reflective and contained. The photos also serve to document Olly’s travels around the world and changing style over the past few years (we think he’s getting more and more suave!).

Olly’s personality shines through the book and he still seems to be the same down-to-earth, cheeky chappy that the nation fell in love with in 2009. Happy Days is a surprisingly frank and honest book that combines fantastic photos making it the perfect gift for any Olly fan this Christmas. Whilst never being a fan of Olly on The X Factor we’ve grown really fond of him in the past couple of years and he’s a great live entertainer. Happy Days has made us like him even more.

The Walking Dead – Episode 3: Long Road Ahead review

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
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The Walking Dead – Episode 3: Long Road Ahead review

Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead video game adaptation has been critically-acclaimed and loved by fans of the comic book and TV show. The episodic approach is a perfect fit for the post-apocalyptic zombie-filled horror fest and we’ve been as hooked as everyone else. At the end of Episode 2: Starved For Help, Lee and the survivors happen upon an abandoned car filled with supplies. After the dilemma of whether or not to take the supplies, the group continues to try and stay alive in a barricaded motel.

Episode 3: Long Road Ahead is the longest and most brutal instalment of The Walking Dead to date. If you thought the choices you had to make in the previous episodes were tough then just wait until you get stuck into this episode. As we’ve said throughout the series so far, the decision-based gameplay is one of the selling-points of The Walking Dead and it doesn’t half make you feel guilty. Some of the choices feel impossible and even though you know you’re playing a video game you still feel way more emotionally involved than you’d expect. We won’t spoil anything but just be warned that about halfway through you have to make the toughest choice you’ve ever made and we laboured over it for some time (and felt guilty for a long time after).

In this episode the survivors soon realise that Macon is no longer safe to stay in and decide to move on. When they encounter a broken down train, they realise there could be an opportunity to get to the coast and potentially away from the walkers forever. Before you get to that point though there’ is lots of action involving the mysterious bandits, in-fighting within your own camp and some accusations of double-crossing and manipulation. As Lee you must try and separate the truth from the lies whilst keeping the camp together and in particular protecting Clementine. It’s no easy task and the game gives you a real emotional workout.

The Walking Dead - Episode 3: Long Road Ahead

Long Road Ahead is longer in terms of gameplay than the previous two episodes. We clocked in around 4 hours of playing time from start to finish and that was without getting stuck too often. There are challenging moments throughout and several parts where we had to replay them as we kept getting killed. The battles against the walkers can be tough but once you get the hang of it you’ll breeze through them. Those moments are amongst the most intense and the thing we love about The Walking Dead is that you literally have no idea what is going to happen next.

By the end of the episode Lee and the survivors are in a very different situation than they were at the beginning and expect lots of change with your group. As the in-fighting gets too much you are forced to choose between your companions and the realisation that you made a mistake (like we did) is a difficult one to come to terms with. There are new characters and potential allies along the way but be sure to really interrogate anyone before you let them join you.

The Walking Dead - Episode 3: Long Road Ahead

This episode also really fleshes out the relationship between Lee and Clementine. For the first time the two have to work as a team and Lee realises that he can’t allow Clementine to be protected from the harsh realities of the world and his own past. The scenes between the two characters are well-written and amongst the best in the episode. We took the honest approach with her during dialogue and it worked a treat.

As Long Road Ahead drew to a close we felt physically and emotionally exhausted. Our decisions re-ran through our minds as we wondered if we’d made the right ones. It’s safe to say that three episodes in we’re absolutely hooked and can’t wait to play through Episode 4: Around Every Corner. With a unique visual style, innovative controls and a really effective storyline it’s safe to say that The Walking Dead will appear on our best-of 2012 games list later in the year.

Nathan Carden Hollywood’s Hottest interview

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
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Nathan Carden Hollywood’s Hottest interview

Our Hollywood’s Hottest week is proving to be quite the hit with you lot it would seem and you’ve been devouring our interviews with Steven Dehler and Matt Palazzolo.

For Day 3 of Hollywood’s Hottest we’re moving our spotlight onto Nathan Carden, a production designer in Hollywood who made his feature film debut recently working on J.B. Ghuman Jr’s critically-acclaimed movieSpork.

We caught up with Nathan to find out exactly what his job entails, talk about his experiences on Spork and to discover what his favourite job to date has been.

How are you today? Where does this Q&A find you?

Oh I’m doing alright.  I am currently in my office at Varsity Pictures/AwesomenessTV wrapping out a show called IMO.  We shot all weekend and I’m pretty exhausted.

You’re making quite the name for yourself as a production designer in Hollywood. Explain to us exactly what your job entails.

Why thank you!  As a production designer I am charged with the task of designing the look of the film/show/music video.  Basically I create the world that the characters exist in whether it is the bedroom of a little girl or the bridge of a space ship, it’s my job to conceptualize that and bring it to life.  There are a million moving parts to my job, but to put it simply, I am the head of the art department.

How did you get into production design in the first place? Is it something you always wanted to do?

I actually fell into the position!  I studied fine arts at the University of California at Santa Barbara and straight out of college was working at MTV in the casting department.  I have a lot of creative friends and through my social network I started designing sets and props for music videos and web shorts.  It was more of a hobby than anything.  I am a huge fan of movies with elaborate sets and props that were physically created for the film (The Dark Crystal and Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome to name a few) so when I was asked if I could create a ten foot wide, seven feet tall “wig” for a music video, I jumped at the chance!  I missed creating things and the prospect of getting to do so with other people’s money sounded too good to pass up.  I was working a lot with JB Ghuman Jr. for a few years when one day he called me and told me he had sold this script he had written and wanted me to production design it.  I was faced with a choice, continue doing casting, or make the leap into doing production design as a career.  It was scary as hell, but I made the leap without a safely net.

I never knew production design was a job growing up, but was always fascinated and loved movies. I have always been a dreamer and my imagination is something I have always treasured and nurtured.  I have an incredibly varied skill set and it fit perfectly with the job.  I got lucky in that regard.

Your movie debut was J.B. Ghuman Jr’s fantastic ‘Spork’. Tell us what that experience was like for you.

The experience was eye opening to say the least. Haha. I had to interview for the position and do a bit of lyingconvincing to the producers that I knew what I was doing.  The truth is, I had no clue what I was doing.  I hired on one of my best friends (Orlando Soria) to help out and together we fumbled our way through the film.  It was probably the best learning experience I could have had.  It was one of the most intense 30 days of my life and through the experience I learned the basics of my design process and that Production Design was exactly what I wanted to do with my life.

Nathan Carden

‘Spork’ is such a wonderfully quirky movie. Did you have to design to a brief or were you given freedom to shape things as you wanted?

With Spork I was given sort of free reign to do whatever I wanted.  I think because I had worked with JB on so many other projects, he gave me carte blanche.  We had lots of discussions about who the characters were and their back-story, that I shopped for and designed their rooms from their perspective.  It was pretty low budget so I had to get really creative with some of the spaces.  I wanted the individual bedrooms to reflect the characters and offer the viewers an insight into the character’s psyche.  Because the film is set in sort of a “Hyper Reality” I was able to really have fun with things.  For me, it was the perfect first feature film to design.

What’s been your favourite project to work on so far and why?

Tough question!  I designed a music video for called Strangers for this artist Melinda Ortner. It featured the Lucent Dossier Experience.  They were incredibly inspiring to work with because they bring so much to the table.  I felt like I really had to step up my game and the end result speaks for itself. I feel like every project I work on is both the hardest thing I’ve ever done and also my favorite.  It’s one of the aspects that I treasure about my job.  I am always challenged.

This week my latest feature film will be premiering at the Hollywood Film Festival.  It’s called Lost On Purpose and stars Jane Kaczmarek, C. Thomas Howell and James Lafferty.  I also got to work with Oscar award winner Octavia Spencer, which was a real treat!

What advice would you give to other people who would like to follow in your footsteps?

Stay inspired!  I am constantly looking around for inspiration and banking ideas.  I am constantly being called upon for the big idea and so I try and always keep my brain working.  Don’t give up!  It’s a very tough job and requires a sort of patience, drive and determination that is more learned than born.  You’re going to face innumerous roadblocks but that’s all right.  Everyone makes mistakes and nothing is ever easy.  Always be designing!  I think it’s really easy for people to take the easy road and get a job working for someone else.  If you want to be a production designer, find your own projects.  You might learn a lot being someone else coordinator or PA, but at some point you’re going to have to take the big leap and put your own ass on the line.  You might as well do it now!

Where do you see your future? Is production design something you want to continue doing or do you have aspirations to expand into other areas of the entertainment industry?

I am aiming for the top!  I am a very tenacious person and am doggedly chasing my dream of Oscar Gold (yes, I plan on winning an Academy Award some day). I look forward to playing with mega budgets.  I cannot wait to design and build a city and then blow it up! I’m not sure if I’ll always do production design.  I think it is a natural progression to want to take more control of the projects and thus I started writing this year.

My main goal is that I want to inspire and influence people’s dreams.  I want to create worlds that children fantasize about and explore with their own imagination.  I would love to be remembered for that.

What other things interest you when you’re not working?

I do my best to stay inspired.  I work with A Club Called Rhonda and patrons are all on the bleeding edge of fashion and culture and I study them fiercely.  I go to the movies a LOT when I’m not working.  I love seeing films during the day by myself.  I love to explore new places and travel whenever possible.  When I have down time, I like to give my imagination enough space to wonder.

What do you have lined up for 2013?

Right now I am reading through a few scripts trying to figure out what my next big move should be.  I have a couple of feature films in the pipe line and some artist film shorts. Expect BIG THINGS in 2013!!!

For more information on Nathan follow him on Twitter @NathanCarden and check out his websitewww.nathancarden.com

Raza Jaffrey interview

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
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Raza Jaffrey interview

British actor Raza Jaffrey has enjoyed a successful career on both the big and the small screen with roles in Spooks, Mistresses, Sex and the City 2 and Eastern Promises.

More recently he’s found success across the world as part of the hit musical show Smash where he plays politician Dev Sundaram, the boyfriend to the show’s central character Karen Cartwright (former American Idol star Katharine McPhee).

Smash – Season One is being released on DVD in the UK on Monday so we caught up with Raza to find out more about the show, talk about showing off his singing talent and discover what it’s like to work with such a star-studded cast.

‘Smash’ is being released on DVD in the UK next week. What’s the show all about?

Smash is about Bombshell, a Marilyn Monroe musical. It’s about all the people coming together to put on this Broadway show. It’s about the lives of all those characters involved in it. We’ve got great music from Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman who wrote Hairspray and Catch Me If You Can. The pedigree of the people involved is fantastic; we’ve had episodes produced by Neil Meron and Craig Zadan who produced Chicago. It’s made by authentic people who have worked in musical theatre on Broadway and in musical cinema as well. They’ve all come together to make this happen.

You play the character of Dev. What do we need to know about him?

Dev is a Brit. He works in the Mayor’s office in New York and he’s a very ambitious politician. His girlfriend in the show, played by Katharine McPhee, is hopefully going to become the star of Bombshell which is the show within our show. Of course be careful what you wish for because I’m not sure either of them know what they’re getting into on this path they’ve both set themselves on.

What’s Katharine like to work with?

She’s wonderful. She’s brilliant and so fun to be around. She’s a really talented performer. American audiences knew her from American Idol first of all and now they’ve welcomed her with open arms as Smash has gone on. She’s a brilliant actress as she’s proven to everyone and it’s a real pleasure to work with someone like that. She’s wonderful to be around.

The cast has some fantastic actors in it – Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston, Jack Davenport – what’s it like being in such a fantastic ensemble?

It’s lovely actually. It’s such a mixed cast. You’ve got Hollywood royalty in Anjelica. Then you’ve got the younger talent like Megan Hilty involved in the show who’s a big Broadway star and this is her first major TV gig. You’ve got people on all ends of the spectrum and I think that’s why the cast gets along with each other so well. For me personally I adore having Jack on the cast as well because it’s nice to have a fellow Brit there and have someone to laugh at your jokes which is kind of nice.  We have great fun shooting it actually. It’s a great set to be on.

What first attracted you to ‘Smash’?

I think it was the calibre of the people involved, knowing that Steven Spielberg himself was involved in the show and that it was his original idea. He’s very hands on as a producer and a lot of icons put their names to something without being there day-to-day but Steven’s so hands with his projects. Knowing that he was involved was a major draw of course. The writing on the pilot episode, which is all we had early on. It was so great to read a script that featured 8 or 9 main characters yet all of them you kind of knew by the end of the episode, just 40 minutes of television, without feeling there was a load of exposition in the show. It’s a real credit to how that pilot episode was written. That was my first experience of Smash and why I knew I wanted to be involved with it really.

The show gets compared a lot to ‘Glee’. How would you say the two shows differ?

Our show is different in that most of the music that happens in the show happens in the course of Bombshell, the musical we’re putting on. People generally don’t burst into song it’s more about seeing people in the rehearsal room than it is people singing in competitions. By the same token Glee is so adored in the States and I know it is in the UK, that if we even have a bit of the adoration Glee’s had we’d be over the moon. One of the truths of the Glee story is that show’s like Smash wouldn’t exist without Glee. I’m not sure we would have been given a voice on network television in America and the UK unless a musical drama like Glee had done as well as it’s done. It’s great to be compared alongside.

You mentioned earlier that your character Dev is the boyfriend of lead character Karen. What hurdles can we expect those two to experience over the course of the season?

The American writers are very good at ensuring there’s lots of rockiness along the road. The nice thing about doing a series in America is that its 15 episodes so there’s a proper arc to the story and a proper chance to go to some places with the characters. One of the other things that drew me to this project was how good they are at writing the stuff you’d never expect and the stuff that goes on in later episodes, particularly between Dev and Karen; when I turned the page my jaw dropped because I had literally no idea what was coming. I think people will be in for a shock when they see what’s going to happen later on in the series.

You are a singer and a dancer yourself. Are you going to get the opportunity to show that off in the show?

Yes. I was really lucky. I don’t think they knew that I could sing and dance before I first met them on this project. When we were up and running in the show Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, our song writers who know me, came up with this great idea for a number and they wrote this original number for me. It was in episode 12 and it ended up being the biggest production number that we’d done. It was Katharine and I together and the whole cast join us for the number. It’s one of the fun highlights of this year for me. It was a great thing to do.

Is there any kind of competitiveness amongst the cast as there’s so many talented singers?

What’s been so lovely, and it’s probably why they’ve cast the way they have, is that the voices on the show are so different. We have the luxury of having original songwriters involved in the show so the songs are engineered for different voices. Everyone has their own unique style and I think it makes for a better show. Megan has an extraordinary Broadway voice and Katharine has a more poppy voice so they just do different things on the show. It’s great to have those different styles all mashed together really.

What kind of feedback have you had from fans about you and the show overall?

They’ve been really lovely actually. I think they’re in for a few shocks as they think Dev is the perfect boyfriend and there’s some stuff throughout the season that will make them question that. It might be a bit of a shock. The response has been really terrific. What’s interesting about Smash is that people come up to you and really want to talk to you about the specifics of the show like who will get the part (in Bombshell), what’s happening in the show-within-a-show, who’s coming to join the cast. We’ve had some amazing guests with Uma Thurman and some big Broadway stars. People are really interested in the life of the show which is nice and it means people care about the show.

If you had to pick one highlight from season one for viewers to look forward to what would it be?

There’s a moment in episode 9 when Megan and Katharine end up in Times Square a little bit worse for wear which is one of my favourite scenes in the show. It was directed by British director Paul McGuigan who directed Sherlock and it’s one of my favourite moments. Also the season finale as there are some moments in that that are real show-stoppers.

‘Smash – Season One’ is released on DVD through Universal Pictures (UK) on Monday 29th October 2012.

Matt Palazzolo Hollywood’s Hottest interview

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
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Matt Palazzolo Hollywood’s Hottest interview

Day 2 of our Hollywood’s Hottest week is here and we got off to a spectacular start with model and dancer Steven Dehler yesterday.

Today we’re moving the Hollywood’s Hottest spotlight onto Matt Palazzolo, actor, writer and creator of hit online web series Bloomers. Matt first came to our attention thanks to his feisty performance in Keith Hartman’s debut movie You Should Meet My Son.

We caught up with Matt to talk about the new season of Bloomers, talk about the reaction to the first season and find out what else the talented rising star has coming up. Matt also gave us some exclusive stills from the second season of Bloomers which you can see throughout this feature.

Matt, how are you? Where does this Q&A find you?

Hi Pip! I’m very excited to be doing an interview for Entertainment Focus. As you probably know, I’m a huge fan of the site. I think you guys have great content and it’s great to be a part of that.

You’re currently shooting the second season of ‘Bloomers’. Tell us how that’s going.

Yes, just last week we started production on season 2 of the online TV series, Bloomers, that I produce, write, and act in. As with all projects, we had a few hiccups on the first few days, but we have really gotten our stride. The footage looks amazing. I’m really honoured to be working with this cast and crew. It’s relieving to know that the directors, DP, producer, & entire crew are so skilled because it allows me to relax on set and do my job as an actor. However – having so many talented actors on set does the opposite, haha, but in a good way. I’m constantly on my toes trying to bring my A game.

As you know we loved the first season. Are there any juicy tidbits you can tell us about the new season?

Hmmm, well, let’s see. Every character from season 1 is back for season 2 and each of them are getting put through the wringer this time around. Francesca still has to sort out her pregnancy. Clarissa finds herself falling for someone she would not have ever dreamed she’d be attracted to. My character Brooke, gets a very textured season (I guess it pays to be a writer and an actor). His work life is starting up and so is his love life. By the end of the season he will be tested both emotionally and physically… and I’ll leave it at that. OH — and we also find out a lot more about that time Brooke lied to his ex about being a spy. Sean Hemeon, star of Husbands, is coming in for a multiple episode arc involving Brooke. We also have a few other awesome guest stars including Emmy winner Darin Brooks & Olympian Tai Babilonia. And our two incredible directors from season 1, Tim Russ & Henryk Cymerman, are also back this time around.

Bloomers

The reaction to the first season of ‘Bloomers’ was really positive. How do you feel about the reception it received?

I was blown away by the reception for season 1. I mean, we knew from the beginning that we were making something of good quality, but we had no idea that so many people would fall in love with these characters. It has definitely motivated us to raise the bar for season 2.

What was your aim when you first set out to create ‘Bloomers’?

When I first started writing Bloomers, it was the intention of Fernanda Espíndola (the other Executive Producer & star) and mine to create acting jobs for ourselves and our friends. Goodness, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

One of the key draws of the show is the great chemistry between the cast. How did you assemble such a great cast and foster that chemistry?

Thank you for the compliment. I’m sure the cast will love to hear that. Fernanda and I assembled the cast by turning to our friends. In fact, most of the characters were written specifically for people we knew – and that’s why the chemistry between the actors is there — most of us have known each other for so long, both as actors and as friends. A lot of us even met in acting class years back. Honestly, we lucked out by having so many good fun friends who also happened to be hardworking actors.

You recently ran an IndieGoGo campaign to raise the money to shoot the second season. Why did you decide to do that?

As I said before, we really raised the bar for season 2… and raising the bar requires more cash, haha. It’s hard to find investors in general, but especially for long form scripted content on the web – so we thought, why not try to get a few dollars from everyone we know? It worked out nicely.

Bloomers

The independent route is proving to be more and more popular for film-makers. How hard is it to get your voice heard and find an audience?

This is an extremely important question. The answer: Oy! It’s extremely difficult to be heard through the crowd, especially a crowd full of so many talented writers, actors, directors, and producers. So the short answer to your question is: you just keep creating, keep telling people about what your creating, keep surrounding yourself with people who have a high standard for creating, and hope something sticks — and never give up.

You’ve just completed filming on Keith Hartman’s new movie ‘Real Heroes’. Tell us about that project and how you got involved.

This is actually the second of Keith’s features that I acted in. In his first film, You Should Meet My Son, I played a very mischievous drag queen. After that Keith was kind enough to bring me in to audition for Real Heroes. I play Psychic Sam, a very lazy psychic – the best part about the role is that this time I don’t have to wear heels. Haha! Real Heroesis a mockumentary about a group of washed up super heroes joining a reality show. Just the concept itself is fantastic. Keith is a wonderful director to work with. He really lets actors play.

Finally pitch to our readers why they should tune into ‘Bloomers’.

Bloomers is a comedy about an unexpected group of friends learning new ways to love, work, & laugh in Downtown Los Angeles. The best way to describe it is… it’s like Grey’s Anatomy, but minus the medicine and with lots of underwear. What exactly does that mean? You’ll have to check it out.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattPalazzolo to keep up with the latest news. For more on ‘Bloomers’ follow the show on Twitter @Bloomers_Series or head over to www.bloomerstheseries.com

Dead Can Dance – Opium single review

Lucy Christian
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Dead Can Dance – Opium single review

Opium, released by Australian duo Dead Can Dance, is the first single to be taken from their latest album Anastasis. This eight studio album is the first after Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerard disbanded in 1996.

The music has seemingly not suffered from this break and, in fact, the enjoyably ambient style of world music produced by Dead Can Dance, appears to have remained unhindered, signalling that the couple perhaps were in need of a break to restart afresh and explore new stylistic options. In regrouping as musicians, they appear to have successfully further matured their unique sound into something unequivocally impressive.

Unlike songs from former Top World Music Albums Chart No 1 album Spiritchaser, Opium is, admittedly, less than upbeat, yet indicates a significant change in direction for Perry and Gerard, as the band continues to develop in terms of style. This is one reunion EF is more than happy to celebrate.

Todd Verow Bad Boy Street interview

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
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Todd Verow Bad Boy Street interview

Todd Verow grew up in Bangor, Maine but now resides in New York City where he’s busy as a writer, director and actor.

Since the late 80s, Todd has been pretty prolific as a director and debuted his writing skills in 1995 with his movie Frisk. This week sees the release of Todd’s latest feature Bad Boy Street.

We caught up with Todd to talk about the movie, discuss the rather hot cast and to find out how he finds the time to pack everything in.

How are you today? Where does this Q&A find you?

I am very well thank you. I am in Copenhagen at the moment for MIX Copenhagen the lesbian, gay, bi, trans film festival. Then I am off to the Berlin Porn Film festival then to Paris to shoot another movie. Yes, I like to keep busy!

Your movie ‘Bad Boy Street’ is being released on DVD in the UK. Tell us about the movie.

Bad Boy Street is a movie about love, romance and chance encounters. It is about an unexpected relationship that developes between an older man and a young guy. This is quite a departure for me, my movies are usually about violence, death, drugs, sex, etc. (Don’t worry Bad Boy Street is definitely about sex). This was a challenge for me but I am very happy with how the movie came out and how audiences have been receiving it.

You wrote, directed and even have a small role in the movie. How did you find juggling all three and which one do you prefer?

Yes, like I said I like to keep busy. I went to art school (RISD) and started out making short experimental movies so for me making movies was always about doing everything and I enjoy all aspects of film-making. I think I probably like filming/directing the best because I really enjoy working/collaborating with actors. The hardest thing for me is acting in my own movies but I enjoy doing a little part when I can. I love that I am a “bad guy” in Bad Boy Street.

Bad Boy Street

Where did the inspiration for the movie come from? Is it based on events from your life or is it completely fictional?

All of my movies are at least partially based on things that have really happened to me. I did have a romance in Paris, well several actually, and parts of the two lead characters are based on me at various times in my life. Yes, I have passed out on many streets and woken up in many strange places and picked up strangers and fallen in love with them.

Tell us about the casting process for the movie. You found two perfect lead actors. How did you discover them?

Yann de Monterno (Claude) I have known for many years. I met him in a bar in Paris actually about ten years ago. So we have been friends for a long time and he has had small parts in several of my movies. When I came up with the idea for Bad Boy Street I had him in mind for the lead. I enjoy working with him very much and he is a fantastic actor. The part of Kevin was much harder to cast, it wasn’t until the last moment that a friend suggested Kevin Miranda (Brad) to me. I actually didn’t meet him until I arrived in Paris to begin preparations for shooting so I was very nervous, would he be good? Would he and Yann be good together? When I met him I knew he was perfect for the part and the chemistry Yann had with him was very electric. Florence D’Azemar (Catherine) I had met once years ago and she is good friends with Yann so I knew she would be great.

What kind of a director are you? Are you very prescriptive to your actors or do you encourage improvisation?

I love to have my actors improvise, be in the moment. I love to play. I shoot my own movies so what I like to do is go over scenes with the actors and then film the scene like it is a documentary. I like to keep rolling and see what happens in a scene. I am also an editor so when I am shooting I am figuring out how it is all going to piece together. I like to have fun and for my actors to have fun too.

Looking back at the movie, is there anything you would do differently now you’ve seen the end product?

I don’t think I would do anything differently, we were very lucky when we were shooting this that everything went so well. I would have liked more time because it was exhausting and we didn’t really have a break while we were shooting, we shot the entire movie in 9 days, but I am very pleased with my actors and the movie.

What do you hope that audiences take away from the movie?

I hope they will leave the movie feeling good and realizing that you can find love anywhere you just have to let it in.

Bad Boy Street

We noticed you had a small role in ‘Sex and the City 2’. How did that come about and what was that experience like?

Yes, I have a very, very small role in Sex and the City 2. They approached me about being an extra in the wedding scene; they wanted real New York City gay men ha ha. It was a lot of fun but long, we shoot that scene for 6 days! The behind-the-scenes were very interesting, all those NYC gays in one place for that long you can imagine ha ha. I actually did it for research too for Bad Boy Street and for another movie I want to make called The Stand In about an actor who works as a stand in for a big closeted Hollywood star. I spent a lot of time talking with Sarah Jessica Parker’s stand in (who has worked with her for years) for part of my research. Oh and yes the girls all looked great in person and were all very friendly and nice.

What other projects do you have coming up in the future?

I have a new feature called Tumbledown that I just finished, it is much darker but does have a rather sweet romance at its centre. I guess I am a big softy after all, blush. I also have a couple of movie that take place in LA that I want to make, The Stand In and First, Last & Always. Like I said I like to keep busy.

‘Bad Boy Street’ is available to own on DVD now through TLA Releasing.

Steven Dehler Hollywood’s Hottest interview

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
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Steven Dehler Hollywood’s Hottest interview

Model and dancer Steven Dehler kicks off Hollywood’s Hottest week on Gay Focus.

All week we’re bringing you interviews with the hottest rising stars in Hollywood so you can get to know who they are before the rest of the world does.

During our recent trip to West Hollywood, we met Steven at The Abbey bar on Santa Monica Boulevard where he works as a go-go dancer. Impressed with his physique and his moves, we decided to get to know him a little better.

In our interview Steven talks about being a go-go boy, tells us all about his modelling career and reveals why he loves Britney Spears so much.

How are you today? Where does this Q&A find you?

I’m great! I’m a little sore – just had a workout.

You came to our attention as the hottest go-go dancer in West Hollywood’s The Abbey. How did you get into that scene?

I started working as a server in small bar in West Hollywood a little over a year ago and I didn’t enjoy it very much. From that I also got a job as bottle service at club Eleven, but I just felt stagnant because I had been serving for a few years on and off in between going to school and I was ready for something different. One night at one of the clubs I entered a hot body contest and ended up winning. One of the Go-Go boy bookers saw me and asked me if I’d like to dance. It was something I never really considered doing, but I decided to give it a try. Eventually I danced practically everywhere in West Hollywood and I’ve really enjoyed it. I now only dance at The Abbey so if you’re out visiting in West Hollywood you’ll most likely find me there.

You can’t be shy to be a go-go boy and you look so confident on stage. How do you stay so comfortable wearing so little with crowds of people lusting over you?

Well, I had done a lot of underwear and swimwear modelling prior to go-go dancing so I was already pretty comfortable wearing little amounts of clothing. But I do admit, the first time I walked around a club in just my underwear was a little uncomfortable. You’re in an environment where everyone is dressed up and you’re walking around leaving little to the imagination. You definitely have to be comfortable in your own skin to do this job.

Steven Dehler

You’ve built quite the portfolio up over the last few years as a model. Why did you decide to go into modelling?

If you asked me when I was in high school if I’d ever consider modelling, I’d think you were nuts. I was a scrawny, pimply kid with very low self-esteem and never really thought much about my physical appearance. It wasn’t until about a year after high school that I had met a gorgeous girl, who would become my best friend, and she asked me if I’d ever consider modelling. She had been a model since she was fourteen and I thought to myself, “If someone this beautiful thinks that I could model maybe I should check it out.” And from that I hit the gym, my skin cleared up, and a few years later I’m shooting for magazine covers and spreads. It’s been a really fun journey so far and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

Your shots are generally risqué but artistic. What attracts you to the modelling assignments you choose?

I’ve done a wide variety of shoots over the years and when it comes down to it sex sells. I wouldn’t say that most of my shoots are risque although I have done some nudity. I do mostly underwear and swimwear modelling so generally I’m not wearing much, but it’s not a determining factor in whether or not I choose an assignment. I really enjoy modelling whether I’m modelling a $12k fur-leather trench coat or jockstrap. What attracts me to working with certain photographers are ideas that haven’t been done before.

Part of your appeal is obviously your physique. How difficult is it to maintain that impressive body and what workouts do you enjoy?

Maintaining used to be difficult until I changed my outlook on it. Once I realized that working out isn’t simply a hobby, but a lifestyle, it became much easier to be consistent. Consistency is very important to keep a healthy and fit body. It’s not something I look at as an extra-curricular activity, but more a daily routine. For some people their morning routine is to get up, make breakfast, have a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper and then head to work. For me, my morning routine involves a pre-workout routine to get my blood flowing, a quick breakfast, and then off to the gym for my morning workout. It’s what I do almost every day so it’s become habit for me and it throws my day off if I don’t do it.

Steven Dehler

When you’re not working, where are your favourite places to hang out in West Hollywood and why?

Usually when I’m not working I’m at home. My job involves being around a lot of people all the time. There’s music and noise and people are drunk and rowdy so I really don’t take my downtime for granted. Also the modelling industry is very last minute. You won’t know you’re booked for a gig most of the time until the day before. Most castings you get notified the day of. So when I’m not go-go dancing or at a shoot I’m usually hanging out at my apartment with friends.

We hear you also play the piano. Is music something you’d like to pursue in your career or is it just a hobby?

You heard right ha ha. I’ve played the piano for about eighteen years, classically trained for ten of them, and over the years I’ve considered pursuing it further. I’ve had a few gigs here and there, but overall I really just enjoy it as a hobby.

We also hear you have a little bit of an obsession for Britney Spears. What is it about her that you love?

Ha ha yeah, I guess it’s a little bit obvious. I’ve always really enjoyed her music. She’s my favorite artist to listen to while I’m working out and while go-go dancing. Her music makes you want to dance.

What other things would you like to branch out and do in the future?

I’m curious to head out into acting, comedy specifically. I’ve done a few things here and there and I really enjoy comedy. It’s my favourite genre to watch and I love making people laugh. If you ask any of my friends I’m a giant goofball and don’t take myself, or most things, seriously at all. We’ll see what happens, but keep an eye out for me 😉

Find out more about Steven by following him on Twitter @StevenDehler

 

Jerry Hall leaves Strictly Come Dancing

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
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Jerry Hall leaves Strictly Come Dancing

The second celebrity left Strictly Come Dancing tonight as the couples were whittled down from 13 to 12.

In tonight’s show Jerry Hall found herself in the bottom two with her partner Anton du Beke. They were joined by Michael Vaughan and his partner Natalie Lowe. With one chance left to stay in the competition both couples had to perform in the dance-off to try and convince the judges to save them.

First up to dance was Jerry who tried to impress the judges again with her Quickstep to Mrs Robinson from The Graduate. Michael Vaughan followed with his Full Montyinspired Cha Cha Cha. Could he find his musicality a second time round?

Craig saved Michael and Natalie because he saw improvement. Darcey said both couples have improved but chose to save Michael and Natalie. Bruno said he though both couples were really nervous and didn’t improve but by a whisker he saved Jerry and Anton. That meant the casting vote went to Len who said he wasn’t impressed by either couple. He said it was a difficult decision but chose to save Michael and Natalie.

Opening the results show tonight was Anton and Erin who danced with the cast of West End hit musical Top Hat which featured Tom Chambers, a former winner of Strictly. The musical guest for the evening was soul legend Dionne Warwick who performed There’s Always Something There To Remind Me.

Next week’s Strictly Come Dancing is a Halloween special with the remaining 12 couples dancing spooky routines to some truly devilish routines.

 

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