In celebration of Halloween, I’ve come to give you treats of entertainment!  Vampire inspired entertainment seems to be everywhere these days from TRUE BLOOD on HBO to THE VAMPIRE DIARIES on CW.  And, I can’t leave out the most addicting one of all, TWILIGHT.  Surely, all of our-five or six- wildly intelligent readers know that these are based on successful book series.

As promised, here are the treats!!!

I encourage you all to pick up at least one of these novels / series if you enjoy Vampire sagas as much as the lovely ladies of Dolphin Entertainment do. My personal favorite (other than TWILIGHT, of course) is Nancy A. Collins’ VAMP Series.

EVERYONE should watch the original BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, circa 1992.  You are missing out on pure cinematic guilty pleasures that paved the way for the “TWILIGHTS” of today.  Check out the trailer below.

If you ‘re looking for more YA Vampire novels check out some of the following:

P.C. and Kristen Cast, HOUSE OF NIGHT Series

Richelle Mead, VAMPIRE ACEDEMY Series

Ellen Schreiber, VAMPIRE KISSES Series

Laurell K. Hamilton, ANITA BLAKE: VAMPIRE HUNTER Series

If that doesn’t quench your thirst for Vampire inspired fare, visit these sites for more recommendations:

Monster Librarian

Young Adult Vampire Book LIst

Vampire Library

You’re Welcome.

-Heather

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a slight, ok maybe major, obsession with the TV show Friday Night Lights. I could go on and on about the production quality, the story lines (although I will skip season 2 in my discussions as I wasn’t a huge fan), and the cast of the show, and believe me I have, but what I find really interesting is the production deals that have occurred to keep the show alive.

Friday Night Lights has long been a critic’s favorite, and has extremely loyal fans, but doesn’t have a large number of those fans that tune in at its regularly scheduled airdate. In its first two season NBC saw remarkable numbers in online viewing and DVRing of the show, but didn’t see great viewership numbers when it aired on TV.  While it could be said that the show never lucked out in getting a good time slot (why would you air a show about football on a Friday night when everyone who would be interested in High School Football is most likely out watching their local high school team?), or that the show had misguided marketing (aiming the show towards 16-25 males when the show is more of a drama than just a sports show), or finally that bebo just never took off the way that facebook or myspace did thus not reaching as many people who frequent social networks as one of the other two networks would have, it did get lucky in one department.

After fans sent mini footballs to NBC and created a “save FNL”(Friday Night Lights) facebook page, the fans and the show, got an inventive break. NBC and the creators of the show Imagine and Film 44 reached out to other networks to see about a production partnership. A deal was reached with Direct TV. For the third season, Direct TV paid for half of the production costs for producing a 13 episode season of FNL, in return Direct TV got the run rights to the series on it’s 101 network. The outcome was so successful for Direct TV that they agreed to an additional 2 seasons for a total of 26 episodes thus saving the show. What makes this deal so unique is that the studio, NBC, made a deal with a TV provider, not another network, thus creating a win win for all involved. NBC was able to keep its little watched fan favorite and Direct TV was able to offer its subscribers exclusive content before they would otherwise be able to view it. And really the champion of this deal is the fans, because we got 3 seasons out of the deal thus allowing us to find out what happens to the members of the Dillon Panthers and whether or not clear eyes and full hearts really means you can’t lose.

For those who are fans: the Season 4 promo for Direct TV’s 101 network, enjoy!

-Megan

I recently saw Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards, one of the best films I have seen in a very long time by the way. It got me thinking about what an incredible actor Brad Pitt is. A lot of focus is centered on his tabloid life, but I would like to take a moment and return to his talent. Pitt chooses characters that challenge him, as we can see from the vast array of individuals he has chosen to portray. As I tend to like lists, below are my five favorite Brad Pitt characters.  If you have not seen the movies, do so as soon as possible!

5) Louis de Point du Lac in Interview with a Vampire. Pitt plays the original anguished/beautiful Vampire in the Ann Rice adaptation.

4) Tyler Durden in Fight Club. Another great book to film adaptation, and Brad’s physique isn’t bad either.

3) Lt. Aldo Raine in Inglorious Bastards. He plays the gritty nazi-killing general of the rogue group.

2) Jeffrey Goines in Twelve Monkeys. This character won him a Golden Globe award for best supporting actor in the 1995 post-apocalyptic thriller.

1) Joe Black in Meet Joe Black. Pitt plays the admirable guy in the coffee shop that chats up Claire Forlani’s character. He then transitions into “Death.” The two characters truly show his talent. His chilling yet poignant portrayal of Death is very moving and my favorite Brad Pitt character.

Certainly some good characters worth studying as an actor or teacher trying to persuade students on deeper character analysis.

-Emerson

As we continue to reach out to educators and talent across the country to help them navigate the entertainment industry, we are proud to announce another addition to our company.  The latest chapter in Dolphin’s story is the birth of Dolphin Digital Media.

We are deeply troubled by the preponderance of predators and inappropriate content on the internet. We have devoted our time and resources to developing state-of-the-art technology that protects children when they are online by blocking unsuitable material, and, in a social chat setting, helping to authenticate who they are “chatting” with through state-of the-art fingerprint identification technology.  We are proud of this significant contribution to the effort to keep our children safe and are thrilled that Dolphin Digital Media, a creator of secure social networking websites for children, has announced September 29th as the launch date for their signature product, Dolphin Secure.

Dolphin Secure is a groundbreaking family Internet solution that gives parents the tools to protect their children from online threats such as cyber bullying and unsolicited chat requests while they are using their home computers. Children registered within Dolphin Secure automatically become members of Dolphin Surf, which is a customizable gateway to the internet with full social networking capabilities, wherein the children can establish profiles, search for friends, IM one another, write blogs, upload photos and play games.

Dolphin Secure will debut next week, and it will change the face of internet safety. It is testament to our continued investment in the World’s children.

-Jennifer

That’s right…we are back for another semester.

We are very excited for a semester full of acting for the camera, character development, scene work from our up and coming Feature films, mock castings, etc.

We have a wonderful and talented group of tweens and teens from the greater Miami area and are sure to have tons of success stories…

The Dolphin Family LOVES that musical and dance inspired projects are rising to forefront of pop culture and critical acclaim.

Television series like GLEE, feature films like FAME, and reality shows like So You Think You Can Dance are prime examples of this.

It’s exciting and refreshing to see how the industry is mixing and melding all forms of talent together to create wonderful and inspiring content.  Whatever your talent may be, we encourage you to follow your passion and keep studying, practicing and being the best performer you can possibly be.  We  YOU just might be on the next breakout hit!

First let’s address the difference between a theater performance and a film one.

In a theater performance you:

• Have to speak loud and clear (The person in the back of the auditorium wants to hear you!)

• Can use the entire stage (Only the stage set your limits.)

• Will run from page one until the end

In a film performance you:

• Speak in a normal voice (You can blow out the sound man’s ear if he is not ready for you to project.)

• Have limited space to perform (You will be surprised to see how tight the shot can be.)

• Never shoot in order (Normally you shoot in order of location.)

• Have different types of shots  (like a close up, mid shot or long shot, whereas in theatre the audience can choose where on stage to look)

After all these considerations, you must realize that in making your performance from theater to film, it will take a lot longer to shoot for film than acting it out once on stage.  So make sure you project less, stay in frame for the shot and know your lines well since the scenes are shot out of order! 

-Manny

As everyone preps for back to school (or if you’re in FL- gets adjusted to having started school), there are many lists available to you with suggestions and tips for starting the school year off on the right foot. While thinking of what tips I could possibly offer to student and teachers alike, I thought of this scene from Dead Poets Society. While cliche, is there really any better suggestion for back to school than to seize the day?

Best of luck as you all start out a new school year!

Another summer has flown by and it’s that time of year again. The time that many dread, while many relish as they find school supplies. Yes, it is back to school!  When I think of high school, I think of two things: obviously my time in high school and then John Hughes’s movies. I thought I would dedicate this entry to the late John Hughes.

If you don’t recall who he is, he wrote and or directed films such as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Home Alone. His films are iconic and timeless. Growing up can be can be embarrassing, stressful, confusing and a million other things; Hughes’s films captured the essence of this and gave it hope. These films are enduring not only because they gave the unpopular kids the spotlight, they center on a time in life that everyone goes through.

I want to recap my top five moments from a few of my favorite John Hughes films:

5) Probably any moment from The Breakfast Club, but specifically when they they’re dancing to Karla DeVito’s “We Are Not Alone.” How fitting, five different stereotypes show that they are more alike than they think.

4) The scene in Home Alone where Macaulay Caulkin’s character overcomes his fear of the furnace in the basement. A random scene I know, but I love when the furnace starts “acting up” and Macaulay very nonchalantly says, “Shut Up,” he turns and walks away.

3) “Try a Little Tenderness” scene from Pretty in Pink. Duckie, played by the lovable Jon Cryer, lip-synchs the Otis Redding classic in hopes to show his best friend, played by Molly Ringwald that he has feelings for her.

2) The moment in Sixteen Candles where Molly Ringwald’s character walks out of the church, and Matt Dillon’s character is leaning ever so suavely in his bright red car. Isn’t this the moment every hopeless romantic in high school wants?!

1) “The Twist and Shout” scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I remember watching this scene over and over again when I was younger. I know this is a typical favorite, but how can you not love the spontaneity and the energy of this scene??

Thank you John Hughes for creating films with so much heart to make us laugh and cry, and quote time and time again. The films have been a big inspiration for filmmakers including all of us at Dolphin, and we hope to make movies that live on for generations to come as you have. To end, here is one of my favorite quotes, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it,” said by the very wise Ferris Bueller.

-Emerson

To the joy of Dolphin Talent andthe rest of America, our former student was titled America’s Favorite Dancer on Fox’s TV show “So You Think You Can Dance”.  It comes with no surprise that Jeanine made the top 20 or even the top 10, but Jeanine herself showed her elation at being chosen as America’s favorite last Thursday.  In the show’s fifth season, the 21.6 million voters broke the existing record for total votes cast.  And Jeanine was the one who received the most!  Already recognized in the danceworld for her success as a Contemporary dancer, now all of America has stopped to admire!   Jeanine won $250,000 and will begin her tour in September with the rest of the Top 10 dancers from the show.  She still holds her love for acting dear to her heart, and we are so glad to be a part of it!   Here’s an interview with Jeanine and TV Guide: 

http://www2.seattlepi.com/articles/409183.html