Monday, December 27, 2010

Interview with: SOUNDSPEED

Hey everyone!

On December 17, I was able to check out SoundSpeed's performance at El Mocambo as a part of this year's Jinglebell Rock show. I caught up with the guys of the band after the show (you might recognize some of them from the hit show Degrassi), and although it was cold and snowing, they were great to talk to and had lots of energy. Not to mention, they are hilarious. Check out the video for clips from the interview as well as some words from a few fans!










Above: Shane Kippel and Sean Farquharson (the other guys took off too quickly for a group photo haha)
Anyways, be sure to check them out on Myspace! http://www.myspace.com/soundspeedband
Thanks!
Christinaaa

Get ready for C&C in 2011

Hi everyone!

I hope you've all been following my adventures as a part of C&C, a Youtube show that my friend Chris and I started earlier this year. If you haven't, you can check out our first few episodes on our Youtube channel (username: CandCToronto)

Just as a taste of what's to come in the near year, we made a promo trailer!



Subscribe to us on Youtube! :)

Thanks,
Christinaaa

Sunday, December 26, 2010

FutuReale Double Issue: Oneal Walters Profile

Check out my latest article in FutuReale Magazine, featuring poet Oneal Walters. I had the chance to chat with Oneal about his books, inspiration, and advice.

You can check out the entire issue on the website!
http://www.futureale.com/magazine/2011/january/
p.s. My friend Chris Allaire also has an article in this issue :)


Thanks!
Christinaaa

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Chelsea Handler in Torontoooo

Hey everyone!

This past week has been a whirlwind of excitement; now with first semester and exams over, I've been able to enjoy Toronto life outside of the Ryerson campus. On December 11, my friend Chris and I went to see Chelsea Handler's show at Massey Hall (conveniently located near our residence). We were seated in the 5th row, which were fantastic seats and the venue is a really old building but I liked the atmosphere.


The opening act was Chris Franjola, who had his moments. But we were eager to see Chelsea.

After showing a promo video of her many hilarious clips from her show Chelsea Lately, I couldn't wait to see her in person.

And wow, she definitely didn't disappoint. She is a talented, crazy woman. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any videos or photos inside, but the show was great!

- Christinaaa

Monday, December 6, 2010

Tim Deegan Interview Audio Clips

A few weeks ago, I was able to meet up with Tim Deegan, who gave insight into the life of a VJ, some of his favourite places in Toronto, embarrassing moments, and what he's been up to since MuchMusic. Check out the audio clips below!








Thanks Tim!

& Check out his website: www.timdeegan.com

- Christinaaa

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Hockey Legend Bobby Hull


On Tuesday, November 30th, at 7:00pm at the Indigo at Bay & Bloor, hockey legend Bobby Hull, former Chicaco Blackhawks player, made an appearance to sign his book "The Golden Jet." Considering that I grew up in a household where hockey terms were constantly thrown around and the games were always on television, I had to check it out. Both as a favour to my hockey loving family members as well as out of my own curiousity, I took my place in the front row of seats. Reading my Teen Vogue while I was waiting, I got some strange looks from the very obvious grown hockey fans.



- Christinaaa


Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Amy Sedaris and Dan Levy


Anxious fans held onto their canary yellow copies of Amy Sedaris' book "Simple Times" at Indigo on Richmond & John St. on Monday November 29.
Sedaris, actress and author, was set to make an appearance at the Toronto book store to sign her book and take part in an interview with MTV's Dan Levy.

With the small stage set up on the top floor, prepped with chairs and a table full of household food items, the crowd was ready to see her live.

By 7:00pm, three lines had formed and people were lined up along the railing; luckily I got there early enough to get a seat.


An aisle formed and Dan & Amy walked happily towards the platform, welcomed by the cheering crowd. Wearing a colourful sleeveless dress, making it hard to believe that it was freezing cold outside, Sedaris took a seat across Levy.


They began with questions about her book and it gradually went on about aspects of her life.

A short clip from the interview:


After the short interview, Sedaris did a demonstration, recreating a few of the crafts from her book, with help from a couple audience members. One of her creations was a 'candle salad' - involving lettuce, a banana, mayonnaise and maraschino cherries...interesting.


Following the craft session, she took questions from the audience. People asked about random topics - from advice about what to do in New York City to questions about her TV character Jerri Blank. She even received an invitation to do crafts at someone's house - in which she replied "I'd rather shoot my left arm" or something like that haha.

Then the signing began. It was very organized.


Afterwards, I caught up with Dan Levy before he left, just in time to get a quick photo.


I quite enjoy these Indigo events! :)


- Christinaaa

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Glimpse of the Crowd for Trey Songz

As many of you know, Usher came to Toronto on November 29th for a concert and one of his opening acts was Trey Songz. And as a spokesperson for Rocawear, Trey Songz made an appearance at the Footlocker on Yonge St. from 3-5pm. I strolled over there to check it out (one of the perks of living on residence = being a 5 minute walk away from celebrity events).

I walked to the end of Gould Street and immediately saw the streets lined with people waiting to get the chance to meet Trey.

Here are a few photos from the street!


If you were one of those who waited in that line and got some photos with him and want them up here, send them my way! Send your stories from the Trey Songz meet & greet, the Usher concert or any photos to christina.dun@hotmail.com ! :)

- Christinaaa

Tim Deegan!

Sorry I haven't been able to blog as much as I'd like to...it's been pretty hectic over here at Ryerson for us journalism students. But the semester is almost over, which means I'll have more time to blog! (and not to mention, my trip back home to BC is getting closer and closer!)

But anyways, back to my post. For a recent project, I met up with former MuchMusic VJ Tim Deegan for an interview. Although I didn't videotape the interview (I only tape recorded it), I hope a few photos will suffice! :) Along with some memorable quotes...



Some of his favourite interviews?
Hedley
P.Diddy
Ke$ha
Katy Perry
Justin Bieber
Jonas Brothers
Melanie C from the Spice Girls

"When I would interview people, I'd also get to try a lot of the stuff that they were doing. Or even getting hurt, as much as it sucked, looking back at it now, getting hurt made that interview."

How would you describe yourself in one word?
"Happy-go-lucky isn't really one word is it? It's kind of a descriptive term...I'll say outgoing. Yeah, outgoing."
Thanks for the interview Tim!
- Christinaaa

Monday, November 15, 2010

Bruno Mars in Toronto!


Bruno Mars came to Toronto for his first concert in Canada as the headlining performance in 92.5 Kiss FM's Haus Party. Following acts by artists such as JRDN, Blake McGrath and Danny Fernandez, Bruno Mars came out on stage in front of an excited crowd in the Kool Haus at Guvernment. I was super excited to see Bruno Mars live because a) his voice is amazing b) his songs are amazing and c) he's just amazing in general.

Here are some photos from the concert!


Even though he didn't play my favourite song "The Lazy Song" ... he's still fantasticccccc :)
-Christinaaa

Saturday, November 6, 2010

ALDO DANCE CONTEST!

Hey everyone,

Please support me by checking out my video entry in the Let's Dance contest put on by Aldo. Here is the link to my video on the site. In order for the points to count, click the "like" "share" and "tweet" buttons on the side next to the video on the Aldo site!

http://www.aldo-dance.com/videos/J2SUMBelWNw



So please watch the video, like it, share it, tweet it, tell your friends...everything! Thanks!!!

-Christinaaa

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Me to We ft. Degrassi's Ray Ablack



Hey everyone!

A while ago, I had a post featuring the Me to We store opening in Toronto, and I mentioned I would be having more Free The Children/Me to We posts. But, because of busy schedules, I'll have to cut it down to only one interview.

Don't worry though, it's a good one! Ray Ablack, who plays Sav on the hit show Degrassi, took the time to answer a few questions about his involvement with Free the Children.
----
1. Why did you decide to get involved with Free the Children?

My decision to get involved with Free The Children in 2007 was really a no brainer?! It was my first year as a cast member of Degrassi and I was eager to soak up every opportunity the show could offer. I just saw the Free The Children-Degrassi partnership as a fun adventure and a chance to better get to know my cast mates. Thus far, I've made some of my best friends, and as an extra bonus, I’ve learned a few things about the global community, poverty, and international development.

2. Where have you travelled to with FTC and what did you do there?

I've been lucky to travel with Degrassi and Free The Children to Kenya, Ecuador and India, and taken part in the building of two schools and a cafeteria/kitchen. I've come back physically and emotionally stronger every time.

3. What was your most memorable moment?

It's impossible to choose one favourite memorable moment. It all depends on the genre of emotion the question demands. Just like how you can't compare different genres of films, or apples and oranges. I've experienced so many different stand out memories - hilarious ones, heart-wrenching and heart-warming, physically and emotionally exhausting, lazy and excited moments that I couldn't choose just one. But suffice to say that each of them is more vivid than any I've experienced at home because of how different and drastic everything feels when you're abroad.

4. Was there anything you struggled with when you went on those trips?

I definitely struggled with many things during these trips. Even aside from the obvious culture shocks that you try to prepare yourself for, just being on your own and completely making decisions for yourself can be difficult. Things like rationing your clothing, products and bag space, homesickness and learning, understanding and coming to terms with the issues you're forced to deal with. Doing this for two weeks at a time can wear on your psyche.

5. What has been the greatest thing you’ve learned?

I think the greatest thing that I've learned so far is to maintain a conversation about international development with friends and family because that keeps these issues at the forefront. It reinforces very simple ripple effects in our daily routines that cumulatively create changes.



6. Why do you feel it is important for young people to get involved with organizations such as Me to We?

I think it's important that everyone, not only youth, get involved in something that affects the global community or the 'bigger picture' because we're all a part of it. Therefore every one of us affects it, so why not do so positively through routes and organizations that are maximizing our potential?

7. Do you have any upcoming plans with FTC?

I am absolutely in love with the Free The Children team and mission statement and everything about the organization. I work with them as a public speaker and I will continue to work with them in whatever capacity I can for, hopefully, the rest of my life. In terms of another trip with Free The Children, I know that the Degrassi cast is embarking on another trip this summer, and I'm excited to find out where to very soon.




*Photos courtesy of Stephen Scott (Epitome)
-----

Thanks for checking it out!


- Christinaaa

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

BEN MULRONEY INTERVIEW!


Hey everyone

It's been so crazy out here in Toronto and it always seems like I'm on the go, but don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely loving it! Last week, I was able to have an interview with Canadian Idol and eTalk host Ben Mulroney at the eTalk studio in the CTV building in downtown Toronto. It's funny, because it was Ben Lyons (whose interview I previously posted) who got me in touch with him. So of my time here in Toronto, I've been fortunate enough to meet 2 fantastic entertainment broadcastors - who both go by the name Ben.

Ben Mulroney is very well-spoken and had lots to say. He gave insight into the entertainment industry, his life on eTalk and even his worst red carpet experiences, and not to mention showed an incredibly cute photo of his twin sons Brian and John! I've posted up the videos (well actually, sound clips) onto my YouTube page ( http://www.youtube.com/user/christinaaa28?feature=mhum )but I'll also post the videos right onto here (except the layout makes the videos cut off on the side).

I only used my tape recorder during the interview, so I don't have video footage, but you can listen in on the interview! :)

















Thanks for checking it out!
Also thanks to Ben Lyons & Ben Mulroney!
-Christinaaa

Monday, October 4, 2010

C & C YOUTUBE DEBUT!


Hey everyone!


I'm really excited about a new youtube show that I'm a part of! My friend Chris Allaire and I (both Journalism students at Ryerson) have started up our own news/entertainment show on Youtube called C & C. We give our opinions on news stories and we ask poll questions to people on the street!






We'd love to hear your thoughts on our first episode that debuted TODAY! Also feel free to give some ideas for any topics that you want us to cover!




Stay tuned for our next episode on Oct.17!

-Christinaaa

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Eyeopener #2

Hey guys,

Last week,I worked on an article that focuses around programs here at Ryerson that require students to create on demand, which results in lack of sleep and increased stress levels. The article focused mainly on Interior Design and Architecture. Check out the article I helped out with!

http://theeyeopener.com/2010/09/working-%e2%80%98till-dawn/

-Christinaaa :)

Monday, September 27, 2010

Ben Lyons from E! Part 2

Here is the rest of the interview that I had with Ben Lyons!

7. Who has been your favourite person to interview?

I got to do him last night, Matt Damon. Matt’s a really interesting guy. He’s very forthcoming with stuff about his career; he’s one of my favourite actors. Yeah, Matt Damon’s probably my favourite person to interview. I loved interviewing Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter. That kid’s awesome. He’s really nice and self-deprecating. He’s lived a really interesting life, I mean; he’s this iconic movie character for the most of it. And Charlize Theron I liked to interview. Those are probably my three favourites that I get most excited for.

8. Have you done print journalism?

Yeah, I write for LA Confidential Magazine. I did profiles on different people from Zoe Saldana to Adam Shankman. I recently did Kristen Bell and Malin Akerman. And I write for E! online here and there. But I do enjoy more doing it on air. I have more fun on TV.

9. What’s the hardest part of your job?

The hardest part of my job is constantly remembering that there is an audience at home that’s living vicariously through you. Sometimes certain actors would come up and my time with them might be limited and I might want to ask them certain things that I’m interested in but maybe our audience at home isn’t interested in. So it’s finding that balance of “okay what are the people who are watching this going to really enjoy” and what do I really enjoy. It’s my one chance to talk to somebody so am I going to ask them something so inside...or say people watching our network aren’t the biggest sports fans so I don’t want to talk to Matt Damon about the Patriots game yesterday, but I kind of do, you know what I mean? So I just have to balance. It’s tough to constantly remember who you’re doing these interviews for, in a way.

10. So you’re here for TIFF. How would you describe the experience on the Red Carpet?

Well TIFF red carpets are intense. The space is limited and there are journalists from around the world. Sometimes it’s the world premiere, the first time the movie’s ever been shown, so you don’t have the chance to see it before. But they’re fun. You never know who is going to show up. They’re exciting, they happen so quickly. It’s a big rush of energy. Every carpet is different, depending on who the talent is. I was just in Spain this summer for the premiere of Knight and Day and Tom Cruise spends 3 hours at the red carpet. He signs every autograph for the fans, takes every picture and talks to every journalist along the line. But then like last year, George Clooney, I did him twice up here. For Up in the Air and Men Who Stare at Goats and he doesn’t really stop. He kind of just does a fly by; a quick little question and moves on. So everybody’s different. And you kind of have to feel out the scenario and manage your expectations that way, if that makes sense. I know if I’m doing a George Clooney premiere, I’ll be lucky to get 1 or 2 questions, let alone 10. But then you do Blake Lively the other night, and I talked to her as long as I wanted to talk to her. So everyone’s kind of different.

11. So do you get to travel a lot?

Yeah, that’s been such a surprise. When I first got the job, I just moved to LA. I’ve been living in LA about 3 or 4 months before I met E! And then I’ve been living in LA for a year when I got the job full time. And I didn’t know I was going to travel as much as I have. And I’ve been to Egypt and Italy and London a dozen times and Hong Kong and Australia. Travelling for work is one of the great pleasures of my life. I love being able to go on a business trip - I’m on a business trip right now, eating pancakes with you. So yeah I’ve come to Toronto like 5 times, Sundance 5 times, Comic-Con and all these great industry events in cool cities and places around the world. Travelling for work is awesome. I also see the power of film and how celebrity is a universal language. People around the world love these movies, they love these actors and directors, and really when you go and travel and see it first-hand, it gives you a new appreciation for it. It’s cool.

12. So where is your favourite place you’ve travelled to?

Australia is incredible. Australia is very awesome. I would love to live there. The people are really friendly, the women are beautiful, the food is delicious, it’s outdoorsy, Sydney’s a wonderful city...Australia’s probably my favourite.

13. What advice do you have for up and coming journalists?

Ben (laughs): You mean for you?

Me: Yes...

B: I don’t think you need any advice. You’re doing just fine. I think it’s being open and surrounding yourself with good people. And it’s treating whether you’re interviewing a huge star or somebody who’s just starting their career, to approach the interview the same way, in terms of your research and in terms of just keeping that genuine curiousity. But surrounding yourself with good people is the key. There are a lot of weird people in media, in journalism, in Hollywood. And you can deal with them, but you have to have that inner circle of good people in your life. Will Smith has a good quote, he says, “You can tell a lot about a person by the 5 people they spend the most amount of time with.” So take a look in your life and look who you spend the most amount of time with. You know, family, friends, but just in your everyday life, who are you talking to, emailing with. And that can give you a good sense of yourself and where you’re going in your career.

14. Where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years?

I want to be really fat on a golf course, chilling. I hope to be as excited about my career in 10 years as I am now. I don’t know if I’ll be on E! I hope I am. I want to be producing movies. I want to be producing television shows. I started executive producing a series for E! right now for our international markets, which is really fun to do. I just want to be excited to go to work every day because then it doesn’t feel like work. Yeah that’s hopefully where I’ll see myself in 10 years. And a wife and kids would be cool too.


Thanks again Ben, it was great to meet you!
-Christinaaa

Ben Lyons from E! Part 1

Hey everyone

A couple weeks ago, during the fantastic TIFF event in Toronto, I was fortunate enough to meet up with E!News Now reporter Ben Lyons from LA. He is honestly one of the nicest people I've ever interviewed and he's hilarious. So, on a Monday morning (September 13), over pancakes (that were seriously the size of his face) and crepes, we had a great interview. He gave insight into how he got into the industry, his TIFF experiences, and he also gave some great advice.

Check out his bio on the E! website: http://ca.eonline.com/on/personalities/bio/ben.jsp

1. How did you get started in this industry?

I got started in this industry working for an independent hip hop label in New York. My cousin grew up with a guy named Dru-Ha who runs Duck Down Records out of New York and I’m a big hip hop fan growing up in the city. And I’d always wanted to work in the music business. So I ended up working for him for a little while and producing music videos for some of his artists and interned at his record label and did all this weird hip hop stuff. This was like the year 2000, 2001 or so. And then from that, I just made a little hosting reel since I was on these music video sets and I was with all these artists. So i made a little hosting reel and we were trying to give our videos to MTV at the time. And I showed them my hosting reel just for some advice and said “Hey I’m thinking of maybe being on camera and doing interviews” and they gave me a job. I had never been on TV before and my first assignment was to go to LA and interview Jack Black, Will Smith and Angelina Jolie and I was like woah. So I learned kind of on the job. And then from there I worked at MSN BC and NBC in New York and then moved to LA about 5 years ago and got really lucky and found a home with E! But I never really thought I was actually going to be on TV, it just sort of happened. And I ran with it and learned while I was doing it, which I think is the best way to learn about whatever it is you’re doing, to learn on the job.

2. So growing up, did you ever think you’d end up here?

Well my father is in the business, he’s a film critic; that’s essentially the same thing that I’m doing now. So I grew up around the entertainment industry and I’ve always been conscious of movies, and TV shows and music and all these things, and pop culture. So I knew I’d be in the business somehow, I didn’t know I’d be doing this. And I don’t think I’ll be doing this forever but I’m doing it right now and loving it.

3. Did you go to school for this type of career path?

I was an English major in college. I always figured if you can read and write then you can do whatever. But I did 2 years at the University of Michigan and then bounced and wanted to just pursue my dreams. This is my 5th time here at the Toronto International Film Festival for E! and I get to interview so many different and interesting people. A lot of them I’ve crossed paths with many times over the years. And it’s still surreal and fun and it feels like the first day on the job.

4. What is your favourite part about being a journalist?

I remember when I was 12 or 13 years old, I saw the movie Saving Private Ryan. And the next day my dad was playing in a charity softball game and Ed Burns was there, who is in Saving Private Ryan. And I was 12 and I remember I saw the movie on Friday night and Saturday morning I sat in the dugout and talked with him about the movie for 2 hours; the whole game we were just talking about the movie. And I was like wow that is so cool: to be able to see a film and then just sit down with the creative people behind the movie and ask them whatever I want about anything. That’s what I really enjoy, just meeting so many new, interesting, talented people. Not just the people in front of the camera, not just the stars themselves, but there’s so many interesting people who work in this business in other capacities. Producers, writers, costume designers, and special effects people, I get to cross paths with a lot of them. So the thing I love about it is just being able to meet new people. Like meeting you right now - I have a cool new friend from Vancouver. That’s the coolest thing for me, is being able to get to meet all these interesting people.

5. You’ve been a film critic for quite some time, what would you say is your favourite movie of all time?

There’s a difference between my favourite movie and what’s the best movie of all time. And for me personally, the movie that means a lot to me is Good Will Hunting. It’s the first DVD I ever bought. I used to dress up with my friends in tracksuits and talk with Boston accents and go to the batting cages. Yeah that movie, it won Matt and Ben the Academy Award, won Robert Williams the Academy Award. It’s a film that’s funny, it’s a romantic film, it’s about friendship, it’s about maximizing your potential. It’s a lot of things we can all relate to and I think about that movie often. That’s probably my favourite movie if I had to pick just one.

6. How did you get involved with E!

I wish I had a better story, it’s kind of just a Hollywood story. My agent set me up for a meeting. I went in a met with them. This was December 2005. You know on E! where they have those talking head shows, where it’ll be like “101 Sexy Bikini Models” so I did a bunch of those here and there. I did some of their Oscar coverage in 2006. And then the Daily 10 started in March of 2006 and they gave me slot every Friday to review whatever new movies came out. And then from there I started doing interviews and slowly but surely I just started doing more stuff with them. And then finally, in like October of ’06, they offered me my first deal there so it took like 8 months, almost like 10 months, of just being around, hanging around and doing stuff. Comic-Con in 2006 I did a bunch of interviews, and that was when they were like Wow we really want to work with you. So that was great. But yeah it took a while, just kind of hanging out and being around and meeting as many people in the company. It’s a big company, there’s like 1000 people in our LA office and another thousand people around the world. So you kind of have to graciate yourself to everybody there. But that’s how I do it.

Part 2 of the interview will be up soon!

Check out a couple of these videos of Ben from E!





-Christinaaa

Friday, September 17, 2010

First Article for Ryerson's newspaper The Eyeopener!

Hey everyone!

This past Wednesday, I auditioned for Ryerson's Urban Hip Hop Union (UHHU) dance team and The Eyeopener asked me to write an article based on my experience. So, here is a link to my post on their website! Check it out! :)

http://theeyeopener.com/2010/09/dancing-through-life/

...And just so you know the results....

I made it onto the dance team!! :)
We'll be competing in November at McMaster University. Woohoo!

-Christinaaa

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Final Youthink article!

Hey everyone,

Here's a link to the Youthink website, where you can read my final article with Youthink Magazine! I did a career profile on a locations manager from Vancouver named Paul Russell, who has worked on movies such as Another Cinderella Story (ft. Selena Gomez & Drew Seeley) and Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins. So be sure to check it out!

http://www.youthink.ca/yt/careers/career-profile-film-locations-manager

Thank you Youthink Magazine for everything over these past years!!

-Christinaaa

Sunday, September 12, 2010

What a Wonderful Day

Celebrity sightings from Saturday, Sept.11

Much Music VJs Liz & Sarah and my friend Terrance!

Boys of Degrassi!

Stephen Stohn: Producer of Degrassi!
Rachelle Lefevre from Twilight!
Ben Affleck!

Blake Lively, absolutely gorgeous
Also spotted: Jennier Garner, but I wasn't able to get a good photo :(
-Christinaaa

Saturday, September 11, 2010

The Beginnings of TIFF

Hey everyone!


As most of you probably know, the Toronto International Film Festival has begun and the city is in full swing with celebrities being spotted at every which way. I'll keep you posted on the stars that I catch a glimpse of!


Megan Fox: Passion Play premiere @ Ryerson Theatre Sept.10

Rainn Wilson from The Office: SUPER premiere @ Ryerson Theatre Sept.10
Liv Tyler: SUPER premiere @ Ryerson Theatre Sept.10
Ellen Page: SUPER premiere @ Ryerson Theatre Sept.10
I'll keep you posted!
-Christinaaa
*All photos are taken by me!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

From Clippings to Cyberspace: 2nd article with FutuReale!


Hey guys! Be sure to check out the September issue of FutuReale Magazine that is up online right now!


Here are some pictures of my article! :)



Check it out!
-Christinaaa