The Friday Five

It's hard to believe we only have one more day left in 2011.  It has been a year of great strides for me both personally and professionally, so I look forward to a new year filled with challenges. My Friday Five today will encompass my favorite five things from this year.  It was hard to narrow it down given the fact that I covered two big awards shows, flew on a blimp, went to the opening night of a Broadway show, booked a job in Paris, and received an unexpected nomination for an award.

1.  Paris:  I fell in love with this city.  It's on my list to go back, like, immediately.  I think I will be celebrating a friend's birthday in Italy, so I know I'm going to hop on over to Paris before or after.....and maybe to London for the Olympics.....ah, dream big for 2012!

2.  Art:  I was lucky enough to go to New Orleans twice this year and invest in a few pieces of art by renowned Picasso muse, Françoise Gilot.  And then the art gallery invited me to meet her--what an honor!  I think my New Orleans visits made my trip to Paris that much more enjoyable, it was a taste of what was to come a few short months later.

3. Dreams:  I can't believe how many of my bucket list items were crossed off this year.  The little girl from small town Massachusetts got to do this and this.  How do you tell your 8-year old self that you will be standing on the red carpet at the Oscars or the Tonys or interviewing Meredith Vieira just weeks before she leaves the Today Show?  Unbelievable.

4.  Godspell:  This show means a lot to me.  It is being helmed by two old friends and I cannot begin to tell you how proud and thrilled I am for all of their success.  (And opening night wasn't too shabby either....thanks for the front row seats, KD.)  It's an incredible cast with killer voices and it's a show you can take your kids to see.  You can't say that about much these days, now go buy a ticket to see the show!

5.  Disney:  Disney World and Disneyland have always given me great joy, so it was a true pleasure to add some of my own Disney coverage to my reporter repertoire.  From the Cars 2 premiere to the Make Your Mark contest to the D23 Conference and the wild finale of Radio Disney's NBT, it was a blast covering the latest batch of Disney Channel stars and be a cool aunt to my 12-year old niece at the same time.  If you are wondering who the next Miley or Selena is, check out Bella Thorne.  Every little girl wants to be CeCe from Shake It Up right now. 

I will post a couple of my favorite photos of the year tomorrow, but I will let the photos do the talking tomorrow. I want to thank you for coming here and sharing my experiences and your stories.  I look forward to more adventures with you in 2012.  Enjoy your last Friday of 2011 and be sure to tell me your favorite things about your year in the comments below.  

For Your Consideration: The Web Files

Here we are, the final voting weekend for the IAWTV Awards.  I know many of you have already turned in your ballots, but for those of you who are using this last weekend to vote, here is a For Your Consideration post on The Web Files.

Best Hosted Taped Web Series:  The Web Files
Best Director (Non-Fiction):  Sandra Payne
Best Host (Taped):  Kristyn Burtt

The Web Files was one of the first online entertainment shows to feature web series and hear the creators' stories from on location to on the red carpet.  The show captured a span of time in the burgeoning web series world.  If it has been awhile since you have seen an episode, feel free to watch our episode on Backyard FX which captures the fun tone of our show while demonstrating the insight and education of what was happening with online content.  For a behind the scenes look at the making of this episode, click here.  Enjoy the episode, thank you for your consideration, and we will see you in Las Vegas on January 12th! (Don't forget ballots are due on January 5th.)

My Top 3 Posts of 2011

I am a total nerd, but I've known this since elementary school.  I love analyzing numbers and seeing what is working and what isn't.  I love looking into the psychology of what makes people stop and pay attention.  That is why I love analytics for my blog.  It is fun to see what makes you come here and read my posts, whether you are a regular reader or you came through a Google search.  So, here are my Top 3 posts of 2011.  They aren't necessarily my favorites, but they are your favorites.  For my regular readers, one of the Top 3's popularity may surprise you, it sure surprised me.

Simone Harouche, one of my favorite stylists on the list. 

1.  The Stylist Edition:  This article was the number one most trafficked post this year.  I compiled the list of top stylists for the celebrities from a Hollywood Reporter article.  I loved it because it gave us insight into who is consistently setting trends as a stylist for their clients (Rachel Zoe and Anne Hathaway with that amazing tuxedo at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.) and it also made me note who needs to change stylists. (e.g. Amy Adams) This is also a fun one to read because Brad Goreski made an appearance on the list at number 22 while his former mentor, Rachel Zoe, was listed at number 1.  Will that change with this awards season and the premiere of his reality show?  Only time will tell.

2.  Saturn Awards, EZ Curler, and Interviews, Oh My!:  This one was a bit of shock to me as it was just a quick "here's what I've been up to" post, but I sure covered my bases on popular internet searches:  Anna Torv from Fringe, anything related to The Bachelor, and an infomercial sensation called the EZ Curler.  Really, there is something for everyone in this post.  Enjoy the photos and video because I'm sure Google sent you here for this one.

3.  The Oscar Looks of Elizabeth Taylor:  We lost the divine Elizabeth Taylor this year, but there are stunning photographs of her that will live on and endure the test of time.  Following her death, I compiled a series of photos from some of the Academy Awards ceremonies she attended.  I will let the photos speak for themselves.

So, there you have it, the Top 3 Posts of 2011.  Did your favorites make it into the Top 3?  If not, tell me what was your favorite article from Red Carpet Closet this year?

The Friday Five

Here we go right smack in the middle of the holiday season. I have family coming in today, so things will be loud and busy at Chez Burtt.  I hope you all have a fun weekend of eating, spending time with family, and taking a minute or two to work out or at least walk it off.  (Easier said than done, I know!) With that, let's get right to the Friday Five:

1.  Holidays:  Oh, this photo was taken just a few years ago....now that you've stopped laughing, you have to love that my mom coordinated my outfit with Santa.  In true KB form, I am more interested in striking the right pose for the camera (chin down, eyes up) than I am in Santa.  I'm also thinking about that lollipop in my hands.  Three seconds to a sugar rush!  And, oh yeah, that's my real hair color.

2.  The Artist:  If you are looking for a movie to see this holiday season, look no further than The Artist.  It's a true love letter to the history of film, sound, and music.  Be prepared as there is only about a minute of true sound or talking in this film, but enjoy getting lost in the incredible score by Ludovic Bource which tells a dramatic and moving story.  I love that a film like this could get made in 2011 given half the junk I have to see for my job involves remakes, guns, 3D, and generally, uninspired writing. I expect a lot of nominations for this film on January 24th, the day the Academy Award nominations are announced.

3.  The Dress:  Yes, I am going to need a dress for the 84th Annual Academy Award announcements again.  For those of you that were around last year, I ran a contest to find a dress for the obscenely, yet exciting, early morning.  The rules are going to remain the same and I am posting a photo of the winning dress which turned out to be the perfect example of what I am looking for.  I will formerly announce this contest the first week of January, but those of you who want to get started early can either leave me links in the comments section or post a photo on my Facebook wall.  Remember, I have to be able to order this online since I will be traveling for most of the month.  Again, here are the rules.  Happy Shopping, and yes, there will be a gift certificate for the winner!

4.  Holiday Greetings:  One of the media outlets I work for, Mingle Media TV, came up with a really fun holiday video.  It was fun looking at some of the events I covered in 2011 for Red Carpet Report.  Watch for me at the 0:06-0:38 mark.

5. The Store:  I am happy to say that we have our first donations to The Thirst Project with the sales from the store.  There is still a week left in the month, so I will announce the total for December 2011 in a Friday Five during the month of January.  Remember, "Water is a human right, join the fight". If you would like to donate, click here.

With that, I am going to wrap it up here at Red Carpet Closet.  Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hannakuh!  I will post a bit next with with more of my Best of 2011 lists.

My Top 3 Interviews of 2011

With 10 days left in the year, I am going to start doing a few "Best of 2011" posts to highlight some of my favorite moments of the year.  Today's feature is my favorite Top 3 interviews of 2011.  This was a hard one to whittle down since I had everything from the Oscars to the Tonys to countless other red carpets and gifting suites to choose from.  The interviews were chosen for particular reasons, whether they were funny or poignant, they just resonated with me this year.  Here are the Top 3:

1.  Joel Grey from Anything Goes at the Tony Awards:  I spoke about this interview at length in this post, but nothing was ever better than having the opportunity to speak to someone who was one of your childhood heroes.  I know, I know, I was a musical theatre geek, so I wasn't looking up to Molly Ringwald, it was Joel Grey.  Here is the unedited footage so you can see how it all went down at the Tony Awards while I was working for Starpulse:



2.  Josh Sussman from Glee at GBK Productions MTV Movie Awards Gifting Suite:  I think this was easily my funniest interview of the year, no one made me laugh more on camera than Josh.  He's just quick with a quip and he and his super cute girlfriend, Tess, are incredibly nice......even though he still owes me a Justin Bieber movie viewing! You can see it all here on Red Carpet Report:



3.  Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds at the press junket for The Change-Up:  I don't know if your day can get any better when you walk into a room and two really good-looking guys are waiting for you to sit down.  I thought my heart was going to belong to Ryan that day, but Jason was a big flirt who won me over.  I should have known better, I loved him on Silver Spoons. Here's my interview for iVillage:



So, there you have it, my Top 3 Interviews for 2011!  Who was your favorite out of my Top 3 or is there another interview I missed?  I would love to hear from you, so don't forget to leave a comment below.

Holy Crap! Hunter Parrish Is Cute!!

This wasn't supposed to be my post for today.  I had a plan to start my "Best of 2011" today, but I changed my mind when I saw the video of Hunter Parrish singing "Beautiful City" from the current Broadway revival of Godspell.  It's no secret that I am involved with the show, but I thought it is the perfect message for this time of year.  We get so caught up in the holidays and it can be a very stressful time for so many families.  Our country has seen a tough economy continue, we've watched political parties battle each other for their own good, not the greater good, and the United States is anything but united.  So, do me a favor, take a moment in your busy day and listen to this incredibly moving song.  The reactions I received from posting this on my personal Facebook page included:

"The song is beautiful. I'm listening to it again right now."


"I am not a big fan of musicals, but that song you posted is unreal."

"Beautiful!  Thanks for sharing-I can't wait to see the show."

And the best one....
"Holy Crap!  Hunter Parrish is cute!!" (Indeed he is and he's in his underwear for the opening part of the show.)

So no matter what your personal beliefs are,  I bet you can believe in building a "Beautiful City"

Enjoy this song.....and let me know what you think in the comments below:



To purchase tickets to the show, click here.

To download the soundtrack on iTunes, click here.

Holiday Giveaway Winner!

One of three holiday collars for my kitty.  She looks like she is wishing this mistletoe collar would go away...

I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend. It's was the last weekend to really get out there and shop for Hanukkah and Christmas gifts.  I must say the stores weren't very busy in LA.  Hopefully, you wisely shopped online and enjoyed some eggnog and mistletoe instead.  I ran around the city shopping, catching up on Awards Season nominee screenings, and dressing my cat up.  Yeah, I am one of those crazy people who thinks it's funny to dress their cat up in holiday costumes.  Now, I only put on fancy collars on my kitty:  no sweaters, shoes, or hats.  You might think I need to get a hobby, but it makes me laugh and the cat leaves it on.  Who doesn't like to accessorize?

It's time to announce the winner of my Holiday Giveaway Gift Basket as selected by Random.org.  Congratulations to #27..........Kelly V!!  I will be emailing you today to get your mailing address.  Enjoy all of the goodies, I even added a few more things to the basket since the original post.

Beginning tomorrow, I will start my 2011 wrap-up.  I am going to change things up a bit this year.  Instead of doing just highlights of each month, I am going to create theme posts:  my favorite interviews, my favorite photos, my favorite moments, etc.  So, come on back and join me tomorrow for some Red Carpet Closet fun!

The Friday Five

In my Holiday Giveaway form, I have asked what are your favorite posts on Red Carpet Closet?  I see a lot of "The Friday Five" as a response, so I need to remember to do this type of post more often.  Here's my Friday Five for this week.

This is a photo of a photo, but I love how holiday crazy we look.

1.  West Elm Party:  We finally have a West Elm store in LA proper and I was invited to join in the festivities.  The place was packed full of people enjoying the champagne, truffle h'orderves, and shopping around the well-designed store.  I tried to resist buying anything, but I failed.  I picked up a silver ice bucket, a pillow sham to match my new duvet from One Kings Lane, and the cutest bicycle lunch bag that you can see here.  Julie Tyler from Golden Goose Films tagged along as we both toted out a big bag of goodies last night.  Thanks for a fun night, West Elm!  

2.  Holiday Giving:  I've been trying to find a good organization in LA to adopt a family for Christmas, but I haven't found a good option yet.  A friend posted this link on Facebook about shoppers paying off other Kmart customers' layaway purchases.  It makes you believe in the spirit of Christmas, especially in these tough times. So, if you find me lurking in the Kmart aisles in Los Angeles, you know why.   Read the article here. 

3.  Variety:  I talked a bit about my nomination for the IAWTV Awards yesterday, but this got me giddy all over again. My name in Variety.  If you don't work in the industry, Variety is an entertainment trade magazine that updates the industry on the latest entertainment news in terms of production, Hollywood deals, etc.  I feel like a total dork, but it is kind of exciting to see my name there.  

4.  Mentoring:  Late last night I received a DM (direct message) on Twitter from a kid whose work I have covered in the past thanking me for the encouragement because he had been feeling a bit down.  Now this kid is on the fast track to fame, but it made me think of how important mentoring is in any industry.  I have also received a few messages from up and coming entertainment journalists who are still in school, but who are looking for a direction in their careers.  It seems to me that people are seeking an outlet for guidance.  I am always happy to help with advice and information, but I wonder if we have lost our way with training the next generation?  It just gave me a moment to pause and think about what I could do in the next year to help change this lack of direction.  Maybe I will do a segment from time to time on Red Carpet Closet or be more active in my local community with up and coming young entertainers and journalists.  Anyone else have any suggestions?

5.  Fashion:  It wouldn't be a Friday Five without one mention of fashion.  I received this ring for my birthday from my mom and everyone has been complimenting me on it.  I love big, chunky cocktail rings, so this one fits perfectly in my ring repetoire.  Guess who makes it?  Jessica Simpson.  Another winner from the Momma-to-be. Her fashion empire is growing rapidly, so I think she's found her calling.  Seriously, have you seen her shoes here or here.  To die for.

Have a great holiday weekend and remember to leave me any mentoring ideas in the comments below. Don't forget to enter the Holiday Giveaway.  Entries close on Sunday, December 18th at 11:59PM PT and the winner will be announced on Monday.  

 

It's Great To Be Nominated!

Yes, awards season is in full swing with the SAG Awards announcement, today's Golden Globes announcement and the International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) announcement.  Wait...what?  What's the IAWTV?  It's exactly what you think.  The Academy recognizes the work of those creators, directors, and actors whose shows air on your laptop, iPad, and mobile device.  Ah, I bet some of you didn't even know there was original programming on the web, did you?  There is a lot of great content out there and it is worth exploring on sites like Blip, My Damn Channel, and Hulu.  So, check it out over the holiday break.  You might find a show you like and I'm happy to recommend a few. (Just hit me up in the comments below.)

A Mashup of the IAWTV nominees.  I want to thank Melissa Anchondo for the good hair in the clip they used. When I do my hair, it never looks that good.  (Mashup by Jojo Dodd):




Anyway, I am proud to say that the show I worked on, The Web Files, was honored with three nominations for Best Hosted Taped Web Series, Best Director (Non-Fiction), and Best Host (Taped).  The Web Files truly was a labor of love and countless hours of hard work, so it is exciting to see our whole team recognized:  Sandra Payne (director), Perry Payne (editor/DP), Jenn Bobiwash (Renaissance Woman who did it ALL), and Melissa Anchondo (Hair/Makeup).  I celebrate this nomination with them because I know the blood, sweat, tears, and efforts that went into creating this show.  The awards show is on Thursday, January 12th in Las Vegas during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  I'll keep you posted on another fun adventure since I will be commuting from Detroit in order to attend the ceremony. (A big thanks to Toyota for giving me the day off to fly to Vegas!)

Here's the live announcement with Shira Lazar and Ethan Newberry from yesterday:

whatstrending on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

A full list of the nominees:

Inaugural IAWTV Awards Nominees

Best Comedy Web Series

• Gigi: Almost American
• Pretty
• The Guild
• The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour
• Video Game Reunion

Best Drama Web Series

• AIDAN 5
• Anyone But Me
• CELL: The Web Series
• Pioneer One
• RCVR/Web Series

Best Hosted Taped Web Series

• A Comicbook Orange
• ETC - Entertainment, Technology, Culture
• Immersion
• NextMovie Daily
• The Web.Files

Best Hosted Live Web Series

• Geek Beat LIVE
• Indie Intertube
• Kevin Pollak's Chat Show
• Stupid For Movies
• What's Trending with Shira Lazar

Best Animated Web Series

• CliffsNotes Films
• Dick Figures
• Red vs. Blue
• Sketch 22
• The World of Bruce McCall

Best Documentary Web Series

• Beyond the Gallery
• Deja View
• Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
• The Founders
• White Collar Brawler

Best Variety Web Series

• Fanboy Funhouse
• Kids React
• Mark Malkoff
• Stripped Down Live
• Team Unicorn

Best News Web Series

• Breakout
• Daily Ticker
• Tech News Today
• The Philip Defranco Show
• The Woodward Report

Best Educational Web Series

• DadLabs
• Engineer Your Space
• Financially Fit
• The Great Camera Shootout 2011
• What You Can Do

Best Writing (Comedy)

• Felicia Day, The Guild
• Jeff Lewis, The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour
• Marilyn Anne Michaels and Dominic Conti, The Best Friend
• Jessica Mills, Awkward Embraces
• Steve Silverman, Pretty

Best Writing (Drama)

• Vidas Barzdukas, AIDAN 5
• Mark Gardner, CELL: The Web Series
• Susan Miller and Tina Cesa Ward, Anyone But Me
• David Nett, Rick Robinson & Andrew R. Deutsch, Night of the Zombie King
• David Van Eyssen and Brian Horiuchi, RCVR/Web Series

Best Writing (Non-Fiction)

• Benny Fine and Rafi Fine, Kids React
• Grace Helbig, Daily Grace
• Rudy Jahchan, A Comicbook Orange
• Scott Lynch, The Great Camera Shootout 2011
• Nar Williams, NextMovie Daily

Best Directing (Comedy)

• Sean Becker, The Guild
• Sean Becker, The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour
• Sandeep Parikh, Legend of Neil
• Steve Silverman, Pretty
• Frederick Snyder, SOLO: The Series

Best Directing (Drama)

• Ben Bays, AIDAN 5
• Tina Cesa Ward, Anyone But Me
• David Nett, Night of the Zombie King
• Chris Preksta, The Mercury Men
• David Van Eyssen, RCVR/Web Series

Best Directing (Non-Fiction)

• Danny Cameron, DadLabs
• Benny Fine and Rafi Fine, Kids React
• Sandra J. Payne, The Web.Files
• Brett Register, What's Trending with Shira Lazar
• Mike Rotman, Kevin Pollak's Chat Show

Best Female Performance (Comedy)

• Alexis Boozer (Brynn Arbor), Leap Year
• Emma Caulfield (Emma Caulfield), Bandwagon The Series
• Felicia Day (Codex), The Guild
• Julie Ann Emery (Emily), Then we got HELP!
• Hillary B. Smith (Ellie), Fumbling thru the Pieces

Best Female Performance (Drama)

• Jourdan Gibson (The Woman/Sarah), CELL: The Web Series
• Rachael Hip-Flores (Vivian McMillan), Anyone But Me
• Jeri Ryan (Sonya Blade), Mortal Kombat: Legacy
• Maya Sayre (Det. Morgan Riley), AIDAN 5
• Taryn Southern (Jamie Phillips), BlackBoxTV: The Series

Best Male Performance (Comedy)

• Yuri Baranovsky (Aaron Morrison), Leap Year
• Jeff Lewis (Vork), The Guild
• Jeff Lewis (Stan), The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour
• Jonathan Nail (Scott Drizhal), SOLO: The Series
• Sandeep Parikh (Zaboo), The Guild

Best Male Performance (Drama)

• Dingani Beza (Patrick Aubert), Asylum
• Bryan Michael Block (Det. James Aidan), AIDAN 5
• Daniel Bonjour (Luke Weber), RCVR/Web Series
• Maxwell Glick (Hicks), Night of the Zombie King
• Kevin McCarthy (The Man), CELL: The Web Series

Best Host (Taped)

• Khail Anonymous, ETC - Entertainment, Technology, Culture
• Burnie Burns, Immersion
• Kristyn Burtt, The Web.Files
• Casey McKinnon, A Comicbook Orange
• Brad Powell, DadLabs

Best Host (Live)

• April Grant and Amanda Shockley, Indie Intertube
• Mark Keizer and Wade Major, Stupid For Movies
• Shira Lazar, What's Trending with Shira Lazar
• Kevin Pollak, Kevin Pollak's Chat Show
• Curt Smith, Stripped Down Live

Best Cinematography

• Andrew R. Deutsch, Night of the Zombie King
• Christopher Charles Kempinski, Riese: Kingdom Falling
• C. Kim Miles, Mortal Kombat: Legacy
• Iskra Valtcheva and Michael Morlan, CELL: The Web Series
• Joost Van Starrenburg, RCVR/Web Series

Best Design

• Greg Aronowitz, Dragon Age: Redemption
• Ben Brown and Jason Mowry, AIDAN 5
• Jonathan Nail and Michael Levine, SOLO: The Series
• Kelly Wasserman, RCVR/Web Series
• Eric Whitney, Continuum

Best Costume Design

• Katie Broad, Fallout: Nuka Break
• Jenny Green, Dan Crawley and Thais Yuki, Video Game Reunion
• Kristin Ingram, The Guild
• Megan Leson, Riese: Kingdom Falling
• Shawna Trpcic, Dragon Age: Redemption

Best Makeup/Special Effects

• Greg Aronowitz and Kimberly Graczyk, Dragon Age: Redemption
• Michael Del Rossa, RCVR/Web Series
• Kimberly Graczyk, The Guild
• Ralis Kahn, Bianca Appice and Shintaro Kakioka, Fallout: Nuka Break
• Jamie Register, A Good Knight's Quest

Best Visual Effects

• Chad Briggs, Continuum
• Lawson Demming, Rocket Studios and Tunnel Post, RCVR/Web Series
• Keegen Douglas, Mortal Kombat: Legacy
• Shawn Likley, AIDAN 5
• Chris Preksta, The Mercury Men

Best Editing

• Fawaz Al-Matrouk, Goldilocks
• Jeff Cowan, RCVR/Web Series
• Matthew Lyons and Kirby Jinnah, Riese: Kingdom Falling
• Chris Preksta and Tyson VanSkiver, The Mercury Men
• Tony E. Valenzuela, BlackBoxTV: The Series

Best Original Music

• Rob Gokee, Night of the Zombie King
• Rob Gokee, SOLO: The Series
• Mike Jackson, AIDAN 5
• Peace Nistades, Dragon Age: Redemption
• Brian Satterwhite, CELL: The Web Series

Best Supplemental Content

• Kids React
• RCVR/Web Series
• The Further Adventures of Cupid and Eros
• The Mercury Men
• Vampire Zombie Werewolf

Best Interactive/Social Media Experience

• CliffsNotes Films
• Kids React
• RCVR/Web Series
• Stupid For Movies
• What's Trending with Shira Lazar

Best Web Site Design

• AIDAN 5
• Engineer Your Space
• RCVR/Web Series
• Ruby Skye P.I.
• The Guild

Best Distribution Platform

• Blip.tv
• Crackle
• Dailymotion
• Hulu
• Joost