DWTS: It's Time To End The Zendaya Debate

Enough with Zendaya.

She's not a ringer, she's a girl who has had Hip Hop classes. I might take this debate more seriously if she were a trained ballet dancer or ballroom dancer, but it's time to stop.  Here are my reasons for ending the Zendaya discussion on DWTS:

1. It's a TV show: Having great dancers and bad dancers all lumped into one variety show is fun. I cheered on Andy Dick as much as I have cheered Zendaya and Kellie Pickler this season.  I did make fun of Sean Lowe's dancing a bit, but it made for some interesting topics of discussion on our AfterBuzz TV show.
    And guess what? By constantly debating that "Zendaya is a ringer" and "Kellie is being underscored"(Although the "7" from Len was ridiculous, it also made for good TV.) topics, you are playing into exactly what ABC wants...controversy.  It makes for good television and it gets us all watching each week.
    One other argument is that ABC wants to promote its own network stars. If you look at the statistics, this is a bad argument.  Let's look at the ABC stars who have won DWTS:  Season 1 Kelly Monaco, General Hospital. That's it, kids.  You could argue Melissa Rycroft from Season 15 as she is a former ABC employee with The Bachelor franchise/former GMA & Bachelor Pad host, but ABC has not used her in that capacity since April 2012. If there were a series of ABC winners, I would agree with you. 1 winner out of 15 does not make for an ABC push for a winner.
 
Supplemental reading: Carrie Ann Inaba talks Kellie Pickler 

2.  Zendaya Hears You:  If you think this 16-year-old doesn't hear your criticism, she does...and she takes it personally.  If you read her Access Hollywood blog, she knows exactly what is going on in the forums.  I feel badly for her because I remember being 16 and we don't need to help anyone's teen insecurities along.

Supplemental reading: Zendaya's blog

Even with dance training, Zendaya doesn't have lines like Kellie does. Beautiful!

3.  Twitter followers:  Yep, Zendaya has more followers than anyone, but she's also of a generation that is more tuned into social media than say...Wynonna's fans.  Different generations, different demographics, different use of social media.
      I know many of you are upset that Zendaya got Hip Hop this week. She asked for it, the fans gave it to her. Aly asked for Afro-Jazz, Kellie asked for Flamenco, everyone got the exact dance they wanted. While Flamenco might be harder for Kellie than Hip Hop is for Zendaya, it is Derek who wanted this dance. He has something in mind choreographically just the same way Mark wanted to try Afro-Jazz on Aly.  They know their partner's strengths.
      Also, ABC is trying to keep up with the times and keep this show as interactive as possible for all of the fans.  Twitter is social media site that keeps growing while Facebook's growth has stagnated over the last two years, that's why they are using it for voting.  While not every experiment on DWTS works, I like that they are trying to keep current and relevant.

Supplemental reading: Carrie Ann Inaba names best DWTS dancer ever

Honestly, I would rather talk about the great dancing we are seeing from Zendaya and Kellie this season and how much I've enjoyed watching them each week.  Val and Derek have both stepped up their game choreographically and it's been a treat for the viewers.  With two weeks left, let's end the debate and see who's going to come out on top.  Remember last year, we all thought Shawn Johnson was going to win.

Let's end the debate. You are missing some good dancing.

Okay, your turn to comment. Please post in the comments below...

UPDATE:  Thanks for all of your responses so far. While some of you agree with me, I want to address those that don't agree with me...of course, I respect your opinion. However, hurling insults my way weakens your case. Instead, why don't you comment below and give me some facts to back up your argument.  I am totally up for rational discussions. It's refreshing to hear a different perspective when it's done with respect.  

The other thing you must remember is that I compliment both Zendaya and Kellie in this post. I like them both. I haven't chosen sides.  

I also want to disclose I have interviewed Zendaya many times, so I was very familiar with her work pre-DWTS. If you want to see some of that coverage, go here and here. 

Anyway, thanks for all of your feedback. I appreciate it!   

3 Tips For Producing a Red Carpet Event

I have been on the red carpet quite a bit this year and I've seen it all from the grandest red carpet to one of the most laid back red carpets.  Even if you are having a small press event, it is important to have a well run red carpet that not only pleases the talent, but also pleases the media. I've given my helpful hints on how talent can shine on the red carpet here and here, but I haven't offered up a few suggestions for producers of red carpet events. Here are my Top 3 tips for running a top notch red carpet.

Press Release:  Ringling Bros PR was great at updating their press release several times before the event.

1.  Press Releases:  This is one of the most important aspects of your event, so make sure to write a compelling press release that will get the media excited about coverage.  It should include the pertinent information about when the event is, expected celebrities, and types of media opportunities. (red carpet, VIP party, Meet and Greet, awards show press room access, interviews with producers, etc.)  Get your press release out about 2-3 weeks in advance.  This gives media outlets time to plan their coverage and line up reporters for the event.  If you put the press release out 3 days before the red carpet happens, you run the risk of having a low media turnout.  This is especially important if your red carpet is happening during summer movie premiere season or during Oscar season, it's hectic...plan accordingly.  Check the Hollywood Calendar or the trades for important awards show and movie premiere dates, you don't want to schedule your big night the same night that the Academy Awards occur.  Finally, if you are announcing nominees for an awards show, have the press release ready to go BEFORE the announcement. (Honestly, this is PR 101.)  Once the announcement is completed, email it out to your media contacts,  place the nominees list on your website, and tweet it out.  If you want the media to cover your event, be prepared, otherwise we grumble (Trust me, we are good at grumbling.) about the lack of preparation and it is noted for next year.

Tip sheet from my Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus red carpet. 

2.  Tip Sheets:  These are imperative to any photographer or reporter's job on the red carpet.  They include a picture of the confirmed celebrity and their latest/most notable credit.  For me, I see so many faces and talk to so many people in any given month.  I may recognize a face, but I forget what show I've watched them on.  Having that tip sheet in hand lets me do quick research on my iPhone as I see them walk down the red carpet.  For up and coming talent, it is great if a publicist is escorting the actor down the carpet with a sheet of paper that includes the correct spelling of the actor's name and their upcoming movie or TV show.  If they are making their debut in the Twilight series or in a new Disney Channel show, chances are I will jump at the chance to interview them.  It's fun to break a new actor to the public before they are wildly famous.

3.  Placement:  A typical red carpet places photographers first, then video crews, and then writers/bloggers at the tail end of the line This is done for a reason.  The photographers grab their shots and then send the talent down the line to be interviewed.  After the video crews grab the interview, the writers will ask more in depth and longer questions so it is okay if the back end of the red carpet crowds up a bit.  Each media outlet is assigned a spot where the bigger the outlet, the better the placement.  You can expect to see E! News, ET, and Access Hollywood up front and the online media outlets closer to the back.  Honestly, it's a fair way to do it and I never hear anyone complaining about this system.  What can be a problem is the amount of space given to each outlet.  A piece of 8x10 paper is placed at your feet to indicate your spot.  The problem is that the next piece of paper is laid down side by side for other media outlets.  Uh....I don't know about you, but my body is not built in 8x10 dimensions.  It can be so frustrating for all of us to jostle for space, keep out of other network's shots, and interview at the same time.  Now, I don't expect a plot of land, but placing each piece of paper even three inches apart would make a huge difference.

I hope these tips help if you are producing your next red carpet event.  Feel free to leave me comments or questions on an area I might have missed.  I am always happy to do a follow-up to this article.

Don't forget to enter to win my Red Carpet Gift Bag.  Enter before July 31st for a chance to win!

A Hidden Gem

 Not bad, Steve Jobs, not bad....this photo was taken on my iPhone 4.

Would you believe this place exists amidst all of the chaos of Hollywood Boulevard? Hidden behind the famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine is the new restaurant, Wood and Vine.  It's a great place to sit back with a speciality cocktail like my very girly, Accomplice:  Rain Organic vodka, lemon juice, strawberry syrup, and champagne or something a little more manly for those of you into the dark booze drinks.  Head to the back to their cozy garden area with a fire pit, heat lamps, a cocktail, a taste of their chicken and waffles and the most divine thing on the menu:  Butterscotch Pot de Crème with Salted Caramel Ice Cream.  It's housed in the historic Taft Building which housed the original offices of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (The Oscar nerd in me just squealed!) and Charlie Chaplin.

Wood and Vine:  6280 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood

A view from the couch in the garden area of Wood and Vine--the LA sky encompassed by a historic building.

Entertainment Hosts Play Musical Chairs

While trolling through Twitter yesterday, I came across the news on Deadline Hollywood that Showbiz Tonight anchor, Brooke Anderson, was replacing Lara Spencer on The Insider.  Now before Lara Spencer fans freak out, Lara is headed back to Good Morning, America, where she started her national network career.  Lara leaves The Insider after being passed over for the Entertainment Tonight anchor job that Mary Hart retired from late last year.  That gig went to former Access Hollywood host, Nancy O'Dell.  She left Access Hollywood in 2009 after it was rumored that her co-host, Billy Bush, drove her up a wall.  I don't blame her, he's a pesky personality.  Before the ink dries on your Hollywood entertainment show anchor chart, please remember, no one has been announced as Brooke Anderson's replacement on HLN's Showbiz Tonight.  How will this story end?

In the meantime, I send my personal "congratulations" to Brooke who is smart, kind, and perfect for her new role on The Insider.  I had the opportunity to interview her during Oscars Week.  She was one of the judges for the MTVu Oscar Correspondent Contest and I love her for giving me the exclusive on who designed her Oscar gown (A to-die-for designer!).  Here is my interview with her on Mingle Media TV:




Photo Courtesy of Mingle Media TV.

2011 Oscars, Day 1

The first day of Oscars Week has officially arrived!  After a 3AM return home from Chicago, I spent the morning trying to cover the dark circles under my eyes to bring you my first video of the week.  It is a quick look into my morning ride to the Renaissance Hotel to pick up my press credentials.  I was giddy putting that piece of plastic around my neck and my picture came out okay. I can definitely live with that photo for the next week.  Before I left, I snapped a few photos for you:  in front of my old stomping ground, The Kodak Theatre, the view of LA from the top of Hollywood and Highland, and a bird's eye view of the bleacher seats on Hollywood Boulevard.  The red carpet doesn't go down until Wednesday, so stayed tuned for further insight later in the week.

Tomorrow, I will bring you highlights from my first event of the week.  The event is promising a one of a kind Black Swan handbag that yet to be determined celeb will promote on the red carpet and the most expensive baby cake ever created and dedicated to Natalie Portman's baby boy.  Only in Hollywood, kids....

Dos and Don'ts on the Red Carpet, The Sequel

I have received such a strong response to several of my posts on media training, particularly Red Carpet Dos and Don'ts and Publicity and Web Series. To continue with the series, I am going to give you a few more insider tips on red carpet behavior.  I have been hitting the premieres hard lately and there are a few behaviors that keep showing up over and over.  Oddly enough, they are actually self-sabotaging habits in media.  I don't know why anyone would want to self-sabotage on the red carpet, but it is more common than you think.  Here are a few things to avoid:


1.  Self Deprecating Behavior:  Okay, here's a weird one, the act of self deprecation is the "belittling or undervaluing oneself", according to Dictionary.com  I get that you may want to appear modest and not boastful of your accomplishments on the big screen, but when it gets to the point of saying "My acting sucks" into the microphone, I start to question why you are even an actor.  Chances are, that clip will make it into the interview because it is so unusual to hear, but I doubt that is the press that you, your agent, or your publicist want for your career.  Sure, be grateful for the art you were allowed to create, talk about challenges of shooting, but darn, don't tell people you weren't good in the role.  They will start to believe it and you are here to build your career, not destroy it.  There are very few people that can get away with self deprecating behavior.  They are usually comedians like Gilbert Gottfried, but hey, that's his schtick, not his real self.  See the difference?  Now, go out there and be positive, you earned your moment in the spotlight!


2.  Sounding. Like. A. Robot.:  In my time on the red carpet, I find the Disney premieres the most challenging.  Why?  Because the Disney Channel kids have all been prepped with one cute sound bite that they repeat and over and over down the press line.  They have been so coached, it comes across as robotic.  After ET or E! has used that clip, it becomes less valuable to the smaller media outlets who may be trying to sell the footage to overseas clients.  There is nothing new or fresh about that interview.  So, if you have to go down the press line and talk to ten, fifteen or even twenty-five reporters, try as hard as you can to be slightly original.  Yes, some things will be repeated, but the worst thing you can say to a reporter is, "I was just asked that before" or "I keep getting that question".  It's hard to be the 25th reporter in line and often times the A-List stars won't stop for press after the Big Three (E!, ET, Access Hollywood).  Just know that the reporters understand you are getting asked the same questions, they have to get certain things answered for their jobs, so pretend you are talking to Reporter #2.  You will be loved forever for it.  Love=favorable media coverage.  It's a game, play it! 


Here's a great example of a bad red carpet interview, courtesy of Mr. Billy Dee Williams.  Yep, he behaved like this all the way down the press line:



3.  Crossing In Front Of Camera:  Okay, time to call out this behavior.  Stop doing it.  It happened at the Streamy Awards, it happened at The Resolve premiere, and it happened at the Egyptian Theatre's Summer Festival of Short Films.  It's just rude.  I don't know how else to say it.  Can you imagine you are being interviewed live by a reporter and a fellow actor crosses in front of the camera blocking your shot?  Yep, it's been happening a lot lately.  Well, on a live broadcast like the Streamys, there is nothing you can do.  With taped footage, we can at least cut it out in post.  If you are on the red carpet, I completely understand that it is exciting and overwhelming.  It is a busy place, but think of like you are crossing the street.  Look both ways, see if someone is shooting.  If they look like they are in the middle of an interview, walk quietly behind them.  It's that simple.  You don't want someone ruining your big interview, so extend that courtesy to your fellow artist.  Publicists and reporters have long memories, trust me.  You want to be that person that people love to cover, it will extend your career by miles even during the lulls.  A little consideration on the red carpet goes a long way in my book.


And the worst kind of blocking on the red carpet?  Spock Blocking!  Watch the whole mess unfold....a big no-no.  Here are a few more details on the event if you want the juicy scoop.



I hope some of these tips are helpful for you the next time you stroll down the press line on the red carpet.  Let me know what other areas of media you would like me to cover here on Red Carpet Closet.  I am going to leave you with one of my favorite recent interviews, Anna Torv of Fringe:  gracious, lovely, and fun.  Enjoy!

Red Carpet Interviews...Some DOs and DON'Ts

Okay, Streamys time is upon us and the spotlight is on web series, actors, and all of the talented people behind the scenes.  It is an exciting time and I know that getting publicity for your show is an integral part of finding new viewers or connecting with your current fans.  So, I hope all of you who wake up to a Streamy nomination get ready for a thrilling time in your career, but prepare yourself for the round of media that is to follow.  Do yourself and your show a favor, mentally prepare for the red carpet. Here are a couple of things I have noticed recently on the red carpet, a few bad habits, and some things to point out.  At The Web Files, we want to showcase you and your show in the best light possible:

1.  Talk to the reporter.  Don't talk into the camera.  It is a conversation between two people.  Trust that the cameraman is focusing in on you and he will get the shot.  If you look directly into the camera while being interviewed, it makes you look a bit crazy because you are ignoring the person asking you the questions. (Now, you can casually glance at the camera to include the audience, but don't get stuck in that lens.)

2.  Don't EVER, EVER, EVER, hijack someone else's interview.  I had this happen on Monday night at a web series premiere and it made the actor look like a big, old jackass. I was interviewing the creator of the show....it's his big night, his big moment, and his chance to shine.  The actor comes stumbling into the shot, puts his arm around the creator, and expects me to start interviewing him.  Sorry, nope, no way.  The creator hired YOU, he wrote a part for YOU, he directed YOU.  Without him, you wouldn't be on this red carpet.  Show respect.  Let everyone have their moment in the spotlight.  Trust me, you will have your turn, but if you jump into my shot....forget about it.

3.  Finally, sound bites.  During a sit down interview with The Web Files, I want more in depth answers.  On the red carpet, I want sound bites.  A reporter from any show, whether it is a marquee entertainment show like ET, Access Hollywood, or E!, or a little one like The Web Files, is looking for the funny, off the cuff, short quips.  If I asked you to tell me about your show, do it in less than 20 words.  A 2 minute explanation usually makes your clip unusable because red carpet footage is edited in a faster paced rhythm.  If you want to watch successful interviews in 30 seconds or less, take a look at the clips from the Whatever Works premiere from June 2009 for Focus Hollywood:  See Larry David, Peter Fonda, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, and John Lithgow all giving great little moments in an extremely short period of time.  They are true masters at dealing with red carpet reporters when we only were allowed to ask them one question each that night.

I hope that some of these tips are useful to you and your cast.  I am happy to offer up a few more helpful hints as we get closer to April 11th, 2010, so feel free to fire away with questions or suggestions on this topic in the section below (Anonymous posts are okay).  I can address them in another post soon.   See you at the Streamys red carpet!

PS  All of the photos posted are examples of GOOD red carpet interviews, so don't start any gossip that I think you stink on the red carpet.  xo kb