MTV Movie Awards Red Carpet Build

So it is now day 4 on the Universal Studios backlot and we are in full swing.  At the moment I cannot go into all of the craziness that will be happening but I am looking forward to sharing some behind-the-scenes stories with you shortly.  But for now I wanted to give you a little of the craziness that is happening out here in Hollywood.  Check out our red carpet build.  The video below is a live stream from outside the Gibson Ampitheater and it will be running for 24 hours a day for the next 2.5 days (as today, Friday, is half over).  We have been feeding the world wide web for the last 24 hours and the build is coming along.  But watch the change over the next 24 hours as we near the start of show and then on sunday you can watch the Red Carpet as it happens.

Just a reminder: East Coasters remember the Red Carpet/Pre-Show starts at 8pm ET and the West Coast will have to check in at 5pm PT as the live feed WILL NOT be re-streaming over the web when the show airs for you at 8pm PT.  You might even catch a sneak peek of the Jersey Shore Blow Out as the Jersey Shore cast will be hosting the Pre-Show.

MTV Shows

MTV Movie Awards -- Prepping for Sunday June 6

So it may not be the Oscars, but it is one of the funnier nights on cable television.  This year's MTV Movie Awards is quickly approaching and the promos are starting to make their way onto the web.  Check out the Aziz and Justin Bieber Movie Award promo video below and check back for updates, photos and videos as I will be there working in the backlots of Universal Studios at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards.

MTV Shows

Tune in on Sunday, June 6 when the show airs with some wild and crazy happenings beginning at 8pm EST for the Red Carpet Pre-show and a 9pm EST LIVE show.  You won't believe what the MTV team has planned.

BIG news

So I have some BIG news...

Last night I attended the world premiere of Sex and the City 2.  But bigger than that I was given the opportunity to write a blog for MTV's Hollywood Crush page, which was just post.  Please check it out.

Sex and the City 2 World Premiere

Check out my other blog Reel World Adventures later today for my review, pictures and a video from the world premiere.

New York Public Library Ghostbusters

A video went up today showing that the New York Public Library has a bit of a ghost problem.  So much so that the Ghostbusters were called in to clean it up.  Check out the Improv Everywhere prank.

Linger -- Book Trailer

American Idiot on Broadway -- My Life with Green Day

 Green Day has always been a part of my life.  I couldn't tell you exactly when or how they entered my life, but outside of a few close friends and family, their music has been the most consistent thing that exists in my life.  They are the one band I always turn to when I need something.  Their music has gotten me through good times and bad. It pushed me to achieve goals. It helped me win races. It pumped me up before big games.  It gave me the escape I needed when things went wrong and at an early age I learned to use their music as my outlet when I had no other way to express myself.

It has been 14 years since my love for Green Day first started.  I remember waking up every morning at 4am for a morning figure skating lesson before going off to school.  I wasn't the only person doing this of course, but I was one of the youngest.  At 10 I dreamed of nothing more than one day wanting to be an Olympic figure skater.  I had my heart and dreams set on the 2006 and 2010 winter games.  The only problem at the time what the fact that my coaches weren't happy with the fact that I was not like all the other girls out on the ice.  I wasn't willing to just follow their every word, and I most certainly was not all about those figure skating dresses that everyone else on the ice was wearing.  I was the "rebel" wearing shorts and a tank top and listen to Green Day in secret on my walk-man as I warmed up.  But that was just the start to my problems.  Two years later I was working on landing a double axle.  Again my coaches and I weren't seeing eye to eye over my practice habits so I figured what better way to start off the morning than with a little Green Day.  So like clock work, at 4:30am you would always find me standing at the juke box with a dollar in hand and punching in the code to play Longview.  Probably not the ideal song to start the morning off with but man did it get me ready, and just as an added bonus... it totally pissed off my coaches.  Well, it was with the Dookie album playing in the background when I finally stuck a clean landing.  I had never been more excited than at that very moment.    But many things have changed since then.  I no longer figure skate and I haven't gone out of my way to purposely piss someone off in quite a while, but the sounds of Green Day have never left me.

By the time I started college I had a complete collection of Green Day CDs, posters that plastered every wall, my cd player in my car had a mix cd of their music that I could switch to whenever I was out on the road, and I was getting ready for my first concert.  It took 3 hours to drive to New Hampshire for their show, and at the end of the night I was shaking I was so excited.  Less than six months later I had bought tickets to another show but for a different venue, and this time I was general admission and determinded to get as close to the stage as possible. 

For the entire show I was plastered against the barricade that lined the front of the stage.  I was knocked around, stepped on, elbowed in the face, and drinched by the end of the show.  And again, I loved every minute it.  Hearing Billie Joe, Mike and Tre perform live was like nothing I had ever experienced and I could not get enough of it, and to top it off they are hands down #1 performers.  They give you an amazing experience and great music every single time.  All I can say is that I wish money was not so tight otherwise I would be on the road following their tours from city to city.  But what can I say, I grew up listening and loving their music. 

I've been lucky enough to work in a place that allows me the opportunity to see them perform every once in a while.  Working the VMAs last summer I stood around like a little kid in a candy shop, jumping up and down, as I got to sit in and listen to their rehearsal session.  But it wasn't just a rehearsal, it turned into a mini-concert.  These amazing musicians truly love what they do and it shows every time they step up on stage.  I have found, through my own experiences and by watching others, that on a large scale that is quite rare.  To be able to give as much as they do when they are in the spotlight is a completely different experience and it shows.  But now, with American Idiot opening on Broadway they are taking the game to the next level.

American Idiot is a punk rock musical that is just as high energy and fun as an actual Green Day concert.  The performers that make up the cast give you so much of themselves that it is obvious that they are enjoying what they are doing as actors and musicians, as Green Day does for their fans.  It is odd to think that they cast is primarily made up of 20-somethings that are my age, and have grown up with their music, just like I have.  But it was clear in tonight's performance when one of the actors ran up to the mic at the end of the show and yelled "Oh my god I we get to perform with Green Day."  It was an amazing surprise to see the band come out at the end of the show, and give us their own encore.  The mini-show, on top of the already rockin' musical made the night one to remember.  And I, thanks to some amazing co-workers, sat in the 2nd row with less than an arms length distance between Billie Joe and myself.  The show ended with a bang, and I couldn't have asked for anything better.

If you are in the NYC area, or have the ability to come out, I would recommend checking out this show.  The cast is a group of amazing performer who add to the overall appeal of the story being told through one of the greatest rock bands around today.  The play is amazing and I guarantee that you will be rockin' out in your seat throughout the entire  play.  It is a one act play that will have you singing in the streets and wanting to go back for more. 


For me, the journey continues.  I will be hitting the road soon on a journey cross country.  My plans before I leave NYC is to get a copy of the soundtrack so I will continue to have Green Day by my side when I need them most.  The Broadway musical is just another thing to add to the reasons why I love Green Day.  It has given me yet another visual story to the music that already fills my life.  

Longview -- Music Video

NYC Teen Author Festival - Genre and Adolescence panel

About 2 weeks ago I picked up a book I had been dying to read, and ended up getting so wrapped up in the story that I actually finished it in one sitting.  For as long as I can remember I've struggled with reading, but there are certain genres and story lines that have caught my attention in a way that has kept me reading a book at least every once in a while.  The first book I actually got wrapped up in was L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries back in '91 and then Christopher Pike's The Last Vampire series, which kept me entertained while my dad and I drove cross country during a move from the west to the east in '98.  After that I only read when I had to.  Harry Potter was the next series to get me to read on a pretty regular basis, but I didn't get involved until after the first trailer aired on television.  Truth is, I HATED the first book.  It was sooooo slow, but once I got to Chamber of Secrets I could not put the books down.  But they still did not hold my interest long enough to keep me reading day after day.  It wasn't just the length of the books, but there was still something missing and I could not seem to finish any of the books in under a month. 

Once starting college I moved on from the YA fantasy to a more risque version of the same sort of stories.  Laurell K. Hamilton became my drug of choice with her Anita Blake series.  However I still found myself spending more time in the YA section at Barnes and Noble every weekend, looking for something to read.  Then came the Twilight series.  Yes I will confess I ate that up as well.  But it still took me at least a week to find the time to read.  That was of course until I finally broke down and gave into my desire to pick up a book whose cover had caught my attention time and time again.  I broke my budget plan for that week and purchased the one YA book I always found my hands reaching for when I'd spend my afternoons wondering around various Barnes and Nobles from NYC to Boston.  Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver was the first book that I could not put down, forfeited my favorite television shows for the night (of course putting my DVR to use so that I would be able to catch up as soon as I finished the book) and read straight through the night, only finishing in time to allow for 2 hours of sleep before having to go into work. 

Once I finished the book, I learned about an event that was taking place in the city and was very excited to find out that Maggie Stiefvater would be one of the authors participating in one of the panels for the NYC Teen Author Festival.  I found it to be a completely different experience being able to attend a reading by an author, and as I have been working on trying to complete my own YA novel it inspired me to strive that much higher with my own story.  In a way it was much like some experiences I've had while listening to directors talking about their methods and filmmaking.  Hearing their story, in their voice, the way they meant for it to be told is like a whole new way of experiencing a story you already had a connection with and adds to your respect for the story teller and excitement for the story. 

As an avid YA reader, avid genre reader, and aspiring filmmaker and writer I am grateful to directors and authors who take the time to participate in panel discussions and events like the film and book festivals.  It is their shared knowledge and experience that keeps me going.  Knowing that no matter what struggles there are along the path, or the dues one pays to get to that point, it is hearing the stories of those that have succeeded that inspire me.  So I guess that I should not only thank the authors who took the time to share with us, but also NYPL for putting together such an amazing event.  It is because of the Genre and Adolescence panel that I now have a full list of books that I am dying to find some way to pickup and read.  Now just to find a way to add in book expenses into my budget.  

Well, if you are in the NYC area, there are still 2 days of events remaining for the NYC Teen Author Festival, including an amazing book signing event for Sunday, March 21.  If you are interested in hearing the selection Maggie Stiefvater read from Shiver check out the video below, and if you are looking for something to read I would highly recommend checking it out before July as Linger, the followup to Shiver, will be hitting shelves this summer.

Happy reading and happy writings!

Maggie Stiefvater reading from Shiver at NYC Teen Author Festival