On the Orange Carpet!

Kid Reporter Miranda Rector covers the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

The Kid's Choice Awards can be described in three ways:  extreme, slime-filled, and orange! Although there's no green slime on the celebrity-filled orange carpet, the anticipation of slime and energy is high! It's also really LOUD!

Getting the chance to join the orange carpet frenzy was exciting beyond belief. I was super pumped and peppy.

A lot of covering a red—or in this case orange—carpet event is shouting things like "FRED! FRED! LUCAS! LUCAS! LUCAS! FRED! TAYLOR! TAYLOR! TAYLOR!" to get the celebrity's attention. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but you can't be disappointed when they rush on by you. Look for the next one and keep on shouting!

Sometimes, to make life a little easier, the publicists come by first to arrange interviews with you. Mostly, though the celebrities see who you are and come to you on their own. I found out that most of them love Scholastic and the Kid Reporters, so if they saw me standing there in my red shirt, microphone in hand, they stopped to talk. That was really awesome and cool!

The biggest star I met was Selena Gomez, who was attending her first ever Nick Kids' Choice Awards show. She was tremendously nice and seemed to be really happy. Even though Wizards of Waverly Place didn't win Favorite TV Show, Selena Gomez took home her first blimp for Favorite TV Actress. After my interview with her, I can only bet Selena Gomez felt really happy inside.

I also met Jennette McCurdy from iCarly. I am a HUGE fan! She was pumped and totally excited, especially to see Apollo Anton Ohno and Shaun White. She wore a green BCBG dress to "respect the slime," she told me. She was hoping to be green and goopy by the end of the show, but sadly missed out on the ritual sliming. I was kind of glad just because I thought her dress was too cute to be slimed.

McCurdy also told me she was disappointed that Harry Potter was not nominated this year. As a self-described "Potterhead" I totally related to that sentiment. I'm also a fan of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, so I'm still glad that it won Favorite Book.

For years I have been staying up watching the Kids' Choice Awards on TV. I never expected to one day be part of the orange carpet. It was mind-blowing!

Did you watch? What did you think? Did your favorites win? Send in your opinions in the comment box below.

—Miranda Rector

All Aboard An Amazing Adventure

Let's have lunch on the circus train!

What is over one mile long, moves at about 35 miles per hour, and is home to elephants, clowns, and pie? It’s the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Train!

That seemingly never ending stretch of silver railroad cars was the first glimpse I got on Tuesday of my assignment to cover the Ringling Brothers new show Barnum's FUNundrum. I climbed up into the pie car with several other hungry reporters. We were there for lunch and interviews.

The pie car is a special part of the train that looks very much like the inside of a diner. It’s where the performers eat and gather to chat.

I was there to interview Nicole and Alana Feld, the producers of Barnum's FUNundrum. The Feld family owns the circus, and these two sisters are the first women to produce one of the company’s shows.

The ceiling over the booths is a shiny circus red with big round lights. Pink shades cover the windows. On the walls inside the train hang framed photos of the circus past and present. The tables were decorated with orange, red, and yellow flowers. I expected to hear circus music at any minute!

A very tall man dressed in a sparkling, mirrored outfit commanded everyone’s attention as he stepped into the car. It was Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson, the first African-American and also the youngest ringmaster ever for Ringling Brothers Circus.

But let’s get down to an unusual and exotic lunch. The meal included honey brushed scallops w/strawberry and pistachio risotto; spinach and goat cheese salad with blueberries, roasted cashews and pomegranate vinaigrette; and Hudson valley foie gras w/ sweet pea cream. Not so kid friendly, I agree, but maybe that’s what the peanut butter grits further down the menu were for!

We ate a lunch that could have been served in one of the world’s fanciest restaurants. I received a little special surprise from the chef who made me the most flavorful and delicious French fries I have ever had. (Now, that’s more like it! Thank you Chef Michael Vaughn!)

FUNundrum is a celebration of P.T. Barnum’s 200th birthday. You’ll see more about that story later from another Kid Reporter. Meanwhile I’m working on my story for Women’s History Month about Nicole and Alana Feld. Check back later for more from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus!

—Danielle Azzolina

PHOTO: Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson and Kid Reporter Danielle Azzolina aboard the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Train. (Photo Courtesy Danielle Azzolina)

On the Red Carpet with Percy Jackson

Kid Reporter fan gets a leg up on rookie adult reporters who haven't read the PJ books!

I looked to my left and then to my right. TV crews from CBS, FOX, and Access Hollywood were setting up their equipment and getting ready for the celebrities. I had prepared well for this red carpet premiere, but I was still extremely nervous, being the only kid among all the adult reporters.

I was at the AMC Loews Theater in New York City at the red carpet premiere for Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Despite my anxiety over being the only kid in the crowd, I knew I had a major advantage over most of the adult reporters: I have actually read ALL the Percy Jackson books! I knew the story and characters quite well without ever having to see the movie or even read the press packet.

Being a kid can also create some problems. It took a bit of coaxing to convince the security guards that I was indeed a reporter, even though I had credentials and a place reserved on the rope line along the red carpet.

When I was finally inside and in place along the red velvet ropes, I got my recorder and notebook ready. Suddenly, I heard murmurs of excitement. Logan Lerman was arriving!

The actor who plays Percy strode down the red carpet, stopping to answer journalists’ questions along the way. When he got to me, I introduced myself, and asked a few questions.

“I think everyone can relate to Percy," Lerman told me. "He’s a regular teenager with problems. He has dyslexia, ADHD, and his parents are separated. This movie is about turning your weaknesses into your strengths, and that’s what Percy does.”

This interview taught me two things about Logan Lerman: he's pretty cool and a great speaker!

I also spoke to Brandon T. Jackson who plays the role of Grover, the satyr. He said he had to learn to walk like a goat, which took a lot of practice.

“Chris (the director) had to make sure I kept walking like that for the entire movie,” Jackson said.

Director Chris Columbus also stopped by. He told me the difference between directing this movie and the Harry Potter movies was the improvement in technology for creating visual effects. Columbus directed the first two the HP movies.

“We have gone so far in the visual effects that now the effects are almost seamless,” Columbus said.

He told me to especially watch out for one monster in particular—Medusa! He also explained that they had to create a lot of sets for the movie, including building a model of the Empire State building in the studio.

Kevin McKidd, who plays Poseidon, told me something about his character. He said that it was cool playing a really tall god with special powers. Also, he mentioned that everybody would like this movie because it is a family movie and very fast paced.

Alexandra Daddario, who plays Annabeth, daughter of Athena, said that when playing her character, she got to do some really unique stunts.

“You get to do things you would never do in your real life, like sword fighting and archery,” she said. She also told me she had to stay physically fit to play her character. “Every morning before filming, we had to do aerobics exercises,” Daddario said.

All the cast and the director of the movie stopped to talk with me. I even improvised and added some new questions to the ones I had prepared in advance. I became less nervous and more confident as the interviews continued.

Finally, I spoke to Pierce Brosnan, who plays Chiron. You might remember him from his role as the famous spy, James Bond. He said that Chiron was like a philosopher of the demi-gods. He also explained the difference between playing James Bond and a Chiron.

"James Bond didn’t have to dress up in tights,” he said with a smile. He added that Bond didn’t have to be a half man/half horse either!

After all that excitement, I was looking forward to sitting down and relaxing. I joined all the actors and director in the theater to watch the movie, which doesn't open to the public until tomorrow, Friday, February 12!

I came home at 10:30 p.m. and had to catch up on homework. But I also had a deadline for my movie review and this blog post.

It was hard work, but I experienced one of the most amazing days in my life. I can't get enough of Percy Jackson, and if you can't either, check out fellow Kid Reporter Grace Choi's story and  blog post about her visit to the set in British Columbia, Canada, last year.

—Gowtham Balaji

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Gowtham Balaji and actor Logan Lerman, who plays Percy Jackson, at the red carpet premiere of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. (Photo Courtesy Gowtham Balaji)

Academy Awards Bake-off

VFX nominees announced with special effects.

Before there can be an Academy Awards show, there has to be an announcement of the nominees. When it comes to the Visual Effects Award, before there can be nominees, there has to be a bake-off.

No, not cookies! At a Visual Effects Bake-Off, the top seven visual effects (VFX) movies are reviewed and narrowed down to the three nominees.

The seven movies reviewed for possible nomination this year were Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Star Trek, District 9, Terminator Salvation, 2012, AVATAR, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. They were chosen from 271 eligible films.

I’ve grown up in Hollywood and my step-dad introduced me to the “VFX side of things.” He covers the VFX business for Variety Magazine and has shown me around as much as he can.

At the event—where no actual baking took place—15-minute highlight reels of the VFX for each movie were played. The audience of VFX specialists then voted for the nominees. Also in the audience were members of the press (including me) and the public.

The event is fun beyond belief, very crowded, and all around just cool because it’s so visually amazing.You see highlights of all the cool action in these films. I think any kid would enjoy it if it didn’t last until midnight, which it always does.

This year seemed to have some of the most outstanding VFX ever. From Harry Potter’s wonderful realism and moody colors to AVATAR’s great visual storytelling and revolutionary technology, special effects just keep better and better every year.

I felt so much joy experiencing the stunning art in most of these movies. It made me wish I could watch all the ones I like—and am allowed to see—on the big screen a thousand times more.

“I thought there was an incredible body of work,” said Roger Guyett, visual effects supervisor for Star Trek. “And for me, in this business, it’s incredible to be here this evening to see that. I think it’s an amazing evening, one of the best bake-offs I’ve ever seen.”

After the bake-off, I was rooting for AVATAR, District 9, and Star Trek  as the top three.

AVATAR by far had the best VFX. Although it portrays an imaginary world, it felt very real.

With District 9, I was blown away. I had not seen the film because it's rated R, so this was my first viewing of the VFX. The bake-off allowed me to see a world within my world that was dark and frightening, yet so realistic.

Then came Star Trek, where another element came into play: I’m an absolute fan of all things Star Trek! Even putting favoritism aside, Star Trek had some amazing views of space and the ships that travel through it, such as the Enterprise and the Nirata. Although, I think the director could have toned down on the camera flares and shaking.

And then.… my wish came true! A week after the bake-off, on February 2, my top three picks became the nominees for the VFX award at the Oscars. Vying for the top visual effects film of the year are AVATAR, District 9, and Star Trek.

I would have like for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to be in that group, too, as it also has some outstanding VFX. But that may never happen for a Harry film. Every year, the latest Harry Potter movie comes in with a strong reel, but never gets nominated. And I think it should have at least been nominated for something beside Cinematography. Still, that’s just me.… why can't the Academy think more like us kids? Guyett may agree with me.

“If you take those seven movies, every one of them in my opinion deserves to get an Academy Award nomination or an Academy Award for that matter,” Guyett said. “Every movie has things that all have.”

Now that VFX specialists have picked the nominees, it’s time for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to choose the winner. That, along with Best Picture, Best Actors, Supporting Actors, etc., will be announced with much hoopla and splendor on Sunday, March 10. I'll let you know what happens!

—Miranda Rector

PHOTO: Neytiri (Zoe Saldana, right) teaches Jake (Sam Worthington) the skills he'll need to survive on Pandora, an imaginary world made real through visual effects. (Photo Credit: WETA/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)

Shriek! It’s Shrek!

Latest technology attracts all kinds.

People come to CES for the technology, but there is plenty more to see, including a wide variety of stars who come out to help promote companies and products.

The star power kicked off early before the show floor even opened its doors, with Taylor Swift coming to the Sony press conference to perform a live 3D concert.

Later that night, Polaroid announced that Lady Gaga would make an appearance at their booth the next day.

Stan Lee, who is the mind behind many famous comic book characters like Iron Man, Spiderman, and more, made an appearance at the Marvell booth. Lee wasn’t the only celebrity to visit Marvell, a computer chip company. Later in the week, author James Patterson made an appearance, as did Pauley Perrette, the actress in the TV drama NCIS.

The NBC Universal booth broadcast live news shows, with some of the top names in the business, including business reporter Maria Bartiromo.

And although you might not recognize the name, Jeffery Katzenberg, the CEO of Dreamworks, who is responsible for movies like Monsters vs. Aliens and Kung Fu Panda, showed up at the Samsung press conference.

One of my greatest memories from the last three Consumer Electronics Shows that I have covered was getting to interview Elmo. This year, toward the end of year four, I met up with Shrek at the Intel booth. You never know who is going to be interested in the latest technology!

—Aaron Broder

PHOTO: Shrek visits CES in Las Vegas to get a look at the latest technology offered by Intel. (Photo Courtesy Aaron Broder)

Jackie Chan to the Rescue!

Action star becomes real life hero at red carpet event.

The red carpet premiere for The Spy Next Door starring Jackie Chan was full of excitement, but little did I know that this movie action hero would soon have to rescue me!

Things started off just fine with the red carpet interviews. George Lopez stopped by and chatted about his role in the movie. I showed him a newspaper from last spring where he and I are on the front page. In the picture, I’m interviewing him at the Kids’ Choice Awards. He held up the newspaper and posed with me. So now I have a picture of me with George Lopez holding up a newspaper picture of me with George Lopez.

“I love that,” he said.

Billy Ray Cyrus also stopped by to talk. In case you don’t know, he’s a country western singer probably more famous for his real life role as the father of Miley Cyrus. He also plays her father on the TV series Hannah Montana.

“I like the scene where Jackie Chan drops from the ceiling and changes his clothes mid-air,” Cyrus said. “That was amazing. Every time he would do it, George Lopez and I would laugh.”

The kid actors in the movie stopped by to say how much they enjoyed themselves during the filming. But Madeline Carroll, who plays the teenage daughter, had fun off camera too.

Some people might not know that Chan owns a Segway Scooter dealership in Asia.

“When Jackie took us on the Segways and would teach us how to turn, that was really funny,” said Carroll.

Will Shadley, who plays the role of Ian, also, related a story.

“Jackie tried to teach us how to do stunts,” he said. “He decided to climb up the wall and that was fun.”

Little Alina Foley, 4, looked pretty in pink as she came dressed in the same outfit and hairstyle as her American Girl doll. She was happy to be at the premiere, and a little bit shy.

“I like new movies,” she said.

Finally, Jackie Chan himself stopped by! He told me that he began training in martial arts at the age of 6.

After speaking with me, Chan posed for photos with the other actors in the film. Afterward, he came back to take a picture with me. I was really excited! At that moment photographers surrounded us and I was almost pushed down. That’s when Chan came to the rescue!

He swooped me up with just one hand, and carried me over the velvet rope to safety! It was awesome! Now, that’s an action hero!

—Mariam El Hasan

PHOTO: (Top) George Lopez and Mariam pose with a picture of George Lopez and Mariam on the front page of a newspaper. (Bottom) Jackie Chan poses for a picture right before things get rough and he has to rescue the reporter! (Photo Courtesy Mariam El Hasan)

3D Live in Concert!

Taylor Swift demos live 3D for Consumer Electronics Show.

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has barely begun, but the predictions are already being fulfilled. The first and biggest predictions for this year’s CES was that 3D will be the new technology on the market. Sony and Samsung are two major companies working hard to push their vision of a 3D future.

3D has had a bit of a bumpy ride, as David Steel, the Senior Vice President of Samsung pointed out. The first 3D movie was released in 1922, but it has taken until 2010 for the technology to become accessible to homes.

Samsung not only has a special 3D TV ready to roll out to markets later this year, but will soon have a 3D Blu-ray player.

Of course, a 3D TV is pretty useless without something to watch on it, so Samsung has partnered with two major companies to provide content. Technicolor, which helped create color movies back in the days of black and white, and Dreamworks, the creators of movies like Kung Fu Panda and Monsters vs. Aliens are part of the 3D content team.Kung Fu Panda will soon be the first 3D Blu-ray disc released.

Sony also has a line of TVs and accessories to get 3D moving in consumer markets later this year, but they have their own content providers. Sony has partnered with ESPN to create ESPN 3D, the first 3D sports channel. They plan to air 85 3D events this year.

They’ve also partnered with Discovery Entertainment and IMAX to make “Discovery Sony IMAX 3DTV,” which is a television network dedicated to 3D programs. And that’s not all that they’re doing. They are filming 3D concerts! Eventually, these will be broadcast live, which was demonstrated at the beginning of the presentation with a live 3D performance by teen sensation Taylor Swift!

Even Microsoft is getting into the 3D business. During a keynote address, a Microsoft spokesperson said that Windows 7 now has support for 3D gaming—if you have the right monitor.

With so many companies making the push for 3D technology, it looks like in the next few years, our TVs will be going into another dimension.

—Aaron Broder

Photo: Taylor Swift performs as her concert is filmed and shown live in 3D on a screen behind her! (Photo Courtesy Aaron Broder)

My Experience With Tony Hawk

Hitting the virtual boards with a skating legend. 

When I went to Scholastic’s New York City headquarters, I was so happy—and nervous. It was my first assignment as a new member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps and I was afraid I would mess up.

The conference room we met in was cool. I felt like I was at a debate and discussion with the President! Then I saw Tony Hawk. Boy, is he tall!

I sat right next to the skateboarding legend and felt like screaming. I also felt a little intimidated by all the other editors in the room who were asking questions. It seemed like they had such big questions compared to mine.

Next, when Tony showed me how to play his new game, it was a whole new experience to me. I thought I would mess up and fall, but I even did better than Tony himself!

When he left, Tony gave me his visitor sticker with his name typed next to a picture of Clifford the Big Red Dog. That was cool.

Then it was time to really get to work: I had a game review and an interview story to write! Visiting Scholastic HQ is always fun I found out, because you can leave with free books! I got all six of The 39 Clues that have been published so far. I read them in a week and am now a big fan. Can’t wait for book seven in February!

—Christopher Campbell

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Christopher Campbell and professional skateboarder Tony Hawk prepare to compete on the new video game Tony Hawk Ride! (Photo Courtesy Scholastic Kids Press Corps)

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Behind-the-scenes at the season's signature parade.

The sun was just starting to rise when my dad and I hopped out of our taxi on Fifth Avenue and 34th Street on Thanksgiving Day. We went from dark to day when we walked onto the NBC broadcast set where Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer were getting ready to announce the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I was the only reporter who got to interview the Today Show hosts right before the parade! I felt so excited. I still can’t believe that I met them. They were so nice and easy to talk with. Check out the video above!

The scene on 34th Street was really hectic, with police cars trolling up and down the street, stagehands running around with last minute fixes, and rehearsals under way before the sun even came up. I walked in front of the cast from the Broadway revival of Hair! as they prepared for their performance.

After dozens of floats and giant helium balloons, the parade came to an end with the final float—the sleigh carrying Santa Claus. It was a picture-perfect winter wonderland moment with white confetti flying everywhere. I felt like all of the brightly colored paper landed in my hair. By the time we left, there must have been five different colors and shapes of confetti littering the ground.

The Santa Claus float stayed in front of the grandstand as people began to leave, so we followed them onto the street. It was almost like we were walking in the parade! People were still in the stands, throwing confetti and screaming with excitement.

After getting up at 5 a.m., interviewing stars like Matt and Meredith, and covering the two-hour-long parade, I was exhausted. But there was still a story to write, as well as this blog! Hope you enjoy them both.

—Alexis Wiseman

Fantastic Mr. Fox Press Day

You got to fight for your right to interview!

Recently, I went to a press event for the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox. I sat in on round table interviews with director Wes Anderson, actor Jason Schwartzman, and Roald Dahl's daughter, Lucy Dahl.

I've never done round tables before, and my first experience was a little odd. You sit at a table with other reporters and ask the actors questions. With lots of adult reporters all trying to get their questions answered, it kind of puts you in an awkward situation—as a kid trying to be heard, I mean.

The biggest tip I would give to reporters doing these types of interviews is BE ASSERTIVE. Keep trying to ask your questions as long as they haven't already been answered. That means you have to listen carefully while plotting to ask your own questions.

Other reporters will keep trying to talk over you, but it's likely that you'll eventually be able to get into the conversation. Sometimes another reporter helps you in or you finally are able to speak up loud enough.

It's also important not to get frustrated. With most round tables, you're probably going to be the only kid, which is how it was with me. Even if it gets uncomfortable, you have to acknowledge that you are with fellow reporters who are trying to get the same thing you are: information.

If it becomes way too difficult to get yourself in, keep trying, but also listen to the questions the other reporters ask. Most likely, they'll be asking questions you need the answers to also. You're usually allowed to use anything the person you're interviewing said, even if another reporter asked the question.

The Scholastic Kids Press Corps has been really busy covering Fantastic Mr. Fox, which opens November 25. You can read my review of the movie and Grace McManus' experience at the red carpet premiere, as well as my round table interviews.

    • Fantastic Mr. Fox Movie Review

    * Press Day Interviews

    * Red Carpet Movie Premiere.

Hope you enjoy the movie and Happy Thanksgiving!

—Miranda Rector

Miranda Rector with a puppet for Fantastic Mr. Fox at the roundtable press day recently in California. (Photo Courtesy Miranda Rector)