Monthly Archives: September 2010

Google Scribe wrote this for me {Technology}

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Google labs have been busy building their new toys so that us lot can spend more time doing fun stuff. Their latest offering is Google Scribe. Scribe automatically completes text so that you don’t have to. Sort of like the text prediction feature on mobile phones.
This entire article has been written entirely using Google Scribe which ironically enough, never suggests itself.

This probably reflects why the article has no structure and feels slightly out of character. Great fun tool if you’re stuck for words or if there’s something on the tip of your tongue. It does’t know as much slang or grammar as our writers yet so I won’t be replacing them anytime soon.

If you have a go then let us know what random sentences you get in the comments section.

[Google Scribe]

Lindsay leaves rehab: get the Loh-down on what she is wearing

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Yet more controversy surrounded Lindsay Lohan as she left rehab last week and was photographed wearing designer gear, clutching an energy drink and sporting a pair of V-MODA Crossfade LPs. As the pictures emerged, speculation grew as to whether Lohan had been paid to wear some of the following items:

* V-MODA headphones: £220
* Ray-Ban sunglasses: £100
* Hermes mini-Birkin bag: price unavailable
* RockStar appetite drink: £1.70
* Hermès belt: price unavailable

Our sources at V-MODA have confirmed that Lindsay was not paid to wear the Crossfade LP headphones, but instead picked them up from the Kari Feinstein gifting suite at the MTV Movie Awards. Keep on rocking Lindsay!

Click and Submit Services for UK Actors {The Film Set}

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We’re constantly being told that 90% of an actors job is looking for work. While that’s a massive sweeping generalisation, it is in most ways true. Some of that 90% counts for marketing yourself and going towards making you a more appealing “brand” (so I’m counting going to the gym as work…certainly feels like it). A large proportion of the active looking for work involves click and submit websites. All of these suit different Actors at different stages in their careers but are valid in their own ways…but here’s what we’ve found out.

Starnow

{ Genevieve } Suits people beginning their career or with a really unusual look. Starnow doesn’t have any minimum requirements to join and because of this, there are always loads of people willing to work for free on the site trying to gain experience. It attracts low budget productions or small independant production companies trying to maximise their margins. There’s a huge number of irrelevant jobs on there but it’s usually the first point of call for producers looking for people with very unusual (character) or glamour model looks.

Occasionally there’s a gem of a job in amongst the hubub and I’ve been told that producers post jobs on there because they like the easy user interface.

{ Catherine }  I have been on Star Now for years and people wonder why sometimes as I am no longer a beginner. The answer is above. Occasionally, it has a gem of a job. In my case, a Placebo musiv video I did that has had millions of views. I get recognised a lot from it.

£35.94 for 6 Months

Shooting People

{ Catherine } Shooting people is amazing. Relatively cheap, a hubbub of film making. A lot of the castings are unpaid but you will be in contact with the next Spielberg or Scorsese. It has a good community and some good castings. You can also put up your showreel and films and share with other film makers. Well worth it and affordable. They also do monthly meet ups.

£30 per year

Spotlight

{ Genevieve } The huge majority of professional Actors are on Spotlight’s database. Your page can be viewed by anyone you give the link to or by casting professionals. It’s also published in book form yearly. The book deadline is such a massive event that photographers create special discounts before the deadline to give themselves a competitive edge. The criteria for being listed on the database are fairly strict, it’s limited to professionaly trained or experienced performers. If you have have an agent on your Spotlight profile you won’t even need to submit yourself for breakdowns. They already do that for you. A chat recently with someone in the Spotlight offices recently revealed that unrepresented actors only get 5% of the breakdowns sent. A represented actor will get an additional 75% of the breakdowns sent and there are a few Producers or Casting Directors that prefer to work with Agencies they have established a business relationship with so they choose who to send their breakdowns to…you might think this is unfair considering all the Performers pay the same subscription rate but this selectiveness ensures Spotlight retains the custom of the most productive Casting professionals. Casting professionals pay a subscription too and it’s this level of flexibility and vetting that means Spotlight breakdowns are always from the higher end of the market. If you don’t have an agent then Spotlight can act as a forwarding service for you, giving you some distance from crazed fans. Having a Spotlight card also gets you discounts from a number if retailers and services.

{ Catherine } Spotlight is invaluable. If you are not in it, you are invisible.

Cost varies depending on what time of year you join and what book you want to be listed in but roughly around £177 for one year for Actors and Actresses.

PCR – Production and Casting Report

{ Catherine } Every actor has had PCR at some point in their life. It used to have the hold of Spotlight and be essential. A rite of passage. Again, your agent will get this. It is posted to you and then you post off your CV and headshot or email. Depending on the casting directors preference. It comes on red paper and a lot of the castings will not be happening for a while. It is great for building up contacts. If you can afford it, get it.

£22.46 per month

Casting Call Pro

{ Genevieve } Easy to use website for Actors where you can have your profile online and submit yourself to acting jobs. The membership options are clear and upfront. It’s free to have a profile on the site and apply to unpaid jobs. To register on the site you need to have professional experience or training. Premium membership will allow you to apply for paid jobs, have more photos online and more attachments (Showreels, voicereels etc.) The database is searchable and employers do and will search for you. You can chose to be listed in Google searches or hidden from it and they provides statistics so you can see who’s searching for you online and viewed your profile. There’s a huge mix of jobs on the site, mainly as it’s free to post a casting call and easy to use.

The site also has a huge resource section with details of agents, photographers and services and makes it really easy to find a headshot photographer you like by automatically linking actors headshots with the photographers profile page. There’s an active forum which makes you feel like part of a community, constantly looking for work can be a bit isolating. The yearly socials are good fun and the team behind the website are really friendly.

{ Catherine } Been on it since the beginning. Good for a sense of community and gets good castings.

£117.50 a year for premium membership, free for basic membership.

CastWeb

{ Catherine } Castweb is different from the other services as you get emails about castings,’breakdowns as we call them, and then email the casting director your CV and headshot. It is mostly for agents but I have had a lot of luck with it. It is quite expensive. However, one good job will pay that off. If you can afford it, get it. Your agent will already have it. So ask them if it is needed if money is very short.

£139.95 for 12 Months

Mandy.com

{ Genevieve } A TV and Film production website with a casting section. Free to register as an Actor and upload your photo and CV and also to apply to all the casting calls. Anyone can register but there are few paid opportunities. Fantastic if you are looking to build a showreel. The profile’s arn’t searchable but it’s really easy to submit your details to a job if you’re interested in it.

{ Catherine } Definitely worth it. Free and has the occasional amazing job.

Free

Talent Circle

{ Genevieve } Another free site that allows you to submit yourself for jobs. The site mainly has unpaid student productions of the odd researcher looking for something obscure and has already tried everywhere else. You can choose to receive notifications of new jobs daily via email which makes it really easy to stay on the ball. Sadly though it never saves any of your details which makes applying for jobs an enormous chore. When you’re applying for hundreds of jobs a week you want it to be as painless as possible. However…it is free.

{ Catherine } Also worth it if you have the time. At the beginning of my career I got some very good jobs from it.

Free

Gumtree/Craigslist/Buying a role on eBay…Don’t do it kids.

Ciao for now! Genevieve and Catherine

If you have a topic you’d like covered or something to contribute then send it to info@frostmagazine.com.

Zac Goldsmith on the Environment, Jemima and becoming an MP.

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Zac GoldsmithI met Zac Goldsmith through a friend. I found him so inspiring and genuine that I helped out on his political campaign. Not only did Zac get in, but he has taken time out of his busy schedule to give Frost this interview.

1 ) It has been about five months since you got elected. How are you feeling?

I’m still wondering how it happened, but thrilled to be able to turn promises into reality. There’s lots to do, on so many levels, but I have already seen that it is possible to make a difference as an MP.

2) Has becoming an MP been like what you thought it would be?

There are no rules. There is nothing stopping a new MP flying off to the Caribbean the day after the election, enjoying the salary and expenses, and doing absolutely nothing of any value. That’s why we need a proper recall process, where MPs who have lost the respect of their constituents can be booted out. It is for an individual MP to decide what sort of MP they want to be. I am still learning the ropes and figuring out how to be most effective.

Zac Goldsmith with Frost Magazine editor Catherine Balavage

Zac Goldsmith with Frost Magazine editor Catherine Balavage

3 ) Your sister, Jemima Khan, put on her twitter that voting Tory was ’embarrassing’. Did you tell her off?

No! It was a joke that was picked up by a mischievous journalist. She was a huge help in the campaign, and canvassed regularly.  

4) What is the main thing people can do to help the environment?

What we do at home, at work and in our communities is important. But the real change is still going to come about because of political decisions, so the most important thing we can all do is get involved in politics – at any level. Even simply putting pressure on your MP is useful.

5) What do you think it the most pressing political issue at the moment?

The big long term issue, the cloud hanging over us, is the environment. We are cashing in the natural world and we cannot go on doing so indefinitely. But the immediate, overarching issue is the economy. If we don’t sort the deficit, we will be spending more servicing our debt than we do on education, and we would almost certainly see the cost of borrowing rise – for individuals and for businesses.

6) Why do you think you inspire young people so much? You had lots of volunteers who believed in you.

I had some wonderful helpers, and a magnificent team, which meant that the campaign was vibrant and fun. I was very lucky.

7) Do you think you it would have been harder to get elected without the scarily talented Ben Mallet?

Absolutely. Aged 15, Ben Mallet volunteered to establish a Conservative Future branch. By the time of the election, it was the biggest in England. I don’t know how he did it, but he is a phenomenon and a treasure.

8) Tell me the premise behind your book ‘The Constant Economy.’

Crudely speaking, it’s a guide to creating an economy that puts a value on valuable things, like natural capital, and a cost on pollution, waste and the use of scarce resources. It’s about learning to live within our ecological means. The chapters are organised as ‘steps’. Collectively, they would take us absolutely in the right direction. Individually, none of them would require political courage.

9) What are you first thought about parliament as someone who is relatively new to it.

The ritual, the atmosphere and the process is fascinating and sometimes stirring, but I sometimes wonder how much of real value happens in the chamber itself. When I first raised an issue, after my Maiden Speech, I felt I was shouting at a troop of giggling baboons on the other side.

10) What’s next?

Other than making the most of being in Parliament, being able to campaign on issues from the inside for the first time, I have no plans. I will simply do my best.

Thank you Zac.

http://www.zacgoldsmith.com/

YouTube Launches Movies Section {Film}

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YouTube opened YouTube Shows last year sharing classic TV shows and partnering with Channels. Now it’s opened up a Movies section showing hundreds of full length feature films from the “fan-made” Hunt For Gollum to “documentaries” such as Big Foot Lives.

There’s so many, check it out at the link below and if you find anything awesome then post a link in the comments below.

Cyclops Turtle {Misc-uity}

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I don’t know wether to say “aww” or “euurgh” and I’m desperately trying to resist any one eyed reptile jokes. This cute/weird little critter/monster only has one eye and isn’t it adorable how it keeps falling asleep!!

The Whisky and The Unknown {Ceri's Column}

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Sceptical losers like me are amongst the most easily frightened of folk. I mean, when you don’t immediately “believe” in every little unexplained or unexplored phenomena that you hear about, it is horrifying when it comes and slaps you in the gob…basically, I’m a bit of a wuss. I mean, your mind can play tricks on you. Not nasty, put-a-turd-in-my-car’s-air-conditioner sort of a trick. Annoyingly scary tricks.

Right, let’s get on with it! Submitted for your approval, the case of Mr. C. Phillips and a slit in the fabric of time. I think.

I’m an avid reader of the Fortean Times (a top quality publication, read it!). I’m an enjoyer of all things macabre and outlandish.

I was getting rather drunk in one of my favourite haunts in Swansea. I’d just finished regaling a fellow Fortean with factoids regarding a spooky cluster of events that occurred prior to the 9/11 attacks, (nothing “paranormal”, just statistical anomalies), and listened to tales of his grandmother’s apparent sixth-sense. So the evening had already acquired an air of the bizarre. I departed the bar with thoughts of faces appearing in smoke clouds dramatic peaks in miscarriages of male babies and Mike’s gran whirling around in my impressionable young mind. Then, out of the corner of my now very bleary eye, I spied the strangest of events.

A young lady, ready for a classic night of debauchery on Wind Street, (Swansea’s famed, puke-washed drinking centre) sauntered past me in full French maid’s garb. “Got a light?” she asked. I obliged and she walked off into the distance. Thirty seconds later, an IDENTICAL girl (in the same clothing, same height, face etc), sauntered past. “Got a light?” she asked. “No fucking way!” I exclaimed. She gave me a decidedly disgruntled look, murmured an expletive and walked off.

SHITTING HELL! I was a bit scared. Had I just witnessed a case of inter-dimensional mingling or even seen a real-life doppelganger headed to assassinate the other…or something? I sat aghast in my cab home, wondering how exactly to word my letter to the “It happened to me…” column of the Fortean Times. Surely I could get it into the September Issue?!

Then a thought struck me…well, a one word thought struck me.

 Twins.

Fucking twins. Buggering bloody balls!

Eight glasses of Laphroaig and a few tall tales and I became a “believer”. Man, the human mind can be complex. 

Or I’m thicker than Chupacabra shit.

by Ceri Phillips

Lanvin to Design for H&M {Fashion}

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H&M have announced their next designer collaboration and the rumors were true…its next designer collaboration will be with Lanvin, one of the most influential brands of the 21st century. Designed by Lanvin’s artistic director Alber Elbaz, and menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver, the collection will go on sale on November 23 in around 200 H&M stores worldwide. The collection of both womenswear and menswear will be revealed to the world on November 2, just three weeks before the clothes hit the store.

Alber Elbaz, artistic director of Lanvin says:
“H&M approached us to collaborate, and see if we could translate the dream we created at Lanvin to a wider audience, not just a dress for less. I have said in the past that I would never do a mass-market collection, but what intrigued me was the idea of H&M going luxury rather than Lanvin going public. This has been an exceptional exercise, where two companies at opposite poles can work together because we share the same philosophy of bringing joy and beauty to men and women around the world.” .

Since joining Lanvin as artistic director in 2001, Alber Elbaz has transformed the Paris-based label, founded in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin, into a fashion powerhouse bursting with ideas and creativity. Alber Elbaz has pioneered there some of the biggest trends of the past decade – ribbon, bows, pearls, raw edges, sumptuous colour and metallic embellishment among many others. Alber Elbaz has a mastery of cut and an instinct for cloth which leaves a very personal signature on his work, ensuring that all Lanvin clothes are instantly recognizable. Since the introduction of a new menswear line in 2006, Alber Elbaz has also transformed the male wardrobe, bringing a relaxed elegance to men’s clothing which is as special as the womenswear.

“We are thrilled about Lanvin’s collection for H&M, it is such an exciting moment. Lanvin will bring to H&M a luxurious French tradition that is also modern and playful. It is very much a Lanvin collection, using their cut and tailoring, with lots of focus on form and details for both women and men. The launch in November is going to be full of wonderful surprises.” Says Margareta van den Bosch, creative advisor at H&M.

Lanvin is the latest brand to collaborate with H&M, with previous collections designed by the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Comme des Garçons and Sonia Rykiel. In a new twist, the Lanvin for H&M collection will be revealed to the world through a special film which will be launched on November 2. The film will be available for all to see online at www.hm.com. Following the film’s debut, it will be just three weeks before customers have the chance to get their hands on a covetable piece of Lanvin for H&M.