So I post about my greatest nightmare -- a world full of clones. And a day later, America Ferrera wins a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy!
I've loved her ever since I saw her in Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. Now I definitely need to see "Real Women Have Curves", especially based on the film I'm making.
She would be a GREAT interview. I should try?
Anyhow, my heart almost burst with joy at her speech and at this incredibly significant moment in the progress of women and body image. And also the fact that she made a point to mention what this means to young girls all over the country who write to her specifically to let her know that they can identify with her and are overjoyed to see someone "like them" on TV.
This is what I'm trying to do with my film. Present a new breed of role models for young girls that did not exist when I was growing up.
It will be exciting to follow America and how her career changes and evolves as a result of this monumental accomplishment!
Feeling inspired....
Tatyana
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
LA -- Known for its Hips & Curves???
I'm just a bit more than halfway through filming... hard to believe considering how much we've been through already!
Hopped on another plane and flew from San Francisco to LA. We were eager to hit Venice Beach and hopefully get some lovely beach booty shots. Of course, the cold spell followed us and spoilt that plan. I still find it ironic that I escape to California to escape Toronto's cold, and I keep being confronted with winter weather! While we were in LA, pretty much the entire citrus crop was frozen solid by the frigid air!
It may have been cold outside....but indoors, things were about to turn steamy with our next shoot!
Presenting... Hips & Curves online lingerie. Deliciously sexy lingerie for the full-figured woman. If anyone knows how to work a plentiful tushie, it's these ladies!
Hottest part of the day: the fact that voluptuous women can rock lingerie like no other women can....
Funniest part of the day: the priceless expressions of the handful of delivery guys who peeked into the office (complete with burgundy boudoir set right smack in the middle of it!) and quickly shut the front door again -- they all totally thought they had walked in on a PORN shoot!
Most inspiring moment of the day: ALL of it. Thus far, this particular shoot and the women behind it have left the most powerful impression on me:
Brandi and Jonnie, the models who spoke to me about the pressure to be thin in La-La Land and growing up with butts that boys didn't necessarily covet...
Kizzie, the lighting director, who shared her passion to direct an incredible film featuring young girls that I would bend over backwards to help her with....
Veronica, the makeup artist, who has close ties to the burlesque world and who affirmed that my decision to explore this community was a good one...
Marcy, the style-maven-with-the-mostest -- for her warm, cheerful and supportive spirit. Her initial timidness on camera reminded me of how I get on camera...
And finally, Rebecca, the brains behind this incredible team and company. She was tireless, positive, and extremely accommodating. She turned on the charm and even became an on-camera host... and I will never forget that she was the conduit to meeting this lovely group of women.
To meet such a collective of strong women in a place like LA has been so gratifying for me. In the 2 times I've been here, I've managed to avoid Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and more or less the superficial, plastic side to this city. Instead, I've been able to wander through Santa Monica and Venice and meet talented, healthy and downright beautiful women.
Oh ya, and the lingerie was hot too. :)
Hopped on another plane and flew from San Francisco to LA. We were eager to hit Venice Beach and hopefully get some lovely beach booty shots. Of course, the cold spell followed us and spoilt that plan. I still find it ironic that I escape to California to escape Toronto's cold, and I keep being confronted with winter weather! While we were in LA, pretty much the entire citrus crop was frozen solid by the frigid air!
It may have been cold outside....but indoors, things were about to turn steamy with our next shoot!
Presenting... Hips & Curves online lingerie. Deliciously sexy lingerie for the full-figured woman. If anyone knows how to work a plentiful tushie, it's these ladies!
Hottest part of the day: the fact that voluptuous women can rock lingerie like no other women can....
Funniest part of the day: the priceless expressions of the handful of delivery guys who peeked into the office (complete with burgundy boudoir set right smack in the middle of it!) and quickly shut the front door again -- they all totally thought they had walked in on a PORN shoot!
Most inspiring moment of the day: ALL of it. Thus far, this particular shoot and the women behind it have left the most powerful impression on me:
Brandi and Jonnie, the models who spoke to me about the pressure to be thin in La-La Land and growing up with butts that boys didn't necessarily covet...
Kizzie, the lighting director, who shared her passion to direct an incredible film featuring young girls that I would bend over backwards to help her with....
Veronica, the makeup artist, who has close ties to the burlesque world and who affirmed that my decision to explore this community was a good one...
Marcy, the style-maven-with-the-mostest -- for her warm, cheerful and supportive spirit. Her initial timidness on camera reminded me of how I get on camera...
And finally, Rebecca, the brains behind this incredible team and company. She was tireless, positive, and extremely accommodating. She turned on the charm and even became an on-camera host... and I will never forget that she was the conduit to meeting this lovely group of women.
To meet such a collective of strong women in a place like LA has been so gratifying for me. In the 2 times I've been here, I've managed to avoid Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and more or less the superficial, plastic side to this city. Instead, I've been able to wander through Santa Monica and Venice and meet talented, healthy and downright beautiful women.
Oh ya, and the lingerie was hot too. :)
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
What Is Beauty?
I'm climbing on my soapbox today... be forewarned!
I've never really bought into the mainstream media's and Hollywood's definition of "beauty". Or the "ideals" they promote. While I do feel that we've definitely evolved and now bear witness to a much more diverse range of "faces" in the media than I experienced as a child.... I still feel as though, on the whole, the same ideal continues to be being chased by young girls.
I have always felt a bit different, in that I am a Caucasian woman who is not blonde, blue-eyed, and slim. It's made my "place" harder to locate and I'm still hard pressed to find media role models that I feel reflect my build and look. When Jennifer Lopez appeared in Selena, I could barely catch my breath. Could it be? A woman with HIPS and BUTT wearing skin tight white pants and causing a sensation? Yes, it was a triumph and a sigh of relief. But JLo is Hispanic and reflects a body type many Hispanic women have. As a "white gal" with some mediterannean features and a figure the origins of which I cannot pinpoint, I'm constantly questioning where I belong. Then there was Beyonce, who is both Caucasian and African-American -- but her hips have always been attributed to her black roots. It seems as though every time a white celebrity appears that I even begin to feel I can identify with, they whittle themselves away (Kelly Clarkson, Jenna Von Oy....).
I know that we are social beings and look for comfort in familiarity. I've looked for that familiarity and have not found it. This is perhaps why why I've always been a bit different from the general public in my outlook. I've developed into a person who finds true beauty in diversity. I am mesmerized by the uniqueness of a person's face, I gravitate towards defining features, I revel in what makes a person stand out.
Think about it for a second. What is real beauty? At the risk of sounding like a preachy DOVE ad, really think about it. If we all looked the same (or made efforts to achieve this sameness), would the world not be a boring, generic place?
Reflecting on the teen girls I see out there, a disturbing homogeneity becomes apparent -- the platinum-blonde-streaked hair, the eyebrows plucked into rail thin arches, the caked on makeup (especially black eyeliner) that doesn't necessarily flatter their unique complexions and colouring. I can appreciate the struggle to discover one's place in the world (ah, those memorable, tumultuous adolescent years!) and discovering one's identity. It's a phase we all go through in our quest to find ourselves. But how do we go about teaching and promoting the EMBRACING of our uniqueness as opposed to the pursuit of sameness?
I've had daydreams/nightmares about a society 100 years in the future where all diversity and variety has vanished. We're seeing it happen with the Big Box stores and globalization and gentrification. But the power of Hollywood and Paris Hilton reaching further and further, who's to say this universality doesn't one day affect the very appearance of the human race?
It's not fair to knock Paris. In many ways, I do respect that she maximizes the way she looks (although who knows what "look" she was actually born with). She hasn't gone the way of Barbie and inflated her chest, and actually WORKS WITH the fact that she is a thin, small chested woman. There's something to be said for that. However, she still does represent a singular beauty standard that we are seeing rippling througout the world.
My personal nightmare: a world of clone-like women. Which would explain why making films with diversity are so important to me. Maybe I won't change people's opinions, but I'm giving voice and exposure to women that I choose to identify and celebrate.
It is what makes us DIFFERENT that makes us BEAUTIFUL.
This has become my motto.
Tatyana
I've never really bought into the mainstream media's and Hollywood's definition of "beauty". Or the "ideals" they promote. While I do feel that we've definitely evolved and now bear witness to a much more diverse range of "faces" in the media than I experienced as a child.... I still feel as though, on the whole, the same ideal continues to be being chased by young girls.
I have always felt a bit different, in that I am a Caucasian woman who is not blonde, blue-eyed, and slim. It's made my "place" harder to locate and I'm still hard pressed to find media role models that I feel reflect my build and look. When Jennifer Lopez appeared in Selena, I could barely catch my breath. Could it be? A woman with HIPS and BUTT wearing skin tight white pants and causing a sensation? Yes, it was a triumph and a sigh of relief. But JLo is Hispanic and reflects a body type many Hispanic women have. As a "white gal" with some mediterannean features and a figure the origins of which I cannot pinpoint, I'm constantly questioning where I belong. Then there was Beyonce, who is both Caucasian and African-American -- but her hips have always been attributed to her black roots. It seems as though every time a white celebrity appears that I even begin to feel I can identify with, they whittle themselves away (Kelly Clarkson, Jenna Von Oy....).
I know that we are social beings and look for comfort in familiarity. I've looked for that familiarity and have not found it. This is perhaps why why I've always been a bit different from the general public in my outlook. I've developed into a person who finds true beauty in diversity. I am mesmerized by the uniqueness of a person's face, I gravitate towards defining features, I revel in what makes a person stand out.
Think about it for a second. What is real beauty? At the risk of sounding like a preachy DOVE ad, really think about it. If we all looked the same (or made efforts to achieve this sameness), would the world not be a boring, generic place?
Reflecting on the teen girls I see out there, a disturbing homogeneity becomes apparent -- the platinum-blonde-streaked hair, the eyebrows plucked into rail thin arches, the caked on makeup (especially black eyeliner) that doesn't necessarily flatter their unique complexions and colouring. I can appreciate the struggle to discover one's place in the world (ah, those memorable, tumultuous adolescent years!) and discovering one's identity. It's a phase we all go through in our quest to find ourselves. But how do we go about teaching and promoting the EMBRACING of our uniqueness as opposed to the pursuit of sameness?
I've had daydreams/nightmares about a society 100 years in the future where all diversity and variety has vanished. We're seeing it happen with the Big Box stores and globalization and gentrification. But the power of Hollywood and Paris Hilton reaching further and further, who's to say this universality doesn't one day affect the very appearance of the human race?
It's not fair to knock Paris. In many ways, I do respect that she maximizes the way she looks (although who knows what "look" she was actually born with). She hasn't gone the way of Barbie and inflated her chest, and actually WORKS WITH the fact that she is a thin, small chested woman. There's something to be said for that. However, she still does represent a singular beauty standard that we are seeing rippling througout the world.
My personal nightmare: a world of clone-like women. Which would explain why making films with diversity are so important to me. Maybe I won't change people's opinions, but I'm giving voice and exposure to women that I choose to identify and celebrate.
It is what makes us DIFFERENT that makes us BEAUTIFUL.
This has become my motto.
Tatyana
Monday, January 15, 2007
The Shimmy - San Francisco-Style!
After another day of lugging equipment and travelling, we're now in San Francisco!
The last time I was here, it was summer and I literally boarded a flight in LA in the morning, landed in San Francisco and spent the day meeting with a burlesque dancer by the name of "Kellita", before I boarded my plane and flew back to LA that night. The first day-trip flight of my life!
So this time around, I was a little better prepared. For the sporadic weather (a scarf and gloves, even though it was supposed to be balmy) and comfy shoes (not the platform espadrilles I climbed up and down Powell St. in last time).
Sure enough, the cold snap had followed us and I kept overhearing that San Francisco is never this cold in January! Suited me just fine as it was basically Toronto fall weather, which I love!
Another boutique hotel.... and another chunk of change in tips gone. But the Serrano hotel was just lovely! The rooms were super tiny and my mess was such that I opted to NOT take a photo of it. But if you're looking for an affordable place to stay in San Fran, I'd recommend the Serrano. Centrally located, nicely furnished and decorated, free wine tastings in the lobby each evening, and an awesome gym! There is nothing more unmotivating then stumbling down to work out early in the morning, only to discover a hotel's idea of a "gym" is a rickety old treadmill and possibly a stepper.... not the case here! So I took full advantage.
Ok, so because of our early flight, I had ample time to explore. Which resulted in a trip to Union Square and the main downtown mall. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Boxing Week apparently leads well into January and I scored some incredible deals. Need to make a career of this, I tell you!
But on to the real reason we were here -- the Lovely Kellita of Hot Pink Feathers! She won me over during my scouting/research trip with her incredible charisma and super-cute booty-shimmying samba-moves. I got to meet her other troupmates Kerricita and Trecita -- modern dancers-turned-burlesque performers.
(Oh ya, and watch them put on makeup.... which is always fun!)
How could you NOT be transfixed by these pretty-in-pink'n'orange ladies!
Kellita, thank you for donning a bikini in a freezing studio space and shimmying your tush off for my film! You and your ladies are a vision and if I could learn to move like that even just a smidge, I'm sure I'd be beating the men off with a stick!
The last time I was here, it was summer and I literally boarded a flight in LA in the morning, landed in San Francisco and spent the day meeting with a burlesque dancer by the name of "Kellita", before I boarded my plane and flew back to LA that night. The first day-trip flight of my life!
So this time around, I was a little better prepared. For the sporadic weather (a scarf and gloves, even though it was supposed to be balmy) and comfy shoes (not the platform espadrilles I climbed up and down Powell St. in last time).
Sure enough, the cold snap had followed us and I kept overhearing that San Francisco is never this cold in January! Suited me just fine as it was basically Toronto fall weather, which I love!
Another boutique hotel.... and another chunk of change in tips gone. But the Serrano hotel was just lovely! The rooms were super tiny and my mess was such that I opted to NOT take a photo of it. But if you're looking for an affordable place to stay in San Fran, I'd recommend the Serrano. Centrally located, nicely furnished and decorated, free wine tastings in the lobby each evening, and an awesome gym! There is nothing more unmotivating then stumbling down to work out early in the morning, only to discover a hotel's idea of a "gym" is a rickety old treadmill and possibly a stepper.... not the case here! So I took full advantage.
Ok, so because of our early flight, I had ample time to explore. Which resulted in a trip to Union Square and the main downtown mall. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Boxing Week apparently leads well into January and I scored some incredible deals. Need to make a career of this, I tell you!
But on to the real reason we were here -- the Lovely Kellita of Hot Pink Feathers! She won me over during my scouting/research trip with her incredible charisma and super-cute booty-shimmying samba-moves. I got to meet her other troupmates Kerricita and Trecita -- modern dancers-turned-burlesque performers.
I must admit -- this is one of the best gigs I've ever had! I get to meet all of these fabulous woman and draw strength from them....
How could you NOT be transfixed by these pretty-in-pink'n'orange ladies!
(just a little tease.... the picture not the girls!)
Kellita, thank you for donning a bikini in a freezing studio space and shimmying your tush off for my film! You and your ladies are a vision and if I could learn to move like that even just a smidge, I'm sure I'd be beating the men off with a stick!
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