Review: The 100

So I was going to wait until I had a music video to share, but I decided to go ahead and post a blog on The 100, after that awesome season finale. Mostly because I had too many words in me to post on social media. Regulars might be shocked at how short this one is compared to my typical blogs, but I just wanted to get some of my thoughts out, so I jotted them down here. Enjoy! 

When I saw the very first episode of The 100, I think I probably cried the whole time. Not because it was sad but because it was so beautiful. It was everything I had ever wanted in a series. But as much as I loved the show then, I love it even more now. How is that even possible? Especially now that the characters have left the ark (AKA spaceship) and taken up residence on post-apocalyptic Earth. As a science fiction writer and fan, one would expect the lack of space in season 2 to deter me, but surprisingly, it didn't. While the show lost some of its science fiction elements in season 2, it also gained the grounders (a badass group of warriors) and some cool dynamics between them and the sky people (the ones who came from space). It also lost a character I never liked, which is always a plus. But I think the main reason season 2 was so great was the fact that we got to see the evolution of some of the characters into true warriors. You have to be tough to survive in the world of The 100, after all. 

One of the things I love most about the show is the character arcs. After the season 2 finale, we know Clarke is going to be even more badass next season, having retreated into the wilderness to become some kind of nomad loner. Not to mention poor Jasper, with the loss he suffered in this episode no doubt having lasting ramifications. And I can't believe the difference between Octavia in season 1 and Octavia in season 2. Totally different people. What it all boils down to? War changes people. And it's doing just that on the show. One of the recurring themes, as we heard again tonight from Clarke's mom, is that there are no good guys in war. Everyone has to sacrifice something (or someone) for the greater good. And as Maya said, none of us is innocent. This show has already proven that to be true time and time again, and there's just something so universal about it.

And of course I'm excited that the show will be returning to it science fiction roots next season, as the end of this episode revealed. But with or without the science fiction, The 100 has proven over and over that it is one of the best shows on TV.

I might still post a full fledged blog someday, music video and all, but in the mean time just know that The 100 is an amazing show, and if you aren't watching it, you should be. If you like drama and violence and romance and mystery, you'll like The 100. You might also want to check out the books if you haven't. But be warned that there are some major differences between the books and the show.

Until next season, may we meet again.

Be The Lightning,

Kylie Jude.

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The Walking Dead and Bethyl: Review and tribute video

Since its start back in 2010, The Walking Dead has become a worldwide sensation. & why not? It has all the terror & gore that comes with a zombie apocalypse, combined with believable & heart wrenching acting. My husband & I were excited about the show at first, but we lost interest during the second season, mostly because it started getting too repetitive - too much walking around & then finding a safe haven & then having to leave & walk around some more. While my husband (who is pretty much a real life Daryl Dixon) never regained interest in the show, I kept coming back to it. Something about it just kept pulling me back in. Maybe it's all the hype. Maybe I'm brainwashed. Who knows.

So after season 2 I started watching the show again, on & off, until "Bethyl" began to emerge from the ashes of armageddon. Then I was hooked. There had been other relationships on the show, but I was never really invested in any of them. This was something different. Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) was this hardened, stubborn, closed off warrior type, & Beth Greene (Emily Kinney) was the group's little glimmer of hope - sweet, kind, physically weak but inwardly strong. These 2 characters were polar opposites of each other, but it worked because each possessed qualities that the other needed. He made her want to be strong, & she made him want to "Be Good" (See what I did there? If not, you will) ;)

In the episode "Still" these dynamics were really fleshed out. The entire episode was devoted to these 2 characters exclusively, as they hid out in a little house alone together (besides a couple zombies, of course). This was the first episode that focused entirely on just one of the show's many story lines, & for us "Bethyl Shippers" it was a dream come true. No they didn't sleep together or even kiss, but they grew close in other ways. Better ways. Ways that transcended romance & cut straight to the soul. It is this episode that makes up about 95% of my video, & it turns out that the day I finished the video was also the one year anniversary of that episode airing. I had no idea, so while I had been unsure of whether to post the blog & video (mostly due to the fear of teasing from my husband), I took this cool little synchronicity as a sign & decided to go through with it.

I wanted to use actual footage in the video, but we live out in the sticks (pretty much one step up from the characters in the show), so I had to make due with pictures I found online. I used the song "Be Good" by Emily Kinney (who played Beth on the show) because the lyrics are so perfect for it. I almost feel like the song was written about the aforementioned episode. Not sure if that's true or not, but either way, I tried lining as many pictures up with the corresponding words as possible. I know fans of the show will notice the synchronicities, even if I'm not the first to point them out - I have no idea if I'm the first or not. Sticks, remember? ;)

I added some clips of Emily/Beth singing on the show (including, of course, a clip of her singing "Be Good" in the "Still" episode), & I also added some strings in the background & some clips from "Cups" by Anna Kendrick - That song nearly mimics Beth's words to Daryl in the aforementioned episode, & it's also in the same key, so I just had to stick it in there.

(Spoilers Ahead)

Those words "You're gonna miss me when I'm gone" couldn't ring more true now, both for Daryl & for the fans. In her final season, Beth was starting to become my favorite character. She was finally starting to break out of that "weak little girl" mold & starting to become a real badass. I soon found myself more excited about seeing her character progression & evolution into a warrior than about her reuniting with Daryl & the others. But for seemingly no reason at all (except maybe shock value) they killed her off. It made no sense. It's not just that it was sad, but in all honesty, it was just bad writing.

As a writer myself, I recognize an amazing story waiting to be told. Beth was a story. A GOOD story. She was in the middle of an inward & outward transformation that we never got to see fully realized. & I'm not the only one feeling this way. Fellow writers included, thousands took to social media with hashtags like #BethGreeneDeservedBetter. Because she did. & so did we. I originally planned to make my tribute much more dark & depressing & more about her death (& to an entirely different song too), but then I decided that "Still" is how I want to remember them. So I went for a slightly more uplifting & peaceful video. But that doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt. Because it does.

I know I'm a little late with my tribute, as most fans made theirs within a week after the heartbreaking episode, but I think this television tragedy affected me far too much. It took the entire time between seasons just to come to terms with the fact that this awful thing had happened for no logical reason. At this point I had pretty much decided to stop watching the show, but I told myself I'd at least wait to see the characters grieve before I completely stopped watching. The show returned with yet another heartbreaking episode, involving a death that again made absolutely no sense whatsoever, but I stuck it out until finally the grieving episode came. I've wandered back into apocalypse land since then, but as more of a curious spectator than a fan. I'm sorry but I can't be a fan of a show that makes not one but 2 stupid decisions back to back. Guess my husband was right. Why, oh why didn't I listen to my real life Daryl Dixon? Lesson learned ;)

BUT, if I had listened to him, I never would have made this video. Although I cried like a baby more than a few times, I actually enjoyed making this video & tinkering with the music. It's short & simple, but I hope you guys will like it. Let me know what you think, & if you made it this far, thanks for reading!


My tribute:

P.S. I made the last 2, but if anyone knows who did the other 2 frames of digital art featured in the video, please let me know. I'd love to credit them!


 Stay Frosty,
 Kylie Jude.


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Interview With Zenobia Southcombe

It's been a while since I've interviewed anyone, so when Zenobia Southcombe asked for one, I jumped on it. Not just because it's been a while, but because Zenobia & I have something very special in common. We are Jills Of All Trades.

While most people are just writers, or just artists, or just musicians, we do it all. People like us were told when we were young that we could do anything we put our minds to, & somewhere deep inside we took that to mean we could do EVERYTHING we put our minds to. So, we do. Or at least we try to.

In Zenobia's case, it seems to be working. 

What IS her secret? & what is it that puts the fire in her veins? 

Find out now in my interview with her:

Kylie: Your book "What Stars Are Made Of" (which looks amazing) proves that a picture really IS worth 1,000 words. No words in the book? None at all? I'm impressed! How did you go about telling a story using only illustrations, & what gave you this brilliant idea?

Zenobia: I'd liked the idea of a wordless book since I “read” Shaun Tan's The Arrival so I guess the idea came from there. At that point in time, The Caretaker of Imagination was with my illustrator and its final beta readers and I needed a project to sink my teeth into.

Part of it was down to a stubborn streak, too - my writerly confidence could do with a boost and I really wanted to have something published by the end of the year.

In terms of telling the story, I did have to change the illustrations around a few times (I checked with some teacher-friends to see if the narrative was clear) and I added an extra couple in. I storyboarded the whole thing first and tried to use images and symbols that were simple and universal.

K: For me, music is an essential part of writing & illustrating. Do you use music to get the creative juices flowing? & if so, what bands or songs tend to be your go-to for inspiration?

Z: Yes, definitely! I noticed while drafting that I tend to listen to nineties music. Don't ask me why! Disney music does it for me while I'm brainstorming, and Robert Mile's track Children gets me focused no matter what. I swear it's magic. My all time favourites are the Beatles though (talk about creativity and imagination) and at the moment I'm going through a Paul Simon phase.

K: Being a fellow Jill Of All Trades, I know it can be extremely hard to stay focused & to not go crazy. What are some methods you use to stay on track when you've got so many different things going on at once? Do you schedule different projects for different times of the day? Do you make a list of everything you're working on? Do tell, because I MUST know your secret :)

Z: Ha! I don't have a secret - sorry! I do have a few strategies though, and it's probably easier to list them:

• People! I find that surrounding myself with other creatives - people who get excited about the same things that I do - keep my energy up so I don't burnout before the end of a project.
• Accountability - social media and blogging is great for this. If I'm sharing progress on a project, people become involved in the project as well, so if you don't pull through then you're letting them down as well.
• I do have a yearly planner. I've actually just changed my schedule a bit, but it means I'm not trying to keep timelines in my head.
• I also have a daily planner, where I write my to-do lists. I usually cross off 50-75% of the tasks, and the rest carry over to the next day.
• …but I give myself days off as well. Every now and again I'll scratch a page out and that's my 'day off'. I usually end up doing some sort of work, but it's whatever I feel like doing at the time - not what I think I should be doing.
• In terms of daily routine, I'm trying to build a morning walk in first, then I do my day-job prep work for up to an hour, and I'm left with four hours of writing work. I don't break this down further - it just depends on what project I'm working on at the time.

K: Most writers tend to worship coffee as the bringer of life (insert choir of angels here) but you prefer tea. What's your absolute favorite kind of tea?

Z: Aw no fair, I have to choose ONE? I'm going to be a rebel and choose two - one is Twining's New Zealand Earl Grey which uses mandarin instead of bergamot, and has a very subtle sweetness. The other is chai masala (literally 'spiced tea') which I make with Irish Breakfast or Assam tea and add black pepper, star anise, cloves, cinnamon and honey… yum!

K: I love chai too! Good stuff :) Speaking of favorites, out of all the visual art you've done, what is your favorite piece? & can you share it with us? Pretty please?

Z: What's up with the hard questions, Kylie!? My favourite is actually one I ended up throwing away! It was an antique-style map, and was a project I did during the school holidays when I was a teacher. The reason I loved it is that it got me back into painting after a LONG hiatus, and the reason I threw it away is the same - it became a big reminder of a person that I didn't want to become again.

K: Your next book "The Caretaker Of Imagination" looks like a fun read. & this one DOES have words, right? Other than that, how is this book different from your last one, & how did it come about?

Z: Yes, thousands of words in fact! It's definitely more commercial, as it sits in the MG Fantasy & Adventure genre well, whereas What Stars Are Made Of sits outside of customary genres. Having said that, The Caretaker is still a bit 'offbeat' - I mean, it's a kid's story with a grown-up protagonist, and it's got a cake-loving pirate. Not your stock standard fantasy.

There is similarity in the themes of both books though: the essence of What Stars Are Made Of  is about the beauty and creative light that is within all of us, and in many ways that is what the protagonist's journey is about in The Caretaker of Imagination as well.

K: I know you have another project up your sleeve (people like us always do). Can you divulge any information about what we can expect from you next?

Z: Well, there are two more (stand alone) books the The Caretaker series, which will hopefully be released in July & October this year. The second book, Lucy's Story: The End of the World is in its 4th round of revisions, and currently with my illustrator, Jane Thorne. The third book is being drafted as we speak!

There's also another project that I'm working as an illustrator on, and I haven't said a lot about this one yet. I do drawing sessions with my friend Anne, and she's an amazing story teller. My illustrator is working on a kid's book that she wrote years ago and we're going to publish that this year, and she has a wordless book (yay!) project for me to illustrate. It's called Animal Heaven and you'll hear more about this after The Caretaker is released!

AND I'm working on merchandise at the moment! Ain't no rest for the creative :)

Ain't that the truth! 

Thanks to Zenobia for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer my (sometimes hard) questions! For more on this wonderful Jill Of All Trades, you can check out her website, & you can follow her on Twitter & Google+. 

Thanks for reading! 

Be The Lightning,

Kylie Jude.

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Movie Review: Jupiter Ascending

Jupiter Ascending was one of those movies I did my chair dance for when I saw the very first trailer in theaters, and unlike with most movies, I also squealed like a little girl just about every time the previews came on TV. I don't think I had ever been so excited for a movie until this one. I know, I'm a giant dork. But if you're a regular that's probably why you're reading this review in the first place. :p If you're not a regular, fear not. This will be more than just fangirling.

Knowing how much I wanted to see this movie in theaters, my wonderful husband gave me $20 for my birthday back in December, assuring me that we would be seeing it. I grew more & more excited as the time to see it grew near, & finally, on Valentines Day weekend, we went to see it. I thought I might die of a heart attack resulting from the epic-ness of the movie, but I tried to stay calm, & here I am, alive. LOL, obviously we loved it, but of course as others have said, it's not the best movie ever made. But although the plot is slightly lacking, the visual experience totally makes up for it.

Andy & Lana Wachowski have wowed us before with brilliant films like V For Vendetta & Cloud Atlas, & of course the epic & mind-bending Matrix films. While I loved those films & their intensity, I also loved Jupiter Ascending, but in a different way.

So many people are bashing this movie, saying it's not good because it's not as intense & brilliant as the Wachowskis other films. But Jupiter Ascending is much more of a "blockbuster movie" & I believe it's geared more toward the younger generation, so if you look at the film like that, without expecting it to get too deep & without comparing it to other films, it IS a good movie.

The best thing about Jupiter Ascending is by far the visual effects. I was completely mesmerized for about 90% of the film. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's probably THE most beautiful film I have ever seen. The elaborate worlds & costumes are only part of it. Usually fight scenes tend to bore me after a minute or two, but with this movie I was so enthralled by the artistry of each laser & angle & explosion that most fight scenes sped by, leaving me breathless in awe.

Of course, there were some downsides of the film, & one of those downsides was that some of those fight scenes, while gorgeous, could have been cut to make room for more back-story. Sure, there was enough back-story to get a glimpse of what was going on, but it just sort of felt like an info-dump every time that back-story was mentioned. This could have been remedied with a couple flashbacks (which they obviously had the means of doing, since the film was by no means lacking in the visual department). Another downside was the repetition of certain elements, such as Jupiter falling from a building & Caine showing up out of nowhere just in time to catch her before she hit the ground. Once was cool, but after three times, it felt a little bit unbelievable. I mean come on, nobody's THAT perfect.

Obviously I'm not a fan of Channing Tatum, but while his character was hard to believe at times, & could have also used some more in depth back-story, Tatum actually did a good job in this film. & I have to agree with my mother in law, who said that the wolf look did him some good. & some of the ladies will probably enjoy the fact that he spends half the movie without a shirt. But the main thing is that while I was worried Tatum would ruin the film for me, & although I personally would have cast someone else to play his role, he still carried it well, capturing the tortured & heroic wolf-splice almost perfectly.

Of course, Mila Kunis was the star of the show. I knew I would love her as Jupiter, because she's great in everything I've seen her in (still waiting for a "Book of Eli" sequel with her character in the lead, BTW). She did a great job at encompassing the versatility & diversity required of her by the role, morphing from a helpless & tired modern woman to a strong willed & powerful force to be reckoned with. I don't know if they are planning a sequel or not, but I hope they are because I would love to see where her character goes later (not to mention some more of those glorious special effects).

The rest of the cast also did an amazing job, & you really got the feeling that Eddie Redmayne & his "partners in crime" had lived thousands of years, through make-up but also through their facial expressions & voices & stance. Again, I would have liked to see some more back-story on these characters, as well as some more about the splices, but I honestly can't think of one bad performance in the cast.

While the plot left me wanting more (especially back-story), & a few scenes were a little predictable, this film is a must-see in theaters, for the visual experience alone. So I hope you see it in theaters while you can, & I hope you're holding your breath & gripping the arm of your chair in awe, like I was. Bottom line, don't expect to be wowed by the plot or a glorious twist ending, but do expect to be wowed by the visual aspects of this movie. In fact, brace for it. ;)

2 shots of me geeking out over the poster, taken 2 months apart.

Be the lightning,

Kylie Jude.

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Frozen Creek Studios

"Hues Of Blue"

Some of you know about the budding photography company my husband and I are trying to get off the ground, but I wanted to have a link everyone could come to and find all the details about it. Plus, we've really been struggling with getting the word out there, so hopefully this will help with that too.

Cincinnati Panorama

Frozen Creek Studios focuses on capturing beautiful still shots (mostly of nature and wildlife), which my talented husband takes himself, as you can see in the collage of BTS shots below. But we're at a bit of a standstill right now, until he can get a new camera. So please donate here if you can, and spread the word.

But FCS is about so much more than just photography. We also do cinematography, video editing, photo editing, graphic art and more. Below is a list of all the services we currently offer (from the FCS Facebook page). It's hard to put a set price on said services, since prices range anywhere from as low as $20 to $100 or more, depending on how much work and time the job entails - but as a general rule, the services are listed in order from cheapest to not as cheap. We will always give discounts for friends and family though, so check them out and please let us know if you have any questions:

Photography: 
 
8x10 prints now on sale for $15! 
Order 10 prints & get free shipping & a free print of your choice! We have over 200 prints to choose from here.


Photo Restoration:
 
Old family photos that are water-stained or ripped? We can restore old or damaged photos to look like new.
 

Graphic Design:
 
Need a logo for your business? 
Need original art for your website, book cover or album cover? We can create almost anything you can think of. 


Video Editing:
 
Want to remember a special occasion in a unique & heartwarming way? We can create slideshows of past events, & we can capture future events through video &/or photography & create a slideshow or music video to keep for memories & to give to friends/family. We can also create book trailers, ETC.


Please contact us to discuss pricing and to ask us anything at all. 
We will always respond. :)

-Eric & Kylie
Frozen Creek Studios

There you have it! I know this is a bit different from what I normally post here, but we needed a place to direct customers to, so I donated my blog for the task. I hope you'll check out my husband's beautiful photography HERE and follow FCS on Facebook and Twitter.

By the way, the book trailers are a fairly new development. Of course I've made trailers for my own books and my husband's books (I will let you know when they're up), but it never dawned on me that I could be offering my services to other authors too, until our good friend Stephen Zimmer asked me to make one for his newest book, Heart of a Lion. I had lots of fun putting the trailer together and hope to make more for other authors in the future. Below is the trailer as an example. Enjoy, and feel free to check out the book too!

Future book trailers will be on my website, so be sure to check them out!

I leave you with some before-and-after shots of our photo restoration work.

Stay Frosty,
 Kylie Jude.


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New Beginnings - first cover and first logo!

Hey, sorry it's been a while but I've been reeaalllyy busy. And this is one of the many things I have been busy with.

 They say when one door closes, another opens. So, while the Middle Earth saga may be over (at least for now), in this first month of 2015 my husband and I are opening new doors. Not sure where they will lead, if anywhere, but we are opening them nonetheless ;)

Most of you know I've dabbled in music over the years, but most of you probably didn't know I played the penny whistle. 

The penny whistle is a traditional Celtic flute (also referred to as a tin whistle) and is not to be confused with a recorder. 

I started playing the penny whistle when I was 16 (around 13 years ago) after being inspired by Celtic music such as the Titanic soundtrack and a band called The Corrs. 

I have taken lots of breaks from the penny whistle, as other forms of music as well as writing and editing have stolen a lot of my attention, but I always seem to come back to this instrument. I guess I just love the history and culture associated with it. 

While I have written a few original songs on the penny whistle, most of the time I am learning other people's songs on it. Soon after I heard the Misty Mountains song in The Hobbit films, I decided to try learning it on the penny whistle. And by the time the final Hobbit movie came out, an idea was brewing in my mind. An idea to start making cover videos and posting them online. Now I know this is something lots of people do, but hopefully the addition of the penny whistle will spice it up a bit. I do plan to do more covers in the future, so keep an eye out for those, and if you fancy yourself a singer or musician and want to collaborate in the future, please let me know! (I also mixed the audio and love mixing music whether I am in it or not, so I'm open to all kinds of collaborations) - oh and the song at the beginning and end is "The Edge Of Night" (also in the films) so I guess it's not just a cover but a bit of a mash-up too. ;) 

BTS shot from our hike to the rocks (background)

BTS shot of me getting into position on top of the mountain.

I tried to get my husband to perform this with me, and he almost did, but then he didn't. He did, however, do all the filming and directing, and I think he did an awesome job. We wanted to film in the snow, but unfortunately Mother Nature decided to deny us that, so we went with what we had - trees and rocks. And on day 2 of filming, we hiked to the top of a mountain near our home in order to get certain shots, and while on our hike we were blessed with some shots of ice, so at least we had that. It was bitterly cold though. Playing the penny whistle in 25 degree weather? Bad idea. But we survived, and I'm glad we did it. 

A very cold Kylie between takes. Also a tree hugger.

In addition to this being our first cover, this video is also the first to feature our brand new Frozen Creek Studios logo, created and animated by yours truly :) And it couldn't be a more fitting video to premiere the logo in, since the sound effect we used for the tree shaped crack in the ice was actually taken from footage we filmed for this cover (when you see the staff hitting the ice toward the end of the video - that's where we got the sound from). So Anyway, I hope you like it! Let me know what you think. :) 

Shot from the FCS animated logo

Youtube is giving me issues again *shakes fist* so please click HERE to watch the video. Enjoy!

Be the lightning, 

 Kylie Jude. 


P.S. I almost forgot, MORE new-ness. My name no longer links to the about section of my blog, but now to my very own official website! Check it out if you haven't, and keep checking back as I not only have my blog there, but all kinds of different stuff. Stay frosty ;) 

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Dear Santa - A Holiday Journal Entry

When my talented husband D. R. Acula wrote his monologue entry for the new Tentsquare contest #HolidayJournalEntry, I loved the cool and hilarious twist he put on it, but we weren't quite sure how actors would portray it or if they would get the message we were trying to convey with it. But then, a light broke through the clouds of uncertainty. That light's name is Adra Janean.

Adra is an actress with some work already under her belt, which you can find on her IMDB. We were pleasantly surprised to see that she not only read the monologue, but understood completely the message in it, conveying it perfectly and hilariously on film, with some great editing to top it off and make it even more entertaining. And she did it all in one hour! As a dabbling video editor myself, I know how hard it is to complete a project like this in just one hour, but she did it. So that earns even more kudos from me!

At first Adra was worried if a female Santa could work for the challenge, but her take on it as Mrs. Claus was absolutely brilliant, and she even threw in some improv that made the whole thing better. With this video, Adra completely surpassed our expectations, and made a little masterpiece in the process. Watch the magic HERE. You won't regret it. ;) 

If you like the video, you can vote for it once a day, beginning December 13th. If she wins, she'll score some cash and a meeting with casting director Lindsay Chag. So help us show our appreciation for this wonderful performance by voting when the time comes. She so deserves to win. :) 

Be the lightning, 

Kylie Jude. 

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