Wimpy Kid Hits the Big Screen
TFK Kid Reporter Andrew Ravaschiere gets a sneak peek of Diary of a Wimpy Kid at the movie's red carpet premiere in New York City
By TFK Reporter Andrew Ravaschiere
If the phrase "cheese touch" makes you laugh out loud, then you are probably a fan of author Jeff Kinney's bestselling book Diary of a Wimpy Kid. "Cheese touch" is Kinney's update of the classic childhood scourge, cooties. Now the popular book about an underdog middle schooler has been brought to life on the big screen. It opens nationwide on March 19.
What's the Story?
Diary of a Wimpy Kid chronicles the struggles, ambitions and comic adventures of sixth grader Greg Heffley. The problems Greg faces are those of many middle school students: What do you have to do to be popular? What if your best friend isn't "cool"? How do you survive a tyrannical teacher, bullies and the kid who drove you crazy in elementary school?
Wimpy Kid star Zachary Gordon plays Greg in the movie. He explains his character's plight this way: "Greg is at the bottom of the food chain in middle school, but I think kids can relate to the way he deals with the situation."
So why didn't author Jeff Kinney write a book about a more popular youngster? "I wanted to write about a kid who was more like me as a kid—imperfect and a little self-centered," Kinney told TFK.
From Book to Big Screen
Turning a book into a film, especially a popular book such as Wimpy Kid, can be tricky. There is always the danger of disappointing the book's many fans. That's why Kinney worked closely with the film's four screenwriters to map out the plot of the movie. And the director, Thor Freudenthal, even animated Kinney's doodle-style illustrations for the movie.
"In the book, you can't get as connected to the stick figures," Kinney says. "In the movie, you really care about the relationship between Greg and [his best friend[ Rowley."
More than 800 middle schoolers attended Wimpy Kid's red carpet premiere in New York City earlier this month. Judging from their wild cheers and shouts of laughter, the movie is sure to be a hefty hit.
Max-I may really like the Wimpy Kid Series, and I have read all of the books. The star in this book, Greg, was been teased by his brother Rodrick, and some of the students in his school. He also has some fun things by going to camp, joining a soccer team or playing at an amusement park. Mostly, his vacation in winter or summer is very boring. Mostly, he watches TV or going to Rowley’s house to play video games. He also likes to draw some characters in comics, and one time when Rowley stole his idea and got famous in school, they almost fought! But really, books may be too boring, so these times some famous people made a movie version of Wimpy Kid! I think this movie will be good to see and more fun from the book!
2010/03/20
2010/02/21
Hot Toys for 2010
Hot Toys for 2010
Toy-makers show off their new gear at the annual American International Toy Fair
BY CLAUDIA ATTICOT AND VICKIE AN
This week, thousands of toy-makers from all over the world came together in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, in New York City, to kick off the 107th American International Toy Fair. This is a chance for companies to show off their hot new products for 2010. Which toy will be the must-have item of the year? Will old favorites win out over high-tech gadgets? TFK visited the big event for a sneak peek at what might soon be showing up in a toy store near you.
American International Toy Fair 2010
Bringing the Board Game Back
Old favorites have experienced a rise in sales, say trend-followers like Amazon. "Arts-and-crafts kits, building sets, things that you can use and reuse, and things you can get multiple uses out of tend to do well," Amazon's Sarah Wood Utter told TFK. The company has found that board games are a big seller when the economy is not doing well.
This year, toy-makers are cutting their prices to make their products more affordable. Several new toys will be marked at $25 or less when they hit store shelves later this year. "People will be shocked to see how inexpensive some of these products are," Adrienne Appell, spokesperson for the Toy Industry Association, told TFK. "It's pennies for play."
Classic card- and board-game maker Winning Moves is making some moves of its own to help out in the bad economy. The company has partnered with Guinness World Records to create a trivia game, based on the best-selling record books. The game is packed full of activities and props. Players take turns completing challenges based on actual records found in the books.
Create Your Own
LEGO has decided to put a new twist on board games. For the first time, the company is releasing constructible board games that kids can build and rebuild to create new games. "With a variety of game types, buildable game boards and changeable rules, no two LEGO Games experiences are ever the same," says game-developer Reiner Knizia, who helped the company invent the games.
Groovy Gadgets
As old favorites step into the spotlight, so do high-tech gadgets, from the Barbie doll that doubles as a video camera, to Puppy Tweets, a tag worn by your pet that posts up to 500 prerecorded tweets on your pet's Twitter account based on the dog's activity level. So if your dog is running around the backyard all morning, you might get a tweet from her that says, "I finally caught that tail I've been chasing and...OOUUUCHH!" But if you can't have a real pet, an interactive one like Hasbro's Furry Frenzies might do the trick. There are six to choose from, including Buster Bow Wow, the goofy puppy, and Captain Crash, the sneaky raccoon.
And for preschoolers who've been longing for an e-reader just like the ones the grown-ups have, the wait is over. Two toy giants are going head to head, each with a new handheld gadget it describes as Kindle for kids. Fisher Price introduced the iXL, a handheld device for kids 3 to 6 years old, which has six applications, including a game-player, art studio and storybook. VTech launched FLiP? the world's first animated e-reader for kids. Both toys promise to be at the top of kids' holiday gift lists this year.
As of many famous toys, these toys like Monopoly, LEGO, Barbie Dolls, are making some new gadgets. Like Monopoly, no more paper cash is made. Credit cards can keep track of accounts. But also, old Monopoly games have square boards and rectangular boxes. But at the new version of Monopoly, this time, no boxes are made, and the game board is a circle! Monopoly’s is going 75 this year, and I really don’t know this new kind of game board is used, and it changed my mind of only square game boards. Other toys like LEGO, which it can let you make your own game board, and Barbie Dolls, which isn’t only a doll after all. This new kind of doll has a video camera. As I know, these new kind of toys are cooler than the old ones, and I also like to buy the new toys and play!
Toy-makers show off their new gear at the annual American International Toy Fair
BY CLAUDIA ATTICOT AND VICKIE AN
This week, thousands of toy-makers from all over the world came together in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, in New York City, to kick off the 107th American International Toy Fair. This is a chance for companies to show off their hot new products for 2010. Which toy will be the must-have item of the year? Will old favorites win out over high-tech gadgets? TFK visited the big event for a sneak peek at what might soon be showing up in a toy store near you.
American International Toy Fair 2010
Bringing the Board Game Back
Old favorites have experienced a rise in sales, say trend-followers like Amazon. "Arts-and-crafts kits, building sets, things that you can use and reuse, and things you can get multiple uses out of tend to do well," Amazon's Sarah Wood Utter told TFK. The company has found that board games are a big seller when the economy is not doing well.
This year, toy-makers are cutting their prices to make their products more affordable. Several new toys will be marked at $25 or less when they hit store shelves later this year. "People will be shocked to see how inexpensive some of these products are," Adrienne Appell, spokesperson for the Toy Industry Association, told TFK. "It's pennies for play."
Classic card- and board-game maker Winning Moves is making some moves of its own to help out in the bad economy. The company has partnered with Guinness World Records to create a trivia game, based on the best-selling record books. The game is packed full of activities and props. Players take turns completing challenges based on actual records found in the books.
Create Your Own
LEGO has decided to put a new twist on board games. For the first time, the company is releasing constructible board games that kids can build and rebuild to create new games. "With a variety of game types, buildable game boards and changeable rules, no two LEGO Games experiences are ever the same," says game-developer Reiner Knizia, who helped the company invent the games.
Groovy Gadgets
As old favorites step into the spotlight, so do high-tech gadgets, from the Barbie doll that doubles as a video camera, to Puppy Tweets, a tag worn by your pet that posts up to 500 prerecorded tweets on your pet's Twitter account based on the dog's activity level. So if your dog is running around the backyard all morning, you might get a tweet from her that says, "I finally caught that tail I've been chasing and...OOUUUCHH!" But if you can't have a real pet, an interactive one like Hasbro's Furry Frenzies might do the trick. There are six to choose from, including Buster Bow Wow, the goofy puppy, and Captain Crash, the sneaky raccoon.
And for preschoolers who've been longing for an e-reader just like the ones the grown-ups have, the wait is over. Two toy giants are going head to head, each with a new handheld gadget it describes as Kindle for kids. Fisher Price introduced the iXL, a handheld device for kids 3 to 6 years old, which has six applications, including a game-player, art studio and storybook. VTech launched FLiP? the world's first animated e-reader for kids. Both toys promise to be at the top of kids' holiday gift lists this year.
As of many famous toys, these toys like Monopoly, LEGO, Barbie Dolls, are making some new gadgets. Like Monopoly, no more paper cash is made. Credit cards can keep track of accounts. But also, old Monopoly games have square boards and rectangular boxes. But at the new version of Monopoly, this time, no boxes are made, and the game board is a circle! Monopoly’s is going 75 this year, and I really don’t know this new kind of game board is used, and it changed my mind of only square game boards. Other toys like LEGO, which it can let you make your own game board, and Barbie Dolls, which isn’t only a doll after all. This new kind of doll has a video camera. As I know, these new kind of toys are cooler than the old ones, and I also like to buy the new toys and play!
2010/02/03
Thoughts of going to Taipei
Thoughts of going to Taipei
By Max
After I went to Taipei, I think it is a good place, and I saw many good types of scenery that you couldn’t see in Kaoshiung. At Taipei 101, I saw many tall buildings in the 89th floor. Then at the Grand Hotel, the room is very fabulous, it had a big balcony to let us see the beautiful night scenery, bathtub, and a personal little bathroom. This is like those hotels we stayed in Japan, because the hotel also had many kinds of food to let us choose! However, those things are so expensive, that a bottle of water costs 50 NT dollars and a bottle of cola cost 150 NT dollars! Even those things are so expensive, I still like that hotel.
Taipei’s street markets have many kinds of foods that we couldn’t eat often, and there is always crowded because of many shops. As of many shops, one shop which sells fried chicken sells the best. They had fried chicken big as your face, and it only costs 50 NT dollars! I think this shop can earn much money in a short amount of time. At Dansui night market, there are many decorations, many arcade stores, and many foods too. This night market sells very long ice cream, Turkish ice cream, and Dansui fish balls. Not only old stores, there is also stores that sell noodles, sushi, and fast food!
Taipei is a good place to have fun, and it also have some famous amusement parks. I wish I can go to other places of Taipei next time!
By Max
After I went to Taipei, I think it is a good place, and I saw many good types of scenery that you couldn’t see in Kaoshiung. At Taipei 101, I saw many tall buildings in the 89th floor. Then at the Grand Hotel, the room is very fabulous, it had a big balcony to let us see the beautiful night scenery, bathtub, and a personal little bathroom. This is like those hotels we stayed in Japan, because the hotel also had many kinds of food to let us choose! However, those things are so expensive, that a bottle of water costs 50 NT dollars and a bottle of cola cost 150 NT dollars! Even those things are so expensive, I still like that hotel.
Taipei’s street markets have many kinds of foods that we couldn’t eat often, and there is always crowded because of many shops. As of many shops, one shop which sells fried chicken sells the best. They had fried chicken big as your face, and it only costs 50 NT dollars! I think this shop can earn much money in a short amount of time. At Dansui night market, there are many decorations, many arcade stores, and many foods too. This night market sells very long ice cream, Turkish ice cream, and Dansui fish balls. Not only old stores, there is also stores that sell noodles, sushi, and fast food!
Taipei is a good place to have fun, and it also have some famous amusement parks. I wish I can go to other places of Taipei next time!
2010/01/30
The Diver’s Death in the Sea
The Diver’s Death in the Sea
By Max
It was the first day at summer, and Rob came to a resort with some friends. They wanted to spend the holiday in a good way, so they said they needed to go to Hawaii. As the travel agent organized their trip to Hawaii, a few days passed with truce. Five days later, they finally got to the entrance into the ferry. In the ferry, they saw a limped man slowly walking to his seat. Finally, they got to Hawaii. They went to an atrium, paid money to the concierge and put their suitcases in their rooms. After, Rob told his friends Greg, Mark, Sam, Jack and Tim to have a deep sea dive on the beach. They took their diving equipment and started to dive in the water with heavy air tanks. After about 2 hours of deep sea diving, they got many shells and some seaweed back to the surface. Rob, Greg, Mark, Sam and Tim went to the beach to rest, but this time the realized that Jack was gone! They dived once again to find Jack, but, after many times of resurfacing, they still can’t find him. They were disable to save Jack, tired and sad, and went back to the hotel. At the next morning, the phone in the room rang. Rob picked up the phone, and he was suddenly astonished. He called his friends to go outside. They saw a body which was dead temporarily, and it was Jack! They realized someone shot the air tank a lot of times, and used a haywire on his neck, by looking his body. They quickly packed their residue, and went to the police office. They knew it was due to a man in the trip, so they started searching. Rob tried to conspire to the murder case, and finally they found the limped man carrying a gun. The police shot some bullets on his leg with a diameter of five feet, and took him to jail. This callous man was sentenced 5 years of jail at last.
By Max
It was the first day at summer, and Rob came to a resort with some friends. They wanted to spend the holiday in a good way, so they said they needed to go to Hawaii. As the travel agent organized their trip to Hawaii, a few days passed with truce. Five days later, they finally got to the entrance into the ferry. In the ferry, they saw a limped man slowly walking to his seat. Finally, they got to Hawaii. They went to an atrium, paid money to the concierge and put their suitcases in their rooms. After, Rob told his friends Greg, Mark, Sam, Jack and Tim to have a deep sea dive on the beach. They took their diving equipment and started to dive in the water with heavy air tanks. After about 2 hours of deep sea diving, they got many shells and some seaweed back to the surface. Rob, Greg, Mark, Sam and Tim went to the beach to rest, but this time the realized that Jack was gone! They dived once again to find Jack, but, after many times of resurfacing, they still can’t find him. They were disable to save Jack, tired and sad, and went back to the hotel. At the next morning, the phone in the room rang. Rob picked up the phone, and he was suddenly astonished. He called his friends to go outside. They saw a body which was dead temporarily, and it was Jack! They realized someone shot the air tank a lot of times, and used a haywire on his neck, by looking his body. They quickly packed their residue, and went to the police office. They knew it was due to a man in the trip, so they started searching. Rob tried to conspire to the murder case, and finally they found the limped man carrying a gun. The police shot some bullets on his leg with a diameter of five feet, and took him to jail. This callous man was sentenced 5 years of jail at last.
2010/01/02
Meet the Chipettes
January 2nd, 2010
Meet the Chipettes
TFK talks to Amy Poehler, whose voice can be heard in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
By Vickie An
In 2007, everyone's favorite singing chipmunks took their act to the big screen. Now the furry trio is back in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, in theaters December 23. The movie follows Alvin, Simon and Theodore as they put pop stardom on hold to enroll in school. There, the boys meet the Chipettes and learn they're not the only musical 'munks on campus. Have the Chipmunks finally met their match?
Amy Poehler is the voice of Eleanor, the littlest Chipette and Theodore's crush. TFK chatted with the actress on what it's like to play a chipmunk.
TFK:
Were you a fan of Alvin and the Chipmunks before you joined the cast?
AMY POEHLER:
Yes! I grew up listening to their records and singing their Christmas songs!
TFK:
Who is your favorite chipmunk, and why? (I always thought Eleanor was the cutest.)
POEHLER:
Isn't Eleanor cute? My favorite Chipette is Eleanor and my favorite Chipmunk is Theodore, of course. Eleanor and I have the same taste.
TFK:
How will the Chipettes spice things up in the Squeakquel?
POEHLER:
There will be singing, dancing and hanging off helicopters!
TFK:
How did you create the perfect chipmunk voice for Eleanor?
POEHLER:
I recorded my lines in a hot air balloon.
TFK:
Were you, Christina Applegate (who plays Brittany) and Anna Faris POEHLER:
No, but I think they just want me to save my voice for the live tour.
TFK:
Why do you think Eleanor and Theodore make such a great match?
POEHLER:
They are both sweet and care about their friends.
TFK:
What can kids look forward to most about the movie?
POEHLER:
Chipmunks everywhere!
TFK:
Next year, you also voice Gretel in Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil. Can you tell us what fans of the first movie can expect?
POEHLER:
I don't want to give anything away, but Gretel isn't as nice as you would think! I had a really fun time recording with the hilarious Bill Hader, who plays Hansel.
TFK:
What other cute woodland creatures would you like to voice?
POEHLER:
A squirrel, deer and woodchuck, in that order.
Alvin and the Chipmunks is a good movie to watch, and it is all about three chipmunks from the wild that can sing. The Chipmunks got popular and fans all over the world wanted to see them sing and dance. But at this year, this movie’s sequel comes by the title Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. This time, except Alvin and the Chipmunks, something new comes! This time, new singing chipmunks come, and they are girls. Alvin and the chipmunks really have a match to compete! I am looking forward to the sequel and I think this will be a good movie to watch.
Meet the Chipettes
TFK talks to Amy Poehler, whose voice can be heard in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
By Vickie An
In 2007, everyone's favorite singing chipmunks took their act to the big screen. Now the furry trio is back in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, in theaters December 23. The movie follows Alvin, Simon and Theodore as they put pop stardom on hold to enroll in school. There, the boys meet the Chipettes and learn they're not the only musical 'munks on campus. Have the Chipmunks finally met their match?
Amy Poehler is the voice of Eleanor, the littlest Chipette and Theodore's crush. TFK chatted with the actress on what it's like to play a chipmunk.
TFK:
Were you a fan of Alvin and the Chipmunks before you joined the cast?
AMY POEHLER:
Yes! I grew up listening to their records and singing their Christmas songs!
TFK:
Who is your favorite chipmunk, and why? (I always thought Eleanor was the cutest.)
POEHLER:
Isn't Eleanor cute? My favorite Chipette is Eleanor and my favorite Chipmunk is Theodore, of course. Eleanor and I have the same taste.
TFK:
How will the Chipettes spice things up in the Squeakquel?
POEHLER:
There will be singing, dancing and hanging off helicopters!
TFK:
How did you create the perfect chipmunk voice for Eleanor?
POEHLER:
I recorded my lines in a hot air balloon.
TFK:
Were you, Christina Applegate (who plays Brittany) and Anna Faris POEHLER:
No, but I think they just want me to save my voice for the live tour.
TFK:
Why do you think Eleanor and Theodore make such a great match?
POEHLER:
They are both sweet and care about their friends.
TFK:
What can kids look forward to most about the movie?
POEHLER:
Chipmunks everywhere!
TFK:
Next year, you also voice Gretel in Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil. Can you tell us what fans of the first movie can expect?
POEHLER:
I don't want to give anything away, but Gretel isn't as nice as you would think! I had a really fun time recording with the hilarious Bill Hader, who plays Hansel.
TFK:
What other cute woodland creatures would you like to voice?
POEHLER:
A squirrel, deer and woodchuck, in that order.
Alvin and the Chipmunks is a good movie to watch, and it is all about three chipmunks from the wild that can sing. The Chipmunks got popular and fans all over the world wanted to see them sing and dance. But at this year, this movie’s sequel comes by the title Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. This time, except Alvin and the Chipmunks, something new comes! This time, new singing chipmunks come, and they are girls. Alvin and the chipmunks really have a match to compete! I am looking forward to the sequel and I think this will be a good movie to watch.
2009/12/27
King of the Mountain
King of the Mountain
Olympic snowboarder Shaun White gives TFK the scoop on his new videogame
By Vickie An
With Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage, you can learn to board like the Olympic gold medalist himself and be him, too. The new videogame, created exclusively for the Nintendo Way, takes players on a snowboarding road trip around the world. You'll be able to play as Shaun White or as one of his crew. Each level and competition leads up to the big World Stage event, where you'll compete for the championship title.
American Shaun White competes in the men's snowboard half pipe during day five of the Winter Games NZ on August 26, 2009, in Wanaka, New Zealand.
TFK chatted with White about the game, how he's preparing for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and his new clothing line.
TFK: How is the new game different from the first one?
SHAUN WHITE: This time, the game focuses mostly on tricks. We've added more obstacles in the course. So instead of just jumps, rails and halfpipes, we have actual runs. Also, the new game pulls you in more because you get to make up your own tricks.
TFK: This game is only for the Wii. Is there a reason for that?
WHITE: We wanted to take advantage of the Wii motion plus adapter. The Wii platform definitely brings you into the game because you're physically doing stuff. I really enjoyed that. When I played the game, the first thing I did was lean forward. That's what I naturally do to go faster. Then the character tucked and started speeding. I was really impressed by how it worked.
TFK: Is it weird seeing other people play you?
WHITE: Oh, it's super weird. What's weirder is hearing my voice. I'll go in to do sound stuff and it's just me in a booth shouting things like, "Okay, you just hit a tree!" And I'm like, "Ah! Oh!" I've got to make these awful noises. Then they put them in the game.
TFK: How do they go about putting you into the game? Take me through the process a bit.
WHITE: It's definitely difficult. You can't really do motion-capture for snowboarding. It's on too large of a scale. So we did motion-capture of me skateboarding. I had on this black spandex suit that was covered in shiny silver balls; I looked like an awkward Christmas tree.
TFK: If this game does well, would you do a third?
WHITE: Oh yeah, I'd love to do another game. It's definitely fun having the snowboard game out, especially since the Olympics are next year.
TFK: Have you started training for the Olympics yet?
WHITE: Most of my training is actually riding. I was up in Mount Hood doing some stuff; there's a glacier in Oregon. And then I [went to] New Zealand. They have opposite snowboard seasons, or winters, from us. So we go down there and practice.
TFK: Do you feel any pressure to win another gold medal?
WHITE: No, it's funny. There's no more pressure than I'd normally put on myself. I could win the event and then lose to my friends playing cards and I'll be just as mad.
TFK: You also do competitive skateboarding. Which is the more challenging sport for you?
WHITE: I'd say skateboarding. There's something about having your board not attached to your feet that just adds this ridiculous element of difficulty.
TFK: You're also a designer in between all of this other stuff you do. Can you talk about your line for Target?
WHITE: Designing is definitely something I didn't think I would be into, but I like it. My brother and I started making snowboard clothing years ago and it did really well. So when the Target line came about, it was really exciting. It's nice to design quality stuff that's affordable. I trash my clothes by skating in them all the time, and so do my friends. They don't have the luxury of buying $100 jeans and skating in them.
TFK: Where do you get inspiration for your designs?
WHITE: From all over the place. I went shopping in New York and found this plaid button-up shirt that I really liked. So we took that and designed something similar with a little twist. And my brother's really creative. We'll just sit and brainstorm. We had this photo of my dog wearing sunglasses, so that is on a shirt now. He's a French bulldog; he's awesome.
I know Shaun White can play his skateboard very well, and get a few medals in the Winter Olympics. But I really didn’t know he can also make video games for like XBOX 360, PSP, PS2, PS3, and Wii. This article tells about Shaun’s new video game, which you have to do some stunts with your skateboard in the snowy winter. Different from the first one, this time you need to have your own tricks to succeed. But only Wii plays this game, because they wanted to take advantage of the Wii motion plus adapter. Instead of his new video game, he also competes for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. He is definitely sure to have another medal in snowboarding.
Olympic snowboarder Shaun White gives TFK the scoop on his new videogame
By Vickie An
With Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage, you can learn to board like the Olympic gold medalist himself and be him, too. The new videogame, created exclusively for the Nintendo Way, takes players on a snowboarding road trip around the world. You'll be able to play as Shaun White or as one of his crew. Each level and competition leads up to the big World Stage event, where you'll compete for the championship title.
American Shaun White competes in the men's snowboard half pipe during day five of the Winter Games NZ on August 26, 2009, in Wanaka, New Zealand.
TFK chatted with White about the game, how he's preparing for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and his new clothing line.
TFK: How is the new game different from the first one?
SHAUN WHITE: This time, the game focuses mostly on tricks. We've added more obstacles in the course. So instead of just jumps, rails and halfpipes, we have actual runs. Also, the new game pulls you in more because you get to make up your own tricks.
TFK: This game is only for the Wii. Is there a reason for that?
WHITE: We wanted to take advantage of the Wii motion plus adapter. The Wii platform definitely brings you into the game because you're physically doing stuff. I really enjoyed that. When I played the game, the first thing I did was lean forward. That's what I naturally do to go faster. Then the character tucked and started speeding. I was really impressed by how it worked.
TFK: Is it weird seeing other people play you?
WHITE: Oh, it's super weird. What's weirder is hearing my voice. I'll go in to do sound stuff and it's just me in a booth shouting things like, "Okay, you just hit a tree!" And I'm like, "Ah! Oh!" I've got to make these awful noises. Then they put them in the game.
TFK: How do they go about putting you into the game? Take me through the process a bit.
WHITE: It's definitely difficult. You can't really do motion-capture for snowboarding. It's on too large of a scale. So we did motion-capture of me skateboarding. I had on this black spandex suit that was covered in shiny silver balls; I looked like an awkward Christmas tree.
TFK: If this game does well, would you do a third?
WHITE: Oh yeah, I'd love to do another game. It's definitely fun having the snowboard game out, especially since the Olympics are next year.
TFK: Have you started training for the Olympics yet?
WHITE: Most of my training is actually riding. I was up in Mount Hood doing some stuff; there's a glacier in Oregon. And then I [went to] New Zealand. They have opposite snowboard seasons, or winters, from us. So we go down there and practice.
TFK: Do you feel any pressure to win another gold medal?
WHITE: No, it's funny. There's no more pressure than I'd normally put on myself. I could win the event and then lose to my friends playing cards and I'll be just as mad.
TFK: You also do competitive skateboarding. Which is the more challenging sport for you?
WHITE: I'd say skateboarding. There's something about having your board not attached to your feet that just adds this ridiculous element of difficulty.
TFK: You're also a designer in between all of this other stuff you do. Can you talk about your line for Target?
WHITE: Designing is definitely something I didn't think I would be into, but I like it. My brother and I started making snowboard clothing years ago and it did really well. So when the Target line came about, it was really exciting. It's nice to design quality stuff that's affordable. I trash my clothes by skating in them all the time, and so do my friends. They don't have the luxury of buying $100 jeans and skating in them.
TFK: Where do you get inspiration for your designs?
WHITE: From all over the place. I went shopping in New York and found this plaid button-up shirt that I really liked. So we took that and designed something similar with a little twist. And my brother's really creative. We'll just sit and brainstorm. We had this photo of my dog wearing sunglasses, so that is on a shirt now. He's a French bulldog; he's awesome.
I know Shaun White can play his skateboard very well, and get a few medals in the Winter Olympics. But I really didn’t know he can also make video games for like XBOX 360, PSP, PS2, PS3, and Wii. This article tells about Shaun’s new video game, which you have to do some stunts with your skateboard in the snowy winter. Different from the first one, this time you need to have your own tricks to succeed. But only Wii plays this game, because they wanted to take advantage of the Wii motion plus adapter. Instead of his new video game, he also competes for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. He is definitely sure to have another medal in snowboarding.
2009/12/26
Thoughts of the Movie “2012”
Thoughts of the Movie “2012”
By Max
I think the day of the end of the world is too early. My life hasn’t been long enough, and I want to live another 60 years or something. But this thing didn’t change. Maybe it will really happen to our lives. Maybe after 3 years, human civilization will really come to an end.
When I saw the movie, I saw the technology was getting better in these years, like putting infrared rays into our lives, making the fake Mona Lisa picture, and even some little TV that you can take it anywhere you like. But when technology develops, scientists also saw that Earth’s core is getting hotter and other things. It got worser and worser, and finally at December 21st, 2012, a sudden and strong earthquake started. Houses collapse, highways break into two halves, and buildings fall. And the whole crust started to sink. Also, volcanoes burst, and broke the city of California. At this time, everybody had nothing to eat and drink, and many people started to snatch the remaining food. Many famous buildings collapsed, too. People were forced to leave their homes, and soon, tsunamis started to destroy our world the second time. But people were astonished, because only China survived in these two attacks. Then, people got in the very big boats that China made, but many people died too, because they all wanted to go on the ship. After getting in, the people survived in tsunamis, and the attack was over. They finally can go home now.
I think this is a good movie to watch, because it had a lot of funny scenes, but also scary and excited. And this movie also tells us to protect the Earth, and win the end of the world.
By Max
I think the day of the end of the world is too early. My life hasn’t been long enough, and I want to live another 60 years or something. But this thing didn’t change. Maybe it will really happen to our lives. Maybe after 3 years, human civilization will really come to an end.
When I saw the movie, I saw the technology was getting better in these years, like putting infrared rays into our lives, making the fake Mona Lisa picture, and even some little TV that you can take it anywhere you like. But when technology develops, scientists also saw that Earth’s core is getting hotter and other things. It got worser and worser, and finally at December 21st, 2012, a sudden and strong earthquake started. Houses collapse, highways break into two halves, and buildings fall. And the whole crust started to sink. Also, volcanoes burst, and broke the city of California. At this time, everybody had nothing to eat and drink, and many people started to snatch the remaining food. Many famous buildings collapsed, too. People were forced to leave their homes, and soon, tsunamis started to destroy our world the second time. But people were astonished, because only China survived in these two attacks. Then, people got in the very big boats that China made, but many people died too, because they all wanted to go on the ship. After getting in, the people survived in tsunamis, and the attack was over. They finally can go home now.
I think this is a good movie to watch, because it had a lot of funny scenes, but also scary and excited. And this movie also tells us to protect the Earth, and win the end of the world.
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