#I would include kristen in that statement but she’s already aware

[ewwww-what]

The moment when you find exactly what you were looking for (it was your best friend the whole time)

(close-ups below & my commission info)

[let-it-show]

Making Frozen 2, Quick Look

I know there’s another review out there and....er well probably several at this point. But I still wanted to make my own, maybe I’ll hit something someone else hasn’t. The documentary was very good, too. Whether you like Frozen 2 or not, the way they showed the entire process was really cool to take in. They visited with people from different departments and showed several steps and then how they come together. There’s a lot of little things to cover there but if I were to try and catch everything I...would just post a link to the episodes instead :P It was very cool to see how the Lopez couple puts together music. Watching the major songs coming together and seeing how they try to work out parts of the plot through backs and forths with the songs is inspiring. I know that it seemed like a rush job on how little they had of the movie a few months out but when you watch you easily see how every little step, every drawing, every note, every sound takes discussion and scrutiny. And, honestly, how MUCH a story changes in the process with more minds feeding forth new ideas. The end did leave me emotional, even if I think they put out a super flawed story. I DO noticed that during the doc they barely touch on the story of the sisters TOGETHER. That should have been the main thing to stay aware of. Anyway I’ll just highlight a few good and bad things under the cut, I took a few notes here and there.

- From early on in screenings they had a lot of people confused. Jenn Lee and Chris Buck expected their work to be torn apart and it definitely was. I’m not sure how much they learned from it, because they were told early on that it was confusing, very dark, and they needed notes to keep track lol. I’m wondering if this was a screening where Elsa was left as dead? They didn’t mention it if so, and in fact, they never brought up that possibility. I hate it but I wish they had to talk about why it didn’t work at all. - Idina’s reaction to seeing Into the Unknown animated was precious and I want that known. Nice to see her seeing her work being used and being so happy about it! - ...I have another note about Lopezes’ (how do you pluralize that!?) music but no idea what it meant. - Heartwarming note, there is a hall in WDAS that displays framed letters sent from fans about how touched they were by certain movies. The one read about Frozen was featured in the doc’s trailer. - Show Yourself was a production hell song. Lol. They had ideas on what it would be about and sold it as Elsa “coming home” and almost named it “I’m Home”. Which I believe Kristen Lopaz kind of bluntly pointed out was dumb, powerfully singing “I’m home” was actually kinda mundane. (In my personal opinion that sort of phrase usually is followed by “Did u make dinner” so yea glad that title was scrapped). Originally Elsa was to see a reflection of herself as what she was meant to be, and then she would step into it. Then the transformation. That wasn’t working no matter what they did. Story wasn’t working and the idea was odd and well they just went round and round on it. Eventually they ended up tying it up with the All Is Found and tossed in Elsa’s mother. Which as we know, ended up amazing. And of course for this they decided she was going to be down inside the glacier, and Ahtohallan had to actually be designed and created and THAT was a process too. It was cool to see Brittney Lee in the process of putting the visuals for that idea together. The lullaby was also adjusted pretty late, to make it more powerful/moving with the orchestrated parts. And then tie in with the end, which they called “locking the movie down”. It may sound dismissive to say they didn’t know what they wanted and just sort of tossed things in but that’s kind of what it came down to. And you can see the messiness. But where these things worked, they WORKED. Show Yourself was ridiculous but we got a powerful, incredibly moving song and scene out of it. The time taken to figure it out did well. I could have lived without Jenn Lee repeatedly going on about “Elsa is HOME”, though, and calling her lonely. Was frustrating. Actually watching her frustrated me a lot and I was a little surprised by that... - Lost in the Woods coming together was quite cute. Whatever you think of Kristoff, it was nice watching Groff work on his parts. Also he seems like a teddy bear?? He had to record a number of reindeer voices. And also this scene made a bit of a challenge for the reindeer riggers, because this movie, the reindeer had to SING. So they had to figure that out. There was an adorable animator that took a video of herself acting out the expressions she thought Kristoff would have during the song, LOL. Love watching the little personal bits they add in. They did touch on Get It Right, a little. I don’t think they explained why they dropped it. Also one of the team said something about Kristoff seeming like a Nick Offerman character which was funny, but he definitely is NOT that in F2. MAYBE F1. But hell I hear that name and think Ron Swanson and Kristoff would have to be a sturdier character to be a Swanson... - The Next Right Thing was kind of straight forward commentary. Good, but nothing stood out since we already know it is a song of deep pain. Kristen Bell drew from her experience of anxiety and depression. I also deal with those lovely ailments and I the song lines up for me. People have commented this was TOO dark for little kids, maybe, I wouldn’t know. I think young me would have just eaten it up because it was animated with singing. Adult me however resonated with it, as did my own best friend/”Anna”. That feeling of just trying to push forward - to take one step, and then, try hard and take another, and do what feels right - its very real. And I’m going to say it, I felt...seen/recognized seeing this in a kid’s film rather than having to be an adult only seeing depression and anxiety in characters in what is already an adult targeted show/movie. There’s something incredibly important about that and Kristen Bell delivered it amazingly. - Comments about our little Anna included pointing out she’s a lot sadder this movie, and also that...yes, she was more reckless in F1 and more protective in this one because back then she had nothing to lose, now she has everything to lose. Which is a  fair statement and what I wish people would see when they go on about Anna being clingy and co-dependent. In her shoes I would be scared to death of Elsa even being in the forest. - Chris Buck spoke about the son he lost, Ryder. It was a difficult part to watch but..I think important to watch. I believe it was Jenn Lee who asked him if she could name a character after his son. And Ryder in the movie is meant to be light spirited and happy. Kinda sounds like Anna after F1! - Jenn Lee: “Are people going to be angry at us for the choices we made on behalf of these characters?” oh honey I’m sure I’m forgetting something because I’m actually a terrible note taker, surprise! But overall I loved watching the creation of the film. However that is kind of where it stops. Like, they touch on story stuff and all that but this is really a “how it’s made” with Frozen 2 as the subject. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fascinating. I knew a lot of work goes into animation and putting together a movie but the way they broke it down and showed it in detail was cool. I just wish we had more cleared up about this story. This connection with Anna and Elsa and the decision to split them, what the hell happened there? Why did the spirits function the way they did; what IS the fifth spirit, exactly? And all that stuff. But, maybe farther down the line. Frozen 2 is a bizarre mess that I love regardless and I’m so happy I got to learn about the nuts and bolts that brought this film to me.

[stagepaul2-blog]

How a Philly breast cancer survivor is using a simple, three-word phrase to empower women

Last year, Shelly Fisher received devastating news: she was going to have to undergo treatment for cancer…again. She’d gone into remission seven years earlier, and wasn’t sure how she was going to muster the strength to rally for the second time. As she was was contemplating her future, Fisher found herself saying one thing to herself, over and over again.

Shelly, you can do it. You’re one tough bitch, and you can pull it together. 

Though she’s not usually enamored by phrases that could be considered offensive, Fisher told Billy Penn, she fell hard for “one tough bitch.”

“It’s the type of phrase that wakes up and offends your inner self,” she said. “It is a triggering statement that tells yourself and the rest of the world that you’re going to be just fine — and that you’re going to do this.”

As she prepared for another round of treatment, Fisher felt compelled to make a necklace with those three words. She wore it backwards around her throat, so that nobody but her could see what it said. But as other women began finding out about the mantra, the phrase took on a life of their own.

Courtesy of One Tough Bitch

Fisher started making necklaces for friends who requested them. On Mother’s Day of this year, she was interviewed by Modern Hero (an online show that happens to be run by her daughter), and Fisher mentioned how empowering the little trinket had become for her. It struck a chord, and her phone blew up with order requests.

In September, she formally incorporated One Tough Bitch as a retail company and online sisterhood. The company — which Fisher and marketing director Kristen Chase refer to as a “movement” — is based out of Conshohocken.

“One Tough Bitch isn’t just for women who are going through cancer,” Chase said. “It is for a woman whose child isn’t well, or a woman who has just gone through a divorce, or a woman who is taking care of an ailing parent, or a woman who escaped an abusive relationship.”

Courtesy of One Tough Bitch

Everything for the business came together in a matter of months, including securing local retailers, designing the jewelry, clothing and accessories, and starting a corresponding Facebook group. The hardest part: thinking up the perfect logo. Fisher needed something that came across as “one tough bitch,” but didn’t rely on stereotypes.

“When people think of a bitch, they think of a woman storming through a door or a middle finger or whatever,” Fisher said. “I wanted [the logo] to emanate inner power.”

The logo she settled on — a large triangle with a circle on top — symbolizes three things, according to OTB’s website:

These “bitches” are impossible to break. Just like a triangle’s structure alleviates the pressure of any weight through even distribution.

All they need is each other. Just like a triangle, whose shape is solid and stable, all on its own.

They can rise above. Just like a triangle with its upward facing point.

Courtesy of One Tough Bitch

After designing several more products, such as jean jackets, bracelets, totes and patches, Fisher found that her audience wanted more than to wear a message — they wanted to live that message.

In mid-August, Fisher and Chase started a closed Facebook group called the “The OTB Sisterhood.” In just two months, the group has garnered 547 members.

Most of the people in the group are women in their 40s or older. OTB didn’t target that demographic, Chase and Fisher said, but they do have guesses as to why it’s what their “movement” attracts.

“These women…are largely neglected by other organizations and companies,” Chase said. “And many women are re-inventing themselves in this period.”

To take the OTB message beyond journals and necklaces, the company’s website gives visitors an option to nominate a tough bitch in their lives. Once a week, a new woman’s story of resilience is featured. As it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October will be dedicated to honoring nominees who are breast cancer survivors.

Courtesy of One Tough Bitch

What’s next for One Tough Bitch? For now, you can purchase OTB products online or at Lotus Apparel & Home in Doylestown and Sulimay’s in Fairmount and Manayunk — and of course, you can join the online sisterhood, free of charge. Chase is hoping to partner with more retailers — and ideally, would like them all to be women-owned establishments.

Per Fisher, the company is still “a newborn,” but that doesn’t mean she isn’t already looking forward and outward to expand the empowerment’s reach: “We’re thinking about conferences, educational workshops, maybe even a Tough Mudder race.”

First up: An online charity auction set for Nov. 14, with all proceeds from the sales of jackets decorated and designed by 20 nationally-recognized female artists going toward Give Her Camp.

Source: https://billypenn.com/2018/10/15/how-a-philly-breast-cancer-survivor-is-using-a-simple-three-word-phrase-to-empower-women/