The Top Movies and Shows Now Streaming

Posted on April 5, 2021 by John Casablancas

Every month, a cavalcade of entertainment is loosed upon the internet. How are you supposed to possible sort through it all? Don’t sweat it. Here are the best of the best choices currently available.

TV Shows

The Top Movies and Shows Now Streaming

WandaVision – Disney+

Though Avengers may be over, the stories are far from complete. WandaVision continues the Marvel universe by following Wanda and Vision through different eras of sitcoms and the terrifying truth behind how it all happened.

Bridgerton – Netflix

Based on romance novels by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton follows the entrance of Daphne Bridgerton into high society and the scandals that inevitably follow using the backdrop of Regency England to tell the story.

Ted Lasso – Apple TV+

A very well-received comedy, Ted Lasso stars Jason Sudeikis and follows the exploits of an American football coach who heads over the Atlantic to become a coach for a team that plays a very different kind of football.

Movies

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Netflix

The movie follows a recording session in Chicago in the 1920s by Ma Rainey and her band but, most importantly, features amazing performance by all on screen, including Chadwick Boseman in his final film performance.

Tenet – Amazon Prime

Director Christopher Nolan impresses once again with this sci-fi action thriller. It’s a wild film that follows a secret agent who learns how to alter time in order to prevent an attack from the future that threatens the present told in the reeling fashion Nolan has become famous for.

Judas and the Black Messiah – HBO Max

A predicted contender at this year’s Oscars, Judas follows the story of how the chairman of the Black Panthers in the 1960s, Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), was betrayed by an FBI informant named William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield).

Posted in Acting | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Spring Beauty Trends

Posted on March 30, 2021 by John Casablancas
Spring Beauty Trends

Beauty is going bold this spring as we all bid a fond adieu to a year that was anything but stunning.

Bangs, Bangs, Bangs!

Ever wondered about bangs? Don’t live in the shadow of regret. Bangs were all over the runways. They were short. They were long. They were shaggy. They were every style you could think of and most were DIY. Take this as a sign that now is the year to finally flirt with a look you know you’ve thought about trying for years.

Crazy Colors

Designers bathed runways in a myriad of bold, bright, and decadent displays of color. It didn’t matter where the colors showed up so long as they were loud and proud. Oranges, blues, yellows, and reds were only a few hues decorating the faces and hair of models.

Flirty Florals

A single hair style didn’t stand out but one thing that did unite the ‘dos was the use of flower accessories in the hair. From bobby pins to full pieces that fit like tiaras, these floral fittings did a great job adding a splash of excitement to more mundane pieces.

Do the Dew

Dewy skin has officially made its return. Helping the skin appear radiant and healthy, it’s a breath of fresh air after month of looking dry and bland. Be sure to avoid the wild colors, however, as the dewy skin paired best with muted makeup.

Eye-catching

Eyes have taken center stage in terms of importance within one’s beauty routine. Don’t back down now. Instead, bump it up a few notches. Embrace the bold lines black can give your eyes to really highlight their expressiveness during a time when our mouths are often hidden. If black is a step too far, matte greys are a fantastic alternative.

Posted in Beauty/Health | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Spring Fashion Trends

Posted on March 22, 2021 by John Casablancas
Spring Fashion Trends

As winter wails its final windy songs and temperature plunges, longer days and warmer weather has everyone thinking about the coming spring.

Black and White Affair

Spring is often alight with colors, muted though they may be, but this season welcomes a shift in favor of counter colors. White and black patterns plastered the runway on pants, shirts, shoes—you name it. It’s an undeniably elegant look that works on everything.

Puffed Pants

Wide leg pants have always floated around the background, constantly waiting to see a resurgence, and see resurgences they do. Almost on cue, they rise back into the fashion forefront every decade once everyone is sick of trying to fit into tight pants. 2021 is the return of the wide legs.

Baring Bralette

To offset the figure-hiding pants, bralettes are seeing a big push, once more baring the midriff for all to see. Plain Jane or glitzed by Versace, they are experiencing a reemergence that hasn’t existed since the late 90s.

Dragging Dresses

If teasing the tummy isn’t your style, perhaps long, flowing maxi dresses more suit your tastes. Often covered in sheer material, these dresses are loose and full of flowing fabric. A solid color or boasting a printed design, bare shoulders or high necks, all styles are welcome.

Crafted Capes

Absolutely superfluous but no less elegant, nothing completes an ensemble better than a well-matched cape. Though some designers opted for full-length covers, the majority chose shorter styles in a bid for functionality over form.

Stunning Stripes

Go big or go home with this season’s stirring of stripes. They should be bold and boastful in a bid to welcome back the energy of warmer weather. Wear them on pants. Wear them on shirts. Wear them on dresses. And if you’re really aiming for custom couture, don’t shy away from a neon pairing.

Posted in Fashion | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Top Films Featured this Award Season (and Where to Watch Them)

Posted on March 15, 2021 by John Casablancas
Top Films Featured this Award Season (and Where to Watch Them)

The pandemic has transformed this year’s award season. From the Oscars now waiting until April to reveal their winners to streaming-only movies being added to the roster, it’s an exciting time to be a film fan. As you prep for predicting the winners, here are the big ones to look out for.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Netflix

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, August Wilson’s play follows the story of the Mother of Blues, Rainey, and a very interesting recording session with her band in Chicago during the 1920s. While the story itself should be enough to grab your attention, this film will be remembered as the final performance of Chadwick Boseman’s career.

Minari – A24’s Screening Room

A24 is not a name to ignore. The powerhouse behind “Lady Bird” and “Room”, Minari is expected to be a big contender this award season. The film is a comedy-drama set in the 80s in Arkansas and follows a Korean American family as they try to make a living.

Mank – Netflix

David Fincher is at it again with a movie put together from a script written by his late father Jack. The story follows the exploits of Herman J. Mankiewicz, played by Gary Oldman, and the process of bringing Citizen Kane to the silver screen. Fincher has been nominated twice already but still lacks a win. This year may be the year.

Nomadland – Hulu

After sweeping both categories at the Golden Globes, the front runner for Best Picture and Best Director is Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland. The film stars two-time Best Actress winner Frances McDormand as a woman who embarks on a cross-country journey after losing everything in the Great Recession.

Posted in Acting | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Streaming Services and Pilot Season

Posted on March 8, 2021 by John Casablancas
Streaming Services and Pilot Season

Back before streaming services exploded, network television was the be-all and end-all of television shows. From January to April, networks would buy up scripts, shoot pilot episodes for audience testing, and then greenlight the ones that showed the most promise. All of this was done with the underlying understanding that the shows needed to be good enough to keep audiences watching even through commercials.

As an actor, one can imagine just how exciting and lucrative this period of time could be (not to mention the excitement of possibly being in a pilot that got picked up). However, streaming services have thrown this season into turmoil. With the ability to immediately know what audiences are watching and what they’re liking, shows can be ordered on-demand. Couple that with the choice to film full seasons without the need to test audiences and you now have a situation where the pilot season is facing obsolescence.

Currently, the pilot season still exists despite the orders for shows having decreased in recent years. To combat streaming’s freedom, networks have expanded into a two pilot plan. The main one still runs but a secondary now kicks off in what would be the off season. In addition, the prestige of landing a network gig still has yet to be topped by streaming services. So while the tides are turning, there remains a long way to go before the pilot season is fully defunct.

However, this isn’t entirely bad news for actors.

While a challenging landscape for the companies producing the shows, it is great news for the talent pool. With so many openings and casting calls, acting is becoming more lucrative than ever. Show production growing beyond one four-month period a year means a lot more opportunities out there for fresh talent.

Posted in Acting | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Steps to Prepare for a Zoom Audition

Posted on March 2, 2021 by John Casablancas
Steps to Prepare for a Zoom Audition

Now, more than ever, auditions are going digital through the use of Zoom. While your in-person audition skills might be incredible, online is an entirely different medium. Take these steps to ensure your auditions aren’t duds.

Ditch the Smartphone

While it might seem useful and convenient for you, smartphones are terrible options for quality. You need either a laptop or a desktop computer with processing power capable of utilizing all the functionality of Zoom. In the world of auditioning, the more features at your fingertips, the better your chances.

Plug In your Ethernet

To maintain high quality throughout the audition, do not rely on Wi-Fi. It breaks up occasionally, increasing the likelihood those watching you will miss out on an important part of your scene. Making sure you have an Ethernet cable plugged in is a simple way to guarantee a professional connection no matter the length of the audition.

Buy a Mic and Headset

Zoom auditions are no less active than those done live. You’re still going to act out the monologue and a laptop or webcam’s speaker isn’t going to cut it in terms of audio quality good enough to showcase your emotive potential. Invest in a good quality microphone you can pin to your shirt. In addition, a wireless ear piece means you can respond immediately to possible directions.

Upgrade Your Camera

1080p is the bare minimum you can get away with in terms of video quality, but if you truly want to push the bounds, avoid webcams entirely and opt for an actual camera that can be used with your computer. Webcams are often multipurpose and are only good enough for basic business. Cameras, however, are specifically designed to fully capture high-quality video.

Posted in Keys to Success | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Best Poses for Modeling Clothing

Posted on February 22, 2021 by John Casablancas
Best Poses for Modeling Clothing

Arguably the hardest thing to figure out when modeling clothing is what to do with your body. How do you even begin showing off the clothes you’re wearing? Fear not! Here are the best poses to practice to nail your next booking.

The Three-Quarters

This is a gold standard in modeling. It requires you to be angled so that only three-quarters of your body is visible to the camera. This could be as easy as sticking one foot behind the other and angling your upper body toward the camera. It could also be more complex based on any flair you decide to add.

The Profile

Profile shots are fantastic for really embracing all the interesting ways the body can contort itself and the clothing on it. Practice different ways to hold your shoulders and where you rest your weight. Get the arms and legs into it and see what kind of unique shapes you can create.

The Straight On

Though debatably the hardest one to master, facing the camera straight on is nevertheless a requirement. The faster you get this pose down, the stronger you will be for it. It’s up to you to pose in such a way that breathes life into the clothes you’re wearing. Isolate your different body parts and see what they can do.

The Over-The-Shoulder

More fun than fashion, a good over-the-shoulder adds a lot of character to what could otherwise be a boring outfit. There’s motion and there’s focus off camera, something that attracts the interest of people looking at the image. For this pose, remember that the challenge will be not overdoing your eyes. Keep the gaze in line with the nose and be very aware of unwanted shadows obscuring rather than accentuating.

Posted in Fashion, Modeling | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

How to Walk the Runway with Accessories

Posted on February 15, 2021 by John Casablancas
How to Walk the Runway with Accessories

Couture is not just clothes. Runway walking also involves accessories. From the expected purses and cell phones to the unexpected babies, it’ll be anticipated that you can put your fashion foot forward regardless of what you’ll be carrying. Own it with these tips and tricks.

Practice with Props

The biggest mistake you can make is walking with an accessory you’ve never handled before. If you’re not comfortable swinging around that purse, it will be obvious to everyone watching. The only way to make that purse a part of you is to carry it or something like it around with you. This practice prepares you for the weight, how it moves with your body, how it affects your balance, and other aspects you might not even consider. As a bonus, you’ll no doubt learn a cool thing to do with it during the walk.

Watch Yourself

It’s all well and good to be familiar with the accessory, but do you know what you look like? Maybe that cool way to hold it isn’t as cool as you imagined in your head. Get in front of a full length mirror and walk. What do you like? What don’t you like? What are some other things you can try? The answers to these questions are great guidance in preparing for the big walk.

Collect Critiques

Once you have a good idea of how you want to walk with the accessory, seek out your trusted colleagues and offer them a show. What do they like? What don’t they like? What would they do instead? Why would they make those choices? The more input you have, the more options you have to take just an accessory and make it a true part of the fashion you’ll be walking.

Posted in Modeling | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How to Take the Perfect Headshots at Home

Posted on February 8, 2021 by John Casablancas
How to Take the Perfect Headshots at Home

With most phones sporting professional cameras, gone are the days of requiring photographers to take headshots. Now all you need is the right setup and some time to find that perfect look.

The Basics

To take a great headshot, you need to know what defines a good one. Stylistically, a well-received headshot is taken from the chest up, has you making eye contact, uses good lighting, captures your personality, and is readable even when small.

Nail these five things, and you’ve nailed your picture.

The Setup

Gather your materials. First and foremost you’ll need a camera that can capture images with a high resolution—the higher the better. Next you’ll need either a tripod or a friend. In the best scenario, it’s a friend. Another person saves a lot of time and can help introduce new ideas.

Find a space with good lighting. Images are made or broken based on how you are illuminated. You’ll need at least two soft lights in front of you and one light behind you to eliminate harsh shadows. The background should be a single color. Outdoors is typically not a good idea for beginners due to its uncontrollable elements.

Practice makes perfect. Before taking any photos, throw on the outfits you think you want to wear and use your phone’s timer to take a few test shots. This way, you’ll know immediately if something does or doesn’t work, helping you figure out what you want from your headshots. Ideally, you’ll have a good selection of flattering clothing that brings out your natural glow.

Have fun. Now it’s time to take those pictures. Turn on some music. Laugh. Get dramatic. When it’s done, pick your favorites and share your new headshots with the world.

Posted in John Casablancas, Photography | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Runway Turns 101

Posted on February 1, 2021 by John Casablancas
Runway Turns 101

Nothing is more powerful in a model’s arsenal than their turns. Here’s how to master those mere seconds to wrap the audience around your little finger.

Match Your Walk

The entire time you’re out on the runway is a dance. It starts when you enter and ends only when you exit. If your turn doesn’t match your walk, it will show. For example, if you have a lot of swagger walking but show a conservative turn, it will feel very off to the audience and create a dissonance. Your turn is your crescendo. Use the walk to build to that moment and make sure that moment matches for maximum effect.

Stay in Motion

Though the turn means an end to your forward walk, it’s not an excuse to stop moving. All of the greatest supermodels keep their bodies going. At that turn, their energy is focused on fancy footwork, arm work, and body work that creates a continually shifting and interesting form.

Play with the Number of Turns

While many models stick with one good turn, don’t be afraid to play with that number. You don’t want to go overboard but don’t be afraid to own the moment and add a few half turns. Rotate to the left. Rotate to the right. Do a full turn one direction. Do a full turn the other direction. This is all a part of the dance that is your signature move.

Feel the Floor

What’s the music? How’s the audience? The better you can play to the crowd, the better success you’ll have with your turn. If it’s a fun crowd, add a little extra. If the music is bumping, turn to the beat. A lot of your success lies in your ability to read a room and perform in a way to leaves it begging for more.

Posted in Fashion, Modeling | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment