Entertainment
Nolen Niu Talks About His New Show Framework On SpikeTV
Nolen Niu is an American Industrial Designer recognized for his holistic approach to design and clean, provocative aesthetics. As of this January, he is featured as a judge on Spike TV’s new show, “Framework;” alongside furniture designer, Brandon Gore and hip-hop artist, Common. “Framework” is the first ever furniture design competition series. The show features 13 emerging furniture designers who will compete over the course of 10 weeks for a $100,000 cash prize and the opportunity for their work to be sold by a major manufacturer.
After receiving his Bachelors of Science in Industrial Design from the world-renowned Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, Niu developed private furniture lines, custom one-of-a-kind pieces, mass production furniture, residential and retail spaces for corporate, private and celebrity clientele.
In 2005, Niu ventured out globally and began developing a collection of upholstered goods under the Nolen Niu brand. He was one of only a few American designers to achieve selection and awarded the opportunity to exhibit at the 2006 Salone Satellite Milan Furniture Fair where he debut his first collection, which received enthusiastic reviews from the international community. In conjunction to his selection for the Salone Satellite, Nolen Niu was one of ten designers chosen to be showcased at the ICFF Studio/Bernhardt Design joint venture exhibit, a juried event which purpose is to support emerging talent. Niu has also completed the sixth rendition of the Annual Esquire Magazine House, where he was one of four designers chosen to design a room in a 7,000 square foot ultra-modern mansion, located high atop Hollywood Hills, which hosted celebrity driven charity events for multiple organizations.
In 2011, Nolen Niu opened his own production facility, specializing in upholstery and carpentry, located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. This makes him one of the few American furniture designers who are completely vertically integrated, with the ability to competitively design and manufacture his products all in America.
CLICK HERE to listen to my interview with Nolen Niu and follow him on Twitter @nolenniu.
Please note: Photos are by photographer William Cole and shots from the show are courtesy of SPIKETV.
Jan 16th
Latarsha Rose Talks “Being Mary Jane,” “Hunger Games,” And More
The stunning and intriguing Latarsha Rose returns for a second season in BET Network’s one-hour scripted drama, “Being Mary Jane” starring Gabrielle Union. The hit series was originally picked up after the critically acclaimed movie of the same title aired on the network. Latarsha plays Mary Jane Paul’s best friend, Dr. Lisa Hudson.
In 2012, Latarsha made her movie debut in the highly anticipated feature film The Hunger Games directed by Gary Ross for Lionsgate, alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Lenny Kravitz and Woody Harrelson. Latarsha played the role of Peeta Mellark’s stylist ‘Portia’.
Latarsha thoroughly enjoyed the intense and sexy transformation of this colorful character and found the process of filming her first feature absolutely riveting and extraordinary.
Fans may know Latarsha from her guest starring roles on CSI: Miami, Bones and Swingtown, however, her exquisite face has been featured in such huge commercial campaigns as well.
Latarsha’s pathway to acting wasn’t a direct route. She studied dance and performed overseas as a teenager, but academics were always her first priority. While at Georgetown, studying English and Psychology, her secret desire to become an actor was unearthed when she stumbled on a drama class. Upon graduation, Latarsha sought out acting teachers, Tony Greco and Bob Krakower, both who would become instrumental in her training for future acting challenges while advising Latarsha to keep an honest approach to her work.
Latarsha landed her first off, off-Broadway play right out of school. Backstage and the Ross Reports were her go to resources as she studied her craft and pursued any “legit” opportunity to work as an actor and earn her chops. Latarsha worked in NY theatre on several off, off-Broadway productions; it was also at this time that she was cast in Bravo’s It Factor which followed 12 New York actors as they tried to make it in the entertainment business. Shortly afterwards, Latarsha began securing several national commercials and from there s
he had guest starring roles in Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and CSI NY, eventually re-locating to Los Angeles and landing roles on Swingtown and The Cape.
I got the chance to talk with Latarsha about Season 2 of “Being Mary Jane,” acting, and who she would love to work with on future projects.
Click HERE to listen to the interview. Follow Latarsha on Twitter HERE!
Jan 15th
Mountain Dew Welcomes Florida Georgia Line to Dew Nation
Mountain Dew announced a national partnership with Florida Georgia Line, establishing the iconic beverage brand as a sponsor of the superstar duo’s 2015 ANYTHING GOES worldwide headlining tour and the award-winning team of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley as the newest members of DEW Nation.
“Pushing conventional boundaries and instigating cultural shifts is something that has always been core to Mountain Dew,” said Greg Lyons, Vice President of Marketing, Mountain Dew. “Florida Georgia Line’s unique sound has progressed country music and transcended traditional country music audiences since first hitting the scene. We are looking forward to being on the ANYTHING GOES TOUR with the duo and to continuing to share their talent with DEW Nation.”
“We’ve come a long way since touring the Southeast in BK’s Tahoe and are pumped to partner with Mountain Dew as we kick off our first worldwide tour this year,” said FGL’s Tyler Hubbard.
FGL’s Brian Kelley adds, “just like the DEW brand, we’re all about creating a style and sound that’s all our own. It’s going to be a great time out on the road and we look forward to hanging out with DEW Nation at every stop the tour takes us.”
Florida Georgia Line proved to be unstoppable in 2014 with their GOLD-certified sophomore album ANYTHING GOES (Republic Nashville) catapulting to a #1 debut on the all-genre Billboard 200 and Billboard Top Country Albums charts upon release. Continuing the momentum with their latest Top 10-and-climbing single “Sun Daze” and PLATINUM, #1 smash “Dirt,” FGL racked up 13 industry awards throughout 2014 and kicked off 2015 with a bang – an epic, live performance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. The accolades continue to pour in as the record-breaking duo closed out 2014 topping four of Billboard’s year-end charts and lead Forbes “30 Under 30” list. The reigning ACM and CMA Vocal Duo of the Year will continue to celebrate with fans as they embark on their ANYTHING GOES TOUR 2015, which kicks off this Thursday, January 15 in Toledo, Ohio.
Join the conversation about Florida Georgia Line and DEW @mtn_dew #FGLxDEW. A list of ANYTHING GOES TOUR 2015 dates and cities is available at www.FloridaGeorgiaLine.com. The ANYTHING GOES album is available now.
Jan 14th
Watch The New Mortal Kombat X Trailer
Mortal Kombat is back with another installment called Mortal Kombat X. There are a ton of sick online features that will play a larger role in the game. Players will be able to choose from five factions–Lin Kuei, White Lotus, Brotherhood of Shadows, Special Force and Black Dragon–and earn battle points for the chosen faction. This will determine how a player’s in-game single player or multiplayer menus will look, among other things.
Mortal Kombat X takes place 25 years after the last installment of the series. This trailer features the first look at the beautiful but deadly Edenian Princess Kitana, and Kung Lao, the powerful martial artist with razor sharp hat tricks, as they perform a variety of fighting styles and brutal moves. Who’s Next?
Jan 14th
Reebok Answers Why The Chicken Crossed The Road
Earlier this week, Reebok challenged the fitness culture status quo with the release of “Free Range” – a captivating video starring a chicken that encourages people to escape a culture that promotes monotonous, uninspiring activities and take on a more engaging approach to physical activity that inspires lifelong commitment.
Released mid-January to coincide with the time that New Year resolutions are most commonly broken or fail, Reebok wants to send a clear message that the reason people fall off the wagon and go back to their sedentary habits is because they’ve bought into a fitness culture that is broken – one that should be traded in for an untethered, inspiring health and fitness lifestyle.
“At Reebok we believe you shouldn’t make resolutions for only a year; rather, you should make them for life,” said Matt O’Toole, Reebok Brand President. “This is why we work with partners such as CrossFit, Spartan Race and Les Mills; fitness inspiration that provides the motivation to live out your resolution — motivations like community, versatility and pushing limits. Reebok believes an active life goes beyond physical benefits; it’s about bettering yourself mentally and socially as well. This is a point of view embodied in the brand’s new symbol, the Reebok Delta.”
The video created by Venables Bell & Partners, depicts a daring chicken escaping from its coop in the search for a more fulfilling and rewarding “Free Range” lifestyle. Running freely across fields and overcoming a number of obstacles that get in its way, the film brings to life Reebok’s approach to fitness and encourages people to embrace a new path to physical activity – one that is unrestrained and promotes an inspiring health and fitness lifestyle.
Jan 14th
Discover It Live With The StubHub Music App!
Find out when your favorite artists are playing, discover new music, get event and venue info, buy tickets, and invite your friends – all in one place. It’s the ultimate guide to live music. You can customize the app with your artist and venue favorites with the StubHub app.
You will be able to find the artists you love with the most robust live event catalog in the industry with over 100,000 live event listings on any given day in the US, the UK, and Canada! Discover new music with recommendations based on your music library and location, which is great when you’re traveling.
You will also be able to listen to song previews and get event recommendations, follow artists and get notifications when they’re heading to your city, invite your friends to a show and plan your night with convenient venue info and directions and buy tickets anytime, anywhere.
Plus this month, they are donating to Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, VH1 Save the Music Foundation, The Roots of Music for each download.
Jan 12th
Marvel Releases Teaser Trailer For Daredevil On Netflix
Season 1 of “Marvel’s Daredevil” will premiere with 13 one-hour episodes on April 10, 2015 at 12:01 a.m. PT in all territories where Netflix is available.
“Marvel’s Daredevil” follows the journey of Matt Murdock, who was blinded as a young boy but imbued with extraordinary senses, now fighting against injustice by day as a lawyer, and by night as the super hero Daredevil in modern day Hell’s Kitchen, New York City.
The series stars Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson with Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple and Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk. Also starring are Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Marianna, Bob Gunton as Leland Owlsley, Toby Leonard Moore as Wesley, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Ben Urich.
Marvel’s first original series on Netflix is Executive Produced by series Showrunner Steven S. DeKnight (“Spartacus,” “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer,” “Angel”) and Drew Goddard (“Cabin in the Woods,” “Lost,” “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” in addition to writing the first two episodes of “Marvel’s Daredevil”), along with Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Marvel’s Agent Carter,” “Lost”).
“Marvel’s Daredevil” is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios for Netflix.
Jan 11th
Preview The Super Bowl XLIX Ads From Budweiser & Bud Light
As the exclusive category advertiser for Super Bowl XLIX, Anheuser-Busch today announced it will feature three ads spotlighting two marquee brands during the NBC broadcast on Sunday, Feb. 1. Budweiser and Bud Light will represent Anheuser-Busch with new creative.
“The mass appeal of the Super Bowl presents an unparalleled platform to launch 360-degree campaigns that ultimately deliver against our top priority: sell more beer,” said Jorn Socquet, vice president, U.S. marketing at Anheuser-Busch. “With our track record, we know consumers look forward to our iconic spots and what viewers see during the game is just the beginning of what they’ll experience from Anheuser-Busch in 2015.”
Anheuser-Busch’s flagship brand, Budweiser, will debut a 60-second ad that highlights the brewing credentials for America’s No. 1 full-flavored lager.
The second Budweiser ad, “Lost Dog,” will feature the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales and their favorite companion. In the spot, the Budweiser Clydesdales will tell an emotional story and help a puppy who has lost his way learn the true meaning of friendship.
“The Budweiser Clydesdales have appeared in our Super Bowl ads for nearly three decades. They continue to serve as time-honored symbols of how we brew our beer: remarkable care and attention, sparing no expense, the highest quality and consistency,” said Brian Perkins, vice president, Budweiser. “This year, they will live up to their reputation and once again save the day in a heartwarming story about best buds never letting you down.”
The creative agency for both Budweiser spots is Anomaly.
As the “Perfect Beer for Whatever Happens,” Bud Light will bring the unexpected to Super Bowl XLIX.
This year’s 60-second ad, “Coin,” features an everyday Bud Light fan who experiences an unforgettable night with ‘80s iconic old school fun simply by indicating he is “Up for Whatever.”
“We believe that our new Super Bowl commercial and the Bud Light House of Whatever will make Bud Light the most talked about experience at the Super Bowl,” said Alexander Lambrecht, vice president, Bud Light. “Bud Light will continue to create unexpected experiences for ‘The Perfect Beer’ campaign in 2015 and win with millennials through unforgettable, authentic experiences.”
Jan 8th
Watch Marvel’s ANT-MAN – Teaser Trailer
The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Marvel’s “Ant-Man” stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket, Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, Michael Peña as Luis, Judy Greer as Maggie, Tip “Ti” Harris as Dave, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Wood Harris as Gale, Jordi Mollà as Castillo and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym. Directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s “Ant-Man” delivers a high-stakes, tension-filled adventure on July 17, 2015.
Jan 7th
1st Ant-Sized Look At Ant-Man
Not sure if you will be able to see anything, but here is the “tiny” sized trailer for the “Ant-Man” film. Get a miniature look at the very first teaser for Marvel’s “Ant-Man” and catch the full thing during the two-hour series premiere of “Marvel’s Agent Carter” Tuesday, January 6 beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC!
Jan 3rd
