Holiday Gift Guide

Kristoff Animators’ Collection Doll

Posted on by FCA Editor

Disney’s Animators’ Collection Dolls are popular for ages 3+, and adults are even grabbing them up for their own enjoyment and collections. They are toddler versions of some of Disney’s iconic characters, imagined by the wonderful animators at Disney. Unless you have been living in a cave, you know that Disney’s Frozen won the Academy Award for Best Animated Film, and Kristoff is a big part of the story.
The Kristoff Animators’ Doll is hard to find. Take it from me, I’ve been trying to locate one for months. But why is this particular doll in such high demand? There are several reasons for little Kristoff to be as popular as he is.

 

Number one – He’s adorable. With freckles sprayed over his face and his wide brown eyes and sweet grin, Kristoff brings home all the delight of his on-screen personality. The little fellow that appears in the beginning of the film is a fun little guy, as is this vinyl version.

 

Number two – The movie is an instant classic and the five main characters (Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf) have become beloved by all ages.

 

Number three – Kristoff is a doll both girls and boys can enjoy. Boys will like having a male toddler doll, and Kristoff is the perfect male doll for this collection. His hair is vinyl (unlike the girl dolls who have wigs that can get messed up over time) and he’s sturdy enough for boys to carry around, hug, and even sleep with.

 

Number four – the Animators’ Collection is a fun line of dolls.

 

Kristoff stands 16 inches high. He sports removable boots, mittens, blue flannel pants and a coat with faux fur. He looks like he’s ready for anything, and any kind of play.

 

Under the supervision of animators Tony Smeed, Bill Schwab, and Jin Kim, the Animators’ Collection Dolls were designed with all the fun and fantasy of their screen characters. Kristoff is the first male character to join the Animators’ Collection. He stole the hearts of audiences of all ages, as a youngster and an adult. And this doll incorporates the adorableness of the character along with his whimsy.

 

Now there is a cute male doll that will delight boys, girls, and adults. Disney’s Kristoff Animators’ Collection doll lists for $24.95.

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

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Disney Animators’ Collection Tinker Bell Doll

Posted on by FCA Editor

Tinker Bell is the first Disney Animators’ Collection doll that is not a princess. Besides Mickey Mouse, Tinker Bell is probably the most iconic character to the Walt Disney Company. She’s a tiny fairy with a big fan base, and has endured and flourished through the years, inspiring her own movie series. Although she began her career as Peter Pan’s sidekick, Tinker Bell is an adored character in her own right.

The Disney Animators’ Collection dolls are a popular series that until now included only Disney princesses. With the addition of Tinker Bell, and others on the way, this series is branching out to include the characters fans love. What makes this collection fun is that the characters are depicted as toddlers, and designed by the talented animators at Disney.

Tink’s designer, animator Steve Thompson, has worked for the company for 20 years. Steve has a history at Disney creating for their consumer products and working in the animation department of the Disney studios. His current position is designing for the Disney Store. His depiction of the fun loving and adventurist little fairy is nothing short of adorable.

Tink is made of plastic and stands 16 inches high. She wears a green fairy dress with the skirt overlay resembling petals. Her green shoes have her trademark pompoms on the toes. These white pompoms have soft iridescent spines so when they catch the light they look like they glow. And she sports her characteristic high bun on the top of her head. She also has wings, of course. The wings are made of translucent plastic with glitter highlights. Tinker Bell’s eyes are the most beautiful shade of aqua and her smile is a combination of an impish grin and a sly smirk. Her legs bend at the hips and her arms are poseable, as is her head. When her head is slightly cocked she looks like she is thinking, “I’ve got some pixie dust and you don’t!” All of that along with a cute little turned up nose and her little pointed ears combine to make Tink a loveable little gal.

One note: If you are getting Tinker Bell for display, I highly recommend getting a stand for this doll so she won’t fall over and possibly bend her wings.

Disney Animators’ Collection Tinker Bell lists for $24.95 and is for children 3+ and for adults of all ages!

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet: The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Like her on Facebook

 

Dyson Digital Slim DC 59 Animal – Product Review

Posted on by FCA Editor

 

You have probably heard of the Dyson name. The Dyson vacuums use the patented Root Cyclone technology. In 2006 they produced their first handheld vacuum, the DC 16. In 2011 they launched the Digital Slim handhelds, and in 2014 they just produced their latest and greatest – the DC 59.

 

According to Dyson, this new vacuum has three times the suction of other cordless handhelds. I’m not one to take anyone’s word for it so I decided to put this little machine to the test.

First off, it’s easy to hold. The handle is comfortable and the buttons are easy to press. And once the button is pressed you can hear the power of this machine. So, to see how well it actually sucked up debris, I first used another kind of cordless handheld vacuums. You know the kind. They are small and portable, and inexpensive. It worked fairly well, but then I used the DC 59 and a lot more debris was sucked up. I couldn’t believe how much stuff was in the Dyson bin even after the area had been vacuumed by another device. Dyson packs a lot of suction into this machine.

The DC59 has a cleaning time of 26 minutes, which is enough to clean most apartments, condos, or homes. It’s also great for RVs too. Even after many minutes, the motor doesn’t slow down. The DC59 continues its voracious work on carpet and hard floors for 26 minutes without letting up on power.

 

 

 

Emptying the see-through bin is quick and easy. A push of a button releases the dirt directly into a garbage can.

 

When the MAX button is pushed, this little vacuum increases its power for those especially dirty areas. It stays on until the button is pressed again. And let me tell you, when it is on MAX, the suction power is amazing. When on MAX, the battery most likely won’t last the full 26 minutes. The DC59 might be a little louder than other handhelds, but that’s the power you’re hearing. It’s easy to hold and maneuver, and lightweight (4.65 lbs.), so a little noise is worth the cleaning power this provides. And the battery charger has qualified for the Energy Star rating, because of its energy efficiency.

The DC59 Animal comes with a docking station that can be easily attached to a wall to hold the machine and the attachments. A crevice tool, a smaller head (for steps, etc.) and a mini motorized tool for upholsteries along with the DC59 are all included in the box.

 

 

The design of this machine is weighted and balanced so it is just as easy to hold down on the floor and up when reaching ceilings and high areas. I personally love that this is easy to use on ceilings so spiders and other bugs – yuck – they love to walk on ceilings making them difficult to get – can be easily reached with this machine. Finally there is a way to reach them without squishing them on the ceiling or top of the wall. I know to some readers this isn’t a big deal, but to those of us who hate smashing bugs, this is a great feature. The attachments just click onto the machine.

The Dyson DC59 also comes with a 2-year parts and labor warranty. Remember to register your machine when you get it.

 

How else can I describe this really remarkable cordless vacuum? It is kind of space age looking and the main color is kind of purplish (which is not my favorite) with dark grey handle. However even with this color, the DC59 has now become my favorite cordless handheld vacuum. And yes, I can honestly recommend it to all my readers without hesitation. The performance lives up to all of Dyson’s hype.

This floor-to-ceiling machine does the job.

The DC59 was just released February 1, 2014 so you know it has the latest technology. The list price is $499.99.

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet: The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Like her on Facebook

Final Draft 9 – Software Review

Posted on by FCA Editor

How many times have you gone to a movie and thought you could write a better script than what you just saw? How many times have you had an idea that you thought would make a great movie or TV show? If you’re like most people, you have thought about this a lot. But if you aren’t in “the business” you probably don’t have any clue how to get started.

 

Writing a screenplay, or script, is not like writing an essay or a novel. There is a formula involved. Final Draft 9 is software that makes writing a script easy. Granted, there is a slight learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it goes easily.

 

Without looking at an actual script, I began using this software to see how easy it is. Yes, I was a bit confused because I have never written a script before. I have written several novels and stories, but never a script. It is definitely a different animal.

There are plenty of screenplays to download for free so after five pages of writing I downloaded one to make sure I was on the right track. There were a few things I had to change, but otherwise I was doing pretty well.

 

If you want to try your hand at writing a screenplay, first study one or two. You don’t have to read the entire thing, but you should know how it is set up. Then, install Final Draft 9 and start typing. Once you get the hang of the formula, the software does the rest. Yes, you still have to know how to write, and yes, you still have to know the basic format of a script, however this software is easy to understand and once you know how to set up a scene, it does the rest.

 

The software knows your characters’ names and stores them in a list so all you do is start typing and then select from the list which character is speaking or doing something. It’s easy to set up interior (INT) scenes and exterior (EXT) scenes. Final Draft 9 knows the lingo. Once you know the formula, the software helps you fill in the blanks. It formats everything to industry standards, and is recommended by Hollywood pros like James Cameron, Aaron Sorkin, and JJ Abrams, plus it is the preferred file format of the Writers Guild of America West.

 

Once you purchase the software, you may download different templates including those for some of the popular current TV shows. What I found helpful is the option to scan my pages with the software.  The software spotted the errors in formatting I had made, gave me the option to have them fixed automatically, and told me what I did incorrectly. So, besides spellchecking, Final Draft checks for format irregularities. That’s a benefit not only for us newbies, but also for veterans who might have “accidentally” made an error when typing. And, let’s face it, when you submit your fabulous script for consideration, you want it in the best shape possible.

 

You cannot simply install the software and start writing an award-winning screenplay without some understanding of the formula. However, once you familiarize yourself with how a script is set up, Final Draft 9 makes writing your Academy Award or Emmy Award script easy. The hard part is coming up with an original plot. Good luck!