Behind the Scenes: Zac Efron on voicing an animated character

February 29, 2012 By

The Lorax hits theaters on March 2 and after our sit down with Zac Efron, we got the inside scoop on his thoughts about voicing his 1st animated character for a film. It was interesting to get his perspective on what it was like lending his voice to a 12 year old animated boy searching for a Truffula Tree in the movie The Lorax, based on Dr. Seuss’s classic story. If anyone could make that adventure sound manly, Zac sure can!

If you haven’t caught the trailer for The Lorax – check it out here too:

Here’s us ladies hanging out with handsome Zac.

On being in the recording studio:

Blogger: Did you have to be alone in the animation studio? How do you get yourself psyched up when you do the voice over?

Zac Efron: You would usually film really early in the morning, and my voice is not my best. So, normally, we’d sit around for about a half hour and drink green tea while my voice recouped. Then, we’d get going, and I’d raise it two octaves. It was very fun, yes.

On working with Taylor Swift:

Blogger: Did you work with Taylor Swift at all or hear her lines before?

Zac Efron: Sort of, not really. That’s not the way it works. We didn’t get to hear each other’s performances that much. But, the further you go and the more recording gets done, the more they’re willing to show you. Animation starts to progress. You get more stills. So, you start to really get a feel for what’s going on.

And I remember I heard Taylor’s voice and they showed me what her voice is going sound like in the movie. And it’s angelic. It’s soothing. She has an incredible speaking voice.

On the challenges of voice recording:

Blogger: What did you find to be the most challenging doing an animated voice?

Zac Efron: Challenging? It was fun. I think the hardest part about it, and it’s just like anything else, is you’ve just got to let go. You’ve got to be free.

And the first two days I did it, you’re self conscious. There’s a camera in your face. You know you look like an idiot. You’re saying ridiculous lines and making big hand gestures. Someone’s going to see this footage.

Once you let go and commit and just be free and have fun, that’s when the real spontaneity and improvisation comes out, and it just turns into one of the most fun things in the world. So, just letting go, forget where you are.

On what Zac Efron wore to work for recording sessions: 

Blogger: Did you ever show up in your PJs or anything?

Zac Efron: Oh, yes. I think you guys have a bunch of pictures of me.

Blogger: Just one. You just have a t-shirt on.

Zac Efron: Yes, I definitely came straight from bed.

Blogger: We don’t know what you have on.

Zac Efron: See, look at her when she does it.

Blogger: All dolled up.

On the time commitment of recording:

Blogger: How many hours a day were you in there doing your lines? Just the mornings like you mentioned, or was it all day?

Zac Efron: Most of the time, it was in the morning. We’d do anywhere from an hour to three and a half, four hour sessions. Yes.

On being environmentally aware:

Blogger: I just want to know if your involvement with the film made you more environmentally aware and if so, how?

Zac Efron: It did. I always have this feeling in the back of my mind that I’m never doing enough, you know? And it’s true. It’s like you can never do enough.

So, I was really searching for a way to get involved. What is the way I’m gonna jump in and how can I take charge and make a difference? And that was one of the best parts about this movie is I feel like, finally, I’m representing a cause. This is gonna plant those seeds out there. People are going to see this movie and maybe it’ll tip one or two people to become more green. And those are the small things that really count.

Other than that, I try and do the regulars. I try and conserve as much as I can, yes.

Disclosure: Thanks to Universal Pictures for paying for my travel expenses to attend the press junket for The Lorax – which hits theaters in 3D on March 2nd, 2012. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

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Charlie St. Cloud Movie Review

July 30, 2010 By

Ok, High School Musical enthusiasts, this is the moment that we’ve all been waiting for. Charlie St.Cloud hit theaters today, and I feel like every Zac Efron fan is dying to see him take on an entirely new role in this movie. Lucky for me, I got a chance to see a screening of the movie a couple weeks ago, so I’ve been anxious to talk all about it.

For those of you who’ve missed the trailer, this story is all about family and hope and the close bond between brothers. When Charlie loses his younger brother Sam in a tragic car accident, Charlie continues to play catch with Sam’s ghost every evening. When love comes into the picture, Charlie has to choose to continue living in the past or make the most of the life that he’s been given.

After watching the trailer for the movie, I thought it was the typical dramatic romance, but I actually thought the movie had a Sixth Sense feel to it. All of us were captivated in the plot the entire time. I tried to keep track and am pretty sure I cried unofficially three times during the movie. The main characters were great, and Zac has gotten several points in my “cool” book for pulling his role off so well. If I had to rate this on a 5-star ranking, I’d give it a 4. It’s a great movie to take the entire family to go see.

If you have high schoolers at your house, I’m sure they are probably all talking about this movie. I live with a family with two high school girls, so I thought I’d interview them to see how they ‘re feeling about the premiere. Do they sound a lot like some teens you know?

Mommy Bloggers and Zac Efron after movie screening in LA

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Behind the scenes of Charlie St. Cloud

July 29, 2010 By

We’ve got the inside scoop straight from the author & director!

I’ve always been a fan of books turned into movies. Twilight, The Notebook, and Dear John to name a few of my personal faves, and Charlie St. Cloud did not disappoint! It’s always intriguing to watch a director’s interpretation of a book. Getting to hear the story behind this book and learn how the book came alive in the movie was almost…almost…as cool as meeting Zac Efron during my What I learned about Zac Effron weekend. So I thought I’d share a few tidbits from Burr Steers (director) and Ben Sherwood (writer)from the movie to help us get a whole new perspective of the big screen.

And if you haven’t seen the Charlie St. Cloud movie trailer yet, check it out here.

Behind the scenes of the movie with Burr:

Q: What was one of the most challenging scenes of the movie to direct?

A: The sailing race. There was hardly any wind on the day of the shoot, so tow boats had to help pull the boats. A lot of editing helped turn bad sailing weather into an awesome scene at the beginning of the movie.

Q: How did they shoot Zac’s underwater rescue scene?

A: Even though none of would be surprised if Zac really did swim through dangerous waters to save his love, the scene in the movie was actually shot on a set in a large tank. Unsurprisingly, the underwater technician that trained him said he was the best he ever worked with.

Q: Why did you choose to have one of the characters, Florio, alive in the movie when he was dead in the book?

A: Burr went back and forth with this decision, but Florio’s role in the movie needed to be more immediate since his character did not need to explain things throughout the story like the character in the book.

Q: Why was the boy that worked for Charlie in the movie younger than in the book?

A: Burr made him younger because he was working for Charlie, so it felt more realistic that a younger person played that role. Also, just for fun and color, Burr made him a Russian immigrant. Interesting interpretation if you ask me…

Burr Steer and Mommy Bloggers

We also got a chance to talk to Ben, the writer of Charlie St. Cloud, and I have to admit that his interview was definitely my favorite. Ben is such a genuine guy, and he seemed awe-struck that his book was getting so much publicity. I could’ve listened to him talk about his book all day. Unfortunately, we only had 20 minutes with him, so I pulled out some of the good stuff to share with you.

Q: What does it do to you to have a book turned into a movie?

A: “I don’t know. I wish I knew the answer. I ask my wife that question all the time what’s gonna happen and we don’t know.”

Q: Why is Charlie much younger in the movie than the book?

A: Charlie in the book is an older, depressed guy that lost a lot. Charlie in the movie still has time and still has hope. It’s not too late for him.

Q: What do you think about Zac playing Charlie?

A: I heart Zac! (So do we, Ben!) Zac in real life embodies Charlie. They both have so much hope and potential.

Q: Were you surprised that Florio was alive in the movie but dead in the book?

A: Florio being alive in the movie helped maked the story more contemporary, but Ben told us that he and his wife didn’t know about that change in the plot until they watched the screening!

Q: How did you research for this book?

A: It  sounds crazy, but Ben actually worked in a cemetery and helped dig graves for an entire week to understand Charlie’s job in the book. He also went on site to a sail loft to become familiar with the sport. Who knows what’s next for this guy. Whatever it is, you betcha he’ll be on the scene doing some hands-on research to help make his next story come to life.

Ben Sherwood and the gang

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Charlie St. Cloud Movie Trailer

July 29, 2010 By

Check it out here – you will be impressed. Releases in theaters tomorrow.

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What I learned about Zac Efron……

July 26, 2010 By

Really. I still want to pinch myself. If you didn’t read my last blog post Ritz Carlton Marina Del Ray & Zac Efron, I went to LA for a private screening of  Zac’s new movie Charlie St. Cloud and to  interview the cast.  The cast was fabulous and gave us all great scoop while making us feel relaxed and comfortable to chat away with them. It’s so much fun to get real tidbits from the stars!

So before you head out on Friday to see the movie on opening day (yes it is a tear jerker!), here’s 3 tidbits I learned from each of the 3 main characters that star in Charlie St. Cloud

Zac Efron:

1. He’s never sailed before this movie. But yes, he looks like a pro on screen!

2. How did he bond with his Dad growing up? They played catch all the time! I love how universal playing catch is – even for the movie stars!

3. Strange fact about his on screen sibling and his real life brother. Yes, they really did look like each other. (His brother in real life looked a lot like Charlie when he was that age!)

Zac, Charlie and Mommy Bloggers after our interview

(Yes we all fought over who would get to be the one Zac put his arm around! And the saying about movie stars looking better in real life than on camera – it is true! He was shorter than I imagined but he did not disappoint…. he is a handsome guy! )

Charlie Tahan – who plays Zac Efron’s on screen brother in Charlie St. Cloud

1. He’s not a Red Sox fan in real life.

2.  His favorite scene while filming Charlie St. Cloud:  When he and Zac slid on trash can lids in the mud during a rainstorm.

3. He’ s anxious to do a comedy movie next. He says, “I’ve done, like, sad boys who’ve died a lot.” (Best known for his roles in I am Legend and Burning Bright.)

Amanda Crew: Zac Efron’s love interest on screen. And she is super tall in real life! She wore a Bill Blass dress for our meeting and looked fabulous.

1.Yes, she had to take a “chemisty test” with Zac and read lines for the director to make sure there was a “connection” between the two of them.

2. She’s  kind of a clutz in real life and had to add 20 minutes to her hair and makeup time just to cover all the bruises on her legs from sailing accidents.

3. She loves her character Tess because she’s a great role model for girls. Tess knew what she wanted in life and went for it…even if it meant sailing around the world by herself.

Amanda (wearing Bill Blass dress) and the gang

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Ritz Carlton Marina Del Ray & Zac Efron

July 21, 2010 By

I lived it up Hollywood style this past weekend when I covered an event for Classy Mommy in  LA  and attended a sneak preview of the movie Charlie St. Cloud, starring Zac Efron which will hit the theaters on July 30th.  What a weekend.

Not only did I get to enjoy a weekend of luxury at the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Ray, but I also got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sit down with Zac and some of the cast members for a heart-to-heart about the movie.  And yes, I admit I’m a High School Musical fan so this was crazy fun. We’ll be giving you more scoop next week leading up to the release about our cast interviews – but until then – here’s a bit about my adventure.

View of Marina del Ray Harbor from hotel

On Friday afternoon, I pulled up to the Ritz to check in and meet up with the other Mommy Bloggers.

Ritz entrance

Mommy Bloggers outside movie screening

At 2:30, all of us headed over to a private screening room to watch the movie. It was a cool experience getting to see a movie before it hit the theaters. I also enjoyed snapping a picture while fellow blogger Kim was tripping on her way to her seat! I couldn’t repeat that if I tried.

Private moving screening room

When we got back to the hotel from the movie, we all settled in and headed to the Ritz’s pool patio for a ladies-only cocktail party overlooking the marina. A special thanks to Seanna from Universal Studios for being a great hostess and making the evening so memorable.  Besides the awesome food and drinks being served, we all enjoyed asking Seanna about our favorite celebrities and what they were really like in person. You can’t get those juicy details in US Weekly, ya know.

Ritz poolside

Enjoying cocktail party on pool patio

In anticipation of the cast interviews on Saturday morning, I got up and went for a run around the marina and headed up to Venice Beach for some people watching. I couldn’t resist snapping a few pics on my phone along the way. One LA fashion tip: It is apparently totally acceptable to wears Uggs all year long in California.

Skate park at Venice beach

One of many LA women wearing Uggs in the heat

I had to order room service once I got back from my run. After all, why wouldn’t I want breakfast in one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in? Omelets and hash browns have never looked so fancy!

My room at the Ritz

The best room service

At 1:30, all Mommy Bloggers reported to the ballroom to prepare for our big interviews. You can see we all got a kick out of the Charlie St. Cloud poster in the hallway! We were soaking up the experience. Finally around 2:00, Zac and the child star in the movie, Charlie Tahan, came walking in. Zac was wearing a tight…Oh wait, this is the point where I have to cut this story short. Next week, I’ll tell you all about the interviews. I will say that one of the Mommy Bloggers managed to use “sexy” and “cemetery” in the same sentence when talking to Zac! Bold, yes, but oh so true!

Zac and me

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