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Guest Post: Behind the Scenes of the My Life Undecided Book Trailer

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To say this is a guest post I’m excited about would be an understatement! Today, we’re bringing our readers a look into the life of the making of a book trailer by Jessica Brody, author of MY LIFE UNDECIDED (published last month and reviewed here in brief) and 2010 debut THE KARMA CLUB. Jessica has two of the best book trailers out there, so when we had the chance to ask her to talk about making the one for MY LIFE UNDECIDED, we had to get the scoop.

I, for one, love going behind the scenes of anything. Universal Studios Backlot Tour? I’m there. Bonus Features on a DVD? Yes, please. Film Screening with a special Q&A with the director? Where do I sign up? I’m a sucker for those “Making Of” stories that supposedly spill all the best Hollywood secrets.

Which is why when I was asked to write this post, I jumped (rather enthusiastically) at the chance. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t presume to think that my “behind the scenes” stories from the set of the MY LIFE UNDECIDED Book Trailer are anywhere near as cool as the “behind the scenes” stuff from let’s say, AVATAR, but I hope you’ll enjoy them nonetheless!

So here are my top four “Behind the Scenes” stories from the MY LIFE UNDECIDED Book Trailer. Complete with cool photos from the set! And be sure to check out the trailer itself below.

1) Stunt Doubles? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Stunt Doubles!

The rugby “tackle” scene was my favorite scene to shoot. It was also our very first scene of the entire production so everyone was really excited and pumped.

I wanted the tackle to look as realistic as possible so I cast a professional Stunt Woman (the fabulous Jessica Bennett) to play the Rugby Player and she gave our talented (and very brave) young actress (Taylor Coliee) a crash course in stunt tackling.

The first thing we did to make sure Taylor was safe was pad her up. Jessica placed pads on strategic areas of Taylor’s body to make sure she was protected from the “tackle.”

Then, in order to get Taylor comfortable with the idea of being rushed by a charging rugby player (definitely not something you experience every day…unless, of course, you are a rugby player), we did a few takes where Jessica (our stunt woman) actually picked Taylor up and carried her off frame. Just to get her used to the idea of being “tackled.”

Then, once Taylor was comfortable with the action, we did a real tackle. But instead of having Taylor hit the ground, we used a trusty crash pad and a spotter, which you obviously can’t see in the actual footage.

And although we did end up using it in the final trailer, we also shot a few takes of Taylor “hitting the ground” in case we wanted to cut to that in the edit. This was actually kind of fun. We had Taylor and Jessica lie down on the grass and then filmed them literally getting up from that position. It’s a common movie trick. In order to make it look like she’s actually falling to the ground, all you have to do is reverse the shot and speed it up. When you cut that quickly together with the “tackle” shot you get the impression that she really is being tackled to the ground.

2) You’re Under Arrest!

The arrest scene was SO much fun to shoot. We used what’s called a “Picture Car,” which is basically a prop car that looks like a real police car. It’s the same kind of cars they use in all those procedural cop shows like CSI and Law and Order. We rented this car from a great Picture Car company called Aardvark Props. The guy who owns this company actually made the car himself. How cool is that?

We all had just a bit too much fun with this scene. It was really comical because we’d all be laughing and having a blast and then we’d yell action and Taylor and Rob (our cop) would suddenly have to look all serious. Because he is supposed to be a cop and she is supposed to be getting arrested! But thankfully they were talented actors and had no problem switching the seriousness on and off.

It also happened to be freezing out that night and poor Taylor had this skimpy little outfit on for her costume. So after each take, someone would run out with a blanket and wrap her up. Here she is between takes. She was such a trooper!

3) The Great Debate

The debate scene was hilarious. I wish we could have used more footage of Cesar Manzanera (our debater). He was so funny. Everyone was cracking up. When he came into the audition, I laughed so hard I cast him right away. He was just perfect. Even Taylor had trouble keeping a straight face at times, as evidenced here. This is a photo from when I directed them to do the scene where he’s debating so passionately he nearly knocks her in the head. Both of them appear to be on the verge of laughing.

4) More Windex Please!

There’s a small reference in the book to a moment in Brooklyn’s life, when she was eight years old and a “neighborhood kid” dared her to drink Windex. It’s one of the many “bad decisions” she’s made over the years. When I decided to put this part in the trailer as a flashback to demonstrate Brooklyn’s history of Decisionally-Challenged-ness, I knew it was going to be a blast to shoot. And it was!

The two young actresses we used were such pros. For Riley Chambers, the girl who plays Brooklyn age 8, this was her very first acting gig (although you’d never be able to tell!) And you might recognize Emily Skinner, the girl who played the Neighborhood Kid, because she’s been on tons of TV shows. They were both fantastic. So talented and professional and fun to work with.

Of course, we didn’t use actual Windex. My husband and I had a great time at the supermarket picking out a beverage that looked the most like Windex. And guess what won? Mountain Berry Powerade! Yum!

We did a couple takes where Brooklyn reacts to her father walking into the room and yelling at her. She was supposed to look “busted” but we ended up not using any of the takes because no one could stop from laughing. Every time Riley would react, she would spit the Powerade all over the counter and we would all crack up. It was hilarious!

But no matter, I was still so thrilled with the scene that we ended up with.

So those are my top four Behind the Scenes stories! I hope you enjoyed them! If you want to see more photos from the set, be sure to visit my website: www.jessicabrody.com!

And also, check out the book’s new interactive website, www.MyLifeUndecided.com where you can post your tough decisions and poll our readers for some advice…just like Brooklyn!

Guest Review: The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander

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Today, we’ve got a guest post from Paul Stenis, a reference librarian at the University of Central Oklahoma. Paul attended University of Texas with Kim and I, and in addition to being a librarian, he holds an MA in creative writing and is in the midst of working on a novel for middle grade boys. When he talked about starting a blog about books for boys, we couldn’t help but ask if he’d like to offer up a review for us to share, and today we bring his first.

Chris Rylander chose to write The Fourth Stall in the first person point of view, a brilliant choice, I believe, because Christian “Mac” Barrett is his point of view character. You see, Mac is a guy you can count on for a favor. He’s a die-hard Cubs fan. And he tends to do a lot of his favors pro bono. That’s right. Mac talks tough and has a tough nickname, but he’s a champion for loveable losers and he’s got a pretty good sense of humor about it. Add it all up, and you get a kid who is tough but compassionate and pretty funny too. If you’re going to spend three hundred pages inside someone’s brain, Mac’s is a darn good choice. I liked it there. A lot.

Mac’s troubles begin when Fred enters the fourth bathroom stall that doubles as Mac’s office. Fred has a big problem: a twenty-year-old bully named Staples, who’s more ghost than guy, more rumor than fact. Staples runs gambling rings in several schools and uses high school cronies to beat up bookies and then terrorize them into making more foolish bets. Fred is one of his victims, and he’s only in the fourth grade. Fred has no money and no one to turn to. He’s come to the right place. Mac and his right-hand man Vince agree to protect Fred, pro bono of course, and that’s when the trouble really begins. Somehow Staples is on to their game from the start, and Mac soon realizes he is facing his toughest job yet.

Rylander’s achievements aren’t limited to the byproducts of Mac’s engaging voice, they’re also tied to his ability to both parody The Godfather and transcend it. The Fourth Stall isn’t just a clever book about Mac’s mafia-esque business, it’s a story of loyalty, compassion, and the strength of a life-long friendship. It’s a buddy book, and a lesson on how to forgive your friends and enemies. Christian’s first name is no accident. And so it’s moving in a way that the source material isn’t.

In other words, Rylander’s decision to move the Godfather story into the realm of junior high is brilliant on a couple of levels. It’s funny to hear sixth graders talk and act like gangsters. Indeed. But more important is the elbow room Rylander gave himself as a writer with the decision to give Mac compassionate side that wouldn’t fly in the adult world equivalent.

If I have a complaint to share, it’s this: there is a glaring lack of three-dimensional female characters here. But that’s forgivable, in my view, because Mac’s experience is limited in that department, as it would be for a lot of male characters his age. Perhaps that’s something Rylander will take on in the sequel. Whatever he decides, I can’t wait to read it.

Guest Post: Patricia McCormick on being 15

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We’re extremely lucky to be part of the blog tour celebrating the 10th anniversary of Patricia McCormick’s CUT. We gave you a description of the book yesterday, but for more information, check out the This is Teen Facebook page and Patricia’s own website.

As I mentioned yesterday, this is one of the foundational contemporary ya titles, so we’re thrilled to have Patricia stop by and talk a bit about herself . . . at age 15. What she hits upon here really nails why contemporary ya matters and why kids want to and need to read these books. Without further ado:

Thinking of myself at fifteen makes me cringe.

I was on the debate team. I plastered my hair with Dippity-Do, then rolled it in empty juice cartons. I made my own clothes—including a pair of yellow culottes that I wore with yellow sneakers and a homemade perfume of lemon juice and baby oil.

I also wrote stories, truly awful stories, featuring a crime-fighting girl with a horse named Ginger. And I carried these stories in a huge leather briefcase my father had thrown away.

I was a walking, talking lemon. With helmet hair. And a briefcase. Not exactly prom queen material.

But I did have something of a taste for adventure. Many nights I would climb out my bedroom window onto the garage roof and smoke cigars—cherry-flavored Swisher Sweets. I would lean back on the slanted roof for hours, listening to the neighborhood garage band practice the few songs they knew and yelling out requests from my hidden perch. It was pure magic to me when the opening chords of “Secret Agent Man” came floating up to me after I’d made my request; it didn’t matter that song died abruptly after the first chorus since that’s all they knew.

Other times, I would sneak out of the house after my family was asleep and wander several blocks away to the country club. Our family didn’t belong to the club, so it was thrilling to tiptoe across the damp, finely trimmed grass and sneak across the fairway to the privet hedge that guarded the club house. I lay on my stomach, peeking out from the bushes at elegantly dressed couples dancing around the pool, which glowed like a UFO. I’d heard of untold riches there, of kids who could order hot dogs or ice cream sandwiches for free!

And once I walked down to our small-town 24-hour Dunkin’ Donuts in the middle of the night. I had to walk along the highway to get there—and was nearly blown off my feet when the first trucker blew his horn at me—but the mile-or-so walk past familiar stores and churches took on otherworldly quality in the dead of night. Even the traffic light was different at night, blinking yellow instead of progressing from red to green, suggesting that midnight travelers were a breed apart from car-pooling moms and commuting dads; these were adventurers who could glide right through the intersection under cloak of night. Even the water tower at the Purina Chow plant at the far end of town was transformed into a citadel on stilts, its blinking lights a beacon to all wayfarers, an Emerald City at the end of the highway.

So what do these random—mortifying—anecdotes say about me at fifteen? That I was a dork, obviously.

But on reflection, I think they also suggest that I was on some kind of quest. That in my own blind and awkward way I was trying to connect with the world beyond our bland suburban development. And that I tried to transcend it by dressing it up in the gloss of my imagination.

I also think that precisely because I wasn’t prom queen material I was in the position of observer. Which is the perfect vantage spot for the aspiring writer.

To this day, I don’t know who the boys were in that fledgling rock band. They were probably just as shy and awkward as I was. But under cover of darkness we were signaling to each other, tapping out a kind of rock ’n’ roll Morse code—intoxicated with music that hinted at exciting lives beyond those of our accountant fathers and school-teacher mothers. Even if it was just the first verse of “Secret Agent Man.”

It was a magical time, when all things seemed possible. It was also an excruciating time, when nothing about me seemed right. It’s a time of life that stokes and feeds my fiction. As soon as I conjure up that time—I blush at the image of me smoking a cherry-flavored cheroot in my hip huggers thinking I was the height of cool—I also dive into all the torment, all the possibility of being fifteen.

Justina Ireland’s Top Five Contemporaries You Aren’t Reading (But Should Be)

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Today’s guest post is by someone I got to know last year through Cybils and whose opinions about YA lit I highly respect: Justina Ireland. Justina blogs Wednesdays at the YA-5 and occasionally at her own blog, Teh Awe-Some Sauce. Her first YA book, about a girl possessed by the Furies, is due out from Simon and Schuster in late 2012.

I read a lot of YA across all genres, and although I love my paranormals and dystopian, contemporaries have always had a special place in my heart. Too often it feels like contemporary books are overshadowed by the tsunami wave of books getting released, the bigger books all dealing with a corrupt future society or a girl and her not-so-human love. I also think contemporaries have gotten the bad rap of being either “issue books” (a book that addresses an issue like rape or teenage drinking or drug use or abusive relationships, etc.) or mindless romances.

But that’s not true, and there are a ton of contemporaries out there that defy this simplistic breakdown, some of them not getting as much attention as I think they should. So here’s my list of the Top Five Contemporaries You Aren’t Reading But Should Be*:

1. Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

Synopsis: Kara hasn’t been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad-boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park….

Amid the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own.

Why You Should Read It: Kara’s storytelling is pitch perfect, and so authentic that you’ll actually feel like you’re living in Oak Park (a suburb of Chicago) in the 1990s. This book is so addictive that I read it in a single sitting. So pick a comfy spot before you get started.

2. How Not to Be Popular by Jennifer Zeigler

Synopsis: Maggie Dempsey is tired of moving all over the country. Her parents are second-generation hippies who uproot her every year or so to move to a new city. When Maggie was younger, she thought it was fun and adventurous. Now that she’s a teenager, she hates it. When she moved after her freshman year, she left behind good friends, a great school, and a real feeling of belonging. When she moved her sophomore year, she left behind a boyfriend, too. Now that they’ve moved to Austin, she knows better. She’s not going to make friends. She’s not going to fit in. Anything to prevent her from liking this new place and them from liking her. Only . . .things don’t go exactly as planned.

Why You Should Read It: This was one of those books that I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt the next day. Maggie has a great voice, and it’s hard to find a truly hilarious contemporary.

I’m not sure when funny became unpopular, but this book reminds me why I love a good lighthearted read.

3. Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Synopsis: Five months ago, Valerie Leftman’s boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

Why You Should Read It: Okay, this may not be a lesser known contemp, but the tension of Val returning to a school where her boyfriend killed people, especially when she still loves him, is so well done you won’t want to miss this.

4. Gentlemen by Michael Northrop

Synopsis: Micheal, Tommy, Mixer, and Bones aren’t just from the wrong side of the tracks — they’re from the wrong side of everything. Except for Mr. Haberman, their remedial English teacher, no one at their high school takes them seriously. Haberman calls them “gentlemen,” but everyone else ignores them–or, in Bones’s case, is dead afraid of them. When one of their close-knit group goes missing, the clues all seem to point in one direction: to Mr. Haberman.

Gritty, fast-paced, and brutally real, this debut takes an unflinching look at what binds friends together–and what can tear them apart.

Why You Should Read It: Thrillers make up a large portion of the adult market, and I think they could be poised to really take over the YA market as well. There are more thrillers coming out each year, and this one is not only gripping but very well done. It takes the standard fare of an “issue book” and turns it into something more, which is always a pleasure to read.

5. Compromised by Heidi Ayarbe

Synopsis: Maya’s life has always been chaotic. Living with a con-man dad, she’s spent half her life on the run. Whenever her father’s schemes go wrong, Maya finds a scientific way to fix it.

But when her dad ends up in prison and foster care fails, Maya grasps at her last possible hope of a home: a long-lost aunt, who may not even exist.

So Maya formulates a plan, and with her wits, two unlikely allies, and twenty dollars in her pocket, she sets off in search of this aunt, navigating the unpredictable four hundred miles from Reno to Boise. Life on the streets, though, becomes a struggle for survival—those scientific laws Maya has relied on her whole life just don’t apply. And with each passing day, Maya’s definitions of right and wrong are turned upside down when she’s confronted with the realities and dangers of life as a runaway. She can’t help but wonder if trying to find her aunt—and some semblance of stability—is worth the harrowing journey or if she should compromise and find a way to survive on her own.

Why You Should Read It: Ayarbe’s depiction of life as a runaway is unflinching, even if you do get the feeling that as the narrator Maya shies away from describing the truly unsavory parts of her life. Still, there is enough left to make this a gritty and absorbing road trip story.

So, obviously there are a lot of books I haven’t listed here. That’s where you come in. What contemporaries do you think people should read if they haven’t, and why?

*How did I come up with this list? A very scientific combination of books with low Amazon rankings, books that always seem to be on the shelf at my local library, and books no one seems to have read during “ohmigod you have to read this book” conversations. So, as you can see, very scientific.

Guest Post: Sarah of Green Bean Teen Queen

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Today you’re in for a special treat — Sarah of Green Bean Teen Queen has stopped by to talk about her favorite Printz books and why they’re her favorites. In case you didn’t know, she is on the ballot for the 2013 American Library Association’s Printz committee and voting is open now. If you haven’t cast your ballot yet, here’s your opportunity to see why Sarah deserves to be nominated to the committee.

Asking a librarian about her favorite book is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child-it just can’t be done! Especially when those books are limited to Printz Winners and Honor Books-there are so many great books to choose from! Do I go with the funny and pick Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging? Do I go for the book that packed an emotional punch with The First Part Last? Do I pick the book that surprised me the most and blew me away when I wasn’t expecting it with How I Live Now?

After really looking at the Printz books, I have to say that Jennifer Donnelly’s A Northern Light is my all time favorite Printz book. Why? Because it combines mystery, history, and coming of age, as well as facts and fiction. You care about the characters. Mattie Gokey is a fantastic character and her journey is one you can’t soon forget. She’s faced with various options in life and is at a crossroads. Even though it’s a historical novel, the decisions Mattie has to face about growing up are something that teens of any time period can relate to. There’s also a bit of mystery that goes along with Mattie’s story. The author takes a real life story and creates a fictional story around it and brings the entire thing to life. I’ve recommended this book to so many people and it’s one of my favorite YA reads as well as Printz reads!

OK, so after picking my all time favorite Printz book, what do I think makes a good Printz book? I think the book has to be a book that really and truly reflects the amazingness that is young adult fiction (or non-fiction). YA is an area that is often looked down on and snubbed by readers and I think part of the job of the Printz is to highlight the books that show how wonderful and powerful YA can be. The books should be books that teens and librarians read and discuss. While not everyone will love the books that picked, they should encourage discussion and get people thinking and talking. They also need to be books that librarians can pick up and say “this is why I do what I do-because YA is an incredible field that offers some of the best books out there.” Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to help choose those books!